by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Your creative energy called. Yet the only thing it heard on the receiving end was a busy signal:
Beep. (My schedule is packed.)
Beep. (I’m not a creative person.)
Beep. (Who has the energy for creativity?)
No wonder it feels a bit neglected, even forgotten. It’s time to take the artist within on a date.
The Artist Date is a basic tool of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. She asks her students to undertake one Artist Date per week.
“I tell students to seek mystery, not mastery on their dates. I urge them to explore with childlike wonder rather than adult intellect. Artist Dates are intended to be fun.” – Julia Cameron
If at this point you’re asking why you should continue reading this post, remember: in whatever way(s) our Creator gifted you, there is a place for creativity…for He is most creative of all.
Save the Date:
The first Artist Date Julia proposes is this: go to a park. “A park is a very concentrated dose of beauty. Note the plantings carefully plotted out. Note the diversity of the vegetation. You may wish to carry a camera. Record your favorite sight. Allow yourself to dawdle. Soak in the season. Give yourself at least an hour. Scoop up a pine cone. Fill your pockets with acorns. Feel your mind unkinking. Say hello to your soul.”
You’re Invited:
What nearby park would be the perfect place for your first Artist Date?
“Art is an image-using system,” I tell students. “Imagine yourself as having an inner trout pond filled with images. When you use your creativity, you are drawing from this inner pond. When you draw on it heavily, you will over-fish your pond. Images will be harder and harder to come by unless you begin to consciously replenish your store of images. Taking your Artist Date replenishes your pond.” – Julia Cameron
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Today, I’d like to introduce you to a recent favorite read, “Playdates with God…Having a Childlike Faith in a Grown-Up World,” by Laura J. Boggess.
In this book she shares how she was once a rule-follower. She went from one extreme to another, as legalists often do. Tangled up in the to-do’s, her soul found no rest.
Holley Gerth’s endorsement rings true: “Laura Boggess invites us into intimacy with God in the everyday moments of life. This intimacy is not about striving but rather enjoying, not about laboring but instead, being loved, not about losing ourselves but about finally being found in the ways we’ve longed for all our lives.”
In Chapter 4, titled Bird Watching, the joy of new beginnings, Laura reminds us of what it felt like in the early stages of romantic love. Remember that feeling? We thought of him/her throughout the day, we couldn’t spend enough time with our new-found love, and sometimes we couldn’t eat because of the excitement (this one has always eluded me).
Think back to the time you first fell in love with Jesus. I know for me I couldn’t get enough of His Word, being around His people, or jotting down notes. Although my love for His Word has not wavered over the years, I admit some of the fervor has at times.
James 4:8 tells us, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Sometimes it’s as simple as recognizing His ever-so-close presence in our daily lives.
Save the Date:
Laura shares how each time she approaches God in her home, she lights a candle. “God doesn’t need that candle to meet with me. But I do. Every time my mind gets distracted, all I need to do is glance at that flickering flame, and I am reminded that I am not alone. It is because of my own weakness that I seek out ways to bring my mind and heart into awareness that there is more to this world than what my eyes can see. God is so much much more than I can understand.”
Similarly, I’ve added a chair nearby to remind me of His presence during my quiet time with Him.
You’re Invited:
How about you? Is there something you do, or have done in the past, to remind you of your First Love’s ever abiding presence?
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2:4, 5a
And the winner of last week’s drawing for the Soy Lavender Field candle is…Mary Beth Dahl! Congratulations, Mary Beth, and thanks to all those who participated. Stay tuned for this month’s drawing later in May!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
May is “National Date Your Mate Month” but we’re going to add our own creative spin (pun intended) to the mix.
This month, I’ll be sharing a variety of ways to date—but not just our mate. I’ll be using these two main resources, along with anything else the Lord lays on my heart to share:
- Playdates with God, by Laura J. Boggess
- Artist Dates, by Julia Cameron
We’ll explore what it means to spend time with God in fresh and unique ways through Laura’s book and through Julia’s, we’ll learn how to nurture our God-given creative selves through one-in-one dates.
I’m excited about our May dates. How about you?
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 12:9-10
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
So here we are on the final day of our April theme and the one post I didn’t want to write refuses to loosen its grip.
Truth is, I selfishly chose this subject because I feel like a total failure when it comes to exuding joy. I look at others who seem to naturally tap into that particular fruit of the Spirit with such ease and wonder why it seems more difficult for me. Is it because I’m a bona fide melancholy introvert?
While preparing to kick off the April series, I said to a friend, “I’m not a naturally joyful person.” And there it was — my answer.
There’s nothing natural about biblical joy.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds… James 1:2
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…1 Peter 1:8
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Be joyful always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
Biblical joy isn’t grounded in a particular temperament
or swayed by outward circumstances.
It is the supernatural manifestation of Christ
that flows in and through us.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. There’s still much exploring to do on the subject of joy so maybe we’ll pick it up again another month.
Coming Up in May…
In the meantime, let me give you a sneak peek into May’s theme: Save the Date – Engaging God and Your Creative Senses. You may just be surprised by the ideas that unfold next month. The new posts begin Monday, May 4th. Hope to see you there!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Why can’t perfume be banned?
It’s the question I ponder when my temples balloon to planetary proportions thanks to those who bathe in their perfume instead of spritzing it. I’ll skip entire aisles at the grocery store to avoid their sillage. (Hey, there’s a new word!)
I recently learned that in the perfume industry the word sillage is used when referring to the trail left by a perfume in the wake of its wearer. I immediately thought of Fragrant Ink as the very premise of this blog is to encourage and challenge myself, along with others, to leave a Christ-infused sillage wherever we go.
No sense remains in the
memory like scent. There is nothing we remember more strongly than pleasant
smells, except perhaps unpleasant smells. “Thus the apostle wished that
his life might be a sweet perfume, floating on the air, reminding me, and above
all reminding God, of Christ.” (Meyer)
As this month’s theme on joy comes to a close this week, I can’t help but ask myself:
What scent remains in my wake?
The sweet aroma of Christ or the stench of flesh?
For nothing is more joyful or eternal
than the fragrance of Christ.
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April Giveaway! Speaking of senses, this month’s gift from me to you is a Signature Soy candle with the fragrance of Lavender Fields? Simply leave a comment and your name will be included in the random drawing set for Monday, May 4th. The winner will be announced on the blog! (US winners only, please.)
