Ms. Cappie’s Cookies: Food for thought~ arts, spirituality, and community

This past weekend Ms. Cappie’s Cookies (More than just cookies!)  attended great events.

My first stop was the Brookdale Community College

I was invited by a friend to provide healthy treats with a vendor opportunity to attend the NJ Christian Artists Gathering: Shaken & Stirred.

The Gathering included guest artist, panel discussions, table-talk, teachings, and networking.  Learning to create and build together in our community artistically.  I was very excited to see the admiration for the arts that included but wasn’t limited to writers, actors, dancers, painters, graphic design, prophetic arts, fashion design and more.  There is a deep connection with spirituality and artistic gifts.  This gathering focused on learning new spiritual and practical skills, growing in your spiritual journey, having the freedom to connect with the Creator with your creative art, and building a network to impact the community through the arts.

As I sat through the panel discussion I began to think about the children in our community, who have not been exposed to this information that was discussed there.

Next door you can hear a worship and dance class that was being given for children ages 6-12. You could hear movement, the sound of drums, and instruction.

I was excited for those children next door because they were given the freedom and knowledge of information to express themselves spiritually through the arts.

My hope is that they would take what they learned to other children they knew when they returned to their neighborhoods.  There is a lack of awareness in our community of the arts and the spiritual connection.  It would have been a sight to see a room filled with children having fun and learning together artistically.  I thought about our community churches, schools, and organizations and how they would greatly benefit by including these diverse arts together.

The Arts are spiritually healing to our souls and is very therapeutic.  It is very much-needed in communities where there is lack of hope, poverty, poor education, and disparity.

Yet it is not being utilized to its’ fullest capacity in our homes, community churches, schools, and organizations.  We must embrace the arts and guide our youth in our community to positive expressions for our future.  If they are not exposed to this at home, in church, or in school,  where will they learn positive expression?  How will they know what their gift or talent is?

We are all born with a gift or talent that the Creator has given each of us to share with the world and give back to the Universe. Thus, we are all connected and need one another to survive.  If our youth grow up not knowing who they are and what gifts and talents they poses, it will affect us all. They will be adults (us) one day.  We must make a choice to embrace the arts and expose them to our children and communities to help heal our disparities. When, how, and where is up to All of Us.

For more information on the NJ Christian Gathering: Shaken & Stirred please see the website at: masterfullmovement.com