Summer Syler Lawrence is learning that God speaks in unexpected ways.

When she agreed to paint a mural last year she could not have foreseen that one job changing the course of her next year and a half.

Lawrence, an Athens resident, had been a muralist for several years. After taking a break following the birth of a child, she decided to go back to work. However, she was looking for a more fulfilling way to use her talent.

"I told God I didn't want to do any more glorifying man. I told him if I had to continue to do that I would just quit," said Lawrence.

Her answer came unexpectedly. As often happens in an artist's world, one contact led to another. She agreed to paint some scripture on the wall of a home office in the McKinney area.

The job was for Arch Bonnema, a businessman in the Dallas area. Bonnema is the owner and president of Joshua Financial - an organi- zation that helps Christians get out of debt - and sits on a variety of Christian and secular boards.

Bonnema first gained national attention in 2004, when he spent more than $40,000 to reserve the entire Cinemark Tinseltown 20 Plano. He then gave away all the seats in the theater for showing of the movie "The Passion of the Christ."

Bonnema was also the head of a 2006 expedition which brought back petrified wood from a mountain formation in Iran. Members of the expedition say they believe the formation - found at 13,000 feet above sea level - may be the remains of Noah's Ark.

The expedition, conducted by the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration Institute, received international attention, including coverage in National Geographic.

The archaeological community is still at odds as to whether the evidence is truly from the famed boat.

Several months after the expedition, in February 2007, Bonnema and Lawrence met for the first time.

"I can't forget it because he started telling me about his ministries and other things. My knees started knocking and tears were coming out of my eyes. I knew this conversation was about to change my life," said Lawrence.

The two became friends. A few weeks into the scripture on the office walls project, Bonnema began talking to Lawrence about doing a series of paintings to put into the ceiling.

In honor of the 2006 expedition, one of those paintings was to be a depiction of Noah's ark.

Lawrence began work on the Noah's ark in July of last year. The end result of almost a year of her life ended up being 15 feet long by eight feet tall, twice as large as Lawrence and Bonnema originally thought the painting would be.

Lawrence said she knew from the first brushstroke this painting was going to be different from all her other works.

"This is the person who thought it was only going to take six weeks. There's no cheating on something like this when you know Jesus had something to do with its creation, " said Lawrence.

She put the last brushstroke on her work last week, and is anxiously awaiting the unveiling of the painting.

"It was at my request that it be unveiled here at home, and he agreed to come here for that. He was very excited about it being unveiled at a church," said Lawrence.

Lawrence's home is Dogwood Church in Athens. Next Sunday, May 18, during the 10:30 a.m. service, the painting will be unveiled.

The speaker of the day will be Bonnema, who will talk about his 2006 expedition and display artifacts brought back from the trip.

Dogwood Church is located on Farm-to-Market Road 2494 four miles west of Athens.

Lawrence says she has no idea where her life and her art will go next, but she knows she has poured her soul into her painting of the ark. And while that painting has shaped her last 18 months, she has a feeling it will shape her coming years as well.

The painting will soon be installed in Bonnema's ceiling. The ceiling tiles will act as a frame for the masterpiece.

Lawrence says she's still awed by the idea. Although details haven't been finalized, there are plans in the works to produce more versions of the painting in various sizes to be used in other ministries.

"It's an awesome opportunity to minister to people who change other people's lives. What a way to speak to people," said Lawrence.

"God has done things for me in days what I couldn't do for myself in 13 years. I can't do anything but trust Him. He gave me my dreams and my faith."