Oh my goodness ~ I could barely force myself away from this Painting. I'm really Enjoying a lot of this Covid-19 stuff ~ if i don't look at how much money I'm Not making while i have time to do my own Art ~ getting a chance to Paint what I'm always Loooooking at. Mindfulness

This is a corner of my desk. Unfinished. It's harder to get them started when you don't rely on photos. Harder to size and place what's going on. But the new Digital Painting apps do make it easier than when we worked directly on paper. The Move-Tool is so helpful at the Start-sketch.

Still, I did have to redesign my initial idea ~ because it was too all-encompassing. The eyes/mind wander from picture to picture when we're just looking around. So it's too many pictures in one when I start designing the Painting.

I'm painting it with the intention of building up that Office Decor Series that I started with Alison's Stapler and the Empty Glass.

There's some really good stuff in Galatians. Today I read:

Galations 6:7-10 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: For whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to this flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap.... As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.....

Ecclesiastes 9 : 5-6 (Old Testament) For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

2Corinthians 5:12 (New Testament) ....we......give you occasion to glory.....that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

I was thinking about Heaven and Hell today. This lemon plant wove in with my thoughts about Heaven and Hell. Here's what dreamed up. Perhaps we can learn about the Spiritual world by imposing Jesus's words onto what we see in this physical world.

I love this Lemon Plant. I had bought it as an 8" cutting many years ago. At a gas station as we drove from FLorida to NewYork.

I hesitate to share my human thoughts ~ Why read what Alison thinks, when you could be reading what Jesus thinks. So before I continue, I will share with you whatever are the first words of Jesus that I read today. I'm up to Mark Chapter 7. Jesus speaks at verse 6: Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things ye do.

This year, my plant has more flowers than ever. It is so beautifully fragrant. Maybe because of it's age? The amount of flowers has grown exponentially every year. Or maybe because I left it ouside in the cold just a little too long? So it responded vigorously to the warmth inside the house?

The flowers smell so sweet. You can smell them throughout the little room. They look so fine, lovely, happy, perfect. I try to sweep away the ones that turn brown and drop to the floor.

Sometimes, there's one that died and is still on the plant. 'Maybe I should clear that away before I take the photo', I thought.

These beautiful flowers. So beautiful, and then dying. While the big plant keeps living. I thought about how excited I'll be when I start to see the lemons growing. I remembered the few that grew last year. The best lemons ever. They had started as little green bumps where the beautiful white flowers had dried out and turned brown and dropped off. Real lemons like I buy in the store. Along with all the other food that I think I need every day.

If the flowers had to live, no matter what, if I found some sort of 'antioxidant' to keep them from aging, I would never get any lemons. And then seeds. And then more plants. A universe full of plants.

We try so hard to hang on to our bodies. What if the flower hung on to being a flower? Then no food would develop.

I'm always concerned that I should recognize Jesus and follow him to Heaven when I leave this body. Perhaps it's time to relax. To trust that Jesus has a plan for us all. That if we leave our bodies, we become something else that's wonderful. If we just go with the flow, we will then see and understand. Going with the flow of our lives every day. And trusting God's plan. I remembered Matthew16:25 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.

With this in mind, how can we not believe in Resurrection. How can we not believe in Jesus's Rebirth.

A plant can start to wilt and die. It's happened to me before with my houseplants. That a plant would look all dried up and dead. But I would put it in the sunlight, water it regularly, and.....

Voila! The plant is back! In like ways, God could put life into anything. He's put the miracle of life into people, plants, and animals. Need it only be into the baby? Into the new seedling? God can en-Liven whenever He wants. I believe Jesus's story. Of course it all happened. I can believe that his plan leads me to Heaven.

So I have nothing to fear. Jesus was born among us to show me that this life of the flesh is not all there is. That I needn't cling to only my current flowering as though that's all that could make me happy.