Calling All Artists! Contest Announcement.

You Could Be Published!  

Right now I am so close to publishing my first book, but I need one key element: Cover Art. This is where you come in. Your art could be chosen to be on the cover of a book: my book, The Purpose of Chosen. If this sounds familiar, it should. This was a series I did this year here on the blog. 

I have taken it and made it into a short and encouraging book that will go on sale at Amazon.com soon. 

The picture below is what I found as inspiration for the graphic I made for the series. It is from the Manga Bible and it is copyrighted. Take a look at what I was going for and perhaps you will get inspired too! 

This book is based on the story of David and Goliath and focuses on who we are, that we are meant for more in life than the status quo, and how to overcome the giants in our lives. 

Here is what people are saying: 

"The Purpose of Chosen calls to the depths of your heart to step out of fear and into faith. Dayna takes you on a journey to live a life of passion and purpose rooted in God's power developed through life's ordinary moments. You'll walk away empowered by grace and energized to capture God's best for your life". – Shannon Milholland, blogger and author

"In The Purpose of The Chosen, Dayna Bickham quiets the lies I've believed most of my life... those lies that say I'm not enough. Sharing the story of a young shepherd boy named David chosen by God to slay a giant named Goliath, Dayna reminds me that I, too, have been chosen by God for His good work. The lies of "not enough" are quieted in the truth of God's love." – Heidi Kreider, author The Secret of Counting Gifts

Here are all the details of the contest: 

• Deadline: 11:59 PM on October 9th. (yes that is quick, but if you are a serious artist, I know you can do it!) 
• Submissions should be in jpg format and submitted to ayearinthespirituallife@hotmail.com 
• If multiple entries are received, then the choice is up to you, my readers. 
• Entries will be placed on A Year in the Spiritual Life Facebook Page 
• Official Voting will begin October 10, 2012 and run through October 14, 2012. 

In order to vote, you must first "like" the page, but other than that you will have to drive voters (also known as supporters like friends and family) to the site to vote.

The winner will have his/her artwork featured on the eBook cover of my book, and replicated on books that are purchased on demand at Amazon.com No financial compensation will be awarded.

There is no second prize, but I will feature all art here on the blog after the contest is concluded.

The Legal Stuff

By entering this contest you are granting permission to display and use your art for the purposes of this contest and a book cover. You will retain rights to your art, will be credited as the artist for your contribution and will be able to reuse and resale your art as you see fit. The winner of this contest grants permission for Dayna Bickham, Amazon.com, and CreateSpace (publisher) to reproduce, edit, change and replicate this art as they see fit for the purpose of the sale, printing, and promotion of this book, The Purpose of Chosen.

 Time is ticking....get to work!

Join the Conversation: 

Do you know someone who is a great artist? Then copy the link to this post and share it with them via email, Facebook, or Twitter. The more the merrier! 

Does Social Media Affect Your Walk With Christ?

I am a self-professed geek! 

I love the internet, gadgets, and social media. 

If you have somehow come across this blog and do not understand social media then let me explain. Social Media is made up of communities like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Pintrest, MySpace, and many other sites. 

Your use of these sites is self-determined and voluntary. Like anything, it can be over-used. Each community has it’s own purpose, and there are benefits to each site. I do not use all, though I have tried every one at some time or another. 

With the world becoming more and more digital, soon there will not be any generation that is not tech savvy, though usage declines with age. 

So in a world were digital media is on the rise, and we continue to use things like smart phones, tablets, and laptops do we have an obligation to impact this digital age for Christ? 

For me the answer is YES! 

Facebook is littered with “Like if you Love Jesus” messages, and there are Twitter accounts dedicated publishing a scripture an hour, but are these things effective? 

Recently, I ran across a blog post that said the author was “criticized by a pastor for promoting my blog on Twitter and Facebook. He said these sorts of actions made me guilty of self-promotion”. 

Then I read in Michael Hyatt’s new book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, (more on that later) that Twitter actually made him more aware of his online reputation and impact. 

So I want to ask you this, how does social media impact your Christian walk?

A Charge to Pray!

When perfect strangers start asking you to pray and speak into their lives you know you are doing something right.

It is so humbling to be asked to pray for someone, but when someone you have never met, asks for your help, your advice, your prayers, what is your response? 

For me it is to pray immediately. Why not? We serve an awesome God, who is looking to and fro on the earth for His children and ready to reward our faithfulness with His favor.

We are supposed to share the gospel. Gospel means truth. What better way to share the truth than to lay hands on the sick, to pray the word over someone’s life and then step back and watch God honor it? His word does not return to Him void, but does what He intends it to.

His word brings Life. His word brings healing, His word brings joy. His word is Jesus. John 1:1.

One thing that disappoints me is when I hear someone ask for prayer, and they get an “I will be praying for you” rather than a prayer RIGHT THEN! 

Our words are powerful. They are the rudder of our lives. When we submit to God, knowing that He is our covering and our shelter, our provider and our refuge, there is nothing He cannot do! 

He opens the windows of heaven and bestows favor. So stretch out your tent! Get ready for God to move in your life when you pray!

Jesus said when we pray, do so in faith believing. “Be thou removed and thrown into the sea!”

What has changed for us as Christians that we do not believe what God has said to be true? What lie have we believed?

Did God not say, IF my people, who are called by my name (CHRISTians) will humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, that I will hear them, and heal their land?

So when someone on Facebook asks for prayer, give it- then and there! And share it. Hit the comment button and write it down. 

How can we add our faith in prayer, if we don’t know what is being prayed? 

One can put 1000 to flight; two can put 10,000 to flight. In the grocery store when you bump into someone who asks for prayer, pray right then! 

When God brings someone to your mind that you have not thought about in years, pray for them- there is a reason they are on your heart.

Prayer is talking to God, but it is so much more when our faith is added and we get out of the way and let God be glorified in it. When He is the focus of our prayers He is always the answer to them!

Be it according to your faith.

Remember that pray is a verb and verbs are action words!

Have you got something you want to pray about? Ask in the comments below. 

Relationship Status Update

Well I don’t know about you but on more than one occasion I have gotten on Facebook and seen a friend or acquaintance’s relationship status updated. Often this causes some excitement and drama: some positive, some not. But there is only one relationship status that really matters and it is not on Facebook, it is your relationship with God. 

God created us in his image. But sin entered the picture in the garden and in that moment a gulf between man and God opened up, and it could not be breached until Jesus. God designed a plan that included a permanent way to bring us back into relationship with Him. 

John 3:16-18 in the Message says: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him." 

So our Relationship Status depends on what we do with what God already gave. 

Do we deny it, say it is a fairy tale, a fantasy, and only weak minded people really need to “believe” in God? Do we say that going to church is enough, that we have enough pressure in our lives that we don’t need to change our behavior to fit in with the goodie-goodies of this world? Do we say, well, my parents were church goers and they baptized me as a baby, so I am okay? 

No. We must turn our heart toward God. We must acknowledge Him, and the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, and this is the beginning of a relationship. This is the introduction: now comes the love. 

I John 4:7-10 says, “My beloved friends: let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God."

So, as Valentine’s Day approaches and the world is focused on their version of love, remember this: greater love is laying down our lives for one another. Then we are called God’s friend. God made the way; you need to make the effort. Change your relationship status to “involved” with God. Become wrapped in His goodness, his mercy, his love and LOVE HIM and his people back! That is what real love is. 

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember that love is a verb!