Sunday, May 31, 2009
New Update!
I've changed (and improved!) this picture:
"You Are My Peace!"
The other day I finally broke down and added color to Christ's hands. I had wanted things to be monochromatic originally, possibly because it highlighted the contrast between the "gesture" style on the left and the "contour" style on the right. But the effect had been kind of ghastly (see for yourself). As I was using the sketchbook for another painting, I passed this one and decided to just do it, just add the color and see what happened. And I'm glad I did! Much more human, much more warm, much more loving! That's my Savior!
As a final note, I'll add that this one is a pain to photograph because I used so much black ink! Grr.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tatami Gallery - 42
Previous Gallery - Next Gallery - Index of Galleries
Gallery notes:
May 2009
Here's the "May" gallery. And it looks like the theme this time is being with Him... it's such an easy thing to talk about, but the very thought of "be-ing" with Him convicts me that I don't spend enough time with Him, that I don't make enough time to just sit, seek, and be with Him. What's wild, now that I realize it, is that each one of these pictures is really a revolutionary kind of understanding for me... each one is Him showing me a view of something as I had not clearly seen it before. Even though I may have intellectually "known" it, I didn't truly know. And what humbles me is knowing that no matter how much attention I pay Him, He is still with me, surrounding me, and won't let me go. What I do with that knowledge, of course, makes all the difference. If I turn to Him in my day, I am blessed and melted and led. If I do not turn to Him, He is still with me, but I lose out. So Lord, keep me in mind of these things, of this *one* thing, of being with You, and that is all that matters! In Jesus' name I ask, amen!
Gallery notes:
May 2009
Here's the "May" gallery. And it looks like the theme this time is being with Him... it's such an easy thing to talk about, but the very thought of "be-ing" with Him convicts me that I don't spend enough time with Him, that I don't make enough time to just sit, seek, and be with Him. What's wild, now that I realize it, is that each one of these pictures is really a revolutionary kind of understanding for me... each one is Him showing me a view of something as I had not clearly seen it before. Even though I may have intellectually "known" it, I didn't truly know. And what humbles me is knowing that no matter how much attention I pay Him, He is still with me, surrounding me, and won't let me go. What I do with that knowledge, of course, makes all the difference. If I turn to Him in my day, I am blessed and melted and led. If I do not turn to Him, He is still with me, but I lose out. So Lord, keep me in mind of these things, of this *one* thing, of being with You, and that is all that matters! In Jesus' name I ask, amen!
Tatami Gallery - 41
Previous Gallery - Next Gallery - Index of Galleries
Gallery notes:
April - May 2009
I think I will call this the "unexpected surprise" gallery. (>_<) We don't always know what we're asking for, you know? Often we have a certain "picture" of what we think He wants, what His will is, or what we need. And He has a different picture, much better than the one we'd painted in our minds! If we'll listen to Him, He'll share it with us. It is a lot more humble than we'd initially imagine, but it is much, much better than what we had imagined! In the end, when we look back, it will crack us up! So go ahead, be still and ask Him! Ask Him what *His* picture is for you, for your life! In Jesus' name, AMEN!!
Gallery notes:
April - May 2009
I think I will call this the "unexpected surprise" gallery. (>_<) We don't always know what we're asking for, you know? Often we have a certain "picture" of what we think He wants, what His will is, or what we need. And He has a different picture, much better than the one we'd painted in our minds! If we'll listen to Him, He'll share it with us. It is a lot more humble than we'd initially imagine, but it is much, much better than what we had imagined! In the end, when we look back, it will crack us up! So go ahead, be still and ask Him! Ask Him what *His* picture is for you, for your life! In Jesus' name, AMEN!!
Tatami Gallery - 40
Previous Gallery - Next Gallery - Index of Galleries
Gallery notes:
April 2009
As I look at these pictures, the theme comes out at me of "realization" -- realizing He is near, realizing He is in control, realizing that He is at work, and that He's called you to "draw" with Him and tear down & build up with Him. Realizing what He's done for us, realizing where we are in Him, and what we are to Him. It makes all the difference in the world, Lord! Thank You!
On a note that probably few people care about (haha) or understand, this gallery marks a departure from my previous method of indexing. Previously I dated the galleries April 24th, 2005 -- the day that I opened this page. But today I wondered, why did I need to do that? The reason it came up was because I was doing such a massive upload of pictures in the last week that well, it actually kind of *helps* to have the new gallery up in the "recent posts" flow. **shrug** Anyway, from now on, galleries will be dated on the day that they're first made & published. I won't go back through the old ones to fix them... too mendokusai!
Gallery notes:
April 2009
As I look at these pictures, the theme comes out at me of "realization" -- realizing He is near, realizing He is in control, realizing that He is at work, and that He's called you to "draw" with Him and tear down & build up with Him. Realizing what He's done for us, realizing where we are in Him, and what we are to Him. It makes all the difference in the world, Lord! Thank You!
On a note that probably few people care about (haha) or understand, this gallery marks a departure from my previous method of indexing. Previously I dated the galleries April 24th, 2005 -- the day that I opened this page. But today I wondered, why did I need to do that? The reason it came up was because I was doing such a massive upload of pictures in the last week that well, it actually kind of *helps* to have the new gallery up in the "recent posts" flow. **shrug** Anyway, from now on, galleries will be dated on the day that they're first made & published. I won't go back through the old ones to fix them... too mendokusai!
Hallelu Yah!
By Timo & Ramone - May 12, 2009
Timo did the background colors to this while we were at Starbucks, and I did the figure on top later on. I was probably drawing with something (having felt impressed on which colors to bring with me that day), and he wanted to draw, too. So I let him, and he made these swirls. When I turned it on its side and looked at it, it really looked like worship to me, golden swirls of it going round as you worship. Hey, He did say that our faith is more precious to Him than gold! (1st Peter 1) So what is our worship worth to Him? I know what my son is worth to me! Do you know how much you are worth to Him?
I thought of two names for the picture. Either "Hallelu Yah!" (which Timothy had just started saying recently) or "Yahweh!!!" (which is God's name, of course, and also who Bono cries out to in a U2 song that Timo and I both like). Both really express things. I let him choose, and he went back and forth, but finally settled on "Hallelu Yah!"
From His Perspective
By Ramone - May 11, 2009
As I write this it's actually November. Back in May when I got this picture and painted it, I was brainstorming ideas for how to teach an art class at church (it began in June). I was thinking of a sort of loose curriculum based around a few drawing styles, and then drawing spiritual lessons out of the styles. I realized I didn't have a good example of cubist style. So I thought about it and felt God say to make this picture.
(Ironically, He later told me to toss the curriculum idea and just wait on Him each class, having the students look to Him for what to draw, and then look to Him for understanding!)
So today, after displaying this picture (and 14 others) at the 2009 Jesus Family Culture Festival, I am just looking at the picture and wondering, "What was that about, God?"
The title, "From God's Perspective"... and the story... yes, from Your perspective, we are all Your children.
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.Why is this picture "cubist", I wonder? Is it because we see ourselves in so many different ways, in really disjointed ways? Our perspective is not really "realistic", actually! We imagine we are things that we really are not, or we imagine that we're worse than we really look. Our images of ourselves are really cubist!
- Mark 10:13-16
But then this picture just simply has joy in it. Your joy, Jesus! Thank You for that! And the cubist kids, well, they're not really disjointed (I didn't go full Picasso, haha).
But now another idea occurs to me, and I think this is what You were and are saying. Yes. Thank You, Lord!
The theory behind cubism is a sort of three-dimensional picture on a flat surface, done by drawing one part from one angle, and another part from another angle, and then connecting them in some fashion. The result is usually funny or amusing, sometimes grotesque, odd, bizarre, or puzzling.
But here in this picture, the children are children. The cubism just shows their simplicity. Somehow it captures their expressive joy and simple love. I found I could show their joy here more fully than if I had drawn in a realistic way. I could have His arms embracing them in a way that would be difficult with "realism". The result is sweet, cute, joyful, tender and full of life.
I realize that yes, just like the title, this is how God sees us!
We actually think we have good sides, bad sides, presentable sides, unpresentable sides, etc. But here I believe God is telling us that no matter what angle He sees us from, we are sweet in His eyes. No matter what angle He looks at us from, He is overjoyed to embrace us, bless us, hold us, smile at us, and be full of joy over us, and give us His life.
It reminds me of what Jesus said in Luke 12:32 --
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."*****
See also: "Every Tribe" (at Weeping Jeremiahs)
No One Righteous
Inside Joke
Children of Zion!
Put Your Hand Here!
By Ramone - April 24, 2009
Note: I've thought of at least two legitimate meanings to this picture, and I don't want the story of how it came to limit what He might say to you personally. Through our outstretched hands (our hearts, our words, our actions of love), God's hand stretches out. And when that happens, (1) walls that need to fall come crumbling down, and (2) healthy walls of our souls that need healing and rebuilding get healed and rebuilt! Hallelu Yah and Amen!
I started this picture while talking with my friend Roseline about a place I've been praying for, a people who have been trapped in by walls of lies, and whose personal walls have been broken down. As we were talking with our spirits open to the Lord, she began to see a picture, a vision of me stretching out my hand and a wall crumbling to dust.
After finishing the "wall" part of this picture a few days later, I realized it needed something else, and that's when God put it in me to trace my hand on top of it. And then later still He gave me the title, which makes me weep in the Spirit, because He is saying that His hand moves through our hands: "Stretch out your hand, and I will move with My hand!"
In turn, saying that also reminds me of when you put your hand on your mother or father's hand to see how much bigger theirs is than yours (like in this picture by a pastor's wife). I think in the same way, when we stretch out our hand, we'll see how big His hand is, so much bigger than ours!!
Drawing With Jesus
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Desire of His Heart
Beloved (1)
In Your Sea
By Ramone - May 15, 2009
All that I have is You
I have nothing if not You
I leave all my land behind me
I cast myself into Your sea
You are my restAll You want me to see
You are my sea
You are my life
In You I am free
All You want me to be
I will see, and I will be
Because it's You carrying me
Forever I knowCarry me, carry me
I will be
Lost in Your love
At rest in Your sea
In Your sea, in Your sea
Fill the earth, fill the earth
With Your glory, with Your glory.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
With Me Here
By Ramone - May 9, 2009 (after sketch)
Talk with me, Lord, Yourself reveal*****
Here as I live and move
Speak to my heart and let me feel
The burning of Your love
With You conversing I forget
All time and toil and care
Labor is rest and pain is sweet
If You, my God, are here
Here then, my God, graciously stay
And make my heart rejoice
My bounding heart with Yours will sway
As I hear Your sweet voice
You call me, Lord, to seek Your face
'Tis all I wish to seek
To attend the whispers of Your grace
And hear You in me speak
Let this my every hour employ
Till I Your glory see
Enter into my Master's joy
And find my heaven in You- Charles Wesley (adapted)
See also: "In Toil, Rest" (Heart For Adventists link)
Yeshua My Shabbat
By Ramone - May 2, 2009
Once when I was holding my infant son and singing him to sleep, I wanted to worship God and wanted to sing the traditional Jewish "Shabbat shalom" song, but I just couldn't sing it... it was like trying to make a "holy day" special but was my own effort. It was too much mental gymnastics to celebrate something that was in the past. We live in the Sabbath-rest today, we live in the fulfillment, we live in Jesus!
So as I realized that and prayed about it, new words came and I could worship Him in the fulfillment, in the life and light! I began to sing something like, "Shabbat shalom, Jesus, Messiah, You have brought us home." Much later He gave me better words for the song:
Shabbat shalom, Shabbat shalomAs I wrote the words into my private worship songbook, I wondered and felt that maybe there was a picture He would show me of this? I began to see something like a Jewish family in their home. They're lighting the Sabbath candles. But they see the light in a new light. They see that Jesus is the light of the world, that He is the light that never goes out.
Moshiach Yeshua is my shalom
Yeshua, Yeshua! Yeshua my shalom
Yeshua, Yeshua! Yeshua my shalom
I saw a picture of a little Jewish boy in a yarmulke; he is looking with joy and wide child's eyes at the nail print in Jesus' hand, and the boy's hand is touching and feeling His. He sees by the light of a nearby Sabbath candle. And the light of Christ is a brighter light. The Sabbath candle's light was a shadow of the real Light, Jesus the Messiah. The "rest" has now come. The Shabbat is here, the Moshiach is here. His name is Yeshua ha Moshiach, Jesus Christ our Savior, our Shabbat shalom forever.
Bless you in Him, in His peace today!
*****
See also: "See As Children!" (at Weeping Jeremiahs)"
Meeting
The Door
Perfection （完璧）
By Ramone - April 28, 2009
This picture began in a ministers meeting when we were singing a song asking the Holy Spirit to pour out afresh on us. I began to see a clay vessel breaking and the water of His life flowing from out of it. I think it was different and more heartbreaking than what we were thinking of as we sang, asking for His "outpouring" on us. He longed (and longs) to pour out His Spirit, but He will do it through our brokenness... because the world is broken, people who do not know Him are broken. And if we will be honest with ourselves (Christians), we are broken, too. We need Him. He is our life, not us. His life pouring out of us is going to break who we thought we were and a lot of other things. But it will bring life. And the broken people in the world will notice that, hey, they're not alone. We're broken, too, with them, and hey, we know someone who Himself is the healing for all our brokenness.
Thank You, Jesus!
*****
At the beginning of April, I had written a bit about this in a conversation on the FAF forum, in which the topic of "following Christ's example" had come up:
The "perfection" of the New Testament is spoken in terms of faith and love. Not sinlessness. Sin isn't good and we've got to ask for His help getting rid of it in our lives, but the gospel is not about sin-management... and if we make the gospel just about that, we'll keep fighting a losing battle while trying to appear holier and happier -- and the world sees right through that (often a lot clearer than we do).*****
A lot of us Christians (likely most of us) still look at "grace" as a path to keeping the law -- that "faith" came in order to help us obey the tutor better, so to speak. Hey, I fall into this thinking naturally, too, by the way! We don't realize that our message is not perfection or some magic way to be perfect. Our message is not that the Spirit will indwell us for the purpose of making us law-keepers. Instead our message is grace. Our message is that Christ has done it for us already! And now, as children of God, we can be free to grow up looking up to Daddy, growing up as His child.
The perfection of the gospel is a perfection of faith -- of trusting in God no matter what -- and a perfection of love -- of letting Him love through us and choosing His love instead of choosing what we rationalize as being "justice" for ourselves. What speaks best to the unbelieving world is those very two things -- faith and love -- because it is in these two things that they've got huge holes in their hearts. These are things that the world cannot give, but that can only be found in God.
And, often these things come out best through the cracks of our weaknesses, our trials, our tribulations, our brokennesses, our "falls from grace", so to speak. We try to cover up our weaknesses and present what we think are our "strengths" to the world (our good behavior, etc.). But our "strengths" aren't really strengths, so the world sees our frequent failures and shakes its head or gets a good laugh at our expense. In contrast, Paul boasted of his weaknesses and thus proclaimed Christ's strength.
In Christianity we try to draw these "perfect pictures" of the Bible and paradise which are meant to be inspiring, but often they simply feel lifeless, dead, and uninspiring. I think we should paint our weaknesses and brokennesses more. Like David's psalms. A lot of folks in the world can, do, and will relate to that better.
完璧 （Perfection）
無意識のうちに私達は完璧であらなければいけないと思っています。そして完璧であるように私たち自身でとっても努力します、そしてキリストのようになれるように。しかし真実は、イエス様と出会った後でさえ、私達は皆、打ちひしがれ壊れて、割れ目があるのです。良い知らせは、イエス様こそが完璧なのです、私達ではないのです！もし私達が正直に自身の問題を認識し受け入れ神様に委ねるなら、神様は生ける水を私達の「割れ目」から、打ちひしがれた私達と同じような、また神様に飢え乾いている世界の人々へと流されます。もし私達が自身の「割れ目」を隠し、否定するならば神様の生ける水により癒される事がないばかりでなく、世界も乾いて死んでしまいます。
Unconsciously we think we must be perfect, and we try really hard to be perfect – for ourselves, and also so that we can be "like Christ". But the truth is that we are all broken and have cracks, even after we meet Jesus. The good news is that He is the perfect one, not us! If we honestly recognize & admit our problems and give them to Him, He will pour His living water through our "cracks" to other broken people in the world who are just like us and are thirsty for Him. If we hide or deny our cracks, not only will we not be healed by His living water flowing through them, but the world will also die of thirst.
*****
See also:
• "Perfection" (at Heart For Adventists)
• "Admitting Weakness" (at Weeping Jeremiahs)
Born of the Spirit
Revival!
By Ramone - April 26, 2009
This is a picture I got actually with the words "Revival in Japan". So many people want to see "revival" in Japan, and what they mean by that is a kind of massive turning of masses of people to Christ. Maybe big rallies, entire cities, big churches, etc., I don't know. I don't think we really know, either. We're looking for Acts 2 times one-hundred. And in a way, that's God's heart. But in another way, we're only looking for that, you know? And if we don't have that right away, we think something is wrong. So we prophesy and prophesy "revival" and try to think of new ways to "get it done" or "bring it".
But what if God has another way in mind? What if He decides to do things a different way? What if He who loves these people more than we do has a way that in His mind is better? A brother wrote to me awhile ago to encourage me in prayer:
Brother, in some ways we have been ruined as far as wanting to see a move of God in a city. WE have visions of masses of people coming to know the Lord and miracles along with other things.When this picture came, it was as I was thinking about how many of us are hoping for "revival" to come. I realized that in God's sight, "revival" is wherever He is:
But we can see the Lord move in a way quite like the mustard seed parable: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." The mustard seed (Christ) has been sown into us and comes forth in the way He wants to.
"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."So at times we've got to lay down our grandiose hopes and humbly seek Him right here, in the midst of two and three, and let Him take it from there. Hallelu Yah!
- Matthew 18:20
In the Darkness
By Ramone - April 25, 2009
One night as I returned to a cafe in a dark area of my city for private dinner and prayer, I prayed and asked God what He was putting in me to draw. And this is what He started to show me... one of His people holding up His light in the dark place, like a cave, and other people seeing it and coming. The "way out" wasn't yet seen, but we're all on the journey together.
The day after I finished the picture, I went to a meeting where Jim Yost was speaking, a Christian minister who lives for God in Indonesia. During his talk, he spoke of how Christ told His disciples to go "into the nations", to go into the places of darkness and not just where it was safe. I talked with him after the meeting and shared about praying for dark parts of my city. He further said:
We gather all our candles together in the lightAmen. So be it, Lord! Send us out of our "light boxes" to carry Your light to people who need You!
but it can only be seen and be useful in the darkness.
Broken For Me
In Her Midst
By Ramone - April 10, 2009
I was praying for the city when I started to see these endless green hills, water running through them with forests and life. In the midst of wherever we are or however we may feel right now, God brings us peace here and now. He is our peace, in fact. No matter how dirty the "city" is, no matter how dirty "you" are, He is peace and brings you to Eden -- in our midst, resting in Him.
Blossom!
By Ramone - April 7, 2009
Cherry blossoms bloom in the early springtime for only two weeks and then fall to the ground. But in Japan, we don't want to miss these beautiful blossoms -- we want to do everything we can to enjoy them while they're here. I thought this is like how God loves us. He has waited and watched through all eternity for your arrival, for your "blooming", not wanting to miss you. Your life is a precious, long-awaited blossom to Him.
Recently our friend Roseline visited and stayed with us for a week. God has given her a heart for hikikomori (see her blog about it here). It was just before she came that I began to see this picture and painted it. I wrote to the Lord about it:
God, as I was doing this picture, just before Roseline came, I felt like this was Your heart for hikikomori, that this was about them and for them. I knew the name was "Blossom", because You are calling them forth, to come out and blossom, because You are here to receive them and love them. I feel God saying to them,
"Come with Me, come with Me out to see the blossoms bloom. Come see this beauty -- this is you to Me. Come out with me and enjoy the beauty I have set in you. Come see through My eyes and walk with Me."
My beautiful one, and come with Me.
See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, My darling;
My beautiful one, come with Me.
"My dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show Me your face,
let Me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely."
- Song of Songs 2:10-14
.JPG){kind=link}