A season of creativity

Ladies we are so pleased to be back on the blog and back for a brand new season of events! The women of this church are genuinely always on my mind and my heart. I can honestly say you women are a community of loving, caring, hilarious, supportive and encouraging women and i have never seen that anywhere else quite like here at Falkirk Vineyard. Our aim with ladies ministry is to create space... a space for women to connect with each other, to meet with Jesus, a space to invite friends, a space where we can be ourselves; our real, true selves. You know the one in her Pj’s with hair in a messy bun, with last night mascara still on... you know her right? 

At the start of each season the team meet up and decide on events, dates, decor, food etc etc and this year our theme is... CREATIVITY.  I read somewhere recently that christianity must be creative because first and foremost, we follow a creative God! isn't that true. Isn’t he always up to something ‘creative’ in our lives? The first thing to happen in the bible was God making the most astounding, most creative display of amazing colour and life and nature just being formed from nothing! We resonate with God through his creations, we sit on beaches staring out at the ocean, we stand on mountains looking across all that he created, we look at a single leaf and see all the details in every single leave of every single tree and the breath taking views of the colours of those leaves in autumn. God’s creativity draws us to Him.

SO you see God is a creator and we are made in God’s image so that means by our very existence that we are creative. I can see all you non artistic people rolling your eyes and saying ‘oh no, I'm not crafty or arty’. But thats not what creativity is, we are making creativity and God’s creativity small by thinking of it as only arts and crafts. God didn't just say ‘ok, you can sew, you can paint and you can make jewellery, right thats all the creative skills given out.’ IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST ARTS AND CRAFTS!  Our God has so much more for us than that. We are created to be WHO he made us to be, every single part of us! When we are the full creative versions of ourselves - we show people our creator. You see we point them back to God, just like the autumn leaves. 

Let me tell you a little about me and creativity. You see if you asked me outright if I was creative, I would probably say no. But I do actually sew, and bible journal and crochet and like to dabble in really anything crafty but i never really think of my brain as being creative. I just think I like to try new things and it’s even better when they actually look good (not like my baking... my recent loaf of bread turned out like a rock!!) 

But the more I pondered this subject and my creativity...... the more God revealed to me. God said 2 things to me. Firstly, He said; "where is your creative joy?" and when I thought about it i instantly knew interiors, house designing, decorating, redecorating (if you don't know the story of me making my husband paint our living room 8 times in one week I'm sure someone will fill you in). You see i LOVE IT. I love every part of it. I love the imagining of what I would like the space to be; what colours, what fabrics, textures and then the buying is pretty fun, DIY is ok but the finished product is just so joyful to me. To sit in a space I had thought of in my head, for an atmosphere for me to cuddle up with a book, to create a space that I can welcome people into and want them to feel welcome, loved and cared for. Thats what I want for my home. Our home to be a space for not just us but those in my life. that is my creative joy. But I do also sew and craft a little but thats the second thing God said to me the other night (really inconveniently I was in bed and it woke me up) but God made it clear He wants me to pursue more because thats where I will find my rest.
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You know ladies, I think a lot of TV, movies and whatever else takes up our free time often switches our creativity off. Our brains and creative sides don't need to be working because we are watching the screen. This is not to say we shouldn't watch TV or have a chilled night but it is to say in order to explore our creativity and the gifts God has given we have to explore. We have to give it a shot, not just say ‘I can't paint’ and that is that. You see I believe everyone is creative, and we can use this creativity to worship God. When we are becoming the people He made us to be, we can spend time with him.

You see we can focus on God in our creating. In 1 corinthians 10:31 it says whatever you do do it all for the glory of God. You know what that means right... whatever you were created to do; do it for God. Paint for God. Sing for God, crochet for God, write for God, run for God. By doing so you are offering up your life as a living sacrifice as it says in Romans 10. 

You remember the story Jesus tells in the Bible about three servants. One was given five talents; another two; and another one. The ones with ten and five invested them and doubled the investments. The other buried his talent in the sand. The two who invested their talents were honored by their master, but the other was not honoured. This story shows that God expects us to invest the gifts and talent He has given us for His glory! Here is an excerpt of an article from the Relevant church in America. It says:

“Here’s the truth: It’s impossible to lack creativity while standing in the presence of the creator. The Lord has graced us with an intrinsic ability to create. To design beauty from nothing. To write, to draw, to build, to sing and to dance for something and someone bigger than ourselves...”
The Lord always has a purpose for blessing us with gifts—and He wouldn’t be so clear about our creative prowess if He didn’t expect us to use it without abandon. Ephesians 2:10 says we were ‘For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.’  Ladies I feel God is trying to tell us to chase that Dream, chase the creativity!! And we are so excited for our season of Ladies events ahead to experience, grow and nurture our creativity!

Love,
Lyndsey