Inspiration Comes Around Again

Ever have those dry spells where you're brain seems a little dull and you feel completely empty? I recently had one of those "dry spells" - until last week. Follow along as I post the progress of my latest project.

Over the weekend, I was inspired again. Chris & I had an oppotunity to visit Horseplay Equestrian. It's a wonderful place where the love of horses and the love of Christ actually meld together into a cool ministry. Horseplay is a horse rescue ranch which is a good mission in and of itself, but it doesn't end there. These horses are then used to help rescue people. Ranging from camps for underprivileged kids to one on one counseling sessions for kids dealing with things like abuse or addiction, Horseplay Equestrian pairs kids with horses to help teach life lessons and Biblical realities. Completely free to the kids, Horseplay has been relying on the Hand of God for provision to run the camp and He has been nothing less than faithful.

While touring the ranch I was quite taken with two of the rescued horses, Blue and Miracle. These two horses are the offspring of paint horses. One of the uniques traits of paints is that, if the offspring are born completely white, they can suffer from a broad range of health issues often leading to a very short life expectancy. Another unique trait is the tendency for these all white horses to have bright blue eyes. Since Blue and Miracle have come to the ranch, under the care of the owners and the help of some vounteers, they appear to have turned the corner and are getting healthier by the day. Not only are they growing stronger, but they are beginning to show splotches of color and one of Miracle's eyes has even turned from blue to brown. These horses are examples of the turn around that can be made even in the most desperate circumstances. So pairing horses and people who are kind of from the same place in life can be quite a learning experience - for both people and the horse.

After touring the ranch, I am inspired. So much so, I am picking up my paintbrush once again. (It's been more than a year) This weekend, got the canvas prepared and the horses blocked in. A painting of the horses that inspired me, this portait is titled "Blue Miracle". When it's finally finished we'll auction it off at the ranch with proceeds going directly to Horseplay.