Time to Bloom, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.  Isaiah 49:13

Feel His comfort and grace.
Prepare your heart.
It is time to bloom.

Words of my heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

The Light of Life, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. Proverbs 28:26

Not many blooms left on my two Christmas cactus.  Talk about reliant plants... every season in November... late November, they bloom... and bloom wildly with stunning buds opening to large flowers. They are just about self-reliant...but I know that God is really what it is all about.

Often it is easy to forget that we need to rely on Him. He truly knows what is good for us and He calls that goodness into our lives.  We watch our granddaughter often rebel against her parents directing her life. When we do it to ourselves we are basically being self destructive. 

Advent offers to us the time to accept God's invitation to light our lives with his direction and grace. It is wise to accept this invitation and follow the Lord and His light of Life.

Words of my Heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Hold my Hand, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

When we are feeling insecure we reach out for someone's hand in comfort. All of us are needy in life and we seek something to bring us comfort.  Often we seek the wrong things in life.  It is only the Father that can refresh us and restore our balance in life. 

In advent we realize this promise comes through the birth of Jesus who gives His life for us, for our sin and our salvation.  God promises to strengthen us and help us... He will uphold us in his hand.

Words of my heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Lift up your eyes... and see it differently. Words of my heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing! Isaiah 40:26

Winter is here and the grass has browned, the leaves are falling in a blanket of color and today the cold wind blows from the north... yet the word of God withstands all seasons and things.

Inside each of us, we know what we personally need to be saved from. And only through ourselves can we allow that to happen.  We choose new ways to see things in our lives. We find new answers to challenges that confront us.  Then we begin to see the freedom that comes with our relationship with God.

It is not His will for us to be lost, hurt or confused.

 Words of my Heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Separated Light from Darkness, Shared Thoughts from my Heart, Texas Artist Laurie Pace

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:4

A good friend sent me a writing from one of her favorite sites and it created a lengthy discussion between Terry and I. Reflecting on the principles in art and composition light requires an opposite to make it appear strong in the composition. Perhaps that is true in life for each of us. The shadows of our lives plays an important part in the effects of the lights in our lives. One cannot exist without the other.

"At first glance, a shadow appears to be something that conceals light. However, according to the teachings of Torah, everything G‑d created was for His glory. This must apply to the shadow equally as to the light. Indeed, properly executed and skillfully placed, a shadow can actually enhance and highlight the effects of the light . . . From this, we can derive an important lesson whenever we encounter dark times . . . we should use the negative in a positive way, so that every spiritual “shadow” should come to be recognized as a “setting” that connects us to our Creator."

Shared thoughts from my heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist, Laurie Pace

Reflections of His Love, Words of my Heart, A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.   Psalm 84:3

So beautiful on the pond.  Every morning and evening we sit outside or walk our two acres over to Lake Cypress Springs and watch the ducks on the big lake... on one side or the dam and our pond and house on the other side.  

Reflections of Him. 

Reflections of His glory. 

Reflections of His creation and reflections of His love.

Words of my Heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Hay Baling, Words of my Heart, Texas Artist Laurie Pace

    Photo from FreeFoto.com  Hay Bales by Ian Britton

When the hay is removed and new growth appears

    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

the lambs will provide you with clothing,

    and the goats with the price of a field.

Proverbs 27:25-26

New growth... even possible in the fall and the winter. Fall Gardens, fall winter rye grass.  Growth continues every single second with every breath of God. Are you open and ready to grow this fall?  Prepare your heart by removing the old and allowing the new to appear and strengthen. Find the gifts He has provided. Get rid of the things that hold you back and bog you down. Those are not just earthly things but emotional things as well.

Words of my Heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Even while you sleep... Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Prayer time is a time to share a close to a day with your children and family. What a joy to sit in the quiet of the evening praying together with the Father.

Even while you sleep among the sheep pens, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold.” Psalm 68:13

Words of my Heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

100 Days of Joy

The Dark, Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Lightening and thunder have awakened us nightly with the storms moving through Texas.  We welcome the rain after the year of drought and wish it would stay.  

When I spoke with Stacey this morning she shared a story about Lady L from last night's storms.  The thunder was beginning to role and the lights at their house flickered.  The tenacious three year old ran to her mom...."Jesus protect me from the dark?"
Stacey reassured her and that seemed to do the trick. 




With the next bolt of lightening and again flickering of lights, Lady L looked up at her mom and said, "Jesus protects Jordan from the dark too."


Jordan is her buddy across the street. In her innocent mind Jesus protects us all and she accepts it without question. Can you?


Words of my heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace


Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4




If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
   even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.  Psalm 139:11-13

The Tree is Falling.. Words of my Heart by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

May 18, 2012

The tree is falling.  When we moved here two years ago in the early spring, we did not realize the largest oak tree at the top of our hill overlooking the lake was deceased. Two months later we were devastated to know we had to remove the tree.

Terry put it off for two years but this spring the huge limbs began crashing down to the earth below with loud echoes through the forest and a tremble to the ground.  He readied the chain saw this spring and wisely knew it was more than one man could handle. There is a crew of men coming today to begin taking down this tree. Two of us surrounding the truck cannot touch hands. 

The history of this tree has been to grow undisturbed in this forested area for probably over 100 years or more.  It watched the lake being dug and put in, and the influx of people to this once quiet area as it began to develop. The birds that have nested and brought new babies into this world have looked to the tree for shelter for all these years. The squirrels will miss the travel time leaping from one tree to another and with the missing span of the canopy, there will be sun filling the hillside.

Everyone that has visited us has taken pictures of this tree… as even in death it’s majesty prevailed across the hillside.  I will miss this naked dead tree as I have watched and recorded through photography many of the stages of decay, very sobering in it’s strength despite it’s death.

Words of my heart, Laurie

A Texas Artist, Laurie Pace


The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Genesis 2:9