I’m super excited to share with you the 2023 Live Art Christmas Campus Tour!!
I was originally only going to paint at one service this Christmas. My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer the week before Easter of 2023. She went through chemo treatments all year and was really weak by November. I told her that I don’t even have to paint live so that I could sit and worship with her during the service but she insisted that I paint live.
My mom only missed a couple out of the 30 live paintings since I started back in 2018. She was literally my #1 fan, my biggest cheerleader, my go to for everything and my spiritual mentor all throughout my life even when I was putting my parents through hell when I was deep in my addictions and alcoholism.
My sweet and faithful mother entered into heaven two days before thanksgiving on November 21, 2023. She is now healed and walking with Jesus in paradise. So I was inspired to say “Yes” to painting live at a few of the Hope locations.
I painted Live for 4 different services at 3-Hope locations 🎄 Christmas Eve 2023.
The theme this year is “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” and the sermon will be based on Luke 2:8-14:
”That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”“
Luke 2:8-15 NLT
Instead of creating 4 paintings of the same Bible verse I was inspired to break the verse into 4 parts and have the 4 paintings come together as one large painting at the end. Each one also represents an element. Wind. Fire. Water. Earth.
1
Hope Wdm
Dec 23rd 3pm at @hopewdm
925 Jordan Creek Parkway
West Des Moines, IA 50266
2
Hope-Local Panora
Dec 24th 9am at @hopelocal_panora
5405 Chimra Rd.
Panora, IA 50216
3
Hope+Elim
Dec 24th 3pm at @hope.elim
2500 University Ave
Des Moines, IA 50311
4
Hope Wdm
Dec 24th 9pm at @hopewdm
925 Jordan Creek Parkway
West Des Moines, IA 50266
God inspired Jade (11), my pastors daughter,
@pastor_jeremyjohnson to paint live for the first time with me at Hope-Wdm which was my last stop of the worship tour.
Her mom had no idea she was going to
paint live the last service.
Jade had been helping all day switch
out artists and felt called to share what
God had been placing on her heart.
Amazing to witness her courage stepping out in faith so spontaneously!
Amen!!! Hallelujah!!!
To make it even more inspiring her dad, Pastor Jeremy Johnson, was preaching for the service that she painted live. What a special and incredibly transforming moment for everyone who was blessed to witness.
It was definitely difficult not having my mom there physically for the first Christmas but it was such a gift to witness this surprise and the look on her mom’s face. To see how proud she was of her daughter just reminded me of my moms love and joy that spewed from her heart. She was such a gift and encourager to so many. I felt like this was such a God wink gift from heaven to witness this moment.
This was truly the highlight of my Christmas being able to walk alongside someone stepping so courageously into their calling and witnessing the joy the overflowed from her parents.
Thank you so much @hopecreativearts ministry for the opportunity to serve and shine my light this Christmas at a few Hope locations. Amazing to be apart of a few services and witness what God is doing at each campus.
And a huge thank you to all of Hope staff, volunteers that it takes to make these services happen and to all the people in our community who attended! Between all Hope campuses approx 51,000 people came in person to celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ!