Our artists way book talks alot about synchronicity and how if we look around we will see that happens more and more as we delve in this book.
In Week 5 artists way catchup ..forbidden joys excercise...one of the things on my list was to assist with a mural. Welp this weekend I decided to go to a church in my neighborhood that i found a little too late on Easter (services were over). Well as i was roaming through their website...i came across one of their links.. and it mentioned a school project where they were asking for volunteers to assist with a mural. How amazing! I just wrote that this is what i wanted a week ago and look what God has given me. God indeed gives the desires of your heart. The only bad thing is I can only help on the last day of the project..because when i found out about the 1st day happened and next week I'll be in MD for my god daughter's birthday so I have one final week. I'm excited! Better late than never! And hey im still assisting!
Morning Pages-May 9
I read Joel's devotional this morning and the word suddenly came into my spirit. I've always liked the word suddenly because in an instance God can turn things arounds..it doesnt matter the circumstances, the people involved...God can turn any situation around. What can seems like a lengthy period of time is not in God's eyes ..his timing is unlike ours. So I'm reminded to be patient...reminded that God is in control and that he knows each of our situation. Eventhough it feels like we cant go on ...we can because of the strength God has provided us. We have to dig deep and find the joy. We have to dig deep and rememeber it wont always be like this.God has allowed us to stay wherever for a reason and when the time is right suddenly he will move. So today I lift up my family, friends, and myself to rememeber we have a Suddenly God. To remember God has no limitations. He can move us and anything according to his purpose in his timing. God heard our cries and we are not forgoten.
Joel's Devotional:
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land”
(Leviticus 26:5, NLT)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
I believe we are living in a day and age when God is accelerating His work in our lives! I believe that what used to take days, weeks and even years in times past, God will do in an instant in this day and age. In an instant, you can receive your breakthrough. In an instant, you can be promoted on your job. In an instant, you can receive your healing. In an instant, your relationship can be restored. In an instant, that child can change their ways.
Today, believe that God will take you further than you ever thought possible, faster than you ever thought possible. Trust that your times are in His hands. Know that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Just like in the days of old, God will accelerate your seasons, and He will thrust you into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. Thank You for working behind the scenes on my behalf. I trust that my times are in Your hands. I know that You have a good plan for my future, so I open my heart and put my faith and trust totally in You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen
Joel's Devotional:
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land”
(Leviticus 26:5, NLT)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
I believe we are living in a day and age when God is accelerating His work in our lives! I believe that what used to take days, weeks and even years in times past, God will do in an instant in this day and age. In an instant, you can receive your breakthrough. In an instant, you can be promoted on your job. In an instant, you can receive your healing. In an instant, your relationship can be restored. In an instant, that child can change their ways.
Today, believe that God will take you further than you ever thought possible, faster than you ever thought possible. Trust that your times are in His hands. Know that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Just like in the days of old, God will accelerate your seasons, and He will thrust you into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. Thank You for working behind the scenes on my behalf. I trust that my times are in Your hands. I know that You have a good plan for my future, so I open my heart and put my faith and trust totally in You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen
Morning Pages-May 2nd
The beginning of a new month..always seems like fresh possibilities...but that's also the beauty of a new day. Thank the Lord for renewing grace and mercy!
Today's devotional speaks to allowing yourself to create freely and allowing errors to reveal themselves as insights later..not to worry about the details. "Do not fear mistakes" Miles Davis told us "There are none."
I'm not sure i agree with Miles. at least not when i first looked at this quote because there are indeed mistakes. Mistakes that hopefully you learn from and you figure out this is what you do and this is what you dont do. Insights as the previous sentence in the devotional said. When I first read this quote I felt Miles was talking about something totally different than insights but when i reread the sentence I see Miles is talking more about fear ...not letting the fear of mistakes cause you not to move. There is danger in that. Mistakes can be looked at as a good thing (talking to myself so strongly here) because you learn so many things through mistakes than things you got right on the first try.
I thank the Lord for his guiding hand Especially in those times when I make a mistake and i want to give up. He surrounds me with his love and compassion and gentle reminder to not fear because he is with me.All that I need he has already given me.
Today's devotional speaks to allowing yourself to create freely and allowing errors to reveal themselves as insights later..not to worry about the details. "Do not fear mistakes" Miles Davis told us "There are none."
I'm not sure i agree with Miles. at least not when i first looked at this quote because there are indeed mistakes. Mistakes that hopefully you learn from and you figure out this is what you do and this is what you dont do. Insights as the previous sentence in the devotional said. When I first read this quote I felt Miles was talking about something totally different than insights but when i reread the sentence I see Miles is talking more about fear ...not letting the fear of mistakes cause you not to move. There is danger in that. Mistakes can be looked at as a good thing (talking to myself so strongly here) because you learn so many things through mistakes than things you got right on the first try.
I thank the Lord for his guiding hand Especially in those times when I make a mistake and i want to give up. He surrounds me with his love and compassion and gentle reminder to not fear because he is with me.All that I need he has already given me.
Week 5 Part I-Recovering a Sense of Possibility
My plan was to write about the exercises in this chapter but instead i want to remember what in the chapter struck a chord for me and then get into the exercises.
My love with the chapter starts with the 1st page where it says:
pg 91
Most of us never consider how powerful the creator really is. Instead, we draw very limited amounts of the power available to us. We decide how powerful God is for us. We unconsciously set a limit on how much God can give us or help us. We are stingy with ourselves. And if we receive a gift beyond our imagining, we often send it back.
I think this is so true on so many levels. I know i serve an awesome and powerful God but when certain situations arise i am so guilty at some point or the other of the questions-Can God do this? will he do this? or when God does do something i say are you sure God?
pg 92
More often. what we are talking about seems to be a conscious partnership in which we work along slowly and gradually, clearing away the wreckage of our negative patterning, clarifying the vision of what it is we want, learning to accept small pieces of that vision from whatever source and then, one day! presto! the vision seems to suddenly be in place. In other words, pray to catch the bus, then run as fast as you can. For this to happen, first of all, we must believe that we are allowed to catch the bus.
By listening to the creator within, we are led to our right path. On that path, we find friends, lovers, money, and meaningful work.Very often, when we cannot seem to find an adequate supply, it is because we are insisting on a particular human source of supply. We must learn to let the flow manifest itself where it will--not where we will it!
pg 94
As each idea comes to us , we must in good faith clear away our inner barriers to acting on it and then, on an outer level, take the concrete steps necessary to trigger our synchronous good. Ask yourself bluntly what next step are you invading. what dream are you discounted as impossible given your resources? what payoff are you getting for remaining stuck at this point in your expansions?
God as my source is a simple but completely effective plan for living. It removes negative dependency-and anxiety-from our lives by assuring that God will provide. Our job is to listen for how.
One way to listen is by writing morning pages. At night, before we fall asleep, we can list areas in which we need guidance. in the morning, writing on these topics, we find ourselves seeing previously unseen avenues of approach. Experiment with this two step process: ask for answers in the evening; listen for answers in the morning. Be open to all help.
pg 95
We startle ourselves by saying yes instead of no to opportunities. As we begin to pry ourselves loose from our old concepts, we find that our new, emerging self may enjoy all sorts of bizarre adventures.
By holding lightly to an attitude of gentle exploration, we can begin to lean into creative expansion. By replacing "No way!" with "Maybe" we open the door to mystery and to magic.
Exercises
What would I try if i wasn't too crazy?
Sample Answers (bold my answers):
1. sky diving, scuba diving. Sky diving, check! Not sure I'm ready for any more adventures right now. lol
2. belly dancing, latin dancing. check! loved both even though i was uncoordinated. taking a Liturgical dance class.
3. getting my poems published. framing some of my recent art.
4. buying a drum set. learning to drum in a drum circle.
5. bicycling through France. taking an excursion (tbd) on an Alaska cruise.
1. The biggest lack in my life is doing something I feel born to do.
2. The greatest joy in my life is God, my family, and my friends.
3. My largest time commitment is not sure. varies from week to week but something that is consistent is probably tv/movie time with hubby.
4. As I play more, I work less
5. I feel guilty that I am not using my talents more for God and that I dont have original artistic ideas.
6.I worry that I'm not good enough.
7. If my dreams come true true, my family will know love is one of the greatest gift God gave us and that we are indeed blessed.
8. I sabotage myself so people will
9. If i let myself feel it, I'm angry that I am not more adventurous, know what I want and go after it tenaciously.
10. One reason I get sad sometimes is I don't want to disappoint people.
List 10 things you love and would love to do but are not allowed to do. These are forbidden joys.
1. Enjoy dancing with complete freedom and abandonment.
2. Increase my art supplies and create a small studio in my spare bedroom (some supplies i want: easel/ variety of painting supplies and other artistic supplies outside of my norm mediums of pencils, sketchbooks, and pastels/charcoal)
3. Take more r&r/creative trips
4.Learn to cook healthy: vegetarian/non vegetarian meals/ethnic foods
5.Take interior decorating class
6.Take a pastry making class
7.Work on a stage design team
8.Assisting with a mural
9.
10.
I can't think of the last two items and its getting late..ill finish the remaining exercises later in the week.
My love with the chapter starts with the 1st page where it says:
pg 91
Most of us never consider how powerful the creator really is. Instead, we draw very limited amounts of the power available to us. We decide how powerful God is for us. We unconsciously set a limit on how much God can give us or help us. We are stingy with ourselves. And if we receive a gift beyond our imagining, we often send it back.
I think this is so true on so many levels. I know i serve an awesome and powerful God but when certain situations arise i am so guilty at some point or the other of the questions-Can God do this? will he do this? or when God does do something i say are you sure God?
pg 92
More often. what we are talking about seems to be a conscious partnership in which we work along slowly and gradually, clearing away the wreckage of our negative patterning, clarifying the vision of what it is we want, learning to accept small pieces of that vision from whatever source and then, one day! presto! the vision seems to suddenly be in place. In other words, pray to catch the bus, then run as fast as you can. For this to happen, first of all, we must believe that we are allowed to catch the bus.
By listening to the creator within, we are led to our right path. On that path, we find friends, lovers, money, and meaningful work.Very often, when we cannot seem to find an adequate supply, it is because we are insisting on a particular human source of supply. We must learn to let the flow manifest itself where it will--not where we will it!
pg 94
As each idea comes to us , we must in good faith clear away our inner barriers to acting on it and then, on an outer level, take the concrete steps necessary to trigger our synchronous good. Ask yourself bluntly what next step are you invading. what dream are you discounted as impossible given your resources? what payoff are you getting for remaining stuck at this point in your expansions?
God as my source is a simple but completely effective plan for living. It removes negative dependency-and anxiety-from our lives by assuring that God will provide. Our job is to listen for how.
One way to listen is by writing morning pages. At night, before we fall asleep, we can list areas in which we need guidance. in the morning, writing on these topics, we find ourselves seeing previously unseen avenues of approach. Experiment with this two step process: ask for answers in the evening; listen for answers in the morning. Be open to all help.
pg 95
We startle ourselves by saying yes instead of no to opportunities. As we begin to pry ourselves loose from our old concepts, we find that our new, emerging self may enjoy all sorts of bizarre adventures.
By holding lightly to an attitude of gentle exploration, we can begin to lean into creative expansion. By replacing "No way!" with "Maybe" we open the door to mystery and to magic.
Exercises
What would I try if i wasn't too crazy?
Sample Answers (bold my answers):
1. sky diving, scuba diving. Sky diving, check! Not sure I'm ready for any more adventures right now. lol
2. belly dancing, latin dancing. check! loved both even though i was uncoordinated. taking a Liturgical dance class.
3. getting my poems published. framing some of my recent art.
4. buying a drum set. learning to drum in a drum circle.
5. bicycling through France. taking an excursion (tbd) on an Alaska cruise.
1. The biggest lack in my life is doing something I feel born to do.
2. The greatest joy in my life is God, my family, and my friends.
3. My largest time commitment is not sure. varies from week to week but something that is consistent is probably tv/movie time with hubby.
4. As I play more, I work less
5. I feel guilty that I am not using my talents more for God and that I dont have original artistic ideas.
6.I worry that I'm not good enough.
7. If my dreams come true true, my family will know love is one of the greatest gift God gave us and that we are indeed blessed.
8. I sabotage myself so people will
9. If i let myself feel it, I'm angry that I am not more adventurous, know what I want and go after it tenaciously.
10. One reason I get sad sometimes is I don't want to disappoint people.
List 10 things you love and would love to do but are not allowed to do. These are forbidden joys.
1. Enjoy dancing with complete freedom and abandonment.
2. Increase my art supplies and create a small studio in my spare bedroom (some supplies i want: easel/ variety of painting supplies and other artistic supplies outside of my norm mediums of pencils, sketchbooks, and pastels/charcoal)
3. Take more r&r/creative trips
4.Learn to cook healthy: vegetarian/non vegetarian meals/ethnic foods
5.Take interior decorating class
6.Take a pastry making class
7.Work on a stage design team
8.Assisting with a mural
9.
10.
I can't think of the last two items and its getting late..ill finish the remaining exercises later in the week.
Return to previous chapters
My artists way group decided to return to previous chapters of the book to refocus and do some of the missed exercises which was great. Because even though Ive been following along with reading the chapters I haven't been good at finishing the exercises.
Unknowingly, until this moment week 5 is around the time I stop practicing my art on a regular basis and the last month i saw my art teacher. I know i stopped practicing my art but i never connected this to my artists way reading and how i stopped being committed to the exercises. Not a coincidence i dont think. As i mentioned before my art has been tied too much to my art teacher since i feel like God really used her to help me unblock my creative talent in a large degree and when I stopped having regular sessions with her my personal art stopped as well. It should have flourished instead of diminished especially since i felt/feel so free in my art..wanting more in dependency..starting to see what direction I want my art to go. Instead of practicing my art more i exercised more and went to more meetups and concentrate alot more on my walk with God. All absolutely positive things and clearly what i need to be fed spiritually and physically.
I wonder when i made the choice ..why is it a choice between all those beautiful much needed things and my art. Why do we impose choices in our life in places where a choice does not need to be made? Obviously shifting priorities happen? Times where we cant have it all even times we shouldn't have it all because there are lessons/preparedness needed before we take the next step. But there are also times we naturally without any thought just throw things away ..beneficial things. why? Why don't we second guess? Why do we choose that action?
This brings me to Week 5 chapters but before i reread that chapter i want to read the devotional for May 1st. I loved what I read because it reminds me that we start out as one thing but we need to remember that's not how we finish. Transformation is a wonderful thing! It can be scary but necessary. God protects us in every phase we go through. We are not alone. Unfolding is necessary in life.
Today's reading:
The lilies of the fields began as buds. We are asked to trust that just as they had a glorious and safe unfolding so will we. In the natural world, we see butterflies emerge from awkward yet [protective cocoons. We remind ourselves to trust that sometimes, we too are being protected in our growth. Our erraticism, our ungainliness, our panic--these, too are natural to the passage of things. The Great Creator experiences all his creation in the throes of shifting identity. The unfolding saga of life on all levels is one of the constant transformation. constant changing of form. when we cooperate with our need and desire to grow, we are cooperating with spiritual law.
Unknowingly, until this moment week 5 is around the time I stop practicing my art on a regular basis and the last month i saw my art teacher. I know i stopped practicing my art but i never connected this to my artists way reading and how i stopped being committed to the exercises. Not a coincidence i dont think. As i mentioned before my art has been tied too much to my art teacher since i feel like God really used her to help me unblock my creative talent in a large degree and when I stopped having regular sessions with her my personal art stopped as well. It should have flourished instead of diminished especially since i felt/feel so free in my art..wanting more in dependency..starting to see what direction I want my art to go. Instead of practicing my art more i exercised more and went to more meetups and concentrate alot more on my walk with God. All absolutely positive things and clearly what i need to be fed spiritually and physically.
I wonder when i made the choice ..why is it a choice between all those beautiful much needed things and my art. Why do we impose choices in our life in places where a choice does not need to be made? Obviously shifting priorities happen? Times where we cant have it all even times we shouldn't have it all because there are lessons/preparedness needed before we take the next step. But there are also times we naturally without any thought just throw things away ..beneficial things. why? Why don't we second guess? Why do we choose that action?
This brings me to Week 5 chapters but before i reread that chapter i want to read the devotional for May 1st. I loved what I read because it reminds me that we start out as one thing but we need to remember that's not how we finish. Transformation is a wonderful thing! It can be scary but necessary. God protects us in every phase we go through. We are not alone. Unfolding is necessary in life.
Today's reading:
The lilies of the fields began as buds. We are asked to trust that just as they had a glorious and safe unfolding so will we. In the natural world, we see butterflies emerge from awkward yet [protective cocoons. We remind ourselves to trust that sometimes, we too are being protected in our growth. Our erraticism, our ungainliness, our panic--these, too are natural to the passage of things. The Great Creator experiences all his creation in the throes of shifting identity. The unfolding saga of life on all levels is one of the constant transformation. constant changing of form. when we cooperate with our need and desire to grow, we are cooperating with spiritual law.
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