Google+ peggy aplSEEDS: The City of Pines and WOYWW

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The City of Pines and WOYWW

 
For "What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday," I took a picture of only one little part of my desk where there is something creative going on.  The rest of my desk is a whole mess!  Here is an artist trading card I am working on.  I have a magazine clipping beside it.  I use the clipping for inspiration and I don't worry about whether it looks like the picture or not.

If you would like to see who else is joining What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, go visit Julia's blog.  And if you're interested, you can still join my follower giveaway in this post
 
I spent last weekend in Baguio City, the "Summer Capital of the Philippines."  
It took us four hours to drive up to the mountains of Baguio, where the temperature is much cooler than Metro Manila (Wikipedia says it is 8 degrees Celsius lower compared to the average temperature of the rest of the country).  The cool air, flowering plants in full bloom and pine trees were a wonderful change from the heat of Metro Manila.

Baguio City is also called the City of Pines, and looking at all the towering Pine trees reminded me of one of my favorite Easter stories, the story of...

The Three Trees

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: " I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. " I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world! The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world. 
 
 Years, passed. The rain came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day three wood cutters climbed the mountain. The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall make a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said.
The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It's perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. " I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!" 

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last wood cutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the wood cutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell. 

The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and awed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the wood cutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. " All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..." 
 
Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." Her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. " This manger is beautiful." She said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world. 

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She new she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth. 

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hand to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

Isn't this a wonderful story?  Whenever things don't seem to be going the way we want them to, we can think about these trees and how God's plan for them was far greater than their dreams for themselves.

29 blog hugs:

Jona Panesa said...

loved your photos of the the pine trees. I mailed last friday my cards for you. loved this ATC you are working on!

adonis cabaret shows said...

Thanks for sharing nice information with great images. I love it....
Hen Night Ideas

Sid said...

Great images you have there !

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

You are a fantastic artist. If only I could draw. I've heard that 3/4 view is the most difficult to draw.

Those photos in the mountains are breath taking. Thanks for sharing them. I feel like I was there!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful art - I am well impressed.
Mary Anne

Lara said...

Thank you for sharing this lesson of how God´s plan can be different from our plans. I do need to be reminded of that sometimes.

Michelle said...

Great looking ATC! and some gorgeous views! Hope you had a good time!
thanks for sharing, have a great day!
hugs
Michelle
xx

Lothian Crafts said...

What great pictures you have taken and your sketch is fab.
Elaine

donnalouiserodgers said...

stunning - can't stay long, want to try to see the other desks, will come back again to here though...

Sue said...

Great looking atc you are doing,awesome drawing, beautiful piccies, have good day, sue,x

Annie said...

You are a very talented artist.
A x

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

The drawing is wonderful. Love pics of the mountain area
Anne x

Julia Dunnit said...

Gosh you draw so well, how long does an ATC take you? Beautiful photos, what a grogeous country you live in.

Darcy Marshall said...

beautiful photos, what stunning countryside. I am in awe of your drawing skills.

Linby said...

Thanks for sharing the three trees, I have not seen that before. Your drawing is amazing you are very talented.
Linbyx

Diane said...

What a wonderful story--thank you for sharing it!!

KymKreates said...

You are very talented. I will be following your blog to watch your work!

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Love your pics and thank you for sharing. Your drawing is fantastic, wish I could draw. It is a wonderful ATC. Have a good day, Tracy Evans x

Andrea - Wales, UK said...

Love your pics and what a fab story. You are an amazing artist!

xx

A Hovel to Home said...

OMG, stunning, stunning, stunning. Really love your illustrations too.

Hugs
Kay

TinaB said...

what a view! Love the drawings xx

Chrissie said...

Wonderful story... thank you!
Chrissie

craftimamma said...

Loved visiting your blog and thankyou for the lovely tree story. The ATC is looking beautiful too.

Lesley Xx

Phree said...

Beautiful drawing for the ATC, and stunning photos. Thanks for sharing.

Spyder said...

fab pictures thank you for sharing!

The French Bear said...

Love your art, and what a really nice post.....I enjoyed the pictures and I felt like I was there. Great story....... it's a good reminder...
Hugs,
Margaret B

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Great story - I'd never heard it before. I really love the picture of the gorgeous flowering shrubs. Brilliant! And your sidebar art work is really, really lovely.

I've popped over here from the Where Bloggers Create II event.

Roban Studio said...

I LOVE the tree story!!! Your blog is so inspirational, not to mention your artwork. May God Bless you and your family!

Eccentricities said...

What glorious pictures! I can almost sense the cool, fresh air and smell the giant blooms from my office here in Kansas!

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