Skip to main content
Homeward Spirit
Contemporary Art Palette Knife Horse Oil Daily Painting by Laurie Justus Pace


30 x 36 inches HEAVY OIL

COMMISSION SOLD
heading for Como, Italy.

Still have enough time to order and get one of your own for Christmas!
Laurie


"do it with heART"
A collection of thoughts and Art by Laurie Justus Pace

www.lakewoodseries.blogspot.com

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

For some reason my mind has been stuck on a different mantra the past 24 hours. Ever since writing yesterday about the couple that owned the restaurant, I have been having echos in my head...Pray it forward.

This is the second Sunday in Advent. Today you will light the Candle of Peace. The First candle you will relight is the candle of Hope. Today's candle is Peace. We light this candle to remind us that our Lord Jesus brings peace to all who trust in Him.

That works for anything in your life. PRAY IT FORWARD. Yesterday I went with my brother and mother up to Bonham, TX to visit my Dad again at the VA Home. For new readers, my dad has Alzheimer's. Dad looked pretty good. He did not even respond in the lobby by the nurses station to Kirk or I but zoomed in immediately on my Mother who was busy dropping off cookies at the nurse's station. He only has eyes for her. It was a great visit. He looked great, strong and still the outside "dad" I have always known, but just a shell left with thoughts by the moment. The Cub Scouts from Anna, TX were there Praying it Forward with Christmas bags for the Veterans filled with fresh fruits, candies, nuts and a soft blanket.

Mom treated us to the Symphony last night. It was spectacular. She was praying it forward for us. I believe sitting there was a bit of heaven. From the faces of the delighted children there watching and hearing all the Christmas music; to the relaxed softened faces of all the adults (forgetting for 2 hours the recession and all the negativity piling up at home); to 'Mary' that commands the phenomenal pipe organ at the symphony hall; to the entire orchestra and conductor that made the 'heaven-like' sounds come alive in all of us. This is one thing I anticipate from New Years Day forward is the Christmas Symphony. Truly a tiny fragment of pre-heaven gracing our lives.

When trying to fall asleep last night I felt like a young girl that had been at her first dance. The strands of music filled my head as I lay there so relaxed with vsions flashing through my head of the evening and all the joyful moments and sounds. I lay awake totally enjoying it, praying and sharing with God all the wonderful moments of the day, the night and praying for the upcoming day today.

Somewhere in there about 1 am Paddy, Terry's dog, got sick. You hear that distinct sound of up-chucking. Being the 'retired' mom I still responded to the distressed sounds and had to call for reinforcements for cleanup. Of course the moment I entered the room he wagged up to me and wipped his snotty face all over my nightgown. Terry was a trouper and it took us 20 min to clean it all up. We tucked them back in bed about 1:30 and by 1:35 Terry was sawing logs. Me, I returned back to the eurphoric state of relaxation and it was close to three when I finally dozed off. I was up by five then getting TP off to work this morning an I am blogging by six a.m. I will play it forward and Pray it Forward.

Got an email from friends Ann and Robert Fuqua who are missionaries in Russia. Click here for their site. Ann and Robert have it placed in their heart to make this their life. I cannot even go back and remember when they started doing this with East/West Ministries, but know it was about 3 years ago, they sold everything they owned here in the states and moved to Russia to do it full time there. Used to be mission trips over and back several times a year working with orphans. Now they have branched out to work with "graduated orhpans", the young adults aging out of the system. There are some wonderful shared stories and pictures on this site. I have actually known Ann since we were about six years old, so we go back a long time.

I am praying today for direction for yourself and your family. Pray your life forward and ask Him how you are to serve Him. Have unwavering faith that you will be answered and LISTEN for His answer. I know I am not called to serve in Russia, but there are many things that can be done right where I live to serve others through my talents, my gifts and my time.

We have a request for family prayers for Terry's brother and his wife right now. There are health issues for both of them. Thank you!

As early as it is, here is one short verse from a Christmas Hymn and a very short reading from Luke.



Pray it Forward,

Laurie

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviciton of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Bit of Wonder Contemporary Horse Oil Daily Painting Art by Laurie Justus Pace 24 x 30 x 2 inches of thick buttery oils! Contact me to purchase: Laurie "This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it". Psalm 118:24 It was a day of celebration yesterday as Lauren Gracen was born. Stacey began her labor around nine in the morning and was ready to push by 12:15, but they held her off while getting things set up. Took four good contractions with multiple pushes and the baby was there! All grandparents accounted for to count the toes and fingers! My admiration is for my daughter and her bravery and calmness despite the tension and newness of what she faced. I was honored to be there as the baby was delivered seeing my granddaughter push out into the light and take her first breathe... and then cry... and that she did. Terry was able to participate and he and Larry helped with pushing and getting Stacey upright for the process and then Terry was hon...

Arrival...Refrigerator?

© Laurie Pace        Graphics One Design 2024 Arrival Oil on Canvas  SOLD   by Laurie Pace   Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whtever you do, and he will establish your plans."   Worrisome times laced with prayers.   The world seems like a scary place lately. Praying for everyone affected by the last two hurricanes.  My adventures today were the result of a dead refrigerator. I have loved my Kitchen Aid refrigerator very much. The first one in the 'French Kitchen' look died at 13 months. Hubby wanted the same refrigerator. Well this one made it four years and a few months. I cannot believe appliances are not made to last longer...but wait, is that because they make more money if we have to replace it in 4-5 years?  You replace your mattress at least every 7 years... and your washer dryer, you might get 7 years out of those... The stoves seem to make it closer to 10 years. We are Lowe's customers, and Robert ...

The Marsh... of our lives? Walking with God.

© Laurie Pace        Graphics One Design 2024 The Marsh 6 x 12 inches Oil on Canvas  SOLD   by Laurie Pace   I did two of these paintings about three years ago. They both sold immediately to a Florida Collector. Simple and elegant for a horse painting.  Ephesians 5:1-2 "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."  One of the biggest challenges in walking with God is trusting Him and not trying to out think Him or to do everything your way. It never works.  The Apostle Paul wrote of his own struggles in Romans 7 .  Romans 7: 22-23 “ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the ...