Take Me Deeper

One of my goals for 2015 is to me more intentional with my time. I want to be present in the moments that take place throughout the day, but even more so, I want to see God’s presence in these moments. I want to KNOW God’s heart, and I want to be His hands and feet all day long, everyday.

I have always had a relationship with my maker, I have also always really struggled with spending time daily at His feet. To be brutally honest, it’s always been boring to me.

After attending christian schools my entire childhood, reading the bible feels like reading a textbook. It’s not alive to me, and I HATE that. How can the words of my God feel so dead in my heart as I read them? How can I possibly know God’s heart when his very word bores me?

I passionately LOVE my God with all my heart. I hunger for more of Him every day, and it grieves me that I do not find life in reading God’s word. This is why I’ve decided to join Take Me Deeper.

Every week, for a year there will be a new bible verse to read as well as a devotional to accompany it. Then throughout the week we are to create a piece of art inspired by the verse. I know this is going to be a challenge for me. I have yet to stick with something like this for the entire year, but I really hope that I do. I hope that it helps me find a renewed hunger for reading the bible. I also hope it helps me learn to hear God’s voice in creating art.

Week 1 : Romans 12:1-2

Journal Page: “Brushes dipped in praise . . .”

I’ve been looking again at the power of worship, and what happens in the heavens when we praise God.

“[Worship] … is considered an attack on the enemy because it carries the Light of the presence of God. When the Light of His presence goes forth into the atmosphere, it pierces the darkness, proclaims victory to the captive, heals the sick, binds up the brokenhearted and proclaims the year of the Lord!”

– Unlocking the Heart of the Artist by Matt Tommey

Did you know that art created as an out pouring of praise & worship can do that?

As I continue to think about creating art as a form of worship, I feel greatly inspired, & empowered.

With our brushes dipped in praise,

let our colors be the light that pierces the darkness.

Who am I . . .

My 2014 Planner

My favorite part about beginning a new year has always been the starting of a new planner. However, I found that throughout the year, I was actually managing 3 different books, a planner, a journal, and a sketchbook. So, last year I decided to make one large blank book to use for all three. Instead of trying to keep track of 3 books, I now can easily log everything into one book.

This is the planner that I crafted for 2014.

In the front there is a calendar for each month. The page on the left is actually a flap that opens so that there is plenty of space to write reminders.

One of my goals for 2014 is to practice the discipline of drawing something everyday. It doesn’t matter what I draw, or how large it is. After each calendar page there is a page spread full of squares for me to draw inside daily.

The rest of the planner is full of blank pages for brainstorming, journaling, and drawing. Throughout the year I usually end up dividing these pages into other sections as the need arises.

I love that I have the ability to create a planner that is crafted specifically for my needs. Last year I appreciated having just one place to keep all of my thoughts. I used the planner throughout the entire year, which says a lot for it’s usefulness, since before I usually ended up abandoning whatever method of organization I was attempting to use. It will be fun to see how much the book changes by the end of the year.