My Take Me Deeper Journal

As I've written over the past two months, my main focus for 2015 will be the projects we have running in the His Kingdom Come (HKC) community: Take Me Deeper (TMD) weekly devotions and art challenges and Logos365 word for the year prompts and challenges. Today I want to share my journal for these projects and some of the pages I have made so far. If you want to know more about the HKC community and our projects you can check us out here.

First, a little slide show of the stages of making my journal:

Last year for the year-long DLP project I ended up using two journals to fit 52 weeks of pages in. So, this year my plan is to make a journal per quarter as I believe I may have more content for my 2015 projects. I already labeled this first journal volume 1 with that in mind. I purchased this book at a library book sale and I loved the book plate on the inside cover so I didn't want to cover it up entirely.

Our purpose with the TMD project is to use devotions and deeper studies along with creative expressions to  go deeper in our relationship with God this year. Our theme for January is transformation. Since I like the metaphor of journey foe the process of spiritual transformation and growth, I think transformation will be a theme in my journal throughout the whole year. It also fits well as a foundation for my word this year, renew. My intro pages:

My Logos365 word and Scripture passage page:

Both side of the January tab page:

My page in response to the first devotion which I wrote about in yesterday's post.

I would love to know if you are taking part in the HKC projects. Let me know in the comment section below and, if you are, leave me a link to your blog as well. Enjoy your Saturday!

*Also, make sure you check out my Etsy shop where I have vintage paper and ephemera packs custom made to your Logos365 or OLW words.

Take Me Deeper Week 1

After months of planning the day is finally here! The start of Take Me Deeper weekly devotions and art challenges takes place today on the His Kingdom Come (HKC) site. We're building a community where we can combine our faith and our creativity with others who have the same desire. Visit the site and join us!

In the month of January we're looking at spiritual transformation. On the HKC site there is a devotion this that includes suggestions for taking the topic and this week's Bible passage deeper through the week. Members of our art groups are expressing the topic and Bible passage through various art mediums ~ from faith art journaling to photography to creative writing and many others. We have a great team of moderators who provide examples of their work each week in the groups they lead. I am serving as one of the moderators in the Faith Art Journaling group.

Week 1: Transform Willingly

Scripture: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:1-2

My word for 2015 is renew and our first passage of the year contains my word! It wasn't planned. The devotions for this month were written before I knew what my word was going to be, but it did jump out off the page as I read the passage. I've heard it said that our battlefield is the mind and this passage helped reconnect me to a truth I already knew - in order for transformation to take place my mind must be renewed. And if any area of my life is going to be renewed it must begin with a willingness to renew my mind or my mindset. It's so easy to form habits, but it seems so hard to break them once they have formed and taken root. When the habit is good, that's great! But over the past few years I've allowed some bad habits to form in a number of areas of my life. I'll write more on that in my next post about my word for this year. One of those habits, though, connects directly with this weeks passage: a habit of negative thinking has formed in me over the past few years and it needs to go away! This has been my battlefield. It has ended up effecting so many areas of my life. Yet in the past few months God has used some circumstances and some people in my life to help me identify some patterns and habits and He has shown me some paths to renewal. Thus my word for the year. And so, the topic and the Scripture passage this week in the Take Me Deeper group really lay a foundation for transformation for me this year. Transformation and renewal begin with renewal of the mind. And I need a continual reminder that I must remain willing to offer God anything in my life - to hold the things in my life loosely - that He may shape me and form me for His use and for His glory, In Christ we are new creations, yet we are also continually being made new in Christ-likeness and this process will go on our whole life. What a blessing that we do this "in view of God's mercy"! The NASB says it is "by the mercies of God". We don't walk alone. God's mercy envelopes us and carries us and guides us along the way to the things that are good for us and that are good and holy and pleasing to Him. Transformation in our hearts and minds and lives is really God's work. Our part is willingness. Willingness to do what He calls us to; to go where He leads; to be who He has called us to be. 

Will you join me in going deeper in my relationship with God this year? You can follow my journey here on my blog, but it would be so much better if you joined the journey yourself at His Kingdom Come and become a part of a community who are all on a journey to go deeper with God. I'm so excited to see how God will meet us in this journey and to see where He will take us!

January Sneak Peak

For the past month I have been busy getting ready for the start of Take Me Deeper, a free weekly devotion and art challenge being offered for 2015 in out new faith art community His Kingdom Come (HKC). We begin on January 2 and I had the privilege to write the devotions for January in partnership with Diane Marra. In all honesty, I don't often read devotions. I lean toward more in-depth Bible study and reading and don't normally let other things, like devotions, cut in on that time. But since our theme is "Take Me Deeper" I found that I really enjoyed writing devotions that utilized my love for Bible Study. I hope you'll join us in January and journey with us through the year. We will have a variety of people writing devotions and offering art challenges, plus we will have a year long journey with choosing and using a word called logos365.

Anyway, all of this prep for the devotions and getting my art journal pages ready has used most of my art time. And since we are launching in January, I can't share with you until then. This has presented a new challenge for me since I blog about my art and my faith and I have had no art to post! But I can tease you with some sneak peaks from my January pages!

I enjoyed writing the devotions so much that I believe you will see more of them here on my blog in the future. On Christmas day we begin a new series at church working our way through the Gospel of John. I am excited about this on a number of levels. First, I love when we go though an entire book of the Bible. God always shows us things we didn't expect when we journey through a book. Second, John is one of my favorite books of the Bible. John uses some words repeatedly that will be interesting to explore - believe, world, sent, life - just to name a few. We have no idea how long we will be in this book.You can expect some devotions and some art from this book during our time in John's gospel. :)

It is Christmas weekend at camp. We brought 10 kids and two teen leaders to camp this weekend. I love the experience they have here for Christmas. The staff at Youth Haven really makes a meaningful and joyful experience for kids who come from families who are struggling in a variety of ways. Tonight they will be served a Christmas dinner as though they are in a fancy restaurant. We have 11 adults from our church traveling up to camp who will serve as waiters for the kids. If the weather cooperates we may go Christmas caroling tonight. Then tomorrow they will see a skit of the Christmas story, celebrate Jesus' birthday and receive presents. A room full of 50 kids and a dozen teens full of excitement is a joy to experience! I am so thankful to be a part of it and to have these kids in my life.

I'm also thankful for good Internet connection this weekend so I can post this! It isn't always the case here at camp. Have a great weekend!

Monday Meandering 12.1.14

I am in shock that today is December 1st!

I've been absent for a few weeks. First trying to meet some deadlines before vacation, then getting ready for vacation, and then, actually going on vacation! We spent Thanksgiving week in Charleston, SC with our oldest daughter and her husband. On the way down we spent a day going through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Besides spending time with our daughter, we also connected with family d friends. We had brunch in Charlotte with my husbands cousins, had dinner one night with our nephew, brother-in-law and others, and on Monday we met my online friend Bernice Hopper for coffee. Bernice and her husband happened to be in the states for vacation and in Charleston at the same time we were. It is Bernice who invited me to participate in the development of the His Kingdom Come faith art community and it was great meeting her in person!

We had perfect weather in the park and, despite three days of rain, we managed to take in the sites of Charleston and the beach.

We had a good trip.

I have selected my word for 2015:

In my last post I introduced Logos365. You can read more about it here or at His-kingdom-come.com. I usually will spend time between Christmas and New Year's Day reviewing the past year and looking ahead and in this process determine my word for the year ahead. But this year I did that early in preparation for the Logos365 launch in January. Picking a word and living with it for a year has been a great practice keeping me focused and open for God's transforming work.I hope you'll join us!

Anna Pasquale has a great post on her blog today about artsy gifts. She was kind enough to include links to shops of her artist friends. Thanks Anna! Anna is the coordinator of the 2014 Made course.

Later this week I'll post my November Documented Life Project pages. It was good re-connecting with all of you!

Introducing Logos365 2015

Over the past few years I have made it a practice to select a word for the year and have entered each year anticipating what God would do in my life through the focus of that word. Some years I followed along with Ali Edwards One Little Word project or participated in other word for the year projects. For me, 2015 will be different though. The new faith art community we have begun, His Kingdom Come, will be offering an opportunity to participate with a word from God in our logos365™ project. Will you join me?

What word is God giving you in 2015?

His Kingdom Come will be leading our members in Logos365 during 2015.

His Kingdom Come believes that there is great power in the Word of God.  Many people choose one word that represents what they want to see more of in their life during a year. There are websites and books dedicated to this.  New Year resolutions come and go very quickly, but this process is allowing God to work in your life and for your focus to become His word for you that lasts an entire year in your life. People choose this word through thoughts or through a word occurring in their reading or devotion time that “speaks” to them. At His Kingdom Come we believe that God will guide us to what he wants to see more of in our lives during the year. 

The logos365™ project is our way of finding your word through prayer, bible study and reflection. What do you do with your logos365™?  You live with it, you invite it into your life, and you let it speak to you. You follow where it leads you.  Your logos365™ is not some promise you will keep for the rest of the year to be better. The intent of your word is that it will become a part of your for the rest of your life.  Your word builds upon each other each year, and springs forth from the places you feel you left off from your previous word.  Each word you choose builds upon each other as God’s heart becomes embedded in your character. So, the question is

As you consider selecting a word for yourself this year, remember there is no right or wrong choice. Words like abide, abundance, obey, expect, prayer, surrender, delight, submit and listen can be a very powerful experience as you allow God to guide you in your word.  This happens in your daily life, in prayer, relationships and bible study.  

So how do you find your logos365™?  Feel free to use the self- assessment tools posted at His Kingdom Come in the logos365™  group to help you identify your word and to set some personal goals around your word.  If you have participated in a one word program before choose the logos365™ returning student worksheet, or if you are totally new to the process use the logos365™ new student worksheet.

To make logos365™ real in your life, consider keeping a logos365™ journal, or creating a scrapbook or a photo book. Keeping a journal throughout the year is crucial to making this word project not just a new year’s resolution, but a change in your walk- a transformation!  If you are participating in the take me deeper process, then you can incorporate your logos365™ into your journal.   If you are not participating in the take me deeper process here are some logos365™ suggestions.

1.      Journaling: There are many kinds of journaling you can do. Pick one that works for you.

·         Open a word document on your computer that you write in each day

·         Get a spiral notebook, that you use to journal this process

·         Buy a blank page journal where you can do some doodling, drawing, and pasting pictures, etc

·         Create an art journal where you can write and play (can use your Take me deeper journal)

·         Create a weekly, monthly or quarterly post on your blog or at His Kingdom Come about your logos365™ journey.

2.       Accountability: share your logos365™ with your local small group.  If you don’t have a local small group, we invite you to share at His Kingdom come. Share your word and stay accountable with the online group throughout the year!   Find an accountability partner either in person or on HKC. This would be someone that you can share your deepest thoughts with and who will hold you accountable to your own goals and process. 

3.       Local small group:  Schedule specific meeting dates that you can discuss with your small group and your accountability partner during this stepping out in faith.

4.       Online group at His Kingdom Come: we will spend a few weeks in January seeking our logos365™. There are worksheets available for free to assist you in the process of spending time with God and discovering what logos365™ He provides to you.  Quarterly we will have a weekly discussion about your ongoing progress, any struggles, any praise reports and would love to see how your logos365™ has intertwined throughout your life.

5.      Create- make something to keep in your home, at your desk like a canvas, quilt, photo, poem, art journal, wooden word art that will keep your logos365™ in front of you throughout the year. See His Kingdom come for lots of creative examples.

Go deeper

Find out how logos365™ will impact your daily life

And draw you closer to the person God wants you to be

Will you walk out in faith with us in 2015 and live by your logos365™?

Come and have fun, faith and friendship for free at His Kingdom Come!

Join us at http://his-kingdom-come.com/ and sign up for the logos365™ group.

Join the Group http://his-kingdom-come.com/groups/logos365