Local Friends, this event is coming up fast. To sign up for my portion, click the button here.
And I’ll be speaking on a panel on the subject of organized abuse at the upcoming Called to Peace conference. I’d love to see you there!!
Hi, my friends,
Good afternoon!
My new book is up and ready to order on Amazon. Click here to order
Starting tomorrow through Nov. 6th, the Kindle version will be available for FREE!
Because of the artwork, I recommend the printed version. It is printed in premium color, and is in a different format than the Kindle book, but it will still give the content for free, and if you’d be willing to write a quick review, it will help the book to get out to the readers more.
Also, just a reminder that on Nov. 18th, I will be having my first ever art exhibit, featuring the artwork found in the the book. the exhibit part is free to the public, so check out the information below if you are interested.
Remember – Reviews are your best thank you!! So, thank you in advance for sharing your review.
I’d love to hear your feedback on the book!
Much Love,
Carolyn
The evening portion of the mini-healing art retreat will host my first art exhibition with all the paintings from my new book, “Encounter: A Collection of Inspired Art”. It will remain on display through December.
The event will be on Sat., Nov. 18th, with the evening session from 6 to 9 pm.. The evening portion is free to the public, and I would like as many to come as can. We will have an evening of worship as we encounter, Jesus, our King.
The rest of the event – the healing art class and a catered dinner is also still available, but is ticketed for a price of $50. The full event starts at 2 pm with dinner following. To sign up for that part, please click here. https://square.link/u/Cuh6FOFt
For the full information, please go to https://blossomingheartsstudio.wordpress.com/home/about-us/.
Really hope you can join in, either for the whole event, or for art exhibit at the end! Looking forward to seeing many faces!
Hi, my friends, I just wanted you to know that all are invited to the evening portion of the mini-healing art retreat for my first art exhibition with all the paintings from my new book, “Encounter: A Collection of Inspired Art” displayed. The event will be on Sat., Nov. 18th, with the evening session from 6 to 9 pm.. The evening portion is free to the public, and I would like as many to come as can. We will have an evening of worship as we encounter, Jesus, our King. The rest of the event – the healing art class and a catered dinner is also still available, but is ticketed for a price of $50. The full event starts at 2 pm with dinner following. To sign up for that part, please click here. https://square.link/u/Cuh6FOFt For the full information, please go to https://blossomingheartsstudio.wordpress.com/home/about-us/. Really hope you can join in, either for the whole event, or for art exhibit at the end! Looking forward to seeing many faces! Much, much love, Charismata Blossoming Hearts Studio blossomingheartsstudio@gmail.com |
Hi, all. I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be hosting my first ever healing art retreat at Houses of Beauty in November, and in relation to the event, I’m also set to release my newest book, Encounter: A Collection of Inspired Art!
The date for the retreat is Saturday, November 18th from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The location is Houses of Beauty, 408 Highway 912, Landrum, SC 29356
Below, is the official flyer, which you can scan the QR code to sign up, or sign up by clicking here.
The price of the retreat is $50.00, which includes a healing art class with all supplies taken care of, a catered dinner, and an interactive worship experience with an art exhibit featuring all the paintings that are in the new book, as well as worship with violinist, Anja Kirby.
I’m really expecting Jesus to show up, and minister to you in some beautiful ways. It feels like it’s really important for us during this time to come away with Him.
Because of purchasing food and supplies, I need to have you purchase a ticket or give me a firm RSVP by Wed., Nov. 15th. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or RSVPs.
The new book will also be released by then, and will be available for purchase at the event. More details to come, but enjoy a sneak peek below!
I hope to see you there!
Love,
Carolyn
| Come join me as we experience together what it means to be the Bride of Christ! |
 |
| A few years ago, Jesus encountered me as the Bridegroom, and my relationship with Him has not been the same since. I published this experience in “The Bride Arising” book, but now it’s time to take it to a new level. We will be exploring what does it mean to be the Bride of Christ and to experience Jesus as the Bridegroom together in my new zoom, online Encounter Class. It is time for the preparation of the Bride as never before. We will be going step by step through what does it mean to be the Bride, how to heal from wounds and overcome identity issues, and most important – how to meet Jesus as the Bridegroom. This is a six-week online, zoom course where we will be meeting together each Tues., from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm et, Oct. 3rd through Nov. 7th. Each week we will go through the book, talk about the concepts, experience healing through an encounter with Jesus, and then put that experience into a creative expression. The cost of the class is $40 for all six sessions. If you need to order a book, please just click the link below. The book is not required, but suggested. If you want to take the class, but can’t financially swing it, then please just reach out to me. Signup are until September 30th. I will also be recording this class for future participants, so for being a part of this class, you will get the full edited version for free.I really hope to see you in class. But regardless, I’m praying for you as you grow in being prepared as Jesus’s Bride. Much Love,Carolyn |
Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains! Let’s talk about what that looks like in our monthly Encounter Classes!
For August, our normal, monthly classes run on the first Sat. at 9:00 am et set, and the third Sunday, at 7:00 pm et..
This month we will be taking a look at what faith is, and how to walk in it. I’ll be sharing about a mustard seed faith time in my life. Our time with God will be focused on encountering Him with our faith, and our creative art time will depict what that looks like. I hope you will join in this special time together.
If you have not signed up yet for the monthly encounter classes, you can go to the Encounter Class page of our website for more information or to the sign up.
It is a monthly subscription where you can either sign up for once a month, or twice a month, and can be paused or stopped at any time. The classes are also recorded for your convenience.
Hope to see you soon!
Much Love,
Carolyn
| Mark Your Calendar!!! On Saturday, November 18th, I will be doing an in-person Encounter Class, and a Premiere ART SHOW with worship and prophetic story!!! The Location will be at Wendy’s Mountain, close to Traveler’s Rest, SC. This will be a ticketed event. Details to follow in September. |
At some point during the past three years, I realized we are not playing the same game anymore. I’ll dive into that more in my next blog. With this realization that the game (the times we are living in) are changing rapidly, the Holy Spirit has been leading me into new ways of doing things.
When you own a business or ministry, there should be a gradual evolving into new things. With several things like my classes, there has not been another model for me to go by, so it truly has been a step by step leading of the Holy Spirit. If you’ve taken a class, you know what I mean!
As I’ve reflected back on this past year, my heart is filled with gratitude for the many opportunities of ministry that I’ve stepped into. I so value the trust that others have put into what we are being led to do.
Here are some highlights of what the Lord did in and through our business. I wish I could share individual stories, because those are what matter most, but those stories are for those people to share. We had so many more God moments than I could ever number, and as a community I see each of us moving closer towards maturing and growing into all God wants for us. What a blessing to walk alongside of so many amazing people, and to have a small part in their stories of overcoming and becoming the person God made them to be.
Highlights:
My reason in listing these things, is to give you more of an idea what we are about and doing. I’m grateful for each opportunity, and for the beautiful people who I’ve met along the way.
As we look to a new year, I’m reminded that each day is a gift. We can use that day to please ourselves, to live for ourselves, and what matters most to us. Or some of us can just mundanely do the same thing every day, without thought much about it. Or we can live the gift of today with thoughtful intent to reach out and love someone else that God has placed in our lives. I want to do the latter as much as I can.
Make each day count by loving those in your life well, and you will find yourself surrounded by those who love you in return. May your 2023 be filled with the gifts of friendship, identity in Christ, and knowing how much you are loved and cared for by God. You matter. Your story matters. Make it a great one!
Much Love,
Carolyn
Recently, I was at a funeral – my mom’s funeral. As the lid of the casket closed, two of our former pastors solemnly walked through the doors to greet my sister, who they had come for. I meandered across the room shaking hands, and receiving thoughtful glances as I made my way to greet my old friends. Unknown bridges had been burned in the past, but we had not been the ones to light the fires to them. Once torched, we had sought several times to rebuild, to reconcile, but to no avail.
It had been almost a decade since we last met. As I approached them yet again with a welcoming hug and a greeting of genuine, “It so good to see you,” it felt like I had just hugged an icicle – hard, cold, unresponsive. Not a word was returned.
Later, I wrestled with all my ball of knotted up gut responses in the presence of a trusted friend. With many tears, I talked to Jesus and encountered His presence.
I sought reconciliation still with these pastors. “Jesus, maybe if I just write one more letter. Maybe if I just trying explain one more time where our hearts were, why we left when did, etc., etc.?”
There are only a handful of times that I have seen Jesus truly angry, like turn over the tables in the temple angry. Honestly, in scripture, the only time I read about Him that angry is when He encountered the religious leaders of His day. He never seemed to be mad at the prostitutes, or the sick, or the demon-possessed, or the dishonest tax collectors, or even the Roman dictators. But with the religious leaders He commonly said some scathing comments about them. “White-washed tombs filled with dead men’s bone” would probably qualify as some of those type of comments.
So, I found myself begging for reconciliation with these former pastors to Jesus, who seemed really, really angry. The answer I got was well, not what I expected, but it went way broader than these pastors really fast. In fact, this message is not really about these individuals at all, but they seemed to be representing church leadership in general.
He has repeated this message over the course of the past month and a half, different ways, but over and over again to me. Even this morning, the directive has been to write this down, and share it. There is no desire on my part to throw these particular people under the bus. The reason I mention them at all is for context. For whatever reason, His answer to me was a firm “No,” to seeking further reconciliation. It was more like “It’s time for me to intervene.”
Please understand. I’m not saying any of this as a judgment statement against all churches. In fact, in this engagement with the Lord, I kept feeling like I needed to ask forgiveness because I got them in trouble, which was silly. I hadn’t done anything to cause them pain, though evidently they had thought so. I also quickly realized Jesus’s words were not just directed towards them, but the American Church in general. Also, my family and I do meet in the corporate environment with other believers, and it is wonderful. The following is not meant to be a blanket judgment across the American Church from me. I have a healthy respect for the scripture that says, “Don’t judge, lest you be judged.” I know I miss the mark all the time, so this is just a reiterating of what I have heard that He has been saying this past month, and feel now is the time to share it.
In my mind’s eye, I saw the tip of an huge iceberg floating in the sea, and then the finger of God came and tapped the tip, flipping the entire iceberg upside down, so that huge, immense bottom was now above water and was visible for the world to see. Then, I heard these words.
“Those who have represented my church, who have represented me, in their pride, in their arrogance, who have offered fake fire, and a puny god, who made my kingdom their kingdom, who have made their name great instead of my name, their day of judgment has come. Only the tip of the iceberg has been shown, but I am tipping the iceberg upside down, and the world will see the giant iceberg underneath. It must be done, or the American’s destiny will not be fulfilled.”
“The shaking in the four walls has only begun.”
“Exposure. Exposure. Exposure.”
“You have called for the judgment on the broken in this nation, you have turned your eyes away from the needy, the bleeding. In fact, you have been disgusted by the little, hurt lambs, while instead you have fed the wolves.”
“Enough is enough. The tables are turning. The tables are turning. I will cleanse my house of this witchcraft, of this wickedness.”
“They have misrepresented my heart. They have caused the little ones to stumble . The children cried for a rope to pull them out of the pits, and instead they have offered them a noose. They have brought judgment on themselves.”
“Don’t look to the four walls anymore. Don’t try to be like the old structure at all. Yes, there is some good still there. Yes. I am still using organized churches, but a shift is coming and is already here.”
“Millions have been driven out of buildings, out of the man’s kingdom structures, and into their homes. I am and will pour my spirit out in the homes, businesses, in the street. The enemy won’t contain my spirit behind four walls anymore.”
“On the contrary, my ecklessia will return to her roots, house to house, home to home, family to family, heart to heart. I will build my true ecklessia. Not with bricks, but with living stones, with me only as their chief corner stone.”
Yesterday, I sat in a movie theatre with tears streaming down my cheeks. In front of me on the big screen was a church that had been partly destroyed by the Civil War. The bell tower had been damaged with the bell itself now covered in ashes laying on the floor in the center of the shell shocked nave. “Mama always said that the bell of the church is the voice of the church which rings out hope, but look the church has lost her voice,” said the character in the movie as he looked at the structure. (Paraphrased)
The stark scene reflected the feelings in my heart. “The church has lost her voice,” I repeated in my head. And yet as the movie continued, the scenes changed to later showing the same fallen bell, covered in ashes and snow. As the wind blew across it the words “ New Hope” appeared.
There is no power in a church building unless the Holy Spirit resides there. The traditional church were my mom’s funeral had been held was as empty and cold as my former friend’s hug had been.
How many lost souls have found only condemnation, a list of do’s and don’t’s, a bar too high to jump, a noose to hang themselves on; instead of a rope to be pulled out the dark pit they have fallen into, and a gospel that is empty of good news.
Our Hope has been, is now, and will always be found in Christ alone. “He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it.”
In this season of civil war, A New Hope is and will rise out of the ashes of the destruction of former institutions we called church. It will be the true Bride of Christ, the true Church, the true Body of Christ arising with the real Jesus as our leader, our lover, our Bridegroom King. He’s not done with the American Church, but He must clean house, and rebuild His true church to restore Her voice. Only He can do this. It may not look like we think it will, but He can and will have His Bride, His Church.
God truly loves you. He relentlessly is chasing after the rejected ones, the ones who have been judged, ridiculed, and left on the road side to die. He came to seek and save those that are lost.
A great harvest is coming, but they will come because they have met the real, true Jesus who loves them with a love, so pure, so strong, so compelling. Our New Hope is found in the true Jesus alone.
Ironically, when I was a child, my mom used to sing this little song about a bell ringing. “If I had a bell, I’d ring it in the morning. I’d ring it in the evening all over this land. I’d ring out justice. I’d ring out freedom. I’d ring out a love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land.” (paraphrased)
Let the bells ring out Hope again!
The movie referenced is “I Heard the Bell” by Sight and Sound Theatre 2022, and the song is “If I Had a Hammer” lyrics © T.R.O. Inc., Tratore/ Songwriters: Lee Hays / Pete Seeger.
“This is Where You Fight From”
Often times, we become so familiar with a concept, topic, or environment that we miss the importance of it. Being the Bride of Christ is one of those concepts.
When the vision that I just wrote about in my new book, “The Bride Arising: A Vision of a Bridal Journey” occurred six years ago, I had been raised in the church my whole life. I knew about the concept of the Bride of Christ. I knew it be about the passage in Revelation 21:2, where it talks about the new Jerusalem coming down. I also knew and had heard sermons preached about Ephesians 5, where husbands are commanded to love their wives, like Christ does the church as His Bride. That it is a mystery. There is actually a lot of passages about the Bride of Christ coming and us being ready for the wedding!
When you have an experience though that is back up by the scriptures, especially one like this vision was, it takes that information and engraves it on your heart in new ways.
I hope that you will take time to go back and watch the interview I had with my special guests, because they asked some fantastic questions. I included it at the end.
One question was what has been one thing that has made a lasting impact, brought lasting fruit in my life because of this experience? Encounters with a living God should bring about lasting fruit. It should change you. As I contemplated that question, I realized that not only had this experience been one of the most profound and vivid encounters with Jesus, but also one that has had a most lasting impact.
This vision with Jesus really was the beginning of me experiencing Him in this intimate love, this holy, pure passion like I’d never experienced before. Through out this experience, Jesus kept looking at me and telling me that
“This is where you fight from. This is where you live now.”
It didn’t make as much sense then as it does now. Through the years since this experience with Him, living from that holy place of intimacy with Jesus, from under the canopy of His love, with His armor firmly fitted over my wedding attire (my new identity in Christ), it has become my life, my sustaining daily bread. When I’ve lost sight of this holy place of intimacy with Him in His heart of love for me, is when I’ve spiraled downward into confusion, darkness, and despair.
Knowing our identity in Jesus Christ as our Bridegroom, both individually and corporately, and then living from it, is how we can live an overcoming life in this crazy, dark world. This is why I wrote the book and why I feel it’s so important. It’s not just about me having this grand experience. It’s about each of us encountering the Living God of love, and dwelling there with Him, living our lives from that place of intimacy in His heart.
In the book, I give you space to have your own experience with Him. I pray others will also share as they are ready what that experience was like for them.
Consider this scripture:
“Look! It is the king’s marriage carriage— the love seat surrounded by sixty champions, the mightiest of Israel’s host, are like pillars of protection. They stand ready with swords to defend the king and his fiancée from every terror of the night. The king made this mercy seat for himself out of the finest wood that will not decay. Pillars of smoke, like silver mist—a canopy of golden glory dwells above it. The place where they sit together is sprinkled with crimson. Love and mercy cover this carriage, blanketing his tabernacle throne. The king himself has made it for those who will become his bride.” Song of Songs 7-10 TPT
Can you see it? Everyone who becomes His Bride (Which is both male and female – Refer to Chris’ encounter in the the chapter entitled “The Struggle for Men” pg. 60), have the position to sit on the mercy seat, which is covered in crimson (the blood of Jesus) under the canopy the canopy of His love (His chuppa – the wedding canopy). His banner over us is love. This is where we sit seated with Jesus Christ, surrounded by His mighty angel, warriors. It’s our place of intimacy, rest, warfare, protection. It is the marriage seat.
My friends, this is why this message is so important for us today. As we get closer and closer to the changing of the next age of the Kingdom, the full revealing of the Sons of God in the earth, to the wedding celebration of the Lamb, we must live from this place.
This book is for you to help you to begin to encounter Jesus, and all of the Trinity for yourself.
It is also timely. The Lord kept pressing me to have the book completed before the week of Sukkot, which is the Feast of Booths/ Feast of Tabernacles. It’s the feast the Jews celebrate the crossing of the desert to the promised land, where they lived in temporary dwelling, and so to celebrate would for ten days live outside in tents at this time every year. I was invited to be apart of a Sukkot celebration for the first time, and had been asked to teach a healing art class there. I felt led to do one on the bridal journey. What I had no idea of though is that in the Hebrew mindset, the journey of Sukkot is the bridal journey!
The journey through the wilderness for the Hebrews was a bridal journey with God, where they came to Mt. Sinai to cut a marital covenant with Him. He became their covering in the desert, their protector, their provider, their lover. Obviously, they were not fully able to embrace this covenant, and eventually turned their backs on their Husband, God. (I think this would make a great follow up blog.) In short, Jesus came to cut a new marriage covenant with us. When we receive Him, we say yes, to Him as our covering, our protector, our provider, our lover, our Husband.
So, in telling me to have the book completed by this celebration, the Lord confirmed strongly His will in having this book out at just the perfect time. How fun God is!
Even if you decide not to read the book, I hope you gained more perspective on what it means to become the Bride of Christ, and how vital it is to live from that place of intimacy in His heart!
It’s time for the Bride to Arise.
“The Bride Arising: A Vision of a Bridal Journey” is now available on Amazon.com as a paperback and Kindle version.
Blossoming Hearts Studio 