This Woman Writes by Carolyn Henderson

Christians: The Extraordinary Voice of the Ordinary Person

Posted on October 13, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Within Christianity, there are many many voices telling us all sorts of things: how to pray, how to not pray, how to read the Bible and with what study resource, how we should vote, whom we should hate or be afraid of, what qualifications it takes to be a “leader,” and how important it is to follow those leaders. Mega-pastors and celebrity Christians meet with political principals, visit the pope, and purport to speak for all believers when they push domestic and international policy issues.

Beachside Diversions inspirational original oil painting of young woman with hat and shawl and young child on ocean beach by Steve Henderson

Real life consists of moment after moment of ordinary things — who better to understand this than ordinary people? Beachside Diversions, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed print at Great Big Canvas, Framed Canvas Art, and Vision Art Galleries.

There is a strong message, aimed at the sheep, to render obeisance to these leaders: buy their books, listen to their radio programs, be one of the thousands in the football stadium at their event, follow their teaching because they, somehow, have greater wisdom and learning than others. No part of our lives is too private or intimate for their not to have an opinion on it; we look to them for advice on how to use our faith to raise our children, interact with our boss, manage our finances, and lose weight the Christ-sanctioned way.

But when we focus on the celebrity voices of the self-styled leaders of the Christian movement and lifestyle, we forgo much wisdom from real people, living real lives — you, me, our neighbor. Maybe we’re not as articulate; we’re certainly not as aggressively promoted; but we ordinary, regular Christians have a voice, and there comes a time when God asks us to use it.

If you are a writer, a speaker, a blogger, a teacher who has something to say, but you feel discouraged because you’re too ordinary and there aren’t enough people out there listening to you, please read the rest of the article at my Commonsense Christianity, BeliefNet blog, Why Ordinary Christians Can — and Should — Speak up.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, home, homeschooling, Life, Lifestyle, religion, self-improvement, spirituality | Tagged blog, celebrity, Christian, God, leader, ordinary people | 2 Comments

Fear God — Don’t Be Frightened by Him

Posted on October 10, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Discipline is an ambiguous word, easily misunderstood because its two major applications are so at variance with one another.

Athletes are disciplined — so also, should we be as children of God. It’s not easy, but it doesn’t have to be harsh. Photo credit Steve Henderson Fine Art.

In a good sense, discipline is what athletes do — training their bodies to achieve top performance through practice, hard work, persistence, attention to diet and daily living habits — in short, they demand much of themselves without approaching punishment. Anyone who chooses to do something well — fine art painting, knitting, gardening, cooking — disciplines themselves in such a way to achieve top performance.

In a bad sense, discipline involves hitting, striking, slapping, whipping, beating — something we associate wicked masters doing to slaves, or creepy reprobates inflicting upon dogs — and the ultimate goal is punishment as opposed to growth. This is not a diatribe upon spanking versus not spanking, so much as it is an observance that discipline — when its primary goal is punishment and/or humiliation — doesn’t work.

Please follow the link to read, The Discipline of God — something we dread because we tend to think that God thinks, and acts, the way we too frequently do. Quite mercifully, He is . . . merciful. I write regularly on Christianity at my BeliefNet column, Commonsense Christianity, and I would be delighted if you joined me there.

Posted in Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, home, homeschooling, Life, Lifestyle, Parenting, religion | Tagged athlete, Christianity, discipline, fear, God | Leave a comment

It’s Easy to Doubt That God Hears Our Prayers

Posted on October 8, 2014 by This Woman Writes

We’ve all had days when we wish that we were back in bed, before we even climb out of it. Not long ago, I faced a situation — not a major one, but not so minor that it wouldn’t add its weight of stress — that looked like it would be either A) very bad or B) not particularly good.

Ocean Breeze inspirational original oil painting of woman in white dress and with fabric on beach at sunset by Steve Henderson

We pray in all ways, at all times, for all things, and our Father always hears us — even when we’re afraid that He doesn’t. Ocean Breeze, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed print at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

As I sat in the car, I prayed: “God. Get me through the next several hours. I’m tired; I have no strength, energy, wisdom, or creativity, and I really can’t add much more to my plate right now.”

And then it was time to enter the lion’s den.

Hours later, I emerged, not necessarily whistling — because I can’t whistle — but relieved, grateful, and even cheerful. Earlier in the car, when I was faced with the options of A or B, I had forgotten that God usually has an Option C. It’s the one that unfolds when we can’t see beyond this or that, and it happens so consistently, I wonder why I persist in seeing life as either/or.

It’s easy to doubt that God hears our prayers, but the faith we need to do so is one He is willing to give us. Please follow the link to Yes or No: Does God Hear Our Prayers? at Commonsense Christianity, BeliefNet to find an odd, but effective, encouragement God opened my eyes to quite recently.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Family, home, Life, Lifestyle, ocean, painting, prayer, religion, spirituality | Tagged BeliefNet, Christianity, God, Jesus, prayer, Steve Henderson | 2 Comments

The Pataha: The Story of This Painting

Posted on October 7, 2014 by This Woman Writes

The Story of the Painting The Pataha, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve:

We have friends, transplants from the Northwest, who live in the Southwest. And while the desert is beautiful, they say — filled with color and form and light striking dramatically against the landscape — it also does not compare to the Pacific Northwest.

The Pataha inspirational original oil painting of southeastern Washington Pacific Northwest canyon by Steve Henderson

The Pacific Northwest landscape encompasses everything from canyons to meadows, from mountains to rivers. The Pataha, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed print at Framed Canvas Art.

“Ultimately, there are no leaves,” our friends observe, “or greenery. The desert is beautiful, but plants tend to be filled with sharp, thorny things, and you don’t brush your hands against the foliage when you take a hike.”

The Pacific Northwest, even on the dryer side of the Cascade Mountains, is a riot of trees and bushes and flowers and grasses and leaves and flowers. It is every bit as beautiful as the Southwest, but in a far lusher way.

Yes, the Pacific Northwest is beautiful, and it is time that it be recognized as being so, especially in the world of art and appreciating beauty.

In The Pataha, the viewer is given a glimpse of a hidden Pacific Northwest canyon, tucked away in an eastern Washington enclave — not necessarily in full sight, but well within reach of the person who stops, gets out of the car, and takes a two-minute walk off to the side.

A wending, winding road hugs close to the hillside and lazily makes its way back into the countryside, eventually bringing the traveler to the small town of Starbuck — which enjoyed the name long before the coffee company appropriated it — where 150 people raise cattle, grow gardens, and support a close knit community of people who care about one another, and yet give each other space. The rural school of 30 children, one fifth the population of the town, is largely made up of students who bus in from distant, larger towns, because they want that small-school experience.

So is life in the rural Pacific Northwest — one of physical beauty of trees and greenery, amidst which live people who seek to live as independently as they can, because that’s the tradition of this area.

Read the rest, and subscribe to our free newsletter, at Start Your Week with Steve.

The Pataha is an original oil painting, 30 x 40, on canvas, with the frame included in its purchase.

The Pataha is also available as a licensed, open edition print at Framed Canvas Art. It is also available as a three-piece, vertical print set at Framed Canvas Art.

As always, feel free to contact Steve Henderson Fine Artdirectly by e-mailing Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt.com with your questions and comments about Steve’s original oil and watercolor paintings or licensed open edition prints.

Posted in Art, blogging, Daily Life, decor, Family, fine art, home, Life, Lifestyle, newsletter, outdoors, painting, simple living | Tagged canyon, painting, pataha, southwest, Steve Henderson, the Pacific Northwest | Leave a comment

Christians: If We Were More Honest With Ourselves, More People Would Listen

Posted on October 6, 2014 by This Woman Writes

I have to be in a certain mood to read the book of Proverbs, which consists, primarily, of pithy — yet wise, and true — statements in couplet form. Part of me always thinks, “Most of these were written by Solomon, who, although he was the wisest man in all history, managed to make some really foolish marital, spiritual, and financial decisions.”

Lonesome Barn inspirational original watercolor of meadow and clouds by Steve Henderson

God made everything. We didn’t. He knows everything. We don’t. Lonesome Barn, original watercolor by Steve Henderson, sold; licensed print at Framed Canvas Art.

But that’s the beauty of the Bible — it never leaves us in the dark as to Who is all wise, all good, and all knowing, and the very foibles of a righteous man are a lesson in themselves:

“Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:22)

Solomon, David, Joseph, Daniel, Moses, Abraham, Elijah, Peter, John, Paul — these were all good, righteous men whose words and actions were used by God, but we are never permitted the illusion that they aspired to be, or even could ever manage to be, equal to God themselves. God graciously shows us their imperfections, and if we stopped being so hard on ourselves, we would realize that this same grace extends to us: we will make mistakes — phenomenally dumb ones — we will err, we will sin, we will fall — but into the arms of a perfect, merciful, loving God.

We don’t know it all. We’re not perfect. Why do we persist in trying to live this lie? Please read the rest at Christians: Let’s Admit We Don’t Know It All at Commonsense Christianity, BeliefNet.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, home, Life, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christianity, God, perfect, proverbs | 2 Comments

Are Negative Thoughts Necessarily Bad Ones?

Posted on October 3, 2014 by This Woman Writes

A good lie is 95 percent true.

After all, if it’s too obviously false, like,

The first lie told, is still the best one. We keep falling for it. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by Wenzel Peter

“Negative thoughts have a magnetic force that causes them to glow and pulsate. Attracted by the light, people gravitate toward the thoughts, physically run into them, and get migraine headaches,” then people rightly say,

Bosh.

But if we alter the statement, subtly, we get,

“Negative thoughts are bad, and when you think or express them, you will frequently experience the very thing you’re afraid of.”

Have you heard that one, or a variation of it, before? And do you believe it?

I hope you spot it for the lie that it is. It’s a good lie — one of those 95-percenters, but a lie that too many people internalize and believe. Please read the rest of the story at Negative Thoughts: Deny the Lie at my BeliefNet blog, Commonsense Christianity.

Posted in blogging, Christian, devotional, Faith, Family, home, Life, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christianity, lie, negative, Negative thoughts, prosperity | Leave a comment

Getting Rid of The Feeling That We’re Failures

Posted on October 1, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Just outside our dining room window is an extremely pathetic nectarine tree.

This is the pathetic nectarine trees, which has been providing 2-4 pieces of fruit for weeks. Not bad, not bad at all. Photo credit Steve Henderson Fine Art.

Actually, when it comes to producing nectarines, it’s phenomenally successful. With its lack of leaves, hollowed out inner section, and floppy branches, however, it projects a wretched state of abject despondency that makes one think,

“That is a really loser tree.”

But like most quick conclusions, this one is inaccurate, because no matter how uncomely and unprepossessing the tree, it does fulfill the major function of its calling, in that in produces nectarines.

That’s the whole point, isn’t it — that the tree ultimately produce fruit, even if the tree itself is ugly? And yet, as humans, we gravitate toward the perfect tree, in full leaf, without fruit. If you struggle with a sense of inadequacy as a Christian, feeling that others actually do something for God while you do not, then please read the rest of this article at Some Days We Feel Pathetic, at BeliefNet’s Commonsense Christianity.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Encouragement, Faith, Family, fine art, home, homeschooling, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged Christian, failure, fruit tree, God, nectarine tree | 2 Comments

Contemplation: The Story of This Painting

Posted on September 30, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Autumn is an unusual season — one of joy and thankfulness, because we celebrate harvesting the hard work of summer and spring, yet also one of meditative thought, because everything is winding down, leaves are changing color, and winter is making plans to settle in.

Contemplation inspirational original oil painting of young woman with autumn leaf by orange and red tree by Steve Henderson

Autumn is a time and season of thought and contemplation. Contemplation, art print from Steve Henderson Collections.

It is ironic that, in this time of closure, there is more and vibrant color than at any other time of the year. Oranges, reds, scarlet, gold, burgundy, even pink are set against a sky so blue that the riot of color simply shouts . . . quietly.

Autumn is a thoughtful season, one of contemplation, and the young woman in this painting is doing just that. The delicate texture and design of a fallen leaf are easily overlooked, as are so many aspects of life unless we take time to stop, reflect, meditate, ponder, and wonder, and in the middle springtime of her life, this woman slows down and savors calm introspection. Behind her, the tree stands sentinel, its branches held high as it bursts forth the season’s last hurrah.

It’s almost trite to say that our lives are like the seasons, but they are. Every year is a reminder that life starts quickly and progresses even more so: from the first crocuses we advance to the daffodils and tulips, all of which end far too soon by the time the irises show up. There is sunshine and growth and noise and activity, and we haven’t had a chance to tire of a warm summer evening under the stars before we notice a quick chill in the air, a subtle change in the color of the leaves, and pumpkins in the garden.

All of the seasons — of the calendar year and of our own lives — are beautiful in their own way, and as we walk through the days of autumn, let us take time to enjoy, and be thankful for, the beauty that this time of year sets forth.

Contemplation is available as an art print at Steve Henderson Collections.

Contemplation is an original oil painting, 24 x 20, that is sold.

Posted in Art, Beauty, Culture, Daily Life, Encouragement, Faith, Family, home, Life, Lifestyle, newsletter, painting, simple living | Tagged autumn, contemplation, fall, season, Steve Henderson | Leave a comment

The Incredible Importance of Individual Bible Study

Posted on September 29, 2014 by This Woman Writes

“Why won’t you attend Bible study?” a man asked me once.

“Do you hate studying the Bible?”

Spirit of the Canyon inspirational original oil painting of girl in grand canyon with rock by Steve Henderson

There is an incredible sense of freedom in doing things yourself, and this includes studying the Bible. Spirit of the Canyon, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

Seriously, when you get a question framed like that, it’s best to just talk about the weather. The person asking will never understand the answer, because their eyes are closed.

Bible study, which really means nothing more than reading the Bible, is another one of those activities that has been appropriated, and defined, by the establishment church, so that too many people, when they hear the words, think that they can only do it, successfully, in a group setting.

Bible study is incredibly important, which is why it’s so vital that individual Christians learn to do it on their own. If you must be in a group, so be it, but please do not let group study replace individual reading on your part. Given a choice between the two, it’s always better to forgo potential group think.

Please read the rest at my Belief Net blog, Commonsense, Christianity, in the article, Free Yourself from Bible Study Myths.

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Daily Life, devotional, Faith, Family, home, Life, Lifestyle, religion, spirituality | Tagged Bible, Christianity, God, Steve Henderson, study | Leave a comment

The Christian Obsession with “Ministry”

Posted on September 26, 2014 by This Woman Writes

Many Christians, especially in church settings, focus — obsess — about finding their ministry, and they pore through 1 Corinthians 12 searching for suggestions:

Contemplation inspirational original oil painting of girl with autumn leaves orange and red next to tree by Steve Henderson

If we take time to think, and pray, we can frequently find answers to our questions without having to resort to the Celebrity Christian route. Contemplation, original oil painting by Steve Henderson, sold; licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

“Do I have faith? or a message of wisdom? I’m pretty sure I don’t have the ability to manifest miraculous powers. What, God, do you want me to DO?”

It’s a profound question, and one that we ourselves can answer without buying yet another how-to book from a Celebrity Christian. Rather, let’s look at Scripture, pray, and listen to God’s still small voice, a voice that is challenging to hear unless we’re being still ourselves. Consider this thought:

Our “ministry” consists not so much in what we do for God, but in who we are.

If you find yourself wondering, like we all do, how to best use your years on this planet, then please click through to read, Looking for Your Ministry? 5 Ways to Find It, at my blog, Commonsense Christianity, BeliefNet. The answers are different than what you’ll find in a Celebrity Christian “how-to” book — and they’re free.