Jesus Loves Me

Hello Friends,

After keeping the Take Me Deeper (His Kingdom Come) scripture from January Week 4 on my computer screen, reading it and thinking about it for the last two weeks, I finally completed an art journal layout for it. During the last hour of final touches I put Chris Tomlin's "Jesus Loves Me" on repeat. That is what I've decided to call this painting.

For about a week all I had was an old pattern piece decoupaged onto one page. Yesterday the idea for this painting came to me and I went to Paint My Photo to find a reference photo. I actually ended up using two photos - one for the body and one for the head. I did a tracing using carbon paper and then made some adjustments and additions with pencil, including the dove.

I painted the background with water colour paint in gray. I wanted him to appear to be opening his robe. I had to make a couple of adjustments to get it right. As you can see in this picture, his right hand appears to be sitting on top of the robe rather than grasping the material.

Here is where I left off last night. Unfortunately I forgot to finish his hands. You can see my initial wash, which is quite transparent. The reason I say "unfortunately" is because it is not always easy to remix your paint to match exactly what you had in the beginning.

Another thing I was able to do last night was to decoupage some papers on the facing page, covering the ugly pattern piece. But it still serves a purpose as it represents going beyond simply following a pattern in my walk of faith.

I painted streaks of red to represent the blood of Christ.

Therefore brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God.."

I added a heart with a great gash in the center to represent God's heart that was so broken for his children that he gave himself as the atonement for our sins. It was all for love that he came. He could no longer bear being separated from his children so he made the way for us to enter in the Most Holy Place of his Presence. After Jesus ascended into Heaven he sent his Holy Spirit - the very Presence of God - to live in any of us who would receive him. How glorious! I can actually have the very breath of Heaven living inside of me.

The sun rays on his face were an after thought, but I am glad I added them. As I painted them a verse came to my mind. I looked it up and wrote it on the page. "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine." (Isaiah 9:2)

Another scripture (Hebrews 12:2) says that Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy set before him. You are his joy, I am his joy, if we run into his open arms and let him love us. If we could imagine the most perfect mother, the most perfect father, longing to hold us, to comfort us when we weep, to laugh with us when we rejoice; if we could imagine that, we would catch a mere glimpse of how he loves us. In the words of Chris Tomlin's song, "Jesus, he loves me. He loves me. He is for me."

Thank you for visiting me today. I will leave you with this video and I pray you will feel the love of Jesus as you listen.

Blessing hugs,
Teresa

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