Finding joy in the everyday

Artist: Susan Brabeau Thankyou so much for stopping by to check out my art page. It has been very quiet of late and I was wondering where you had all gone to.  As long as you are all well and doing ok, that is great :) I do hope you enjoy this selection by Susan Braheau, I just love all the details and the activities going on in each of her works. These are all examples of jigsaws and wouldn't they be so much fun to do. I love jigsaws and ones like these are my favourite. 

MOTHERS ARE PRECIOUS They give so much and ask for so little in return. This is a photo of my mother when I was a tiny baby, doesn't she look so happy. She was very happy, as I was such joy after much sorrow of loosing a baby less than 2 years prior.  My mother is now very elderly and no longer strong or able-bodied, but I love her just the same. My mother has given me with some beautiful memories that I will treasure and cherish forever.  Most of all the other beautiful things in life comes twos and three, by dozens and hundreds.   Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers, and sisters, aunts and cousins but only  one mother i n the whole world. Kate Douglas Wiggin Memories of my mother— The smells of home cooked meals each day The yummy cakes and biscuits she baked each week   The books and classical music that occupied our home My mother sewing and knitting us all clothes Teaching me the many skills I have need

“In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.” ( Timothy 2:9-10) Modest apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing — what does this all mean? Interestedly it means many different things depending on who you ask. For some women it means only wearing skirts and dresses, to others it means covering up but wearing trousers. Some women wear old-world clothing, others go for the modern look.  Some women choose to limit their  jewellery  to the bare minimum, others wear necklaces, earrings, bangles etc... Some women believe that they wardrobe should only contain a few items of clothing, others have no issue with the amount they buy. Makeup can vary from none to lots.  Who is right—this is a very personal issue that we are alone will be accountable to God

Painting: Adoration of the Shepherds Artist: Sebastiano del Piombo (1485-1547) Born:Venice, Italy The painting "Adoration of the Shepherds" was badly damaged in the 1700s when it was attempted to remove the original 16th century painting from its wooden board and transfer to canvas. Over the years attempts have been made to repair the artwork with three centuries of overpainting. After thousands of hours of painstaking work by expert conservators, it is now fully repaired. The project took ten years and was lead by the Cambridge Fitzwilliam Museum (United Kingdom). The painting, dated to 1510, may have already been in trouble, with the paint surface lifting, when it landed in the French royal collection in the 18th century, where the king’s craftsmen specialised in transferring panel paintings to canvas. On smaller paintings it was sometimes possible to shave the surface of the board off, but on a large scale work such as this another piece of fabr

What one woman sees as modest may not be modest for someone else. I think all three outfits below are modest. There is no plunging neck lines, the skirts are to the knee and each outfit is very feminine and pretty. However for some Christians, their definition of modesty is different and would only include outfits that are much longer or perhaps to the ankle.  This is far more suitable for some women (all from Shabby Apple) — each outfit is long, the shoulders are well covered, the necklines are high and once again, they are very feminine.  I like all these outfits and they are certainly very modest to wear.  Other women prefer to wear clothes that are very traditional in style and do not follow modern trends. And there are those who love to reproduce outfits that are common from the pioneer or Victoria era.  This makes women confused or uncertain about the definition of  "modesty" and what it means.  Sometimes it can feel that you haven't been reading

Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Ant-man, Thor, Captan America, Green Arrow, Iron Man, Hulk, Green Lantern, Flash Wolverine, Steel, the Fantastic Four . . . . plus the hundreds of other superhero created by Marvel and DC over the last 80 years. And with every superhero is a villain or two.  Superheroes are not new — Superman (or Clarke Kent) was created in 1932 and Batman (or otherwise known as Bruce Wayne) was created in 1939. Many millions of children around the world have grown up with these superheroes and spent lots of pocket money buying the comic books. Modern children (and adults alike) flock in very large numbers to see the latest Marvel or DC movie — we have the X-Men franchise (8 thus far), we have the Batman and Superman franchises and it just keeps on growing. There is money to be made in these franchise (for example, the three Batman movies made $US1.45 billion and the three Superman movies made $US1.11 billion). Disney bought Marvel comics in 2008 for $US4 billion an

Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette Artist: Pierre-Auguste Renior (1841-1919) French Dimensions: 131 x 175 cm (51.6 x 68.9 inches) Painted in the 1870s and shown at the Impressionist exhibition in 1877.  Though some of his friends appear in the picture, Renoir's main aim was to convey the vivacious and joyful atmosphere of this popular dance garden on the Butte Montmartre. The study of the moving crowd, bathed in natural and artificial light, is handled using vibrant, brightly coloured brushstrokes. The somewhat blurred impression of the scene prompted negative reactions from contemporary critics. The Moulin de la Galette is a mill located at the top of the hill of Montmartre and in the 1870s it served as the main centre of Sunday leisure for the local young people. Renoir painted this scene of dancing en plein air, directly in the open, fascinated by the truly folk atmosphere of the amusements.  The artist’s younger brother, Edmond Renoir, gave this des

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2  Timothy 3:16-17) I recently studied the Gospel of John and found it fascinating and learned many things I was unaware of or unclear about and in the process, bringing me closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. I used Ray C. Stedman's book "Exploring the Gospel of John: God's Loving Word" which I found very good.  We all study the bible in different ways—each of us have found ways that work for us and its important to note that our leaning is likely to vary to other ladies. What works for me, may not work for someone else.   Some women attend bible study groups and find them very useful. Other women find them less so. Some women undertaken online study groups or courses. Some women study along with their husband.  Some women study a

By Hermann Seege Below  is an  extract  from a  speech  made by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 to the National Congress of  Mothers in Washington .  "for her husband and her children, yes, and all people who realize that her work lies at the foundation of all national happiness and greatness, shall rise up and call her blessed." It is long, but worth reading if you have the time. It shows how much society has changed and where the emphasis on mothers once was compared to 2016. One of these is the truth that the primary duty of the husband is to be the home-maker, the breadwinner for his wife and children, and that the primary duty of the woman is to be the helpmate, the housewife, and mother.  On American Motherhood by Theodore Roosevelt March 13, 1905 No piled-up wealth, no splendour of material growth, no brilliance of artistic development, will permanently avail any people unless its home life is healthy, unless the average man po