Month: January 2024

ANSWER to ‘What does this picture make you think of?’ 1/29/2024

I have received some wonderful answers to my previous post. When I painted this painting some years back I had no idea what I was going to paint. I just had the colors impressed upon me. To be honest my best paintings are spiritually inspired where I just have what colors I will be painting with, then I just start painting. As if I am the brush in the Master Artists hand, When I saw the woman emerge from the water I loved her. She hung on my living room wall, until the day that God inspired me to donate it to a fundraiser being held at the church I was attending. I never found out who purchased her and I was sad to see her go, but I was happy to give her to a good cause. The photo of this painting does not do her justice, but she is still beautiful to me. Resting peacefully as she floats in the water. It reminds me of Psalm 23:2; He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. Even though the scripture says laying down in green pastures, it is the still water, that I relate to. In a world and life filled with troubles, and feeling as if under constant attack, the still waters, reminds that Jesus calms the storms in our lives.

Art by Reiko Chinen/Julie Sheppard

Here are some of the answers others have shared;

Tom  Edit

Hi Julie, This painting makes me think of Psalm 69:1-2 – Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.

ropheka  Edit

A woman in water

chozehconnections  Edit

Isaiah 43:2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! (TLB)

joyindestructible  Edit

Jonah

Anadelia Yamilex  Edit

I think of when we face hard times and it seems like we are drowning and waiting on God and Jesus to rescue us and just when we are at the very verge to completely go under they come and help us out!

I want to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts with us. God bless each of you.

Song to encourage you; ‘ooh Child’ by the Five Stair Steps

There are songs that were not for praise and worship that still make me think of God. When I listen to the words of this song, I like to think God is singing to me of better days to come.

Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child
Things’ll get brighter
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child
Things’ll get brighter

[Chorus]
Some day, yeah
We’ll get it together and we’ll get it all done
Some day
When your head is much lighter
Some day, yeah
We’ll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Some day
When the world is much brighter

[Verse 2]
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna be easier
Ooh-oo child
Things’ll get be brighter
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna be easier
Ooh-oo child
Things’ll get be brighter


[Chorus]
Some day, yeah
We’ll get it together and we’ll get it all done
Some day
When your head is much lighter
Some day, yeah
We’ll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Some day
When the world is much brighter
Some day, yeah
We’ll get it together and we’ll get it all done
Some day
When your head is much lighter
Some day, yeah
We’ll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Some day
When the world is much brighter

[Outro]
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child
Things’ll get brighter
Ooh-oo child
Things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child
Things’ll get brighter
Right now, right now
(You just wait and see how things are gonna be)

Will you listen to this song as if God was singing to you?

What do you see? 1/30/2024

When you look at this photo, what do you see?

Something I have liked doing since I was a child is looking at things like clouds and seeing what shapes they remind me of. I could see faces in grains of wood. The shapes of clouds is even more because of the wide variety of shapes they form. So I ask two questions; 1) What do you see? 2) What does it make you think of?

Looking forward to reading your responses.

Thanks, and God bless!

Faith When You Cannot See

During the day if you look into the sky you can see the sun. Then night falls and you can no longer see the sun. Does that mean it no longer exists? Just because you cannot see it, you still know that it still exists. Now think about the moon. You can only see it at night, but there are phases of the moon. A full moon is only seen one night of its cycle, there rest of that cycle you only can see parts of the moon and then there is the moonless night. It is still out there in space reflecting the light of the sun. Then there are cloudy, rainy and even stormy days and nights when you cannot see either, but they are still there.

Photos by Reiko Chinen/Julie Sheppard

During the dark periods of our lives it is easy to lose faith. It is hard to see beyond the problems we face in our lives. The trials, tribulations, storms and giants that we face can eclipse our view of God in our lives. This is when we need to hold on to faith. Faith is believing when you cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1-3

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (Read the entire chapter)

Just because I cannot see the end of the storm does not mean it will not end. Also if you are in the boat with Jesus, you will make it safely through. Moses lead the Israelites through the Red Sea on dry land while Pharaoh’s army was in pursuit of them. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down and worship an idol. They were no in the furnace alone. No matter how dark or stormy, or how hot the fire is, HE is always with you. He will never leave and abandon you. HE is faithful and true and the ONE who you can always trust. So what ever you are going through, know that you are not alone. HE is right there with you. Just because we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel does not mean it is not there, we just haven’t gone far enough down the path yet. Just keep pressing through, and HE will see you through. Have faith, trust in Him, no matter how long it takes, and this is coming from someone who is still waiting to get to the other side of my own tribulations. Even though I cannot see the end of the storm, or the light at the end of this dark tunnel, I know HE is the ONE I can trust completely.

Art by Reiko Chine/Julie Sheppard – Light At The End Of The Tunnel

When I drew this picture I was actually going through an actual trial, but I chose to hold on to faith and believe that HE would get me through. A friend gave me a caption that I like, ‘There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t worry, it is not a train. It is the Light of Jesus Christ.’

I do not know what trials or troubles you are going through right now, and just like I do not know when my own are going to end but if we hold on to faith in Jesus we are going to make it through.

Answer to question 1/24/2024

The scripture that had inspired me to draw and paint this picture was Revelation 12:4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

Mother and child are in his sight

To devour her child will be his delight.

Poem and art by Reiko Chinen/Julie Sheppard

As I look at this picture and read this scripture I think about the children who have been aborted. Yet my thoughts do not stop there. How many lives have been taken by hatred, violence, prejudice, crimes and war? I know the scripture that inspired this painting is about Jesus and how the enemy had set out since the fall of man to kill the Child Who will bring his end, but I am seeing that he is also trying to destroy Christ in us, by having us turn against each other. This of course is just my thoughts.

I am looking forward to the scriptures and thoughts you have to share.