   I created this scene almost two years ago, but never got a chance to write anything about this little girl. This picture is based on Psalm 84, "How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord." One of the things I love about the Psalms is that there is so much drama. It's a carefully constructed song, not so unlike many that we hear blasting on the radio (although also very different), trying to touch our deepest emotions. Country and rock music are appealing, and they're appealing because they touch our hearts just in the places that need to be filled. Yet the Psalmist knows that nothing except the love of God will fill those places. And so so he gives us drama of the most real kind. Today may you yearn today not for things here and now, but for the beautiful, eternal gates of heaven.
Psalm 84 (NIV) 1 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. 8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. 9 Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. 10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 12 Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
1 Comment
It's been one year since I last wrote. And I have so much to say. So many felt scenes have been created. So many Psalms have been sung. But I have yet to write down the words that go with the pictures.
And so... coming soon.... I hope to update this space. Until then, though, I have been updating my website. Please check out my new Wool Love page with examples of new projects. And my (hopefully) improved Felting the Psalms page. Each Psalm there is now linked to its story. And if I haven't gotten to write the story yet... Well... It links here! And (hopefully) more is coming soon...   Based on Psalm 51. More info on this sweet girl coming soon.
Psalm 51 1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down. 4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. 7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise. 16-17 Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. 18-19 Make Zion the place you delight in, repair Jerusalem’s broken-down walls. Then you’ll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, Including all the bulls they can heave onto your altar!  Psalm 96 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.  “I am like a weaned child with its mother.... I am content.”
Warm kitchens. Cozy snuggles. Laughter with friends. So much of Facebook and advertising peddles these notions of cozy, promising that if we get them... for long enough... we will be happy. And I love those moments. Yet there’s so, so much more. Last year was when God really started teaching me about the meaning of this Psalm. And last year was hard. God asked me about my pride, and my self, and my obedience. I looked inside and found a mess. He tore away much of what seemed easy and replaced it with difficult, and He asked me to look upward, instead of around. He showed me an empty cup, and asked me to watch Him fill it to overflowing. And he blesssed me again and again in the rocky places with his gentle comfort, like a mother with her child. And I was content. As the Psalmist knew (and as I was so late to really understand), we cannot he filled with God when we are filled with self. We can't be filled until we are empty. A paradox... and a blessing. Today I pray for you to find contentment in the one who formed your soul to be like Him... that we both may truly understand this Psalm. Psalm 131 (NIV) My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. 
This is a big scene. Big. It's about four times the size of my normal pictures (which are 8x11 usually). I got inspired when my daughter and I visited a fiber arts store in Vermont, and after that I couldn't get the thought out of my mind... Could I do something big? Well... I did. And it's not my favorite. I finished it months ago, but haven't had the inspiration to write about it or post about it yet. I love the tiny animals (owl, fox, deer, and kitten), but, well... overall... it just wasn't what I wanted. But that's okay. Because this isn't about me. I am inspired by the depth and breadth and beauty of the Psalms, and I want to share that love with others. And this Psalm is wide. And deep. And beautiful. A lot of the Psalms have sad and dark moments. But this one is all shimmer. The author wanted to praise God. And he is asking us (all of creation) to join in the song. He calls on the old and the young, the moon, the snow, mountains, hills, trees and cedars, wild animals, small creatures, and flying birds -- and, of course, kings of the earth. The Psalmist names many more things, as well, but these that I named are included in the scene. It's hard to represent all of creation that should be shouting praises to God. But here is my attempt. May you be inspired to fill your day with praises to the creator of all things. Psalm 148 (NIV) Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them for ever and ever-- he issued a decree that will never pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.  "Light seeds are planted in the souls of God's people."
Psalm 97 (The Message) God rules: there’s something to shout over! On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate! Bright clouds and storm clouds circle ’round him; Right and justice anchor his rule. Fire blazes out before him; Flaming high up the craggy mountains. His lightnings light up the world; Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear. The mountains take one look at God And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord. The heavens announce that he’ll set everything right And everyone will see it happen—glorious! All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry-- And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods! On your knees, all you gods—worship him! And Zion, you listen and take heart! Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out: God has done it all, has set everything right. You, God, are High God of the cosmos, Far, far higher than any of the gods. God loves all who hate evil, And those who love him he keeps safe, Snatches them from the grip of the wicked. Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people. Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. So God’s people, shout praise to God! Give thanks to our Holy God!   Psalm 22:26 (NIV)
The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him-- may your hearts live forever!  This little singing girl was one of my earlier scenes that I kept forgetting to post. It isn't my favorite because of the style I used and because I was still learning lots. But I do love her life. She knows that joyful songs of praise should always be flowing from her lips. And she finds comfort in winged friends who feel the same way. Today I pray that this little girl will remind you to let praises flow from your lips to the God of unending love. Psalm 100 (NIV)
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.   "Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered." It's much harder for me to deal with the more stormy and difficult passages of the Psalms like this one. I have many ideas and thoughts about the beautiful passages, but the Psalms are full of really hard concepts too. And without addressing those, I wouldn't be showing the whole picture of God's love. And the whole picture in the Psalms is powerful. It tells the story of practically every human emotion, the good, the bad, even the ugly. In this Psalm, the writer feels surrounded. Yet he begins and ends the Psalm with the eternal love of God. In this translation, he says again and again, "His love never quits." The Psalmist knows we will be up against walls, but reminds us that through it all, we are loved enormously with a love that never ends. Psalm 118
1-4 Thank God because he’s good, because his love never quits. Tell the world, Israel, “His love never quits.” And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world, “His love never quits.” And you who fear God, join in, “His love never quits.” 5-16 Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered. God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? God’s my strong champion; I flick off my enemies like flies. Far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities. Hemmed in by barbarians, in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; Hemmed in and with no way out, in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in; in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt. I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when God grabbed and held me. God’s my strength, he’s also my song, and now he’s my salvation. Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved? “The hand of God has turned the tide! The hand of God is raised in victory! The hand of God has turned the tide!” 17-20 I didn’t die. I lived! And now I’m telling the world what God did. God tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn’t hand me over to Death. Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates! I’ll walk right through and thank God! This Temple Gate belongs to God, so the victors can enter and praise. 21-25 Thank you for responding to me; you’ve truly become my salvation! The stone the masons discarded as flawed is now the capstone! This is God’s work. We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it! This is the very day God acted-- let’s celebrate and be festive! Salvation now, God. Salvation now! Oh yes, God—a free and full life! 26-29 Blessed are you who enter in God’s name-- from God’s house we bless you! God is God, he has bathed us in light. Festoon the shrine with garlands, hang colored banners above the altar! You’re my God, and I thank you. O my God, I lift high your praise. Thank God—he’s so good. His love never quits! |
AuthorA dollmaker in a little town with lots of flowers and birds. Archives
August 2019
Categories |
RSS Feed