How would you like to own one of my original paintings?

How would you like to help the orphans in Haiti at the same time?

***UPDATE: Click here for the update on my art sale!***

Mr. Doug Phillips and a group of men have just arrived in Haiti to help the many orphans and victims of the recent earth quake. You can read the details on Mr. Phillips’ blog. Keep updated on the Rescue Haiti’s Children mission by following their Facebook page and Twitter feed. Mr. Phillips writes,

My mission to Haiti is four-fold: First, I will be establishing one of the only distinctively Christian reporting operations to tell stories of both the present crisis and the work of Christians on behalf of the sick and the widows and the orphans in the midst of Haiti’s present horror. Second, I will be working to facilitate the rescue and delivery of orphans to Christian families in America. Third, I will be identifying specific families that need direct support from the people of God in America. Fourth, my team will be providing specific relief to people in distress.  Read more . . .

This is a critical time for Haiti, and the Rescue Haiti’s Children team needs our open hearts and financial support. Maybe you can’t travel to Haiti, or even adopt an orphan. But perhaps you could give . . . even a little?

As for my art: Over the next several days I will be creating six pieces of original art. As a fund-raiser, I will be donating all profit from these six original paintings to the Rescue Haiti’s Children. Each piece will be based on Matthew 25:35-36:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.

I will be posting the paintings as they are created and made available for sale. Until now, I have never sold any original pieces. Each one will never be made available again as no prints will be made. All profit will be going to the Rescue Haiti’s Children project.

Or, if you can’t wait to give, donate now by going here.

.:. .:. .:.

One of my new year’s resolutions is to try a new bread recipe every Monday. I’ve been making our regular bread with our home-ground wheat for the past year, so I’m definitely ready to branch out!

On January 4th I tried the pretzel recipe in “Wildflour” by Denise M. Fidler. We use this book for many of our ground-wheat recipes. (The bread we make regularly was adapted by Momma from this book.)

Due to the hard work and copyright of the author, I won’t be posting the recipe, but I highly recommend “Wildflour” to anyone interested in grinding their own wheat.

Now for the pretzels. . .

The most delightful part was rolling out the chunks of dough into long floppy snakes and twisting them into the familiar and beloved pretzel figure.

How to twist a pretzel:

1. Using your hands, roll out the dough into a snake, about 2 feet long. (If the surface of the dough has dried a little, you can lightly rub it down with a bagel wash [1 c. warm water + 1/4 c. baking soda] while you roll it out.)

2. Take the two ends and switch them twice.

3. Then press them onto the opposite side of the pretzel.

4. Dip them in the water/baking soda mixture. Place them on the pan and sprinkle them with sea salt. (Table salt works fine. That’s what I used.)

These homemade pretzels were very tasty, especially with strawberry cream cheese. I’d also like to try making homemade strawberry cream cheese from strained low-fat yogurt and homemade strawberry jam. We’ll see how that goes.  :)

Thank You , Heavenly Father, for . . .

73. a new drawing student . . . who wants to learn to draw what I love to draw: people

74. the silhouettes of snow drifts in the morning

75. the green tips of an amaryllis bulb, sitting on the window sill

76. bunny tracks in the snow

77. a new scanner/printer

78. traditions of courtesy

79. history books written by those who acknowledge Your glorious power

80. “Institutes of Biblical Law” by Rushdoony

81. a pretty, well-lit room to call “my studio”

82. safe travels on icy roads

83. Sabbath visitors

84. paper dolls and the girls who like to play with them ;)

.:. .:. .:.

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” - C.S. Lewis

“Una and the Lion” from the Faeire Queene, by Briton Rivière, 1880

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” - G.K. Chesterton

New Year’s Eve was fast approaching, and I wanted to have my list of resolutions ready for the big day. Busy scribbling away at my agenda, I thought of the verse,

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” -Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

“Winter” by Jean Léon Gérôme

This has held true throughout my life, and I’m sure you can relate! The resolutions I wrote at the end of 2008 look very different than what was actually accomplished in 2009.

And while I have plans and hopes and dreams for 2010, I’m sure God will be changing them according to His plan and purpose, which is always much better than my own.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.”
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)