The Alive Project - A Reintroduction

Almost two years ago I embarked on my first Alive Project. That project sent me on an incredible journey learning to understand and identify with women in the margins. In the time between that project and this posting I have lived a different kind of Alive Project, one which you can read about in my Adoption posts. These eye-opening experiences have changed my experience with the outside world and I am so grateful for the love and passion for people that has been cultivated in my heart since beginning The Project. 

I have found that now is the time for the Alive Project to turn inward. For the last two years, especially in the last year, I have relied heavily on the pragmatic side of myself. In order to keep the wheels of life turning I unwittingly sacrificed the creative side of me, my true self. I have believed that who I am as a creative individual is not as necessary or fulfilling to the Kingdom of God and have exchanged abundant living for sacrificial work. While these things go hand in hand they are void without each other.

I would like to reintroduce the Alive Project back to the blog. Admittedly, I am hesitant to categorize this next chapter as The Project. However, I feel as though creativity and self-expression often produce the most beautiful portraits of the Kingdom. I have certainly believed that for others and I find that Jesus Himself told beautiful stories and used His creative power to show and tell us about the Kingdom of God. In fact, the jump start for this project is a passage of scripture where Jesus describes why he told stories to people. He tells the disciples He is laying ground work for hearts that are so unaccustomed to hearing news of the Kingdom that they need a softer version of the message to ready them for the gospel.

During this chapter of the Alive Project it is my intention to post at least one creative project per week. I will draw inspiration from the Parables and Miracles of Christ and from the Work of Jesus in Nature and Humanity. I have already begun the project and will post my first short story based on the Parable of the Houses Built on Sand and Rock soon. 

I encourage you, as you read through the Alive Project for the next few months to join me. Reflect on your true self and try something that is purely for joy, for abundance and to feel truly yourself because this is an Act of Worship. Please post in the comments links to your blog or pictures of what you are working on. Let us encourage one another in the ways we have been made. Let's celebrate together the diversity of the Kingdom and the Savior who has set us free to be exactly who He has created to be!