Foundations

Jacob & Randi Leister with their children Caedman & Addison




Jacob & his daughter Addi!




Our second son, Jacob, whom we are very proud of ( along with all our other children) is now 30 years old, wow!

The day he was born began my redefining process! We had a hard time of it, that day! I had just turn 23.

After caring him an extended time of over 10 months we had a very quick delivery! We then spent a few hrs in a iron lung of sorts! Our Dr. recommended, I not do this again.

When asked how many children I wanted, my reply had always been” oh, 20 or so“! In truth, I thought for sure I would give birth to at least a dozen!

The news that Jacob would be my last pregnancy was just the beginning of the redefining that I mentioned earlier.

I grew up with a loving father who drank heavily! Things were never easy! We were poor for the most part and my mother was sick a lot of the time. I married a good man who also drank and alcohol had left it’s mark on me and my family! No matter what we tried to build for our lives, it seemed like sand, sooner or later it washed away!

The day Jacob was born, I knew for sure, I was mortal and my life would end.
I found myself wishing something different for my children. I did not want them left with the same mark! I wanted their lives and mine to have a stability, I had never known!

At the foot of my hospital bed was a bag, full of “take home” gifts, in it was a card with these words on it! “ Would you like your newborn to have a Bible with his/her own name on it?” and a place to fill in my name & his.
I was to leave it with the nurse!

Two weeks after being released from the hospital, our home got a visitor, with such a Bible!

The Baptist minister who carried it, promptly introduced me to Jesus Christ! I received His gift of new life that day! This new life, redefined my life and so my family’s into eternity!
How would you define your life and so the lives of your family?

When creating anything we have to start somewhere, on something! What we start on will define what we have at the end and how long it will last!

My reference always goes back to painting because I see God with a brush in His hand!

When picking a canvas to start painting on, it has to have certain qualities! If we pick anything less we will be very disappointed with the end product! We will miss our mark of Masterpiece!

1Corinthian’s 3:11 “ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Mothers what foundation are we working on? Let’s be sure it can hold the test of time! Phyllis Leister

Where do we begin?

Phyllis Leister, Kenya 2010


At the beginning I guess! When I was a small girl I always wanted to be an artist! My Aunt Loretta painted! I believed her to be the most profound person I knew! She was blessed or cursed ( I still have not decided ) with a multitude of freckles, as was I.

Of course, she had what I defined as beautiful red hair that framed her freckles and I had nothing but plain brown but she always made me feel that we were soul mates and I could accomplish anything she did!

I loved the colors and the slapping of the oily paints on the canvas, my Aunt would share with me! It just never quite looked like hers though, go figure!

As I grew she continued to paint and I continued to try! What drove me to try was my fascination with the evolution of the canvas!

It began so white and empty and then as I applied the paint, there would be a swath of Bright blue sky,a puff of a fluffy green tree,some round yellow flowers and I would be transported to a place all bright and new, that had not existed just minuets before!

No matter how immature it was, at first glance, I was so pleased with what I had created! Later I would admit it took quite a bit of imagination to extract what I myself saw but no matter,I loved it, it was mine! I use to hang them everywhere and give them away as if they were gold!

The 1st time I read the Bible, beginning with Genesis, I understood God's contentment and feelings of goodwill towards all that He had created! I know that this is over simplifying what God did in creation but I was 9years old, at the time and a bit idealistic!

To get to the point ( you who read this will soon find out, it can take me awhile) In Genesis 1:31 God looks out onto what He has created and with what I believe is His mothers heart, declares the good of it all!

As we read on (and do if you never have )man & his helpmate were also created out of what I believe to be the mother heart of our Father God! If you look up the definition of Mother & Motherhood, you will find the Heart of God!

This is where we will end today and start the next time! I encourage you, as mothers, keep painting! We are working on God's Masterpieces! Phyllis Leister