As Mary looks out upon the earth she sees this "very good" creation and her heart and soul is warmed in thankfulness.  She also looks around and sees all the "hardness of heart" and feels the pain and suffering of all of God's creatures, even of the earth itself which has been abused and suffers to this very day.  Through her art, which is part of her ministry, she has dedicated her life to ending this pain and suffering of all of God's creation.  As we are told in Romans 8:19, "the anxious longings of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the children of God".  Mary has truly revealed herself to be one of these "children".

In the course of her career, Mary has sold more than 3,000 original works of art, worldwide, and no matter who buys them, they all seem to say that it reminds them of some portion of their own country.  This is exactly what Mary has tried to do through her watercolor paintings.  She wants people to once again see the beauty of God's creation, which is around us all.  Through the viewing of her paintings it is hoped that people's hearts will retain that soft spot that God created in each of us; that we would love and protect this land, and have compassion for all of God's creatures who dwell therein.

There had been a light snow falling during the morning and early afternoon.   It fell gently upon the trees and frozen lake.  Everything was covered with a soft white blanket. By mid-afternoon the snow had stopped and a light drizzle continued through the evening and into the next morning.  As the sun rose in the morning, the soft blanket of snow had disappeared.  The warmer air over the frozen lake and ground was generating fog patches that gently drifted up through the trees along the edges of the lake.  Now this beautiful creation had replaced the snow and everything was still at peace in and around the lake.  You could hear the chatter of the crows who congregated in the trees as they looked for their breakfast.  But away from the lake, people who were on their way to work were beginning to complain that the fog was going to make them late.  They had lost sight of the beauty of God's creation.  It probably didn't take the average person more than ten minutes longer this morning than it did when it was clear and dry.  Because these people started the day off with a negative attitude, their whole day likely was somewhat on edge.  How much better to have left a little earlier and enjoyed the beauty which would last the whole day through. - In the watercolor above, Mary captures this serene beauty as a reminder to us all to take the time to enjoy all that God has made, and be thankful.

In the next watercolor, Mary captures another misty, wintry fog scene in a more ethereal style.  This prize winning painting, entitled "Misty Morning" was published in North Light magazine (Feb 1990 issue), and has been in several juried shows, including The Butler Institute of American Art, The Salmagundi, and Hudson River Watercolor Society. - As the mist and fog drifts in and among the rocks and the trees along the hillside some of the trees actually seem to be moving, too, as if they could walk upon their roots.   Perhaps Isaiah was looking at a scene such as this, during Israel's time of trouble, when the Lord inspired him to write, "For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12)   We all need to fill our hearts and souls with the joy of God's creation.  If we do, we will find we have a kinder and more gentle spirit.

Another of the joys of God's creation is captured by Mary in this 29 1/2" X 41" watercolor.  As we watch the light snow falling in the woods, and hear and see the wildlife, and allow the Spirit of God to speak in our heart, we should be filled with the wonderment of it all.  How could anyone ever think of hurting or destroying any of God's creatures who dwell herein?

As we continue down the path in the woods, the snow begins to get even lighter. The faint glow of sunlight can be seen through breaks in the thin overcast. Everything becomes brighter.  And if we allow our "mind's eye" to move a little higher, we will discover that the sun is extremely bright above the clouds.  Just as the clouds block our normal view of the sun, so we allow the gray things in our lives to block our view of the peace that God has given us.

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