wisdom for all

McElroy has a variety of inspiring quotes and passages in a section of the book.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
― Marianne Williamson, Return to Love (New York: HarperCollins, 1992), 190.

I apparently helped to liberate another yesterday. The owner of a local service station was out as I drove home. He was getting ready to kayak so I pulled in to say hi. I told him I was leaving employment again, he started telling me he has been thinking about selling the shop to live a new chapter – saying my stopping by was just what he needed for encouragement. He didn’t realize how much it was mutual for my own faith journey too!

We do need to share our stories with others. Thank you all for doing that here – you bring your inspiration to so many!

YOU SHINE!

See you next week – I’m off on a creative adventure retreat!

in the world

The deeper we go, the more we realize that the call to be “in the world but not of it” is a colossal struggle. At the beginning of a Christian walk, it may seem that just knowing Who has saved you is enough. And often it is, but there is a point where the challenge of walking out a sanctified life becomes clear, and we are faced with arrested growth or the pain of going to the next level. And this is where we rediscover that so many attitudes in the world, upon close, honest analysis, are directly opposed to God’s heart. We can expect the unsaved to pursue these attitudes with no recognition of their opposition to God, but Christians who continue to embrace unscriptural attitudes without their conscience being pricked probably are not hearing the voice of the Spirit. To consistently hear the Holy Spirit and sense God’s heart, we must purify our hearts. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8). I believe He was speaking not only about seeing God in Heaven, but also about seeing the essence of God, the heart and desires of God, in daily life.

I’ve found that when I get some things in order in my life, eliminate distractions, and set my attitudes right, I have a better chance of hearing God’s voice. pg 100-101

Our preconceived notions take the place of listening to God because we think we know what is happening or what should happen in our lives or circumstances. pg 103

dangerous things

sugar island 2009

The rest of this week I’ll be sharing from the book by J. Scott McElroy Finding Divine Inspiration: Working with the Holy Spirit in your Creativity.

I’m VERY excited for the weekend seminar!

I started praying only honest prayers. I didn’t pray “safe” stuff, but instead expressed real thoughts and feelings and asked for dangerous things – things that I really needed. I tried to really depend on His provision instead of taking care of everything myself and leaving only the “impossible” things to Him. I thought, If God is real and He cares about my life, then let’s do it! I decided to open myself up and ask Him to work, without setting up all my contingency plans in case He didn’t come through. By the way, contingency plans are one of the reasons why “it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24). Money can buy you more options. You may think you don’t need to depend on God because you have other ways to accomplish things. Jesus’ heart was close to the poor because they knew they needed His help! We need to learn this attitude in order to develop a listening lifestyle. pg 86

closer to heaven

Some opportunities you can’t pass by.

J. Scott McElroy, author of “Finding Divine Inspiration,” is bringing an array of speakers and creatives for a weekend of sharing on “The Creative Church”

Using the arts in worship, healing, outreach and more. Prayer rooms, creative time, I will be soaking. Maybe in a hotel pool but the days for the event look packed full of God’s goodness.

Indy Schedule.

I can already see how this can work in life, art, church, community and with our Haitian Artisans. I even look forward to the hours in the car. Watching the scenery is therapeutic to me!

Thank you Lord for bringing this so close and “creating” such a time as this!!!

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:4-10