*

Grace, Mercy and Living with an Starving Artist:
My Favorite Conference Speaker


Proverbs 18:22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the Lord.

One of the things I like most about some of the conferences I attend is that sometimes my wife gets to come along. It really makes the experience so much enjoyable and at the same time we get to spend some quite time away from home and our four teenage daughters :-)

This year we were able to travel to Atlanta Georgia to attend the Presence Transmillennial 2007 conference, "God’s Great and Precious Promises." The speakers were very inspirational and the fellowship among all the believer’s was tremendous. Max King who has authored several books including, "The Cross and Parousia of Christ"and "The Spirit of Prophecy" and he is also considered the father of modern day "Covenant Eschatology." Mr. King presented four lectures on the book of Roman’s. Specifically Romans Chapters 9-11. His son Doug spoke about the knowledge of good and evil and really opened up the eye’s of all of us who heard it to look at the love of God in a whole new light concerning the nature of good and evil.

One of the best highlight’s of the conference for me personally was when my wife Wanda decided to get behind the podium between sessions. As I took her picture I thought to myself, her life and testimony alone would make a great conference presentation. So I asked her to briefly speak about some of the things that were on her heart at that moment. Although, I really can’t write what she actually said....I can tell you I knew what she wanted to say and it involved much grace and mercy in dealing with her artist husband whom she has been more than patient with concerning personal sacrifice:-)

So, I titled her imaginary speech, "Grace, Mercy and Living with an Starving Artist."

Just like any married couple we have our differences and little nuances that most folks have relating to co-habitation, child issues and just plain life itself. I believe at times she can be to sensitive, persistent and a little annoying in turning up the thermostat for the constant chills most women seem to have by their very nature. Yet in the overall scheme of things, she’s been a tremendous woman who has shown herself to be faithful in the things of God.

Beautiful in all her ways and much more deserving of the grace and mercy I sometimes seem to give to her. Jewels come in many shapes and sizes and at times they turn out to be God’s most perfect gifts, our wives.


James Robert Kessler
Because of Him Art Ministry 2007