Why Christmas in November? Because the art guild I am a member of decorates a tree at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine and the ornaments are due at the beginning of November. The theme we have been assigned this year is Feliz Navidad. Hence, the maracas.

I started with the outside pair in the usual paper mache way with a balloon and a straw. Then I found a set of maracas at the local thrift shop and decided to paper mache them as well. They are the big ones with the figures. The smallest one is a wooden one that my husband fashioned with his lathe.

I can celebrate Christmas in November because I am thankful for the Savior that God sent two thousand(ish) years ago. And, adding on to a saying I saw on a Christmas card years ago, Wise men still seek Him, all year long.

Small painting, short thought.

Many times I have trouble deciding what to paint. This painting happened because I put a stroke on the canvas, then decided what it would be. Sometimes you need to just begin, and see what happens.

This can go for other things in life, too. You've got to begin to see how it ends.

While recently reading Joshua 17, I decided iron chariots would be a major part of the thought, so I looked for chariots online. This is part of one I found. Learn more about this chariot here.

I didn’t expect this painting to look like a stained glass window. To get this effect, I used masking fluid for the lines, then added colors that aren’t in the original, just to play with color.

In Joshua 17:14-18, the sons of Joseph were apportioned a valley in their part in the Promised Land. They asked for more land partly because the people in that valley had iron chariots.

Joshua told them they could have the hill country too, but he also told them they could conquer the people in the valley even though they had iron chariots. They had the command from God to do that, so Joshua knew He would help them. And later on in Judges 4:12-16 we learn that God can and will help His people, even when the enemy has iron chariots.

By saying ‘the people have iron chariots’ it seems to me that the sons of Joseph were relying on their own strength instead of God’s. Joshua acknowledged the challenges, but his faith was in God.

When, not if, God asks you to do something hard in the coming year, are you (and I) going to think ‘I can’t’ or ‘I can, even though’ - with faith in the One Who wants to help us meet the challenges head on?

Reading in Proverbs in the Bible, I came across this verse again and decided to paint it.

Proverbs 16:24 - Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

In honor of my mother who recently passed away, I’m painting her saddle. Mom bought this saddle with her own money when she was probably a teenager. It is sitting on a stand that my sister made for it. The saddle is popular with children, but they don’t go anywhere, of course.

Read more: Mom's Saddle

  1. Baskets
  2. Time and Time Again
  3. Apples of Gold
  4. Tulip In Autumn

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