Prophetic Art Workshop

On Saturday, November 12th I had the privilege of running my first ever prophetic art workshop with Bethesda House. A former staff had been running them for a few years but she recently moved to Scotland and is working there as a missionary. I have taken on her role and am responsible for a lot of the art related things that go on at Bethesda House. I am so thankful. I always knew I would have a large involvement in my life with art but I was never sure what it would look like because of choosing to travel and go on the mission field rather than art school after graduating. In the past few years God has been bringing both passions together but in an even better way than I thought possible. Now art and encouraging, life changing ministry are the same thing. It is no longer a side project but a focus. 

Anyway, so Saturday....

We had 10 students and a full day of teaching. There were lessons on what is prophetic art, imagination, colour, imagery in the Bible, art as a tool for healing, and art evangelism. All of which had a practical hands on creative aspect. Most of the day was spent using one medium or another to experiment and create with God and communicate what He was speaking through creativity. 

It is so amazing to see people start the day with many reservations and then end the day full of life and freedom in their creativity. There is something that happens in each person as they realize that we are all creative! I wish this was a truth that all people knew deeply as part of who they are. God is the most creative one and we are made in His image, therefore, we are all creative! I don't think it has to look a certain way or even pertain to artwork but I do think that creativity should flow through all of us in whatever we are called to. You can be creative with math and problem solving and cooking and medicine and language and dealing with people and farming etc. In everything. God is not limited and neither are we. 

The day is not only full of teaching and art but there is also a lot of prayer and ministry that happens for the students. We spend time at the end praying for each one and prophesying encouragement and truth into who they are. As we ended off the day and I prayed for one girl she started crying and said, "I didn't expect to get this today!" That was the best for me. If people leave feeling like they had fun and learned a lot thats good but how much better is it when they meet God in the process and leave overwhelmed at His goodness and love for them! I think people left with a lot more than they expected and their hearts were full and encouraged. 

In art evangelism we teach that prophetic art is a means to an end. The picture you create is great and beautiful but it is about the message that goes with it. The end goal is an encounter with Jesus. God loves to speak to people and one of those ways is through art. I have seen more people truly encounter God through painting a small picture for them that God gave me than any other evangelism I have done. Art passes through barriers and touches people deeply. It is beautiful. The workshop itself is like that. It is a means to an end. The teaching, the artwork, it is all to ultimately encounter and grow in relationship with Jesus and then enable them to go and do the same for other people. 

Watch out world. There is a generation of creatives rising up to stand tall and use their gift to proclaim the glory of God. 

October 30th / 40 weeks & 1 day of Ira Gray

I am a few weeks late in sharing this but it was such a sweet day for me as a mother that I thought I would share it still. (pretend with me I am posting this at the right time) I am sure for many people it isn't a big deal but I marked this special day on my calendar a long time ago. Sunday, October 30th, the day Ira would be 40 weeks and one day old. He was in my belly for 40 weeks and one day and now has been in my arms for the same. I can't express it with words but it makes my heart feel so many emotions. I never knew the love you could have for a single person could cause your heart to feel so much pain. It hurts to love so hard yet to even imagine life without that pain is far worse than the pain itself. It's like a constant ache but sharper and grows slowly stronger with every beat. Sometimes it feels as if your heart will come right out of your chest but then, really, it already has in the form of a 21lb joyful crawling little munchkin. Other times it feels like it can't get any bigger or hold any more love and then you blink and your boy is bigger and your heart keeps stretching still to fit him all in. 

And she loved a little boy, very very much - even more than she loved herself. -Shel Silverstein

9 Months & Full of Joy

This little joy is 9 months old today! I think every parent says it about every child but they grow so fast! I can't believe it has been 9 months already. It feels like mere weeks since I had him placed on my chest only seconds old. We are savouring every moment with this boy and enjoying all the little things because it is something new everyday. These days its pointing at everything, trying his hardest to crawl, saying dada and mama and baba, and drinking from cups and playing in every way. He loves kisses, and hats, and eating food, and playing his papa's keyboard, and he thinks coughing and sneezing are the funniest. He is so much fun and we love him to the moon and back a million times.

August 24th: Our Last AWAKE

On August 24th we had the last AWAKE night in our Bethesda Building. It's another story that you can read here but the short of it is that our landlord told us we had to meet a much higher rent or be out by the end of August. We had to move and are currently on the look out for the new building we know God has for us. He has clearly been telling us as Bethesda House for a long time that He had a new and better suited facility, we just didn't expect to be kicked out of the one we had before we had a new one. We are hopeful though. Truly and deeply hopeful. God is faithful to us always and we are expectant for something wonderful. 

Here are a few pictures I snapped during the last night of our beloved outreach. We changed things up a bit and instead of the usual ministry stalls we had a time of testimonies and worship. With many of our loved ones from around Muizenberg we worshipped God for all the things He had done in and through Bethesda House and for all the things He is going to do in the future. It was amazing!

Maritime Beach, We Love You

The first week and half in Canada was blissfully warm. You never know what the weather will be in the maritimes in September but thankfully we had warm sunny days and were again reminded of the wonder that is Antigonish in the summer time. We love the laid-back, soaking in the sun, ease that is there before the leaves change their colours. 

One afternoon, when we probably should have been doing work, the sun was just too warm for us to ignore so we listened to its beckoning and went to the beach. It is not the prettiest beach but it is close and quiet. Perfection. We laid out our blanket, put up our sun umbrella, and lounged like the best of them. Ira got to put his feet in the water of the coast he was born on for the first time and had his first lesson on throwing rocks in the ocean. You know, important little boy things. 

Canadian Maritimes we really do love you. Thank you for being such a nice place to call one of our homes. 

Thoughts on Motherhood: Learning About Sacrifice

At Bethesda House a couple of months ago we celebrated all the things God had done so far in the year for and through our ministry and had a big feast and worship time. We try to model it a little after the feasts held in the Old Testament to remember and celebrate God. This particular one was our Feast of First Fruits and and we all had to come prepared to give a sacrifice (no we didn't kill any sheep ;) it was a sacrifice to be given from the heart to symbolize something of the year so far) and it was a beautiful time.

As I prepared I really didn't know what God wanted me to bring before Him. What was I to lay down? To be honest, besides myself, I did't feel like I had much left to lay down. I mean there are always things but with this year being one of stepping fully into motherhood I had already laid down so much of myself and my life I felt a bit bare and empty handed.

I decided to go with the theme thus far of the year and again sacrifice myself, my heart, time, desires etc. but as I prepared God asked me "why?" Why do you sacrifice yourself? I could say I do it for Ira, for Jason, our family, because I have to, etc. I can think of multiple reasons that are true but ultimately the laying down of self day after day and night after night isn't for any of those things.

It's for Him. It's for the glory of God.

So my sacrifice turned from one of offering myself to one of the acknowledgement of why I offer myself. I don't know if that makes sense but for me it shifted something and settled head knowledge into deep heart realization of what drives me. I love Ira. More than my own life. He himself is worth it but even more so is Jesus. Its a perspective I knew in my head and with my words but didn't wear the lens of it over this aspect of my life.

Whats your perspective? Let Him shift your gaze and move your heart into the place of acknowledging that ultimately the daily laying down of yourself is for the One who laid down Himself for you. It helps and He helps and in the laying down you gain life and are sustained by Strength much better than your own and are filled with Love immeasurable.