And here are some of my more realistic portrait paintings from a series when I traveled to Ghana and interviewed Christians and their stories of coming unto Christ.
Emmalee Powell. Forgiveness of Father and Son. 24x36. 2007. (Original sold But Prints available here and click this link to read more of the story behind this painting.)
Tonight my son randomly got out a children’s bible storybook and wanted to read the prodigal son. (To be honest I keep thinking we should read scriptures more and feel guilty we don’t. We talk about God and Jesus, but having a regular forced sit down and study time doesn’t seem to work well for us. Especially, when in my marriage, I’m the active Christian and my husband isn’t sure God is real. But it’s weird because although my husband doesn’t attend church, he still says prayers, and is very supportive of my kids and I. Please don’t use this as an opportunity to preach. I’m not depressed about the situation. I’m learning to accept and love my husband as he is, just as he loves and accepts me unconditionally. I think it can create a special kind of love in a family when a spouse or children choose to believe differently. I don’t believe it works for every family or in every marriage, but when I first married my husband he was an active believer and a good person and he still is a good person not a jerksband.
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A scripture which comes to mind when describing my husband from when I decided to marry him in 2008 and which is still true. ”The Lord looketh not on outward appearances, but looketh on the heart.” My husband has always had a good pure heart. He is kind, accepting, and loving. And he is a human who makes mistakes, just like me. But we try to be good to each other.
Emmalee Glauser Powell. One Heart and One Mind. 2007. 18x24. Oil on Canvas. Framed original is $2046. You can read more of the story behind this painting here or order prints.
Some might say, and I used to agree, a spouse not active in the church is bad. Is it hard? Yes, definitely. Sundays are often days I feel more stressed and sad than other days. But in our marriage it works. If you have a loved one who no longer believes should you cast them off or divorce them? Not Unless the Lord directs. It has taken me 4 years of attending 12 step addiction recovery meetings, 100s of pages of journal writing, reading 1000s of pages on religion, creating 360 paintings of finding Jesus in This Mess, in 2019 experiencing a ruptured appendix and ruptured Fallopian tube, 3 surgeries, and 3 hospital stays, and many supportive friends to be able to say at this moment. “Yep, Jesus is in This Mess.” Who knew a struggling marriage and a spouse confessing he no longer believed would be one of the best things for me. I need Him.
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I hope this gives you hope. Even if you aren’t ready to find Jesus in your Mess, He is here. It reminds me of this other painting from my Ghana painting series called "He will lift you if Only You Humble Yourself." I needed to be humbled before my love could grow. (Actually I need humbling a lot :) For a long time, I've thought I was better than my husband because after all "I'm an active Christian who attends church," but in being humbled medically, spiritually, and emotionally I'm learning there are many ways to be wise and loving. It can also be hard for the spouse of one who "believes." What makes a person good?
Emmalee Glauser Powell. He will lift you if only you humble yourself. 2012. 30"x40" Oil on canvas panel. Original painting is available $3095. For more of this story or to purchase the original or a print click here.
Wow. That was a loonnng tangent. So the story of the prodigal son in the Bible. It ends with Jesus loving the sinner.
-My son said, “Jesus, loves sinners?”
-“Yes,” I replied, “very much.”
Son: ”Who is a sinner?”
Me: “Everyone.”
Son: ”What is a sinner?”
Me:“Someone who makes mistakes.”
Son: ”Why does Jesus love us when we make mistakes?”
Me: ”He wants us to learn. To repent means ‘to turn’ back to him. Apologize. Try to make it better. And change. Perhaps we should call it learning instead of mistakes?”
Son: “At school my stem watcher said at google they celebrate whenever someone makes a mistake.”
Me: ”Should we celebrate mistakes?”
Son: ”Yes. Let’s have a dance party every time we make a mistake.”
-And so there will be lots of dancing here. We make a lot of mistakes. In the Prodigal son story the father celebrates his son returning from his mistakes and coming home. He celebrates every time we turn to Him too)
Merry Mistake Season (I mean Merry Christmas). We can make mistakes, and those we love can make ‘mistakes’ because of Jesus.
Emmalee Glauser Powell. As Sisters in Zion. 8x10. 2007. Oil on Canvas. Framed original available for $699. Real, but not real, sisters who are not related but love and support each other in the mess.
Contact me if you have questions or are interested in purchasing an original or print.
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