Monday, June 23, 2014

Going Deeper - Captured In Color, An Artistic Collaboration with Sherri Ohler


I have been seeking the Lord in mundane places. Waiting with expectancy to see His glory in every aspect of my life no matter how unimportant it may seem to others.  Sometimes my molehill is my mountain, and yet He is still concerned. Pushing myself to see past my own limitations of faith and believe Him for things so great that the impact produced can only to be attributed to the God I serve.  I am tired of forgetting to see His glory in the beauty of everyday life, a passing cloud, a sleeping puppy, my husband’s smile.  I am longing to see His majesty displayed in ways I have never experienced, to see supernatural healings, people raised from both the physical and spiritual dead, to see His very glory descend and lead as a pillar of fire.  He is the same, so why do we expect Him to act in ways different then those described by the very book we profess to live our lives by?

Learning to live in the center of God’s will is a choice.  Sometimes a painful one as the mirror of self reflection is held up as we are being changed to resemble the Christ who died for us.  Often it is a joyful one, where we defeat something we’ve been struggling with, are blessed beyond our wildest dreams, finally hear yes and see the promise of prayer realized.  The road is long to sustaining the mind of Christ within you, to truly love like He loved and walk as He walked is a journey to the center.  It is a constant buffeting of the soul, it is a quiet rest in His presence, it is understanding His compassion, love, and mercy are long suffering and available to all who would receive it.  Yes, I ache to go deeper and live in the center of His will.

To get the deepest parts you must be guided by the Holy Spirit, relying on the forgiveness of your sins through the death, resurrection and intercession of Christ Jesus.  To get there you must know that your Abba Father in Heaven has a good plan for you and you can trust Him to bring you to the completion of this plan in His perfect timing. Nothing will beset you on the journey that you and the Lord can’t handle together.  In darkness He is Lord, in mourning, He is comfort, in life, He is everything.  Going deeper means giving everything back to Him.

Moving away from the shore of safety, stepping out of the boat to walk on water, praying long and praying big – that is going deeper.  Moving quickly to obey, forgiving all the wrongs that have been done unto you, loving without condition, that is going deeper.  Serving with a pure heart, committing to Him to spend everyday of your waking life in an earnest effort to be made over in His image is going deeper. Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that big dreams beget big prayers and big prayers require big faith and big faith produces big answers, that is going deeper.  And truly understanding that service to humanity in His name requires big answers to met big needs and that it is noble to relentlessly pursue such God given dreams.  Offering up your own life as a living sacrifice for His desires for you, content to know that one day this dream of a life will fade and you will open up your eyes to the true reality of everlasting life with Him.  That is living in the center of His will, the expectation and execution of these lovely endeavors are the meaning of going deeper.

I felt an urge in my spirit to ask Sherri Ohler to listen to the song that I wrote that has become my anthem and paint a portrait of my heart’s cry.  This beautiful rendition captured in living color of the song, Deeper, is the result.  I am so thankful that she agreed to share my passion and pursue the capture of going deeper in her own artistically anointed way.  What a blessing it has been to see it come to life!

Through a winter of setbacks, heartbreaks, challenges and valley living, I have found myself clinging all the more tightly to Christ.  If times of challenge and great stress are required to go deeper then I am willing to go.  I so desire to live in the center of His will.  I so desire to hear well done good and faithful servant.  My prayer for you is that you will be blessed by the song and be blessed by Sherri’s offering.  I hope it inspires you to lay your burdens down, shake off what needs to be shaken and let the Lord do a work in your heart.  Come to Him if you are weary, come to Him if you have joy, come to Him to commit your life and see His beauty not only in the normalcy of life but in the glory of His miracles.  Come with me as we wade into the water, in search of the deepest parts of the riches of His grace…

Blessings to you!
Naima

To obtain a free MP3 download of the song, Deeper, for a limited time: visit www.noisetrade.com/Naima 

To learn more about Dr. Naima Johnston Bush’s music and ministry or to purchase a copy of the Deeper Print by Sherri Ohler for $18.00 visit: www.ministryofnaima.com. 

To learn more about The Deeper Project, and to partner with us to complete the CD visit: www.gofundme.com/Naima

The Artist

Sherri Ohler - Madly in love with Jesus, and forever aesthetically driven, Sherri Ohler’s calling as a Christian Artist and self taught gourmet Baker,  begins with her earliest childhood memories filled with coloring books, fresh boxes of crayons and beautiful pastries from her Italian grandmother’s kitchen.

A diehard romantic, Sherri’s work is filled with whimsical, emotional & spiritual depth that speaks to the heart of the onlooker in such a way that brings joy & comfort beyond the expectation and scope of ordinary decoration.   

Her inspired work is now internationally licensed and she has the wonderful blessing of working with companies like DEMDACO & Dayspring, which is more than her grateful heart could ever hope for.  She prays continually for Holy Spirit driven creativity, love & joy, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve you through her art, products, redemption stories and creative passions throughout her shop, blog, speaking engagements and soon to be first book.

For More information on Sherri visit her online at www.sherriohler.com