by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
A favorite childhood memory took place out back behind my grandmother’s house. There, on her scuffed red cement steps I concocted masterpieces in the form of mud pies. People came from miles around just to taste a morsel. Or at least that’s the world my only-child mind created.
“From the old lady who fills a page with doodling as she talks on the phone, to the man who welds dinosaurs in the middle of the desert out of wrecked car parts, all around us are examples of this mysterious, powerful urge to create, to be creative, to live out or somehow respond to the beauty of our creative Father. We are driven to create at this deep wordless level of the soul because we are all fashioned in the image of God who is an Artist.” – Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand
“God is an artist and he is beautiful. He has woven his image into the fabric of our lives, which explains our drive to create things which are beyond us and which we don’t always understand.” – Michael Card
Try this: Consider the sanctuary of your church and other church sanctuaries where you have worshiped. Which space best expressed the beauty of the Lord and drew your heart toward him, and why? You may want to sketch the spaces to remind yourself of how they looked and the elements they contained.
Now suppose you have the job of designing a church sanctuary. How would you make it reflect the beauty of the Creator. Sketch out some plans. Don’t worry about the quality of your artwork. –Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand Study Guide
How did your creative spark play out when you were a child?
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
In need of a mid-week pick-me-up? Michael Card to the rescue! Few people sooth my soul like Michael Card. We’ve all heard of Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Michael is the Soul Whisperer. God’s Spirit uses his words, both in word and song, to bring about indescribable stillness to our deepest parts, inviting the Holy Spirit to weave His way where He will. So, with that, enjoy today’s excerpt from Michael’s Scribbling in the Sand, along with a creativity exercise shared in the study guide.
Creativity is not about me. It is not about you. It is not us somehow acting like little gods, creating our own in the same way God creates. The most we can hope for is to respond appropriately and creatively to who God is and what he means. – Michael Card
Creativity is a response. – Michael Card
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| Courtesy of Pixabay |
Try this: On a clear night, go out and gaze at the night sky while you repeat Psalm 8:1 silently or aloud. If you wish, commit the entire psalm to memory and speak it aloud as you look at the heavens. Let God’s works turn your thoughts to him and to your place in his creation. Go inside and write your thoughts, perhaps in the form of a psalm. If you cannot see the night sky very well where you live, gaze at the daytime sky—in any weather. Say the words of Psalm 8:1 and make notes of your feelings and thoughts as above. – Michael Card, with Dale and Sandy Larson, Scribbling in the Sand Study Guide.
Your Turn: When you gaze at the sky what leaves you in awe of God’s wonder the most?
LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
Psalm 8:1
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Ready to strengthen your muscles? Your creative ones, I mean. Turns out, those who are more active are more likely to be creative than those who are sedentary.
So, grab your walking shoes, racquet, roller blades, or any other torture device equipment and let’s invite our Creative Self on a date, thanks to Julia Cameron, The Miracle of the Artist’s Date:
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| Image courtesy of Pixabay/Ryan McGuire |
“Go Rollerblading. Strap on some skates and feel your spirit start to glide. This date pays dividends in fitness and in creativity. The regular stroke-stroke-stroke fires the imagination. Songwriters “catch” lyrics. Poets catch poems. Your muscles, too, will thank you for the workout.”
What’s one simple way you can feed your creativity this week by being more active? Feel free to share in the comment section!
And, CONGRATS to Beth Fortune, the winner of last Monday’s drawing via Random Name Picker!
Related Post:
Regular Exercise Could Boost Creativity, Huffington Post
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Care to join me for a stroll in my garden on this sizzling
summer day?
E-X-H-A-L-E
Granted, my garden has seen better days. Days when wisteria
didn’t strangle the life from my beloved hydrangeas and lilies. Days when I
wasn’t as timid about stepping on fire ants (I’m deathly allergic!), helping to keep weeds at bay. At some point, I grew tired of the battle and bowed to the power invasive plants demand.
Still, there are moments when I step outside, exhale and
stand in awe of God’s artistic flair:
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist. After all, Buttercup is now part of the landscape — and a beaut!)
Thank you for joining me for the stroll as well as the June series.
This Wednesday, I’ll announce our NEW
series for July but in the meantime, I have two gifts I’d love to share with
someone. One gift is a signed copy of Covert Justice by Lynn Blackburn
(remember this post?) The second gift complements our Summer Snippets theme, beach chairs and all.
Simply leave a comment on the blog and your name will be entered into a random
drawing to be held on Friday. The winner will be announced in next Monday’s
post!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Many of you know today’s special guest (and I do mean special), Michelle Cox. I first met Michelle when she led a newbie class at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference several years ago. Her snappy smile and non-apologetic Southern drawl convinced me I was among friends.
In 2014, Just 18 Summers, a novel co-authored by Michelle Cox, debuted and it’s touched thousands of lives ever since. When I heard the inspiration behind the idea for this novel I knew it was something I wanted to share with you. Enjoy!
