This Woman Writes by Carolyn Henderson

White on White: The Story of This Painting

Posted on December 2, 2014 by This Woman Writes

The story of the painting, White on White, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve:

Years ago, when we were building our house, it was time to paint the walls, and we decided on white.

White is actually a complicated color, incorporating hues from all spectrums of the rainbow. White on White, original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

Well, that was easy, we congratulated ourselves, until we got to the paint store and started looking at white chips. There are multitudes of variations on white — some warmer, some cooler, some with a lilac tinge, others with brown, grey, blue, red, yellow, beige, green. When you put them side by side, they all have something to say — and before we decided on one white in five-gallon buckets, we wanted to make sure of just what they were saying.

So it is with anything white, and the flowers of White on White all have their variations in color and hue. While an element of pink and purple predominates, articulated by the background folds of the fabric, other colors — warm corals and oranges and yellows — emerge as well, emphasizing the fact that when it comes to white, there is no such thing as white.

The implications of this, extrapolated into life as a whole, lead one to think twice, or thrice, before jumping to firm conclusions. In the same way that issues can’t be divided into black on one side or white on the other, they really can’t be fairly declared black or white in the first place — simply because there are so many subtle gradations and graduated variations of everything.

It requires that we look closely and observe, letting our eyes travel from one petal to the next, past the leaves, around the vase, and into the background — enjoying the play of light and shadow that lend depth, perception, and interest to the scene.

It’s complicated, but so is everything about life. True white on white is pretty much a blank canvas, and where is the interest in that?

White on White, the original oil painting by Steve Henderson, is available for purchase through the website. The 16 x 20 oil painting on panel is sold with a gold frame, bringing the finished hanging size to 20 x 24.

Read the rest — Watercolor Success DVD for beginning and intermediate artists, Christmas cards at Give Write, at Start Your Week with Steve. And by the way, we made an error on the size of the painting in the newsletter — White on White is 16 x 20, not 16 x 12. It is reassuring to know that we are very much human!

Please contact Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt to inquire about any of Steve’s original oil and watercolor paintings or licensed open edition prints.

Posted in Art, blogging, Current Events, Daily Life, decor, Faith, Family, fine art, floral, home, homeschooling, Life, Lifestyle, newsletter, painting, shopping, still life, Style | Tagged art, oil painting, painting, Steve Henderson, white on white | Leave a comment

Tired of Worrying — about Everything?

Posted on December 1, 2014 by This Woman Writes

The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-41 is a familiar one to many, especially women. The other day, I even ran across the term, “Martha Syndrome,” which I’m sure I have, because of a pronounced tendency (according to every single member of my immediate, and a significant percentage of my distant, family) to be “anxious and troubled about many things.”

Dancer inspirational original oil painting of woman in red flamenco dress against abstract background by Steve Henderson, licensed prints at iCanvasART, Framed Canvas Art, Amazon.com, and Art.com

My soul wants to dance, not be burdened by worries and anxiety. Dancer, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed prints at Amazon.com, art.com, Framed Canvas Art, iCanvasART.

That’s how the English Standard Bible quotes Jesus’s words; other translations use synonyms like “worried,” “bothered,” “distressed,” “distracted,” “upset,” and “disquieted.” The God’s Word translation uses the word, “fuss,” which brings to mind Lucy from Charles Schultz’s Peanuts cartoon.

That whole litany of words in that list above is one that factors too prominently in my life, and if I allow them to take over — they do. For this reason, even though I self-describe myself as Martha, I give myself a break from shoving my feet into shoes that are too small for me and I learn from Mary: I can do this, I tell myself.

I can stop fussing. I can stop worrying. I can stop being anxious —

But not on my own. Only at the feet of Christ, listening to what He has to say, as opposed to what the news is telling me is happening, or the latest post on Facebook warns, or what my own thoughts insist.

I can have the better thing, that nothing can take away from me.

So can you. Please join me at Commonsense Christianity, BeliefNet, for the rest of the story, Anxious and Troubled about Many Things.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, fine art, home, homeschooling, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, religion, self-improvement, spirituality | Tagged anxious, Christianity, Jesus, Martha, Steve Henderson, The story of Mary and Martha, trouble, worry | 1 Comment

When Life Hurts, and We Feel Alone

Posted on November 28, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Life is hard, and it frequently hurts — whether or not we are Christians.

(We eclipse that fact, you know — many Christians act as if, because they know the story of Jesus and read about Him in the Bible, they do not experience the same negative emotions as the rest of the world. But Jesus never promised to take away our problems — if that were the case, then the percent of people in the world who become Christians would approach the number 100.)

Lady in Waiting inspirational original oil painting of woman by Victorian house at sea by Steve Henderson, licensed prints at icanvasart, framed canvas art, and amazon.com.

While we wait — and it seems like we spend a lot of time doing this — we are not alone. It is in these waiting times that we grow, imperceptibly, into different and better people. Lady in Waiting, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed print at iCanvasART, Framed Canvas Art, and Amazon.com.

In our lives, beset with challenges and pain, it is easy, remarkably easy, to look around us and wonder if we are the only people, on the planet, to live with our specific set of circumstances and problems.

In some ways, we are, but in other ways, despite the unique aspects of our issues, we are not:

Regardless of what we are going through, regardless of the exclusively uncommon particulars of our predicament, some things are very much the same, and in common with all humans’ experience:

We feel anxiety, fear, uncertainty, dread, sadness, impatience, despair. It doesn’t matter if we are ill, or if we have lost our job, or our house burned down — the feelings associated with grief, shock, and worry are common to all of us, and at the very least, we can be (oddly) comforted in knowing that we have not been singled out from the rest of humanity.

In other ways, however, what we are going through is uniquely our own, and too often that can feel very lonely. Other people may have experienced something similar to our situation, but not with our uniquely customized details, so the happy ending that works for them, isn’t something we look for in our own life.

Be of good hope, however, because no matter how alone we feel, God never abandons us, and that is what I discuss in today’s Commonsense Christianity post at BeliefNet, Are You the Only One Going Through What You Are Going Through?

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, decor, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, fine art, home, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, painting, religion, spirituality | Tagged alone, Christian, Jesus, life, pain, problems, Steve Henderson | Leave a comment

When We Believe Everything We’re Told, We’re Turkeys to Be Plucked

Posted on November 27, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Recently, at an online social media site, I saw a photo of a man, gruesomely disfigured, with the statement:

“Stop! Don’t just ignore this! Pray for this man, and Share (1 Share equals 100 prayers).”

Geese on the Snake inspirational original oil painting by Steve Henderson

Well, these aren’t turkeys; they’re geese — and they’re smart enough to fly away when they need to. Smart birds, geese. Geese on the Snake, original oil painting by Steve Henderson, sold.

Various people had written prayers underneath until one person commented,

“This photo is a screen shot from an action movie.”

By golly, he was right. My first thought was,

“I’m glad I didn’t fall for this,”

and my second thought was,

“How much of this stuff goes on?”

In answer to the second question, I’d say, a lot — photo manipulation software and video editing programs are no longer the province of highly experienced, skillful graphic designers, and just about anybody with determination and a warped sense of ethics can create photos — and videos — that look like real life, but aren’t.

What we see isn’t necessarily what we get — but it never has been. Throughout history, humans have used what technology is at their fingertips to change people’s perception of reality, and frequently it takes no more than an unsubstantiated rumor: “The bad guys are coming! I heard it at the watering well! Run!”

So there are people out there whose primary goal is to fool others into thinking a certain way, and these people are very very good at what they do. If they weren’t, then why hire them?

As Christians, we walk in the light of Christ’s truth, wisdom, and guidance, but in order to keep from stumbling, we have to stay in that light, as opposed to taking a detour into the world of men — its media, its politics, its education system, its scientific pronouncements — and accepting everything we’re told, unquestioningly, as truth.

This includes what we are told in the religious arena — perhaps the most important area, because who we are spiritually defines essentially who and what we are.

Please follow the link and read Christians Are So Easy to Fool at the Christian Post.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Current Events, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, fine art, home, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Politics, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christian, geese, manipulation, online social media, politics, religious, turkey | Leave a comment

I Want to Be a Kind Christian, Not a Nasty One

Posted on November 26, 2014 by This Woman Writes

I saw an old photo the other day of a man I never knew. What leapt out from the faded ink and crumpled paper was kindness, a sense of humor, and generosity of spirit. He looked like someone I would like to meet, and given that we are eternal beings, I look forward to the day that we do.

Blossom inspirational original oil painting of woman by fruiting and flowering tree by Steve Henderson licensed prints at Framed Canvas Art and amazon.com

What’s on the inside really does come through to the outside, and our goal is make both beautiful. Blossom, original painting by Steve Henderson, sold; licensed prints at Framed Canvas Art and Amazon.com.

Now while it would be easy — and flattering — to say that I was spot-on in my assessment (I was) because I am such an excellent judge of character, the truth is that who and what we are comes across more strongly than we think:

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart,” Jesus says in Luke 6:45.

“For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

On a supremely shallow level — and unfortunately more than one Christian on the planet operates here — this verse could be interpreted as an injunction not to swear. Now while swearing is a habit most of us would like to get over, severely limiting this verse to a narrow, narrow way of thinking eclipses its meaning, beauty and significance.

And also unfortunately, once we get into the habit of narrowly and shallowly looking at things, like Bible verses, we start relying upon law as opposed to grace, following a set of rules instead of truly allowing God to transform us into different, and better, people.

Please follow the link to my Commonsense Christianity blog at BeliefNet and read the rest at What Kind of Vibes Do We Give Off?

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Culture, Daily Life, decor, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, fine art, home, Life, Lifestyle, painting, religion, spirituality | Tagged Bible, Blossom, Christian, Framed Canvas Art, Jesus, Steve Henderson, swear | Leave a comment

She Danced by the Light of the Moon — The Story of This Painting

Posted on November 25, 2014 by This Woman Writes

The story of the painting, She Danced by the Light of the Moon, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve:

Individuality is something we like to pride ourselves on, and to this extent we seek out ways to express how different we are, without being too different, that is.

She Danced by the Light of the Moon inspirational original oil painting of woman with pink cloth in Grand Canyon by Steve Henderson, licensed prints at art.com, amazon.com, Framed Canvas Art, and Great Big Canvas

We all have our unique dance, our own steps, our individual way of doing things. She Danced by the Light of the Moon, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed prints at Art.com, Amazon.com, Framed Canvas Art, and Great Big Canvas.

One is reminded of middle school, in which everyone dressed a particular, outstanding way, in order to stand out, while fitting in.

Other people truly do stand out — recognizing that they are outside conventional norms indeed, they go the whole way with body piercings, tattoos, distinctive hair styles, unusual clothing — and there would be nothing wrong with this at all if the continued sensitivity to being different weren’t heightened by the additional attention they attract.

An older woman we know told us once of waiting in line, and absentmindedly looking at the man ahead of her, whose body art made him look very different indeed.

“Are you staring at me, Lady?” he demanded, surprising her more by his rudeness than his choice of attire and decoration.

“Actually, I wasn’t,” she replied. “But don’t you expect me to?”

So it’s a fine line, being different, and the happiest people are those who recognize that we are all unique in some ways, and the same in others — and the fastest way to dissatisfaction is constantly trying to fit our feet into shoes that are too small for them.

The exuberant woman in She Danced by the Light of the Moon is absorbed in her nighttime, canyon dance, focusing on the elements around her, the fabric embracing her, the movement of her steps, the thoughts and meditation driving her action. And while she would garner a look, or two, were she doing this on a city sidewalk, she is celebrating a moment of solitude, free from the eyes and critique of others.

We all need these moments of solitude, this time of dancing by the light of the moon with only the stars for company, so that when day comes, and we walk out on the streets looking purposeful and socially normal, we retain within a strong sense of our individuality, which just can’t help peeking through.

Read the rest, including Christmas cards at GiveWrite, and Santa flags at Discount Decorative Flags, at the newsletter, Start Your Week with Steve.

She Danced by the Light of the Moon is available as an original oil painting, 30 x 40, through Steve Henderson Fine Art.

She Danced by the Light of the Moon is also available as a licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas, Framed Canvas Art, Amazon.com, and Art.com.

Posted in acceptance, Art, blogging, Culture, Daily Life, decor, Faith, Family, fine art, home, inspirational, interior decorating, Life, Lifestyle, newsletter, painting, Relationships, simple living, spirituality | Tagged art, canyon, dance, moon, Steve Henderson, tattoo | Leave a comment

It’s Work — Trusting God

Posted on November 24, 2014 by This Woman Writes

For many years of my young middle adulthood, life was smooth. Not perfect, obviously — when you raise a family of six on one ridiculously modest income, there’s always the stress of making the mandated property tax, insurance payments, and assorted fees involved in living in a “civilized,” bureaucratic regime.

Enchanted inspirational original oil painting of woman in green dress in meadow and sunlight by Steve Henderson licensed prints at iCanvasART, art.com, amazon.com, Great Big Canvas, and Framed Canvas Art

We can be free to bask in the warmth of God’s love — as we seek Him, let us seek that. Enchanted, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed print at Framed Canvas Art, Amazon.com, Art.com, Great Big Canvas, and iCanvasART.

But life was relatively predictable, and God was good.

I knew that latter because people were always telling me how good God is, and how much He loves us, and how He is always there to meet our needs. Given that most of our needs were being met adequately through sources considered standard and expected in our society, I really had no need to put my foot on the waters, step off the boat, and see if He would catch me.

But the one constant thing about life is that it never stays the same, and when circumstances blew in, they didn’t leave us much option about stepping off the boat, since they pretty much overturned it and left us hanging on to the sides. At this point, the goodness of God lost it theoretical usance and it became very, very important to know that it is truly real, and something upon which we can depend.

He is, indeed, someone upon whom we can depend, but getting to the point that we understand this is a process that can take a whole lifetime to undergo. This is not the impression, however, that we get from many Christians who look askance, horrified, when we admit that we’re frustrated with God, wondering if He hears our prayers, doubtful that He will answer them.

Well gosh, we’re human.

If you’re human, too, and find yourself questioning God, and His goodness, and His love for you, please read the rest of the article, Grasping the Goodness of God, at my BeliefNet column, Commonsense Christianity.

Posted in blogging, Christian, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, home, inspirational, Lifestyle, painting, prayer, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christianity, faith, God, goodness, life, Steve Henderson | Leave a comment

Sometimes the Richest Christians Look Poor

Posted on November 21, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Within the Bible, many words that we think of in one way mean another, but most seeming discrepancies — as opposed to being the result of deceit, manipulation, or dis-ingenuousness — can be reasonably addressed and understood. Take the word “rich” for example.

Ending the Day on a Good Note inspirational original oil painting 1940s nostalgia by Steve Henderson

Food, shelter, clothing, warmth — it’s easy to have these and forget that they are riches for which to be grateful. Ending the Day on a Good Note, original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

I am confident that we’re all pretty familiar with the primary meaning of the word “rich” —

Lots and lots of money — as much money, actually, as the average person deals with in paperwork. When a person says, “I want to be rich,” we envision cars, big houses, trips to tropical islands, ownership of the aforementioned tropical islands, and the ability to hire a team of secretaries to handle all of the paperwork.

That latter — someone to take care of the paperwork, would be nice indeed.

But this interpretation of rich — as materially pleasing as it seems — weakens us when we make it the priority in our lives. In seeking the world’s definition of wealth, we necessarily abandon seeking God’s version, because while a person can be rich and a Christian, the true riches of Christianity have nothing to do with money.

Please follow the link to Rich Christian, Poor Christian — Which Are You? at my Commonsense Christianity column at BeliefNet.

Posted in Christian, Faith, home, money, religion | Tagged Bible, Christian, money, poor, rich | Leave a comment

Dumbed Down Bible Studies — Give ‘Em a Pass

Posted on November 21, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Flattery is a remarkable weapon.

Though I’m not a Bible Study Group girl, someone almost caught me years ago by commenting,

Phonograph Days inspirational original oil painting of woman in Victorian House by Steve Henderson

We’re smart, we’re savvy, we’ve got rhythm, and we can read the Bible for ourselves. Phonograph Days, original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

“You’re smart.”

Got my attention, that did.

“I think you’d do great in our Bible Study for Intelligent People class,”(and no, it wasn’t called that), “because we’re looking for students who are willing to read and do research during the week.”

“You mean there’s homework?”

“Oh yes, only we don’t call it that. But there’s a good 7 or 8 pages each week to write up answers to questions. Sometimes it’s multiple choice, there are essay questions — 3 or 4 hours a week, minimum. It teaches people to be accountable.”

“Do I have to underline words and make little triangles around others?”

“Yes, there is that. It’s a splendid way to learn.”

Not for me, it isn’t, friend. I passed, compliments to my intellect aside.

Bible study doesn’t have to be an exercise in fruitless activity, terminal busy-ness, or dumbed-down “inspirational” books that encourage us to Drive Forward with a Purpose. Bible study — done with an actual Bible, on our own time, and on our own — can be exciting, exacting, and fun. Please read the rest at my Christian Post article, Trust Me: You’re Smart Enough to Read the Bible.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Growth, home, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, painting, religion, spirituality | Tagged Bible, Bible study, Christianity, nostalgia, phonograph, smart, Steve Henderson, study | Leave a comment

Christians: Stop Being So Obedient

Posted on November 19, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Just how obedient are Christians expected to be — and who expects them to be this way?

In recent posts, I’ve been discussing Christian submission toward leadership (Must We Obey Church Authorities? and Is It So Bad to Be a Lone Wolf Christian?), and you can’t bring up that topic without someone putting forth Hebrews 13: 17:

Dream Catcher woman at canyon with shawl cloth by Steve Henderson licensed prints at Framed Canvas Art, Art.com, Amazon.com, and icanvasart

Generally, when you stand up for yourself — at work, school, or church — you do it alone. Dream Catcher, original painting by Steve Henderson, sold; licensed prints at Art.com, Amazon.com, Framed Canvas Art, and iCanvasArt

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

The study notes below helpfully explain,

“Dictatorial leadership is not condoned by this command, but respect for authority, orderliness and discipline in the church are taught throughout the New Testament.”

This reminds me of the statement I regularly run into:

“Jesus talked more about hell than He ever did about love,” and my response is the same:

Really? Where?

In the New Testament, grace trumps law, every time.

If you are a thinking human being who questions where, and how much of, your loyalty to give, then please follow the link to Why Standing up for Yourself — at Church — Is So Important at my blog, Commonsense Christianity, BeliefNet.