Blessings to Generations

Yesterday we went to my Great Auntie Fern's funeral. We took Annah with us because every funeral we have gone to we left her behind and then regretted it because we always felt she would of been just fine and she was. I really don't like crossing state lines...actually not even county lines without my "Sunshine" with me.

Anyways... as we participated in probably one of the most memorable, amazing funerals I have been too... what struck me most... besides the fact that I heard beautiful testimony about my Great Aunt that I didn't know before that touched me deeply... what also just stuck out was that that side of my family... well, they just ooze talent and gifts and beauty and any sort of life blessings you can grasp hold of... they possess it. You just can not even imagine the sounds of their voices singing... and the love of God and ministry work combined in that room from the family was breathtaking. As a matter of fact...I think every single family member is involved in church, missions, ministry work as their life work or at the very least, dedicating their life work to the Lord which as depicted in the beautiful painting above which was painted by my mom. My Great Auntie Fern was my mom's Aunt. Painting is a gift my mom discovered later on in life, well after my brother and I had flown the coop.

The above painting is one of the first paintings that revealed God's blessing and hand on her life. My mom, back in 2001, right of the time of 911, was beginning to be more tired than usual. It was beyond tired... exhaustion and while on a trip she was so exhausted she landed in the hospital and while in the hospital she painted this picture. It is called "Surprise Angel". When she painted it, she was painting the bridge in her backyard and after it was completed, you can see the angel in the picture over the bridge which she unknowingly painted into the picture while she lay in the hospital because the days that followed were traumatic for us as she suffered a complete major stroke. Words can't describe the horror of that time... she was also a computer professor and the Stroke left her very much paralyzed on one side as strokes often do. The prognosis looked rather grim ...she would never paint again nor type nor teach which was her passion.
But, God fully restored her body to 'work'. She continuted teaching and not only does she paint, she wins awards and is displayed in galleries, books etc...

However, back to my point... thats my mom's side of the family. Talent. Blessing. Oozing talent.

The painting above is called "Hope"... "Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil... Psalm 23:4"

Mom's website

While she paints mostly florals, I tend to like the non-floral paintings best. I think I just like flowers wild and blowing in the wind or sitting pretty in the sun as oppossed to being on canvas.

So, I was just blown away by the talent, the giftings and the blessings on that side of the family.
I'm not saying my dad's family is talentless or anything... but, you know, he traced his family tree back to the Vikings.... my mom's side is full of people who lived unto God and I believe the hand of God and His blessings have been pouring down into that side of the family for generations... maybe back to ... who knows... maybe one of the great men in the Bible that God promised to bless them and their offspring to come....

I honestly do not have any talent whatsoever. None. I think that Viking DNA dominated itself on me but the other side of the family poured into my children. Thank God! :) My son can sing like an angel and he is a missionary in Volcan... my daughter is so multi talented I can't even comprehend it and she blows my mind with her paintings and talents... and she has been a beautiful Godly person as long as I have known her. :) I surely can't say the same about myself. I came into the world fighting everything but, I am fully convinced that because of the blessings promised to 'that' side of the family.... God never let me out of his sight. He always pursued me diligently and aggressively... dusted me off and put me on the straight and narrow. I never wandered off to far...okay maybe I did..I was always one to question and buck every thing and it took me a long time to fully lay down my life and realize there is no other way. All other paths lead to destruction. Peace and Joy and Hope are only fully known when we are with God. Some people are able to just 'know' that truth. Others like myself have to obtain it through alot of self destruction and self inflicted stubborn misery. :)

"For God so loved the World.." John 3:16 Watermedia, 50 x 36