The Man Who Turned Pain into Ecstatic Beauty

Dr. Who is a time traveler and in this episode he takes the painter Vincent van Gogh with him to the future.

I Am Not Who I Am (Rembrandt And I)

God says “I am who I am.” But with human beings it should be: “We are not who we are.” I did a little study on this inspired by Rembrandt.

A Natural & Easy Way to Make Your House Smell Nice

Make your house smell nice in these 3 steps. Only use natural ingredients that you find in the fridge, cupboard or in nature.

My Collection of Autumn Discoveries – From My Diary

I was reduced to a shadow surrounded by the magnificent beauty of nature playing with sunlight

3 Surprisingly Fun Ways To Read the Bible

If you struggle with reading the Bible, here are some things that helped me get into it.

What I Learned From My 90-year-old Friend

When we got to know each other we were surprised at how similar we were, we had a lot of the same interests. We laughed a lot together.

7 Ways to Make Your House More Cozy (Based On You’ve Got Mail)

When I was looking for inspiration for my own apartment I was inspired by You've Got Mail. I made a list of the things that make Kathleen's apartment so cozy.

Lovely Song About The Joy of Beauty in Spring and Summer

I hope you enjoy this lovely song by Karen Peris, it reminds me of those moments of joy you can have when walking outside in the spring and summer time...

Don’t Turn Down This Invitation!

"There is only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I’m tempted to turn it down all the time."

Do I Think I’m Better Than You?

This photo is a collage I made as I was thinking about this scripture. It is amazing how much they mocked him, how much they thought they were better than...

The Second Coming of the Trees – A Poem by Wendell Berry

The country where he lives is haunted by a ghost of an old forest. In the cleared fields where he gardens and pastures horses it stood once, and will return....

What it Means to Be Yourself – Inspired by Virginia Woolf

To be yourself is not as straightforward as it sounds. In fact, yourself has everything to do with those around you.

What Love Really Means

Love. It’s a word often used. But what does it mean? In a dictionary love is defined as ‘a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.’. Which doesn’t seem complete....

Be Reminded of The Greatness of God

This song is simple in melody and lyrics, but it can linger in me for days. A great way to be reminded of the greatness of God.

My Perspective on Sufjan Stevens’ Song Vesuvius

To me it is almost a worship song. Not a typical one. And others might say it has nothing to do with God at all. To me it’s a song...

A Good Home

“A good home. What is it? Food and shelter? Yes. But it is something more. Personal comfort, the exercise of individual taste in the choice of one’s intimate surroundings, the...

Not a Dancer? Try This Instead

Follow Napoleon Dynamite's example

Discover Beautiful Light in Your Home

Light. At times I wonder what it is about light that brings so much joy to my heart. I read once that ‘light is the shadow of God.’ And maybe...

8 Photography Ideas Based on Lillian Bassman’s Work

Learn how to find your own photography style and way of working inspired by Lillian Bassman

Our Blackberry Harvest

The bushes were filled with the joyful fruit we’d been talking about since November. Last night while passing them we said we’d come back tomorrow and pick some of the...

5 Wonderful Ideas from Illustrator & Designer Olle Eksell

Olle could not draw people very well, still he became a very influential illustrator. Learn from his way of looking

Easy Christmas Apple Pie

This is an easy way to make a festive Christmas cake without too much effort. Just pick any apple tart recipe you like and use the dough meant for the...

What We Can Learn From Birds

One thing I like about birds is that when the day is windy, they go out and enjoy the wind. They float on the wind, take dives, have fun.

A Revolutionary Thought

"What a revolutionary thought;that God is all we hoped He’d be,closer than the air we breathe." This is a lyric of an album..

What We Lost With the Invention of the Photograph

I do think we lost something profound with the invention of the photograph: The trust that God sees us and enjoys with us.  

Van Gogh’s Advice on Dealing With Suffering

Vincent van Gogh suffered a lot in his lifetime. He was very poor, didn’t have many friends and didn’t have a good relationship with his family, except from his brother...

Travels to Austria (Mountains)

I remember mountains and walks and waterfalls. Beautiful big lakes. It was the first time I’d been to Austria and I enjoyed it. From the camping place we could walk...

Finding Beauty in Grieving

Grieving over someone who died is painful. But in this experience there are also places of much light. When you see something your loved one loved for example.

Walking on the Edge of the Abyss

but I don’t feel scared, really. Rather amazed, every day, that I am still standing and that the view is so stunningly beautiful.

Practical Remedies Against Melancholy – By Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith was born in the 18th century and writes about his solutions to melancholy and low spirits.

Herman Brood & Henk Binnendijk

Henk Binnendijk in gesprek met Herman Brood. Geen logische combinatie, maar het levert wel interessante gesprekken op, vooral als de gesprekken over God gaan. Beide kijken op een totaal andere...

How to Alter the Past

This letter is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking things I’ve read so far. It’s a very honest letter, and Wilde has such a beautiful gift for writing and...

A Hopeful Song for When You Don’t Feel Strong

Sometimes songs say it better than anything else. As long as God surrounds us with His love, we will be okay. This song is perfect to sing along when you...

The Chorus of Praise

With the first ray of sunlight one bird opens its eyes. Sees life. A leaf, a tree, his friends and out comes a little melody of praise.

Oscar Wilde’s Take on The Bible

When Oscar Wilde  ends up in prison, he starts to read the Bible and writes down his thoughts on what he reads. This is something he wrote that is combined...

I Wish I Was Fearless

This is a little poem on being fearless that I wrote to accompany this painting. Fearless: I wish I was, because then I would share my heart.

Jane Eyre Fan? Here Are 3 Paintings You Can Download

While I was in my bubble reading it for the first time I ended up making 3(!) paintings inspired by Jane Eyre. Looking back now, I realize this was my...

Is God Here?

We all wonder from time to time, is God here? Is he present in our lives? Read what A.W. Tozer said about this question.

A Few Ideas on How to Spend Time With God and Enjoy It

At times we don't know how to spend time with God. That's why I came up with a few ideas that might help you get there.

An Encounter with God by Anne Bronte

“God help me now!” I murmured, sinking on my knees among the damp weeds and brushwood that surrounded me, and looking up at the moonlit sky, through the scant foliage...

A Loveshoot Full of Surprises in Veenendaal

This photo shoot is a great example of finding beauty in unexpected places. I grew up in Veenendaal, and in my head it’s always been a bit of a boring...

On Hearing God

I notice that at times when I talk about listening to God, people look at me a bit confused. How do you know?

You Are Not Who You Were Last November

“The human body essentially recreates itself every six months. Nearly every cell of hair and skin and bone dies and another is directed to its former place. You are not...

Tell Him What You’ve Never Dared to Say Out Loud

You can end up having all you desire, yet end up lonely anyway. You can keep Jesus safely outside the door, but for what reason?

I’ll Show You The Sky

This song reminds me of summer. Of little things that bring joy. Give it time to grow on you.

Psalm 104 – You Are Wrapped in Light Like a Garment

GOD, my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent.

You Are Alive

“And what is it like: to be alive in this maybe one place of all places anywhere where life is? Live a day of it and see. Take any day...

An Experiment on Living Like The Woman in Proverbs 31

I’ve been experimenting living like the woman of Proverbs 31. I never liked her much before, but as I studied her last week I was pleasantly surprised. I never liked...

Mary and Martha

The Bible says that Mary sat down and listened to Jesus while Martha was ‘distracted with much serving’. Distracted is a powerful word here. Don’t we all recognize that? Jesus...

What It Looks Like To Trust God

When I came across Jeremiah 17: 5-8 I was struck by the interesting and beautiful imagery used in these verses. I started wondering how I could paint these verses and...

Start Something Now

I want to learn to start something every time new ideas come to me. Naturally I would rather wait for the perfect time.

“God is Here When We Are Wholly Unaware of It.” – By A.W. Tozer

God is here when we are wholly unaware of it. He is manifest only when and as we are aware of His Presence. On our part there must be

Romans 8:35 in Illustration

How hopeful is this verse? Nothing can come between Christ’s love for us. It is everlasting and stronger than anything we could possibly imagine.

Oh, I Smell Spring!

“It was a bland day in early April and spring was looking at you round the corners. The Wind Woman was laughing and whistling over the wet sweet fields; freebooting...

One Thing You Can Do That Changes Everything

ow strange is it that Jesus calls himself a door? By walking through Him you arrive in this different world. A world we’ve never seen before. Wonderful and full of...

Watch this Video in Which People Share Their Secrets

The things that happen when you ask people about their secrets

Who is God? (According to St. Augustine)

A couple of years ago I started reading the book ‘Confessions’ by st. Augustine and it was a surprisingly wonderful book. So many beautiful thoughts and phrases, it inspires me...

Waiting for The Holy Spirit

This is a summary of a Bible study I did as I was wondering why the disciples had to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. I also added a...

Christmas Tree DIY

Last year I made this Christmas tree. I had a lot of fun making it and I’m posting it here so it might help you if you want to make...

This Relient K Song Will Help You To Let Go Of Your Heart Aches

When life feels hard or when you don’t understand why things are happening, it is easy to go along with your emotions. It’s easy to invite hurt in your heart.

Light

Find my way back to the light through light

You Are Loved With An Everlasting Love

At times we don't feel loved. Or like we don't deserve to be loved. How amazing it is to be reminded of this wonderful truth then.

Learn to See New Things

even now, 50 years later, it is still an interesting show to watch. It teaches you a new way of looking which you won’t soon forget :)

“I’m so Glad I Live in a World Where There are Octobers” – From Anne of Green Gables

“October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the...

The Snail on The Garden-Path

Dorothy L. Sayers writes in The Mind of The Maker this beautiful sentence: “God is mysterious,and so (for that matter) is the universe...

What is Grass? – Walt Whitman’s Beautiful Answer to this Question.

A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands, How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than...

7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Become A Better You. – by A.W. Tozer

In the following passage from the book ‘That Incredible Christian’ A.W. Tozer helps us to look critically at ourselves. A way to move us in the right direction.

Little Home Joys

At times I like to walk through the house with my camera in hand and just record all the things I enjoy at the moment. I change things around quite...

Turning Sadness into Joy – Vincent van Gogh’s Life

He was very poor, got heartbroken several times, got betrayed by friends, had a complicated relationship with his family, was continually misunderstood and seemed to be all alone in the...

Paint Idea: Copying a Painting with Watercolors

If you’re looking for a good, relaxing evening activity or if you have trouble with finding your way (back) to painting this is a fun thing to do!

Practice Resurrection – My Favorite Poem by Wendell Berry

Expect the end of the world. Laugh. Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.

Does God Really Supply All My Need?

I've wondered many times: Does God really supply all my needs? I found the story of the Israelites in the desert and the manna God supplied.

Bible Summary in 60 Words

I actually wrote this once when I was confused about life and what to do. Later when I looked at it, it looked like a Bible summary. 

How to Live Life To The Full

Did you know that Jesus gives us advice on how to live life to the full? You can read it in John 10:10. We can have life in abundance.

What If Life Was Meant to Be Seen?

What if Life was meant to be seen? Our only job To notice the bird in the tree Wondering why it moves so busily

What If The Story Of The Transfiguration Actually Happened?

which is hard to believe, then that would change everything. Death would not be the end. Prayer would be the most powerful thing

8 Ways To live a More Fruitful Life

The apostle Peter has given us a guide to living a more fruitful life. To grow closer to God and His will.

Giving Way to Life Abundantly

What beauty can come out of our own surrender and trust? What if we, like the flower, fully realize the purpose of our life? That our beautiful colours and fragrance...

How to Always Look Lovely According to Roald Dahl

if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.

Was Jesus’ Tomb in a Beautiful Garden?

In my mind the place where Jesus was buried was always a sandy, empty place. I was surprised when I read this passage in John. Wondering if this would’ve been...

Thoughts on Hope at the Post Office – By John Berger

“The post office at Auxonne is small and the postmistress has blue eyes. I have been there only twice. The first time was to send you a parcel; as the...

My Favorite Peach Recipe – Peach Bread

If you're looking for a fun and delicious peach recipe - try this one :)

An Illustration on Life Before Earth

This illustration is based on the first verses of the gospel of John. I find it such a mysterious way of writing with so many words repeated over and over....

Hidden with Christ in God?

This scripture is so interesting and mysterious. Did you know that you died when You invited Jesus into your life? And that the moment you died your life was hidden...

Create Abundantly

When I hear on the news that they’ve discovered a new fish, I always think of God and smile. In the deep depths of the sea they still discover new...

“Let’s Be More Real With Each Other.” – Interview with Thirze

I would love it if we would communicate more of what we really think and feel.

A Conversation With Christ

One afternoon last week, feeling restless, leaning against my radiator, staring at the large blank sheet before me, my eyes somehow landed upon this El Greco reproduction and I thought:...

Treasure Hunt: Find Beauty Where You Don’t Expect It.

I believe that this world is full of hidden treasures. There are so many things we don’t notice or take for granted. This challenge will open our eyes to those...

Following The Voice of The Holy Spirit

Isn’t it amazing that God is there guiding us every tiny, little step on the way? We just need to follow the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Travels to Austria (Vienna)

Vienna. The city of music. It was so warm that summer. Wearing hats at all times. Wandering through the streets. Passing by people in old-fashioned costumes trying to look like...

Does It Have To Be So Hard?

Jesus wants us to stick with Him through the awkward learning parts so we can learn to ride like He does. He wants to take our mind off of falling so...

The Undiscovered – My Favorite Worship Song

This song is one of my favorite worship songs. The lyrics and the music together speak to my heart. I like this line a lot:

Chalk Art on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

This was maybe the first movie that really spoke to me visually. My best friend had taken me to the cinema to see it for my 23d birthday, and I...