“It’s time to live as though we believe we have something to offer. It’s time to release our authentic selves into the world.”
Emily Freeman
I’m midway through reading Emily Freeman’s book A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live, and I’m going to do something a bit unprofessional. I’m going to recommend it even though I haven’t finished reading it. Gasp! Truth be told, I actually recommended it after I read the 1st chapter, but this time, I’m going public. It’s that good (so far). So…buy this book and read at least the first four chapters. 😉
As the title suggests, Freeman delves into how we can uncover the dreaming artist that God created us to be. How we can dust off and display our true design. There are many quote-worthy passages, but here is one that most recently stuck out to me.
Freeman discusses her youthful success in writing and touches on something I think is relevant to many of today’s wandering artists. She writes:
“After receiving such encouraging feedback from eighth grade all the way into college on my writing, I did the most natural thing a young writer would do.
I chose to major in piano. But since I didn’t love piano enough to get better, I did the next natural thing a young writer would do. I dropped my piano major and began to study sign language interpreting. Naturally.
Actually, it makes more sense than you think.
The natural thing to do when hints of your own design scare you is to run. Can you remember when you first ran away from this kind of desire, the kind carrying hints of your design?
This is what we do when we have forgotten who we are. We are desperately afraid of both our capacity for destruction as well as for beauty. We are terrified of our sin-burden as well as our image-bearing identity. We are suspicious of desire and don’t trust our own ability to sort out first and second things.”
from: Freeman, Emily P. A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live.
I have surrendered to Your design
(Jenny’s blog has moved to wHereLifeIsReal)
“Multiplied”
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied
songs by Need to Breathe
Emily Freeman blogs here.
wHere Life is Real 