texas sky – Melanie Stokes Art

February 23, 2023February 23, 2023

New Every Morning

melaniestokesart.com — New Every Morning
24×30 oil

This view: this huge expanse of a sky, with only a few distant wind turbines breaking the horizon, is what I see each morning when I walk out on my front porch. The colors, the shapes, the atmosphere, the smells or sounds may vary from day to day. But one thing I know for sure is that the view is going to be there. It will be new to me, every morning.

And it reminds me of an Old Testament Bible verse,

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Written at a time when God’s people had truly messed up, the prophet Jeremiah was lamenting all that was wrong. Yet, he doesn’t give up hope in the steadfast love of God and His faithfulness. He believed that God would not turn his back, would not grow weary of their shortcomings, would not hold back His love from them. New beginnings are welcomed by the God who provides a way for us to give up and start over. His mercies are new every morning!

And when I walk to the door, with my morning coffee, the sunrise reminds me that it is a new day, a new beginning, a new grace, an opportunity to be better than the day before, with God’s strength and through His love.

December 21, 2021June 14, 2022

Benediction

When I was a child, I sat by my father in church, because my mother sang in the choir every Sunday. At the end of each worship service, people would gather up their things to leave. I knew the end was coming because the bulletin said, “Benediction.”

Now if you looked up the definition of “benediction,” it would not say “time to start gathering the bulletin you drew on, put up the half pencil in the pew rack, and pick up your Bible and sweater to leave.”

I learned as I grew older that a benediction is a blessing, an expression of hope for the coming days, and a petition for guidance as we part.

As I come to the close of painting this collection of Texas Skies, I have decided this one shall be called, “Benediction.” It is at the end. It is the twentieth 24×30 sky canvas that is hanging in my studio. It is painted with the blessing of spiritual peace I’ve experienced in this process. It is painted with a hope that it will bring peace to the ones who view it. It is painted with prayers of petition for many. And, painted with a prayer for God to guide my direction as I look for venues for showing this body of work.

May the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be now and forever more in our hearts and minds, as we continue to serve Him on this earth in the days ahead.

And because this is my Benediction, I will now gather up the paintbrushes and prepare to leave.

March 23, 2021September 29, 2022

Gentle Nudges

Gentle nudges, whispers of wind, light plays with shadow, fresh air inflates the lungs, sounds of birds are singing for miles, smells of spring grasses rise from the earth…breathe again.

It’s been a winter. A time of illness, sadness, cold. But with this painting, I feel the gentle nudges of a vast God, who reminds me that He is always there.

December 26, 2020August 21, 2023

O Holy Night!

Recently, we stood outside, gazing up at the night sky, feeling the cold wind, sniffing the smells of the prairie as smoke wafted from the fire pit. We saw the brightest stars, the planet alignment, the bright lights of the city on the horizon. And we worshipped in our souls. We cried from weary places. We looked up and remembered. We bowed with humble hearts. A divine night.

O Holy Night – (a song by Placide Cappeau and Adolphe Adam)

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

June 19, 2020August 21, 2023

Coming Out of A Storm

Maybe it’s because there were always trees in Georgia to buffer storms and hide the angry clouds. Maybe it’s because I have never lived in a house with a metal roof before this one, and couldn’t hear the pounding of rain. Maybe it’s because there is so much BIG sky in Texas! Whatever the reason, I have seen and heard a variety of powerful storms during this year and a half of getting settled into life in Central Texas.

We had a storm, a few weeks back, that caused aqua, purple and green clouds to twist and churn across the area. I happened to be traveling from one side of Waco to the other. As the clouds chased me in the rearview mirror and circled my car to whip around on my right side, I raced toward blue sky as fast as the 75 speed limit allowed. All was well. I arrived at a safe location. And later, as I rode back home, I was relieved to find that the storm had passed, the sun was shining, and there was only a trail of hail that had been left behind on the sides of the road.

As I worked on this big painting from my own photo, I struggled. I painted and repainted. The clouds seemed to shift shapes on the canvas as much as they do in real life. I would come back the next day and see something else to fix.

We all come through so many storms, some larger than others. Often, they don’t pass as quickly as a summer thunderstorm. Often, they are problems we struggle with for years. Often, they are so heavy that we have to stop and rest. Often, we have to release them to One with more power than we have to pull us through the pain.

Can you remember the biggest storm in your life? Even if you have come through it, it may be helpful to think back and be amazed at the light, the joy, the relief that broke through when you reached the other side. There is hope. While we are still in the storm, we keep traveling toward the light sky… and pray for breakthroughs to happen!

November 4, 2019

Painting and Praying

My best prayer times seem to be while I’m painting outdoors. Maybe I’m listening better when the only sounds I hear are those of nature, the very creation of God. Maybe He speaks more vividly when I am studying visual images and analyzing how the light shines on them. Maybe I am more focused, for at least an hour or so, and easier to speak to when I’m all alone. I paint and I listen and I pray.

This morning I have been thinking about my friend who challenged us to read a chapter in Proverbs each day for the 31 days of November. As I read, I apply it to myself, but can’t help but think of her, as I know she is reading the same verses.

Though my friend is from Crawford, Texas, she lives in Thomson, Georgia! (Yes, there is a parallel to my move from Thomson to Crawford, TX.) Our paths intersect in so many other ways. But this morning, the intersection comes from prayer, from a common faith in Jesus, and from the Holy Spirit hearing prayers from TX to Thomson and back again.

I’m often reminded that I live miles away from many people I love. When they hurt, I long to go and be with them. But this big wide state of Texas is a looong way from quick trips. I can be with them through the power of prayers. Though it may sound trite, prayer is anything but! “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.” (James 5:16) And the Holy Spirit can carry those prayers from here to there, from me to God… from God to me, and He hears. The impact of prayer is As Wide As A Texas Sky!