Send Me {video}

Isaiah 6:8 has been on my heart this past week or so. I’ve spent nearly my entire adult life in Christian ministry. But betrayal trauma nearly silenced my voice, and the years of healing from it practically put a pause in my outreach ministry. Although my personal relationship with God didn’t waiver, the level of my bold outward witness no doubt lessened. “Here am I, Lord. Send me.” “Here am I, YHWH. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 I’ve been playing catch up back at home this week, after being gone to Convention all the last week. Still continuing to create a… Continue reading

Restorative Creativity

Some Pray & Play* time. Creativity based on just being present in the moment. Having no agenda or direction. No goal to “finish it.” Not even “practicing” a specific thing. Just Creative Freedom—for Restoration! Continue reading

When Your Soul Needs Peace

When there are so many unsettling things in this world surrounding us… 💜 I swing my porch swing, on these beautiful, quiet nights with a cool breeze, the insects chirping. Swinging is so soothing. 💜 I attend a candlelight prayer vigil, with over 100 others. We pray. We encourage. We sing. 💜 I invest in soul settling creativity time. Just putting color and texture to the page. I’ll finish them when the time is right. When your soul needs peace, just create. No plan, no finished art piece. Just rest in the moment, and let color and texture express your… Continue reading

Light Overcomes

Last night, my heart was heavy. I knew I needed some creative meditative time. The feeling of “Play” wasn’t there. The “Pray” was heavily dominant in my Pray & Play time. I felt like collaging. Just gluing all the torn pieces together—into a heart of love. The scripture above came immediately to my mind. The quote above came across my feed. But as I dumped my envelope of book and music pages collage fodder on my desk, this verse was at the top of a scrap, on the top of my pile. ❤️ The light shines in the darkness, and… Continue reading

How Mixed Media Ruined My Art

How Mixed Media Ruined My Art… But brought healing to my soul. Perhaps you can relate in some way. Are you being held back from creating because you think you can’t do it? Won’t be any good at it? Don’t have any natural talent for it? Can’t take the time to do it if it doesn’t turn out great? Were you driven to perfectionism as a child? Or did an abuser shame you into it as an adult? Were you an overachiever? Put that pressure on yourself? What holds you back? My Journey Creating with a goal of perfection came… Continue reading

When the Lights Go Down

Tonight the lights go down. It is the last night of our Frontier Revue show. Although I post a lot about creativity being a huge tool in soul care, most of those posts center around visual arts creativity. But there is another powerful tool for our soul’s wellbeing, perhaps even more important. That is music. Although listening to it is good, creating it—when it comes from your own heart, is even better. I’m not saying you have to be a composer, but rather a producer of music—even if no one else hears it. The healing powers of music range from… Continue reading

Lay Your Burdens Down

The Power of the Cross not only washes away our sins at conversion, but is there for all that Jesus offers for our lives after that. The inspiration for this page, by Natasha Lee, focused on the cross, and as I created, I was worshipping with the song *The Power of the Cross* by Keith & Kristen Getty. As I meditated on this powerful work Jesus the Christ accomplished on the cross, the picture in my mind was from Pilgrims Progress, on Christian’s burden being lifted at the foot of the cross. Jesus’ lifting of our burdens isn’t just that one… Continue reading

Dry Bones

When YHWH set Ezekiel down in the valley full of very dry bones, The Spirit asked him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel replied, “Lord YHWH, only you know.” Dry bones, hear the word of YHWH, “I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.” The Encounters in Colour Christian art journaling retreat session by Jen Alward focused on this passage, in Ezekiel 37. As I meditated on it and how I wanted to make my faith art page for it, I remembered a time several years ago when I was walking through a valley of… Continue reading

Egypt to Shiloh

Many times I liken our journey out of a destructive marriage to the Exodus from Egypt. (And no, we most likely will not receive “riches” on our way out.) Rather, it compares in the trust we have to have in God as we do what we know we need to. The waters will be stormy and scary as we start crossing out. The enemy may pursue—perhaps with ‘sweet words’ like Pharoah, “sure I’ll let you go” and then fighting it every step of the way. Some sisters may complain and want to go back, thinking things were much better when… Continue reading

Rocking R&R

Survivors need self/soul care, to heal and rebuild. And being out in God’s Creation is a great natural, rest giving healer! This is the view of a little R&R from my porch rocking chair on the Lord’s Day morning, at the Called to Peace ministries abuse survivors Retreat that I attended in NC this past week. The clouds that stayed low on the mountains, all of yesterday, have rolled out. The rain last night only leaves its scent. The sun in shining. The birds are chirping. Beautiful peace. Take care of you, sisters, so you can be freely whole! Or… Continue reading