Hand pierced for me...

    “I desire him who died for our sake. 

I desire him who rose for us.

 Suffer me to receive the pure light;

 when I shall arrive there, 

I shall become a human being.” 

-Irenaeus of Lyons

Watercolor on AquaBoard

God’s great project is the human being, 

Christ is the first true human, 

out of death comes life, 

and strength is made perfect in weakness. 

- Dr. John Behr

 Biola Lent Project

Ace, therapy dog

Watercolor on Aquaboard

“When an eighty-five pound mammal licks your tears away, 

then tries to sit on your lap,

 it’s hard to feel sad.”

―Kristan Higgins

Ace is the 120lb Bernese Mountain dog of a friend.

He loves well.

Nature's Affirmation #4: Deep Wrinkles

varnished watercolor on aquabord

"Wrinkles only go where smiles have been."
-Jimmy Buffet

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Nature's Affirmation #3: Bad Hair Day

varnished watercolor on aquabord

"You can't control everything.
Your hair was put on your head to remind you of that!"
-anonymous

And I will add that hurricanes will remind you of the same!
We were spared great damage,
but many of our neighbors were less fortunate...

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Nature's Affirmation #1: Baggy Eyes

varnished watercolor on aquabord

"Those bags under me eyes...?
 Well they just happen to be
 Designer bags."
-anonymous

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turning

watercolor on aquaboard

“It is to be broken. 
It is to be torn open.
It is not to be reached 
and come to rest in

ever.
 I turn against you,

I break from you, 
I turn to you.

We hurt,
 and are hurt,

and have each other for healing.

It is healing.
 It is never whole.” 

― Wendell Berry, The Collected Poems, 1957-1982

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how little it takes

                                           

                                                           watercolor on aquaboard

                                       “Again I resume the long

                                        lesson: how small a thing

                                         can be pleasing, how little

                                         in this hard world it takes

                                          to satisfy the mind

                                            and bring it to its rest.”

                                                   ― Wendell Berry, Sabbaths

                                                     Sharing at PaintPartyFriday

the grace of another day

watercolor on aquaboard

“Life is grace. 

Sleep is forgiveness.

 The night absolves. 

Darkness wipes the slate clean,

 not spotless to be sure,

but clean enough

 for another day's chalking.” 

― Frederick Buechner, The Alphabet of Grace

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fathomless mystery

watercolor on aquaboard

“Listen to your life.

 See it for the fathomless mystery it is.

 In the boredom and pain of it, 

no less than in the excitement and gladness: 

touch, taste, smell 

your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, 

because in the last analysis

 all moments are key moments, 

and life itself is grace.” 

― Frederick Buechner, Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation

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