Dance Comes From The Heart

My husband recently bought me Heather Clark's book Dance As the Spirit Moves.  (Review to come, I hope!) As I began reading it tonight, I took a break and did a quick search for some of her dance pieces.  What I found was not what I expected, but it brought the tears to my eyes and inspired me in a new way.  Get some tissues handy and watch this beautiful video of Heather Clark dancing with Valerie Nunziante, a young girl with spina bifida.  Truly God does make a way for his children!




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A Prophetic Art Journey

Today's post is compliments of my sweet and talented blogging friend Barbie, who I would highly recommend you get to know!  The painting featured here is one of her own, and you can read more about the story behind it here.  

Post by Barbie Swihart


I was so honored when Leah asked if I would share my journey of prophetic art.  I pray that you will be blessed by what you read and understand that you are beautiful, artistic, and creative. 

My journey in art began several years ago. I am privileged to belong to a church community that embraces the freedom of expression in various art forms such as worship, media, dance, drama, painting, or sketching.  Although I have been involved on worship teams and led a worship dance team, I never really considered myself an “artist”.  I did not have an understanding as to what true creativity was, but desired to be creative.  I began to pray and ask the Lord to release His creativity through me.

A few years ago, I traveled with the leadership of my church to the Kansas City International House of Prayer.  I remember as I sat in the room, overwhelmed by the worship, that God began to give me some amazing pictures of what was on His heart.  My prophetic gifting is as a “seer”, which means that God often shows me pictures during worship, or during my prayer times, both for me personally and for my local corporate body.  

While I was in Kansas City, I had an opportunity for the first time to sketch some of what the Lord showed me, and although it wasn’t perfect, it was very freeing. I desired more.

In my local church, there are artists of all different abilities- from beginners, to those who have been formally taught, to those like me, who have no formal training but have a burning desire to express God’s heart through the arts.  Because I never considered myself an artist, by the world’s standards, I had to overcome some obstacles.  The fear of man and the need to compare my art to others were two of my biggest challenges.  Also, I had to learn to accept and cultivate my unique bent as an artist.  I don’t use brushes.  I use my fingers, and for a while, I thought that was weird.  But one day God said, “use your hands and do not pick up a brush”.  So to this day, with the exception of texture or background color, the majority of my artwork is painted with my fingers.  

It took me a while, but I am finally at a place of freedom in my creativity and it doesn’t matter what others may think or feel.  It only matters if I allowed God to move through me.  

The more I step out in obedience and allow God to cultivate my gifting, the more I am amazed at what I can do. 

The Holy Spirit has been the best teacher!

When I paint, I first pray and ask the Lord if there is a particular scripture, word or picture He would like to show me.  I then ask Him about color – what colors should I use and how many?  I seldom receive anything concrete from the Lord until just before I paint.  And it’s normally just a sense or a feeling. I then pray and ask the Lord to anoint my hands for worship as I begin to paint. As the Holy Spirit comes, I often feel as if I am in another time and place, like it’s just Him and me in the room.  When I paint, I feel in complete unity with the Lord and close to His heart. 

My desire is to be used as an instrument for His glory.  It is not about wowing the congregation, or having someone want to purchase my art.  It’s about being obedient to the Holy Spirit.  I believe we were all born to create.  We serve a very creative God.  

"In the beginning God created..." (Genesis 1:1)  

If you have never “created” in the presence of the Lord, give it a try!  Turn on some worship music, grab some colored pencils or watercolors and ask the Holy Spirit to move through you.  What are you seeing?  What are you feeling?  Let Him guide your hands and do not get caught up in technique. 

It’s not about perfection. It’s about your heart connecting with God’s heart.  And I guarantee you it will be beautiful because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.  You cannot fail.  God gave you the desire.  He is waiting for you to create so that the entire world can see His beauty!

Barbie lives in Northern California with her husband and four children.  She works full-time as the Pastoral Administrator of her church, and desires to be used by the Lord to express his heart through the arts.  To see more of Barbie's art, visit her blog at http://www.myfreshlybrewedlife.blogspot.com

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Merry Christmas And Some Upcoming News

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Happy Birthday Jesus!! 

The Hoffmaster Kids- Dec. 2010

Wishing every one of you a rich encounter with Christ and memorable times with loved ones this holiday season.  Don't forget to stop back tomorrow or over the weekend as time allows for a special guest post.  

As for the news- I'm approaching 100 posts AND my one year blogiversary this coming month.  Look for some great giveaways and special features in the weeks to come.   Scroll up to the top of this post to subscribe to my posts so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

A holiday challenge: Take some of that wonderful free time you've got coming and get creative!!  I'd love to hear what you get into :)

Prying Off The Monster

Perfectionism.  One simple brush and it latches on like a weed, making your path all the more difficult to travel.  If I'm seeking the Lord first, and His glory, shouldn't He be making each of my steps beautiful, each turn graceful, each word from my pen or stroke from my brush burst with creative flair?  Maybe I'm not cut out for this "arty" stuff.  


WRONG!

In Him we live, and move, and have our being.  (Acts 17: 28)


The enemy knows how powerful God is, and what we are capable of when we submit to His leadership in our lives.  He also knows just what tactics we as humans are most susceptible to, and employs them at just the right times when our confidence in approaching the Lord is wavering.  Namely, when we are stepping outside of our comfort zone in order to offer a sacrifice of praise.  There is almost always an element of doubt during times where we are doing something we are unfamiliar with, or when it comes to doing it within the public's eye.  Why?  I think it's because we are on the path to experiencing a breakthrough of God's anointing in our lives (and as a result, into the lives of others), and that goes against the enemy's plans to steal, kill, and destroy us.  So, there's struggle- warfare, if you will.  The doubt comes bubbling to the surface, and we start feeling like we aren't good enough.

I don't know about you, but it makes me MAD when I think about this kind of bondage God's people are under, and I want to do everything I can to pry off the monster and restore freedom to the body, to worship Christ unashamedly, with all that He's given me.

God may put a desire in your heart and give you complete and total ability in that area instantly.  There are times when it is necessary for this to be the case, for whatever reason, and God knows what is best.  Then there are other cases (which I believe are far more likely), when His gifting will come to us gradually, as we pursue Him and give Him our efforts, our time,...you name it.   It is a growing into Him.

Each of us should strive toward excellence, but not in the way that requires a flawless routine, word sequence or color scheme.   If you don't remember anything else from this post, remember this one thing:  Our excellence is already complete through Jesus and the sacrifice that He made for us.   All we need to do is keep Him at the center of all that we do, and gradually, He will refine us and make us the instruments of His glory that He sees fit.

Let us then approach the throne with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4: 16


Don't underestimate the spiritual battle that goes on each time we make the decision of when and how we will make ourselves available to the Lord.  Take every thought captive, and meditate on the truth of who we are instead of making yourself a target for the enemy's attacks.  When you feel them coming on, as the popular slogan goes, "Just Say NO!"  Tell that nasty devil you won't be listening to his lies anymore and shake him off in Jesus name.  Even my 3 year old daughter will tell you, "When you say Jesus' name, the devil runs and hides like a little tiny cat" (ok, so she got a bit mixed up with the "scaredy-cat" thing, but you get the point!)

As Christmas quickly approaches, it is the perfect opportunity to focus on the great gift that Jesus truly is.  His name alone is power!  Call on Him and know that He will answer.  Our willingness to come to Him is excellent to Him, and He will bless it, for sure.

One more thing..I have a special guest post from Barbie in store for you this Friday, so be sure to grab a warm beverage and stop back.  I promise, it's good!

A Lifestyle Of Worship

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I came across this video last night and my husband and I both thought it was worth passing along..so here it is!  Great message with a challenge by Kim Walker- Smith.  I love how she explains that, "Worship is simply our connection to Him..that's it."  What do you think?

What Defines You?

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When I began this blog almost one year ago (wow!), its primary purpose served as an outlet for my bottled up emotions.  Over time, it has worn many hats- and has evolved into a richer, more defined "place" as I've discovered which ones were the best fit.  

Likewise, in my personal life, the road to where I am now has been full of colorful new experiences.  Opportunities to learn, grow, embrace, create, and become part of something bigger than myself have been overwhelming!  Not everything I have tried to do has gone smoothly from the beginning, but as I've moved along, I've chosen to let the Lord shows me which things are worth working toward.  This leads me to the point I'd like to share with you today:

When it comes to serving Christ, there are many, many titles one may go by.  Homemaker.  Bread-winner.  Parent.  Spouse.  Worshipper.  These are just a few of the words which give a glimpse into the hearts of His servants.  They're undeniable.  Still...each one of us are full of creative potential which is just waiting to overflow into all aspects of our lives as we submit to God's leading.  

If I were to ask you what you "do", what would your response be?  I'll admit..my typical response would be, "I'm a stay-at-home-mom", or something like that.  Yes, this is an enormous task (and blessing), but does sharing something as basic as this really allow God's creativity in you to shine though?  

I want to know that you love Jesus, and your family, for sure.  But...what I really want to do is to talk about your passions!  What are your gifts?  How do you use what you've been given to bring glory to God, and to be drawn deeper into his presence?  What kind of fruit is being produced as you carefully tend to the seeds He's placed in your heart?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

John 15: 5-8

Do you like to write?  Then you're a writer.  Dance?  You're a dancer.  Paint?  Well, you get the idea.  It's OK to claim these gifts, and it doesn't even matter if you don't think you're any good at them or not.  If the desire is in your heart, then the ability is right there with it, just waiting to be put to good use!  Just as being a child of the King (our true identity) is a growing process, so is developing our creativity in serving Christ.  It takes patience and diligence to gain skill at something, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, it's sure to be an exciting and enjoyable journey!

One more thing..Don't be afraid to experiment with new ways to worship and honor the Lord creatively, and continue to be open to the Lord's leading as you do so.  The true desires of our heart come from Him alone..and only He can take them and allow them to grow and multiply into something bigger and more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. 

Hope Has Come

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Today's post is compliments of my friend Kelly, of Domestic By Design.  I am honored to have the privilege of sharing her inspired words with you at Dance And Be Glad!  Prepare to be blessed!  Oh, and it's a blog swap!  You can read the post I wrote for her blog today by clicking here.   

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As we anticipate the celebration of the birth of our Lord, I see it as no accident that the Lord has been weaving the theme of hope and adoration in my heart over the past few months.  Just in time to celebrate the One who is Hope!

It might sound silly, but I didn’t really understand what adoration was until just recently.    Yet this year, through a few painful events, He has helped me understand what it is, and that my adoration has been misplaced.  And that my Hope therefore, had yet to really take root in the True source of Hope.

I absolutely love how adoration is described by Bob Hartley in his Adoration Prayer Book.  Here is a man who shares my warm affection for Mr. Webster (though I don’t think his definition is from the 1828 dictionary that I’m so fond of)  J.  He begins his definition of adoration with Webster’s own definition:

1.     To honor and admire profoundly and respectfully, implying love and stressing the notion of a personal attachment. 

2.     To worship or honor as a deity or as divine.

3.     To show devoted deferential honor to; regard as worthy of great honor.

4.     Synonyms: revere, reverence, venerate, worship.

He goes on to explain that adoration is not about asking things of the Lord, but giving all of our affections--all of our heart to Him.  Treasuring Him more than gold or silver (SOS 1:2, Phil 3:8).  “To appreciate and value Him for who He is and to give Him the love He is due in all areas and seasons of life.  

To adore is to give Him honor and receive His love….to focus on Him appropriately with faith in Who He is….to see that He is more than enough, and that every obstacle and challenge of life is an opportunity for an encounter with Him…”

Honestly, I was blown away and humbled by what I read.  As I began seeking to have more focused times of simply adoring God, I began seeing and understanding Who He is in a whole new way.  That is what’s so humbling.  As I truly understand Who He Is (all the time—fixed and unchanging), my adoration of Him grows.

Words in Scripture that I have read hundreds, maybe thousands of times have leapt off the page.  The cry of my heart for the past many months has been that He would take me deeper.  And He is, but it’s not been easy.  As I’ve seen Who He Is by the help of the Spirit, I’ve been challenged by my own unbelief.  My sin has revealed the depths of my unbelief and I have been in a real battle to overcome it as I seek to pursue Him.  Especially because my tendency is to sink into despair over how miserably I’ve failed.  But here's the kicker:

As I adore Him, I am slowly beginning to see and know Him Who Is Hope.  

My words have failed me as I’ve sought to put it into writing. I have known that He is our Hope--that our hope should be in Him, since I came to know him 15 years ago.  But somehow, He is helping me to see that this infinite God, who is closer than I understand, is Hope for me in a whole new, deeper, moving way.  And it is slowly (very slowly) starting to penetrate down to the deepest fibers of my being. 

And it’s affecting everything.  I am tasting life!

So as I begin to see and believe Who He Is (adoration), see my unbelief and sin, He is showing me that He is Hope.  “Do not despair over your sin!  Yes, confess and repent, but don’t sink into despair—Hope in Me!  Look at Who I am, how I can help you, who I am for you… at what I’ve done for you.”

I stand in adoration (which is still feeble) at our Lord Jesus Christ.  I am small.  I am weak.  I am wretched.  But He came to this earth, died as a ransom for me, and rose again that we might have life through Him.  All for the Father’s delight.  And now, the Father delights in me…in you who call Him Savior.

Truly, hope has come.

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My favorite Christmas CD is Sovereign Grace Ministries “Savior.” The songs are laced with Scripture, truth about Who Jesus Is, and hope.  I love music, and I always listen to the words in a song the very first time I hear it.  One of the best songs of rejoicing on the CD is called, “Hope Has Come,” which was the inspiration for what is on my heart today. 

Hope Has Come

Let us join with the angel voices

Let us join their happy song

All of heaven and earth rejoices

For the Lamb of God has come

He has come to rescue sinners

Come to meet our desperate need

He was born to bring forgiveness

Born for Calvary

Chorus—

Alleluia, Hope has come

Alleluia, Christ has come

We once were slaves in misery

Till You appeared and set us free

Alleluia, Hope has come

Let us lay our gifts before Him

Let us magnify His Name

With our thankful hearts adore Him

For the Lord has come to save

He has come to break sin’s power

He has come to set us free

Hope was born that glorious hour

Christ the mighty King

Chorus

About Kelly:

Kelly and her husband, Blane have two children and are praying for more.  She adores her husband, seeks to delight in her children, and regularly cries out for help in her roles out of a desire to please the Lord and to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.  Kelly regularly writes at Domestic By Design on all things domestic, but particularly loves sharing what's stirring in her heart.  

Get Rid Of Your Coffee Table And Get Down!

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Preface: I am not trying to be bossy with the title of this post...just presenting a challenge that I believe is worthy of consideration!

Dancing is a beautiful, God-honoring way to worship the Lord...and the best place to get started is right in the comfort of your own home.  However, it can be hard to find the room to move about freely with a big (though perhaps beautiful) piece of furniture sitting smack dab in the middle of the open space in your main living area!  

Think about it...do you really need that thing sitting there idly, waiting to hold a beverage or a few remotes or maybe even just to display a pretty seasonal arrangement?  I personally have found freedom from the need for a coffee table in my home, and the kids as well as myself have all benefitted from all the extra space it has allowed us!  Not so sure you're up for that kind of commitment?  Here are a few ideas you could try:

*Simply slide the coffee table straight up against the couch for a bit to free up some space, then turn on some of your favorite worship music and twirl around with ease!

*Try an end table instead

*Um..I thought I had another one...anyone?!

It is my plan to present a weekly challenge to all of you that will hopefully inspire and encourage you toward worshipping our God through dance.  Some will be more light-hearted (perhaps like this one), others more serious.  I'd love to know what you think!

Move For Him Monday: Just An Idea

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Today I have a "Blogimony" featured at Gatherinspirt.com.  Feel free to stop over and check it out!  If you're stopping by from there today, "Hi!" Please accept a friendly "air hug" from yours truly :)

I had thought about making a video for today's dance movement, but decided that there really wasn't a need.  Why?  Because it's something we all know how to do (young and old alike), and each have our own unique style for.  I find myself doing it often while worshipping, and it instantly seems to return that child like joy to my spirit.  Any guesses?  It's skipping!!  I'm reminded of the following verse:

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.  For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19: 14

I tried to find the root for the word "come" in hebrew but I don't have a fancy program to do so and I finally gave up.  (Any suggestions for a good one for macs?)  Still, it seems to me to be a definite action word, don't you think?  I can close my eyes and imagine the sweet children I used to teach at our old church, and see them joyfully skipping, running, and leaping across the room during our worship time.  If this is how they naturally come to Jesus...shouldn't we do the same?! 

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.  

Mark 10 :15

This week, why not kick off those shoes, put in some fun praise music and maybe grab a little ones hand.  Then bring the kingdom of God right into your livingroom as you define those mad skipping skills you've long since put away.   Let his creativity shine!

Walk Around My House By Sarah McMillan

I have loved Sarah and her music since stumbling upon her album several years ago.  It makes me sing..makes me dance..makes me feel God's presence.  Even though it hasn't gotten old, I was so excited to find a new song she had written a few days ago and wanted to share.  I've listened to this so many times lately, and wish there was a way to download it on iTunes..but for now watching this will have to do.  Hope you like it as much as I do!  It has definite potential for some interpretive dance action...we'll see what happens!

Click below to watch the video, or click the link above to sample her album songs.  Have a wonderful day of rest!