If you haven’t already heard, Illustrated Faith is pulling off the BEST most AWESOME online summer camp for adults there ever was– Revival Camp! I’m so excited to be a part of it that I feel like I’m packing my bags & going to actual summer camp!!! I have SO many crazy awesome memories of going to church camp when I was younger & seeing everyone prep their devotional books brings all those memories back. If I could be laying in a bunk bed somewhere covered in bug spray reading my Bible, I totally would be. :)
The lesson for Week #1 was “Ignite,” which is a meditation on our passions. What does it take for us to discover what we’re truly passionate about? What are the things that we consider the MOST important? Are we listening to what the Lord is telling us about what our passions are? Or are we following what we assume they need to be? This week was an easy one for me because I discovered my passions long ago. If you listened to my interview on the Illustrated Faith Podcast, you heard all about the times in my life where things changed & I was able to separate out the passion from the pastimes.
My life has always largely centered around self-expression in its many forms. I realized in college that the last things you think about before you fall asleep & the first things you think about in the morning are what you should be focusing all your energy on. What makes you excited & determined to get out of bed in the morning? For me, there have always been largely 3 things: Christ, art, & family. Now, there’s a 4th item added to that list which combines all 3 of those things together: Illustrated Faith. These entities drive all of my actions & consume my thoughts every waking hour of the day!
I know this is reiterating several points from my podcast, but I have come to realize this year that inspiring others & encouraging their walks with God creatively is my calling. I’m so blessed to have found a career that is dedicated to doing just that. I fall asleep at night brainstorming ideas for future products & praying for direction. I wake up the next morning energized & ready to tackle the tasks to make those ideas happen. I spend my days creating beautiful things to glorify Him & sharing those pieces with the world to inspire someone else to do the same! Do I have down days where I’m burnt out & uninspired? Of course. Everyone has those days which make me appreciate the passionate days full of creative fire all the more. And do you know who lights that fire in me? The Lord! It’s just been in the last few years that I’ve really started listening to Him & not just “hearing” Him.
I don’t expect every week of the Revival Camp devotional to be this easy for me, but I do expect to get that burning feeling in my heart every week discovering something new about myself & about what God is trying to teach me. I STRONGLY encourage you to sign up for Revival Camp because Tonya Hamilton, the author of the devos, is HUGELY talented & her fire for the Lord is spreading just from the first lesson.
I would love to hear what your passions are & what lights your fire. Comment below & let me know what the Lord is putting on your heart & what He’s asking you to pursue in this season of your life!
<3 Elaine
Illustrated Faith Revival Camp Online Workshop | Illustrated Faith mustard yellow ink pad | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Treasures & Text in “Whatever is Lovely” | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Bible Mat | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd typed sticker alphas in “Practice What You Peach” | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd stickers in “His Name” | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd enamel hearts in “She Blooms Mix” | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd Date It Stamp | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd pen | Illustrated Faith by Bella Blvd paints | Bella Blvd Little Bits stickers in “Family Frenzy”
Oh sweetie!! I love it!! ? I’ve said this more than a few times just this week. I am so blessed to be a part of this community and serving alongside so all of you. Fighting tears as I type. Hugs friend!
I love it Elaine! I caught the replay of your Scope yesterday and you just have the cutest voice. You can just tell that this is where your heart and passion is.
One of my big questions this week that I’ve been bringing to God, is can my passions change? I used to have a passion for photography, and not that I don’t anymore, but I’m realizing that I’m passionate about memories or having photos to document my life verses taking everyone’s photos.
This week was spot on for me and I can’t aiT to dig in to the next Devo!
Alyssa– Yes your passions can totally change! Just like your life takes many turns, so does your faith walk. God speaks to you in each season of your life! Just because you feel passion for something now, doesn’t mean you will be focused on it forever. God will use you in whatever season you’re in to inspire others & glorify Him through passions that fit into your life RIGHT NOW.