Please have some mercy and grace on the video, this is my mom and I trying to produce a decent video of the progression from the 3 services. We are not professionals but believers listening to God when He calls us to share! Unfortunately for the last service the top of the canvas is not in view so I added the only pictures that were taken to help show the transformation. Thank you to my mother who is always here for me and helps with the technical things…we’ll get it worked out. Bless her heart she went to all 3 services I painted at and went to the 1pm service so we could watch a friend paint live for her first time. She’s awesome!!
Praying for a better way to record these live paintings🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Merry Christmas 2021
It was an amazing feeling to worship together in person for Christmas 2021. The incredibly powerful music and extremely talented singers, dancers, the real manger scene, the inspiring messages and the candlelight from everyone who was present filled that worship room with immense Joy and Hope! Hope for an eternal life with our creator in a similar setting except there’ll be no more pain or suffering.
The two songs that I overlaid on the time lapse video are from that night the 7 pm candlelight service the Lutheran Church of Hope’s worship band. And HOLY WOW🙌🏼 OMG PRAISE GOD!!!! Powerful music!!! Everyone did such an amazing job giving so much energy for all 11 services. That just inspires me to witness the commitment, dedication and fire everyone has for Jesus!! I feel truly blessed and honored to be apart of this church family. The amazing music and the words being preached moved through me as I co-created with God during such a holy worship experience! I was completely surrendered and in the flow!
This year God called me to paint a progressive work of art on one large 6’ x 3’ canvas during three consecutive services the 7pm, 9pm & 11pm. The message was focused around Luke 2:8-14.
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.””
Luke 2:8-10, 12-14 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.2.9-14.NIV
Round 1
The 7 pm service I started with the canvas standing up the long way. Prior to the services I created a door knob with a custom stencil I made and drywall spackle to represent the action of opening the door thats required by us. I painted it to look like the door is cracked open because if your seeing or reading this you’ve already started opening the door peeking in to see what God is doing. “Immanuel”, God is always with us inviting us in to know Him and be in a relationship with Him. God is knocking on the door of your heart. You are the only one who can open the door to your heart, mind and soul to let God in. There is only one door knob and it’s on the inside. Open the door…it’s time to Come and See!!
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
John 10:9 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.10.9.KJV
I wasn’t sure how I was going to actually start until a few hours before I was scheduled to paint. I originally was just going to paint the base color red with a big brush but after going to the 1 pm service God instructed me to paint the words in red from Luke 19:10. I had been praying about what my first few brush strokes were going to be. The last few live paintings I started with a cross where the light source was going to be. After getting to worship and experiencing the service God guided me to the right words to paint. Explaining what it means to come and see. Come and see what God has done. He did not come to condemn us but to save us.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””
Luke 19:10 NIV
https://luke.bible/luke-19-10
God completely moved me in that moment to paint the cross through the word Son and then dip my red paintbrush into the fresh water and press it against the top of the canvas. Water rushed through the red paint like it was bleeding which represents the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I repeated this process several times working the water through the paint until almost the entire canvas was washed in red creating the land where the story would unfold. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word Oudem means “red clay”. The color red was originally a word that related to mankind. Oudem is the root word for mankind. It sounds a lot like Adam, who happens to be the first human being created out of the dust of the earth.
“for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.”
Leviticus 17:11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/lev.17.11.NLT
Red symbolizes many things: The blood of Christ, Gods love, salvation, action, fire, Holy Spirit, spiritual awakening, sin, death, redemption, red is also a symbol that saves. (Joshua 2:18, Exodus 12:7)
I took my drill and loosened two screws on the back to release the canvas and set it up on my easel and proceeded to paint the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2:8-14. I started to form black mountains in the background to represent the absolute, constancy, eternity or the womb, black also represents death, fear and ignorance. Mountains are the ultimate symbol of stability. They also symbolize constancy, permanence, motionlessness, and the peaks signifies the state of absolute consciousness. Being fully present.
I ended the first candlelight service with the sheep and shepherds out in the field with the angel of the Lord and all the glory down amongst them. “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” is what the angel said. Great Joy for ALL people!!
Round 2
The 9 pm candlelight service I started out by forming baby Jesus in the manger out of the ground by painting a growing light behind Him. I intentionally created it to look like an outbuilding that is emerging out of the land in the shape of sideways heart sort of sunk into the ground so when I flipped the painting up at the end the heart would be in the correct spot for the end image. It had been 400 years since God had spoken to any of the prophets. Love has broken the silence! Let every every heart prepare him room! The manger scene is in Gods heart because coming down to us in human form and then to be brutally killed for the forgiveness of our sins so we can live and have eternal life with God was the ultimate expression of love. Let every heart prepare Him room! Read more on page 2 about how I’d been preparing my heart leading up to Christmas this year. Life is not perfect just because I follow Jesus in fact I feel the enemy attacking more intensely because I’m getting closer to GOD! Following Jesus doesn’t make life easier. It makes life worth living.
It amazes me how God works, when I overlaid the music onto the time lapse the speed of the music and the lyrics went beautifully with the unfolding art. In the beginning right as I’m painting the cross Alyssa is belting out Jesus, Jesus with great power and the band was jamming out intensely as I was drenching the canvas with water and red paint was gushing down the canvas. You are God with us, you are here with us, Immanuel, Immanuel. Then when I was painting the most intimate part of Jesus in the manger with Mary and Joseph sitting beside him the music slows way down. Children weep no more, love is on the horizon, weary world behold our promised Messiah, sinner wait no more love has broken the silence, come let us adore the Savior is with us. Beautiful lyrics!! Here comes heaven, Christ is born in Bethlehem!
I turned the sky into what starts off as the company of heavenly host that appear with the angel. Then created it to look like a huge white dove descending to represent the Holy Spirit. The night Jesus was born the trinity was complete. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Round 3
The 11 pm candlelight service I flipped the canvas back to the long way to paint the image of God reaching out His hand inviting us in. Into a life full of love, joy, hope and peace. I avoided this path following Jesus for many many years because I thought is would be lame or boring trying to live on the straight and narrow path. I just really didn’t understand so I hid in the shadows of the darkness for 20+ years where my alcoholism consumed me. I started having a spiritual awakening in rehab in 2017 and I started to find out this path is far greater than anything I could’ve ever imagined. I am free because of this special baby who is the real reason for the Christmas season. Wish I would’ve woke up sooner but I feel extremely blessed to be alive now so I can share my transformation story and become more of a faithful disciple and servant. I appreciate every chance I get to learn more, share how it’s changing my heart, serve and worship.
The feeling of gratitude is like a river rushing through me overflowing everywhere I go. God is blessing me so much that I can’t contain it all and I must share it! What it really comes down to is perspective. Your heart sets the tone for your mindset. It’s all how you look at things, people and situations. You can see everything as a gift from God or you can believe that you did it all and owe no one anything. But when I started learning about who Jesus is and how he made the ultimate sacrifice by being crucified on the cross just for us…it changed my heart. I learned all about forgiveness. I instantly wanted to live my life differently. I realized everything about the way I was living did not honor our Lord or myself. I started to understand my purpose and I constantly pray for God to help me have a deeper understanding and to use me. I started seeking. Everything I’ve learned so far is helping me with whatever I’m up against.
I started dripping white paint down through the scarlet red robe turning it white to represent the forgiveness of sins. Repent and turnaround to face God no matter what you’ve done or how messy your life is God loves you and wants to bless you.
““Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 1:18-20 NIV
https://isaiah.bible/isaiah-1-20
When I was first planning this artwork I was not going to put a face on the figure that represents God who is such an incomprehensible image to depict but maybe keep it like a light illuminating from that area but after many sketches I was moved to create a stencil of a face to represent our Father. God created us in His image. I used many earth tones where I used the stencil of the face to represent all nations and all colors of skin. The end image also represents the second coming. That’s why it’s so important to prepare room in our hearts everyday not just around Christmas. No one knows the time or day that Christ will return. God is inviting you into a relationship with Him. Get your mind and heart right by flooding it with Gods word and then take action by sharing how the path is changing your life and find ways to serve in your community.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.””
Genesis 1:27-28 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.1.27-28.NIV
I created a waterfall flowing from the source in the teal color, the prophets describe God as “the spring of living water”. This absolutely describes how I feel when I spend time soaking in Gods word or worshipping. Rivers of living water are flowing from within me. Thank you Jesus!
“Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.””
John 4:10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.4.10.NLT
“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.””
John 7:37-38 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.7.37-38.NIV
Surrender…
The golden triangle represents the Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are three sides to Christianity faith, love and hope. Love being the greatest of all. These three things are how we work with Christ and through Christ. A work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ. It also represents Spirit, Mind, Body and Past, Present, Future. A triangle represents manifestation, enlightenment, revelation, and a higher perspective. It’s often used to mark the cycles of growth that lead to a higher state of being. Spiritually, it represents a path towards enlightenment or connection to the omnipresent being, God.
“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.”
Philippians 2:12-13, 15-16 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/php.2.12-16.NLT
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV
https://1corinthians.bible/1-corinthians-13-13
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV
https://1thessalonians.bible/1-thessalonians-1-3
Christians use the knot which is created by 3 circles of the same size that are connected to symbolize the Holy Trinity and a circle to represent eternal life. It does not explain God, it just describes what we know about God.
The Latin word, triquetra means “triangle” or “three-cornered”, uses the shape of the fish, one of the oldest Christ symbols. It was found in Pompeii which was destroyed in AD 79. The shape in the triquetra, the three equal arches of the circle expressed the equality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The union of the arches represented the unity of the Godhead. Their continuous form symbolized eternity. The fact that they were interwoven denoted the indivisibility of the Trinity. In the center of the triquetra was an equilateral triangle, the most ancient of the Trinity symbols, and each pair of arches formed an ellipse, the symbol of God’s glory. To read more about the symbols touch the link to the website where I found these facts This is church
The symbol is often used to represent the 3 fundamental elements – air, water, and earth or the infinite cycle of life. Land, sea and sky.
This is the seed of life an ancient geometric figure. It is 7 overlapping circles with the same diameter. It’s said that it stands for the 7 days of creation. The seed of life, in its sacred context, represents the consciousness of God, the creator. This sacred geometry can be found throughout many cultures and everywhere in nature. God used a consistent kind of geometry or repeating regular shapes as the building blocks for existence. Touch the link to read more about sacred geometry Seed of life
I first stumbled upon the Vesica piscis when creating “With” for the Woman’s Christmas brunch 2019. I was inspired to find out more when I saw a show about the mystery of birth and I saw the geometric symbol. The almond shape that two circles create is called a mandorla in Italian. Many early artists used a mandorla around Christ to represent the divine coming through to this world.
The second time I stumbled across more geometry was when I was preparing for Hope + Elim’s 1 yr anniversary weekend. The theme was beloved community and God put a vision of fish swimming in a school. Some heading towards a boat with a cross and some swimming away from the boat. I dug down deeper and found out that the fish is one of the earliest symbols for Christians. The two circles overlapping create the fish symbol which was code back when being faced with persecution from Rome’s empire. People would draw half the fish in the sand and if the other person finished the other half of the fish they knew they were believers and in good company. The geometry lead me to a mathematical equation that equals the number 153 which I find in the Bible the 3rd time Jesus appeared after his resurrection to Simon Peter. Jesus tells him to throw his nets in and they catch 153 fish. John 21:1-14. “153” touch the link to find out more.
Touch the link Sacred geometry to find out the depths of this sacred geometry and the connections it has to our creator and all of creation.
All of these gems and bits of information that I find on these treasure hunts strengthen my faith. It’s obvious there is a divine creator repeating patterns and designs in plain site for us to see. I just find this whole journey with Jesus very fascinating. The Bible is full of wisdom and knowledge to help us understand and navigate through this life. I pray that you open your heart, mind and soul to seek God above all else.
God gave me a vision to unfold the story of Jesus’ birth on the canvas and then by painting God through all of it at the end symbolizes that God is in and of everything in this world. He is the land, sea and skies and He is you, me and everyone. God is Love, so everything you see is love. When you start to see everything and everyone as gifts of love that’s when you see a shift take place in yourself. By finding the love that is inside of us and then wearing that as our daily attire we will find ourselves rising above whatever it is we face. Nothing can separate us from the love of GOD! Romans 8
Thank you for taking time to see what God is doing! Keeping everyone in my prayers🙏🏼peace.
The Treasure Hunt
As soon as I’m invited to paint live my imagination runs wild all over the place especially if I know the overall theme like Christmas. The process is similar each time but very different in the details. When I receive the Bible verse or the actual theme of the worship event sometimes it’s one word, that’s when God really starts flooding me with visuals. The treasure hunt begins by reading the scripture many times meditating on the words and praying about the image and message God wants to deliver. I read many different versions of the verse in the Bible app from the message to the NLT to the KJV. I read before and after the highlighted verse trying to gain a larger picture of what lead up to this and what happens after. I google the Bible verse and I read many interpretations and insights from pastors and other people trying to understand the message that’s within the black and white sometimes red words. I also google the verse with the word “artwork” after it so I can see what other artists from the past have created. I love to dive in as deep as possible and look at abstract art to realism and everything in between. It absolutely amazes me how much art has been created around the Bible. When I’m lying in bed trying to fall asleep and just as I’m waking up my mind is working through all of this information which starts to really form an image and a plan. I never used to get up early but these last few years the passion in my heart has grown so intense that I get so excited to find out more and get prepared. The connections I’m starting to see are blowing my mind! There are no accidents, I believe there is a divine creator and Christ will be coming back again in some way, shape or form. Prepare room in your hearts for Jesus!
Prepare Room In Our Hearts
I prayed and mediated on the scripture in the weeks leading up to painting live. It never dawned on me before this Christmas the magnitude of Jesus being born in a feeding trough. The trough he was placed in was used for perfect sacrificial lambs back then. They would need the lamb with no flaws to sacrifice for their sins. Back then the had no access to God or the Holy Spirit except in the Old Testament the tabernacle was designed to teach Israel how to enter into the presence of the Holy One. In the Bible there are 2 chapters about how God created the universe and 50 chapters about the tabernacle. God shows great importance about being in His presence. Jesus is the bread of life, the living water, the way, the truth and the life! It’s taken a few years for it to sink in, the significance of Jesus being born in such poor humble conditions. He came for the broken, sick and lost!
This year I realize Jesus’ birth completes the Trinity. I never made that connection before but realizing this stirs a bunch of questions, excitement and I’m in awe of this design and in Gods plan to come to Earth in human form to save us all! It absolutely blows my mind! The deeper I dig into the Christmas story and being able to watch The Chosen tv series and The Chosen Christmas special I have gained a deeper understanding and it has made this story even more personal. That He came for me. And for you. It’s pretty freaking incredible!!
I thank God everyday that I’m alive to share what He has done. He sent Joy into the world for EVERYONE not just a select few but EVERYONE!!!Humans have been so distracted and mesmerized by the shinny metals, rocks and all the other valuable materials of this earth it has literally consumed them. They have used and abused people and this planet since the beginning of time trying to harvest the goods to trade and sell so they can make their lives more comfortable with material things. Humans are even sold and traded for their riches and perverted pleasures. Greed and entitlement is killing the soul of this planet and the psychological soul of everything that is alive in it. My concern for humankind, the animal kingdom and nature weighs heavy on my heart so I pray for God to use me however He sees fit to help bring more peace, love and awareness to whoever is awake and listening.
I have been on a path following Jesus since rehab 2017 and every year the mystery, the wonder and the miracles are becoming more and more intriguing and they present themselves daily. I feel that I’m starting to really understand what this life is all about. What we are all here for. It seems like a very simple concept but it’s the hardest thing to try to do in this broken world. To love and honor God in everything we think, say and do. And to love your neighbor as yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to love ourselves. I know I have days where I fall real short, I lose my temper or say hurtful things to the ones I love or I’m in a state of anxiousness because I want things to go my way.
Surrender it all. Pick up your crosses daily and follow me is what Jesus says. Everyday is a new day to try again. And when we find peace and joy we are called to share it even if that is as simple as holding a door open for someone or smile at a stranger. We are the messengers! We are called to follow Jesus and learn who He really was when He was here walking this earth. And by learning who He was, how he interacted with everyone and how loving, patient and kind he was has done something inside me where I feel called to be like Him. I want to be that cool calm and collected even I’m the face of adversity or evil. The transformation just starts to happen like a seed sporting and growing into a mighty oak tree. We are called to live our lives sharing the way, the truth and the life! To break it down even more it boils down to this, just BE KIND TO ALL living beings and nature.
I struggle with ptsd from a ton trauma in my past which has caused deep rooted trust issues. Finding out that the first thing I have to do is trust God with all of my heart and mind and soul felt like the impossible. I haven’t trusted many and that’s my prison walls. By reading Gods word I’m learning how to take these walls down. I’ve realized I’ve lived most of my life in fear. Fear that someone will hurt me. But the Bible says “ fear not” 365 times in the Bible. “Do not be afraid”, that’s what the angel said to the shepherds the night Christ was born. It’s also what the angel said to Mary when she found out she was pregnant as a virgin. Perspective is key. So I’ve been leaning into God through my troubles and stresses. I’ve been trying to accept people and situations for exactly what they are. And be thankful every waking second I get to be alive on this journey.
Acceptance and my reaction to what’s around me is what I’m working on. Christmas is a time meant to reflect on our hearts. Let every heart prepare Him room. Prepare room for Jesus! By letting Jesus into our heart, He softens it which is a good thing. For a bazillion years people have acted like you have to be so tough and hardcore. Act like nothing is wrong. Hide all your problems and issues. And you can see the effects from keeping it all in all over our nation and world with all the people dealing with depression, anxiety, anger issues, hostility, rage and no compassion for anyone. People must know the love that is here for them and the peace they can experience when they let go of trying to control everything or everyone. Freedom is found when you fully surrender and accept that God is in control.
Everyone has a huge black hole they are trying to fill to make them feel satisfied. What if instead of asking God for things to satisfy us, ask what would satisfy God? I want what God wants. I have lived a selfish life for way too long and it’s time to start asking questions that actually make a difference. What is it that I should be putting my energy into that’s going to help the world not just myself? I pray the world starts to help people in their own community being fed and sheltered. Christmas should not be a time where we go overboard to give so many things to people who already have so many things. We should be pouring our time and money into places that are already helping our very own communities. I pray that we including myself see how satisfying it is to help others. That’s where the true joy and unshakable peace comes from selflessness. Being one body of Christ! We need to come together to help others.
The only way to help this world is to decide that you will take action. Everyone has a gift or talent to offer this broken world. I pray that people can see their part in this shift that God is carefully starting. He’s been planting seeds and watering for an epic REVIVAL and SPIRITUAL AWAKENING! People must seek the gospel and try to live by Gods word. If you’ve ever asked yourself, which I did for most of my life “what is my purpose in this life?”…here’s the answer…to find your gifts and talents and then give them away. By doing this you are serving God who created you who wants to give you everything you need in abundance by putting Him first before everything. Picture that person you always think of before you make any decisions, you ask yourself if they would be proud or disappointed if you made this choice. God really just wants a relationship like that with you where you lean into him for your every need or trouble and praise him and be thankful for everything you have and go through. There’s so much to learn from being low in the valleys and way up high on the mountain tops. The views are amazing but they won’t last neither will the darkness in the valleys, everything is temporary. Don’t miss what God is doing through it all. God is trying to teach you something if your listening.
To really honor God I have found that I need to start in my heart and in my mind about how I really feel about people and the situation. I can’t change people and when I constantly want to have control and change things so that I’m more comfortable it blows up in my face. But when I just let go and realize that I am not in control God is in control and just try to go with the flow I find peace every time. Acceptance but that is the toughest challenge because there are distractions and there is evil in this world. The devil is trying so hard to steal everyone’s joy and the devil is very very sneaky. Almost every time I have prepared to get ready to paint live for a church service the devil tries to comes through in frustration, confusion, stress, doubt, and lack of communication between me and my husband. The devil always tries to stop me! I can tell you right now that that force has only gotten stronger the closer I’ve become to God!! Those negative thoughts only last a second because I start praying and hunker down under Gods shield. They don’t have time to take root in my heart and mind. I try my best not to entertain the devils ideas or distractions. That is our daily battle! But with God I find patience and with practice it gets easier to rise above whatever we are faced with.
I used drywall spackle and stencils to make the words and texture on the canvas.
Like being faced with extreme weather that literally puts obstacles in our way. I had planned on building the frame and stretching the canvas the weekend before but we were running out of time. Then this freak storm hit Iowa December 16th with high winds like the derecho in 2020. I believe we had around 70 mph winds. We had no power and several trees come down. We actually took cover in our basement because of the recent tornadoes that tragically took many lives, injured several people, leveled so many homes and businesses in Kentucky. Praying for all the people effected by the storms that they find strength in Jesus Christ to get through these trying times. Thankfully we only had minor damage to some outbuildings but several trees down with lots of clean up. We also had plenty of work on our plate leading up to this week as well. Which is a blessing because we are self employed. But our work is very labor intensive so physically I was weary and wearing down.
A week before Christmas, trying to get ready to paint live and things were literally falling apart all around us. My husband is also trying to quit drinking alcohol and that alone has caused a lot of stress for years. But with all of the things that I have no control over that is all around me the one thing I can try to control is my response. I was extremely thankful we had minor damage from the high winds.
Christmas Eve morning is when the devil really tried to stop me. My husband and I had a misunderstanding about what time to get up to leave which started our day off in a frenzy. We also had one of our neighbors cows get into our field which was another distraction. We ended up having a huge argument cause we were rushing to get ready to leave and head into Des Moines which is a 50 min drive. We both exploded which lead to my husband’s choice not to come in for any of the Christmas Eve services. We also had plans after I painted til midnight to stay at my parents house and be there Christmas morning so I woke up Christmas morning without my husband and he didn’t get to experience the Christmas Eve services in person. He’s never missed one of my live paintings so sadly the devil successfully separated us this year on Christmas. He did end up watching all three services live seeing if he could catch a glimpse of me painting.
But I had a very quick thought of saying forget it all and just stay home to cry. Sometimes the devil creeps into my thoughts, I start to think negatively that it’s just a painting who cares, what’s the point, blah blah blah, the devils best weapons are distractions and doubt. But I did not let all of this stop me from doing what God called me to do. I told satan to “GET BEHIND ME” and I got everything loaded into the truck with tears rolling down my cheeks. My life is not perfect and smooth all of the time. I realize that my problems are minor compared to what some people are up against. But I have deep patterns in my brain from reacting to things that happen in my life the same irrational way for so long. It’s tough not to respond and change those patterns. I lose my temper sometimes. But the more time I spend with God the better I am at walking away and focus on trying to keep my side of the street clean. That’s why spending time reading Gods word helps shape our responses to what’s happening in our lives. This is why I follow Jesus through the rings of fire that we all will go through. This is a broken world and we will experience suffering even during times of great celebration. These last 4 almost 5 years learning about Jesus has transformed my heart, mind and soul. That’s why I spend most of my free time creating art that reflects what God is putting on my heart and connecting scripture to each piece. I am a visual and experiential learner so this entire process has been an amazing journey of discovery. Thanks be to God!
Thank you to each and everyone of you for taking time to read all of my thoughts and reflections. God keeps moving me to journal all of these experiences so I’m trying to be obedient. I greatly appreciate all the love and support I have received it’s pretty cool to witness God working through it all! Much love and peace be with you all!
