12 Art Prints That Inspire Me On Minted.

Updated!! Anniversary Giveaway!! Breath Of Life Daily is 4 years old this year!! We're giving you the gifts!! Thanks to our awesome readers for your support!! Sign-up to win a $100 gift credit from Minted. Enter here: http://eepurl.com/bd4HAL


12 Art Prints That Inspire Me On Minted.

by: April D. Byrd

First off, let me say this, I just found out about Minted.com and visited their site... I love them! Minted.com is a collective of greatness, so much talent in one place, and I'm so here for that. Minted. is a marketplace for independent artist to share their work. The website is amazing! It has some great pieces. Also, they have stationary, I'm big on stationary, planners, invitations, and all that good stuff, especially being a writer.

There is a lot to love, but I limited the post to 12 (it was originally supposed to be 10, but I was having so much fun, by the time I looked up I'd went over, shows you how good minted is.) It'd be great to choose a lot more, but I won't hold up your time. You can check out all the great prints on minted.com for yourself.. I'm looking forward to lurking more on their site, and purchasing prints, I had my eye on a few planners too. Among the prints I chose a few favorites that definitely stood out and really spoke to me...and here's why:

1. Cloud Observation by Stephanie Goos
It was the first one to catch my eye and attention. I love clouds. The beauty and the texture of this piece really stood out to me. There is such skill by the artist in capturing the color undertones and the visual story of the image. It's filled with beauty and magnificence. I want to go into that place where the clouds are. It's apparently (In this picture) some place to go and it makes me long to feel that calm, that it presents.

2. Foilage by Julie Song Ink
Foilage, oh Foilage! It's so beautiful. The colors are amazing! we are all different leaves on a branch so many colors and our own uniqueness.

3. Cosmos Garden by Lorent and Leif
I like the imagery that this piece creates. It shows that the artists knew how to arrive at the desired result using what they had. Very skillful. It looks like a rose bush to me. This is artistic talented work and I love flowers, especially roses. I would use this in my house to decorate with. It makes for a good accent with the decor of a warm, sunny, happy home.

4. Golden Palm Tree by Wilder California
Love this shining palm. I'm from Florida originally, so I love seeing the beautiful palm trees whenever I go down to visit. This image is from California, I believe, but for me it brings about a homey feel, not to mention the angle of the shot is glorious. The image is just beautiful. It's something you'd wanna see on a day you're traveling into town...welcoming beautiful palm trees in sunshine. Delightful.

5. Blue Fields by Hi Uan Kang Haaga
Color contrast. I love this blue and green with the specks of red sitting out for effect. It truly does look like an image from the sky, dreamed up from the artists mind. It pops, in a good way.

6. Pining for Pineapple by Joni Tyrrell
If you're a fan of pineapple...you get it. Even if you're not a fan, beyond the mouthwatering appeal this picture is very clear. It's direct, focused, and makes a statement...a BOLD statement. "I alone, by myself, with know distractions or fancy backgrounds...I am enough. That's one conscious pineapple!

7. Sunset Study by Jessica Cardelucci
Sunset Study produces a familiar feel that comes over the distance. It's a reminder that joy comes in the morning. No matter what we go through, the sun will rise again, It's a beautifully imagined evening sunset.

8. Twinkling light by Lindsay Ferraris Photography
This image reminds me of driving up to a party or social activity, where the people are. The dim, out of focus perspective is a testament that there is light, even amidst mediocrity, and where there's light there is life.

9. Bits by Katie Craig
The lovely bits! These are "bits into the blue". I'm in love with blue, and it's a great decor' piece. Simple beauty.

10. Facades by Qing Ji
My grandmother use to have a picture just like this in her house. It brings back sentimental feeling and memories, and at the the same time it makes me want to travel and go somewhere far away that I've never been before. (Italy, maybe.) Pretty much anywhere that's not where I am. This picture makes me believe and wander. There's motivation here, motivation for something better.

11. Four Sisters by Holly Royval
Love this! The color contrasts here rock! The sisters here are similar, but different in personalities, that's how we know they're sisters. It is an image of us all. Human kind as a whole, we belong to each other, but we have differences in authenticity. Beyond the meaningfulness of the lesson the picture is just nice to look at. Are the four sisters: style, class, elegance, and sophistication? because that's what this painting says to me.


12. Big Sky Country by Vicki Rawlins
Last, but not least: Big Sky Country. This is the beauty I want in my life, the image itself, and the feel it brings. Can you tell I love clouds? Clouds denote the glory of God. There is such an animated clarity here. It's clearly skillful work by the artist. Another plus... it looks like Mufasa from The Lion King is about to come breaking through the clouds at any minute. Very glorious and splendid.


What is your take on these 12 prints? Did you find these or any of the other products and prints inspiring at minted.com? Let me know in the comments... You can also follow this conversation with Breath Of Life Daily + Minted. via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.

From Gridiron To Grace: Derwin Gray's Winning Testimony

Growing up on the west side of San Antonio, I believed in god—the god of football. The game was my ticket out of an early life saturated with violence, addiction, abuse, and chaos.

I was raised by my grandmother, because my parents were only teenagers when I was born. They were children bringing a child into the world. As much as they wanted to care for me, the hurt and brokenness in their lives prevented them. "Grannie" was a Jehovah's Witness, so that was the religion I knew. After a while, even that went away.

We were not poor. We were "po." We couldn't afford the other o and r. We didn't eat meals together. We didn't pray together. There were good times, like when we'd go fishing or when my grandfather would come home after work in the evenings. By the time I was 13, however, I looked at my environment and told my grandmother, "I'm going to do something with my life."

Football was my way out of the hell I was living in. I believed it would lift me into the heaven of the American dream.

Football functioned as my savior. It gave me love: If I played well, I was loved by fans. It gave me an identity: I was Derwin, the football player. It gave me significance: I was somebody because I was a great player. And football gave me a mission. My mission was this: Derwin, you can go to college and make something of your life.

Running from Naked Preacher

During my sophomore year of high school, I started to do just that. I transferred to Judson High School in Converse, a suburb of San Antonio, where I played for D. W. Rutledge, the Texas High School Hall of Fame coach. My senior year, I accepted a football scholarship to Brigham Young University (BYU). So, you have a black kid from a lower socioeconomic, multiethnic context with a Jehovah's Witness religious background (whose god is football) attending a Mormon university.

On January 15, 1990, during my freshman year at BYU, I met a beautiful young lady named Vicki Ensign. She was a javelin thrower on the track team. We fell in love fast and married on May 23, 1992, during my senior year. The first wedding I had ever attended was my own.

At BYU, my god had come through for me. I had an outstanding career and later was named to BYU football's "All Time Dream Team." Plus, I was loved at the school. I had the girl of my dreams. I was making something out of my life. On April 25, 1993, I was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts to strong safety. I had made it!

Then I met the Naked Preacher, a linebacker for the Colts in 1993.

It was impossible not to notice a linebacker who would take a shower, dry off, wrap a towel around his waist, pick up his Bible, and ask those of us in the locker room, "Do you know Jesus?" I would think, Do you know you are half-naked?

I asked the veterans on the team about him. They said, "Don't pay attention to him. That's the Naked Preacher."

At this point in my life, I did not want anything to do with Jesus or a half-naked man talking about him, so I tried to avoid him. One day after practice, I was sitting at my locker and saw the Naked Preacher (whose real name is Steve Grant) walking toward me.

"Rookie D. Gray, do you know Jesus?" he asked.

I pretended to not hear him and turned my back. He repeated the question, but this time he was at my locker. Even though I was not a churchgoer or involved in any religious group, I gave what I thought was a very religious answer: "I'm a good person."

I explained to Steve that I was one of the only men in my family who had not been to jail, who did not have a substance abuse problem, who had graduated from high school and college, and who did not have a child outside of marriage.

The Naked Preacher opened up his Bible and shared two verses with me: "And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone'" (Mark 10:18, ESV); and, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

Steve explained that according to the Bible, only God is good; he is the standard of goodness and righteousness. Everyone else has sinned and falls short. This disturbed me.

I said, "Naked man, you are telling me that my moral comparison is to God and not to other people?" He said, "Yes."

"God is perfect! What can I do to be perfect?" He answered, "Nothing."

I said, "I'm in big trouble."

"Rookie D. Gray," he said, "now you are starting to get it. You can't do anything to reach a perfect God. But Jesus has done everything for the perfect God to come down and reach you."

I sat in silence. I needed time to think through what he was saying and what I was experiencing in my heart.

Over the next five years, I watched Steve live out the gospel. When my teammates needed advice, they were at the Naked Preacher's locker. Steve was involved in the greater Indianapolis community. He displayed Jesus in the way he loved his wife and children. He preached through his words and actions.

As the Naked Preacher preached, God's love crushed me. I had achieved the American dream, only to realize it could not empower me to love my wife or forgive my father. My fame and money could not erase my sin, shame, guilt, fear, and insecurity.

... Continue reading Derwin's powerful testimony here.


Inspiration for your inbox. Get the latest BOLD updates faster.

Subscribe to our mailing list
* indicates required

Email Address  *

First Name

Last Name

   

10 Scriptures To Uplift Your Spirit

Our spirits need to be devoted to God if they are to thrive amidst chaos. It is God's will that we thrive and that our spirit experiences the wholeness and prosperity that the holy spirit offers. Here are 10 scriptures that help emphasize the blessing of devotion and belonging to Him:

- I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

-"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:5

- Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22

- Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? - Matthew 6:26 

-So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31

-He is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven. Ephesians 1:7

-Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4

-Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. - Psalm 51:7

-See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. -Psalm 139:24

- But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. -1 John 1:9

What are some of  your go to scriptures that help uplift your spirit? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Take Action And Erase Your Fears

God gives us guidance and warning ahead of time. If we're working and praying there is no need to worry. Fear is False. Evidence. Appearing. Real. It's false because we think we don't have what we need to handle whatever it is that's causing us to fear, but in actuality we do. There is always something we can do, Don't just be scared, take action. Be BOLD. Don't Fear. Scripture says "God hasn't given us the Spirit of fear."  

Worry about anything is not of God. Fear comes naturally, because it's a lack of understanding. You can get what you need. Invest in getting the truth and the understanding that you have what it takes to fulfill whatever life has for you. The power of God in us gives us strength. "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you." Understanding gives us power over fear. God's will is for us to prosper. Seek God's will above all. He has power over All! 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. -1 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

 Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. -Proverbs 23:23 (NLT)

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. -Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2 (KJV) modified.

 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. -Romans 11:36 (NLT)

What are some other good scriptures you can think of that help give you confidence when you're afraid? Has God ever  given you a word of encouragement to step up in a situation and not be a afraid? How did it go? Leave your thoughts about this post in the comments section below.

Putting Love Into Action

By: Casme Barnes/Joyce Meyer Ministry

Love ignites us, love has the power to spread like fire.

With Everything going on in the World around us, we have to stay prayed up and full of LOVE. Life is priceless. We must cherish our time here on earth. We must Love more! I am determined to e a Walking Love Warrior...a Love Ambassador. I see the spark in people's eyes when an act of kindness is presented. The youth I've been speaking to on the Black Wallstreet High School Tour are confirming my purpose daily. Love Wins and creates Winners.

We are called to show others love. Jesus told His disciples, "By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]" (John13:35).

So many people see love as 'just a feeling,' but it's so much more than that. True love shows itself through action.

And this action doesn't have to be impossible and overwhelming. One of the best ways to show the love of Jesus is through simple, everyday action, 

- Like giving a small gift to someone or striking up a conversation with a downcast individual who needs a friend.
- Or giving a bag of groceries to the single mom who lives down the street and is struggling to put food on the table.
- Showing love can even be as simple as smiling and saying hello to a person you pass on the street, in the hall, or at the store. 

There are many ways to demonstrate the love of Christ. When you show His love to someone else, it can soften that person's heart, and before you know it, they'll be finding ways to reach out and show love to others, and so on and so on. So celebrate God's love and let Him lead you. Is He putting someone on your heart right now?

I want my love for Jesus to be reflected in the way I show love for others, even those who may be difficult to love. If I can soften one hard heart with the love of God, maybe that person will soften another's heart with love, then that one will reach out to others, and so on and so on... And soon we'll have a love revolution!

Prayer Starter: God, I want my love for You to be reflected in the way I show love for others. Show me ways to demonstrate love to anyone and everyone that You bring across my path.


Let's put LOVE in Action!
Casmè
Www.CasmeCares.Com

What are some other ways we can start putting love into action in the community and around the world? When was your last endeavor to love forward? Leave your thoughts about this post in the comments section below.

SHE Created iT SPOTLIGHT: Grace Kisa

Happy October! B.O.L.D is happy to share She Created iT's monthly artists spotlight and celebrate female artists and entrepreneurs. She Created iT is a platform to Promote, Produce and Educate Female Artists.

Every month She Created iT Highlights a phenomenal female artist. For the month of October the She Created iT Artist Spotlight is on Grace Kisa.

GRACE KISA is a native of Nairobi, Kenya. She  moved with her family to the United States in  1978. Grace was educated at The Art Institute in Atlanta, where she received an Associates in Art Degree. She currently lives and works in Atlanta.

        

" Making art for me is a journey of exploration, both inward and outwardly. This voyage of discovery often leads me to places I could not initially have predicted I would end up." I work on two dimensional, and three dimensional pieces, and the materials that I use vary just as greatly. Often the work is referenced  from my own experiences. From the movies that I see to the music that I listen to. From the books that I read, to the places that I travel to. These elements and many others become the basis for my reinterpretation of the world around us. By taking what is familiar and making it new, I am attempting to create a narrative that engages history, myth, social awareness, and a touch of whimsy."

                                   

         

More art work from Grace's collection can be found HERE On Flickr.

 Grace's Exhibitions include:

       1994-M-Print Fine Art- Atlanta Georgia

         1995-Tina’s Gallery-Potomac, Maryland

         1996-Diaspora Arts Gallery- Atlanta, Georgia

         1997-Art Station Art Center- Stone Mountain, Georgia

         1998- Emerald City Art- Marietta., Georgia

         1999- Fine Art Images- Richmond, Virginia

         1999-2009- National Black Fine Art Show

         2000- Galerie 500- Washington D.C.

         2001- Carolyn Waller Gallery- Nashville ,Tennessee

         2002- Artist’s Showcase Gallery- Atlanta, Georgia

         2003- The Raiford Gallery- Alpharetta, Georgia

         2006- Just Lookin’ Gallery- Hagerstown, Maryland

         2007- Gallery Serengeti- Capitol Heights, Maryland

         2008- Studio Clout- Atlanta, Georgia

         2009- Stuart McLean Gallery- Atlanta, Georgia         

         2010- Avisca Gallery- Marietta, Georgia

         2012-Contemporaries, Morgan State University-Baltimore Md.

        

Collections include:

           Steed Media Group

           Hartsfield/ Jackson International Airport

            Upscale Magazine Corporate Offices

            Kaiser Permanente

            Southwest Hospital

            Art Station Art Center

You can find out more about Grace, Her work, and the She Created iT organization at shecreatedit.info For exhibition and general inquiries e-mail: info@shecreatedit.info

Invest Wholeheartedly

How are we really using our most valuable assets our money and our time? Is it investing in the real truth? It is getting more and more important in this information and conceptual age to know the value of truth. We are becoming more surrounded by media. The truth is so valuable, the bible say's "Buy the truth and sell it not." The truth that we get for our lives from God, the info and wisdom that we get from the Word is too valuable to take for granted.


The truth is like money, but it's more valuable Its up to us to keep it, up to us to cultivate it, and make it grow.  Its in this account that we gain the most interest! In tending to and keeping the word that inspires us, the word that is rich, It supplies us and greatly builds our character. It is the gain and promotion that never fails; That can only continue to grow.

When we enrich ourselves in it, and enrich our lives with the knowledge of God, honoring Him first with a close personal relationship and by making Him first not only in speech, but in action then the truth begins to grow and no matter what you've been through, no matter what the current situation is when this truth begins to sprout we adhere to it because "it" is our LIFE. If we sell it to the highest bidding circumstance, It's a sure sign we've lost the richness.


Lets just continue to gain, to get better and better. When we tend with all we have to the word and life of God, not letting it go, its us who will come out on top. Where are you putting your money and time?

Proverbs 23:23