Church Notes | Discover Beauty

Eye for an eye was't obligatory revenge, eye for an eye was intentional and intelligent mercy. Back in the day the punishment often out weighted the crime, at the risk of overly simplifying it eye for an eye was much better than eye for a life. In what ways can I be intentionally and intelligently merciful today? Maybe a better word for "merciful", in this context, is patient. How can I love those who put me down? Serve those who label me closed-minded? Minister to those who consider me stupid or weak? First step is to be intentional. Ask the Lord to show us their beauty, and realize that they too were created for great and wonderful things. So we can see them for who they are, despite what they are doing and how they are acting. The next step is to be intelligent. We MUST ask the Lord to give us discernment on how to interact with them. I would argue that spiritual warfare is much more of an art than a science. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit one step at a time will help us minister to each individual we encounter. It might be sitting down and talking with them about Christ, it might be sitting down and talking to them about Downton Abbey. Most of the time it's just being being a patient and humble person, who is willing to smile and wave on a regular basis. Ask the Lord show you the beauty around you, and turn the grey into color. Trust me, it makes this life much more fun. Not easier, just better.

Church Notes | Matthew 5:29

Matthew 5:29

Ecclesia Advent

 Here are some Church Notes that I have been drawing and painting and just not posting, which is stupid. I love doing these I dunno why I just don't post them more often.

Well last month at Church they did a teaching series on Advent. 

Highlighting 5 different aspects on the Hope what we have through Christ.

Peace (That week I didn't draw anything)

Hope

Joy

Love

Light

I know this is somewhat of an Ironic image of hope, but keep in mind that the night before I had just went and saw The Christmas Carol with my family. But we do need to be carful where we place out hearts. This study was on how we face disappointment, and what can happen to our hearts when don't get something we were hoping for, and how important it is to place our hearts in the Humble and Powerful hands of out Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This study was on Joy, and how joy is our anchor in the tumultuous sea we call emotions, and that the reason for Joy is truth. Joy is rooted in truth. Truth is constant and unyielding. "Truth" is the loving and understanding parent patiently waiting out the temper-tantrum of its screaming toddler "Emotion".

This was a crazy good sermon, and I am ashamed it has taken me this long to write about it, many of my first impressions lost. But what is the bug take away now 3 weeks later is that Love has the ability to awaken us. Out pastor, Joseph, was speaking about the pain that Love can bring, and lot of times that pain and sorrow we feel for people is our hearts being awaked to justice and the lack-there-of.

The box in this drawing represents the lies that we believe, the lies that lock up our hearts hearts shutting them up in darkness. The candle represents truth.

A New Season.

It is so cool to see and hear the Lord speak. A common "language" He uses with me is deals with the concept of "seasons". I love how the seasons are a source of consistent change, the perfect braiding of old and new, and great, and arguably the best example, of balance. 

With that said there have been a lot of change in my life within the last month. Three major branches of my life have had a shift, or a color change, if we are going to keep the seasons analogy. At work I rolled off of my first film onto a new movie, where I get a whole new team of people to work with. In my personal life I finally had a conversation the Lord has been telling me to have for nearly two years now. The peace and understanding that came with that humility is astounding. And finally at church, and the reason for this blog post, I got confirmation about looking for a local LA based Church.I am sad to be leaving Rock Harbor, my home of 4 years, but I am excited to see where the Lord is going to take me in this new season. Long story made slightly shorter, I feel the need, call, pressing, desire, or what ever verb/term you feel comfortable using, to be more involved in the city that I live in and work in. So over the next few weeks I will be on the hunt for a new church out here in LA. This first week I went to Ecclesia. I really really loved it! Ill probably go here for the next Month or so because next week they are starting a three week series on their core values. What a great way to start out my hunt.

Below are my notes and a drawing from this mornings message.

This drawing is of a star (you might remember that I like drawing stars in the form of people example A, example B). I drew this in response to a really great point the pastor made at this morning, I would go as far and call it a profound distinction. He said something along the lines of this, "That our lives and ministry are not dependant on our resilience, but our alliance. We do not need to ask the Lord to be with us, but to go where He is." I loved this so much because our eyes need to be on Christ. When I focus too much on what I AM doing I completely forget Who I am doing it for. I wasn't exactly sure on how to illustrate that concept /distinction so I drew the North Star. When Christ was born the North Star appeared to lead people to Christ. To show people where He was. It is not the clearest way to communicate what the pastor said, but it sure was a lot of fun to draw! :) So look for the North Star in your life, and go where Christ is. You can never go wrong when you are with Christ.

Again I am so excited to experience all the new colors and fragrances this new season has to offer. If you pray, pray for me. :) Pray for humility, guidance, and boldness in following that "North Star".

Church Notes | Joy in Hope

This is a drawing of my new friend Heather, she is pretty cool. The specifics of the drawing belong to her, but the over-arching theme of the drawing and sermon is one of hope, and the joy we find in it. "Find" being the operative word here.

Too often we mistake times of silence and stillness for seasons of darkness. That isn't always the case, maybe even never the case. I would even argue that in most cases the stillness only becomes "dark" when we neglect to seek out God and remind ourselves of his promises. If we took the time to remind ourselves of who He is and His promises the darkness wont come. Darkness, what ever it's form, is always held at bay with light.

Church Notes | Thursday's

This post finds itself in a very interesting place.

Last week the study at church was out of Malachi, and was about this concept of, "Thursdays". "Thursday" being a name for the regular days. The times that are not random, that are neither high nor low. Your routine.

If you frequent my blog you know that when I take notes in church part of my note-taking is drawing. For sometime now I have been praying during, and in some cases even before the sermon for the Lord to give me some imagery that will speak to me or others, and hopefully something that will reflect the message.

Last week the image I got was a man walking down a dark path protecting his "flame". With that image was the question, "Do you guard your flame when you should be stoking it?" That was very stirring at the time, and extremely convicting now. Convicting because If I would have set 30 minutes aside earlier this week to do what I am doing now my week would have been so much more effective and brighter. Essentially if I would have listen to what the Lord said to me and showed me then I would have realized that in this season of "Thursdays" I had only been protecting my "flame" and not stoking it. It's heat and light had grown dim leaving it vulnerable to gusts of wind.

I share this as a reminder for myself, and hopefully others, of the importance of faithfulness in our routines. In this of "Tuesday's", "Wednesday's", and "Thursday's" I have grown quite lax. This image of a man needing to stoke his flame was directly for me and I was too lazy to do anything about it! And I KNEW IT but I STILL didn't do anything about it! A fire can not live when there is nothing to fuel it. Forest fires do not need to be shielded from wind and rain. Lord let me heart not be the light a single Candle, but mingle it with Yours, the men and women who went before me, and those who walk along side me now. May we be a raging fire for You. We are young and we WILL set this world on fire for You!

The Lost Non-Church Notes Church Drawings of 2011

More Church related doodles.

Basically anything that I drew at Church or at something Church related that are not Church Notes.

Enjoy! :D

This one may look like church notes but do not be dismayed they are notes to took during CIRCLES, a discipleship program my Church has. This drawing pretty much sums up 2011. :/

More CIRCLES notes. But I drew my a fellow slice Amanda.

Thats me realizing that I was not trusting the Lord with my heart.

( you might notice a theme with the drawing of my self in the second half of 2011 :/)

This is my dear friend Melanie. She helped open my eyes to hope powerful the Holy Spirt truly is!

And for that I will be forever grateful, and I am pretty sure she will see some extra jewels in Heaven for it ;).

Oh and I still need to color this :/

This is of two worship leaders at my Church.

Their friendship reminds me of one I once had.

I drew this during a response time at the end of service at church.

These two I drew just last week. I went to a house of 24-7 prayer and worship with some of the new 2.0 Slices (CIRCLES Reference). And I drew two of them.

I just laid down what the Lord put on my heart.

I was so blessed that it blessed them.

Its pretty amazing how echo-system of spiritual gifting works.

I get blessed b/c they were blessed. :)

Lost 2011 Church Notes

The Church Notes of 2011 that I was too lazy to allow to see the light of day.


A drawing of my friend Melinda.


A drawing of my friend Carly!
I still need to color this.


I based this off of a drawing Nick Chiurazzi did in Circles AGES ago.


This one is of my brother.


I forget who is was of, maybe my buddy Nate. It is basically quite literal, it is about transformation, and the breaking away of bondage of an old identity.


This is of my then new co-worker Loni. But I didn't show her this until about 2 or 3 months later, not wanting to be a weirdo who drew her a phrophetic-encouragement. Oh the foolishness of me. :)
I would like to color this one too.


This one was of a guy at church who has since vanished.


This is a drawing of one of our then current, now past worship leaders at Rock Harbor Caleb Clements.


This is to illustrate how idolatry is bondage for your heart.


This was a difficult week for me, I remember struggling a lot.
This image ministered to me considerably, I am not bound by the lies of the enemy.


I hate his face but I love this concept. We are all given keys to the Lord's Kingdom, where do these keys fit? In the hearts of his people! We bring his Kingdom to earth through the heart's of his people!


This one was the Lord telling me He is not yet done forming my "crown".
And by crown I mean ministry and character.


Our speech pours out of us and flows into the world around us.


This just a literal drawing of the teaching.
I should color it.


Another drawing of the study.


Our speech pours out of us and flows into the world around us.


This is of my buddy Nick.


This was the Last page of my sketchbook, 2 sketchbooks ago.


This is when I visited OASIS LA. I really liked it.
That was another difficult week.


This one is about how much more powerful and effective we are when we work together.

Church Notes | Out of the Ashes

Some Church Notes to both encourage and rebuke! But in love!!!

For far too long people who call themselves Christians have been doing hateful and fear-fueled things. Francis Chan taught at my Church this past Sunday, it could not have been anymore timely. His teaching really confirmed something that the Lord has been trying to show me. Christians need to restore honor to The Church. A generation or two ago Churches were respected, even if they were not agreed with. We need to love the world again, and not hide from it.

The Church needs to rise the from the ashes of the idiots, morons, and selfish men and women who are Christians in name only. We will need to distinguish ourselves, and the ONLY was we can do that is through love!
Sacrificial love.
Intelligent love.
Funny love.
Gentle love.
Bold love and so forth.

If you aren't a Christian, hold your friends who clams to be Christians to this standard, and challenge them if you see them do something that is not centered and rooted in love. Oh and let us love you as Christ dose :)

If you are a Christian, how do we start this process? Look at your own hearts and ask the Lord to show you areas of pride and fear. Then ask Him to show you and how to replace those areas with trust, humility, and love. It won't be easy, but when has anything that's been easy been memorable or powerful?

Oh and the drawing is supposed to represent coming out of ashes, and the Owl is something the Lord uses to speak to me, and they are cool, AND they are fun to draw. :D

Church Notes | Use Your Wings

We all have a ministry, let us shake off our apathy and spread the wings the Lord gave us and fly for Him. May we be good and faithful stewards.

Week Two | Called vs Driven

This week was about being called verses being driven.
How it is okay to be driven but never at the expense of yous calling.
You must have a calling.

Week One | Servant Leadership

I am taking a 5 week class on Godly Leadership through Rock Harbor. After the 5 weeks they plan to plug us into a ministry in the church or at a local or global outreach ministry. This week was on servant leadership, they had us reflect on spiritual role models and leaders in our own lives and how they've influenced us, and what specific traits that made them good leaders in your eyes.

Art's Meeting Doodles

I went to an Art's Ministry Meeting at church tonight.
I though it would be appropriate that I doodle in it.

But then again when do I even think it's not appropriate to doodle?

Church Notes | The Gift and Burden of Time

Church was wildly appropriate Sunday.

I was praying for direction and what to do and the Lord meet me where I was. Lets take a second to realize what a huge blessing that is when the Lord meets you where you are, the creator of the universe conversing with me... wow. It was such a beautiful and practical answer to my concerns and worries. I just hope I take this lesson to heart, even thought I kind of dropped the ball already. But Christianity is not about dwelling in your slip-ups, but getting back up pressing on and not giving up.

Church Notes & Christmas Doodles

For the last few years I do a Christmas illustration in the style of a stained glass window. Here are some preliminary sketches I did during Church on Sunday evening, and in class today.







This last one is horrible. LOL I know we are getting into Easter cannon here just a little bit, but Christ didn't decay! He died, but he rose from the dead on the third day. So the skull that was supposed to represent death in general, just came off like Christ's skeleton. Not cool. I have used the skull/death symbolism in the past but it was always a satellite image or used in conjunction with Golgotha. Anywho it's fun to make this types of mistakes, helps ya learn what not to do. :)

Church Notes

I have been late with these for the past few weeks. Forgive me, but I have been a busy bee. I hate that I put these out in droves like this. I forget the little comments and insight I wanted to point out. :( Woe to the smoky composition of human memory...







And then tongues of flame.