He called her Hephzibah

You know that question people like to ask?  The one that goes something like, "If you could talk to anyone dead or alive who would it be?"  For our purposes, we are going to exclude people in the Bible. Who would be on your list? My mind easily flips through a number of people who have had world influence: Elizabeth Elliot, Saint Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther King Jr, William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, John Calvin etc. However, there is one person who always takes first place above all the rest:  my grandad Startup. He may not have had the worldly fame of those listed above, but for those who knew him- he certainly changed their world.  To his family: Nana, Mom, Aunt Sandy, & Uncle Rob you might say he was their world.  He impacted their world in the way only a husband and daddy can.  His life, even though it was cut short, changed and impacted the world of those around him.  He was in his 30's wh...

  "Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." - Romans 5:20 Out of all the paintings I've done- this one needs the most explanation.  I decided to do this month's devotion a little differently than our typical post.   I hope you enjoy it.     Romans 5:12-21: increased G4121 1. superabound 2. to make to increase abounded G5248 1. to abound beyond measure, abound exceedingly 2. to overflow, to enjoy abundantly *I'm sorry the audio is not great. blueletterbible.org

For my sweet friend, Michelle.   Michelle is one of those rare individuals who is always pointing others upwards to fix their gaze upon the Lord.  She's one of those gems that make you pause and think: "okay, this lady knows Jesus intimately." You were one of my earliest "adult" friends and I am so grateful for you.  You're a blessing to so many people and I count myself blessed to call you friend.   You make me want to know Jesus more.  Thank you for sharing with us about this month's song. Written by: Michelle Lowrance “You are Beautiful Beyond Description” is a song I’ve been singing since childhood. I know all the lyrics. But that doesn’t mean I always feel the impact of the words. Sometimes when something is second nature, it can lose meaning.  Fast Forward from childhood to my late thirties, married and 2 kids later -  The kids’ bedtime routine is something that can be cherished and sweet OR exhausting and draining. I remember the night...

  I've always had a special place in my heart for this hymn.  That place grew ten fold when as a young child my youngest brother learned the lyrics and every so often I would hear him humming it to himself.  I am almost 14 years older than the youngest one in my family - he and I grew close in a way that only comes with such a large age gap.  I love my other brothers just as much- but with my "baby brother" who is now a junior in college, it just was a little bit different.  I got to make him pb&js, drive him to play dates, & pick him up from school.  I loved it then & I love that now I am getting to see him flourish in college. Thanks for making this song so special, Isaiah.  Thanks for making my world & the rest of the world a better place.  I love you! *A special thank you to my friend for graciously allowing me to share this piece of her family's story* Not long ago I was chatting with a dear friend.  She was telling me ho...

  HAPPY NEW YEAR! If you are new to our blog, welcome!  I introduce myself here and tell a little piece of my story.  Please feel free to check it out!   If you are back for another year of devotions, welcome back!  I am so glad you're here again and I look forward to journeying with you through more paintings and scriptures.  You encourage me so much! "The eye is the lamp of the body.  So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!  No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money." - Matthew 6:22-24 If you've ever studied owls, you know they are crazy cool creatures.  When I was a kid my parents would take my brothers & me to nature shows and national pa...

Welcome to our blog, my friends!  I say our blog because several friends and family members have contributed to the words on here!  I want to introduce myself in case you're new! Hell o New Readers! My name is Emily and I love to paint.  In 2021, I experienced a traumatic brain injury that significantly altered my quality of life.  Two years later in 2023 I experienced a "stroke event."  Then in August 2025 I had a stroke.  All three events affected my body in different ways and each has been its own learning curve.  I experience a wide variety of symptoms that vary in intensity.   If you are here because a calendar or other item from the shop , I want you to know that 100% of the proceeds go toward my medical expenses.  Right now that looks like physical therapy and occupational therapy happening multiple times a week.  Thank you for your support!  There will be a blog post at the beginning of each month that dives deeper into...