Hey friends! Happy Friday!
If anyone out there had a tough week, a long week or maybe a long month, I wanted to share the top three ways I rejuvenate! After all, as many of you know, we just can’t pour from empty cups! I’m going to go through these and answer the “Why should I bother with this?” question too! If you’re like me, you want a good reason for why you’re trying something, right?
Read MoreWhile painting this, I felt deeply just how wild life is.
One moment feels like total darkness and the next you’re swinging above it.
I’m reading through @levilusko ‘s Through the Eyes of a Lion and it struck me how resilient God made the human spirit. Of course, the thing about us that can do these mystifying miracles is the divinity with which He made us.
It is because we are crafted after His divine image..
My morning coffee routine never gets old. I feel as excited for the first sip each morning as if it did not happen every single day before. It struck me that my jubilee about my joe can sometimes become jumbled with my love of my Jesus. Thoughts like “well, I cant start my devotional time yet, I haven’t had my coffee.” It made me pause.
Reality check: that’s no good!
My relationship with Jesus is the best part of who I am. Without him, my artistic endeavors fall on their faces. Keeping my word? Nope. Kindness and patience? Out the window. Forgiveness? Definitely not. Nothing brings out those things in me except Him- no, not even coffee, haha.
Read MoreGifts. Talents. Innate abilities. We all have a few, even if we don’t call them that.
Some call it “a knack for.. x” I think it’s funny we do that. The Creator of the universe, who never makes mistakes, places a unique set of gifts inside of us. Instead of thankfully using them, we often hide them, reject them or jealously eye another person’s gift set. It’s akin to a little child with a pile of presents under the Christmas tree, all unopened, desperately trying to open up his sibling’s gifts instead.
Ever been there? I’d venture a yes. I know I have.
Read MoreAlthough this is a little different from the usual posts I write, today I want to focus a little on encouragement, work and success.
Necessary planning tools such as Return On Investment (ROI) analyze success of a business. Without them, decisions would be made based off emotions or guesses, which often lead to poor outcomes. I am no business strategist, but I have learned a thing or two working in a variety of roles, in fields such as journalism, mental health, neuroscience and now owning a small art business. One thing I have noticed is that we do not talk enough about how much encouragement positively affects both a company's bottom line and its employees. Before you stop reading because I’m talking business, hear me out…
Read MoreWe are merely passing through on this little planet. Sure, it feels big and we want to make it comfortable more than we need to. But this world is not our home. Through it all, we walk through each season with God. We are never alone. The daily events, the crisis moments, the victories- God is with us each step…
Read MoreI love clouds. When I was younger, I would stare at clouds and see animals or faces. In the morning and at night, I love watching how white clouds change into gorgeous colors. As I walked earlier, I felt God tug at my heart. He loves us so much that He often gives beautiful paintings..
Read MoreThe world can be uncertain and sometimes being open, whether it is open to change, open to new people or just open about our feelings, can be challenging. But I believe when we keep our eyes on the One who is certain, it becomes a little easier. Knowing and trusting in Christ’s love for us and His incredible faithfulness allows us to have hope that there are things that are immovable, unchangeable and trustworthy…
Read MoreThis morning I ran past a bunch of massive weeds and overgrown bushes that has taken over the side walk. It has been getting worse for months. No one ever does anything about it, all of us walking along the path just go around the massive weeds or get wacked in the face. Every time I went past I grumbled “ugh, stupid weeds, now my shoes are going to get soaked in the muddy grass again…”
Well, today I decided that even without the proper tools, I was taking those weeds out. It actually barely took 10 minutes. Pulling up the weeds and clearing the path, I remembered the words that Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians.
Read MoreEarlier this morning I reminisced about crisp fall days 10 years ago. I had adventured to Italy, to study art in the land and culture where some of my favorite artists had created their masterpieces. It was a gift and a challenge. Only seven other students studied in that semester’s cohort. While we lived and created in a 14th century stone and marble monastery, we traveled around central Italy and marveled at its beauty and culture.
My prayers in that monastery as I painted, sketched and studied were young artist prayers. I have the daily journal entries to remind myself that my prayers seeking God’s help were sometimes selfish and definitely passionate. It is clear looking back I was lost about what being an artist meant (and if we are honest, many of us artists are still discovering this!).
As I think back, I realized that the thing I learned about the most, more than artistic techniques or Italian culture…
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