shariyah & ellen

recently my daughter shariyah had a birthday, and though far from her montana home, living with her kiwi hubby in new zealand, she was being thought of in a most special way by our long time friend in alabama, ellen goode. i received this beautiful card that ellen made, with shariyah's childhood photo on it that she took when we lived in tennessee, and where most of my six daughter's sweetest childhood memories are still. ellen is a master cornhusk dollmaker and taught my girls how to craft cornhusk indian & pioneer girl bookmarks, and for around 20 years they had a very successful home business, 'shuck art'. visit shariyah's beautiful blog: http://www.shariyahgarner.blogspot.com/ where she is having a 50% off sale...and ellen's website of cornhusk doll art: http://home.hiwaay.net/~jegoode/shucks/

(click on photo for a larger view!)

love ya'll!

in honor of mothers and children~

recently i created a painting for a dear friend's birthday, Dr. Annie Bukacek, who is a vigilant advocate for the unborn and a powerful voice for the voiceless in this state of Montana.

this painting depicts a beautiful mama who caresses her 16 week old baby within, which i found in a photograph of a fetus at this age who looked as if it was praying. then i found this scripture that was a declaration of a child ..."the Lord called me from the womb~from the body of my mother He named me...He formed me from the womb to be His servant" (isaiah 49:1+5) and then from the declaration of independence, a statement of the right to life for all.

with "mother's day" upon us, i am thinking too about a quote that used to encourage me (and still does) as i birthed and raised my six daughters...

"there is a God above, and the light and glory from His throne rests upon the faithful mother...no other work can equal hers in importance. she has not, like the artist, to paint a form of beauty upon canvas, nor like the sculptor, to chisel it from marble. she has not, like the author, to embody a noble thought in words of power, nor, like the musician, to express beautiful sentiment in melody. it is hers, with the help of God, to develop in a human soul, the likeness of the Divine."

what a high and holy calling it is to be a mother. and even those who have no children influence children surrounding them, and can bring the touch of love and light into their hearts, and assist the angels in guiding them in the path of beauty and truth. blessings be upon all 'mother hearts' who shelter in so many ways, and bring heaven to earth~

with love.