Tap into Your Creativity

This semester the School of Revival is offering a class on creativity offered by Lise, the amazingly talented artist from Holland who studied in Australia and also went to the school of ministry in Toronto - very international, right. There is so much inside me that would love a creative outlet, I just don't feel like I have the talent or means to let it out. Thought this might be a good opportunity to give it a try. So far we've just done collaged journaling which has been fun but the painting and other mediums are to come which I'm also excited about. Today after church and "family lunch" (the now-preferred term as opposed to "potluck" and the trying-to-be-less-superstitious "pot-blessing" which just sounds wrong) we had a creative workshop where Lise shared and then we got to paint on little canvases whatever we wanted. Fun. Fun.


Definitely more to share in this area as I develop new skills and dive deeper into all the treasures that are lying within me just waiting to be uncovered, dusted off and used. I would love to become better at painting and to see a greater release in song-writing/poems/written and spoken words. Guess I should start doing my homework and practicing! :)


It's a year of release. Forget the hinderances that once kept you down, the false barriers that you've placed around yourself, the insecurities and fears of messing up or looking foolish. Now's the time to let the Real You out and let 'em shine. As the quote goes, "there is only one of you; why waste time trying to be someone else?" The world needs each person's unique flavor to come forth. Each of us bring a revelation of God to the world, so without yours we are lacking something. Forget the criticisms of the past: be you, and shine true. Release yourself to be real, to be free, and even, to be wild!! It's definitely more exciting that way.


Peace.

New Year & New Things

Think it's about time I stopped neglecting my blog. Wow, it's been a while, and there is so much to say. Since the close of last year, which was wonderful by the way, I've been feeling that this year, 2012, is one of unfathomable greatness. My spirit can sense that this year is one of immense blessing, favor, and fun. God has something big up His sleeves this year for me, for His kids, for the church. All I can say is it's going to be awesome and I'm really looking forward to it. So, yes, new year = new things. Look forward to it.


Now I'm not really one for making resolutions but to start off this new year right, I decided that for me it would be a year to be good to myself. How much of our time is spent being negative about ourselves or looking down on ourselves or voicing negative thoughts about ourselves? In such a critical and judgmental society it is so easy to except such thought patterns and then just be perpetually negative. So I've decided that it is about time that I treat myself better....This is a year I want to fully become the person I really want to be and in order to be that person the negativity has got to go. Might as well be nice to yourself if you have to live with yourself all the time, right? Yeah, I think so.


Taking ideas and putting actions to it I moved into a new apartment that is significantly closer to one of my jobs, overlooks a lake, and has a jogging trail right in my backyard. Lets kill several birds with one stone, shall we? Now I can save time, gas, and get healthier all at the same time. :) yay. I would say that is a good start to being good to myself, wouldn't you?


So here is to a year full of good things, tons of excitement, and new things!


Peace.

Exactly

Amazing how you can find a Psalm to reflect exactly how you're feeling at any time. How cool that God would even give us the words to express ourselves and show us that such rants, vents, and tirades are even in the Bible and therefore don't scare Him, bother Him, or annoy Him. He lets us share what's really on our hearts and minds; and honestly, He WANTS us to! "Cast your burdens on me, for I care for you!"

Psalm 55 (in parts)

 ¹ Give ear to my prayer, O God,

   and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
²Attend to me, and answer me;
   I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
³because of the noise of the enemy,
   because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
   and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

 ⁴My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵Fear and trembling come upon me,
   and horror overwhelms me.
⁶And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
   I would fly away and be at rest;
⁷ yes, I would wander far away;
   I would lodge in the wilderness;
                         Selah

⁸I would hurry to find a shelter

   from the raging wind and tempest."

¹⁶But I call to God,

   and the LORD will save me.
¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon
   I utter my complaint and moan,
   and he hears my voice.
¹⁸He redeems my soul in safety
   from the battle that I wage,
   for many are arrayed against me.
¹⁹God will give ear and humble them,
   he who is enthroned from of old, 
                         Selah

²² Cast your burden on the LORD,
   and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
   the righteous to be moved.

But I will trust in you.

Psalm 62

 ¹For God alone my soul waits in silence;
   from him comes my salvation.
² He only is my rock and my salvation,
   my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
 ³How long will all of you attack a man
   to batter him,
   like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
⁴They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
   They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
   but inwardly they curse.
                         Selah
 ⁵For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
   for my hope is from him.
⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation,
   my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷On God rests my salvation and my glory;
   my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
 ⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
   God is a refuge for us. 
                         Selah
 ⁹ Those of low estate are but a breath;
   those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
   they are together lighter than a breath.
¹⁰Put no trust in extortion;
    set no vain hopes on robbery;
    if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
 ¹¹ Once God has spoken;
    twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
 ¹²and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
   according to his work.

Fall Fanfare

Fall has not forgotten North Carolina. Wow, do I love it here; I'm wearing flip-flops and it's October 20th!! Today was a bit chilly for it, but before I stepped out of the house I didn't know it, and it really isn't that bad yet. The drive to work will be breathtaking soon as there are more than a million trees lining the interstate on my way in. This changing of seasons makes me want to go on a hay ride and pick pumpkins and drink hot apple cider and walk through a corn maze with friends. Though I don't particularly prefer cold weather at all I do find fall and winter rather romantic seasons. It's at this time of year where you just want to cuddle up on the couch with a special someone and watch a movie or look at all the beautiful scenery of the changing landscape...from the window. :)

As We Wait

Today I got to partake in the first Ladies' Gathering at CTF Raleigh led by our own Casey Long and Judy Telling. One thing a lot of us have been missing is the heart-to-heart really-get-to-know-you type of relationships so it's the hope at the church to rectify this and build more of a community atmosphere. We need others to join us in our crazy roller coasters of life, hold our hands, or just cheer us on. All of us were created for intimacy by a very intimate God which makes it understandable if we feel a piece of us missing when good relationships are not set in place. So begins our new journey. Together. As women of CTF.

This morning I was the designated one of coffee and food prep duty, which is always fun. Trying to figure out how to work the coffee making apparatus. haha. The Judy and Casey took us through the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 along the theme of waiting. Such an applicable topic for all of us. As Judy pointed out, we find ourselves waiting our whole lives for one thing or another it seems. It was comforting to hear some of the ladies' stories on the subject and to find hope again in the fact that the Lord remembers us in our waiting and answers the prayers of our heart. This group for me is even an answer in a small way to some of my prayers.

But waiting isn't a passive activity. We should wait with expectancy for the miraculous move of God that is there for us. For expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles to abound! I want my expectancy and my pull on God for His miracles to be so strong that He can't help but send mighty breakthrough, miracles, and angels on my behalf to turn my world upside down!

Grace in your waiting.

Right Where I Need to Be

In a consumerist, always-looking-for-the-next-best-thing society in which I find myself living, it is easy to continually search for the quick solution to every problem, shying away from hardships and anything that hints of bringing discomfort. We would much rather remember and recite, "For God so loved the world..." than, "in this world, you will have troubles." We were promised that we would face hardships, so how did we get sucked into the false theology that when we become Christians life becomes a breeze and if it's not than it's our fault or we are doing something wrong or we need to try something else? 

The Bible is full of stories of faithful and righteous people who have to go through the hard times. Some even had the same questions we often voice in the midst of trials. The key to point out is that we are going through the hard times; we will soon be on the other side of them! If you go through it, then sooner or later you will get past it. Good news, right?! The thing is, this does require a thing or two; namely perseverance.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, need nothing.         ~James 1:2-4

When is the last time I rejoiced in my suffering? I guess from time to time I look at hard situations and give them to God saying, "Have your way, Lord. Please make something good come out of this," but how much rarer is it for others to come along side and rejoice with me in my suffering? Sadly, I find they are more likely to encourage me to get out of whatever unpleasant circumstance is causing irritation. I don't blame them; they love me, but is it for the best? God is more concerned about our growth rather than our comfort, correct? 

 My boss says, "the safest place to be is in God's will." How glorious to know this for real! No matter what is going on around you, there is such immense peace and assurance when you know you are where you are meant to be, that you are acting in the center of God's will and purpose for your life. And I praise God that I have this assurance, I know I am right where I'm supposed to be. Though life doesn't really look like how I anticipated it to look like at this point, I know this to be true: I'm on the right track. And God has been faithful to tell me this multiple times, several times in the past few weeks and even once before I even got here! Wow, talk about preparation! He is a good God. When all else fades, He remains. He turns ashes into beauty. And He loves me too much to leave me this way. He sees me beautiful.


Peace.