It looks like I was thrown off track in keeping up with this thing. It happened right around the time that I began working nearly full time while going to school and the prayer room full time as an IHOPU student. But the semester ended well, and I was actually a little bummed when classes were over. Though I am enjoying that I have a little bit more free time now that I'm "only" working full time.

I've wrapped up three paintings, and a design-doodle to keep me busy and in the groove of mediating on what God was teaching me during the semester. I'm a little backlogged on paintings I want to get done, so I need to put these ones to the side so I physically have room to get some more done!

Here is the redo of a piece I did during my internship:

This is only the second time I've tried painting in thin layers with oil paint to allow the wood grain to show through and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I think the natural wood grain adds good interest and variation in the colors. It's a daunting 2'x4' but I really like the scale and impact of it. there were several close calls when I thought I had ruined it, but I really like it now.

And here is a close up detail of the piece. I was so stoked when my camera recognized his profile as a human face!

Jesus is our Mega-hope

During my internship, Robert perscribed that I should spend some time focusing on our hope in the resurrection to combat some things that were coming up in my heart. Well let me tell you, it's everywhere in the Bible! I had never noticed it before, but God really wanted to make sure we knew about how much hope we have in Him. God is a "man" of His word, He never lies, and He is always kind. Jesus didn't come to earth, pay our penalty of death, just so we can "get through" or "survive" or be a little bit happier. He came to give us a hope that will withstand every pressure of life, and all the rage of the devil who has come to steal kill and destroy all life in us. So what is that life? It's our hope in Jesus. Our hope is not in just holding on long enough till we die. Our hope is that Jesus is real, and He is really coming back for us. Getting to heaven isn't our hope, our hope is that we get to spend eternity with Jesus. That will be heavenly.

Well I've finally been able to get all the verses typed up. I've found 84 so far, and I suspect there are a whole lot more. They're in no particular order, just the order I found them in. These are mostly from the New Testament, but several are from the Old Testament as well. I found that in nearly every New Testament letter, our hope is a main point the author makes, and I suspect that as I gain greater understanding of the hope that Jesus has brought into, I'll see it played out even in the other letters I didn't see at first.

Writing out each verse took over 8 pages in a word document, so I'll spare you that, but I'll list out the address of all the verses I've found so far. If there's one that you particularly like, and you don't see it on the list, post it in a comment on the bottom! I trust that this will be as encouraging to you as it has been to me. I'll leave you with one that could maybe be considered the banner over this whole project;

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. Acts 24:15

2. Daniel 12:2-3

3. Isaiah 26:19

4. Proverbs 24:14

5. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28

6. 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

7. Isaiah 33:24

8. 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

9. Isaiah 35:10

10. Isaiah 51:6

11. Isaiah 54:10

12. Isaiah 55:3

13. Isaiah 63:7

14. 1 Corinthians 15:12-58

15. Hebrews 6:1-2

16. Titus 1:1-3

17. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

18. 1 John 3:2-3

19. 2 John 1:2-3

20. Colossians 3:2-4

21. 2 Timothy 1:1

22. Titus 1:2

23. 2 Timothy 1:12

24. 1 Peter 1:13

25. Ephesians 1:13-14

26. Colossians 1:13-14

27. 1 Timothy 1:16

28. Colossians 1:18-20

29. Jude 1 :20-21

30. 1 Peter 1:21

31. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

32. Philippians 1:21-23

33. Colossians 1:22-23

34. Colossians 1:27

35. 1 John 2:7

36. Hebrews 2:14-15

37. Hebrews 2:14-15

38. 2 Thessalonians 2:16

39. 1 John 2:24-25

40. Hebrews 3:6

41. 2 Peter 3:13

42. Philippians 3:20-21

43. 2 Timothy 4:8

44. 1 Timothy 4:10

45. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

46. 2 Corinthians 4:14

47. 2 Timothy 4:18

48. Matthew 5:4

49. 1 Peter 5:10

50. Hebrews 6:17-20

51. John 6: 22-71

52. John 6:39-40

53. Hebrews 7:18-19

54. Romans 8:11

55. Romans 8:23-25

56. John 8:51

57. Isaiah 9:7

58. Hebrews 9:15

59. 1 Corinthians 9:25

60. Hebrews 9:27-28

61. Hebrews 10:23

62. Hebrews 11:1

63. Hebrews 11:39-40

64. Proverbs 14:32

65. Romans 15:13

66. Acts 17:31

67. Revelation 21:4

68. Psalm 23:6

69. Proverbs 23:17-18

70. 1 Peter 1:3-5

71. Colossians 1:4-5

72. Ephesians 2:4-7

73. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7

74. Isaiah 56:6-7,

75. Galatians 6:7-8,

76. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

77. Isaiah 25:8-9

78. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10

79. 2 Timothy 1:8-10

80. Hebrews 5:9-10

81. Psalm 16:9-11,

82. Philippians 3:9-11,

83. 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

84. Titus 2:11-14

Be blessed!

pb