beautiful writing

I still remember the day when our precious daughter, Yana, joined our family. She was scared, and shy, yet also a little bit wild and crazy, all rolled into one package. The one thing that calmed our little girl's fears during this transition-time was drawing. We discovered quite quickly that she especially loved to draw pictures of Jesus. David and I were a part of an Orthodox community, and Yana, being Russian/Ukrainian was famliar with Orthodoxy, as well. Thus, began her journey writing icons. From the time that she was eight years old, she has had a special love for religious art and icons became a part of her drawing (or writing) repretoire. Throughout the years, she has created many beautiful images, including this one, which I believe was the first real icon that she "wrote" at 8 years old:

Yana's most recent icon was "commissioned" by a neighbor and friend. It is Pacomious, meeting an angel of the Lord. Yana spent many evenings, working on this painting. I think that it turned out beautifully and I can sense the love that Pacomious has for the instruction of our precious Lord, as he leans in to hear the angel's words.

As Yana grows, I pray that her love for this beautiful writing of God informs and penetrates her heart more and more. May these images lead her into a deeper relationship with our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May she sense His great love and kindness as she continues to learn to use this gift for His glory and honor.