HOW It all started

​Like all things, Arts With Love had a beginning. The following is a short snippet of why I started AWL and how I came to creating a nonprofit business. 

I grew up in a home with five kids, me being the second-oldest. I remember hearing my mom tell me how, when she was younger, she used to pray that all her kids would be unique. Well, God certainly answered her prayers because I'm not sure how we could all be more different in regards to personality-types and passions! It was wonderful having best friends right in our home and I'm so grateful for God-fearing parents who raised us to know and love the Lord. Like anything, however, there were difficulties being part of a big family. The majority of my siblings discovered their passions early on in life and walked in them. I didn't have the same idea of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. In fact, I didn't have the slightest idea what my passions were. So, I compared myself to others and tried to fit into their callings. As you can expect, this left me frustrated, confused, and disheartened. 

Through experiences and lessons only God could orchestrate, He brought me back around and showed me who I am in His eyes. I'm not what I do, who I hang out with, or what Broadway musical is currently my favorite. I'm His first and foremost, and that determines my identity. So, how does this connect with a card business, you might ask? 

One day I was watching a video on YouTube (I can't even remember what it was about) and I received an add for Charity:Water. It talked about the founder, Scott Harrison, and how his life dramatically changed from his time with Mercy Ships and the need for clean water around the world. My heart just broke seeing all the poverty, desperation, and hunger for those in secluded areas of the world. These kids couldn't receive an education because they spent all day long carrying water back and forth that was contaminated to drink anyway. During my quiet time, I brought this to the Lord. I think I said something along the lines of, "God, there's so much hurt and so much need. But, what can I do? What do I have to give?" I remember hearing (or rather having an impression spoken on my heart in the form of) a single word: art. I have art. Now, if you've read my blog on "Insecurity as an Artist" you'll know that it was nothing short of miraculous that art was a restored passion anyway. 

I remember thinking, "okay." 

In the weeks that followed (through the help of my wonderful mother and the nudging of God) I constructed a game plan of what using art to serve the Lord and others would really look like. Today, it looks like selling hand-made cards locally in order to serve a global function of bringing hope to children and families in need. It has been a long process to get to this point but I wouldn't change a thing because it has helped me trust, rely on, and know my Savior Jesus Christ better than ever before. 

Well, that's the story of how Arts With Love got started. ;)