a blessing book

My family loves packages, and this week
we were surprised by a special one. My Aunt
Julie was inspired to send us a memory blessing
book of our family. The best part was as Dean and
I read it our mouths were hanging open because
the words on each page fit the people on the page so
closely.
She made a CD of music to go along with it. I hadn't really
listened to John Waller before, but I really like
a few of his songs now.
My Aunt Julie is a big part of the reason that I am an artist
and I am passing that on to my children as well.
When I was a child I used to watch her draw or paint. I would
ooohhh and aaahhhh over everything she did.
When I asked her how I could ever draw a
horse as good as her, she didn't show me how
she didn't draw it for me, she didn't even
help me.
She said, you have to practise and practise. It
was exactly what my nature needed to hear.
As my friend Becky would say, it was a God-moment.
I have never stopped practising, although I probably
will never draw or paint horses as well as Aunt Julie.