The farther up I travel this mountain with God, the more perspective He gives me as I look down over my life. His timing is impeccable in a way that only the Sovereign of all creation can execute. He is so exact, so perfectly aligned, so faithful in every promise. Like a sunset, all passion-blue and purple reaching out across the sky, the heavens declare the glory of Adonai; the earth resonates with the fullness of His power. His Word does not return to Him void. He knows the plans & purposes He’s spoken over you. His name is Faithful & True.
The prophet Jeremiah heard the voice of God declare to him:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Tapestries are beautiful things, aren’t they? I’m a color/pattern/texture girl, so I have always loved tapestries.
Did you know the word ‘plans’ in this passage from the scroll of Jeremiah is the Hebrew word ‘machashabah,’ and it can also mean ‘weaving a tapestry’?
Isn’t that profound?
This wow-poignant prophecy from Jeremiah gloriously illustrates what a Master Artist our Father is. He carefully and skillfully weaves His story in and through us. Everything the enemy meant to rob you with, He uses to give you glory.
He weaves all the good, all the bad, all the broken into beautiful. He knows the plans He has for you, the tapestry He’s weaving in you, the story He’s writing about you, the vessel He’s shaping you into, the diamond He’s buffing you to be…
Trust the process. You are safe on Heaven’s loom.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
I had to share a little perspective before sharing my big news...because this announcement is all about our Master Artist Creator God and the good & beautiful things He made us to walk in. So here it comes…
I have incorporated Bella Folk into a nonprofit ministry (!!), and started a collective of Jesus-loving creatives committed to creating art that carries the Kingdom of God to our communities (!!), and we are producing our first original musical, The Passion Prophecies, next spring at Thirst Church!
Gasp. I’m so excited.
Last week as I was working on the website and getting pumped for this new adventure, I was listening to a teaching from Melissa Helser of Cageless Birds on cultivating creativity. My heart lit up, like straight lit into flames listening to her. I shouted, “Yes! YES!” so many times the kids asked me what I was listening to…surely not a podcast!? I couldn’t help it. She was giving language to this invitation I've received from the Lord. Reminding me that creativity is my birthright as an individual created in the image of God; that we are imagers of our Creator God. You know, that’s the first thing we learn about ourselves from the garden. Honestly, if we learn nothing else from the origin account of humanity, may we all take away that we were created to be creators who create more creators—just like our Father. We are spirit beings, like God, able to create new systems and environments through our thoughts, words, and actions. Bringing Heaven to earth, we manifest God’s glory here and right now-because He commanded us to. We are a people who have been instructed from the beginning of time to go forth and multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. We are creators creating creators; imagers imaging God. This is a core belief of Bella Folk and so we’re here to flesh it out in real life.
God is doing so much in His body right now, it’s almost hard to keep up with! He’s been stretching me to run at His pace and walk in His shadow. To get up & go when He does, and stay & stew when He lingers. Countless times over the past few years I’ve asked the Lord, “WHEN!?” and “HOW LONG!?” over some of the things I’ve carried in my heart. He's taught me to savor the precious gift that waiting gives-so much so that I almost forgot the dreams tugging at the edges of my heart. Last year was a major transitional year for our family, and I began to feel Him stirring and moving in the hidden places. Ideas that had long been shelved suddenly came to the front, and to my great joy & surprise, I got the green light from Holy Spirit to begin dreaming with Heaven again.
When I started this blog in 2019, I was looking to connect with others in an authentic way, and share what Yahweh was teaching me as I discovered His Ways—but that was only one aspect of what I imagined Bella Folk to be. For years I dreamed of starting a production company that would produce original plays and films that powerfully connect people to the heart of God. That vision then grew to include all facets of the arts and now here we are.
So as the earth vibrates with new life and everywhere death gives way to the promise, Bella Folk pushes up from below as a new thing; a collective…a tribe…a community of creatives bound by a mutual obsession with the man Yeshua. Rooted in wholeness and our identity as sons and daughters of the Kingdom of Heaven, our purpose is to image our Creator God and create experiences in the realm of the arts that reveal His heart to a generation searching for meaning.
What began as a blog about biblical living has burgeoned into a multifaceted ministry of the arts with the gospel at its core. You’ve been here through it all, and now I invite you into a more interactive journey. Please check out our website, learn about The Passion Prophecies, our first original musical coming to the stage next spring, and pray about supporting our ministry. We are so grateful for you, dear friends, and could not endeavor to do this work without your support.
Now go check out our website!
Peace, love & HUGS!
Natalie
コメント