IA Weekly Challenge: Sacred

What is sacred?  For my Godmother sacred is what she shows the world; her relationship with  her God.

Here's the cane that started it all!

Two years ago my Godmother asked me to paint her cane to take on a cruise.  She wanted it covered with symbols of her Christian faith.  I was delighted to be asked to make something special for her and poured my heart into making it as good as I could.

And this is what I ended up with!


Now I paint all my canes with the same intense desire to do my very best.

If you'd like a hand painted cane made just for you or your loved one, then contact me, or visit my shop, Leaning on the Promises

www.leaningonthepromises.etsy.com

www.measuremecharts.etsy.com 

www.finishthis.etsy.com 

www.JudyAGoddardArtisan.blogspot.com

Meet My Godmother

This is my Godmother. She's not the one I was given when I was christened as a baby. That was Aunt Louise, who was a lovely person, I'm sure, although I don't really know because I never really knew her.

Joan Santomenna is the mother God gave me when I was 14 years old. My dearly loved Mommy was sick all of my life and really incapable of taking proper care of me as I entered adolescence.

I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in Joan and Rol's livingroom. She guided me around, and sometimes through, the pitfalls of teenage life. And at the center of every conversation was Jesus. The answer to every question was the Lord. Every situation, every dilemma was brought before the throne of God. That's not to say that I was always prepared, or that life always flowed and there were never any waves. But she always reminded me to turn to the Lord with any problem.

Two years ago Joan treated her husband, my beloved Rol, to a cruise through the Panama Canal. Having been through a difficult health situation, she asked me to paint a cane for her to use on the voyage.

Everyone who saw it commented and before I knew it friends were asking me to make canes for them! Thus was born;

Leaning On The Promises, hand painted puzzle canes.

If you would like to own a hand painted cane you can find them at

www.leaningonthepromises.etsy.com

You can view weekly entries for the Inspiration Avenue challenge at

http://inspiration-avenue-team.blogspot.com/

www.leaningonthepromises.etsy.com

www.measuremecharts.etsy.com

www.finishthis.etsy.com

www.JudyAGoddardArtisan.blogspot.com

Chi "Canary"

My Godparents are taking a vacation! They'll be traveling, by cruise ship, to Central America and through the Panama Canal!

So, in preparation for the trip, my Godmother asked me to paint a walking cane for her, covered in Scripture and images that point to Christ.

She Loves IT! Can't stop looking at it!

Now, one day after the Scripture cane was given to her, several people have inquired as to how much one would cost and could they buy one, please!

I am humbled.

And excited!

Here is a chance to use my art as a vehicle for witness!

If you or someone you know might be interested in having me paint a cane for them, please leave a comment, or email me at

JudyAGoddard@aol.com.

In Isaiah 54:2,3 God spoke to Israel as to a barron woman. He told her to get ready because the Love that he would pour out on her would be a great blessing, like many children.

Isaiah 54:2,3 (NASB)

Enlarge the place of yur tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not, lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread out abroad to the right and the left. And your decendants will possess the nations and will resettle the desolate cities.

Rol and Joan, you prepared. You enlarged your tent so that it was never full.

Hundreds of children came through your doors and shared communion in your living room. You taught us to Love God's Word and to believe God's Word. You told us that if we trusted theword of God, he would change our lives.

And these children - your children - have gone out to possess nations in God's name; and they have prayed the renewal of life into desolate places.

Thank you. I love you!

My Old Man

Tom , Hannah and Judy, college moving in day 2008

My old man! We've been together for 34 years! He was the first, and only, boy I ever dated. Our first date? I was 15. We went to see "Young Frankenstein". It was a Saturday matinee. I told myself, " If he tries to put his arm around me I'll slug him!" He says he thought, "I won't try to put my arm around her his this time." That was in February. By May, we swearing eternal devotion!

But there was a problem, right from the start. I was a new Christian. I had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in August of that year. And he was not a Christian. We became a devoted couple very quickly. I had to tell him, "I love you! And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but, I won't marry you if you're not a Christian. And within a couple of months he had, indeed, accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

I know, I know! But you know what? We were married four years later and he has been the help mate and head of our family from the very beginning. He loves God! and he knows that Jesus died for him and rose again to fulfill the promise!

He has supported me in every hair brained scheme I have ever come up with. And, you, know, it's not easy living with an artist! And wouldn't you know! Both of his children are artists too!

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