Sunday, December 21, 2014

Just One Rock








ALL human beings are a one-of-a-kind, one-and-only original...even twins (or triplets, etc). The people closest to us -- our spouse, family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances only see but a facet of this original that we all are. Only GOD sees the whole being that we are -- He even sees the parts we don't see...those parts we ourselves don't want to examine. GOD sees our hearts...GOD knows our thoughts... GOD KNOWS the entirety that we are...from beginning to end -- He knows!

Peter, a solid rock indeed -- a faithful disciple of CHRIST JESUS -- who serves with sincerity and integrity at Ocean View Church...displaying his handpainted rLn rock in front OVC -- a church founded on the solid rock of faith in CHRIST... a beacon of light in the South Bay community.


O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when i sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when i’m far away. You see me when i travel and when i rest at home. 

You know everything i do. You know what i am going to say even before i say it, LORDYou go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

i can never escape from your SPIRIT! i can never get away from Your presence! 

If i go up to heaven, You are there; if i go down to the grave, You are there. If i ride the wings of the morning, if i dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me. i could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness i cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to You.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well i know it. You watched me as i was being formed in utter seclusion, as i was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before i was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 

How precious are Your thoughts about me, O GOD. They cannot be numbered! i can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when i wake up, You are still with me!

Search me, O GOD, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24, NLT)

Friday, December 19, 2014

a Labor of JOY -- for maia, my miracle child

This one-and-only original was created with much love and JOY -- especially for my miracle child from GOD, our Father in heaven...

Jazmyn's Song...

Bless the LORD, the Lord of our lives--
for the gift of Jazmyn...

Our bundle of JOY...
From GOD's lovingkindness and tender mercies, she came
bringing abundance, blessings of love, healing and eternal hope.

...whose very presence brightened her mother's world.

Jazmyn -- our Filipina sampaguita...

(front)

(back)

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

WHATevers!

GOD is Love -- 18 1/2" x 17 1/2" (A "designer WHATever" is a one-of-a-kind, handpainted original that may be framed to decorate a plain wall.)

Love one another -- 18 1/2" x 17 1/2" (Your "designer WHATever" may be used to decorate a plain table.)

Beatitude promises -- 18 1/2" x 22"

Love, peace, mercy...love...joy, joy, joy, JESUS -- 17 1/2" x 19" (This "designer WHATever" may be used to cover a non-digital "dinosaur" TV.)

Peace -- 18 1/2" x 17 1/2"

Love is...Love is...Love is -- 22" x 19"

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my being praise His holy, holy name. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to become angry and full of constant love. As high as the sky is above the earth, so is His love to those who honour Him -- 19" x 18"

LOVE...Christ...For GOD SO loved -- 18" x 18 1/2" -- Or you may artfully cover your computer from dust with this "WHATever"...

Your emPOWERing WORD, to be individually designed and personalized -- 16" x 18"

These handpainted originals were created in Taveuni, Fiji, for the Tagimoucia Festival. They are now available for sale, just in time for the CHRISTmas holy-days. ($20 each) Contact me at merlinsazon-at-yahoo-dot-com.

Monday, December 8, 2014

COZY's #1330 -- A New Creation

Waves of hearts -- expressing this mailbox-owner's own heart...

Before the makeover...

United States of America's Red-White-Blue...

Hearts a-dancin' in the flow...

Four-dimensional color coordination...

Front and side -- just brimming with hearts...

Front and other side -- flowing the Red-White'n'Blue...

Sterling Price posing for the "Thank You" note for the ever taciturn mailman...

#1330 -- most original on the block...

"...we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at Him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the GOD who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. GOD put the world square with Himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. GOD has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We’re CHRIST’s representatives. GOD uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into GOD’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for CHRIST Himself now: Become friends with GOD; He’s already a friend with you." (2 Corinthians 5:16-20, MSG)

Friday, December 5, 2014

PRAYER -- REAL Work for the Righteous


"LORD JESUS, i come to Thee for spiritual preparation. Lay Thy hand upon me. Anoint me with the oil of the New Testament prophet. 

"Forbid that i should become a religious scribe and thus lose my prophetic calling. Save me from the curse that lies dark across the face of the modern clergy,

"the curse of compromise, of imitation, of professionalism. Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. 

"Help me to remember that i am a prophet--not a promoter, not a religious manager, but a prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity.

"Save me from the bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O GOD, and drive me to the place of prayer where i may wrestle with principalities and powers and the rulers of darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating  and late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that i may be a good soldier of JESUS CHRIST." (A.W. Tozer, excerpt from 'The Prayer of a Minor Prophet')

Prayer Requests box for Celebrate Recovery at Ocean View Church.

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with GOD is something powerful to be reconed with. (James 5:16-17, MSG)

AMEN is "So be it, LORD, Thy will, not mine, be done."

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Overflowing with Hope, Joy, Peace (Romans 15:13)


The Holy SPIRIT produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Ephesians 5:22-23)

Blue-colored canvas...

Give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing LOVE, and His wonderFUL deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (Psalm 107:8-9, NIV)


and...




and...



You, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy SPIRIT. (Jude 1:20, NLT)



 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. 
(Romans 15:13, NIV)
Romans 15:13 (front)


Romans 15:13 (back)

JESUS: "I AM leaving you with a gift -- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is the peace the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27, NLT)