I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!   It's official!  It's time for the new year;  it's time to live life on purpose and not just rush through, as if perhaps we are always behind.  This year, I, personally, want to be on top of my game, to enjoy life's blessings, and cherish God's gifts.   I want to live giving thanks as Jesus did, slowly down to appreciate the world around me, even when it's hard.  You cannot be depressed when you are grateful.  It's impossible.  There are hundreds of people all over the world that would rather be in your shoes!

The title of the piece above, the first piece out of my gift bag is "Gift #1 - Daybreak." I hope to paint a million more gifts in my lifetime, gifts from everyone, for everyone, so that an infinite number of people may enjoy and that would touch lives for eternity.

Won't you join me in giving thanks?  There are moments in time that we freeze in our memories.  This is one, above.  I nearly want to cry every time I look at this painting, in a good way!  Living in Florida, I don't see this in my every day life.  In fact, the last time I saw this in person was -- oh dear -- I bet 20 years ago, when I grew up in Ely, Minnesota!  But the memory is as fresh and heartwarming as it was yesterday.  I finally slowed down enough to give thanks and paint this memory.  It is a combination of a photo my cousin's wife Shari Bird shared on FB which reminded me of Armstrong Lake where my family had a cabin growing up, and a memory of my early childhood home on Shagawa Lake in Ely, Minnesota.   My gratitude was in remembering the gift of this moment: tromping through the still woods, stopping on the brink of the lake to take in the awesome view of God's creation.  I remember the icey-cold frozen air in my lungs and the sight in front of me that made me stop dead in my tracks, tears in my eyes; in awe of this scene where God took my breath away. 

Do you have memories like that?  What takes your breath away?

I realized in my gratitude something profound when I painted this and also the last painting I shared with you; remember?  The "Daydreaming" painting of the couple on horseback riding off into the mountains?  Here's my revelation:  Visual memories are gifts from God.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

They are gifts, to be grateful for, sweet friend, and one of the mandates on my life is to paint these gifts and help others provide visual legacies for their families in heart-felt thanksgiving.  Whether they are my gifts that touch your heart or your own personal memories, they are gifts. Your gifts will touch others.  Don't think that your little gift from your memory is just for you.  When you share it, it will touch lives for eternity.  Look at the "Daydreaming" commissioned piece below:  260 "likes" on FB, 29 comments, 22 shares.  Mark Arthur, who commissioned this painting thought it was just a love story for his wife, since this is a memory he has of himself and his wife on horseback in the mountains, where he dreamed they would retire.  He never dreamed his painting would have touched so many lives we cannot count after we consider the shares and how many people they have as friends.  Your life is important and your story is important.

"Daydreaming" 24 X 36" acrylic on canvas, commissioned for Mark Arthur 

Won't you join me in cherishing your gifts?   Through the monthly workshops, I can help you learn to paint, to realize your gifts or help your children realize their gifts, so you/they can provide your own visual legacies.   Finally, I can also paint YOUR "visual gifts" for you so you can share your story. The important thing is to cherish our gifts with gratitude to the Gift Giver, and to share them with others!  

Sign up for workshops now by emailing me or visiting my site under "Workshops" tab for more info, OR send me a photo(s) of the visual memories you would LOVE to paint or have painted, and let's talk about what we can do to get those started.  It's official; it's time to be grateful for our gifts!

Enjoy and God bless.. May the new year bring you more "gifts" than you can ask or think! 

Love always,

Laura