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

New Title: "War" The battle inside your head when Anxiety and Depression fight each other head on!

"War"

Acrylic

12" x 9"

Here is a smaller piece I did a while back and left it untitled.   

So this painting is about when your depression and your anxiety are going at the same time. It's like two stallions fighting in the field with equal strength. Those that suffer from just one of those conditions is bad, imagine having a double dose if you will. I wanted to show the impact on life and how hard we have to fight these feelings that plague us all the time? So I will name this one "War"

Using my blog to share! Need to sell! New Roads Await!

Click on link for more information!   Road Warrior Toy Hauler RV and Truck For Sale! Need to Sell!

Surviving

Happy Father's Day, I pray you have a blessed day!

I wanted to share with you a painting I just finished. 

 Title: New Life - 20" x 16"

I believe a tree is one of gods most favorite things he put on this earth.  He filled the world with them!   He made each tree unique in every way, every tree being a different shape and size. Some survive and some die at all stages of a trees life.  Some get disease, trees have roots that spread and grow new trees.  All trees have bark on them to protect them.  A strong tree that grows big and tall is a great candidate to be used later in life.    

We as humans are no different. In this painting I used the tree as an example of something that was big and strong as it sat atop the mountain. But because of human nature this tree was cut down and used for some type of human use... we as humans get cut down in life, some our fault and some not.

In this painting you see that just because that tree was cut down, it did not die. It was tragically damaged but it lived. Two years later you see the new, tender, vulnerable sapling that is occurring in gods time. It will take years for this small sapling to be as big as he was at one time, but in gods time the tree will grow big and strong once again. As a believer I relate the trees bark as the Holy Spirit / God protecting us.  Sometimes in life we get cut down, but if we stay strong and survive at all costs, the result is a NEW YOU being created.   A fresh, new you!    Remember that you are fragile, tender, healing and still growing.  No doubt there are days you see what once was your beautiful self cut down to a stump, cut all the way down as far as you could be cut, but able to survive.   Your bark is new and strong and will open each new branch and grow if you let him!   You will be blessed with many leaves!  Growing in gods time.  

I pray blessings to you and your family and I hope you like the painting " New Life ".  Hopefully, maybe you can relate in your own special individual way!   

God Bless...MW