The Places I’m Called To
April 16, 2026
Where are the places God has called you to?
Frederick Buechner says, ““The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” Your gifts and God’s mission go hand in hand. Ask God how He wants to use you and what your personal mission field is. Pay attention to the local needs of your church and community. I would add, pay close attention to your immediate family first. Is there a need not being met? Has God given you a passion or gift that could fill that need?” (Center for Great Commission Studies)
“God provides us with unique skills, gifts, and talents, and calls us to particular roles and activities. Although the roles might have apparent differences in importance, our callings are equal. They are a spiritual calling. There are no second-class callings from God. We will be worthy of this calling if we are devoted in our relationship with Him and look to Him only for leadership and strength.” (Theology of Work Project)
1Peter 4:10-11 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies---in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Discover the way God wired you and gifted you. Nurture and develop those things and begin to capitalize on spiritual giftings… allowing God to employ them at any given time, even if you think you are not capable. God desires to use ordinary people in ordinary circumstances, for extraordinary purposes. Know that our heavenly Father smiles on you as you give all you are and all you have, for His Name’s sake, however big or seemingly small that might be. Remain in the mindset of seeking the Savior; laboring to bring people to Jesus and Jesus to people.
Excerpt from Love and Labor, by D. Jencsik
Art by Cataleia
April 15, 2026
I’m so in love. This amazing sketch was recently recovered from a saved pile of artwork. It was a giant birthday card given to her Aunt Lexie, affectionately known as “Tash.” There’s not one mistake on it; each line deliberately and innocently drawn with intention and precision. There are no second thoughts. There’s no doubt about it. It’s art at its purest and finest, created with the fullest expression of the nature of a young child. It made her so happy to create and gift this card, and it makes us so happy years later to have recovered it. The little artist (who happens to be my granddaughter) took great pleasure in the offering of this magnanimous creation.
When you see anima, animus, or a similar formation in a word, it’s often an indicator of something alive, lively, or spirited. Something described as animated and full of life. The word animal refers to a living thing. The Latin word anima means “breath” or “soul” and animus means “spirit.” In magnanimous, animus is joined by the Latin word magnus, meaning “great.” Basically meaning “greatness of spirit.” (Miriam Webster)
I came across an interesting commentary this morning after reading Psalm 104:31: “The Lord shall rejoice in His works.” The Lord literally takes pleasure in all He has made. God finds pleasure in the contemplation of His own works; in the beauty and order of creation; and in the happiness which He sees as the result of His work of creation. There is no impropriety in supposing that God finds pleasure in the manifestation of the wisdom, the power, the goodness, the mercy, and the love of His own glorious nature. (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)
Being made in the image of God, art should make us happy, not only in the creation of it but in the sharing of it with the world for others to enjoy, even if it’s within our own familial world. It’s not unreasonable to think how the Creator must have felt with unspeakable delight in exercising the full expression of His nature that the resulting creation of all things would gift humanity with something to behold, receive, and enjoy. It’s no wonder artists throughout the ages paint directly from nature and glean inspiration from it.
These two statements made an indelible impact on me. A notable artist by the name of Robert Loder, once gave sage advice as I shared the feeling of being so perplexed and pressured over what to paint. He plainly said… “Debbie, just paint a picture.” The other bit of counsel came from an accomplished artist/pastor/friend, who when asked why he paints, without reservation replied, "…for pleasure! If God created for pleasure… so can I.”
Art by Slade, age 7
April 14, 2026
I have always been inspired by the art of children, and this drawing is no exception. Picasso once said that it took him four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to learn to draw like a child. I think it’s wonderful to embrace imperfections and definitely okay to celebrate them!
My entire “True Colors” Collection is the simplest most enjoyable way I can create art that even closely resembles child-like qualities, yet I realize that they are highly sophisticated in their own right. It took me years of study to even begin to make sense of ripped up paper shapes and how they relate to one another. Then to find a satisfying expression and how to execute that in tiny spaces can take hours, believe it or not.
All skills are transferable. Whatever the degree of diligence and intensity you employ in one particular area, you will in like manner apply to another. It carries over. If you can learn to master one thing, you’ll certainly be able to master others. The best work ethic that I live by is this: Whatever your hands choose to do, do it with all your might. (Ecc. 9:10)
Someone said doing art and making art are two different things. Perhaps we are drawn to make art (which implies labor) because we need something of value to do? I will tell you that God just kept on creating in a labor of love. He worked. He is the author of work. Since we are created in the image of God, we too have been imbued by God with boundless creativity and wondrous imaginations…but I wonder… how much of it we employ???
God himself is a worker, and we will be more like Him then, not less than we are now. (Genesis 2:2) “On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” And Jesus said in (John 5:17), “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” GOD IS A WORKER.
From the time of Creation, Genesis 1, all the way through to the Eternal State, the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21-22, love and labor reign supreme through God’s hand of perfection--
“God’s created order started with the perfect garden (Garden of Eden) and will be consummated in the perfect city, the New Jerusalem.” (The Theology of Work)
Not only did He speak the world into existence, but sculpted humans, planted gardens, even tailored garments, (Gen. 2:7,21; Gen. 2:8,9; Gen. 3:21) factor in all the animals, sea creatures, and the heavenlies! If you struggle with color combinations, just look to God’s created world. He perfected it all.
I’m reminded of this other quote by Pablo Picasso. "God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style; He just goes on trying other things.” It’s true! Explore for yourself all the amazing creatures in our world, big and small. One must believe that our Master-Artist-Creator did try His Hand at everything! Just look in the mirror!
Excerpt from Love and Labor, by D. Jencsik
Art by Slade, age 7