Creative Resources

Creator’s Healing Power Virtual Bible Study

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The Creator’s Healing Power—Restoring the Broken to Beautiful Virtual Bible Study

Join me, Jody Thomae, author of The Creator’s Healing Power, as I guide you on a healing journey through my newest book via a Virtual Bible Study. You’re invited to join me live on four 75-minute phone calls. The calls will include embodied prayer ministry time and also be recorded for later playback. You’ll also be a part of our private Facebook page where you can share your thoughts and get to know others joining us on this healing journey. The study is hosted by YogaFaith, a Christ-centered yoga training school, and is currently being offered for a sale price of $20 through their website. Continue reading

Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 23

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I’m not quite sure that today’s offering on Kintsugi of the Soul* matches my original intention of sharing stories of wholeness, restoration and healing, but it certainly is inspirational so here it is!!

Keely’s Camp is an organization that exists to inspire, education, empower and connect young women. And in a world that very often tells these girls that they don’t measure up or that they’re not enough as they are, I think that this DOES INDEED bring wholeness, restoration and healing!! Check it out:

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 22

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Today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* features a wonderful story of restoration. And the “main character” in this story is quite possibly the cutest little thing ever! ENJOY!

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 21

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Today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* features singer/songwriter Ryan O’Neal of Sleeping At Last. He is currently creating a series of songs based on the Enneagram, a system of nine “personality types” (that are actually so much more). If you are not familiar with the Enneagram, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with it and perhaps take an inventory to see if you can identify your own type.

Ryan is in the process of releasing a song with an accompanying podcast for each of the nine Enneatypes. I have found these very helpful to not only understand myself but also those I love. Also I love hearing him talk about his creative process as a deep-thinking artist. The podcasts can be found on iTunes here. You can also find them here. I CANNOT recommend these podcasts ENOUGH!! They are amazing!!

Here’s one of my favorite Sleeping At Last songs with lyrics proclaiming “You’re enough!” In a world of comparison that makes us feel as though we can never measure up and consumerism that plays on making us feel inadequate on our own, I know many of us struggle with feelings of being not quite enough.

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 20

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With today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* we are back at Goalcast with 12-year-old author, artist and motivational speaker Nyeeam “King Nahh” Hudson.

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 19

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Today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* is the powerful story of NHL hockey player Theo Fleury, as he shares his story of trauma and healing through writing and sharing his story with others. (Warning: the very beginning is a little graphic so if you are sensitive, you might want to skip the first minute or so.)

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 18

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Happy New Year!! Today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* is a short clip from the Steve Harvey TV Show about a young man named Walter whose will-power and determination inspired multiple acts of kindness and compassion. The story reminds us there is a lot of good in the world. This is an interview you don’t want to miss!

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 17

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Today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* features The Gift of the Magi. The story by O. Henry is a Christmas classic and has always been one of my favorites. This is a modern take on the traditional version:

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 16

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As we journey through the CHRISTmas season, in today’s Kintsugi of the Soul,* we hear the story of a miraculous healing of Amber Nesbitt during the Christmas season 2005:

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 15

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Today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* takes you to a short video that discussed the healing potential of art, especially as it relates to mourning, grief and lament. You can find that here. The poem “Talking to Grief” by Denise Levertov that is read at the 2:20+ minute mark is a BEaUtiful example of examining grief through the lens of art as an avenue towards healing:

Talking to Grief
by Denise Levertov

Ah, Grief, I should not treat you
like a homeless dog
who comes to the back door
for a crust, for a meatless bone.
I should trust you.

I should coax you
into the house and give you
your own corner,
a worn mat to lie on,
your own water dish.

You think I don’t know you’ve been living
under my porch.
You long for your real place to be readied
before winter comes. You need
your name,
your collar and tag. You need
the right to warn off intruders,
to consider
my house your own
and me your person
and yourself
my own dog.

Originally found at: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/levertov/onlinepoems.htm

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 14

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For today’s edition of Kintsugi of the Soul, I’m directing you to UpliftTV to watch a short 7-minute movie called Enough. (It is a free movie; however, you do have to register with UpliftTV in order to have access to it.) The movie is about Beatrice Nyariara, who lives in Korogocho, one of Nairobi’s most dangerous slums, where elderly women are attacked, raped, and sometimes even beheaded and thrown in the river.

“I decided enough was enough!
We must protect ourselves.”
—Beatrice Nyariara

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 13

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Today’s edition of Kintsugi of the Soul features a profound TedTalk from performance artist Natalia Duong. She touches on mirror neurons, service to others, and the healing power of a listening community. A must-watch!

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 12

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This week on Kintsugi of the Soul* I want to direct you to a website of jewelry artist and blogger Kenetha Stanton called A Kintsugi Life. This site is packed: blog articles, jewelry, links to kintsugi resources, and if you sign up for her email list, a free ebook called Living a Kintsugi Life. See, I’m not the only one taken with this trUly BEaUtiful metaphor for healing and restoration!

According to Kenetha:

“I use the metaphor of kintsugi, with its brokenness, healing, and subsequent gold, as a means of inspiring and supporting others through my artwork and writing.
I experienced a period of intense losses several years ago that affected every aspect of my life—relationships, career, identity, spirituality—that resulted in deep transformation that has changed me profoundly in many ways. It was during this period that I discovered the art form of kintsugi and found it to be a powerful guide and encouragement for what I was experiencing.”

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 11

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“Your life’s not over…
it’s just that you have to live it a new way.”
~ TBI patient Joseph Maxim

Today’s edition of Kintsugi of the Soul is a story that is so inspiring… the power of creation… recreation… sport… finding your purpose beyond brokeness… and HOPE!!

“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable.
A perpetual series of occasions for hope.”

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 10

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On today’s edition of Kintsugi of the Soul*, I am referring you to a trUly BEaUtiful blog called Beauty Beyond Bones and a specific post called Glorious Wounds. The Beauty Beyond Blog shares the story of a young woman as she chronicled her battle with an eating disorder. Calling herself an ED Warrior, she writes openly and transparently about her fight for survival. The author admits her blog posts can be very graphic. However, she hopes that by shedding light on the dark battle she fought, it will help guide others (and their loved ones) on the path to recovery from disordered eating.

Beauty Beyond Bones writes:

“Jesus endured the greatest suffering of all: the Cross. And when He rose again after the third day, He greeted His loved ones and showed them the scars on His hands where He had been pierced. Thomas even put his hands in the holes. His wounds weren’t infected, but glorious and glowing. They were a victory.”

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 9

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So what does an artist do when he or she is struggling with questions, uncertainty and pain? They go to their art…

” . . . brush to canvas,
feet to stage,
finger to shutter,
pen to paper,
voice to music or character,
or hands to clay as we seek . . . “

As artists and creatives we often go to our art form when we’re struggling. And while we may not always find answers, we do find solace, often entering into that “thin place” between heaven and earth where our spirits find rest among the swirling questions in our mind, heart and soul.

In today’s edition of Kintusgi of the Soul* we find an artist struggling and turning to music as a way to find solace and also as a way to reach his mother who has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Jay Allen is a country music singer whose song “Blank Stares” resonates in the hearts of so many whose families have been struck by this awful disease.

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 8

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In this week’s “Kintsugi of the Soul,” Professor of Neurosurgery, James Doty, M.D., tells a touching story of how one interaction altered the course of a his life:

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 7

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This week’s edition of Kintsugi of the Soul features artist, author and encourager Matt Tommey. Matt is the author of several books that are “must-haves” for creative Christians including Unlocking the Heart of the Artist and Created to Thrive. He is also a wonderful encourager of creatives and artists through The Worship Studio, an equipping resource for artists and a place for creative Christians to connect and Created to Thrive, his mentoring program for artists.

In this video, Matt reflects on his healing journey with God. He talks about the “movie” that would play over and over in his mind… the negative self-talk that sabotaged his creativity. And yet… as he aligned his thoughts with Christ’s “kingdom thoughts,” he found that God supernaturally began to open doors of favor and provision in his life.

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 6

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In this week’s edition of Kintsugi of the Soul I want to share The Movement of Healing: a deep and soul-packed blog of Susan Cochrane. I’ll allow her to tell you about herself in her own voice. She writes:

“I’ve practiced law, practiced the piano, practiced creative writing and practiced meditation. I practiced with specific goals in mind:- success, mastery, achievement, enlightenment.

Now I practice letting go of goals.

After thirty-plus years practicing family law, including eighteen years on the family court bench in the busiest district in our state, I abruptly ended my law career to focus on a health crisis. After 10 cancer-free years, I found out the cancer was back and I was given a terminal diagnosis.

So I’m letting go of the old idea of writing books. My focus now is on positive, uplifting and inspiring people, ideas and stories. I’m embracing the opportunity to curate a blog that features short pieces I find particularly moving.” ~Susan Cochrane

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 5

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This week’s Kintsugi of the Soul features a man many of you have probably already heard about, Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms or legs. The first video is him speaking at Saddleback Church. It’s a long video so if you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing this week, at least tune in for the first six and a half minutes. God is using him to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to millions of people worldwide; protect the unborn; and influence those in powerful positions. His goal is to preach the Gospel to everyone across the globe… 7 billion people! To this point over a half million have put their faith in Jesus Christ through his evangelism efforts!! Praise God!

Note: in his intro video he speaks about John 9, which is one of the Bible Studies in chapter 7 of my most recent book, The Creator’s Healing Power—Restoring the Broken to Beautiful.

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