Akiane Kramarik painted a beautiful picture of Jesus called “Prince of Peace” when she was just 8 years old. This amazing artwork was forgotten for 16 years after it was stolen, sold by mistake, and kept away in darkness. Now, it has been brought back to the light for everyone to see.
Now 28 years old, Akiane Kramarik is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is known for her beautiful spiritual paintings, which feature her amazing brushstrokes. When she painted “Prince of Peace,” she felt a strong urge, inspired by a recurring vision, to create an image of Jesus as a “profound role model for humanity.”
At just nine years old, Akiane appeared on the Oprah Show and showcased her art, which was much bigger than her small frame. Among her paintings was the famous portrait of Jesus, “Prince of Peace,” created with her special techniques.
“You’re obviously gifted. Where does this come from?” Oprah asked her.
“It comes from God,” Akiane confidently answered.
In another interview, when Akiane was just 10, she was asked how she knew it was God speaking to her. She replied, “Because I can hear His voice. His voice is quiet and beautiful.”
Interestingly, Akiane’s family is not religious, and they never talked about God in their small-town Idaho home.
“It wasn’t just art that was happening. Along with the art, there was a spiritual awakening,” said Akiane’s mother, Forelli Kramarik, who grew up in an atheistic family in Lithuania. “It all began when Akiane started sharing her dreams and visions. My husband, who was a former Catholic, did not share the same beliefs. We didn’t pray together, didn’t talk about God, and never went to church. Then suddenly, Akiane started talking about God.”
Akiane was homeschooled and didn’t have babysitters or a television, so she wasn’t influenced by anyone outside the home, her mother explained. “We were always with the kids, so we knew these words from Akiane about God didn’t come from outside influences. But suddenly, there were deep conversations about God’s love and His place in our lives, and she described everything in great detail.”
Akiane said her portrait of Jesus was inspired by a vision she had since she was a preschooler. She explained that she would illustrate her visions through poetry and writing, but it became too “complex to describe through words, so I painted.”
She added, “I always think about Jesus and talk about Him. I was searching for a model of Jesus for a long time. When I couldn’t find anyone, I suggested to my family that we pray all day for God to send the right one.”
The family prayed, and then a very tall carpenter—like Jesus, who was also a carpenter—showed up at their door looking for work. Akiane remembered almost fainting when she saw him. “I told my mother that was him. I want him to be my model,” she said.
Inspired by the image in her dreams and using the carpenter as her model, Akiane painted “Prince of Peace,” a painting that is now priceless and recognized all over the world.
“Prince of Peace” showcased Akiane’s vivid and detailed techniques, which were impressive for such a young artist. The painting was sent to an exhibition but was stolen during the journey. A few years later, it was finally returned to Akiane, but when it came back, it was covered in sawdust, which she carefully cleaned off.
The family tried to share Akiane’s spiritually inspired portrait with the world again, but a clerical mistake put the painting up for sale instead of for exhibition. “Prince of Peace” was sold to a private collector, and after a long court battle to get it back, which ended with the painting stored under a dark stairwell, Akiane decided to focus on creating new masterpieces, which received praise worldwide.
Not willing to lose hope, Akiane, whose talents helped lift her family from poverty, believed she would see her “Prince of Peace” again. In the meantime, she traveled to over 30 countries, helping different groups of people with her art and sharing her message of peace and spirituality. She also kept the memory of “Prince of Peace” alive by selling more than 100,000 prints.
In 2019, something incredible happened.
The “Prince of Peace” painting was put up for sale and purchased for $850,000 by an anonymous family. It’s said this family is “one of the world’s most distinguished and esteemed families.”
The new owners see themselves as the protectors of the original painting. They believe it is their mission to safeguard it for future generations, allowing its story to inspire and touch millions of people.
After almost 20 years, Akiane unwrapped her precious “Prince of Peace.” With tears in her eyes, she dropped to her knees. In a recent CBS interview, she said, “It was amazing to me. To be able to see this in the light again, after so many years.”
She added, “It’s still surreal to me. I’m not gonna lie… Love is so powerful. It will always show up on time for people who need it most.”
“Akiane: The Early Years,” showcasing the famous “Prince of Peace” painting, is now on display at the Belóved Gallery in Marble Falls, TX.
My Husband Left Our Kids Home Alone & Left for Our Friends’ Wedding Without Me but He Didn’t Know a Small Detail
When Kate’s husband took her car and left their kids behind to sneak off to a wedding he’d refused to attend, she felt betrayed until she realized the truth about why he was there. But what he didn’t know? Kate had the power to stop him in his tracks — and she didn’t hesitate to use it.
What would you do if someone you trusted and built a life with betrayed you? Would you fight for them? Or would you walk away and never look back? I never thought I’d be asking myself these questions, but here I am. My name’s Kate. I’m 32, a mom of two, and last weekend, my husband shattered everything I thought I knew about him.
A distressed woman | Source: Midjourney
It all started with an invite to an old college friend’s wedding.
Emily wasn’t a close friend anymore, but Max and I had known her for years. She was the kind of person you couldn’t help but root for. She was kind, bubbly, and a little high-strung but always sweet.
When we got the invite, I was excited to go. But Max? Not so much.
A wedding invitation on a table | Source: Midjourney
“Look what came in the mail!” I called out excitedly, waving the elegant cream envelope. “Emily’s finally getting married!”
“I’m not going to that wedding,” he flatly said as we sat on the couch.
“What? Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to, Kate,” he snapped, rubbing his temples. “I have no interest in standing around making small talk with people I barely remember.”
A frustrated man | Source: Midjourney
A few days passed, and I assumed he would change his mind. But Max remained stubborn.
“You’ve been acting strange since the invitation arrived,” I said softly, moving closer to him. “What’s really going on?”
He shifted away, anxiety visible in every line of his body. “Nothing’s going on. I just don’t want to waste a perfectly good Saturday with people from our past.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Emily’s not just some random person, Max. She’s our —”
“She’s your friend,” he cut in. “Not mine.”
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
“Since when?” I demanded, hurt creeping into my voice. “You used to love hanging out with her and her group. Remember all those game nights in college?”
His face darkened. “That was a lifetime ago, Kate. People change. Relationships change.”
The tone was final. I didn’t push it, though I couldn’t help but feel hurt. Max wasn’t usually like this. Sure, he could be stubborn, but this was a different level of dismissive.
“Fine,” I said, forcing a smile. “You can stay home with the kids, then.”
He readily agreed, and that was the plan.
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
On the day of the wedding, I woke up early and headed to the salon. Max was supposed to take the kids to the amusement park while I got ready.
“Daddy, aren’t you going to the wedding?” Emma asked over breakfast, milk dribbling down her chin.
Max tensed, then forced a smile. “No, princess. Daddy’s going to have a special day with you and Liam instead.”
“But Mommy’s going,” Liam pouted. “Why can’t we all go?”
“Sometimes grown-ups make complicated decisions,” Max muttered, avoiding my eyes across the table.
A sad man lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney
“Don’t worry, babe,” he’d said that morning, squeezing my hand. “You go enjoy yourself. I’ve got the kids.”
“You promise everything will be okay?” I whispered, searching his face for any sign of what was bothering him.
“Promise,” he smiled, but something in his expression seemed off. “The kids and I will have a blast. Maybe we’ll even build that pillow fort Emma’s been begging for.”
For a moment, I felt relieved. Maybe I’d overreacted. Maybe he wasn’t being distant and tired. But I was WRONG.
A couple holding hands | Source: Unsplash
I came home a few hours later, hair styled and makeup done, feeling excited for the evening ahead. But when I walked into the house, my heart SANK.
The living room was a mess and littered with abandoned toys, snack wrappers, and the remnants of what looked like a very rushed lunch. The kids were sad and alone. But that wasn’t the only problem when I rushed out to check. The problem was that my car — our only car — was gone.
And so was Max.
Grayscale shot of a sad little boy and girl sitting together | Source: Pexels
“Emma?” I called, trying to stay calm.
My 7-year-old poked her head out from behind the couch. “Yeah?”
“Where’s Dad?”
She climbed up onto the couch, looking entirely unbothered. “He left.”
“Left? What do you mean ‘he left’?”
“He got a call,” she said, plopping down and grabbing the remote. “He said, ‘I’m coming, don’t worry… wedding,’ and then he dropped us off and drove away.”
“Sweetie,” I knelt beside her, trying to keep my voice steady, “did he say anything else? Anything at all?”
A sad little girl holding a stuffed bunny | Source: Midjourney
Emma twisted a strand of hair around her finger. “He was acting weird, Mommy.”
“Weird how, baby?”
“His hands were shaking when he got the call. And he kept saying ‘I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t’ while packing our lunch. Then he just… left.”
My stomach twisted. “He went to the wedding?”
Emma nodded, flipping through the channels. “I think so.”
I didn’t know whether to scream or cry. He’d taken MY CAR, ditched OUR KIDS, and gone to the wedding he’d REFUSED to attend. And he hadn’t even bothered to text me.
A wedding setup | Source: Pexels
I grabbed my phone and called him. But it landed straight in voicemail. I called again. Nothing.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath. My hands were shaking as I sat down on the edge of the couch. This wasn’t just selfish — it was a betrayal.
I knew I couldn’t leave Emma and her little brother, Liam, alone, so I called my mom.
“Hey, can you come over? I need to take care of something.”
“Kate, what’s going on? You sound upset.”
“I’ll explain later. Can you just get here as soon as possible?”
“Sweetheart, you’re scaring me,” my mom’s voice cracked with concern. “Did something happen with Max?”
A frustrated woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“Mom, please,” I choked back tears. “I just need you here. Now.”
She didn’t ask any more questions, and ten minutes later, she was at my door.
“Kate, what happened?” she asked as she stepped inside.
I shook my head, grabbing my purse. “I can’t… I don’t have time to explain right now. I’ll call you once I’m on the road.”
“Kate, wait,” she caught my arm. “Whatever’s going on, be careful. Think about the kids.”
“I am thinking about the kids,” I whispered fiercely. “That’s exactly why I have to go.”
Without waiting for her response, I grabbed her car keys and headed out.
A woman driving a car | Source: Unsplash
The drive to the venue felt surreal. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind. Why would Max do this? Why lie to me, leave the kids, and steal my car? What was so important about this wedding that he couldn’t stay away?
On the way, a thought hit me like a lightning bolt. The guest list. I’d helped Emily coordinate it weeks ago. I quickly dialed the venue manager.
“Hi, this is Kate. I need you to do me a favor. Quick question — has a man named Max arrived there yet?”
The manager hesitated for a moment. “Uh, no, I don’t think so. Not yet.”
“Good,” I said. “Listen carefully… under no circumstances should you let him in. He’s not invited, and it’s extremely important he doesn’t get past the doors.”
A woman sitting in the car and talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
There was a pause on the other end. “Uh… sure. Consider it handled.”
“Thank you,” I breathed. “And Sarah? If he asks who blocked him… make sure he knows it was ME.”
I hung up and pulled into the wedding venue parking lot about ten minutes later.
Max was standing outside the entrance, pacing like a madman. His phone was pressed to his ear, and he was yelling loud enough for me to hear through the car window.
I stayed in the car for a moment, watching. He looked frantic, and for once, I didn’t feel sorry for him.
An anxious man engaged on a phonecall | Source: Midjourney
My phone buzzed, and his name popped up on the screen.
“WAS THIS YOU?!” he shouted the second I answered. “DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “What’s wrong, Max? Something keeping you from sneaking into the wedding you didn’t want to go to?”
“Are you serious right now?” he barked. “Let me in, Kate!”
“Not a chance.”
“You’re being ridiculous, Kate!”
“No, Max. You stole my car, abandoned our kids, and lied to me. What’s ridiculous is you thinking I’d let you get away with it.”
An angry man yelling on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“Kate, please,” his voice cracked. “You don’t understand what’s at stake here!”
“What’s at stake? What’s at stake is our marriage, Max. Our family. And you just threw it all away for… what?”
Before he could respond, I hung up and stepped out of the car. As I made my way toward him, Emily appeared at the entrance, looking confused.
“Max?” she called, her voice unsure.
He turned to her, his entire demeanor shifting. “Emily! Finally. Look, I just —”
A shocked bride | Source: Midjourney
“What are you doing here?” she asked, cutting him off.
“You called me,” he said, softening his tone. “You said you were nervous, so I came.”
Emily blinked, stunned. “I… I called you this afternoon. Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t think you’d actually show up.”
“That makes two of us,” I said, stepping into view.
Emily’s eyes widened. “Kate… I didn’t —”
“What’s going on?” I asked, crossing my arms.
She looked between me and Max, clearly panicked. “I swear, I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Didn’t mean for WHAT to happen, Emily?”
A sad bride with her eyes downcast | Source: Midjourney
Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a shaky breath. “Max and I… we were involved. Years ago. Before you two were together.”
I felt like the ground had shifted beneath me.
“It’s not what you think,” Max said quickly.
“Oh, really?” I snapped. “So you didn’t just abandon your family to come running to your ex’s wedding?”
“Kate, it’s not like that!” he said, his voice desperate.
“Then what is it like, Max?” I demanded, tears burning in my eyes. “Because from where I’m standing, you chose HER over our children!”
A furious woman yelling at someone | Source: Midjourney
But Emily wasn’t done. “I don’t know why he’s here,” she admitted. “I called him this afternoon because I was nervous. I just wanted to apologize — for leaving him, for everything — before starting fresh with my new husband. But before I could finish talking, the call dropped or something. I couldn’t hear him anymore. I tried calling back, but my calls went straight to voicemail. I never asked him to come.”
I stared at her, then at Max, my chest tightening with every second. After a tense standoff, Emily retreated inside, leaving me alone with Max.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” I said, my voice shaking.
“Kate, I was just trying to help —”
“No,” I cut him off. “You weren’t trying to help. You were trying to… what? Relive your glory days? Prove to yourself you still mean something to her?”
A desperate man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.
“Our children, Max,” I whispered, tears falling freely now. “You left our children. Do you know what that means?”
“Kate, please,” he reached for me, but I stepped back. “You don’t understand what I was trying to prevent!”
I spun around, fury burning in my chest. “Prevent? You left our children alone! What could possibly be worth that?”
A furious woman pointing her finger | Source: Midjourney
“I thought…” he trailed off, running his hands through his hair. “I thought if I came here, I could stop her from making the same mistake I did.”
“What mistake?”
“Marrying the wrong person,” he whispered, and the words hit me like a physical blow.
I shook my head, my voice barely audible. “Then I guess we both made that mistake, didn’t we?”
I turned and walked away, not waiting for his response.
Grayscale shot of a woman walking away | Source: Pexels
That night, as I tucked Emma and Liam into bed, Emma wrapped her little arms around my neck.
“Mommy?” she whispered. “Are you and Daddy going to be okay?”
I held her tighter, my heart breaking. “I don’t know, baby. But I promise you and Liam will always be okay.”
“Pinky promise?”
“Pinky promise,” I said, linking our fingers together.
A little girl in bed | Source: Pexels
Later, alone in the kitchen, I stared at my wedding ring as my phone buzzed with another message from Max: “Please forgive me… I’m sorry. We need to talk.”
I typed back three words: “Not tonight, Max.” Then I turned off my phone and let the tears finally fall.
I don’t know what’s next for us. But I do know one thing — I’m done putting myself last. Because sometimes, the hardest part isn’t the betrayal itself. It’s accepting that the person you love isn’t the person you thought they were.
A sad woman standing near the window | Source: Midjourney
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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