Category: souldare

Announce: To Say (Something) In a Loud or Definite Way {Giveaway Announcement Today!}

See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.
(Isaiah 42:9 NIV)
I couldn’t wait. Last night I put all your lovely names in a bowl, those who commented here and on Facebook for the Giveaway. Our winner is Jennifer P! I will contact her and get her the goods: my book and a collage kit based on my recent souldare class, “YOU ARE HERE”. Enjoy!


As September ends, I am ready for something NEW! Earlier in the summer, I was pondering what I might focus on for The Nester’s challenge: 31 Days Of…

So without further ado, here is my theme:


As autumn gradually leads us to Advent Season, I continue to spend my days with ordinary times. I want to fill these days with quiet reflection and refreshing, new ways to enjoy God’s presence, to listen to His voice and to be filled with His desires. 

So I dusted off a little book called 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time by Pam Farrel, who graciously gave me permission to use the contents to share with you this month of October. The book is out of print, but you can still find used copies on amazon. 

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

Pam and her husband, Bill Farrel have a vibrant ministry that offers encouragement for marriages. I bought this little book several years back, and found the quiet time suggestions spiced up my relationship with God. As many of you know this girl loves VARIETY!

Won’t you join me for the next 31 days for some quiet and possibly some LOUD times? And some definite ways to know and love God more deeply?
Posted on by kelrohlf 6

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

Confidence: A Relation of Trust or Intimacy {Where I Reveal My Dream Come True}

 
But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.
(Psalm 4:3 NRSV)




When I was a teenager, during a youth retreat we were encouraged to choose a name that would describe who we wanted to become. I chose the word, “confidence.” I drew a key and wrote the word across it. Probably the first time I ever used a concordance to look up Scriptures. Under the listing, I remember reading: “The LORD is my confidence.” (Proverbs 3:26a)

At that retreat was one of the first times I asked God for something for myself. I wanted Him to be my confidence, but also to make me more confident.

For many years I have been growing into that name. As I  was getting ready for a new venture today, God reminded me of that act of faith so many years ago. Back in May, through a series of God events, I took a step towards fulfilling a dream. This dream came to life today! I am calling this dream:

 
 
 
(Logo design created by Jessie Flori)


Souldare will be a place where people gather together to discover their created self through journaling, collage art and eventually, nature hikes accompanied by times of contemplative prayer.

What does this post have to do with my recent series on prayer? God hears when we call to him. And sometimes, the answer is revealed in stages, over the years. And sometimes, He uses that very request to increase our faith and confidence.

When I look at the word confidence, I think “with faith” or “with fidelity,” which when applied to my life humbles me. To think that God would call me one of his faithful ones exalts his faithfulness. It indicates a depth of intimacy with God that has grown sweeter over the years.

What a joy it was today to witness others exploring and discovering their created selves through collage art and journaling. God was in our midst. I can’t wait until next week to see how God reveals himself to us again.

 


A poem I read before I left to facilitate the workshop became another prayer for confidence:

Where fear imprisons, faith liberates;
Where fear paralyzes, faith empowers;
Where fear disheartens, faith encourages;
Where fear sickens, faith heals;
Where fear makes useless, faith makes beautiful;
Where fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life,
faith opens the windows on a new world,
a new life that knows no end.
(Father Philip Chester, as qtd by Jonathan Aitken in Prayers for People Under Pressure)



 

How is faith enabling you to overcome fears?What long forgotten request
is God answering today?

 
Posted on by kelrohlf 6