How It All Began
IT’S NOT JUST ART, IT’S A MINISTRY…
It was the fall of 2015, and God had placed a burning desire in my heart to do something for Him. “God,” I prayed, “please give me something to do for You.”
My father was over 1,200 miles away, in pain and discouraged following an accident. Wanting to comfort him, I found some blank journals and began a daily routine: I would illustrate a page with Bible promises, scan it, and email it to him. This continued for well over a year. Today, those journals stand as proof that I had no outstanding abilities in drawing or painting; most pages, though filled with love and encouragement, are far from artistic successes. However, as the months progressed, I began experimenting with children’s paint to add a bit more life and color to the pages.
Although I was ministering to my father, I felt a deep calling to do even more. As I continued to pray daily for a ministry, Dad’s birthday was coming.
Wanting to make this page extra special, I decided to paint a bird. My family and I were surprised by how well it turned out. In that moment, I knew in my heart that something truly special had just happened.
I never do anything moderately; it is either all or nothing! Sometimes this trait gets me in trouble, but this time it proved to be a blessing.
A Ministry Was Born
It was six weeks before Christmas when I decided to paint eleven more birds with Bible promises to create a calendar for Christmas gifts. As I worked, I began sharing my progress in a Facebook Bible Journaling group, posting updates like “only ten more paintings to go.”
This unexpectedly sparked a wave of interest, and people soon began asking how they could order a calendar of their own. Amazingly, within just six weeks of painting that first bird, I had given away and sold ninety-eight calendars. It didn’t take long to realize my prayer had been answered: God had taught me to paint, and a new ministry was born.
The following spring, I began working on a second calendar. By that fall, the first five “God Tweet” note cards were in print.
An Aching Heart…
The transition into an empty nest was challenging, and my heart deeply ached after years of active mothering. I found comfort in personalizing Bible promises for our daughters, writing their names directly into the scripture. Soon, I realized I wasn’t alone. Many mothers shared this profound ache and a desire for their children’s salvation.
Driven by this need, I began painting artwork for what has now become two pocket-sized promise books: You Heard Me Crying For My Daughter, and You Heard My Crying For My Son.
Filling a Need
As time went on, people began sharing their stories with me—stories of deep heartache, profound loss, and overwhelming grief. I have often found that these heavy seasons are precisely what push us closer to the heart of Jesus. It was during one of these times that I created the mini promise book, You Heard Me Crying in My Grief, followed by My Cry Reached His Ears. Packed with God’s promises, these pocket-sized books have been printed more times than I can count. Their widespread reach is a true testament to the comfort found in claiming God’s Word.
A Heart to Share
Over the years, I have written many short, devotional-style stories. Most of them focus on how God has faithfully—and miraculously—taught us that He can be trusted. Jesus is coming soon, and my deepest desire is to encourage others to put their trust in God and dig into the Word for themselves. I have compiled these devotionals into a book titled Safe in His Hands, praying it inspires readers to take God at His Word and stand ready for what lies ahead.
