Tag Archives: Religion and Spirituality

Hello 2020!

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Happy New Year y’all! A new year and a new decade lies ahead…what victories and challenges will you face in the coming days and months? Time always tells.

While 2019 was filled with valleys for many, I am so thankful it was a pretty good year for this ole gal (OG!) – God led me through a journey towards healthier eating habits and cancer didn’t reveal any new challengesšŸ™ŒšŸ» Those small victories enabled me to be more supportive both physically and emotionally…. and I want more of that!

Over the past few years, I’ve participated in choosing my One Word – for 2020, my one word is gather – that word seems a bit odd, but also on the money! Towards the end of 2019, I did a few new things – after several years of procrastinating, I finally opened an Etsy shop to share FaithArt God lays on my heart, I contributed FaithArt to a longtime FB friend as an accompaniment to her Bible Studies, and I connected with another beautiful soul that I am oh so eager to meet face to face and see how God unfolds our story…

What One Word has God laid on your heart this year? I’ve included a freebie for you to print or save for digital use āž”ļø https://celetac.com/creative-hearts-paper-studio/ My prayer this year is for each of us to live a life of intentional love, gratitude, grace, and surrender.

The Jesus Bible – šŸŒŸšŸŒŸšŸŒŸšŸŒŸšŸŒŸ

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Product reviews are nothing new… but for me to be asked to review something? …especially a Bible? Wowzer! Truly, I was so honored when Bible Gateway Blogger Grid reached out with the opportunity to review Zondervan’s Jesus Bible at no cost – I eagerly responded with an emphatic ‘YES!’ – not really considering the fact that I’ve never formally reviewed anything… no time like the present, right?

As God would have it, I’d been searching for a new Bible… not that I needed a new Bible, I was simply yearning for a Bible that offered commentary or devotionals in the Bible itself… it’s the way I retain information – a picture of sorts. So when this opportunity presented itself, I was a bit more than simply intrigued!

I’m no scholar, nor would I consider myself well-versed in God’s Word… but I have developed a deeper love for my Lord by spending time in His Word. Often I’ve thought about reading the Bible cover to cover, but it just hasn’t happened… enter The Jesus Bible… you see, God always knows exactly what we need and when we need it! He orchestrated the collaboration of several gifted authors to weave His Story from one Book to the next – showing us Jesus taking the lead from Genesis to Revelation.

The Jesus Bible I received is the artist edition. I must admit, originally I thought it was also a journaling Bible – it isn’t per se; the pages are thin, and most pages have notations; however, I believe there is always room for FaithArt! This is definitely a Bible that I want to keep fully readable – no cover ups for me in this one…

For whatever reason, for this particular season, I’m drawn to this Bible like I would a favorite bedtime story… eager to discover what happens next. Odd? Perhaps. But I am captivated to dive into this journey with new lighting.

The Jesus Bible features:         

  • Introduction by Louie Giglio
  • 66 book introductions highlight the story of Jesus in every book
  • Seven compelling essays on the grand narrative of Scripture by Louie Giglio, Max Lucado, John Piper, Ravi Zacharias, and Randy Alcorn guide you to treasure Jesus and encourage you to faithfully follow him as you participate in his story
  • Over 300 full-page articles and nearly 700 sidebar articles reveal Jesus throughout all of Scripture
  • Single-column text of the most widely read modern-English Bibleā€”the New International Version (NIV)
  • A beautiful special edition featuring the art of Atlanta-based artist Britt Bass
  • Room for notes and journaling throughout
  • NIV dictionary-concordance
  • Two ribbon markers
  • Exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort PrintĀ® typeface
  • 9.5-point print size

The Jesus Bible debuted almost 2 years ago and yet I’d never heard of it! Maybe that’s you too? For more information, check out the article on Bible Gateway’s Blogger Grid (https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2017/01/the-jesus-bible-debuts-at-passion-2017-conference/)

If you are in the market for a new Bible…. oh heck….even if you aren’t… check out The Jesus Bible…. I give it five sparkling stars!

WOW Days

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Don’t you just love the days when God shows off just how divinely he plans??? Accurately describing this divine appointment is a bit challenging to me so of course I deferred to visual aids! This is a story of two different women, in two different states….both with a passion for God…. these two women follow a blog by artist Sue Carroll (1Arthouse – Doodle 101) and on this certain day, Celeta read Sue’s latest post…. Kathy saw Sue’s post and decided to search FB for her art…. Sue has been a great long distance art teacher to Celeta (me!) and often posts about her on Creative Hearts Paper Studio FB page….

Kathy’s search landed her on Creative Hearts and as she scrolled thru the posts, she saw me reference Revelation Wellness…. Kathy followed God’s prompting and reached out to me…

A conversation that started around Revelation Wellness, quickly expanded to the sharing of a dream God planted…. a grand dream that ‘lil ole me might be a part of!

I gotta tell ya’…. I was on a JOY high most of the day! God started stirring something in me that I can’t quite describe or explain, but it’s something special…that much I’m pretty certain!

Stay tuned for updates! I’m diligently slowin’ my roll so God can lead without me getting in the way šŸ˜‰

Strength Rises

Posted in Discipleship, My Love Dare with God by

A month or so ago, a fellow artist shared a study on the Psalms by Lisa Albinus of Praise Heart studios – I just love how God consistently introduces me to new and inspiring believers who worship through art! Five years ago, “art” was literally not a part of my vocabulary….and today? Gosh, I can’t imagine my life without it!

Yesterday my sister and I were talking about a talent she has for deciphering ingredients for a particular dish…. she correlated that gift to art…or her lack, rather. My initial response was something like, “it’s all about what we nurture.” Well, that took us into a deeper conversation about our relationship with God – don’t you just love how He does that?????

It’s all about what we devote our time and efforts into…. it may not always be obvious, but in some form or fashion, the things we focus on will inevitably be connected to our relationship with God….to either bring me closer to Him… or pull me away… and that’s probably been the biggest standout of the current study I’m working through – My Love Dare with God – to heighten the awareness that everything I do impacts my relationship with God…. pretty exciting stuff, don’t you think? And the thing is, no two relationships are the same – similar? perhaps… but just like the two images shown – they are similar: a sun & 3 figures, but definitely not the same… so if… or rather, when you’re tempted to compare, think about these things:

This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.Ā If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.Ā All of you together are Christā€™s body, and each of you is a part of it. –1 Corinthians 12:25-28

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. –Ephesians 2:10

You alone created my inner being.Ā You knitted me together inside my mother.Ā I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.Ā Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this. –Psalm 139:13-14

My ā€œMessā€ is My Message

Posted in Cancer Confidence, Discipleship by

Today I received my copy of Stephanie Ackermanā€™s latest book Faith Journaling for the Inspired Artist. Did I need another book on Journaling or Art? Well, apparently I did! Not five pages in, the photo to the left smacked me upside the head…kinda crazy, right? Stephanie, among other wonderful women, have encouraged me from afar with their zest for art, an insane love for God, and the desire to intertwine the two.

For the past month, God has really been working on me & my obedience factor… at the forefront has been a host of new cancer challenges…. but those challenges have been the catalyst to realizing I havenā€™t consistently been giving God my best. Ā Iā€™ve been giving whatā€™s easyĀ and through numerous experiences… sermons especially ….(thanks Pastor Jim!), Iā€™ve been convicted as to how Iā€™m living my life Iā€™m for God.

Stage IV Cancer, like so many other chronic diseases, is HARD. Ā It doesnā€™t go away.period. and more often than not, you get new challenges… like wonky lungs, blood clots, and such. Ā I am very thankful though – just think if God allowed cancer to hit you with everything all at once? No bueno!

While I thought Iā€™d learned my new normal, I was still entirely too focused holding tightly onto the things I could still do. Ā Like grocery shopping, housekeeping, or walking the dog… yeah, call it what it is….PRIDE. Ā Donā€™t get me wrong, staying active is essential, but holding too tightly onto things is a slippery slope and sets you…me… up for missing great God opportunities.

As it is today, Iā€™m in a season where those types of activities arenā€™t necessarilyĀ addingĀ value to my days. Instead, little things, like going out to the grocery store, have the potential to set me back vs propel me forward. Ā So Iā€™m learning to choose more wisely and itā€™s definitely a process!

My 2018 goal (starting now!) is to be more mindful and dig deeper in my relationship with God. Ā While cancer isnā€™t exactly what I may have chosen, it has given me the opportunity to focus more time on Him by not trying to balance a demanding and stressful full time job….HE is my full time job…and that is pretty darn amazing – not many get that opportunity!

If youā€™ve read my blog, the consistent thread has been my lack of consistency in writing. And writing is a big part of my relationship with God…to be vulnerable and transparent, and to share how He leads me daily to walk closer with Him.

If I had to choose ONE thing that propelled me into deepening my relationship with God, it was a little book you may be familiar with called The Love Dare byĀ Alex and Stephen Kendrick. It is a 40-day Christian devotional designed to strengthen marriages. Ā No, Iā€™m not married – Iā€™m not even dating or in a relationship. Ā God brought me the book as a dare to strengthen my relationship with Him. Ā Weird? Odd? Perhaps. Ā But I hope you will follow me as I share, and possibly help, Ā precious readers do the same… coming soon… My Love Dare with God.

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God’s Guiding Hand

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It’s still mind boggling to me to think back ten years ago….to a time when God was barely on my radar – thankfully, He never lost sight of me!  And I f you asked me five years ago how I expressed my faith, art was the last thing that would’ve come to mind – and yet, here I am today…thriving spiritually by creating and sharing faith art!

As a child (and adult!) I loved to color – it provides such a calming effect – the cares & concerns of everyday life melt away allowing my spirit to quiet and open the door to hearing God.  What started as an effort to help me relax and remain positive through chemotherapy, quickly developed into an untapped passion. Today, I combine my love of God’s Word with fun art supplies like watercolors, markers, gel pens, and my trusty iPad Pro.  

But as much as I enjoy the process of creating faithart, it’s sharing that really makes my heart smile!  I’m so blessed to share God’s promises through both social media and homemade items like bookmarks and small cards.  What does tomorrow hold? Only He knows, and my confidence lies in His Word as I  open myself to learning new ways to share God’s love. 

God’s Mighty Love

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My goodness it’s been a busy crazy summer! So different from last year, yet equally insane.  

Last year I was feeling pretty lousy – cancer complications were problematic and I was coming off four weeks of intensive radiation, followed by a case of shingles that landed me in the hospital, all the while planning a wedding!

This year has truly been a great year cancer-wise – I’ve felt great & much more physically active. Over a period of six weeks I made multiple 6+ hr (one way) drives to visit my daughter & family tucked in between a super condensed 4-day trip to California to help pack my sister as she moves forward in her journey there. 

Somewhere in the mix, I overdid (yes, that’s a big DUH!) ….things were going so well… until they weren’t. All of a sudden I was constantly tired, sleeping more, and simple short walks weren’t so simple. A middle of the night trip to the ER revealed I had a blood clot that moved to my lungs – no bueno – especially when you have stage IV cancer. An ambulance ride, meds, days of extremely thorough doctor checks, and I was good to go….slowly!  

When I’m feeling good (aka not constantly reminded of physical limitations), I wanna be like the other kids! I wanna go for brisk walks, water aerobics, long trips, play time with my grandson….but, I’ve got to remember the pace… and be mindful what a blessing that I’m able to do those things! But maybe….just maybe, I do them in moderation so I decrease the risk of setbacks and increase the probability future fun. 

The absolute best part???? It’s so wonderful to feel well enough to spend time expressing faith through art again! Hands down, the Thrive Bible is my all-time favorite  – I love how God speaks to me through the devotions, causing me to often say to myself, “wow! I never thought about it that way!” and to continually be in awe of His Mighty Love for us

Saying “Yes”

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Measuring StickItā€™s been a crazy weekā€¦a crazy yearā€¦and it often seems the enemy is working overtimeā€¦I still say YES Lord, YES! Often when we say yes, the picture gets muddy and those of us (that would be me) inadvertently pull out the measuring stick to see what we (me!) havenā€™t doneā€¦

I havenā€™t completed the past weekā€™s bible study assignmentā€¦I havenā€™t finished the revised book proposalā€¦I missed an important training session for an upcoming Emmaus Walkā€¦all exciting ways to show God I mean business

I havenā€™t done those important things, but I still choose YES ā€“ yes in the daily circumstances of lifeā€¦yes, in serving as an advocate – yes, by being an encourager… Ā I will be by my daughterā€™s side as she fights through the fiery furnace of health challengesā€¦yes, I will be there both physically and emotionally for those viewed as outcastsā€¦yes, I will encourage friends and co-workers through their personal struggles and most importantly,Ā YES I will praise my loving God who gives me strength for the battle, courage to persevere, and confidence to know He has everything under control.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

Lost in the Woods

Posted in Dailies, Discipleship, My Journey by

Fair Breeze 040Last month I was visiting friends at their property in the country.Ā  Iā€™d been several times before, so Iā€™d developed a sense of the layout.Ā  Iā€™d been on several walks, but never on my own.Ā  My friends were working on a project where I was of no particular use, so I decided a walk through the woods would be nice before I set out on my way back to Houston.

There were numerous managed (i.e. mowed) trails to choose from ā€“ I chose the one I thought would take the longest ā€“ off I went with Buddy (their dog) leading the way!

In no time at all, we came to the end of the mowed pathā€¦the path ahead was still thereā€¦it just wasnā€™t clearly marked.Ā  Buddy appeared confident in the direction we were headed and so I followed. Continue reading →

Construction Zone – Yield Ahead…

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Still catching up on blogs!

Jan 2, 2012

“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under Godā€™s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

Following my last entry about God’s faithfulness, I had a deeper revelation about my old thoughts of being ‘enough’ – rejection – acceptance… it’s okay to be weak when I have God…HE IS MY STRENGTH!

As I laid my head on the pillow that night, tears flowed as I surrendered yet another part of myself to Him.Ā  I may not be at a place of complete surrender – yet – actually, I may not realize all the parts of me I’m holding back – so muchĀ has beenĀ suppressed and buried for so long it’s difficult to know how much more there is to be revealed.

I am certain, however, God will reveal the hidden pieces of heart as I continue to seek Him.Ā  Day by day, He is refining me, calling me closerĀ to Him.

The best part of changeĀ is when we (me!) thinkĀ it’s our idea!Ā Here’s a good one:Ā  last year I had an idea to save money (at least that’s what I thought!)…I have always tried to control my hair – it’s curly and unruly – the more there is, the wilder it is!Ā  For the past 20+ years I have kept it short and even went so far as to have it chemically treated in an attemptĀ  to control the curls.Ā  And then there’s hair coloringĀ – or what I called camouflage – how telling is that????Ā  Now, I’m not sayingĀ there is a right or wrongĀ way to manage hair…and yes, I’m aware of varying beliefs – that’s between you and God.Ā  For me, it was the underlying issue needing attentionĀ – the issue of control.

God is slowly teaching me it’s a lot of work to be something / someone He hasn’t designed me to be and hair is just the tip of the controlĀ iceberg.Ā  He’s also teaching me I can’t really move forward until I have purged the past.

I receive a newsletter from Be in Health and there’s a series on Personality Mis-Profiles – I read one titled “Fabricated Personalities” – I couldn’t help but wonder if it was describing me.Ā  Am I driven by perfection as a way to preserve some sort of identity?Ā  Have I not made allowances for weakness or failure?Ā  What defense mechanisms have I put in place to accommodate things I have difficulty facing?Ā  Ouch.

Of course I want toĀ move forward, butĀ as ridiculous as it may sound, IĀ can’t help but wonder if there’sĀ a part of me that doesn’t believe God is moving me in the right direction…Ā  OR is it more likelyĀ a part of me has decided the direction and I’m trying to fit God into the equation?

In my mind to move forward – to marry, leave the corporate world, etc.,Ā means I haveĀ to sell the house, which if that’s what I’m supposed to do, I have to get it on the market.Ā  To get the house on the market, I have to get it market-ready.Ā  To get the house market-ready, I have to clean out the clutter…

Could it be my hesitancy has nothing to do withĀ de-cluttering my physical house, butĀ actually my spiritual house?Ā  Am I ready to yield my will to His?Ā  It’s my choice – will I chooseĀ to rest in His grace and mercy or will I keep trying to be someone other than who He intends for me to be?