rise to Bethel

Today is the start of new beginnings created and inspired by the word of God.

Today God has spoken and said get prepared to share my WORD for the Good News is alive and transforming lives. Rise to Bethel. Bethel is the House of God.

Today I invite you to rise to Bethel. To take time daily to discover the WORD of God, the scripture, the Bible.

Yesterday our pastor preached on the topic of Rising to Bethel, to return to the house of God. To remind ourselves of where God found us and what he has done thus far. Where he has led us out of, where he leads us daily, and where he wants to lead us in the future. This blog entry is in honor of the new beginning God has created in my heart. He has reignited a fire in my heart and it's all about LOVE.

Where God found me...

My blog page started back in 2011 after I had experienced my second layoff from work (the 1st layoff was a shock and drew me into depression quickly). My family and prayers helped me sustain that fall. It was also painful because in June 2010 I opened my creative business ALCHEMY at Building Character, an artisan market located in downtown Lancaster, PA. We opened to success making rent and profit all in one month! But the JOY was short-lived. By the start of July 2010 (yes, the next month after launching ALCHEMY) I had to close everything down because I received word that I was being laid off from my full-time job. And although ALCHEMY had made a profit in its first month of business, the future was not sure and it was just a part-time business and I needed full-time finance. So I closed ALCHEMY and I must admit my prayer life was not as strong as it is now (so glad God never gave up on me). So that summer of 2010 I was very depressed - I had never been unemployed since age 16. It was during this time in the summer of 2010 that my father helped me turn my small attic into a working art studio. My father knew his daughter! He knew that my mind, body, and soul were suffering and that I needed to be allowed to have the freedom to create. In later years a good artist friend would share with me that what my father did for me was help me CLAIM MY SPACE. I am so grateful that my "daddy" Abel was born as my father and he was so aware of the needs of his daughter (even as a full-grown woman, I needed my dad's love and support).  Every day I would awaken to spend time in that small secret space "attic art studio" discovering how to transfer my anxiety into an expression of faith through the process of creating abstract artworks. YES, expressions of faith that were inspired through the many empowering, encouraging words of scripture. For just as I needed my birth father's love and support, I required my heavenly father's spiritual leading to help me through the many stages of emotional unbalance that I was experiencing. STRESS IS A KILLER, not just of your mind and body but of your soul; your spirit. Thus, began my daily art practice. Later in 2022, a wonderful lady named Deb would provide me the appropriate name for this practice which is healing arts. Scripture and artmaking as one process allowing my every movement of creativity to be Spirit-led. God's word transformed me, changed me! I began to understand that I was called to be a changeMAKER, a person who loved the Creator above all things and sought his Spirit to be my helper to provide me Godly wisdom to make changes that would heal and transform my mindset (from sadness to joy), my physical aches and pains (my migraine headaches disappeared), my soul/spirit breathed in freedom to know that I actively, consciously was choosing to walk with Jesus. To devote my first love to  Jesus Christ, my Savior. By the end of August of 2010, I was rehired to work full-time again.

The 2nd layoff was ALL GOD in the details. FYI: my full time work was PA grant funded through Dept. of Education. I was a Community School Director employed by nonprofits to work in the public school systems of Lancaster City. Thus, the many layoffs. This was the 2nd and there would be a 3rd  but then God had that already worked out for me... BUT THAT'S A LATER STORY :) 

What I discovered during this wonderful time was that God had turned something meant to harm me (like a job layoff) into a blessing. With very little funds my primary time was spent at home. I used that time to dive deeper into the word of God and color, paint, draw, cut, glue, stitch, and stamp my expressions of faith into a daily spiritual discipline that would continue to provide me spiritual care.

Where God is leading me daily...

I love 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

My creative business is called Alchemy and it's inspired by this scripture. The relaunch of ALCHEMY from a retail business to a full-time creative, reupholstery business came about after my 3rd job layoff. God's leadership, support from friends and family, and especially the love of my husband, Alexis, have made it possible for Alchemy to grow into a full-time time job for me and a true blessing. As I spend my daily hours transforming old, forgotten furniture into new creations of new value in design and fabric. I take the time daily to worship my lord in songs of praise and prayer as I deconstruct, sew, and tack on new life to these furniture art forms. My favorite part is releasing the finished project back to its owner. The joy is abundant as both the client and I reflect on the journey and the end results. The work is not easy; very labor-intensive, and physically demanding and I give my best on every project. I turn to my father a retired upholsterer, for advice when I get stuck and I turn to God daily for inspiration and spirit to put forth my best heart in every project. I spend time praying over each project during the process and asking the Lord to bless the homes of each client, to bring forth peace, love, and purpose to each household.

I remind myself of 2 Corinthians 5:17 as I start (rise) to read the Bible and daily devotional. It speaks about a new creation, turning my heart over to God. Surrendering my life. To believe in Jesus Christ as my savior; Jesus is Lord! This is tough stuff. Submitting to anyone or anything is not a popular modern-day approach to living life. Especially not in American society which tells you to be self-reliant, and sufficient. When the world wants to take over my spirit I remind myself of where God found me in the summer of 2010.

I submitted that summer to what God's plans were and He began to transform my spirit into one of love. I surrendered feelings of depression, sadness, and anger. I learned that when you are submissive to God's plans ALL IS GOOD. God will always give you his best. He just was waiting for me to give him my best...my time, my attention, my heart! My life! To be made new is to say goodbye to the old and set your eyes on the new; to heavenly places. A place where good fruit is abundant and God's love rules over all of His perfect creation. 

Where God will lead me in future...

Being a follower of Jesus, a believer of John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

It is not an easy path to take but that summer of 2010 I began to take the first steps to surrender my life to God. To allow His will to take over my life. I no longer live, but Jesus lives in me.

It is now 2023 and so many amazing things have occurred. I am now married to my best friend, Alexis Roman-Rodriguez, I am self-employed with my own creative business, and I get to share my love of God through a creative community called ChangeMAKERS found through my creative business website (click here for info).

GOD HAS BEEN MORE THAN GOOD...HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL!

His faithfulness is a reminder to me to continue to rise to Bethel. To continue to discover, explore, enjoy the transforming word of God that inspires my art-making. Glory to God for his faithfulness to His creation. For he loved us even when we were sinners. In a messed up broken world, only He has the power and full authority to redeem and restore us. There is only one peace and true love - its name is JESUS!

I encourage YOU today to allow God into your heart, to take that first step to submit to his pathways.
God dreams bigger, better dreams than we could ever dream for ourselves. I am a testimony to that. When I tried to organize, plan, and develop it on my own, my life, was a wreck or at best a falsehood of good lucky days and at its worst dark days of sorrow. Now with God as my pilot, I am flying high in the clouds with JOY, rooted in the WORD to keep me from self-destruction. The WORD is powerful and it transforms.

Thank you heavenly father for the gifts, talents, and love you bestow upon me and my household. I ask that these words shared here will be a seed in the hearts of others to grow their faith. To welcome you into their hearts so you may develop those seeds of Good Fruit to glorify your name and be a testimony to the power of a LIVING GOD that still reigns today. The Lord is healing power and full authority over my life. Allow Him to love you. If you are interested in receiving a free workshop on Healing Arts please register here. 

Amen
Sandra Granthon-Roman