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Happy New Year


Hi Creative and Prophetic Ones!

I hope this finds you well and full of hope for the beginning of a new year.

Dear Ones:

May God bless you in every endeavor He puts in front of you. May you not be afraid of the challenges, and may we all help each other along the way. May we hear Him clearly when our decisions are made and our paths are chosen. May our hearts and lives be worship. May we all grow in grace together.

I want all those things in the year ahead. I want to be focused and serving Him. I don't want to lose touch with my church family. Going back to work has often found me physically and emotionally drained, fearful of losing those things, my focus, my breath with Him, my spiritual family. I am asking God to help me, and trust that He will. (Prayers still appreciated.) What comes naturally to some feels like juggling to me, with too many balls in the air! I always have the 'feeling' that I have let something or someone drop. Yet simultaneously I also trust that God will school me in what I need to know. He is the master potter, to be sure. Lately His word just makes me cry like a baby, piercing my heart and making me long for total commune 24/7. I feel like there is going to be an entire new season of learning how to function in Him, and only He can accomplish the victory over my seen and unseen areas of resistance. The hard part is setting aside the things of this world to sit at His feet. That struggle is real. Again, prayers appreciated.

I feel like this will be a year that none of us can imagine. That we will see and experience things we could not have believed had we been told of them. There is acceleration in the spirit, the need to be sharp and mature, wise in His word and aware of our surroundings. Pastor is right about the need to seek Him first.

I know this is a weird post. I want to encourage, and I am so very grateful for all the faithfulness and bravery and love you all have given this year. But honestly, I sense this is a time to be sober, focused, and to develop faithfulness and diligence, and I wouldn't feel genuine writing some kind of fluff. I feel gravity from the throne - Yes God loves us and holds us and certainly never forsakes us. But it is time to grow up. To be wise virgins and not foolish ones playing around. His glory is weighty, even if His yoke is easy. Sorry, that is just what I am sensing, and I would be remiss to say otherwise. I love you church family. We are in for an adventure, I think. There may be peril. We need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, I think. It is time to love lavishly and dangerously. (I wish I knew what all that will mean. If He is showing you something similar, please message me. I am not used to putting myself out there this much. It would be greatly encouraging - lol.)

On a completely different note, the calendar for January is posted. We only have 2 Sundays this month, so if you would like to be added in February, please let me know. Also, I know it is convenient to paint at home, but that completely defeats the spontaneity of prophetic painting. If you need to add some background before service, that is always fine. But PLEASE from now on, please paint DURING service. No condemnation for those who have been painting at home. the holidays are hectic and I totally get that. But we need to get back to the 'faith' part of our ministry. Painters, our writers are depending on seeking God for what He is doing through your art. It is much more impactful to see you at work and to see Him at work through you. Thanks for understanding. I know we like our work to be perfect, and our photographers get to present something very polished, but I have found that some of the best works yall have done were on Sunday morning. It takes more faith , I know, to trust God to guide you. But if you let go and worship while painting, you will be amazed at what He does. (Just sayin, in love.)

God bless you and your loved ones. Pray for our part of the ministry to ever expand. And always share your ideas with me, please. Blessings to you my bold and courageous friends. Keepin' it real...Shell


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