Hello ,

Painter Benjamin West tells how he loved to paint as a youngster. When his mother left, he would pull out the oils and try to paint. One day he pulled out all the paints and made quite a mess. He hoped to get it all cleaned up before his mother came back. But she came and discovered the mess. West said what she did next completely surprised him. 

She picked up his painting and said, "My, what a beautiful painting of your sister." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. With that kiss, West says, he became a painter.

You can see a photo of one of his paintings at the top of this email. 

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver."  

Proverbs 25:11

Every day you and I are trying to paint the picture of Jesus in our lives through what we say and do. But we make messes. 

The last thing we need is for someone to come along and say, "What a mess!" 

What we need is a "kiss" of encouragement. It's vital for life and for relationships. 

Christ set an example for each of us to follow in this regard. We can trust Him to show us the way. 

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word