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Driven
to make a difference for the cause of Christ, inspirational speaker,
Joyce Girgenti uses her paintings to teach life-lessons. Inspired by a
dream, Joyce also drives Air Force and Marine troops to and from Indianapolis. The troops receive a small copy
of “A Soldier’s Prayer” and “The Great Commission”. They're
also given a
mid-size print of their choice to leave with their families.
Compared
to Thomas Kinkade and Norman Rockwell, Joyce’s art work is more than
meets the eye. While it’s not uncommon for paintings to tell stories
or have hidden objects or letters to signify someone’s name, Joyce has
tapped into a unique way of bringing up the subject of JESUS. She
creatively incorporates His name and biblical principals by placing
these treasures into the brush strokes of her paintings. Every
message is created with a motive to drive the viewers into the loving
embrace of the one who ultimately laid down His life for our sins. This
sends her viewers on a treasure hunt. People are drawn like magnets to
find JESUS. He is the greatest treasure available to every human being.
His gift of salvation is a free gift to everyone who calls upon His
name.
Sometimes
after the paint is dry, Joyce says more appears on the canvas than she
intended. Every manifestation found is not only divine in its
revelation, but are things created by God. Such as a white lamb, an
empty tomb, an angel, a broken heart, a dove, a fish and faces. Even
when planning to just paint a colorful and tranquil landscape, profound
themes and life lessons are revealed.
The
artist confesses, “My heart-felt passion is accelerated by a desire to
teach valuable lessons I wish I’d known in the years of my youth.”
As she transports and spiritually coaches the troops, Joyce finds the
most misunderstood thing about faith is what took her years to recognize
in herself; Faith
is not about a religion; it’s about a relationship - an intimate
connection with Jesus Christ.
Joyce
is driven to offer hope with five main goals that;
1)
The lost will realize their need of a Savior
2) The
bondage of sin and past hurts are broken
3)
A hunger
for spiritual
knowledge and growth is developed
4)
Wise
counsel is sought and given from Christian mentors
5)
More
believers answer their calling to tell their story to disciple others
"It's
great when someone is inspired by my work, or a word of hope that God
give me to share," stresses the artist, "but being inspired is
not enough. It's time to move from being INSPIRED to being TRANSFORMED.
Ask God what He wants to teach or change in you.
With
expectation of transformation by the leading of the Holy Spirit, the
two essential keys to grow in knowledge; Prayer
and Bible Study."
Joyce
acknowledges her struggle as a child and young adult to comprehend what
she read. Therefore; trying to read a King James Version Bible was frustrating. “My
family didn’t encourage the value of reading nor did I realize that I
was given the power of the Holy Spirit to teach and to guide me when I
was saved. A huge burden was lifted when I discovered I didn’t have to
depend on my own intelligence to understand the scriptures,” she said.
Joyce strongly encourages Study-Bibles. Highlight and write in them as
you study privately and with groups. Ask the
Lord to manifest Himself as you look into His inspired Word as a mirror
to reflect His will. Then, put on your walking shoes, put one foot in
front of the other and walk worthy of the calling in which you’ve been
called.
This
labor of love is an invitation for artists to use their talent to make
an impact on the lives of people all over the world who desperately need
God and the knowledge of His Word. Joyce says, “Artists have an
advantage with their visual skills to reach someone who might not enter
the doors of a church. Think about why God uniquely created you. Artist
or not, God has a purpose for every surrendered instrument. If you wait
until you feel “wise enough” or “comfortable enough” to share
the Gospel of Christ, you’ll never do it. We
are not called to be “People-Pleasers” or “Couch-Potatoes”
afraid of what someone might say when we step out of our comfort zone.
The fear of rejection was a huge struggle for me before I got serious
about my relationship with Jesus,” admits the artist. “So
let’s get off our duffs and encourage one another to place our trust
in God who requires His kids to produce good fruit.”
The
stories Joyce tells about living in bondage with a spirit of rejection,
fear and anger and her lack of knowledge about the Holy Spirit are told
to extend a hand to others who suffer with similar problems. “I
don’t believe it’s coincidental that my viewers see themselves and
their own stories in my paintings as if looking into a mirror,”
declares the artist, though the original paintings are inspired by her
own experiences or commissioned works for her patrons.
So
what’s your story? Nothing has happened to you that went unnoticed by
God. You are a designer’s original, beloved. Every crack in your
vessel is an opportunity to allow the light of Christ to show Himself
through your story. You are valuable to Him. Be encouraged to find
forgiveness, healing and deliverance from your brokenness and
insecurities. Have mercy on those around you the same way God poured His
mercy on you. Be willing to share you testimony to help others wanting
to live a productive life free from the control of our enemy (the devil
and his buddies). Our greatest weapon is God’s Word. You can’t apply
His Word unless you know it. You can’t stand firm if you’re not
equipped with God’s Armor.
Like
a good marriage, being a servant of the Lord takes work but it’s worth
every drop of sweat, blood and tears. This is where character is built.
If you’re thinking it’s too hard for you to be a witness for Christ,
you’re right. We can’t do it in our strength or knowledge. We are to
place our dependence upon the Holy Spirit to supply our strength, needs
and opportunities.
Satan
never gives up trying to put a stop to our testimony. He will do
anything he can to drive a wedge between our relationship with God and
with each other. Once we realize who our enemy is (not God and not our
loved ones) we can know how to respond the next time we’re attacked.
Keep in mind that God will fight our battles for us. We have the freedom
to let Him, or to try to fight in our own strength and knowledge. Joyce
bears witness to the fact that it is impossible to win with human
strength and understanding. We must let go and let God have complete
control over every area of our lives.
Originally
from
Southern Illinois, Joyce met and married her high school sweetheart 31 years ago. They
live in NW Indiana where
Ralph
is Director of Technology for Lake Station Schools. The couple shares
the greatest thrill of their lives raising Kristina, who is now married
and lives in Augusta, GA.
Joyce’s
work has taken quite a turn from her humble start 16
years ago with Memphis
cityscapes. She was chosen to letter and pin-stripe Memphis’ first six 19th century Main
Street Trolleys while managing the Covington Sign Shop. From this work
she conceived the idea for her first published painting which grew into
a Four Season Series and other landmarks like the
Pink
Palace
and
Graceland. This Art-Ministry would not be possible,
had it not been for the gracious support of
Memphis
patrons from the beginning. Until 4 years ago, Joyce exhibited her work
in several US Art Shows. Due to overwhelming expenses and the strain on
her body caused by fibromyalga, Joyce had to quit the “show”
business. Thanks to the online gallery, commissions, speaking
engagements, and exhibitions that do not require her presence, this
ministry has been kept afloat. Your prayers and support are gratefully
appreciated.
Who's
the Master Behind Your Miracle?
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Divine Intervention
The proof is in the painting. Circled above is the unintentional white lamb and an empty tomb that was found in “The
Legend
of the Dogwood”.
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God uses Faith-Based paintings as Visual Reminders
to make His will known. He gives hope to the hopeless, He brings healing to the physically, mentally, and spiritually
sick,
and He encourages us to count our blessings instead of giving into fears and
disappointments. Divinely placed
images in artist' paintings are evidence that GOD has not taken His hand off us.
The first unintentional manifestations
found in my paintings is what appears to be an empty tomb
and a little
lamb looking toward the tomb (above). Other findings have been the five unintentional faces with eyes closed in "The Great Commission”.
“Momma's Little Man” has an
image of an Angel in
the folds of the pillowcase; "Raising Faith" has a broken
heart in the middle of Jesus' name in the
eagle’s outstretched wing.
Some artists believe their art has been "magically"
touched when images such as these are found, while others explain it as
"coincidental". Please give credit where credit is
due, friends. Before I understood who God is and how His power works, I believed
that luck could change a situation.
There was a grown man I knew that was so superstitious he
would find another route, or go back home, if a black cat crossed the
road in front of him. He didn't know any better since no one shared the
truth with him.
The truth is found in the Bible, but this
hard working farmer never learned how to read. The man I'm telling you about
was my father. His father
was injured on the farm, so he had to fill his
daddy's shoes by working the farm to provide for his family. There
was no time for school. Praise be to God Daddy accepted Jesus in his
heart a year before he died. He told me on his death bed, "My
only regret is never learning how to read." How different our lives
might have been had he been given this privilege.
Satan is real and has power to corrupt
people with lies, lack of knowledge, and every type of sin. So, let's serve the miracle worker and give
Him credit where credit is due. Miracles are performed by the hand that
created you. Magic has absolutely nothing to do with miracles. Don't take this lightly.
Who are we serving when we give "magic" the glory over a
miracle? Are we serving the God of the universe or are we serving the
prince of the earth? Give this some thought and and ask God to help you
line up your life and the way you think and speak with His will. Think
about why God created you. Seek wise counsel from a Christian mentor or
a pastor who can answer any questions you might have.
A heed of
warning to artist's
with treasures (miracles) such as these mentioned. Be careful! Some of Satan's
favorite weapons are pride and
confusion. He uses them to get our focus
off of God. Our vessel is used by God (by living in obedience as a follower of
Christ) or by the evil forces of this world.
All the glory belongs to God,
alone, when miracles take place.
Webster's Dictionary says that a MIRACLE is an event or action that
contradicts scientific laws and is thought to be due to supernatural causes,
especially to an act of God. How many MIRACLES do we miss in a single day
because we are so focused on our own agenda instead of God's agenda. We are witness to the work of
the MASTER CREATOR when we open our spiritual eyes are hearts to His
leading.
Give GOD the glory where credit is due.
Tell the truth about your miracle; JESUS is alive and actively performing
miracles, still today. A Moody Radio pastor recently said, "GOD
uses us in spite of us, not because of us." God doesn't need us
but for some reason He chooses to use us.
Joyce Girgenti
To
schedule a talk or to support this ministry in some way, contact the
artist at (219) 841-9743.

Joyce Girgenti Studio
2277
Lake Street, Portage, Indiana 46368
A good (and safe) book to read on this subject; "When
the Enemy Strikes" was written by Dr. Charles Stanley (Pastor of First
Baptist Church in Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries).
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