a fresh start

i am feeling renewed & refreshed in this new year & have high hopes to see what God will do in me, through me, as well as with my family & art.

we ended the year by taking a quick trip to kansas city, missouri to visit Demdaco (which is absolutely beautiful & made me AGAIN in awe that i have the privilege of being one of their artists!!!! pinch me now). we also attended the "one thing" conference put on by ihop (international house of prayer ... not the pancakes). sam & i actually had time alone, i think the first trip we've done without the kids since pumpkin-poo's has been born.

it was really quite an amazing experience and very spiritually refreshing. you see, though my whole focus & intent is on Scripture art & bringing God's Word "to life" in a new & visual way, i had, by the end of last year, gotten away from my own hunger & thirst for His Word. when i did make time for my readings, it was just that ... reading. not much life to it. just another task to check off in my life.

so, to enter into "one thing" where there were literally more than 15,000 people just waiting to meet with God and be touched by His Spirit, it was inspiring and brought me back to who i really am... His child. there is much to say about the conference, but i think i will sum it up in a few things i felt i learned there:

1. God's salvation truly creates a new life. (which is why the above image is posted). He came to set us free, to give us a living hope, redemption, and healing. i think sometimes i must think that is for the future when i am in heaven, but now i am more & more convinced that we are to live out those promises every day, really embracing and asking God for wholeness, restoration, & healing in whatever needed area in our lives.

2. He is our perfect Father who loves us madly, has chosen us, dances over us, sings over us, and cares for us more than we can imagine.

3. We are to partake in His mission in His world. He chooses to work through our giftings, our passions, our brokenness, our entire life (if we let Him) (more on this later)

4. I was actually incredibly encouraged in my artwork & had a few dreams of future work (cannot wait to get them out of my head this year :)

ok, that was much more than i wanted to say...
in any case, i do not normally make new year resolutions, but this year i must. i am telling you, by december of last year i felt like a robot at times. i am a work horse. i can get a million tasks done, but i just felt worn & a bit lost.

so, i have decided (prayerfully & with the accountability of a friend :) that we will be reading the Bible chronologically, using Tyndale's one year chronological Bible to force me into His Word daily. (plus, i love the design of this cover, even though in this image you cannot see the 2 woodcut fish)

i am actually almost done with genesis. i am not an avid reader, so this will be a challenge, but i just hope God keeps me faithful to Himself this year.

gotta go, i should be reading...

grace & peace,
julie