Story Behind Recreated Graphic Art

September 5th, 2010 § 0

From the Artist, Leah Bankson…

“I was really inspired by the lines, “You promised me, your light the only mirror I’ll need” and “So I take the mirror off the wall and let you win the war”. God really used this whole process to remind me of who He is. It was so incredible to realize that for the light of the sun to be reflected, instead of my own image, the mirror must be taken off the wall and laid down. When I figured that out, the result was blindingly brilliant light streaming up from the mirror!! I had to wear sunglasses while I took the pictures:).  My first thought when I decided to try taking picture of a mirror, was a cracked old vintage mirror, to symbolize that it has no power anymore. But somehow that idea seemed so off. A broken mirror doesn’t communicate recreation or transformation, it communicates destruction. So this got me thinking, what is it about an image of a broken mirror that seems like taboo or a violation of sorts? I think it’s because this is not God’s heart. He didn’t come to break us but to bind up the broken hearted, His plan isn’t to destroy but to transform and recreate. Like this mirror, we ourselves do not change, however, our purpose changes completely. Instead of reflecting our own pitiful image that yields no light, we are to lay down our own image so that sun may be reflected in us. How much more glorious is that! We get to be filled with light and beauty, but only when we are laying on the ground not hung up nicely on a wall.”

- Leah Bankson (sophomore at the U of M)

(Leah is a student at the U of M that I met when she was a freshman in the dorms last year)

Thank you, Leah!  This is such a powerful image!

Recreated Lyrics

August 28th, 2010 § 1

Hey Friends!  I am excited to share this song with you.  I thought I’d post up the lyrics beforehand for those of you who have asked for them.

This song has changed and developed over the past year (with the help of the JasonHarmsBand) as I’ve wrestled with body image and my lack of belief that eternity is real. My lack of belief in eternal reality shows itself loudly through the thoughts I think, the way I strive after temporary earthly glory and the things I put my hope in, often in regard to my  appearance as a woman.  As I’ve sifted through the lies I have believed were true about my identity and the truth of what God tells me about my identity in Christ, these verses have been a powerful influence in this song. These promises continue to bring me deliverance from my idolatry of beauty, appearance and thinness and give me hope in sharing in the resurrection of Christ one day.

Colossians 3:20-21, Romans 8:30, Romans 6:5, Romans 8:6, Romans 7:24, 2 Cor. 3:18, 2 Cor. 3:10-11, Rev. 22:5

Dwelling on them has helped me wrestle more with what is true and what is not.  I still have so far to come as a wrestler, expresser and giver in music, so I pray this song be just a small shadow of His far more surpassing glory.

Love, Katie


Recreated Preview Video- Single Available September 1st

August 27th, 2010 § 0

Video Made By : Nick Stromwall

Secure

August 10th, 2010 § 0

Jesus
The mediator of our love
Only covered in His blood, can you love me
And I dare love you
Though my flesh fail,
My heart grow weak
And death be near
The bond of our love can never be broken
We’re anchored by the life and death of Him
Your son
Though your enemies wage a war
No, I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me
And though my crimes were committed in your presence, God
You forgave me
Now, not even for a moment
Would you let me go unloved
This you have promised
You love me
And
Nothing can separate us
I am secure

Inspired by: Romans 8:38-39
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jen’s New Blog: Cultivating Collections

August 10th, 2010 § 0

Jen's Blog: http://cultivatingcollections.blogspot.com/

Hey Friends!  I don’t have any special updates today, but  I DO want to share with you a very special blog that my friend Jen has just begun!  We brainstormed and dreamed many ideas for her blog this summer, and she landed on calling it “Cultivating Collections.”  She includes everything from beautifully written poetry throughout her life, things she’s learning about life and the goodness of God, and tutorials on taking old things like curtains, thrift-store buys, old shoes, pillow cases, etc. and sewing/transforming them into cute things!  You’ll be blessed by slowing down to check it out, no doubt. :)

http://cultivatingcollections.blogspot.com/

Growing and Changing

July 23rd, 2010 § 0

http://www.hopefeathersphotoblog.com/

John 15:2 says “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” We just celebrated our 2 year anniversary… can you believe it?  It has been two of the sweetest, refining and sharpening years the Lord has given me.  So much in me has come to the surface… so much in me has been reevaluated, pondered, repented of and… changed.  I have such a tender-hearted and sweet husband!  He has spoken such encouraging and wise words to me over the years.

I know that might sound funny, but the definition of ‘prune’ is so comparable to being a believer.  Prune 2: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, esp. to increase fruitfulness and growth. Its exactly what God’s been doing in me.  At first glance… that’s not a pretty picture.   But that’s not where God has stopped.  His pruning is freedom-causing.  Love- causing.

He gently cuts away dead or overgrown branches or stems, all for what? To increase fruitfulness and growth.  It would be painful without the life, death and resurrection of Jesus given on our behalf or the promise that “we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 )

I have just been massively hit with the realness of God’s faithfulness to me in this season.  After these years of wrestling with the Lord through loads of insecurity, fear, and doubt… Something in me has…changed.  Something that is so tangibly not of me.  

There’s something about David’s songs in the Psalms that displays that God has proved something to Him.  David is so stinkin’ expectant of grace. “As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!” (Psalm 40:11 ) After the past few years, my heart has grown so expectant of this grace because its been proved over and over.

I wanted to share a few verses full of truths that I have prayed would transform me throughout the past 2 years, often through tears, knowing God was faithful, but not yet seeing him bear these fruits in my life.  Anyone know what I mean in that?

Col 4:6
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Ps. 62:1-2
“For God ALONE my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Gal 5: 22
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

Psalm 119:133
“Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.”

Psalm 120:2
“Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.”

James 1:19
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Psalm 63: 8
“My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

In my first year of marriage, I asked Nick to pray these verses for me. and I’ve been fervently asking the Lord to transform me by the reneal of my mind with these specific truths because, in all honesty my mind was a product of believing lies.  It was a diseased place that needed healing, restoration, and years of meditating on things that are TRUE.

God wasn’t lying about his faithfulness.  The Word I have prayed has returned to me with fruit of His spirit.  I’m finally experiencing true freedom from places of bondage.  He’s proven so much to me of his character.   “What I could not earn, Jesus earned, what I could not defeat, Jesus defeated, what I could not bear, Jesus bore. He is my solitary hope.” (-Paul Tripp- I echo him deeply!)” I am not greatly shaken.  I am at peace more often.  I am slower to anger.  I rest more.  When I fear, I am reminded that nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.  And I’m alright.

I’m convinced that we are called into seasons for very specific purposes that God has planned to use in the advancement of His kingdom.  I could tell sweet stories of how he’s used the past years for His glory.  After these past few years, I feel like I am…a newly blooming flower. I feel the breeze blow against new skin… with a new mind, a new freedom, a lighter heart, a greater awareness of sin and what an incredible savior and father I have, a deeper freedom to fail, a deeper trust that I am secure in Him.  Everything in my life is different.  I’m so caught up in Christ’s love for me and his work he has set out for me to do, I’m not dwelling in my past or  failures…instead He’s causing me to “forget what lies behind, and strain forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13-14) And, just like all flowers, I will continue to die and re-bloom.  I only know Him a little bit, but I am intimately acquainted with His faithfulness and steadfast love to a weak woman- its changing everything.

So… for the big 2 year celebration, of course Nick went all out.  He surprised me and took me to a B&B on Lake Peppin!  We stood in awe of God’s steady work in transforming us.   We sat by the lake in silence.   We stared into creation… and not only proclaimed, but believed and evidenced that His faithfulness is real.  “…The old has passed away; Behold, the new has come!” (2. cor 5:17). I am overcome by what God promised: “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

I’m expecting so many more seasons of pruning, but its fruit-bearing and growth-causing.  Its worth every season marked by suffering.

Praying for strength for those of you walking through really hard seasons right now… there is a deep joy in not knowing its purpose… but years later seeing His steadfast love and how He never left you in it.  How He’s advancing His kingdom through it.

Healed.

July 6th, 2010 § 0


Can you relate to me in this?  Sometimes I’m having a sweet season with the Lord, I see the value of coming and depending on him even when I’m not tangibly in need… I’m given the blessing of consitency… but then I have a morning like this:  I will reach for my bible, journal and pen, go to my little haven (a.k.a. my big white chair) and sit there looking out my window.  Then, I’ll remember I need to start the laundry so it gets finished in time for… then I get a text which reminds me I need to send that email… then I remember I need to take out chicken from the freezer so it will be ready in time for dinner… don’t judge if this is not your struggle :)

I think it is a common theme for the believer to come to the Lord as a last resort.  Its so common to arrange our lives around things that seem important, around needs that seem most tangible.  Even in desperate circumstances, it’s easy to exert every amount of human effort to change a circumstance before it dawns on us to pray… at least I see this pattern in my own life.

I read this story of the woman in the crowd in Mark chapter 5 through new eyes today and felt pressed to post about it.  Its worth a read, if you have a quick moment!

“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:25-34 ESV)

Can you see yourself in this woman?  For years, she has gone to different physicians to cure her disease.  When they all seemed to make her well, they actually made her worse.  It says “She spent all that she had.”

Something really sweet is happening in a dear friend of mine’s life from high school, whom I haven’t talked to all through college, Sara!  We met up at Starbucks and caught up on our lives and our college experiences.  To see her courage to be so raw and honest about her life was a huge refreshment.  In her own words she said, “I just feel like I’ve tried everything, but nothing is satisfying anymore. I’m 26, and I just can’t keep living my life this way.” It wasn’t long before my eyes welled up with tears after we talked about Jesus for a while, which I’m sure always looks weird to people on the first coffee date :) But to see someone reaching out in the chaos of their life, someone reaching out for the garment of Jesus, to be healed by him…   As I listened to Sara,  I knew exactly how she felt.  And I know that there is something about that feeling that is TRUE.  Her hunger reminds me of my hunger when I felt the same way my junior year of college.  She’s already come to church and is joining a small group to have other women in her life!

It makes sense that we run and literally hunt down every other form of refuge because we’ve never known Jesus as a refuge.  When we live in a world that promises us lies, that deceives us by making things look true that aren’t… we don’t believe that he could truly be an escape, a green pasture to come and rest in until we cast ourselves upon him.  Even as a last resort, he proves faithful!

Anyone else drawn by the way the woman with the disease believes finally after 12 years of trying everything else?  Her made up mind that he could heal… “If I just touch his garments, I will be made well.”  What gets me about this story is that in her sickly condition (she was constantly bleeding) she runs out into the crowd where people are trampling and swarming Jesus just to see if she might be able to touch even just a sliver of his clothing.  I love how her desperation moves her directly past all of the failed physicians, past all of the crowd and directly to the true healer.

And she touched his clothing, and she was immediately healed.  But notice he doesn’t just say she is physically healed… its her faith that makes her well.  In all of the accounts of Jesus healing people, he seems to have such compassion on their physical state of suffering, yet its not ultimately their suffering that causes him to heal them.  Its because they trusted him, they believed in him and acted on that belief by calling out to him… and we read Jesus commend their faith, that their faith healed them… ultimately their souls.

I am learning a lot in this season about a similar pattern in my own heart and life.  I am coming out of a lot of years of running to everything else to heal me, but by the grace of God learning to be like this woman!  Learning to go directly to the only true healer.  Learning to run past everything to go directly to Jesus.  I find myself wondering… how long had that woman heard of Jesus before she believed he could really heal?  When Jesus says, “Who touched me?” wouldn’t it have been so easy for Jesus to tell her all about the times she ignored him, for him to remind her of her sickness and all of the money she had spent thinking that people or other things could heal her.  Wouldn’t it be just like the heart of man to make that woman feel guilty and ashamed?” That’s why I love Jesus.  He does not have the heart of man.  He has the heart of God.  Forgiving, taking pleasure in her as she “fell down before him and told him the whole truth.”… waiting to be her father.

(Huge sigh). This gets me.  This messes me up.  Instead, he calls her “Daughter!”  He says, “Your faith has made you well, go in peace and be healed of your disease.”

There is so much evidence for us to believe that “…God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17)

Because God speaks for himself, I will leave this post at that.

Hydrangeas & Fabric!

July 2nd, 2010 § 0

One of the reasons I love summer is that my dear friend Jen, who is a teacher, has the summer off!  Which means we get to hang out, which of course, makes me very… happy :)

We cut down hydrangeas from her garden, talked heart to heart, and took a trip to Crafty Planet, where I made my first fabric purchase!  She taught me to make a cute little bag to use in my bathroom to help me get organized.  I completed my first bag!  Two more to go… then I will be revamping my entire bathroom closet, which… is… a distaster, friends.  I’m convinced having really cute bags to organize some of my bathroom stuff in will motivate me to stay more organized in there. My brother, Ben, made fun of us and called us “Grannies” for spending a day sewing together.  But he’s right.  We become Grandma’s together when we hang out.  But in my book, Grandma’s are the sweetest thing ever… and I admire people as crafty as Jen.  Her crafts and sewing blow me away!  And my Bro doesn’t realize he wouldn’t still be sleeping with his “football blankie” if it weren’t for our Grandma Jane and her long hours of crafty love.

I’m also stopping by Passionate Homemaking blog to find out items I don’t need to have in my bathroom.  I think I really need some help adopting the truth that “less is more…” Seems like the bathroom closet is full of stuff I never use.  It just… collects.  stuff.

Jen preparing to cut the very cute fabric

Check out the polka-dot interior! Cute, huh?

I was so refreshed by Jen and was able to get her counsel and advice regarding some decisions I am walking through.  I am so blessed to have so many friends like Jen, who care and love me and offer me truth.   Jen and I also dreamed about her new blog she is feeling led to begin!  She has an incredible collection of poetry and collection of cute things she sews- everything from little bags, purses, kitchen aprons, and fun hair accessories.  Very soon, you will be able to stop by and read her beautiful poems and even get some tutorials on how to sew very cute things.  I am convinced you’ll be blessed by her sharing her gifts and talents through it.  I’ll let you know when its up and running!  And when my closet gets organized!  Hope you have a happy 4th of July!

Free To Admire

June 22nd, 2010 § 0

Right now I am studying through Philippians along with our church community for the third time, and it’s been so different this time around.  It can be easy to read something and think I’ve read this before, and then fear it doesn’t have anything new to offer… don’t we get to that place a lot in life?  I am by far, no expert, yet with the few months that I have read Philippians, it could feel like an old CD that I’ve already listened to all its sounds, rewinded the good parts, I know all of the words, etc… but its been a lot more piercing to me personally in this season.  Its been much more like listening to and old song and hearing it much louder than before… which means I may be hearing things that I don’t always want to hear…

One bit of evidence that this is falling on fresh ears is that my quiet times seem to be followed with a lot more repentance… with a lot more pensive days and reflective thinking about patterns in my life.  It seems to be ‘calling me out’ and bringing to light things within me that have seemed so subtle, almost unnoticable and yet so in need of correction.  Do you see where this is going?  I’ll let you ponder chapter 1, verses 15-18 if you would be so willing…

“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”

… I confess I’ve always read this part and frowned upon ‘whoever was preaching Christ from envy and rivalry.’  Of course, not throwing myself in that category… I would fit the group that shares the gospel of Christ out of LOVE… right?  This may be getting complicated, but stay with me.  I’m learning that the Webster dictionary can unexpectedly make me feel like I’ve been hit with a 2 by 4.  I have spent about 50% of my quiet times this summer reading the dictionary!  And actually, I’ve been looking up words that I’ve heard a zillion times… but when I see the multifaceted definitions of just one word… a lot more begins to unfold in its meaning.

After chewing on this verse for a while, I began to ask myself… why were people preaching Christ out of envy or rivalry? From perusing through “Opening Up Philippians,” I began to feel a bit startled at what I learned.  Allow me to paraphrase.

There was already a church in Rome before Paul arrived there and certain believers there probably held a high degree of prominence (fame, importance, etc.)  Paul was growing in fame for his suffering for Christ’s sake and his spreading of the church, so  the prominent leaders of the church may not have been mentioned as much, or were recognized less frequently.  Thus, they became envious of Paul, so their motives for sharing the gospel of Jesus were not pure or unmixed.

In fact, it mentioned that some believers- ah-em… BELIEVERS… (gulp) were actually happy that Paul was imprisoned because now they could have a chance to come to the forefront again. Upon reading all of this, my heart grew really sad and a new fear was wakened within me.  I pondered “Why does rivalry exist between believers?”  Check out these words defined:

Envy: Feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or circumstances

Rivalry: Competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.

My ears really are new, friends.  These definitions were like an injury for me.  Meaning, it HURT to read them.

Apostle Paul truly stands alone.  He was actually WILLing for others to speak slander of him if they would also speak well of Christ. He was so far from envying those who were able to preach the gospel while he was locked behind bars that he rejoiced in the preaching of it even by those who do it in pretense (pretending with intention to deceive) and not in truth.

Here’s where it gets convicting.  Believers have fear that other believers will become known as a better preachers, speakers, administrators, teachers, encouragers, servants, song-writers, (any other spiritual giftings would fit here)… SO… stay with me… they force out of their minds the cursedness of pride and their need for humility.

Anyone else’s stomach hurt a bit?  I felt myself taking gulps… because I knew it was coming… by ‘it’ I mean… conviction of sin… a right feeling of guilt.  More simply, I felt exposed in the presence of God.  It was slow… but… it came.  And my heart followed by asking myself this really hard question:

*Where do I feel good/get joy out of seeing others suffer?

*Do I feel better when others are kept out of the spotlight? Why?

Then, came… slowly- my confession:

I have had seasons where the grace of God and his giving of gifts was not tangible to me or to people around me.  I have had long seasons of suffering and waiting, seasons of not being in the spotlight, seasons of being recognized for ‘really struggling’ and seasons of not being noticed for my means of serving… and sadly, I have not be truly content much of those times.  Oh, how HELPFUL those seasons have been!  How deeply they can cultivate a deeper sense of humility and meekness, and maybe just slightly open me up to admire someone or something other than myself… how rich those seasons actually are! But when the Lord gives me seasons where he’s called me more into the spotlight, weather it be through ministry, through a song, through anything… I face an extreme temptation to love the GIFTS and not the GIVER.  I often want to use the gifts God’s given me as fuel for greater qualities, possessions, circumstances, etc.  But if I don’t have anything noticeable in any of these areas, I’m filled with…(ok Holy spirit, I hear you)… envious longing of someone else’s ministry, giftings, circumstances, qualities, lifestyle, etc.

After a deep breath, I am asking myself: who and what do I envy?  I am trusting the Holy Spirit to keep speaking tenderly, to bring to light anything that’s in the dark.  Thankful he’s shown me that yes- EVEN I- can preach the gospel and share Christ with a motive of rivalry or envy… because I believe the lie that there is some value in being recognized… that it is somehow better… that it will somehow give me an ounce of my own righteousness.  But oh, how I am learning through this.  One of the things that I am praying for my heart this summer is that, by the power of the holy spirit, I would become freer to admire others.  I would love your prayers in this!  That, I would repent of pride whole-heartedly in seasons where I am called serve the body of Christ in front of people and that I would experience sweet contentedness in seasons where the Lord takes me out of the spotlight and more like under the shadow of his wings.  That if I should be crippled and mute, I would delight to see someone strong and articulate sharing the gospel when I can’t.  Thinking of what this means in specifics for me…

I will leave you with a quote from Matthew Henry:

“We should say, ‘Let him shine though I be obscured, and his glory be exulted, though upon my ruins.’”

Yummy Hummus!

June 18th, 2010 § 0

You. must. try. this. I make it about once a week… it is a great summer comfort snack, chock full of healthy nutrients and SUPER easy to make (gotta love that). We eat it with fresh veggies or any type of good cracker.  If you try it, I’m sure you’ll be addicted like we are.   I got this recipe from SAMM POTEAT,  and it is so tasty!

Ingredients:

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
3 ½ Tablespoons tahini (I don’t have this, so I skip it!)
½ lemon
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
2-3 cloves garlic, halved
2 tablespoon olive oil
⅓ or less cup bean juice
2 dashes crushed red pepper (I use 1/2 of a red pepper instead)
1 teaspoon cumin

Directions:

1. Blend ingredients
2. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Enjoy, friends!

« Older Entries