Wednesday, August 30, 2017

In His Image: Created To Create {Thoughts on Creative Worship & A Look Inside Illustrated Faith's Created To Create 2} #IllustratedFaith #IF_Created2Create2

**Kit received as part of Illustrated Faith's Launch Team. Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

Last week, we had the opportunity to experience something rather spectacular... the solar eclipse. Chances are on August 21, your news-feed was as filled as mine with chatter about the event. There were warnings on how not to watch, excitement and anticipation, perhaps even some fear and of course, the photos! Regardless of our political affiliations, our parenting styles, our religions, we all seemed to joining together in a sense of awe at what we were witnessing above. While I was unable to watch the eclipse for myself, I loved seeing the beauty in the photographs. Seeing them, I was reminded of a favorite worship song from my high school days- Chris Tomlin's Indescribable:

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go  
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow 
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light 
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night 
None can fathomIndescribable, uncontainable, 
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name 
You are amazing God
What an amazing reminder of the beauty that God has created! If ever you needed proof that our God is the ultimate artist, you could find it right there in the sky during that eclipse.

I think sometimes when we think about God, we forget to think of him like that... as an artist. But the first verse in Bible says it very clearly, "In the beginning, God CREATED."


I don't know about you, but in a book that holds such importance, those first words cannot have been selected by chance. They were written because they were important. That was how the story began. So then is it any wonder that so many of us find our time with God in our time of creating?

  • We find peace as our pens hit the paper to write.
  • We find joy as we photograph the beauty of His creation.
  • We find comfort as we play music.
  • We find our act of service as we sew or crochet for others. 
  • We find our personal connection to God as we create.

Maybe, just maybe this is why so many of us have found Bible journaling to be such a powerful form of worship. We are doing just what we were created to do. God created us in His image, we were created to create.






It doesn't matter if we're the greatest of painters or if we fumble over a paintbrush. It doesn't  matter if we can draw the most stunning of landscapes or can barely draw a stick figure. It doesn't matter if you have all of the fanciest art supplies in the world or some simple colored pencils. When we focus our minds on God, He can use our time of creation to draw us closer to Him. As we read, as we journal, we find ourselves laying it all down as we create. We find ourselves digging deeper into the word. We find ourselves spending more time in prayer as we work. THIS is what Bible journaling is about. It's not about being the best or having pinworthy photos, it's simply about being with God. It's about being Created to Create.

September's new Illustrated Faith monthly devotional kit- Created to Create 2- celebrates just that. Take a look:








In the September Illustrated Faith devotional kit, Created to Create #2, Shanna invites you on a four week journey of discovering more and more of who you are in Jesus—unique and special, with a God-sized plan designed especially for you. "Today I ask that you put down all the "I can'ts" and pick up the "I cans!" Maybe you are creative in how you put colors together, or how you see the world, whatever it may be—creativity is inside of you!" —Shanna

1 clear stamp collection
1 roll of washi tape
1 thank you card from Shanna
1 package of paper pieces (22 pieces)
2 sheets of translucent stickers
3 heart-shaped tip-ins
4 devotional cards
4 journaling cards

For those who have been watching these kits from Day 1, you might remember that the original Created to Create Kit was the very first one. It's also one of the only that I personally had never been able to grab for myself- having sold out rather quickly! But what a wonderful message it was- I was thrilled to hear that they were coming out with this new one! The theme may be the same, but it's a whole new kit with the new format so you can still enjoy if you already have the original too. I loved the stunning designs that really celebrated the art of creating. The colors are bright and beautiful, and I'm still loving this new format too!

The Created to Create 2 Kit is available to purchase now! Use code IFSHIPSFREE for free shipping on your order!



Want to create even more with Illustrated Faith? Now through September 5, select Illustrated Faith products are marked down up to 70% off! Talk about a deal! My personal favorites? Shanna's Favorite Paints in both acrylic and watercolor are marked down to just $10! These acrylics are my go to, but the watercolors are equally amazing- and at this price!? There's never been a better time to stock up! Check out these and more Illustrated Faith deals at Dayspring while they last!

1 Comments:

  1. That's a fun way to interact with your bible.
    slehan at juno dot com

    ReplyDelete

"Pleasant words are as a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24