Shepherd's Child Sculpture

Shepherd's Child
& Joyful Lamb Sculpture

How quickly the year is going !

Joyful Lamb sculpture ~ cast into Bronze....exhibited at the Sculpture in the Sanctuary event at Normanton, Nottinghamshire.

"Our favourite sculpture"

A special touch...lots of admirers

Events EVENTS Events

You can see the Shepherd's Child Sculpture project at the Car boot sale in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire once every month....come along and see how the project sculptures are progressing...and ask your questions

How do you make a piece of sculpture ?
How do you become a Christian ??
How do you stay a Christian !
and other questions

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NEXT EVENT NEXT EVENT NEXT EVENT

Every third Sunday in the month

All morning 8.30 a.m. til 12 noon

at the Carboot Cattle Market Site

Melton Mowbray
Leicestershire

LE13 1JY

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NEWS>>>>Playful Lamb progressing well in clay - gets his woolly coat - on exhibition in 2009

a companion lamb for Joyful ...More news soon

visitors can see the Bronze of the Joyful Lamb at events and sometimes at the carboot - contact JOEL for details.

Joyful Lamb Sculpture gets a kiss

If you would like an edition number of one of the lambs, or of the Shepherd's Child, for a gift, or for a public place please contact JOEL at the Tenon Studio

Clay of Joyful lamb

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Sorry to any one who failed to meet the Sculptress at Shepherd's Child Project at the One World Festival....What a fantastic morning....We hope visitors enjoyed the event ...you are able to see some photos taken at the One World Festival site .

It was lovely to meet you on the December 08 Sunday ( and all the other months !)
We had an extra focus on the Stable....that is what we need our lives to be - Stable...and in the English language what do we often call where God decided to make His particular arrival as the baby Jesus...Stable...You will be able to look at the picture done for the occasion here ...it has a few surprises.....reminding us that this same Jesus was there when stars and Galaxies and atoms and DNA .....was made.

Lamb Sculpture

Joyful lamb Joyful Lamb Joy full

As part of the Shepherd's Child Project the Sculptress JOEL made a life sized sculpture of a joyful, leaping lamb.



If you look at the back leg
you can see the wire that supports the clay....








Joyful Lamb Joyful Lamb Joyful Joy


The sculpture has progressed on this side...




Children of all ages have helped
by adding their own
piece of clay!

Joyful lamb Sculpture Draws attention

You can see more sculptures by the Sculptress JOEL by visiting the animal sculpture website

After the August visit to the Carboot in Melton....we made progress, the lamb has all his legs and is starting to put weight on !

Over the next months we added his woolly coat.....

Thank you to all who helped,

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The sculpture took a lot of time, to add the detail...but it will all be worth the effort once the piece is cast !

Prayer Connections

Often there are times when we need support in prayer.

We are going to be developing an area of links and words and thoughts for you to follow.



When troubles come you can feel isolated and alone...but God is everywhere always.... just as during a sunny day or a cloudy night you cannot see the stars and yet they are there ~ so during difficult times you may feel that there is no God who cares

........But He is near and He does care and He came in the person of Jesus, and comes to people now by the Holy Spirit ~

~ ~ ~

That might sound a little tangled ......Jesus put it simply,

when asked how to pray He said.... " like this

" Our Father....


say what is on your heart, and He hears, with view to answering you, and being with you.








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Need someone to speak to ?


UCB has links to a special prayer line, where you can talk to someone who will pray for you... Their web site also has a helpful Word for Today


And you can listen to interesting and uplifting programmes.





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His Eye is on the Sparrow...and I know He watches over me....


Words of a lovely song


Jesus Himself talked to people about their value and He mentioned that God knows about every sparrow and has them all counted. He cares when one of them falls to the ground - so How much more does He care for you.


Elsewhere Jesus says that no one can snatch us from God the Father's hand... It is a great place to find rest and security, putting your life in the Hands of the creator of the universe.

Inspiration for the Sparrow picture here

Too often we can see what happens when we go our own way and are gods of our own lives.


When trouble comes Trust in the One who values the undervalued and loves the no-account.


Jesus will not let you down

Life Sized Sculpture Project

Shepherd's Child Life - Sized

We hope to be enabled to make the Shepherd's Child life sized .

As part of that project and a next step in that direction the lamb is being made life - sized
~ The Joyful Lamb will be available as a limited edition sculpture.

If you would like to be part of this project, please contact the Sculptress JOEL using the contact form.

Visit the site again and follow the progress of the project.

Shepherd's Child Sculpture

This 50cm high sculpture was made by JOEL , including at events in Leicestershire when people had opportunity to look at the work in progress and think about the Shepherd's Child themes.

Shepherds Child at Events

The Shepherd's Child at the Creation Festival 2006

The sculpture was cast into Bronze and exhibited for the first time at the Creation Festival in Melton Mowbray in 2006.

The Joyful Lamb was in its Clay state for the renamed One World Festival this year ....

One World Festival ~ Visit for the news on attractions and programme of that special day and follow the schedule for 2008.

Just a mention that the event is held in the Banqueting suite, at the Cattle Market, Melton Mowbray......a large heated under cover venue

News to keep you steady and Stable

Stable...

in the English language what do we often call where God decided to make His particular arrival as the baby Jesus...Stable...

In December at the Outreach a picture of the Stable was made for the occasion

...it has a few surprises.....reminding us that this same Jesus was there when stars and Galaxies and atoms and DNA ....were made.

He Who made it all, is well able

to keep the whole thing going and make it stable,

to make it right and fix the wrong...

even though He lets us choose

He helps us recognise True Good News.

So look again with a questioning heart

at the donkey and the dark and the stink of the earth

at the miracle child in the fodder bin

and ask yourself, with the state you are in

What now ?

Stable in or unstable ?

Ask Jesus into your heart and have a Life with Peace anew at its centre, as the Holy God of the Universe is in the centre of your heart.

The One who made it all, and Who has conquered death and Hell...that is the Stable One ~ can He do it ? Can He come where there is a bit of a mess and failure as well as a lot of success...look again at the Stable ~ He surely can.

And If you want to know the words written on the picture...here they are...followed by the words of a contemporary song.

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2

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Jesus….. made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!

( Philippians 2 verse 8)

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He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3


" Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

(Luke 2verses 1&12 )

I Will Offer Up My Life

I will offer up my life in spirit and truth

Pouring out the oil of love as my worship to You

In surrender I must give my every part

Lord receive the sacrifice of a broken heart

Chorus:Jesus, what can I give

What can I bring

To so faithful a friend

To so loving a king

Saviour, what can be said

What can be sung

As a praise of Your name

For the things You have done………….Oh my words could not tell

Not even in part

Of the debt of love that is owed

By this thankful heart

You deserve my every breath for You've paid the great cost

Giving up Your life to death, even death on a cross

You took all my shame away, there defeated my sin

Opened up the gates of Heaven, and have beckoned me in

What can I give, What can I bring, What can I sing as an offering, Lord

(What can I give What can I give to You, to You)

Sparrow inspiration

Sparrow

I was walking up the lane from the post box, when I saw what I thought was a bird in the road …..no it must be a lump of earth that looks like a bird – oh no it’s a sparrow….
I was walking on by, appalled at this little death having happened – then wondered – is it dead ? It certainly had that stillness and lay at a wrong angle.
My thought followed ‘ it must be badly injured and the best thing that can happen is that it is put out of its misery ( by someone else )’

I had turned away ……
……..But hesitated
Thinking of God who numbers all the sparrows
How much more He hates their death.
I hesitated, and then
turned back, bending down to pick up the small creature, it fit into my hand.
I hoped to give it warmth and comfort…Then I prayed for the little creature to have healing – I could feel deep breaths and a tiny occasional heart beat.

Next …. home and a scramble to find a small box make holes, find bedding (polystyrene ss ) all one-handed and carefully and quietly – then in with the little thing and close the box with tape and up into a quiet warm place.
For surely if the little sparrow had stayed injured and vulnerable in the cold and dark, then it would have left this world.

The next morning - there was a movement in the box, and as I carried it, there was a fluttering and a strong fluttering!
Quick, go outside, the box pointing out over my neighbours garden ( with its safe trees), cut the tape …..

And a sparrow shot out of the box and away over next door, up and over the field beyond…..with a whirr of wings.

Look at the lessons !

Warmth
Comfort
Quiet
Time
Healing
Life on Wings

You may be facing a terrible situation but even in your fear – hesitate – do not avoid what you have to do
If you have turned away, turn back – with help you can do what you need to do
Our Jesus is the source of Life and Healing and Hope – a prayer in faith is answered.
We all need the warmth of Love, Comfort, we need Quiet and with time Healing can come – will come from God.
He wants us to be lifted up by Him, lifted up as if we are flying upwards and onwards in Life on Whirring Wings.
Be encouraged He counts the sparrows as precious – how much more He is seeking to hold you safe this very moment.

There is a song which says “ His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me”
If I in all my weakness was able to pick up a sparrow and to see it saved – how much more can you find Jesus ready and able to Comfort you and to give you Life.

You may be facing someone else’s terrible situation or situations….
And the scale of them makes you want to leave it all alone – after all what can you do ?
And there is the question, don’t fear what you can’t do, hesitate, look again at the situation, what can you do ?
Your friend is in need – can you send a letter, enclose some money as a gift, write a card, make a meal, give a hug, sit in silence and cry with them?
The world is in need let us hesitate before we turn away and say – what can I do …..
Can you send a letter, enclose money, speak out, start the project, help, try again, pray ……
We know one who can do and is doing and has done much, and He has promised to answer the prayer of His Child – Life Healing is available.

The times we face seem so insurmountable and grim – and us powerless like an insignificant sparrow knocked down and left in the road…..but