Sharon Collins:
0:01
I'm the type that I lay down and all of a sudden I'm thinking all of these things and it's like, well, what about this? Or I start, you know, worrying, but sometimes it's hard to let go of those. It robs me of sleep thoughts, like you know. Anxiety or worry, but also prideful thoughts, any of those things can just they rob us.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
0:26
Welcome to the New Horizons podcast. I'm Brian Curee.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
0:30
And I'm Shauna Curee, also known as Mr and Mrs Killer Bee, in virtual reality.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
0:34
So this podcast is recorded live from the metaverse at the Killer Bee Studios.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
0:39
Where real life stories and experiences are shared in a way only the metaverse can offer.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
0:44
With that, let's go ahead and dive into today's episode. You know our topic tonight is going to be on unwanted thoughts.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
0:54
Yes.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
0:55
So that's going to be. You know that's our topic tonight that Sharon's going to come out and talk about. What are your thoughts about that?
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
1:01
You know, I find it really interesting that a lot of our talks lately have been coming back to mental health, and I think that is showing us that, like you know, a lot of people are dealing with this. Almost everybody, really, in one way or another, are struggling just to be like our very healthiest selves, and you know, what's going on in our mind is a big part of that. And so when I heard about Sharon's story, I was so excited to talk about this with her and she's got a really neat twist to her story that I can't wait to talk about as well. But I wanted to ask this is going to seem like an obvious question but have any of you, by a show of confetti, dealt with any unwanted thoughts before? I know I certainly have.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
1:47
Yeah, so you might think like why in the world would you ask that it's so obvious? Part of the reason I wanted to ask it is so, you would see, almost everybody does. At some time or another you're going to deal with thoughts that you do not want, and it's. It can be embarrassing, it can be scary, you can feel out of control of your own thoughts, and I wanted you to see like everybody deals with this at some time or another and Sharon has some really great things to talk to us about it and you think we should bring her out now.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
2:19
Yeah, I think this would be a good time to bring her out. So this is now Sharon's brand new to the metaverse. This is her first time being being in here, so I don't know how long it's going to take her to get out here. But we always like to reign our guests with confetti so they can get the full effect of what it's like to come out here. So you guys ran her through for it with some confetti. So, Yvonne, can you go ahead and hit the guest music and let's bring in our guest here to the killer bee. Please welcome out Sharon Collins, author and artist. There she comes, she's coming. I told her I was like you got to make it to that mic, that's all you got to do.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
2:53
That's the finish line right there.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
2:54
That's all you got to do Sharon. You're almost there and she's like look at her.
Sharon Collins:
2:59
See there you go.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
3:02
Like a pro.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
3:03
No problem whatsoever.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
3:05
So how do you feel now that you made it here, Sharon? You feel good.
Sharon Collins:
3:08
I feel very accomplished.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
3:11
I love it. Awesome, awesome. Well, we're so glad you're here with us. Sharon, and she was concerned that she might trip on the way here. You guys know what it's like on the headsets for the first time, how of you would say okay. So, sharon, this is something you can learn in here. We always ask people what's your meta age? That means like how long have you been in here? So who here would say their meta age is less than one year?
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
3:34
throw some confetti oh wow, no newbies in here. Who's?
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
3:40
age. Oh oh, blue, blue, all right. Well, welcome blue. Who's met ages is, uh, below three years.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
3:47
Throw some confetti oh, me definitely oh okay, nice, okay, all right, who's?
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
3:53
I guess everybody else is three and up. So uh, three and up, throw some confetti oh wow, all right, all right, well not me, I'm just celebrating you guys.
Sharon Collins:
4:21
Well, we're so glad to hear you here, sharon. We Houston, texas, and I am an author and an artist, but you know, I never wanted to be an author or an artist. When I'm not doing that, I'm well. First of all, I'm a child of God and I'm also a wife, a stepmom to four no, three, sorry, three adult children, and I am the nanny or grandma to four wonderful grandkids, have a very full life and, um, I've, uh, you know, never expected that God would call me to, um to do writing devotionals and um, certainly not to be an artist. Um, because I do paintings to go with each devotional I write and um, yeah, so that's.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
5:22
I can't wait to get into your, into unpack your story and uh and talk about you know unwanted thoughts and how that plays a role in this too. I would okay. First off, I got to ask you they say everything's bigger in Texas. Are your books bigger in Texas?
Sharon Collins:
5:40
You know, I don't know, the biggest painting I've ever done is four foot by five foot which is big, that is big, but I do all sizes and so, but the books, my books are, you know, eight by eight or nine by nine, kind of coffee table size books, and yeah, Wow that's awesome, I had to ask it, so no problem yeah, I really I want to encourage, like we should definitely find a way to like share um her website and everything, because your paintings are so beautiful and they are so not what I was expecting.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
6:21
They, they're, I mean they're so cool and they're I mean, guys, they're like, they're abstract, but not like so abstract that you have no idea what's happening on the canvas, which I really enjoyed Like, and I think it's really neat how you have a way of it. Almost it's like there's light coming out of the painting.
Sharon Collins:
6:43
It is so beautiful, I mean you are too kind and you know I always tell people that you know I'm not really the author or the artist. God is, and he just uses my hands, and when I try and do it on my own without his help, I can make a big mess of both things. So, yeah, he's taught me a lot about dependence, being dependent on him so well, that's beautiful.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
7:16
Did you know that? Well, you wouldn't know this, sharon, but there's actually a painting app on these headsets that uses mixed reality, which mixed reality means like you can you know? Like when you power up that headset, there's menus were floating in your like your sitting space where you were.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
7:33
It can actually bring in a paintboard and you can actually grab brushes and paint and you can feel and it teaches you how to paint, like I was doing, like a tutorial like Bob Ross, and it's pretty amazing. Does anybody else in here ever use that before else tried that painting thing? I think starts with a v. Oh, Yvonne, do you know what it's called? Do you remember what it's called? I? I keep saying vanilla, but it's not vanilla it's, it's called vermilion, vermilion vermilion.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
7:58
See, yeah, it's really cool. So like if anybody's interested in learning that that's really cool. So, like if anybody's interested in learning that. That's a cool thing to start if you guys have headsets to try out, but, yeah, well, ok. So, sharon, can you share a bit about your this unexpected journey that you're into writing and painting devotionals? That seems very interesting. So maybe you could kind of take us back to the beginning. How did this start? And yeah, yeah, let's go there all right.
Sharon Collins:
8:24
Well, you know, it started about seven years ago, in the fall of 2017, and I was on a girl's trip with I have three girlfriends that we go on a trip every year, and we were in santa fe, new mexico, and one of my friends she took up art a number of years ago, and so she had us going up and down a road called Canyon Road, which is just lined with art galleries, and normally, after about two, I would have gone oh, let's find something else to do.
Sharon Collins:
9:02
But for some reason, I was strangely intrigued. During that and later on during the trip, we were at dinner one night and I was doodling on a cocktail napkin and she said you should take art lessons, and I was like and normally I don't respond really well to shoulds, but this time I was like, ok, and she helped me find a place to start taking art lessons, and my first art lesson was on November, the 17th, no, the 7th November 7th of 2017. We remember dates that are really important to us and about that same time, I was a small group leader in our women's Bible study at our church and I would always just write a couple of sentences in an email about whatever the next week's study was going to be, and about that same time one gal responded to me you should write devotionals and this is a should. I didn't respond all that well to, I was like ha ha ha.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
10:15
No, you don't say it, so you don't really get along with the shoulds, huh.
Sharon Collins:
10:20
No, I know. But so about five months later I was taking a walk and these two things were rolling around in my head devotionals and the artwork, and of course God had planted that there. And I just felt this I mean it's not an actual voice, but you know, I just felt he was calling me. He's saying Sharon, I want you to start a website and write devotionals to go along with your paintings. And I was like, well, I don't know how to do a website, and so I mean, but it was a really strong, clear message and I went home and I told my husband and he said, well, you should do it. And um, six weeks later I launched my um website but, the should, the shoulds weren't done with me yet.
Sharon Collins:
11:23
Uh, after a while, my husband started saying well you should you should do a book.
Sharon Collins:
11:24
But the shoulds weren't done with me yet. After a while my husband started saying, well, you should do a book. And I was again not very responsive to that. I was like, no, absolutely not Too much work. And so I, you know, just kept working and he was fairly persistent. I wouldn't say he nagged, but he, you know, every once in a while would just say, well, I just think you should do a book. And I finally told him, ok, when I get 52 devotionals and 52, you know, when I have 52 done postings on my website, then I'll look into it, two done postings on my website, then I'll look into it. And so I did. And you know, here I was a, you know, not a youngster, didn't have a huge social media, an unknown, and so I started looking up getting published. Well, if you're ever having a nice day and you think, oh, I'd rather be discouraged, well that's the thing to look into.
Sharon Collins:
12:33
I was like you know, how is this ever going to happen? Because I knew I was too ignorant to try to self-publish. I needed help to try to self-publish. I needed help and I found this website called I think it was christianbookproposalscom, and it's a place where Christian literary agents and Christian publishers look when they're looking for new material. And you pay $99, or at least you did back then and your book proposal would sit out there for six months. So I prepared my proposal, and you know, which took a while, because you know there's a lot of work that goes into this, even that and I so I told my husband when I was pushing the send button, I said here's $99 down the drain. And you know, god is still in the miracle business, because two days later I heard from the publisher that I ultimately, ultimately published my first two books, and so yeah, so, yeah, totally, totally, totally a God thing.
Sharon Collins:
13:51
And but one of the lessons I've learned is and that when I speak to groups I talk about is you know, when God calls you to do something, doesn't matter if it's going to take you five minutes or five decades, you just say yes, because there's so many blessings that come when you say yes to the plans that God has for us. I mean, in Joshua 29, he says I have plans for you, plans to prosper you, and, and it's true, but we have to say yes to those plans.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
14:24
So, that's sort of my story in a nutshell. That's good. I love that. It's gotta be hard to say yes, sometimes, too, when you really don't know what the plan is. You're just like you, you, you've, you've getting these nudges, but it's like I don't know where this is going to go. I don't know where this is going to lead.
Sharon Collins:
14:47
So what are some of those challenges you've ran into in that area? Well, you know a lot of the. A lot of you know I always feel like God has a plan for every devotional that I write and every painting that I do. But I tell you, it is hard for me to stay tuned in and listen because I can go off and do my own thing. I can pray before I start painting and then I just start relying on my own strength own strength instead of relying on him, and so I have to be in prayer a lot when I'm painting. But one of the things that I've really learned through all of this is listening is so important, and I think most of us find listening to be really a hard thing, and particularly in our busy, noisy world with all the distractions just to find time to for listening and I learned I had to I had to paint in silence and I have to write in silence so that I can hear him.
Sharon Collins:
16:07
And one of the best, one of the best ways that works for me, and you know, everybody has their own. God has their own way, that unique way. That is good for you to listen. But we, we have a pool and, um, I like to exercise in it. Um, you know it's boring. You go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and I used to listen to music, um, and all of that, but, um, but now I swim in silence and I mean that's the most fertile time for me where God gives me ideas for for devotionals, ideas on how to fix paintings that have gone astray, because I've been doing my own thing.
Sharon Collins:
16:53
It's it's just, and you know, sometimes it's just like even on a devotional who give me like a whole paragraph and I'm like I gotta remember this when I get out of the pool, but but yeah, and that works for me, but that doesn't necessarily work for everybody. But, that's my special time is in the pool, and sometimes my husband comes out and I'm like you need to go back inside. This is my time with God.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
17:23
You don't like it? Take it up with him time with God.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
17:33
If I can ask a quick question, more, I guess I suppose about logistics.
Sharon Collins:
17:57
How often do you paint? Oh, I wish I could. I had a norm on that the whole last year because I've had a third book coming out and with a new publisher and I haven't had much time to paint at all. But you know, I just kind of have, I have a bedroom upstairs where I paint and I just try and sneak it in when I can. Same thing on writing, because I'm busy otherwise, Because I'm busy otherwise and but I always feel like I'll know, and I think God's. Let me sort of get involved in some other things right now and concentrate on this book coming out and he's taken quite a bit of my time, but I'm almost done.
Sharon Collins:
18:52
good for you, I don't have a you know, it's not like oh, twice a week I go paint.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
18:56
I just don't have a formula I like, I don't always conform to that totally get it I think that makes sense too.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
19:03
if you're following the Lord's leading, then you know it's not going to be on a real tight, like you know exactly what day you're going to paint and what you're going to paint. So it makes sense, yeah.
Sharon Collins:
19:13
Yeah.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
19:13
Yeah absolutely so I meant to ask, like do we have anybody in the audience throw some confetti? Anybody in the audience that does any painting or drawing or anything like that, or or drawing or anything like that.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
19:27
Or uh, okay, yeah, iris. Oh, yes, I remember iris.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
19:29
Yes, yes, awesome, awesome Arcane really good at at drawing. Yes, yes, he is, he is really good he's. He's really good at fonts and stuff like that. We've seen that and well, okay, so I have a question, I guess.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
19:38
First, I love that you shared that about the time that you find silence and and be able to listen. Uh, me and mrs killer Bee were just talking about this, because I like to spend go out and do on Fridays I try to do reflection time where I'm reflecting, and I just shared with her I was like you know, I'd been struggling getting back to that because business, you know, stuff happens. You get busy and I'm like, oh, I feel like if I go out there, for me it's walking on nature, because I'm by a computer like almost well basically all day, so to be able to turn off all notifications and go and walk, it's very it can feel like you're doing nothing Right. It's like, oh no, that's not productive. And I was telling her during my last reflection that it just was a reminder for me that you know, pressing, being willing to press pause, is sometimes the most probably, if not probably most of the time probably one of the most productive things to do these days, because by pressing pause. It reminded me, like that's where I find clarity, I'm spending time of God, I'm reflecting, I'm talking to him and then I'm listening.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
20:39
But, mrs Killer Bee, I never asked you what is. How do you unplug and do that Like? What is that for you? I know we don't have a swimming pool.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
20:47
No no.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
20:48
But it is interesting because a lot of times creative people need to be around water. It has some effect on your brain that makes it more productive when you have quiet time, especially to kind of tap into that part of your brain. But for me, yes, I like to be around water, I like to go for walks on the beaches, but more often what's the word? More consistently, it's going out in the garden. So I go out and we have a courtyard and I have a hanging chair, like a hanging rope chair, and I go out there a lot of times too, in the bathtub. Um, and that kind of comes back to the water too, like you know, right before four hours I won't say no, I don't.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
21:34
I definitely two hours, though. Yes, I really like baths, so yep, but um, yeah, so that's, that's it for me that's okay, all right, yeah, I love the water.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
21:46
Uh, yeah, okay. So I have a question for you, sharon, that kind of goes along with similar to mrs killer bees, about painting what has been the longest time you've spent on a painting?
Sharon Collins:
21:59
oh gosh, you know that's a really hard question to answer because I seem to um, you know, I kind of have to do it in just dribs and drabs. You know, it's not like I can usually spend a whole day or anything. I don't know, I have no idea. You know, I don't count the minutes while I'm doing it. Sure, you know, and there's a lot of time that and it's kind of there's a spiritual lesson, I think, in this that you have to, in this that you have to, um, we have a mantle and I have to put the painting up on the mantle sometimes and just sit and stare at it a while, and because I've been too close to it and I need to regain perspective and I think that's a lot of what we have to do as Christians.
Sharon Collins:
22:59
We need to sort of step back and go to say God's word, to regain perspective or spend time in contemplation or listening or even seeking counsel with others. But you know you, sometimes you're so into whatever's your problem or that you can't seem to solve the problem. You need to regain perspective.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
23:26
I love that picture. That is so interesting you should write a devotion about that, because that's deep.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
23:32
That's deep, yeah.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
23:33
Well, maybe I will. I don't think I have that would be. Yeah, Well, maybe I will. I don't think I have that would be really. I mean, I think that's a big.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
23:38
I think that's a big challenge in in today's culture, cause when we have problems, we feel like we got to fix them right away or and to be willing to, to find the strength to put it on a mantle and step back from it, and get a different perspective, yeah, and listen for God. I mean I mean, wow, that's, yeah, that's. You should definitely write that. That would be really.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
24:00
I would definitely want to read it, that's that's well talking about your writings, and I think it's so interesting too that you're doing these paintings and doing devotions with it, so so unique. I love that the I was reading when we're. We had you scheduled for a while now to come out and, uh, I was reading some of your blogs and one of the blogs that I read on your site Can you tell everybody what, what? How can they get to your website? Let's go ahead and let everybody know that first.
Sharon Collins:
24:26
Okay, my website is becoming his masterpiececom.
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
24:33
Um, so it's becoming his masterpiece.
Sharon Collins:
24:36
All one word and surprisingly, all of my books are becoming his masterpiece, so now they're kind of a series.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
24:49
That's got to be coming from Ephesians 2.10. Is that right?
Sharon Collins:
24:52
That's exactly where it comes from. Yes, it's one of his favorite verses of all time one
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
24:58
of my favorite verses. Yeah, yeah, it really is. There's a lot of personal stories behind it, but yeah, as soon as I saw it on your website, I'm like ah, yeah, yeah, we could be friends yeah, and the rest of that is you know he has plans for us good works for us to do so absolutely so you?
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
25:20
one of their blogs that I read on there was talking about taking captive. Take captive touches on the. It was really basically touched on like the reality of dealing with unwanted thoughts. So, uh, can you tell us what inspired you to even write about that particular topic?
Sharon Collins:
25:39
Well, you know, I'm one of these people. I'm married to a guy who, you know he's asleep 30 seconds after he hits his head, hits the pillow. I'm the type that I lay down and all of a sudden I'm thinking all of these things that I have managed to push away all day and it's like, well, what about this?
Sharon Collins:
26:09
And or I have something coming up and I rehearse oh well, maybe I should say this, or I start, you know, worrying, you know, oh, well, you know, and then you go on a downward spiral and you know, and then it's like, oh, and you know, it robs me of sleep. And you know, just these unwanted thoughts, and I can get them, not just then, you know, and I'm thoughts like, you know, anxiety or worry, but also prideful thoughts. You know, I like to fix things and I'm always in a hurry, bigger hurry than God is to, and I might have a different idea of what the fix should be than he does. And so I mean any of those things can, um, can, just they rob us of our, our peace and our joy.
Sharon Collins:
27:02
And, um, and you know, uh, just last week, I, um, you had mentioned to me that you wanted to talk about that, and so I, um, I go on, um, uh, wednesday mornings early to two schools and and these are public schools, astonishingly enough and I do devotional time with teachers and staff that want to participate, two very brave principals who do that in their schools, and um.
Sharon Collins:
27:40
so I took that devotional and it was funny, uh, at the middle school that I go to, um, this one guy sat down and he was like, oh, he had me at the first sentence, which was do am I the only one that has these kinds of thoughts?
Sharon Collins:
27:59
And you know if we are all so vulnerable and you know it makes us miserable, but it makes Satan happy. He is never happier than when he's trapped us into those kinds of thoughts and um, and we have a trouble shaking them of course we have a helper the advocate, our comforter, the holy spirit is in here, um, waiting for, waiting to help us, but sometimes it's hard to let go of those yeah, that's so.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
28:33
That's so, so true, I I would. I would love to get your thoughts on something, because you know earlier we're talking about, you know hearing when god asks you to do something and you're like, you say yes, and now we're talking about unwanted thoughts. So, uh, what are some ways that you've learned that we can share with people here and our listeners on the podcast to recognize when a thought is is from god and when it's not from god?
Sharon Collins:
29:01
oh well, I think if it has to do with worry or fear, you can be sure it's not from god. Um, I mean, jesus told us don't fear. Not, you know, don't be worried. You know there's. There's plenty of worry in each day, but I've got it taken care of. So I think we can turn to God's word.
Sharon Collins:
29:26
And you know, to me, if we have, you know, I'm not, I'm a terrible at memorizing scripture, but I remember. You know Paul says, you know you, you know we're supposed to take captive every thought and make a conform to um, to christ. And you know, just knowing those scriptures, um helps, um. But you know, and sometimes I'll sing a hymn or a song, you know, just to get my mind off my worries. But sometimes I, if it's really I, can't kind of get rid of it. I have been known to. Sometimes gesturing or posture helps, and I make sure my husband is sound asleep and I'll just throw my hands up, not with confetti though, and just say and just say you know, I'm giving this to you, god, you know, take it away from me.
Sharon Collins:
30:27
And I even sort of visualize, you know the the issue that it goes up through the ceiling, up through the roof, out past the moon and into God's hands. And you know, sometimes that works when I just can't otherwise you know, get those thoughts to go away.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
30:51
You know, when you, when you shared that, it just brought to me that visual visualization. Is that a real word?
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
30:58
that is my new word visualization that's a real one, that's real that one that's a win for my today.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
31:04
That's a win for today. Yeah well, it really helped me visualize what we were just talking about earlier about putting it on the mantle you know, you're, you're putting it and hey look, if we could throw a confetti.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
31:16
We could throw a confetti when we put things on the mantle, right when we're yeah, we should be up and saying here that's that's such a a beautiful thing there to to wrap that mind around, and I think you're right, you know it's like looking at what god's word teaches us and even made me think about for myself. I'm like you know. One thing that I can fall in a trap of easily is comparison, and I'm like you know, if we even look at just the way Jesus walked out his life here, he didn't say, well, if you were more like them. He didn't compare people to people, he was focused on you. You know, one at a time. There's a book we read. Do you remember what it was called? Was it called one at a Time, or what was that?
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
31:57
Oh my gosh, we talked so much about it. Now I can't remember the title of it.
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
32:02
I don't think it's.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
32:03
One at a Time. But that's the idea Is that Jesus just focused on who was right in front of him in that moment. You know, no matter what was going on around him, no matter what he was on his way to do, he just focused on that one person and how. How we can make such a big difference in the world, acting like that you know.
Sharon Collins:
32:23
Yeah, yeah.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
32:25
So it's like even like looking at the way Jesus walked out his life and how he treated others and, uh, what he did and didn't do like cause, when we could look at the religious leaders and they did compare and didn't do Like cause, when we could look at the religious leaders and they did compare, never set well. So it's like, like you said, like that's a good thing to use as judging that too. Like, is this from God or is this from the enemy? Like, is this to steal that joy away from you? So I think that's a beautiful way that you said it. So thank you for sharing that.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
32:52
I thought that would be important to talk about there. Um, because I think has anybody here, would you like? Oh, I know we asked earlier have you ever struggled with unwanted thoughts? And we everybody was throwing confetti. We have, we've all dealt with that. We're not alone and I love that we can come in this place and talk about it. Um, do you would you say? Okay, let's go back to your, your devotionals, your devotionals and paintings, would you say. Or how has I guess let me ask it that way how has your, your process of writing devotions and, uh, and creating art, how has it helped you work through unwanted thoughts personally?
Sharon Collins:
33:30
well, um, gosh, gosh. Well, number one, you know, I think I'm convinced that God called me to do this because he knew I needed remedial work and I was a little bit slow, a slow learner of spiritual truths. And so, you know, when you I mean when you have to, I have to, I have to be in the Bible, I have to, you know, be in the word. You know, and I've, you know, I go to Bible studies and you know, and that's helped me a lot. But you know, for this I really have to, it's, it's deepened my knowledge and my faith and just it's made me grow up. I think not that I have it all figured out. I still, you know, haven't mastered anything. I, you know, still stumble and fall every day. But you know, I've benefited more than anybody else, I think, from the devotionals and I always feel like what I'm writing about is what God knows I need to work on and that I need to be doing better, or at least to be aware that I'm not where I should be on that particular thing.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
35:06
So you know that makes me think about oh, I'm sorry, Did you have something?
Sharon Collins:
35:09
else no go ahead.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
35:10
It makes me think about a principle that we are learning about, about something else right now, but it really applies to this too, which is, you know, I? I think we're setting ourselves up for failure If we think we are ever going to get to the place where we're never going to have a thought we don't want to have, but if we can learn to catch it fast and then, you know, change what we're thinking, you know, take that thought captive and and you know, captive and set it loose or focus our brain elsewhere. The faster we can do that, the less it has a chance to affect us. And I think that's the point, isn't it? Is that we can learn. We can just know ourselves, know what's going to trigger us, or be able to recognize that right away and be able. I think that's the goal, isn't it?
Sharon Collins:
35:59
It is. And you know, I think one of the places you know to me go to scripture, the, the Psalms. I love the Psalms because you know David particularly. I mean he would just pour out his heart, he would just lay it all out in front of God and say you know, I want to do this and I want to do that. But he always came back and said, you know, but you know, you are God, you know he always comes back to I love you, you know you're in charge, I love you, you know you're in charge. I'm not, or words to those effects, and it just, it just always reinforces to me that God's not going to be surprised by anything that we bring to him. He's, he already knows it. And you can just, you know, wish bad things and say, oh, I wish so-and-so.
Sharon Collins:
36:57
Would just, you know, I mean David certainly did that and for a long while I just didn't understand that. But now it's sort of like. But he came around and a lot of times the word but's in there, but you're God, you're God, you're in charge. You know, and and you know David was a man after God's own heart, and so you know we can, we can be people after God's own heart if we're just willing to lay it in front of him and then humbly ask him for help.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
37:33
Yeah, I love that. I love that. Well, I want to let everybody know. Don't forget, if you have a question or thought, click that kiosk, we'll bring you up. I know I got a few more questions to ask you, sharon, and would love to go into, but if anybody has any questions or thoughts, make sure you click that. Oh, there we go. We got Yatta Yatta, so let's go ahead and bring up Yatta Yatta. Yvonne, let's bring up that mic and Yatta Yatta. Welcome to the Killer Bee Studios.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
37:57
Hey, Yatta, good to see you, thank you.
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
37:59
Good to see you too. So, gosh, and I'm going to try not to take up too much time here. I'm just amazed at how God works. I also have a podcast that I recently started and it's called BibleHabitsvr. And it's called BibleHabitsvr. 20 minutes before I had just posted, I did a segment called Real Talk, and it was just sharing some of the mental struggles that I have been going through for a while.
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
38:32
And as soon as I posted that, I got the text from Killer B about you coming tonight and talking about bad thoughts, and so the Holy Spirit just said you have to be there, and so God is going to speak to you through this guest tonight. And so what I've gotten from this number one was when you said you had to step back and put it on the mantle and look at it to gain perspective. And that is something that I'm going to use from here on out, because sometimes it's just so close to us and it's so in our head so constantly that you lose the real perspective of the situation or whatever you're going through. I also am a remedial learner of spiritual truth.
Sharon Collins:
39:27
That is why I started the Bible.
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
39:29
Habits podcast, so that I would be held accountable to having to be in the Bible at least once a week for my podcast, and so thank you for that that resonated with me as well, and it was even a struggle just to come up here to even kind of give this sort of testimony because the accuser was like well, don't go up there and make the show about you, it's not about you.
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
39:55
But I just want to for people to know what God has done through this, through this tonight for me, Not about me, but God is always doing so much for me and for all of us. So thank you. Thank you so much, I love your story and it is you've been an inspiration tonight, so thank you Wow.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
40:17
I'm so glad that you didn't listen to that voice that told you not to come up here. I'm so glad because that really encouraged me, and I'm sure it encouraged Sharon too, because it's so cool when you get to hear yeah, that's really neat.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
40:30
I would say that most of the times when I've learned, when I've struggled and dealt with voices like that and the thoughts of like nobody wants to hear what you have to say, You're making this all about you. And whenever that's happened, I've learned that if I step out, it's a blessing. It's like all of a sudden somebody else comes up to me and says are you serious? Like I've been struggling with the same thing, or it starts building stronger relationships with people. And it really is those. Those thoughts steal our joy that we're. God has, like, placed people around us that can help us grow, help us see more of the truth, but when we are afraid to step out, it's actually only hindering that. So, you know, applaud for you, Yatta, for stepping up, because that is. I know it's not easy, but we're so glad you did, Because I know there's other people that's like that too, Like you know, to be willing to step out.
Sharon Collins:
41:22
We were not made to go through life trying to do it all by ourselves.
Sharon Collins:
41:28
We are made for community and we need community of like-minded believers that help us and can hold us accountable and, can you know, encourage us. One of the reasons the only reason I can figure out why God well, other than I'm needing remedial work is I do feel like he called me to be an encourager, to just encourage others. You know, we all have our struggles as we go through life. There's not one of us that doesn't have hard times of some form or another and and we just need, we need each other to to get through life. Just to encourage, to support, to walk alongside. It makes a huge difference.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
42:21
So true, you know I want to ask you. You know I talked earlier about that painting app and I would tell you, like I don't paint really well, like I used to draw when I was younger and Mrs Killer Bee knows that I've shared that with her. Like I said, arcane, he's our son. He's amazing at drawing and all that stuff Very detailed. He writes so tiny. Sometimes I'm like man, you like magnifying glass, read that. It's like all these, like little details, like what the heck.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
42:48
But when I sat down to do painting, like I don't use my hands as much to paint or to write, so my hand medicine, like my handwriting, is terrible, because I'm doing everything typing, you know, and using a mouse. But I sat down and did the painting and the VR, which I loved and I found time to really, it really was relaxing to do that. You know, it was so relaxing. But I have to say, though, it really requires you to have some patience Because, like you said, like some of these paintings, you don't really you can't really get the time of how long some of these have taken. You got to really learn patience.
Sharon Collins:
43:27
If you're going to pick up painting, well, you do have the ability to walk away from it for a while if you're just totally frustrated that's one thing, that's nice.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
43:37
I think that's so interesting, because I think I don't know for sure, though, but I know like there was a time, like we're in schools, they were talking about taking away some of the creative art stuff and realize, like, just with what you're sharing and the way our busy lives are, I'm like man.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
43:53
That's a gift in itself that you learn through creative arts like that, like taking time to paint, and walking away and saying you don't have, you can't just expect to get it done right now. Uh, cause everything right now is like you got to get it done, done, done, keep moving, keep moving, keep moving, keep hustling, keep grinding and keep going. And uh, the patience is kind of like losing it. We're losing that, and I don't know if that's because of some of the creative arts stuff, but uh, I I don't know if that's because of some of the creative arts stuff, but I think there's a lot of things fighting for our attention. We've talked about that before. Everything our attention is what's for sale. But is that patience something that came natural for you, or is that something that you learned through?
Sharon Collins:
44:30
time as well. I don't. I have not gotten patience mastered by any means.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
44:41
We know now what the word should.
Sharon Collins:
44:52
I yeah, I'm always in a bigger hurry than God is. You know, we all, I mean, we're so used to things and we can get things quickly. You know we want microwave God, where you put in your order and you know, 30 seconds later there's the answer. Well, life doesn't work like that and you know, one of the things I use acrylics, acrylic paints, and I do a lot of collage as well and one of the things I've learned is and life's kind of like this I can make the biggest mess in the world, but you know, I'll put another layer on, and part of what ends up being beautiful in a painting is those layers that you can sense the layers, is those layers that you can sense the layers. Um, and it's like our lives. You know there's, we have layers and, um, you know, some of them are prettier than others.
Sharon Collins:
45:49
Some, you know we have yeah, and, but you know, god scrubs us clean, you know, and um, but uh, I can't always do that with a painting, but I can't add layers, and uh, but you know, he's a redeemer and he redeems paintings for me, he redeems devotionals where I'm just like, ah, and you know he, he redeems us in all kinds of ways because of his grace and his mercy.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
46:22
Wow, I'm going to look at painting so much different now because there's so much depth in that, just like with what you're saying about with layers, because I think that you know we, we live as you, as you're. You know you're experiencing this new technology. You know you're experiencing this new technology. You know this digital uh technology here and with you know we talk about with music, like I learned. You know, I grew up listening to vinyl records and eight tracks and stuff like that, and I remember when the turntables came back, the record players, I'm like I'm gonna get vinyls and they started, and now I have a kind of addiction with collecting vinyl records.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
46:59
But what was really cool was I'm like you know, the music's just different on that.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
47:03
And we have a friend that is way more of a collector than than I am, uh, but he he was talking to me about music and he said you know, when they write music, the artist wrote music to be played in that order to tell the complete story.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
47:18
Uh, he's like that's, that's why when you put on a vinyl record, you listen to it all the way through, so you really understand where the artist is coming from. These days, with digital, you don't get that because people are skipping around to what they want to hear, so they don't hear the complete story and it made me think about that when you were talking about with paintings. Even with like, if I'm designing something on a computer, I can easily hit undo, or you know and, or just you know, delete it and start all over. But as a painting it's probably harder to hit delete and start all over from scratch when you're like you've already poured this time into it, canvas away yeah, you're just gonna throw it away, but layers like that's, that's a beautiful thing to kind of really process and think on.
Sharon Collins:
48:02
One of the things I think, because you know our lives, we have layers of hard times, good times, all sorts of things that happen to us and to me. That's what makes those of us who are Christians makes us authentic. That's what makes those of us who are Christians makes us authentic. And you know, because some people think, oh well, you know you, you have a rose colored world because you're a Christian and you're protected.
Sharon Collins:
48:32
No, we're here with the same things as everybody else. Those layers give us authenticity and that we're not coming off as phonies and you know Pollyannas or you know perfection people that are perfect, far from it, and so I think it makes us more relatable if we acknowledge you know, gee whiz, I struggle with this. I still struggle with this. I'm a little better because of you know those sorts of things to me make us more relatable because we're all. I have a friend that says we're all just stumbling after Jesus.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
49:17
Oh, that's beautiful.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
49:18
Cool, that's a beautiful way to say it. Wow, well, sharon, I want to thank you for coming out and braving this new environment, and I hope you've enjoyed it. I hope you've enjoyed it.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
49:30
It's been fun, good, good, good. I know that next time, if we move into a house because we're going to buy a house at some point, something we're preparing for Remember, we move into a house because we're going to buy a house at some point. So when we were preparing for, remember, like sometimes we go someplace and start scraping off the paint and you're like, ooh, who painted?
YattaYatta (Live Q&A):
49:44
that color.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
49:45
We can know that's a layer that they probably don't like of their life. You know, like when all the worlds were bright, purple, and you know man. I'm going to be yes, I got a lot to process tomorrow, but this has been an amazing conversation and I thank you so much for coming out. How can people connect with you and get a copy of your books? What's the best?
Sharon Collins:
50:07
Well, yeah, so I have three books the first one Becoming His Masterpiece they're all have that title, which was, you know, it's 52 devotionals. The second one I just took the first book and expanded it, and it's a reflect and pray edition of the first book. So I added study questions and lots of scripture references, just so people could dig into them a little bit more. And then the third one is again Becoming His Masterpiece. The Journey Continues. You can get all of them online wherever you normally buy books Amazon, barnes, noble Christian Books, places like that and where can we get your artwork?
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
50:53
Is that on your website available?
Sharon Collins:
50:56
Yeah, I have a gallery there that has the paintings. So yeah, and the information about them, sizes and so forth, all right.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
51:06
Awesome, awesome. Well, I always like to ask our guests before we leave, just like a takeaway. So I would like to ask you, sharon, if you don't mind, sharon, that was pretty good, I just thought about that. Okay, that was pretty good, would't mind? Sharon, what would you say to any of our listeners that's listening to the podcast, or people that's here tonight live and that's here listening to what we've been talking about? What would you say to people that are feeling?
Sharon Collins:
51:41
unqualified. But since God calling them into something new, I would say if God's calling you to something new, well the answer obviously is yes, but that he will equip you um you know if he's calling, he will equip you.
Sharon Collins:
52:00
God typically doesn't call the equipped, he equips the call. So it's a process he's pretty good at and the key, I think, is just stay in the word Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen and um. And you know there are days where I go oh, I totally, you know, did not spend enough time listening. You know he's available the next day, so just keep, keep at it, keep at it. That's my advice.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
52:32
Well, yeah, I'm gonna ask you one more question, sharon, because, uh, because I just thought about this and I'm like man, I really want to ask her this as an artist and a writer, and we you talked about your website, which is, again, it's the. What is the website?
Sharon Collins:
52:49
again, it's becoming his masterpiececom.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
52:53
Becomingismasterpiececom, define what, to your mind and what you've learned in the scriptures is a masterpiece, because I know a lot of us might think masterpiece is like I gotta be perfect, hybriding together. So what is that? What does that mean?
Sharon Collins:
53:09
uh well, I think. Um, none of us is going to reach masterpiece status in this life. It's's the next life, when we go home, to our eternal home, then we will be completed masterpieces. We're all just works in progress this side of heaven.
Brian (Mr.KillerB):
53:30
I love that. It's just kind of a reminder of like the way we see ourselves is not the way that God sees us. That's right.
Sharon Collins:
53:39
He's closed us with robes of righteousness already.
Shawna (Mrs.KillerB):
53:44
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