GOD-SIZED DREAMING

Here I am again to talk about my God-sized dream and the progress I am making towards it.  I have hopes that I will be able to have a creative business/ministry using art to help the healing process of abused and hurting women and children.  This week's assignment is to share the "do what you can" steps towards this dream.  I have wanted to do something creative for a long time but had several detours along the way but last year in search of my Godly purpose it was confirmed that I need to use my creative gifts and that I want to do what I can to help women and children.  So far, I have not found the avenue to do this, but I keep plugging along, reading, praying and studying, working on my own personal healings and doing as much creating as I can find time for.  So, until God opens the right doors and windows I will patiently wait and continue to prepare for whatever He has in mind for me to do.

GOD SIZED DREAMING

I feel so behind and discouraged this week in following my God-Sized Dream.  I have been sick with the cold that never quits that came along with a migraine headache that has lasted nearly two weeks.  I have not been faithful to reading my devotions, I have not spent enough time seeking His presence or in prayer.  My already messy house has become totally unmanageable.  The assignment for this week is what can we decrease in our life in order to make room for our God-Sized Dream to increase.  I guess at this point in time that is pretty obvious...I need to get rid of this headache so that I can feel more purposeful.  I have been working on my art while I have been sick so I guess I have been moving somewhat in the right direction but it just doesn't feel purposeful.  I need to get back to my devotions and prayer time in order that I may more fully see and feel His purpose and make my God-Sized Dream a reality.

God-sized Dreaming!

Today's message from Holly focused on the following:

I don’t know how far you have to go on your God-sized dream but I do know this: you’ve already come further than you realize.

I don't know if I truly believe that for myself.  My God-sized dream is to do art for His glory and that will uplift others and possibly help struggling and/or abused women and children.

I don't feel like I have budged from the starting gate but if I look at today's message I guess the fact that other than during my black period of severe depression and anxiety that I have just come through I create some sort of art everyday and that I suppose is moving in the right direction.  How far I have come - well not too sure of that.  

This week we need to look back at another time in our life when we took positive action.  I guess I would have to say that the most obvious answer to that would have to be nearly 30 years ago when I took the steps out of the darkness of addiction and alcoholism and into the light of recovery by the grace of God.  It really doesn't say anything towards my artistic goals and plans but what it does bring to mind is that I have just watched my 20 year old son take those same steps one year ago.  Maybe this is indeed a step towards my art goals as much of what I art journal about comes from scripture or positive quotes and that this type of art can uplift and help others in their struggles.  The reason I can even be positive at all is because of taking those steps out of the darkness and into the light of God's love.  I never had read the bible before getting sober and that is really where all our good direction comes from.  

So maybe Holly is right after all...I have come further in my dream than I ever would have thought.  I pray that I will continue to move forward and that I will find ways to share and bring uplifting art to those that struggle that they too may feel the love of God and His Holy Presence in their lives.

Thank you Holly for the encouraging words that showed me that I am indeed moving forward in my dream.

PLANS AND PURPOSE!

Today I decided to do an art journal page.  I saw some scraps of paper that had aqua, teal, green and yellow and decided that would be my color scheme.  After layering down these colors using Distress Inks and stencils I added some course pumice gel for texture.  I then decided it needed to be brightened up a bit and added a little bit of pink and orange.  Then I cut up the scraps I had been looking at into various different sizes and shapes.  I topped it all with a layer of Matte Mod Podge.  As I topped it off with the Mod Podge some of the ink started to run.  It's funny as only one of the colors did that and they were all Distress.  The blue glided across pulling from some of the pink and giving it some hints of purple.  Then I went to my writing from this morning and found some scriptures I had jotted down.  I couldn't decide between a few of them so I chose two, both from proverbs.  They both spoke to me of having a plan and a purpose for life.  Since it is showcasing scripture I decided to submit it to Word Art Wednesday even though I had already submitted a layout to them earlier this week.  I decided that since they are about plans and purpose I would also share it at Holly Gerth.com about my God Sized Dream.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Here is my creation:

The God-Sized Dream Plan

Today we learned that it is important to share our God-sized dream with someone that can encourage us along the way.  I have been struggling with even what to say my God-sized dream is.  I have been afraid to say that it is to do art for His glory and that will uplift others and possibly help struggling and/or abused women and children.  I prayed last year for my Godly purpose and that was what came to me yet a year went by without much of anything coming forth from it.  So I have been afraid to share it again.  To want it again.  To strive towards it again.  But, last week in my therapy session with my new counselor, Connie, I shared some of my art journal pages and she was so encouraging and uplifting.  She feels that I have to pursue art as my purpose and when seeking work which will help financially.  She feels that I CAN do it and that something CAN come of this.  I just have to seek it.  I have to look for unusual paths to it.  Standard job seeking may not work in this purpose.  So she gave me some ideas and my job for now is to go forward and try them out.  I need to prioritize this week and I guess THAT should be one of my priorities.  To search out and list places that I can try to find ways to use my art and my heart to help others.  So, in looking at things in this light I have chosen Connie to be my dream partner and encourager.  I must be sure to mention this to her at our next session.  And Lord, please help me to take the steps I need to in order that this God-sized dream can come to fruition.  Thank you.

MORE ABOUT GOD-SIZED DREAMING

I am still not clear on the specifics of my God-Sized dream.  I know it has to do with art and the small step I have taken is that I have created something everyday for the last few days.  That has been big because the depression I have been in has kept me from doing much creating for the last few months.

I found the following very helpful:

Jesus said the two most important things in life are this: Love God, love people. That’s true of every God-sized dream. So if you’re not sure what words or goals to put to your dream yet, start there. Simply say, “My dream is to grow in my love for God and people in 2013.”

A God-sized Dreamers’ Prayer

God, your thoughts are not my thoughts {Is. 55:8}.

What you have planned for me is beyond all I can ask or imagine {Eph. 3:19-20}.

Yet you have also promised to reveal it to me through your Spirit {1 Cor. 2:8-10}.

So I open my heart, mind, and life to more of you–to whatever you have for me. Where there is ongoing fear in my life, please replace it with faith. Where there is a desire to hold back, give me the strength to move forward. Where there is a desert, lead me into the Promised Land you have prepared for me.

I embrace that my part is to pray, plan, and most of all seek you. And yours is to get me where you want me to go {Prov. 16:9, Prov. 19:21}. Wherever that is, that’s where I want to be too. Because there’s no better place in this world or the next than with you {Ps. 84:10}.

Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth {especially my little corner of it} as it is in heaven {Matt. 6:10}.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What is my God-sized dream?

I am participating in Holly Gerth God-sized dreams. Last year I was heavily pursuing what God's purpose for my life was.  I feel called to do some kind of art and to help women and children.  I still am not clear on how or what this is going to be and how it is going to take place.  I did a lot of creating for the first 3/4 of last year - lots of scrapbook pages, cards, some altered art, kept an art journal, some mixed media but really did not find outlets to sell much of it.  I have had several months of deep depression and anxiety which God is starting to heal me of a little bit each day.  I hope that as I heal He will lead me to what my deeper life-purpose is and to find my God-sized dream and help me to find the path to carry that out.

This was in today's email and I really liked it:

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  I hope God will help you find your God-sized dream for your life too!