Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have bought an Abide Scripts painting I want to start with saying thank you. I never would have imagined that I would have the privilege of doing something like this and I have been so bless with getting hear your stories and pray over you and the people you love.
Painting was a yes to a prayer I spoke to God while taking the dog out. I wanted to earn a little extra for my family as we were entering into the hardest financial season of our lives so far. That season ended with us being homeless and then blessed with the nicest home we have ever lived in and my husband finally getting a full time position as a fire fighter. Our budget is still not stable but my man puts in every extra hour he can and God has sustain us in unexplainable ways, faithfully this last year.
Every family looks a little different. God has made it clear for our family that I am to stay home full time so as to keep the home, educate the kids, work out, and have energy to love on my man when he is home. Paul and I agreed that painting scripture was a welcome add on to my other rolls. In the beginning we carefully set priority boundaries. All of my rolls with my family were to come first and then I would paint. I have fought hard this last year to keep these priorities straight. It has been a growing experience. By Christmas this year I was a little burnt out. I still loved to paint but something was off.
At the very beginning of January I sat down with the Lord and took a good look at my calling. Wife, Mom, Homemaker, Educator, Painter and so on. God was so good to give me renewed and refreshed vision in every area but Painting. I still wrestled with it for the last several weeks wondering what was up. We just completed our taxes for last year and I could not have imagined what would happen!
When we looked at the actually money profit of Abide Scripts over the last year and broke it into how much the family had extra a month it wasn't very much. I painted something like 300 or more canvases and as far as money goes there wasn't much to show for it. Owning a small business for me meant paying 40-50% in taxes. (Now, remember I am only taking on an earthly economy level. The real and lasting weight of getting to paint can not be measure with this worlds currency. Not because I am anything but because God promises that His word accomplishes what He has planned for it. ) So, bottom line. Its not worth it. EEK! I know. I wasn't bad at being a business woman. I didn't loose money. But I am not going to raise the prices to make more money. I absolutely do not want to paint more that 300 canvases a year as painting is like fifth from the top of my priorities. So what do I do?
As Paul and I sat on the ground in front of our couch looking at Turbo Tax the tears began to steam hot and steady down my face. I went threw a whole gamut of emotion very quickly and one very powerful conversation with the Holy Spirit.
Me: Lord, this isn't worth it! I don't want all the stress of invoices, deadlines and so on! But how do I keep painting?! I WANT TO KEEP PAINTING!
Holy Spirit: Are you willing to trust me with everything "money" for your family?
Me: ahhhhhhhhh, yes.
Holy Spirit: I have not made you to be a business woman.
Me: OH GOOD! Cause it was really stressful and I want to give that part of me back to my family.
Holy Spirit: Paint for free
Me: Seriously! OK! How?
He kind of left me hanging on the HOW to do it part. But I came away from my encounter with the Lord over Turbo Tax with a million pounds lifted from my heart! I don't have a passion to run a business. I just didn't know any other way to paint. Abide Scripts as a business was a perfect way for God to get me going on this adventure honestly it was a desire for "extra" that made me even ask and get the yes answer. I had to trust Him SO much with every aspect of this business and was so very blessed in the process. The money I did make was great and timely for our family but God is changing things up. He gets to do that when its His thing to begin with.
NOW WHAT?
Now I try and figure out how to paint for free. I want to keep painting. I want you, my former clients to keep placing orders for God's word to encourage yourselves or the people you love. I do need you to pay for your supplies. I don't know if that means I keep them on hand you just pay for the the canvas at cost or if you supply me with your own canvas. We as a family don't have the extra to pay for supplies or we would (maybe one day!). I don't want you to feel weird about placing an order because you feel bad that I'm not making any money! I do want you to consider yourself an extension of God's work through His Abide Scripts. Pray before you place the order. Together lets get God's word up on the wall in a way that matches existing decor. Lets keep customizing encouragement and color together for God's glory.
Now one of the things I am so excited about is NO dead lines! I will do my best to get the scripture painted and in your hands but I will also enjoy the freedom to put my family completely first. YAY!
I know this may seem totally backwards. I JUST HAVE TO OBEY! Thank you for reading. Please pray for me and my family as we under go this change. Pray for provision. That I could keep painting God's word for free.
What does Paul think? Easy, when I asked if he was ok with the whole thing he said he was ready to go this direction with it last year! OK!
His little girl, Jess O'Brien
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