vessels

I did not know the Lord until I was in my thirties and for many years I had a huge chip on my shoulder when I was in church. I thought that everyone else had all the scriptures memorized, and had “graduated” as Christians. When we had to turn to a passage of scripture in service, I was embarrassed to have to look at the table of contents each time, and I was secretly worried that if I joined a small group my ignorance would be magnified…so I didn’t join small groups.

I still have to look at the table of contents. I still am not sure about the order of books in the New Testament, and I could NOT pass a test on naming all the books in the Old Testament. There is even a small part of me that is right now protesting me sharing this! The point is, I am totally okay with that. When I stopped focusing so much on what I did not know, I was able to start hearing truth from other people, and I never stopped to wonder how long they had been in church, or what credentials they had.

The fact is, God can use ANY vessel He chooses to share His Word. And here is the really amazing part… the vessel He may choose is often completely unaware that they have carried a precious seed of truth. They can be completely oblivious to the fact that they have just changed a life by expressing what was in their heart. That’s what is so cool about art. When someone is absorbed in the process of creating something they forget the world and the chains they have bound themselves with – believer or non-believer-and they just create what they feel the urge to create.  If I am actively, consciously seeking to grow more like Christ, then I will recognize the truth that comes out of their creation. If I am the one creating, then I get to feel that same sense of wonder (and surprise) when I look at it. There is definitely no feeling of ownership, just amazement and humility.

I’m sad for those artists who do not know the Lord, because they miss out on that sense of wonder at what the Lord has created…and often they think they did it themselves…and then they try to force it to happen and it doesn’t and they become even more bound up. But we’ll talk about that another day.

So today I encourage you to step out in faith in your creativity. You know that it does not just mean creating art. God gave you a talent, remember? And He has something He wants to use it for, so give Him that opportunity! Write, cook, sew, photograph, sing, dance, teach, love, draw, sculpt, scrapbook, organize, talk, listen, hug, build, repair….just don’t forget to share.

hunger

What do we hunger for?

Why do we think  junk food tastes so good?

These are important questions. Especially as my metabolism slows down and gravity kicks in. But what if we looked at this from another angle.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

Suppose that we went through each day not being confronted by thousands of advertising messages that try to change our behaviour and influence our choices.  What if all the advertising that was spent on junk food was dedicated to green beans and cabbage?

We live in a world that is trying to convince us it knows what we want, and that instant gratification equals real satisfaction. And it will use manipulation of truth, outright lies and all our emotions against us to do it. Who do you think directs all that?

Junk food is a cheap and easy to digest combination of fats, salts and sugars mixed with just enough real food to make it look tasty and sometimes even pass as healthy. The fact that our bodies actually need protein, fat, carbohydrates to function is manipulated, though, and unless you know what exactly you are eating, (beyond the appetizing exterior), it’s hard to know it’s not healthy. Until you find out your arteries are all clogged, and your heart has become sick.

By the same token, there is a lot of “if it feel good, it must be good” thinking out there; it didn’t cost anything to come up with, and is easy to digest, and it lures many away from the real truth. If your spiritual diet is based on this, you won’t know it until one day you realize your heart is sick. I used to believe in a lot of it. For me, it took coming to a place in my life when I realized that all the temporary things I had been trying to fill my spiritual hunger with did not work; my arteries were clogged with half truths, and my heart was shutting down.

Today I recognize that what I really hunger for is right-ness. Good-ness. Truth. And most of all, Love. I have found the source of all this, as you have. But it was not free; it cost a Life. Today we don’t have to live with that gnawing, constant feeling of being empty, we can be “filled”, as Jesus promised. And that’s more satisfying than anything else on earth.

PS: I am using junk food as an example, and not at all trying to tell anyone how to eat! I am certainly not a nutritionist…and personally, I enjoy pizza, just not every day!!

gifts

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.  God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 1 Corinthians 12:4-5

Do you know what your spiritual gifts are?

Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues

We all have them, because verse seven says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other”. Why are we so insecure about this? Maybe I am over-speaking, but it seems to me, that this is a very murky area for many believers. Rarely have I heard someone come out and say, “My spiritual gift is prophecy”, or “I have the spiritual gift of knowledge”… we sort of hope someone who knows will tell us, so we can believe it.

Since the only experience/knowledge I have to share with you is related to art and creative expression, let’s bring it back to that. Perhaps the expression of what God breathes in us will reveal our gift. In other words, maybe when He placed that particular passion in us, for say, writing or painting, cooking or gardening it was so that when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us while we engage in that, not only would the fruit of the Spirit be revealed, but our spiritual gift would also be revealed….and that gift is what helps others.

Take cooking for example. When someone has a passion for cooking, and does it with love, even with the attitude of worshipping the Lord, the fruits of love, goodness, faithfulness, to name a few are revealed in that person. At the same time, perhaps this person is moved to share the meal with a neighbor for some unknown reason…and it turns out the neighbor was really going through some tough times…that simple act of sharing a meal that was created from the heart of love could become a gift of healing. We just never know. (And that is not a made up example…that is something that happened). So if you are aware of what you gift is, I would love to hear! you can just reply to this email (it will only come back to me)…or post a comment on the blog. Just click on the header of this email and it will take you there.

100%

This is a photo I took in my neighborhood earlier this year. I love this tree. All around it are full grown trees in flower as well. But this is the tree that got my attention. I mean look at it…it’s a Charlie Brown tree!

And yet, it’s not worried about its size. This little sapling is literally flowering on every single branch it has. 100% participation. The other large trees may have 60% participation from all the branches at one time, but this! This little guy is going all out. Not only that, but it’s planted in the little strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street…it’s not even in the yard!

What an inspiration! I want to bloom for our Lord like this. Not in the spotlight, not for a large audience…just fully and just for Him.

spiritual gifts

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.  God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 1 Corinthians 12:4-5

Do you know what your spiritual gifts are?

Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Tongues, interpretation of Tongues

We all have them, because verse seven says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other”. Why are we so insecure about this? Maybe I am over-speaking, but it seems to me, that this is a very murky area for many believers. Rarely have I heard someone come out and say, “My spiritual gift is prophecy”, or “I have the spiritual gift of knowledge”… we sort of hope someone who knows will tell us, so we can believe it.

Since the only experience/knowledge I have to share with you is related to art and creative expression, let’s bring it back to that. Perhaps the expression of what God breathes in us will reveal our gift. In other words, maybe when He placed that particular passion in us, for say, writing or painting, cooking or gardening it was so that when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us while we engage in that, not only would the fruit of the Spirit be revealed, but our spiritual gift would also be revealed….and that gift is what helps others.

Take cooking for example. When someone has a passion for cooking, and does it with love, even with the attitude of worshipping the Lord, the fruits of love, goodness, faithfulness, to name a few are revealed in that person. At the same time, perhaps this person is moved to share the meal with a neighbor for some unknown reason…and it turns out the neighbor was really going through some tough times…that simple act of sharing a meal that was created from the heart of love could become a gift of healing. We just never know. (And that is not a made up example…that is something that happened). So if you are aware of what you gift is, I would love to hear! you can just reply to this email (it will only come back to me)…or post a comment on the blog. Just click on the header of this email and it will take you there.

in the beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was  formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  Genesis 1: 1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.   John 1: 1-4

art or entertainment?

Is art the same thing as entertainment? Can art be entertaining? Can entertainment be art?

Those were the questions we discussed in English class the other day.  I have my own opinions about it, and of course had to share a little ; ) One question was should you create art just to please others or yourself? And of course, what is art anyway?

So what is art? The dictionary’s definition is pretty dry:  the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. But there are some nuggets in there that I would like to shine light on. Expression: You probably guessed that I liked that word right off…and I like the more than ordinary significance.

What about entertainment: Here is the dictionary’s take: agreeable occupation for the mind; diversion; amusement….we’ll talk about that next time.

For me, art is an expression of what God has illuminated, what He has put His finger becomes something more than ordinary. What I consider to be art are things that come from the heart…I mean look at the word heart... He art….for me, He is at the center of true art. Now, does the artist know that? Only the lucky-I should say blessed-ones. I think God has used many an artist who did not know Him, and therefore missed out on the joy of sharing a creation…but we can still enjoy that art and recognize God’s touch.

Is art based on whether it is beautifully or skillfully executed? Well, let me ask you this; Why do we put our children’s art on the refrigerator? Is it because of the skill the little four-year-old hand showed? No, of course not…it is something much more important than that. Now, let me ask you this: are you holding back from trying some creative expression because you think you can’t do it? Do you have an empty journal or sketch pad, a dusty musical instrument or a craft room you haven’t walked into in a while? When was the last time you took photos of things that tug at your heart, or sang or danced when no one was around?

Don’t you think that God beams when one of His children creates something just for Him? What could be more rewarding than that? So next time you feel inspired to worship through creative expression, but then the old lies pop up to try and convince you that you aren’t good enough, remember this….it’s just refrigerator art for our Heavenly Father, and He will love it, just exactly the way you create it.

confidence

I am going to say something that may surprise you.

I have no self-confidence, and I am not interested in getting it. But wait, there’s more! I am not interested in building my self-esteem.

And here is why:

confidence: freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities; feeling of trust; feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances

esteem: the regard in which one is held; especially : high regard.

self-esteem:a confidence and satisfaction in oneself.

Now, I know that there are a billion books out there dedicated to telling me how important it is for me to feel self-confident, and raise my self-esteem, and how to raise my children this way. But I am here to tell you, that for me personally, it just does not work! I lived the first 27 years of my life “confident” in my own abilities to get what I needed or wanted. On the outside, I was one confident-put together person, (well, except for the teenage years). I even sounded very confident, and that appearance of confidence would lead one to believe that I had the self-esteem to match it.

But the truth is, I have limitations (shocking, but true). Living a life that is restricted to my abilities, my powers and the circumstances of any given day inspires anything BUT freedom from doubt. And it does NOT produce satisfaction.

Today I know that I have a choice; I can live within those limitations, safely fenced in by my own abilities and experiences, carefully guarding my precious ego by not stepping outside my box…..or I can take a leap of faith, and put my confidence in God, who has no limits. God breathed life into Adam, and His Word breathes life into us today. His life. Today I want to put my confidence in the One Who designed me. He showed His esteem for me by giving His Son to me. How can I improve on that? How can what I think of myself top that?

We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5

tenacity

Have you ever heard the story of Rizpah? I never had until the service last night at church. Here is a link to the story (it’s short). The “theme” was “Tenacity”. And it really touched me, because the woman in this story – a mother- did not give up. I am glad someone explained this whole chapter to me, because I did not see the significance of what she did when I read it by myself. In fact, she seemed crazy.

Here is what I  got out of it. Don’t give up on what God has started in you. Don’t walk away from something He has not finished in your life, no matter how impossible it may seem to you. Have you ever started something – for me a creative project – and you just know it’s what you are supposed to be doing, and it’s going great….and then suddenly the thought, “Why are you even doing that? It’s not that good, and no one will even pay attention to it”…or worse, “I must be crazy for thinking I can do this”. I heard that just yesterday while I was working on something new for me. (flower art!)….I had just been feeling such peace and truly enjoying the process of putting these dried flower arrangements together – something I have felt very inspired to do lately, which came out of no where – and those negative thoughts just stormed in. I mean, they did not even just slyly creep in, they STORMED in. I almost felt sick they hit so hard. (I was also in the garage and it was hot!)….so I just turned that over to the Holy Spirit. I just didn’t have time to deal with that nonsense.  It passed, as it always does, and I was back to enjoying that time with the Lord, because I just knew He was enjoying it too.

So when I heard that message last night, it meant a lot. And I ask you. What has God started in you? What vision has He given you? In the story of Rizpah, her vision was not anything grand. She just didn’t want to leave her sons to be destroyed by the vultures or wild animals. She had tenacity. People probably thought she was crazy, but she had nothing else! Her actions caught the attention of King David, and as a result, he took an action, and as a result, God brought relief to the entire nation. So what if we watched over the little visions (or big ones!) that God has planted in us. We don’t know who will see it. We don’t know how it will affect others. My favorite part of what I learned last night is this: What GOD is doing in us is bigger than us.

reflection

This is a pencil sketch of a jar…well part of a jar. The point of this, is that I did not use any outlines. In fact, the edges are not drawn at all, the dark background just stops where the light reflecting off jar starts. What does this mean?

Well, sometimes it is not the outward shape we are in that defines how we are seen, but the reflection we give off. We are ‘earthen vessels”, breakable and imperfect. Sometimes the backdrop (background) of our life may be dark, and we could be swallowed up by the darkness, if we allowed it. But the glorious light that God shines on us reflects off our cracked outsides, and separates us from the dark background. We just need to be close enough to Him to receive that light.