connection

watercolor

Connection [is] the energy that exists between people

when they feel seen, heard, and valued;

when they can give and receive without judgement,

and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.

-Brené Brown

the comfort of a friend

watercolor

You and I can share the silence 

 Finding comfort together 

 The way old friends do

— Abba

"The Way Old Friends Do" (1980)

we all have it

watercolor

We all have pain 

 We all have sorrow 

 But if we are wise 

 We know that there's always tomorrow

— Bill Withers

"Lean on Me”  

listen close...

watercolor

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child

Listen to the DON’TS

Listen to the Shouldn'ts

The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT’S

Listen to the NEVER HAVES

then listen close to me —

Anything can happen, child,

ANYTHING can be.

 – Shell Silerstein 
“Listen to the Mustn'ts”
from "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

We relate… therefore we are

torn paper collage, pen and ink on index card

“I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships 

so will our healing, 

and I know that grace rarely makes sense 

for those looking in from the outside.” 

― William Paul Young, The Shack

 

don’t make up your mind yet...

Watercolor

 The time to make up your mind about people, 

is never.

~Philip Barry

misunderstood...

watercolor, pen and ink

Perhaps one did not want to be loved

so much as to be understood.

- George Orwell

 

Broken places

Watercolor

 The world breaks everyone, and afterward,

some are strong at the broken places

—Ernest Hemingway 

sharing at PaintPartyFriday 

Dark defines Light

Watercolor

The dark does not destroy the light; 
it defines it. 

It's our fear of the dark that casts our joy 

into the shadows.

— Brené Brown (The Gifts of Imperfection)

Sharing at PaintPartyFriday

 

alive when caught

The Call of the Disciples

 He calls us all to step aboard his ship,

Take the adventure on this morning’s wing,

Raise sail with him, launch out into the deep,

Whatever storms or floods are threatening.

If faith gives way to doubt, or love to fear,

Then, as on Galilee, we’ll rouse the Lord,

For he is always with us and will hear

And make our peace with his creative Word,

Who made us, loved us, formed us and has set

All his beloved lovers in an ark;

Borne upwards by his Spirit, we will float

Above the rising waves, the falling dark,

As fellow pilgrims, driven towards that haven,

Where all will be redeemed, fulfilled, forgiven.

-Malcolm Guite

They pulled their boats up on the beach,  

left them, nets and all, 

and followed him.

- Luke 5:11 MSG

For by the net of holy preaching they drew fish, 

that is, 

men, from the depths of the sea,

 that is, 

of [unbelief], to the light of faith. 

Wonderful indeed is this fishing! 

for fishes when they are caught, soon after die; 

when men are caught by the word of preaching,

 they rather are made alive.

-ST. REMIGIUS

fabric scraps

cotton fishnet (I did not order...)

 but arrived via Amazon anyway  (they did not want it back)

white acrylic on canvas

Inspired by The Call of the Disciples by Malcolm Guite

broken Bread - for us

And Jesus said to them,

 “I am the bread of life. 

He who comes to Me shall never hunger,

 and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. . . 

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. 

If anyone eats of this bread, 

he will live forever.”

-John 6:35,51

watercolor on hot pressed arches paper

“We are all mere beggars telling other beggars where we found bread.” 

— Martin Luther

family portrait

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. 

Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains 

as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge 

hidden in every cell of our bodies. 

~Shirley Abbott

watercolor

for Dr. Fostenia Baker

a remarkable lady and friend

“Call it a clan, 

call it a network,

 call it a tribe,

 call it a family: 

Whatever you call it, 

whoever you are, 

you need one.”

– Jane Howard

Read this family's story
See the documentary featuring Dr. Fostenia Baker




 sharing at paintpartyfriday

together

“When you stop expecting people to be perfect, 

you can like them for who they are.” 

― Donald Miller,
 A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life

watercolor on Fabriano paper

“I define connection 

as the energy that exists between people when they feel 

seen, 

heard, 

and valued; 

when they can give and receive without judgment; 

and when they derive 

sustenance and strength 

from the relationship.” 

― Brené Brown

journey

watercolor

There is a joy in the journey

There's a light we can love on the way

-Michael Card 

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.

voice of silence

watercolor

"When they are 

silent

they 

cry out."

-Cicero

Sharing at PaintPartyFriday

us

watercolor on fabriano paper

“How joyful to be together, alone

as when we first were joined...

... except that now we know

each other, as we did not then;

and now instead of two stories fumbling

to meet, we belong to one story

that the two, joining, made. And now

we touch each other with the tenderness

of mortals, who know themselves”

― Wendell Berry, Entries

sharing at PaintPartyFriday

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

sharing at paintpartyfriday

redemption

“Is everything sad going to come untrue?”
– Sam Gamgee to Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings

“Everything sad is going to come untrue 

and it will somehow be greater for having once been broken and lost.

– Tim Keller, The Reason for God

follow

“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

watercolor

“Don't go where I can't follow!” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers