Gallery Wednesday - Worship

""Restore My Soul" - by The Choir

I've been thinking a lot about how my decay inspires me to worship God, the divine. This was a rather easy card to put together. I mean how can you make depravity presentable? I really let myself get sloppy and it only added to the effect.

The lyrics to this song by The Choir are full of imagery:

"I crawl to you with 10 fingers blistered from turning the pages of sin...

With my vertebrae twisted from dancing with creatures of night...

Restore my soul.""
- Erin

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"I absolutely love the garden. My husband and I... worked feverishly the past month to put in a perennial garden. It was such hard work! We live in an area that is filled with huge rocks and stones so digging even the smallest holes was a challenge.

I feel this way a lot of times about my relationship with the Lord. My heart is the earth filled with so many hard rocks and stones that are so difficult to work with and remove. The Lord is so gracious though - with His love for me, even as a sinner - He plants those seeds within us and as long as we are willing to nurture them and care for them by living by God's plan, in time, we will grow with much wisdom and love and in our own right become the beautiful flowers in our Father's garden." - Trinh

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"I wanted to create (a card about) the names and characteristics that I use to describe my God." - Dena

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"I wanted a card to represent Christ and what sin did to Him on the cross. He was bruised for our transgressions. His body was beaten, torn, spit upon, hit and treated with utter disrespect."

"The scars are still there but He is healed. The visible scars remain for us to see but the bruising and violence of the cross are over. They are made right. " - Becky

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

""You Are Holy " - by Nichole Nordeman

This was one of my most difficult themes. The Trinity is so beyond my comprehension that I am indeed inspired to worhship.

I wanted to capture the essence of the Trinity without being cliché. In the end, I had a big pile of "visual gunk". I decided to scrap it all and go simple. And I'm much more satisfied.

I chose to do the triptych design to reinforce the idea of three parts making a whole." - Erin

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"This card is obviously chaotic and not very attractive. This is exactly the look I wanted in representing the chaos in my life right now. This also represents a difficult time in my life... there's too much to even mention. There were many times it was difficult for me to worship. Jason and I realized that these things were happening for a reason while our selfish desires and motives made it hard at times to believe this, we continue to pray for direction from Him." - Trinh

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"Simple and elegant.

Make it "pop out" as it should in my heart. Keep the visual close and I stay closer on my path. I wanted to add color and when adding the green, they reminded me of the nails - not pointed, not round - painful.

This card represents the brightness I can look for at the cross. The nails Jesus took for me are illustrated in the green paper." - Dena

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"I've heard it said that the blood of martyrs is the fuel for spreading the gospel. When we let go and allow God to consume us, all of us to the core of who we are, we are refined and we burn for others to see. How terrifying it is to say we are God's fuel - when a match is lit and it is near fuel, the reaction is immediate, explosive. What would it look like if we really lived as though we were God's fuel." - Becky

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"Christ Before Me" by Margaret Becker

I made this card after a particularly rough couple of weeks in general. I was getting frustrated with the decay in my world and my inability to handle that decay in a godly manor.

I felt as if life was a pack of dogs nipping at my heels. No rest. No end. No resolution. And no one was going to "be nice" to me (according to my definition!). And I just kept fighting for my rights.

This is a powerful song about continuing to abide in Christ, to be filled with His power and to allow the Holy Spirit to change my perspective.

"Christ above me, Christ beside me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me..."

If only I could learn to submerge myself in Him so that I can be His perfect bride. " - Erin

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"I once did a bible study with two of my girlfriends called "Loving Your Husband" by Cynthia Heald. The author writes, "A wife rightly related to her Lord will be a wife rightly related to her husband." This card represents my love and commitment to my husband, Jason. He is truly such a gift from God and I adore him with all of my heart. But, as with any relationship, it takes a lot of communication and commitment. The same goes for our relationship with the Lord." - Trinh

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"Some days are such a struggle to stay in the right mind frame. Satan attacks from all directions and sometimes he gets in the barriers." - Dena

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Gallery Wednesday - Worship

"Words that represent worship to me." - Becky

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Gallery Wednesday - Judges wrap-up

I did this little piece of art in the front cover of a book I was studying. It's in the form of a tattoo and was done in colored pencils.

To tell you about my drawing above and give my wrap-up of Judges, I'll tell you a funny method I've used for memorizing scripture.

One of the very first verses I memorized was Philippians 1:21: For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. But after that I had a lot of trouble memorizing scripture. I decided the problem was that I couldn't remember the numbers. To solve the problem, I decided to memorize all the 1:21 and 21:1 verses in the Bible instead. I mean, it's not like there are any bad verses in the Bible to memorize, right?

He Means What He says and He Says What He Means

The book of Judges is written in a very matter-of-fact style: this happened and then this happened. This form has not endeared this book to me. I want to know how these people were feeling when they made their decisions. What was going through their mind. Were they conflicted? How did they get to where they are in these events? So many questions.

But this methodical rhythm of chronicling Israel's history does make the points of Judges very clear. An obvious one is that God means what He says and says what He means. Although this seems seriously harsh because of the repercussions Israel suffered, it really is good news. For example it reminded me of one of those 21:1 verses I memorized.

The Lord visited Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised. - Genesis 21:1

What a profound little verse! You can almost hear the sarcasm in the writers tone. He's sort of rubbing it in that God made a promise and, oh, look at that, He kept it. So even if we doubt Him or try to take things into our own hands, God still means what He says. It tells me I can hold Him to it. I can count on all those promises He's made me for an abundant life.

Choose Life

God had an abundant life in mind for Israel. You can go back to when He explained how tremendously great things could be now that they were no longer enslaved in Egypt and His very chosen people:

Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other. What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are about to possess. - Deuteronomy 30:15-16

Wow! Life, prosperity, numerous, and blessed. Doesn't seem like a hard choice, huh? Just love Him, pursue Him, and Obey Him. That's it, right?

Guard Your Heart

So, given this clear three-step process for an abundant life, how is it that so few, like Hannah and Samuel, end up making the choice for life when so many in Israel didn't? A verse I learned recently about life is Proverbs 4:23:

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. - Proverbs 4:23, NASB

Maybe Hannah and Samuel were diligent to protect their heart. Maybe they knew if they were going to protect their love for the Lord, they would be attacked in their heart. Samson certainly didn't protect his heart.

I know my heart has been ransacked by those I've loved who don't promise me life. I've pursued those who don't mean what they say or keep their promises and found myself empty afterward. And I've obeyed my own desires, leaving my heart vulnerable to fear and drought.

The results truly are disastrous.

So treasure God's love in your heart. Guard it with diligence and you can count on God when He says, "You will live."

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 6

Smile

I was thinking about the Play Your Hand question:

How do your actions/treatment of strangers reflect your spiritual condition?

We've talked a lot in our small group about how we can make a difference in our everyday life because we come in contact with so many people on a daily basis. Just count the number of people that simply see your face in a single day - from the cashier at the drive-thru to your co-workers, from the people standing in line behind you at the grocery to the person who cuts your hair.

This question reminded me of the gallery I did for Week 5 where I talked about how I don't use my gifts which require me to interact with people. My tendency is to sequester myself in front of my computer. But I also isolate myself when I'm out in public. You may know the moves. Look straight ahead, don't make eye contact, pretend to be looking at something in your purse, or look at the ground in front of you. I am way too good at this. So I've started working at making eye contact, smiling, and saying hi if I don't think it will freak people out. Lucky for me, people in the south are very friendly and polite, so this should be received very well.

This may seem like a silly little thing but think what my face and body language must say about my spirit. I'm unapproachable, stoic, too busy for you, and not happy. Is this a true reflection of my spirit? It shouldn't be because this is not the spirit that is really in me. Why am I hiding it away and not sharing it?

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 6

Free Key

I love the way ideas come from a long line rabbit trails. I was thinking about the Shuffle the Deck idea of making a name tag for your work space. I thought I'd write on the tag all the things I was allowed to do in that work space. Then it hit me. Instead of a name tag, I'd make a key tag because keys unlock things and I needed my imagination and silliness to be freed in my workspace.

I tried to make this as simple as possible but when I was done, I didn't like the old key I used and thought of a more make believe key I could make. I'm going off now to design a key to an imaginary place where you dance on the beach, the sun plays loud rock music, bunny rabbits don't run away when you try to pet them, flip-flops are worn all year round, the sand is mixed with glitter, and cotton candy is served instead of salads.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 5

Locked Away

For this weeks Play Your Hand, I made two columns on a piece of paper. On the left I listed my strengths; on the right I listed my weaknesses. Then I stepped back to see if I could make any observations by comparing and contrasting the lists. Something obvious stood out pretty quickly.

My strengths had to do with interacting with people, my weaknesses isolate me. If I'm ever going to maximize my strengths, increase my joy, glorify God, and worship in the beauty around me, I've simply got to get out more.

So my SPS card is double sided. On one side, I represent the "alone me", the weaknesses side. There I am, at my computer, reading and generally... computing stuff, I guess.


On the other side I tried to represent my strengths. The computer may be in there but it's not what stands out. And neither do I. There's so many people to help and experience and I could miss that is I stay safely on the weaknesses side of the card, alone with my computer.
I didn't notice it until after I'd cut out the little picture of the computer that, on the screen, was a bunch of people, like on the strengths side of my card. I do a lot of social networking online but I thought this little bitty depiction of a group of people was a great contrast to the large group on the opposite side of the card.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 5

Take Me Away

For this weeks Shuffle, I'm selecting to take some pictures of my cathedral - a place where I'm inspired.
Most people know that I love the beach. You might find it surprising that I actually don't like water but I love laying on the beach. The sounds and smells are so relaxing to me.

I experienced God's cathedral when I was at Reynolda Village, laying on my back on their lush lawn looking up through the enormous pine trees at the blue sky. Suddenly I felt like I was in the chapel that God built.

There is a more readily available place I can go and I went there today. My bathtub. There's just nothing like a steaming hot bubble bath. I light a candle, put on some Benedictine monks or sounds of the ocean, and lay back on my plastic pillow. (You may notice I don't have a picture for this. You're lucky; I thought of it but not until after my soak.)

I find it interesting that all of these have my laying down which changes my perspective and shuts out as much of the busy world around me as possible. I'm able to concentrate on the sensations available.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 4

I didn't get a card up for Gallery Wednesday; things have just been crazy this past week. (And you guys aren't helping! Is anyone else making cards? Is anyone out there - there - there - there? Hello - Hello - Hello - Hello?)

This "card", for what it's worth, is the best I can do for this week. It just goes to show you sometimes it's not the art or the time, it's just getting your feelings on the page.

So how does this card apply to you?
What verse or quote would you attach to this card?

SoulPerSuit Goes on Retreat

SoulPerSuit went on retreat recently. Here's a photo diary of our time:


Gilded frames awaiting masterpieces


Some participants needed time to unwind and let their thoughts lie peacefully.



Some participants chose to continue a long-running conversation with the Lord.





Some needed a chance to begin a conversation or come to terms with what God was doing in them.




Others used it as an opportunity to free up their worship experience.



Some used it as a means to process the weekend's teaching times in I John.


Everyone enjoyed a time to fellowship and create together over a common purpose.


Gilded frames overflowing with our words and pictures. Blessing each other and blessing the Lord.



Interested in incorporating SoulPerSuit on a retreat? Ask us how.

Gallery Wednesday - Judges 4

One of the Plays for this week was to color a monochromatic face with colors that describe my mood today.

I quickly sketched a female face on watercolor paper and then outlined it using a sharpie. I have a lot of Fernanda Guedes influences in there. I love her portraits.

Lucky for me, I think, I was in a really great mood today. The sun is out, the temperatures are mild, I got a fantastic haircut, did some shopping, splurged on a latte, and my husband started a job after six months of unemployment. Pretty much all the best things that can happen in one day.

My face turned out looking a lot like a transvestite but I felt very colorful, bright, and happy to be me today. Pink is my happy color for 2009. I wanted the portrait to appear friendly and psychedelic. The flame hair may not really fit with "friendly".