Art & Spirit Retreat

I spent the weekend in Gonzales, Texas on a retreat with Imagine Art, an art ministry for the disabled that I volunteered for. It was a lovely weekend spent with authentic people, creating art and connecting with nature. One of the highlights of the trip: I got baptized! I had planned on getting baptized at my church, but it was great to get "reborn" in a more intimate setting with a ministry that has provided much healing in my life. I will now always celebrate "Sink-o" de Mayo in a new way! I decided to let go of my own plans for my life and let God create His story through the difficulties and situations He has placed me in.

I also got to be in a play, go fishing and hiking, watch baby birds get fed in their nest, and started reading a book called "Life Without Limits" by Nick Vujicic, a guy born without arms or legs. It's an incredibly inspiring book, and if you think you have it bad, I require you go find a bookstore or library and read it NOW! It will give you a sense of purpose in your life, no matter how hard things seem to be.  The bigger your limitations, the more advantage you have in God using your life.

The reason the book touched my heart is because I've been struggling to find my place in the world. What does God want me to do? What does He have planned in my life? He has kept me single, and although it can feel like a limitation at times, I know that God can still use me.  Does God still want me to stay in Austin? Or does He want to take me on higher adventures? Better yet, does He want me to return home? I have a crossroads coming up at the end of July, and I want answers. I want Him to tell me which direction to go. But I know God doesn't always shed light on our next steps.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Update on Life

I just wanted to update because I'm very happy with my life right now. I've been talking to someone new- a crush from high school- and we recently reconnected, and we are finding that we have sooooo much in common, it's not even funny. He might move to Australia with his job, but I am still enjoying this bit of time we have to talk and get to know each other. I can't believe this is my 3rd relationship this year- I usually have 1 relationship per year, and I give myself a long break in between. But I feel that God has lifted the barrier of me not dating anyone, and now He is giving me free reign. So far, so good because I have been dating MUCH better men than my usual. So I am happy because we enjoy all the same hobbies, the same music, the same everything! We do have some differences on religion (he's a Christian, but he doesn't celebrate Christmas), so that may be the make it or break it deal. But in the meantime, I am very happy getting to know him. In ot...
Read more

Looking Back

It seems so much longer than a year since I moved to Austin. I have changed so much that it seems I have aged five years, both in maturity and in weariness. I first came here open and vulnerable to new experiences, ready to take on the city and show them what I had, though I wasn't quite brave enough to really do that. I had a host of dependencies that I was carrying with me that wouldn't let me walk on my own. I had hangups that I was still harboring in my heart and false perceptions that would eventually carry themselves to the surface, only to be scrutinized, condemned, and then changed. For the first few months, I was very hurt, confused, and disappointed at what I would find in my new life. I longed to go back to my old life, to find my dreams again, to grasp tightly to those things I so dearly depended on for my security. It wouldn't be long before I would be wiped clean of everything I clinged to and set on a different path that I was not familiar with. I had to beco...
Read more

Wholeness

Happy New Year everybody!!! I hope you are all ready to maintain your resolutions this year because I know I am. I have a heavy plate to fill, so there's no time to waste in past regrets and what not. I have a desk calendar that has daily prayers for emotional wholeness, and January 1st really touched on something that I struggle with and want to overcome this year, and I will share with you what it said: God's purpose for our lives is to make us whole- which is the way He created us to be- and then to work through us for His glory as we surrender our lives to Him. Emotional wholeness means living without negative emotions and having peace about who you are and where your life is headed. When we pray to God, we are spending time in His presence. And in His presence is where we find healing from the pain of our past. Prayer draws us closer to God, where we can get a vision for our future and better understand our purpose. The theme that sticks out to me here is wholeness, and th...
Read more