New Pieces.. sorry phone photo quality doesn't really do these justice.

20x16 in Acrylics 

It's been awhile!

It's been awhile... I haven't been painting much. Medical issues and life in general. So I got inspired a few days ago seeing this painting and found myself wanting to try my hand at painting it, and do some abstract cityscape. It was relaxing and I really enjoyed painting it!. Enjoy! God Bless. MW 16x20 Acrylic, most using pallet knife.

Some encouragement

It has been a very challenging last few weeks, which is why I haven't posted.  If you would, I humbly ask for your prayers.  Lots of changes in my life and my only focus is to do Gods will for my life and my direction.    I just wanted to share a few passages of scripture that I believe with all my heart.  I have been blessed beyond my means spirituality and also by my healing of this body that has been physically and mentally broken for the last 26 years and the therapy of Art as a way of expressing my emotions and feelings.    My kids are healthy and my second grandchild, my grandson will have a little sister to protect.     I am a blessed man only by the grace of god.     Yes, I am preaching today!    I am a sinner just like anyone who reads this, but everyday I am forgiven and good lord willing I wake up and say THANK YOU JESUS!  I am surely not ashamed of my faith in Jesus Christ!   

Lastly....Yesterday is gone and to be forgotten.     Let it go....move forward, one step, one hour, one day at a time.   Forgive and make the most out of everyday!    Your missing out on people to love and support you, and to give you peace.    Don't say your not ready or their yet because tomorrow is not promised....live for today!

God Bless and take a couple of minutes to read what gods word has to say....Galatians 5:13-26

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 

14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 

15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 

20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 

21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness

23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

New Title

It is truly amazing how God works. I pray before each painting that I do, and if I don't have a title I just let god handle it. I had titled this painting "new life", but after my morning bible study, it was revealed to me that I rename this painting to "Hope".  

Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease (in this one Verse, we are told that even if man does fall on hard times, if he will believe God, the fallen tree can sprout and grow again). Isn't it awesome to see how God gives us things or thoughts that we don't truly understand and then the true meaning is revealed. #blessed God Bless!

Divorce - A Traumatic Event - Learn to Survive

I only share this because I am a survivor of divorce.    It is so different now.  Days seem like weeks and weeks like months. When you see your kids you feel like strangers.   Everything changes.   It hurts and I hope that today this message will help someone out there who is suffering....

It’s pretty natural to expect hurt when a spouse ask you to leave, but I was in no way prepared for the level of hurt or the level of pain I felt.

The pain of divorce is much deeper and more soul wrenching than most people can imagine, unless they have been through it themselves.  Each divorce is different, never is one divorce exactly like another.  One couple may last a year while others may be getting divorced instead of celebrating their Silver 25th Wedding anniversary, which is my story.  I have kids, others don't.   So each divorce is not the same, but we each experience the same feelings and emotions, just more of one than another. Divorce can mean the end of your hopes and dreams, the end of your life as you have known it, a loss of control, and feelings of rejection, loneliness, abandonment and blame. There is anger, depression, helplessness, bitterness, resentment, anxiety, pain, feelings of worthlessness, and guilt. The list goes on and on.   It feels like death, yet your family is right down the road living life as if you never existed.  

You will not be able to “hurry up and get over it.” That is not possible. I don't care what anyone else says, unless you are not human, you have feelings.  To start the healing process we must make a commitment to take a small step forward every day. I know if your are experiencing divorce or any other struggle in life you feel like a million piece puzzle scattered on the floor, some pieces are lost forever and your puzzle will never be the same, but God will put the pieces back together if you have faith!   The pieces that I don’t have anymore, the larger pieces that were the bond between my wife are gone forever.   God is blessing me for living his will for my life.   The blessing came in the form of therapy.   God allowed me to paint out my emotions and feelings.   He shed them from me and now they sit on a canvass.   Ready to bless someone else who is struggling.   A ministry for me, a way to live for him and share his awesome power to heal!  I am a work in progress!   I begin each day, waking up with god and knowing he has cloaked me with his armor to defeat satans attempts to ruin my day.  I know that he has filled me with the Holy Spirit all day and all night because I give myself to him for his will to be done.  

“I cry to you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’ Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me” (Psalm 142:5-6)

Quick Prayer

Father, I pray for all who are suffering right now.  The intensity of my emotions is unbearable at times when Satan is trying to attack.   Hold me in Your strong arms. Fill me with the Holy Spirit to protect and bless me this day.   We do not know if there will be a tomorrow, only you know this, and I ask for your blessings today.    Comfort me with the comfort that only comes from you lord.  Guide me in taking one day at a time.  God Bless.  MW 

The painting below is titled 

 "Lonely Road of Faith" - oil on wood

12" x 16" - original painting by Matt Williams #61

Survive today - poem by Matt Williams

Survival

He sits up in bed from what little sleep he's had

Because he is stiff and his backs aching bad

His everyday pain is still there and kicking

He has to get up, and he has to start living

He struggles and tosses to roll out of bed 

As soon as he up the pain has spread

He catches his breath and stands up tall

I can do this, he says, god won't let me fall

The kids are waiting in the other room

He puts on a grin and hides his gloom

The more he moves

the burning sets in

But when in front of the family 

he grits it and grins

Everyday is a battle with emotions and pain

Can you imagine every day if it rained?

The rain may slow down but it doesn't stop

At least you can see rain, because my pain you cannot

Exhausted and hurting, A single tear falls

No one even cares that I just hit the wall

The pain is extreme

He smiles at his family, while inside he screams

Does anyone see his pain and despair?

No, they don't believe that it's really there.

So he drives and does more things than he should

The pain, anxiety and depression only compounds his feelings of being no good.

He gives his family all that he has

It's never enough, he's such a drag 

All the things that WE we want to do

We can't do because of you

You tell them to go and to please have fun

Don't worry bout me, my body is done

So they leave you behind

At home all alone

It only takes minutes before the tears start to flow

the pain is still there, it won't let me go.

Now the tears flow non-stop because of the pain

Alone and aching nonstop like the rain

He will fight and survive with all that he is

A human, a person, someone with feelings.

To be not loved is worse than the pain

Forever he'll fight, even for a small gain

He will fight for his family till the day of his death

With all that he his till he draws his last breath 

You threw me out like an old pair of shoes, but 

I am a child of god and I will always love you.  

MW

Tomorrow's Goals

So before I go to sleep now I make a list of goals I knowingly can accomplish.    I thought I would share a few things that are gonna change here on the blog.    As I get ready to move all my paintings I am going to make sure they have a signature, date, title and is marked original.   I will take photos as I do and will post them and explain to you what I was feeling painting each piece!    Healing as I have said before comes in stages and we all have our own length of time for certain healing!   But with gods help all things are possible!    So I will start sharing my art and the stories behind them.    One a day maybe, might skip a day and make up with 2 for that day!  My main goal is to hopefully have painted something that relates to you and that you are not alone in any battle!    God Bless!   MW