Jesus’ death was not the result of a panicking, cosmological engineer.

The cross wasn’t a tragic surprise…..

Since I was very young, I’ve had a deep love of just about anything artistic. I’ve worked in pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, and pastels. Ink is my favorite medium, but I enjoy the others as well. And, no, I don’t paint…unless you count walls and furniture. For some reason, painting has never attracted me, but I love to admire the pieces that others accomplish, and I especially enjoy soft watercolor works.

Art comes in many packages. Graphic arts are quite popular today. Many art collectors have a focus on impressionistic pieces, while others are into realism. I fall into the latter category. My work has always centered on nature or architectural structures. And just for fun, I love to create floor plans for homes I could enjoy inhabiting.

When imagining a home layout, many details must be considered. How many rooms are needed, and how will they be used? Do I want a bright home with lots of windows, or is privacy a greater concern? Where do I need a hot and cold water supply, and how can I make the delivery system as efficient as possible? Do I have special electrical needs beyond the normal supply? The list goes on. When I feel every consideration has been dealt with, I draw a simple—I do stress the word simple—blueprint, and I have a stack of them. I‘m not an expert; it’s just a fun little hobby of mine.

Ken and I enjoy checking out the local estate sales where he can almost always find some rusty tools to restore, and while I shop for interesting accessories, my attention is typically drawn to the layout of the home. The items we find within the homes create a blueprint of how the former residents lived; their careers, the hobbies they enjoyed during their leisure time, and often the faith that carried them through life’s valleys. Every home has a story to weave, of secrets hidden away, of laughter and tears, of dreams dashed and dreams fulfilled.

My blueprints are on a very small scale and are simply products of a little daydreaming, but there is a massive blueprint known only to God, and it originated before time began. When Noah and his ark were not yet placed upon the flood waters, before David met up with Goliath, and before Moses was chosen to corral the Nation of Israel in the desert for forty years, God created a blueprint for the earth and all its inhabitants, human and non-human. That plan included a sacrifice greater than our meager minds can comprehend.

….the moment the forbidden fruit touched the

lips of Eve, the shadow of a cross appeared on the horizon.

And between that moment and the moment the man with the mallet placed

the spike against the wrist of God, a master plan was fulfilled.