It's a New Beginning! Follow your purpose!

It's a new year and the beginning of a new start for you! Aren't you glad God allows you many new starts! While the past is behind us it does serves us well to look back to see how we might move forward with God's purpose for our lives. As I was searching for a topic to write about, I began looking back through my folders to search for the very first photograph I created for my first greeting card called Guardian Angels: a picture of three ceramic black angels. While searching for that picture, I found it in a folder called "The Beginning" how appropriate and look how God gives us what we need. (The folder was called this because it was part of my directions for a slide presentation on "Sowing your seeds in Life, Career and in Business," that I gave to high school students. I talked about my passion in higher education, visual arts and writing and how your passion can impact you in these three areas).

Sometimes, if we quiet our minds and look back over our lives we will discover how God has and will lay out directions for us. What is God's purpose for your life? What is it that He has been talking to you about, maybe for years and you are now discovering that the talent He put in you that He wants you to expand upon it, grow it or do something different with it! But God said: "wherefore, I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?"  In Fall 2007, I started my photography and greeting card business,  Our Spirit and Soul http://ourspiritandsoul.com. It was in May of 2007, when I serendipitously picked up my point and shoot camera and begin taking pictures of ordinary objects in my home, posing them in symbolic ways, meditating on the picture, and quieting my spirit to allow God to tell me what to do next. In my first card (below) He gave me the text: " In search of heavenly places, God sends a host of guardian angels that will keep watch over you."  After this creative process, initiated by God, I cried. And cried after each of my initial cards as I knew God was speaking to me.  He reminded me what my portion was...to rejoice in the Arts, in particular writing and visual arts and share it with whomever would receive it to demonstrate how 'The Arts' can heal your soul, uplift your spirits and encourage you to dream. What is your dream?  Doesn't God send us angels that watch over us!

In search of what God has for you, often times that search leads right to you: God will send messages through your friends, family, the repetition of information you already have, through books, movies, etc., through happen-chance information or what some call coincidences, but always through your intuition! In May of 2007,  I followed God's lead creating, my very first card when I knew nothing about card design,  had no formal photography training, and knew nothing about the greeting card business.  I just followed God's instruction that I had received through my intuition and believed that I heard His instructions on this particular day in the still of my being. And I, intuitively knew it was the truth and that I was on the right path! What is God telling you to do? Don't sit on your talents, don't bury them in history of what you use to do. This is a new beginning...do something different! I pray that by sharing my love and passion for the arts that it sparks in you: inspiration, encouragement, and even a new found love for the arts! If you can, I would love for you to become an official follower of my blog! Peace!