Out of the Overflow

I want to be motivated to serve God because I am filled up and overflowing with his grace and beauty, not because of fear, or shame or guilt!

Mary Freeman (A Splendid Adventure Studio) says "As I come to experience God's unconditional love for me in greater measure, my heart becomes more his, my desires become more his, my life becomes more his."

I can so relate to that! In my journey of faith I have often struggled with feeling accepted by God because I felt I had to perform to earn his love and acceptance. If I read my Bible or went to church or prayed, I was “OK”. If I didn’t, I was not OK in God’s eyes. But I was wrong!  God has been teaching me that all of my life can be sacred --- if I only offer it to him!

I have been learning to think of making my art as a spiritual discipline! Generally we don't think of “discipline” as something we enjoy, or at least my free-spirit-creative-self doesn’t think so! In his book “Spiritual Journaling”, Richard Peace says that Spiritual disciplines provide an avenue through which we can approach God and learn about God and that journaling is a spiritual discipline that can help us pay attention to God. It is a way of hearing and responding to God. He is referring to journaling that is strictly writing, but I have found that it can be the same for Art Journaling! When I invite God to be with me while I am Art Journaling about my Faith, I experience more joy! Joy for the sheer beauty and wonderfulness (is that a word?) of playing with my art supplies and a journal AND joy for spending time with God.

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” C. S. Lewis

John Ortberg, pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church tells the story about his young daughter who sometimes,  when she just can't hold her joy in any longer,  will dance around the room in circles singing “Dee dah day, dee dah day, dee dah day”! That’s the kind of Joy in the Lord I am looking for! And sometimes I find it in mixing scripture or prayers with color and paint and stamps and markers and pens and scrapbooking supplies and old book pages and glue! 

I see the different art mediums I use in making visual art as God's gifts to me. He knows that making art and creating feed my soul and bring me joy. He also knows that when I combine my art making with scriptures and words of faith it embeds his word in my heart, draws me closer to him and inspires and encourages me to live for him, out of the overflow.