Good Friday - Way of the Cross - 10 years

My watercolor paintings I painted 10 years ago... 

Way of the Cross - online gallery with painting

Link to Good Friday service sheet

Way of the Cross paintings - journey since 2012

Prayer and reflection

Today I have been praying and reflecting on boundaries and finding balance in the life...

Here is my prayer painting about this theme...

Sometime words are just not enough...

 

Faith, hope and love

Late last night I was busy thinking and writing my online application for some further university studies. Writing about my life, work and study experience made me to reflect on many things. I kept praying and asking God many questions. Some of the questions had lots of Why in them... Why my life is so complex at times... Why things are not more clear and straight forward... Why we keep facing so many insecurities that can drag us down.... Why I am ill and not able to work....Why I don't have regular, secure work post to return to.... 

In the middle of all those Why's I prayed and asked God to take me and lead me, lead me in, lead me through, lead me forward, lead me through unknown, lead me with Him - to walk upon the waters...  Hillsong song I heard for the first time few weeks ago visiting one church brought me - and keeps bringing to me powerful message... There is so much uknown, yes, there are so many Whys and not many clear and straight forward answers.... But I am not alone. When I get up and go, I find out that Jesus has been already there, my journey is not a lonely one. Life is still complex and complicated. But with Jesus I can walk upon the waters.

Here is my prayer painting from the last night:

Story of Addison's and creativity

On my new blog I share my journey of art, creativity and learning to live with life long Addison's autoimmune Disease (Primary Adrenalin Insufficiency). It is very rare disease and I wish to raise awareness of this ilness. If people are aware of symptoms, they would be able to request assessment rather sooner then later. It was nearly too late for me. I am so thankful to be alive.

I am so thankful to be member of two very helpful self help support groups for people with Addison's. The first group and lots of very helpful information is at

Www.addisons.org.uk

And the other group is a Facebook group, administrated from US. 

Few weeks ago I was invited by US founder of Addison's Facebook group to share my story and art in newly prepared e-book of stories, poems and artwork of people with Addison's Disease from all over the world.

I share the story I wrote for the book on my Addison's and creativity blog. Here is the link:


http://www.creativity-and-addisons.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/story-of-art-creativity-and-addisons.html

Grace, Mercy and Compassion

So much to reflect on and to pray for... 

Prayer and the power of prayer... 

Loneliness and sense of community... 
Lack of connection and miracle of connectdness... 

Being still -  in prayer... 

Opening heart and soul... 

Thankfulness to God for his blessings...

Standing before God as I am... In my human weakness, with questions, with struggles...

 Standing in prayer with open heart.... 

Praying without words... 

Praying

Grace, Mercy and Compassion

More painting

Just painting.... painting prayers, embracing questions and running to God's loving arms...

searching and new openings... hopes for new year

Spending some time praying and searching how my prayer picture could speak to variety of people - becoming much more aware the pain in people and their allergy to anything with church, religion... how to let my heart to be more open, to pray more and to grow in faith, grow in ministry, in listening to God's call? I heard so many inspiring words and I know this is my journey, I cannot copy anyone else... Inspiration is for me an invitation, an openint... I would like this new year 2012 to be the year of new openings. I would like to be open to God in new ways, grow deeper, grow in faith, grow in trust... there is so much to learn and live... Few friends asked us recently what are our hopes for new year... so many words can be said and so often words are just not enough... my prayer continues to be prayer for openess - openess to growth, healing, openess to God's love.  Messy Church yesterday was wonderful experience of God's presence - what happens when people are inspired and creative... Earlier today I decided to start one more blog - about creativity ... will see what happens. Aim of that new blog would be to use my drawings and paintings and other creative media to let them speak - and maybe to speak to more people... I pray for God's wisdom and healing. I pray for peace and love.

Prayer Journey on snowy day 15th December 2011

We were surprised and happy to see so much snow on last Thursday morning and D. and me enjoyed walk in the snow in Meersbrook Park - such a wonderful and shiny day :)

And coming back home I felt so free and ready to draw, paint prayers and re-discovered my pastels that I brought back with me from Canada 8 years ago....

Here is the prayer journey in drawings:

Story of King's Daughter coming back.... coming back home

Hope planting

Worship and Art

I just found that my article is online now in March Spotlight magazine :)

http://sheffieldchristianeducationcouncil.giving.officelive.com/Documents/Spot%20A5%20Mar11.pdf

Water into Wine - Creative Prayer group during church service 30th January

As I was preparing myself for the group to explore creative prayer expression of John 2,1-12, my husband Pete suggested me to read study, reflection by Stephen Verney in his book Water into Wine 

I was really amazed by reading such a deep reflection, bringing for me very new insights into the meaning of the story of transformation water into wine. And I stopped my mind grumbling at Pete that he mixed up the readings that we were both supposed to use during Sunday service and that I spend lots of time drawing prayer pictures for different bible passage...  When praying and reading Stephen Verney reflection, I went through transformation myself and I became very excited about being able to use John's reading for creative prayer reflection....
 
I kept drawing black and white pictures and made a collage during group yesterday. And finally today I found and opportunity to paint a prayer in color as well.... It was really encouraging to see people yesterday at church exploring creatively the John's gospel.... if there was more time I would love to share some type of summary of what Stephen Verney wrote, but I felt also that it was so important to let people explore and listen to God's Word directly...  It is encouraging to be receiving now feedback and if there is another opportunity for creative prayer group in our church, I pray that I may be able to learn well, to learn from my mistakes, but most that I would be open to listen to God and to let God to use me in His way, without trying to "be perfect" myself and without feeling at times stuck by looking at my human imperfections....  The journey of transformation. The journey of letting go and learning to be - to be free me, as God's beloved child, His beloved daughter, who is accepted for who she is... 

Water into Wine  Part 1

Water into Wine  Part 2

Water into Wine Part 3

And here I attach some photos from the church, including paintings and drawings created by the congregation:

Father of Lights

During W4T link group meeting today we read prayer from Stormie Omartian "Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On" and read James 1,16-18   

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  

As Sue found and read those verses for us, the song Father of Lights, that I haven't sang now for several years  came to my mind. And as we prayed and shared what Jesus as Light means in our everyday lives, how His Light is the constant, no matter what is going on in our lives, we became very much aware of God's presence. 

Later in the day I was singing and listening to the song Father of Lights when creating in prayer this painting:

 

and here are videos with painting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqf1lFGspl4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a92I-HqGVLY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYFtVfJscZI

"Journey on the rainy day"

I realized that I needed to take more time to stop and to paint... I was feeling somehow really low and realized that I kept myself busy without taking time to  paint and pray... so here is the first painted prayer from today - it's my "journey through the rain" and next paintings would be coming later today, as I paint them... the second prayer painting is about journey through the desert, and I am just half way through painting it - as we needed to go and pick up our daughter Daniela from school... She is happily watching David Attendborough now, so I can continue my prayer painting journey and she might come and join me later here in the attic for some more creativity and art. Her faith is really inspiring, I want to learn from her - to trust in God and to let myself rest in His loving arms.

Here is prayer 1 - Journey through the rain

and I just completed two more prayer paintings, while Danielka came to join me, to make sure I am not lonely in the attic and drew in her sketch book happy piggy and cow and horse.

so my prayer painting 2 - Journey through the desert :

 and painting 3 - Hope - new openings:

Reflections on prayer painting

I enjoyed the evening of painting prayers and reflections... As usually, when I start painting, images keep coming and it is nearly impossible to stop. There is so much inspiration! Yesterday W4T session, morning service in our church, evenings spent searching internet for information about use of creativity in worship, reading, praying.... and writing the prayer journal. So often words can't express what I feel, paintings can and I am not really able to explain, describe the process - how it happens that I paint prayers. For me painting prayers is a special God's gift, undeserved, given with such a great generosity... God's creativity is the most amazing inspiration for me. 

And I started to read again Henri Nouwen's The Inner Voice of Love, book I used to read and reflect on and draw prayers inspired by reading, for many years.... Reading about the ways other people express their faith is very inspiring, I read few websites and blogs about gifts of prophetic painting. I am not sure whether I would call my paintings prophetic, I think, being me, I would like to do more reading, more researching and more praying.... Paintings are prayers and it is up to God to speak through my paintings to others.... I am not good in finding scientific definitions... Although I still argue with view of someone I spoke to few months ago who was strongly arguing that scientist and artist cannot be one person... at that time I felt too intimidated to express myself... but very soon I was able to think clearly again and remember so many artists - scientist... my biggest inspiration is Leonardo da Vinci - in ways he connected, explored art and science... 

Another inspiration came from reading Freeman's book Gifted Lives, its both inspiring and challenging... but that is another long story and I haven't done much prayer paintings about that :)

I will add paintings here tomorrow, its too late to start process of scanning and organizing images and I would like to keep this gift of being still before God, being amazed by His love and his creativity...

 

Calling

The beginning

In this blog I would like to share my journey of exploring creative worship. I was greatly inspired hearing from my husband Pete during the last year what God has been teaching him through participation in  Worship 4 Today course.  As I painted prayers to illustrate Pete's project, I was really blessed and God opened new doors for me.  Since September 2010 I began participating in the course Worship 4 Today as well and found it very inspiring and life giving. I would like to listen to God and learn through and from others, explore new ways of worship, share my prayer art and find the ways of supporting creativity and hidden gifts in people around me.

http://www.prayer-art.jbs-art.co.uk/

and

more images are at my Flickr photo album