Listening

This is a page from my sketchbook, the result of contented hours of sketching while listening to audiobooks for our study of Ecclesiastes. Evidence of the creativity always bubbling below the surface. Drawing flowers, not from reference but from memory and imagination. Created by the drag of a pencil against the texture of paper. Thinking how we are always operating under the distortion of personal perspective and often persistent waves of external pressures. Then there are the flowers—just being, whether in bloom or in decline.

Up in Smoke

Ecclesiastes 12:14 – one verse is all it took to summarize this books’ message. I know there are more messages in this wonderful text. Still, I am weary of textbook knowledge and wondered about my heart. What do I really know of God? This 18x24 piece is made with paint and fabric. It is so inadequate to the story I want to share. All I know is that God is on one side of the divide and I am on the other. I am a weary, gathering fool with no claim except Jesus. For this I praise God. For this I give thanks.

An Endless Cycle

Inspired by Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, this piece was created to reflect the emptiness of riches and war, and how all people seem to want “more time” most of all because everything around us is fleeting. The ships above demonstrate the war of flesh against spirit, with the faint glow of the masks creating 3 crosses behind the right ship, and the sail represents the veil being torn for us to be in God’s presence through Jesus Christ; whilst the shark beneath seeks to devour and destroy as the enemy.

A Time to be Benevolent

This piece was created in reference to Ecclesiastes chapter 3. For my musical pieces I like to create a music score for the passage in The Bible that we have been currently studying. In my years of school I studied film composition so I love to create music that you would hear in a film. In this piece I created it based off of the words from the passage of Ecclesiastes 3, which includes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted,” (Verses 1 & 2). This verse goes along with the middle part of my music when the clarinet jumps a lot. It goes along with the phrases a time to be. For my main melody I wrote down from a dream that I had, the first part you hear in my piece. In my music, I created it to be more sad sounding to match The Bible passage. I created the second part of my music to match the first. The reason why it’s more sad sounding is because of the verses that say, “Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even the place of righteousness,” (Verse 16).

Time

We all feel the endless pull of time. Our lives are shaped by clocks, calendars, deadlines, and the longing for play and rest. Ecclesiastes names this tension and reminds us that nothing in this world can truly satisfy, that it is all absurdity. Yet in Christ, the struggle is transformed. We no longer have to be enough, or strive for enough, because He is enough. He is making all things beautiful in His time, freeing us to receive life as His gift. This piece reflects the tension between striving and resting, reminding us to enjoy all His gifts, including time.

The Honor of Kings

Have you seen meaning in the murmuring of the birds? Have you heard the whisper of truth in the flutter of their wings?

The search for wisdom in a fleeting world is like grasping at meaning in the chaos of birds in flight. Wisdom is vanity without control, and there is no controlling the wind. And yet, there is order in the midst of chaos, order in the flight of the birds synchronized with harmonies carried on the wind. There is order and meaning, but control is only divine.

Teach Me Your Ways Lord

This song communicates the active struggle of a Christian who constantly strives to do better and trust in their own strength, yet God invites us to become weak and find our strength in surrendering to Him. The striving becomes vain when it leads worldly pleasures, where Ecclesiastes gives wisdom and direction to fear the Lord, obey his commands, and please Him alone. "Teach Me Your Ways Lord" is a song of surrender and asking the Lord for his help in teaching us how to fear Him.

Lyrics:

Verse 1

I thought I knew better than you

And in my own strength I did all that I could do

But you loved me so and sought to make me new

You renew my mind and help me understand what is true.

Chorus 1

Better is the quiet than toil and striving

It’s better to be poor than foolish and thriving

I draw near to God with a mouth that is silent.

Teach me your ways Lord and help me to fear your name

Verse 2

I put my trust in all that you had given me

And in my own heart, I wanted it to satisfy

You revealed to me that all of this is vanity

Yes you broke my heart to help me understand what I really need

Chorus 1

Better is the quiet than toil and striving

It’s better to be poor than foolish and thriving

I draw near to God with a mouth that is silent.

Teach me your ways Lord and help me to fear your name

Bridge x2

I try and I try and I try

And I know it’s never enough

But when I surrender to you

You remind me you’re more than enough

Chorus 1

Better is the quiet than toil and striving

It’s better to be poor than foolish and thriving

I draw near to God with a mouth that is silent.

Teach me your ways Lord and help me to fear your name

Chorus 2

I’ll seek you Lord with all that’s within me

To know you more for the Praise of your glory

I draw near to you with a heart that is broken

Teach me your ways Lord and help me to Fear your name

Our Toil, His Sun

The strawberries in my yard are more dead than alive. I thought that if I did enough research, bought the right soil, and watered them often, they would grow, but that wasn’t the case. Humans almost always try to control the outcome of our work. “If I just try harder” or “if I just put in more time” are things we might think because we think our efforts are what sprout the fruit. Without full reliance on the Lord, all we really can manage are some rotten berries in the planter boxes we build. But God provides the sun and the life. So next time you start planting, do your part, but remember to rely on the Lord.

A Season of Stillness

Ecclesiastes reminds us that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” This piece reflects the importance of recognizing the different seasons of life and finding meaning within each moment. The calm lake, distant mountains, and isolated figure in the canoe all add onto this peaceful landscape, reminding us to appreciate the beauty of God’s creations. Often, moments like these go unnoticed or are taken for granted because we become consumed by the distractions and demands of everyday life. The figure also represents each of us as we navigate the waters of life, move through its changing seasons, and face the uncertainties that come our way. Although it can be difficult to find peace during these moments, God provides us with a sense of tranquility and strength, reminding us that He remains in control. Herons are known for their patience as they wait for the right moment to act on their prey. This stillness mirrors the peaceful figure in the canoe, showing us that we do not always need to rush or constantly pursue the next achievement. Instead, there is value in waiting, observing, and trusting God’s timing.

Feasting

Small Bites to Nourish and Delight.