Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Noah

Last week i wrote about being mad at a lot of things, and at God.
Well, God and I had a talk.
Yesterday I was driving home from having coffee with a friend, and we had chatted about all the stuff in my life, and I was feeling confused and frustraited. My friend asked if I had asked God any direct questions.

You know, I never thought of that.

I have spent a lot of time avoiding the inevitable converstaion with God...i think mostly because I have been too scared of His answer. Because what He's been asking seems nuts.

So on the way home we (God and I) talked.

For a while it was just me talking..telling Him what I want.
"Write your answer in the clouds" I told him (but make it really legable because I'm driving...)

and He didn't

"I'll take ANY answer...ANYTHING"

Nothing but silence.

So I asked Him something direct...the thing...the place...the word...that I have been avoiding saying for months.

Nothing

I turned on the radio to a Christian station I knew of, and Adventures in Odyssey was on (I love that show)
They were telling the story of Noah.
So I listened.
I listened for 15 minuets,
and then I heard

"Make a Boat..."
God said to Noah
"I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing....bring animals.....collect food for them...."

"So Noah did exactly as God commanded"

Here is a man that God talked to....God told him to do something that seemed SO crazy! I am sure people around him thought he was nuts.
And Noah built that ark for 120 years and collected food, and filled it with animals BEFORE God brought the rain, something that hadn't happened before!
The whole thing seemed nuts

"So Noah did exactly as God commanded"

Yesterday I heard clearly from God. He talked to me. He answered my cries in the car. He let me cry when He answered and he will hold me through it all.

My answer back is YES.


linking up with Imperfect Prose at http://canvaschild.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Anger

Today has been....oh you know..."one of those" days.

Quite honestly, I woke up this morning mad.

Mad at everything that is happening, and at everything that is NOT happening.

hmm..what else...

oh

mad at God.

ya.

Why is it that when I feel like I need answers most, He remains quiet? I mean, common! I am trying here! Trying to trust, trying to do what He asks...and I get nothing!

But then again, "nothing" does not seem fitting.

As I look at this picture, I am reminded of something He did say a couple days ago. I am reminded that He is not quiet, because as I made this shirt, he spoke to me and guided my creativity.
I am also reminded that I am simply not listening. He is speaking, and I am too caught up in demanding answers that I want, and not willing to sit down, be still, and recieve the truth that He offers.

Life

Life that is wrapped up in Christ's death. And only by His death , by the shedding of blood from hands, feet and side, do I truely have life.

And because of death I have everything.

And that is the truth. That is life. As it should be.
And I complain that I have nothing.
And I demand that I need answers.

But really, I don't.



(the shirt above is called "redemtion". I made it for myself last week....didn't know it was speak to me today!)

back to Imperfect Prose http://canvaschild.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

All about God

This is a post by my husband, who started to write down the things we talked about one day while I was driving. I was going to re write it, but I love the honesty in the way he describes what I have been expiriencing.


My wife and I work for Youth for Christ, a christian ministry in which we work to see young people come to Christ and are lit on fire by the Holy Spirit.
With that we have two little boys, run a drop-in and have very little time for each other to date...SO, when we get the chance we love to drive with one another and talk, share stories, hold hands (when traffic is good) and talk about Jesus and where we are at with Him.

Today, we are on a trip to Toronto and we are driving, listening to worship music and I am realizing something about God...something I have known before, but this time its deeper, more real, it has more color, its fresh, new and vibrant...it leaves my heart thirsting for Him like that glass of water that your drinking and its so good you drink greedily to the point water overflows and runs out of the cup, down your cheeks, on your chin and drips on your shirt.

Melissa has gone through some pretty cool inner healing in the last few months. She was able to attend a training event called Summer Institute and while leading worship there, she met a REALLY good friend. His name is Martin, he also works with YFC and is the exact male version of Melissa. On top of all this Melissa has made a really good friend with another girl named Emily. Through Martin , God has helped Melissa realize some deep rooted fear about herself and has brought up and out some insecurities in herself. In bringing these fears out, we have been able to pray and see God do some incredible healing work in her life. As healing and life started to flow through Melissa again she started a new sewing line called ‘life line’ a brand of home made clothing that has a prophetic edge to it.

In Melissa’s creative side and many other sides she has never been affirmed and encouraged...Along comes Emily, a beautiful artist of words and brush, who seems to have a great respect and love for my wife.

Now here’s the cool part.
Martin, by personality is truthful, he will speak the truth even if it hurts.
Emily is a compassionate and nourishing person who has been the encouraging backbone to Melissa’s new life.

I find it amazing that God has brought her two friends to bring about some real change in her life! One, a guy that she cannot get too close to for obvious reasons, who is able to point her to really look to why she is the way she is and the other is a girl who is able to provide Melissa with the care that the guy cannot.

Do you SEE it? God has set this up. See, the danger in any situation like this is you don’t see the gift of a cross gender friend, so the fruit of old can turn a gift into a curse.

HOWEVER God has sent her two friends to bring about significant change in her life. God is behind this--Melissa could see this as just two cool friends that challenge her, but instead she sees this as God working and giving her what she needs to be free of habits and mindsets that have held her in fear and sin for years.

God sent friends into her life to free her for Him. The friends are not the important thing at this point, they are as faceless checkpoints for the Bride to gather the strength to see the bridegroom beckoning her to himself.

Its ALL about God.

-by Adam Shepski

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

"Breath of Life"

In the begining of June I had inspiration.
It was like a flood gate opened up and an out pouring started to happen.
God's unplugged some stuff in my life and made a clearer path for me to hear Him.

So began my "Life Line", a line of clothing God inspired and Spirit directed. Sounds odd, I know.

As I began to pray for certain people, ideas would pop into my head, I'd draw them out, and then make them into the shirts you can see below on my blog.

But I had 2 designs that had no people.


So I have been praying for people to go with the designs. And waiting. Anxious to create, but making myself wait.

"Breath of Life" is the title of one of the designs.


Last week I had coffee with a friend who is currently separated from her husband. She shared her story, full of heart ache, hardship, loss, and loniness. She shared about not really knowing where God is taking her, not seeing what will come of this mess, and as she spoke,



I.Heard.God.



"Breath of Life"

It symbolizes being blown in God's winds.

The thing with wind is.....it's not really gentle. It can be rough, and sometimes it can hurt.

And like a leaf being tossed about, sometimes it is hard to tell which way is up.




But when the wind is directed by God, no matter how hurtful and hard and confusing, you can at least rest in the fact that it is Good.


As I created this piece and prayed for the wearer, it came to mind that I needed to place something on the inner part of the hood. A prayer of protection of sort.
P91
Psalm 91, now a visable prayer of protection to guard against hurtful words and old mindsets as she grows and battles against the Powers that work against her.
If you think of it, pray for my friend. She is an incredible woman of Faith, a true follower of our Lord and King. She is a woman of wisdom, and remains steadfast to the promises of Christ Jesus.



a part of Imperfect Prose at http://canvaschild.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 6, 2010

"Pour Out My Heart"





"I have a hard time sharing what's on my heart,
yet I desire to share, willing to if someone would listen....
this shirt is a visible expression of who I really am."




(what this shirt means to the wearer)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

"Life"



















"A tree always grows,

always pushs through,

and in season it always bears fruit.

This is Life."


(what this shirt means to the wearer)