Stepping Out Into the Unknown

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you .When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;..." Isaiah 43:2-3a

We took our little granddaughter to the beach for the first time a couple months ago. Her mom dressed her in a cute pink poka dot swimsuit and covered her head to toe in sunscreen and topped her off with a pretty white hat. She loved it! The water was perfect for a baby- it was calm and at low tide. When she got close, she went straight in to check it out. I tried to imagine what she might have felt as she looked out at the large unending ocean in front of her with brand new eyes. Unknown. Ever moving. Scary. Yet, pretty. Unaware of the dangers, she took that step of faith and found it to be refreshing! She sat down and splashed, picked up sand and threw it back in. What fun! But, we were close behind, watching her every move and ready to step in to help her if she needed it.

As we venture into unknown territories: a new job, moving to new places, graduation, college, decisions on many different things. If you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus and He is your heavenly Father, remember that He is always with you– ready to listen and answer your prayers and help you along. You are not alone. Therefore, sit down, splash, have fun and keep trusting!

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Note: Picture is an oil painting of my granddaughter that I painted for my Daughter's Birthday.

A Day at the Beach

My art loving friends and I went to do some sketching at the beach. I wanted to get some ideas for a beach painting I want to do. It was so windy. Every time we started to draw, our paper and pencils were blown away. It reminded me of another time I went to the beach with my family to eat a relaxing dinner and enjoy the scenery. As soon as we parked, got our table and started to put the food on the plates, the sky darkened and the wind suddenly started blowing so hard our plates, plastic ware, and napkins went flying before we took a bite! We struggled to pack it up again to go home to eat. Skirts, hair, bags and we were blown back to the car, laughing all the way home. Sometimes our plans or good intentions get changed through no fault of our own. It just happens. I have learned to be flexible.
Well, our intention to sketch at the beach was also changed. But, I still wanted to get an idea for a beach scene painting and spend time with my friends. So, I pulled out my camera to take pictures of possibilities for a painting. I said, “Let’s go for a walk and let me know when you see a good shot for a picture.”

Come along and walk with us…


I loved all the bright colorful umbrellas dotting the shoreline.



Be careful ! The yellow warning flag is waving! Waves were high and the surfers were having a great time.

Even though our plans changed, we still had a wonderful time walking, talking and enjoying the fresh air and our friendship. We are happy you came along, too!