Sweet Jesus,

my hands are empty, I bear no gift. Though perhaps an eager heart will make you smile.... one that believes you, that yearns to know you well, love you most and will serve you all the days of my life. You are my King. The light to my path. In you I trust, O Lord.

Thank you for coming. Thank you for loving, teaching, forgiving and equipping us with the Holy Spirit of God, that we might live an abundant life, now and forevermore.

O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Christmas Lights!

As a child I loved Christmas lights! I still do.



There is something a bit magical about light. It's so bright and eye catching!




Especially in the dark of night.




Light in the midst of dark. It's a beautiful thing! Draws us near and warms our heart...




Stirs our soul.

Which reminds me of something Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12




How good of God, to provide us with His light at all times. That we too can shine... "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16



The past few days my head has been spinning with to do lists, gift ideas, decorations and recipes. All of which I enjoy. However, this year my heart is pulling me in a different direction. It's taking me somewhere new. It's a quiet place, far from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas I know and love. I wonder if you feel it too? In the quiet of the night, can you hear Him?
He's whispering His love.


I simply must respond.

........O come let us adore Him!


Will you join me,
in the stable of
our hearts, for
a quiet time
of adoration...
to marvel at
the King, whose
birth changed
everything!







I can't help but wonder. How is His love changing you?

Open House

Thankful!

I love this time of the year. I simply feel, thankful.




I woke up early on Thanksgiving morning, turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and put the turkey in the oven. It was a quite morning spent alone in the kitchen, while Coach practiced with the team. Beth and Co. drove through the hill country to West Texas to spend a few days.

Though I enjoy cooking, this meal is always a challenge. Getting everything ready at the same time is difficult for me but I was determined to enjoy the day. So I kept the menu simple and took my time.

This year we tried a pasture raised turkey from Slowpoke Farms (an organic farm in Rising Star....I'm not making this up). It was delish!

I also made Cornbread Dressing from a 100 year old recipe. Giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, Greenbean Bundles, Sister Schubert yeast rolls, jello fruit salad and (my grandmother's) Fudgey Chocolate Pie.

Everything came together nicely and just about the time dinner was ready, Coach came in from practice and Beth's Family arrived. Perfect timing.

note: Beth and Carter made the paper drumsticks...so cute!

And though we missed Kim, Clint and Jenny this year, our hearts were full of gratitude and our list of blessings, long.

Lord, we are thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wild Blue Yonder

Wow! Have things been exciting around here! Coach and his Cooper Cougars are District Champs and head into week 1 of the Playoffs this Friday. We are so excited! It's six short weeks of championship football to be State Champs. I hope you'll be rootin' for us!

Some exciting things have been happening in my studio as well. I've sold seventeen paintings in the past few weeks. I've also been able to paint a lot and I'm encouraged by the improvement. Today, I painted this oil. It's 4 x 3 ft. It' s one of my favorites to date. This iPhone photo doesn't do it justice but it will have to do for now. I can hardly wait to get back down to the studio and see it. Really good.

I love the big skies of West Texas! Everything is so wide open, the sky just goes on and on. Here's is the entire painting.

Wild Blue Yonder...4 x 3.....oil..... contact roxannespradlin@yahoo.com

Thanks for stopping by.

....stand up and holler!!!

Just have to say, Wow! I love be married to a Texas High School Football Coach!!!


What a season! My Coach, Mike Spradlin, left the University of Houston in January of 2006, to rebuild the Abilene Cooper Cougars. A good school with history and a once winning tradition, had fallen on hard times. However, with a dedicated, like minded staff of coaches, they began to rebuild a buried treasure. It was tough, a controversial boundary change had severely effected the Cooper community. Coach Spradlin, with an unlimited supply of optimism and a proven philosophy, went to work. Immediately, the players bought in and soon success followed. Season 3, found the Cougars, three rounds deep in the playoffs. Season 4, the same plus a district championship. It's been an exciting adventure! Effecting more than a football team. It has fanned the flickering flame of a community.
Which brings us up to date and season 5! Solid and prepared in every way this group, this invested group of men beat #4 state ranked, Austin Westlake, in their first preseason game. Now, 9 games later the Cougars are still undefeated, 9-0. This past Friday night, in front of a 'sold out' stadium of 15,000 plus, Cooper beat the defending 5AAAAA State Champions, Abilene Eagles, in it's 50Th Crosstown Rivalry! The final score was 48-25. I am certain it came as a big surprise for a lot of people, but they weren't on our football team! It was a great game. The Cooper offense played flawlessly. The defense, was a powerful force! Together, they did what no team had done since 2002.




It was a sweet victory....one I'll never forget. Our grown children, came home to witness the occasion. They blessed us with their presence! A gift that one never out grows.


Next week, we head out west to play Midland High. A victory there will make us District Champions and 10-0! Needless to say, my Coach has been hard a work all weekend, figuring out how to beat the bulldogs this Friday night, November 5Th, 2010! It will be a battle, just like every district game, that's why they call it the 'Little Southwest Conference'! We'll be counting the days. Go Cooper Cougars! ....yours is a story worth telling!

Undefeated!
Roxanne Spradlin

October Road

Roxanne Spradlin...12 x12....acrylic...$225

October! There's a chill in the air and leaves on the ground. It's a wonderful time of the year. Grab a jacket and a friend, and go for a walk. You'll be energized by the changing season and inspired by the beauty around you.

I painted this little piece a few days ago. The colors are warm and rich.....makes me want to skip right down the path!

Autumn blessings to each of you.

Thistle Collection

I was so excited about the 12, 12 x 12 paintings that I did recently, called Lemon Lily, that I decided to paint another. Here is the first four in the series. I look forward to watching it grow!

Thistle Birds

Thistle Birds by Roxanne Spradlin.....12 x 12....acrylic........$150

Wow! This week has flown by but I was able to spend several hours in the studio today. Thistle Birds, is a result. What? You haven't heard of Thistle Birds? There's a simple explanation. When I was a girl, one of my favorite colors in a box of Crayola Crayons, was called Thistle. So there you have it, folks, the mystery is solved. Titles can be so complicated but not today.

More tomorrow......

Open Door

Open Door........16 x 24..........Acrylic/Charcoal.................$ 200

This bird cage hangs out on the porch. It's big, old and bent but the minute I saw it I had to have it! The nest is a figment of my imagination. Wishful thinking. However, I leave the door...just in case.

Lemon Lily Collection

The new art series that I started last Friday is now complete. I had so much fun putting this together. The random subject matter and cohesive color scheme came together easily. Causing me to realize that this sort of project comes naturally for me. I'm already thinking about another one. Thanks again to all of you who left encouraging comments. They helped me move forward in a new direction. I think the thing I learned most in the past few days concerning painting, is to let your heart be your guide. If it brings you joy, dive in! Throw caution to the wind and 'play the sunset'!

Lemon Lily...

Today I spent the afternoon working on the Lemon Lily project. Encouraged by heartfelt joy and your understanding comments I was ready to paint again. I had a hard time getting started, distracted by several things but finally got things going and finished up the, Floating Leaves, Bear, Bird and Lemon.

I'm really enjoying this! I wonder how the final four will look. Check back tomorrow.