Category: creativity

Dance: To Move Your Body

Let them praise his name in the dance: 
let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: 
he will beautify the meek with salvation.
(Psalm 149:3-4 KJV)


This old photo was on some mail I got from the St. Louis History Museum,
 thought it fit well with our theme today.
 It was either this or a video of me dancing! I figured you’d prefer this!

Dancing may be the last thing on your mind when you think of quiet. If you have no rhythm, like myself, you may  want to skip this idea completely. But even as I admit that I am rhythm deficient, I still like to dance unto the Lord! I love to crank up the praise music when no one is home and just move as the Spirit leads. But dance is not the only kind of movement that draws us closer to God. 

Scripture often likens our relationship with Him as a walk or even a race. I think dancing, walking, running or any exercise can give us a focus that clears our minds, placing us in a posture for deeper listening to God.

Pam Farrel agrees. Listen in as she relates her experience with dance and exercise as means to connect with God in the quiet of our hearts. (If you are kinesthetic learner, you’re gonna love this. If you’re not, you should still give this idea a try. See if God shows up in a way you never experienced before!)

Pam does admit that she is a trained dancer and gymnast, but still there is value in trying a new experience even if you’re not an expert:

I took a Jewish folk-dance class and the holiness of dance became real to me. As the teacher explained the meaning of the dances and their steps, I began to grasp the full picture of God’s plan. One dance had a step for water . . . I thought about how Jesus said, “I am the living water.”

At the moment my feet were moving to the music and doing the steps  that meant water, I knew that for me the living water is what I needed for survival . . . I had intellectually known that for years  and years, but in that moment my whole body could respond to the truth of that one simple phrase in Scripture.

If dancing doesn’t appeal to you, try taking a walk or jogging with praise music or riding your bike with the intention of listening to God.

Pam shares some research and  her experience with exercise:

Professional counselor Earl Henslin says that often it is after intense exercise and rest that our minds think clearest. I also have seen that I am most creative after I have exercised and prayed. It is as if those two activities serve as an eraser on the chalkboard of my life, wiping away the superfluous noise of busyness.

©Pam Farrel from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time (IVP). For more devotional books by Pam http://www.Love-wise.com


Can you share a time when physical activity 
helped you to connect with God?
Posted on by kelrohlf 7

Daring: Venturesomely Bold in Action or Thought {and a Giveaway}

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past. 
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland. 
(Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)

Earlier this summer, I planned to have a big celebration as I launched a new venture called souldare. Instead, I mentioned it in passing while business cards were being created and I prepared for my first ever collage workshop at a local gallery. Also in the background, I was developing the website. Over the past few weeks, I have been slowly thinking more about what this dare means for me. 

I wondered about closing out Nourishment for the Soul and just diving into souldare or combining the two in some manner. But further thought has led me to maintain both. This place has a special spot in my heart. I believe it’s a space where people come to feed on words. Over at souldare, there will still be words, but also experiences to consider. 

Click on over and see what God has been inspiring during the deep summer, explore the pages and check out the photo gallery. The inspiration tab will be another blog, where I muse about art and the created self. I believe God has created us to express our lives creatively. I want everyone to get the chance to learn more about their God created identities and how to live fully from that perspective.

Being an artist and a writer blends well for me, and now apparently I am an entrepreneur! I have a business card, a website and workshops with paying participants. I never dreamed this; it is all truly something God birthed in and through me. Amazingly my next workshop is sold out and the third one is well on its way to being full. I praise God for this new season that has arrived just as autumn sings her song of release and abundant, rich joy.

In honor of this big day here, I want to give you an opportunity to win a free copy of my book (Defining Moments: Overflowing with Living Words) and a collage kit. Leave a comment and I will randomly select a winner by next Monday.


What daring feats has God been nudging
 you to embrace this season of life?

Linking up with  Multitudes on Monday, Soli Deo Gloria Party and #TellHisStory.
Posted on by kelrohlf 18

Potential: Existing in Possibility

Jesus looked at them intently and said, 
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible. 
But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
(Mark 10:27 NLT)

Gardening offers many opportunities to observe potential. Like the other day, I noticed a rose pushing itself open, while myriad others appeared to be standing at attention awaiting their turn to bloom. Potential is beauty waiting to exist. Flowers don’t really push themselves open or even stand at attention, but as a striving human being, I personify the beauty surrounding me, rather than just absorbing their lesson. Rose buds become roses in their Creator’s perfect timing, wafting their sweet perfume across my secluded porch behind the rose-covered lattice.



Look at all that potential!



Gardens come in several varieties: the large family farm, the urban community plot or maybe a personal garden contained in various shaped pots. Being a suburbanite, my gardening feats happen around the yard and on the front porch. This year I had several options for my empty pots. I could plant flowers, herbs and even a few vegetables. My choices were as vast as the flora and fauna at our local plant nursery. The potential for combinations for the containers seemed infinite. I chose some vegetables, herbs and a few flowers. 

When I think of our human potential, especially as being created in the image of God, the options to impact this world appear infinite. I am a dreamer. So I like to dream and muse about what life would be like if we each had the time, energy and help to live out our God-created identities to the fullest, living generously and graciously toward each other, just as God lives toward us! (Matthew 5:48 The Message) This Scripture gives me a vision and informs my purpose as I understand the dream God is defining for this season of my life.

Last Friday, I made a vision board. Its inspiration came from the idea of plotting and marking off sections of a garden. I taped white strings across my piece of cardboard, wondering what God would inspire me to plant in each square. After the vision board was complete, I wrote some reflections:

I like to think of these vision boards as discovery collage. I gather images, some from my stash and others from a Better Homes and Garden magazine. I am drawn to the garden scenes in the magazine. Three phrases embody actions that speak to my dream: “a passion for planting,” and “corralling creativity,” and “pooling their resources.” These phrases resonate with my desire to help others discover what they can plant in the small spaces of their lives that will flourish and nourish their souls. My dream is to plant ideas and encourage creative approaches to live life collaboratively with Jesus always in sight. I add two images of Jesus, one is the Good Shepherd and Jesus with Arms Open in Blessing. I want to listen for His voice. I long for Him to lead me out the gate into His blessings to share with others.




Both with dreams and gardens, one must remain attentive. After I planted the container garden, the squirrels arrived to dig and play in the dirt. For a couple days, I would reset the plants that the squirrels displaced with their digging. I found a roll of screening in our garage, so I formed little tents around the plants to keep the squirrels out, while allowing the plants a place to flourish in the sun and rain. Since I took those measures, I have been able to enjoy two fresh salads from my lettuce pot. And I look forward to the celery, beets and peas later in the season. 

My dream for you, my friends, is that you will measure off some time and space to cultivate your relationship with God. I know that at certain times of life this is so difficult. However, God wants this time as much as you and I do. In love, He inspires creative ways to make it happen.
What will you plant in a small space 
of your life today to nourish your soul?

Posted on by kelrohlf 9

Thrilling Thursday: Books

Of making many books there is no end . . .
(Ecclesiastes 12:12 NKJV)


I often have a pile of books next to me on the arm of my thinking chair. I am a reader, but not often a book finisher. I find myself grazing introductions, thumbing through pages to look for visual inspiration or just reading the table of contents to see which chapter I might like to nibble on.

 
 


The pile of books, I picked for this month’s link up at What’s on Your Nightstand, inspire creativity.




Water Paper Paint by Heather Smith Jones. A beautifully illustrated book on exploring creativity with watercolor and mixed-media. I love the colorful examples and how each chapter presents a project to experiment with a technique.

The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. I don’t have a young family at home anymore, but I love Amanda’s desire to make homemade treasures with and for her young ones to explore life through nature, literature and creativity. I definitely want to sew the tote bag for pjs with a bedtime book pocket, for my nieces and nephews.

She has two other books that I recommend if you want to explore your own childlike creativity in a simple, seasonal way: The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons and Handmade Home. Amanda and her husband value family, nature and creativity. Their ideas honor our Creator. Some of their traditions appear more in line with venerating nature rather than God, yet I respect their values and recommend these books for anyone looking for high quality items to make with and for your family. I borrowed her books from our local library.

The Thinker’s Thesaurus compiled by Peter E. Meltzer. When I recently browsed the reference shelf at a local bookstore, I immediately knew I was going to add this thesaurus to my own collection. A thesaurus, yet another  favorite companion of mine. I do love a synonym for enriching my vocabulary. This thesaurus is not your common garden variety, either. The subtitle sells it as offering the reader, “Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words.” This one is definitely a vocabulary builder, rather than a pure word swap type thesaurus. Some of the synonyms offered are actually Latin or French phrases. A sample sentence with the new word in it, aids my understanding immensely. I have my red Webster’s dictionary nearby, as many of these words are beyond my knowledge. Definitely a luxury, but I think it will be a nice addition to my circle of friends.

Brave Intuitive Painting by Flora Bowley. I love the selection of art technique books available at our library. This one is a visual feast, and if I weren’t on a new kick to be frugal, I would buy this one. I think of these books as grown-up versions of picture books. I ingest the words, but the pictures feed my mind and creativity, as much as the instructions of the author. This particular book appealed to me as I explore the unknown territory of painting. I am not a trained painter, but I do believe I am an artist who expresses her self in various venues. This book has helped me to “Let go. Be Bold. Unfold,” as the subtitle invites.

It gave me the courage to write this declaration on the first page of a new art journal/sketchbook:

I am an artist
I want to art
I want to be
I want to
          express
          experiment
          explore
explode like a
popcorn kernel!

Pretty bold, don’t you think? But seriously, have you ever looked at the intricate, unique design of each popped kernel? A credit to our glorious Creator!

Last but not least, I bought this bargain book, The Art of Chinese Brush. Yes, another pictorial primer to add to my creative repertoire. Art journaling is enhanced by calligraphy, so I am on a quest to discover my style.


Update on my ” I want to” list: (One book I did finish reading in January!)

I did join our local library’s book club which motivated me to complete a book. We read The Girl Who Fell From the Sky. A novel about a young girl’s coming of age in the midst of family diversity and tragedy, her mother is Danish and her father is African-American. This is a heart wrenching story that uses several narrators to highlight the complexity of the main character’s identity crisis. I recommend this to a more mature audience. There are some disturbing violent episodes and sexual content. That said, as a first novel, Heidi W. Durrow, crafts a narrative that raises questions, as well as, keeps the action moving forward. The ending is a bit abrupt, but if you read the last few pages more than once, you will notice that the author attempts to give some poetic explanation for Rachel’s tragic life, wishing for more. (By the way, I really enjoyed the discussion at book club; great group of fellow readers!)

I apologize for the lengthy post, but I hope you enjoyed these hearty appetizers this Thrilling Thursday.

Posted on by kelrohlf 8