One of my very favorite hymns is “It Is Well with My Soul”. besides the amazing traditional song, I love the version Hillsong came out with a few years ago “It is Well”. If you haven’t heard it yet, you can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/T0dIWJ4t4Jg.

Click on the image to find this in my shop

This painting is part of my hymns collection I learned how to do paint on hymns and also mount them on cradled board, through a course taught by an amazing artist and person, Valerie Sjodin. Click here to see her website.

For this hummingbird, I decide to carve the image into a stamp, and stamp the image where I wanted it on the hymn and then add the paint. It turned out to be a great process, and I have used in in the last few paintings in this collection. Here is a video of me carving the stamp that I posted on Instagram.

Now I have this wonderful stamp that I can use in other pieces of art and collage, like my new Art Journals!

Hop on over to The Blessings Shop to see the inside of the journals and other products with hymns and hummingbirds! These make great gifts and Christmas is around the corner!

Click the image to find this in my shop!

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Be Thou My Vision has been a favorite hymn of mine since the group GLAD did the Acapella Project back in 1988. It was my senior year in high School, and all the kids in my youth group were loving this album—that’s saying something for this band to make hymns so popular for teenagers!

Actually, all the hymns in the Acapella Projects became favorites because of this group’s amazing job singing them. (You can hear “Be Thou My Vision” by clicking on the link)

Anyway, when I saw this crazy-looking woodpecker’s image online, I knew it belonged with this hymn—the 3rd verse in particular:

High King of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all

The woodpecker has a victorious stance, even regal looking with that red crown on his head. And he is looking up, like he is climbing up to reach heaven’s joy.

When I was little I thought the phrase in the song “High King of heaven” was “Hiking up heaven”. And I thought you would have to hike up to get there by foot—haha!

May we all keep our vision on the great High King who won our victory and may we find heaven’s joy no matter what befalls us in this life, by keeping our eyes on the King.

Meet my really awesome Hummingbird.  I think I will name him Faith.  He is painted from a reference photo and my dad (Paul W. Simmons) took the picture! He likes to do photography--especially of birds.

Anyway, Faith is standing securely on the end of a branch/stick, which shows his complete trust in God because of His faithfulness to keep his promises.  

Ephesians 6: 13

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, 

so that when the day of evil comes, 

you may be able to stand your ground, 

and after you have done everything, 

to stand.  

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..."

May we always stand firm like Faith, trusting the one who is always faithful.

"Great is thy faithfulness, 

O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee,

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,

As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be. 

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!"

(by Thomas Chisholm)

This Hummingbird is also based off a photo my dad (Paul W. Simmons) took.  I am going to name her Freedom.

Freedom is happy and free (you probably never guessed that), just like the refrain goes, getting ready to take flight.  She is confident because she knows God sees her and she trusts Him to keep His promises concerning her.  

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

"Why should I feerl discouraged,

Why should the shadows come,

why should my heart be lonely,

and long for Heaven and home,

, When Jesus is my portion? 

My constant friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, 

and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, 

and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me."

by Civilla Martin

Matthew 10:29-31: 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? 

 Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

So don’t be afraid; 

you are worth more than many sparrows."

Go on today knowing how great a value you are to the Creator God.