Was out blog reading for a bit at lunch time and I came across this question:

William Hazlitt wrote an essay on persons one would wish to have seen. I would like to ask you this question “Who are the persons you would wish to have known?”

Honestly I couldn’t come up with a good answer that was more than a half truth. So I was perusing the comment section and found a very personal and meaningful response from someone about her father.

That is what sparked this answer in me:

Now I know. It would be my great grandmother (my mom’s maternal grandma). My grammy speaks often of her mother and how she wishes I had met her. My grammy also tells me often how much I remind her of her mom.

Thanks for this. Would not have thought of this until just now. It was a blessing.
Thank you.

What about you? Is there anyone you would wish to have known?

Feed the fish!

Exodus 31:1-11

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel…and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab…to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand—and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you.”

I found this scripture from Renee Johnson’s devotional today. Her post is here: Artsy Fartsy

God picked this particular man, Bezalel, and has filled him with the Holy Spirit. This blessing from God has brought out his artistic skills, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to enabled him to make artistic designs in different mediums with beautiful craftsmanship. But God did not just pick Bezalel; God also appointed and enabled additional craftsmen to be assistants.

In your life you may be appointed to be the guy/girl in charge. If that’s you, use your gifts to pursue what the Spirit is calling you to do; but, don’t spend your time on something that is a job for your assistant. He/she has been chosen to be the assistant and if you try to take over their ministry, you’re denying them the opportunity to use their gifts.

Whatever your passion is, God has picked you, filled you with the Holy Spirit, and given you the skills and abilities to pursue your passion. But, sometimes it may be that you are appointed to be an assistant. It is just as important for you to allow the Holy Spirit to guide everything you do as an assistant.

Click here to view the rest of this post on The Worship Center Blog.

at least that’s what I told my husband. And, well, really its gone. I have been wanting to write a blog post about some things that have been happening in my life, but tonight the words aren’t flowing. So, I think I’m just going to post a couple of art pieces. This past weekend The Worship Center hosted a booth at our community art walk. Part of our booth was an art table: a long table with blank paper set out along with crayons, markers, colored pencils, construction paper, glue sticks, and pens/pencils. We wanted a couple of examples done up to leave on the table to help people get started. Here are two that I made.




I was hoping they would inspire someone at the art walk to sit down and create their own.

I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you with the shadow of my hand—
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,
and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ ”
Isaiah 51:16

This was very reassuring to me today. Last week our washing machine started leaving puddles of water on the floor when I used it and then our air conditioner motor gave out. Over the weekend it seemed like additional mini-disasters just kept piling up. Its things like this that make me say “This stinks! But we must be doing something right. But this stinks!” My husband and I we talking and we have found that it doesn’t matter what you’re doing, whether you’re pastoring a church or starting a brand new non-profit for the purpose of worshiping God, if you are actively engaged in the ministry, things will happen with the potential to distract you from your purpose.

My family is in one of those times right now. But I keep praying for God to give me the energy I need and the patience I could so desperately use. And then today I found this verse in Isaiah. The verse that reaches off the page and grabs my hand and says, “I have put my words in your mouth, and covered you with the shadow of my hand—I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth,”.

The same God who laid the foundations of the earth and who set the heavens in place is telling me which words to say and giving me shelter in the shadow of his hand. That God, my God, cares enough about me to give me the words He wants me to say and to provide my weary soul with shelter in the shadow of His hand. In the shadow of His hand, it is enough for me to only be in the shadow of God’s hand. I could be in the palm of His hand or in His clenched fist, but His provision is enough that even the shadow His hand casts offers enough protection for me.

I may feel as though my mental, emotional and spiritual strength has been broken, but the God who set the heavens in place and laid the foundations of the earth is covering me with the shadow of his hand. Praise Him!

This is worship.
This is my mouse path for an hour that I spent in Photoshop working on flyers & mailings for The Worship Center while listening to the David Crowder*Band on iTunes.
This is worship.
This is me fully engrossed in creating something using the gifts God gave me.
This is a representation of my commitment to follow the vision God has given us.
This is worship.

Please jump over to The Worship Center Blog to continue reading my post: http://blog.ajourneyofworship.com

I don’t think it turned out too bad. I started out much worse but, like everything else, you have to keep working on it and we got up to satisfactory.

What do you think?

This is the latest artsy-type thing I’ve finished.  The picture frame in the center sparked the idea and the outside border sort of materialized as I began pulling some things I liked out of my old magazines.

The center got blocked out by the flash.  It should read: “What matters is not the destination, but the journey.”

I found this from my husband, who linked to it from his blog, but it was so cool I just to share it here. Just as a side note, my current ringtone on my phone is the overworld theme music for this game.
Enjoy!

Super Mario Bros. from Andreas Heikaus on Vimeo.

“Oh, I think we’re undeniably crazy…“    – my husband, Matt

We made a decision a while back, that seemed understatedly casual at the time.  But really it was a commitment to move willingly into the next stage of life that God was calling us to.  No less crazy than some of the other things God called us to.

But crazy just the same.

I feel like I’ve grown a lot personally since that last crazy call we received.  But I still believe that if God wants us here, now, at this point in time and space, then He will take care of everything we need while we’re here.

I’ve run into a couple of things today that were encouraging to my spirit.  The first one was a post by Carlos Whittaker.  If you read my blog much, I’ve quoted him before.  Today his post was about how he jumped off a bridge into a river.  He posted a picture of himself jumping, and his post talked about how you have to jump no matter what others perceive you to be doing.

The part that caught my attention was, in the photo, you could tell that he was falling downwards.  The wind was moving upwards against him as he fell.

My brain then instantly connected wind in English to the Greek word pneuma which means spirit, breath, wind and is the word used in the Bible for the Holy Spirit.

So I was left with the conclusion that the wind pushing up against Carlos as he jumped off a bridge into the water is connected to the Spirit that pushes against us when we jump off of our safe place and into God’s arms.  In those moments as we’re surrounded by nothing but air, the Pneuma that lives within us surrounds us, pushes back on us, brushes against our faces, whispers in our ears, encompasses us and reminds us that the place where we will land has already been bought and paid for.

Since our decision, I’ve been trying to make a conscious effort to be more aware of the Holy Spirit’s moving.  It seems so much easier and so much more natural to wait for the wind to blow than to try and find it.  I’m trying to pray regularly throughout the day so that I can be sensitive to even the lightest breeze in my day.  So that even the faintest breath of wind can sway my mind, my heart, my attitude, my actions towards God.

I hope that if the Pneuma blew, I would have the courage to move even like this: