Week 2: Destiny by Design

Last week was another incredible week. Our speaker, Gwen Bergquist, taught the lectures on Destiny by Design. Each day revealed new "secrets" to me and reassured me that God really has designed me for a specific purpose. The first day, Gwen asked us to draw a picture with crayons of what our dreams for our life look like. This is my picture:


It shows me in the mid-ground painting a picture of God's love. The yellow face behind me is God with Love in his eyes. The figures in the foreground are children whom I am teaching to also create art that reflects God's love.

This dream incorporates my loves of art, children, and teaching all while keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus. This is the first time I have really put this dream down on paper. It was so freeing and exciting for me to see what my heart really longed for.

A few days later I was able to share with the class my dream and the picture I drew. They then shared some words of encouragement and impressions God gave them.

Some examples were: No fear - God is my shield, gooey paint material(this one especially excited me because I love my gooey pastels!), prophetic, life giving, expression, where I step there will be land, I will know God's love, Africa, and multiplication of believers.

All of these words came with deeper meaning and revelation of how God is going to use my dream and how it aligns with the purpose He has set for my life.

In the two weeks that I have been here, I am already feeling a deep desire to learn and feel who God is as my Papa. I want to create a piece of artwork to represent each of His characteristics that I learn. So, as I was praying on Friday God gave me a new idea. I was totally ecstatic.

I feel that the Lord wants me to create these pieces of art and compile them into a book called Portraits of Papa. I will then use this book as a tool to teach children the nature of God as our Father. Then I will teach them basics of art and give them an opportunity to create their own Portraits! This is incredible and so much greater than anything I could have planned myself!

I am so excited to get started - and to think I almost didn't bring my art supplies with me. I was feeling that my love of art was entirely separate from my love from and for God. I really did not see how they could fit together. So, last week broke that lie and revealed to me not only do they fit together, but God has designed me so I can use my art to help teach others about Him.

God gave us all a very special gift last Thursday night. As I rounded a corner around a building, my friend, Corlize, and I both looked up simultaneously and shrieked with joy at the view of a brilliant, complete, double rainbow in the sky framing some of campus. It was incredible! Unfortunately, my camera doesn't do God's masterpiece justice.


We are still all having fun also. Here is a little clip of the "Pass the Cup" game at lunch one day.



This weekend our class helped with security at the Ironman World Championship race. I will post details sometime this week. I will also let you know where I will be going for the outreach portion of this school. :)