Philippians 4:7-9 series

This series started as paintings about spring — koi fish and cherry blossoms. But it grew into something much more.

While working on these pieces, I kept getting frustrated. I could only see what was going wrong. At one point I realized I was literally an inch from the canvas. Then I remembered one of the most basic rules in art: take a step back. When I did, the painting wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought.

As the series continued, I felt God using that moment to speak to me. Slow down. Things take time. Just breathe. Philippians 4:7-9 is about the peace God provides — but it tells us we have to dwell on the right things. My focus had been on everything going wrong, everything overwhelming me (including launching this very website). Instead of dwelling on that, I needed to step back and focus on Him.

These pieces became a real reminder to breathe. I kept holding my breath from stress — and maybe you need this reminder too.