ABOUT GRACE IN COLOR

Does any of this sound familiar?

You have a creative side and itch for ways to express it.
You love learning new things and stretching yourself.
You are a bit scared of the idea of art journaling, Bible journaling, or digital art but think it'd be cool to try it.
You are interested in getting more organized online and off.
You are looking to discover ways to use your creativity for the Glory of God.
You are interested in learning more about the Truth of the Gospel.

I could go on, but if any of these apply to you, you are in the right place. Grace in Color is dedicated to being a safe place for you to learn new creative skills, regardless of your current expertise. It is also a source of encouragement as you discover new ways to grow in your faith through artistic expressions.

Stick around if anything sounds like fun.

Find new ways to study the Bible even when your time is limited and learn more about the Truth of the Gospel.

Nurture and grow your artistic side as you learn ways to create that will glorify God and satisfy you.

Same time in creative ways, organize your life for today and document your unique experiences for tomorrow.

Why I Started GiC

Hi there, my name is Jen Evangelista and I'm the wearer of many hats who decided my life needed one more project. A really big project. The idea of this website had been rolling around in my head for years before I finally committed to it. Honestly, life just seemed too busy. But, in 2016, the call was too strong and I began to feel like I would burst if I didn't do it.

So, I refined the vision of the site (an ongoing process), spent more money than I want to admit to you or my husband on resources and education, and got to work.

Grace in Color was born. It was built out of a desire to teach and encourage. I have gathered a few skills over the years that have positively influenced my life, particularly with regards to memory keeping and creativity. I want to continue to tell the story of our family in creative ways and more importantly, I want to continue to use my chaotic, artistic side for the glory of God. I also really want to teach you to do this in your life as well.

My desire is to continue to educate myself on ways to use creativity to dig deeper into the Truth of the Gospel through His Word. Join me on this journey and let's do it together.

Who Am I?

Here's a bit more about me than you probably want to know. Just click on each category to expand and see it all.

P.S. Lot of photos included. Not many are embarrassing.

The Early Years

Here's where I tell you all of my childhood stories. Only, you don't really care about them. I know and I'm not offended. I will simply say that I grew up in a loving, Christian home with the most wonderful parents anyone has ever been blessed with. For real. Take a look at this happiness.

Easter Sunday always saw us dressed up, and is still the most important day of the year as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. My mom is still one of the most lovely women I know both inside and out. And yep, I have a younger brother, too. Sanctification, baby.

My dad was in the U.S.Army when my parents married and he was in Viet Nam when I was born. I'm so very thankful for his service to our country and more importantly, for his example as a Godly man and father.

FYI. I'm not sure that the curlers ever worked for my straight red hair, but I have photographic evidence of my mom's persistent nature.

No comment needed for this one. Really. And I still remember this dress. Sigh. Love.

Education

OK, this one could take me forever if I let it. So I won't. Here's the short scoop.

I loved my High School years (1983-1987). I know this may be odd, but they truly were a time of friendships and innocence for me. Thanks in great part to the above-mentioned parents. Also, if you were to look very closely, you could see that I was sporting a very stylish perm. I supposed my mother's tendency to force hair curling upon me is a hereditary trait.

Then there was college at Georgia Southern (1987-1991). Interesting note: I started at GSC and graduated from GSU. History. Anyway, this was taken the day I graduated and as you can see, I did not really grow up much in college. Alas, I did receive another diploma.

Medical School was next on the list (1991-1995). Mercer University School of Medicine was fun *cough*. I did, indeed, graduate but for some reason, cannot find a single photo of the blessed event. So I chose this super cute photo of me in all of my bohemian style.

Last on my education tour was my Pediatric Residency at the University of Florida (1995-1998). Brad and I were living in wedded bliss in Gainesville, Florida but barely saw each other due to my crazy schedule. Hmmm... #GoGators

Now, I totally realize that if you don't know me you are scratching your head right now. Wait, she's a doctor? I thought she was a blogger? Creative type person? Artist? Teacher? The answer to all of these questions is yes.

I am a doctor. A pediatrician to be exact. I practiced for 15 years full time at Rivertown Pediatrics in Columbus, Georgia and cut back to part time hours in 2014. I still practice at that great practice and adore my young patients. You will not, however, find any medical tips on this site. Maybe a future project?

Love Story

My husband Brad and I met in church. Brad was fresh out of West Point stationed at Ft. Benning. I was away at Medical School and home over Christmas doing a rotation and visiting my family. He showed up at church and my mom invited him to lunch. No, she was not being a matchmaker. This was what they often did when they saw soldiers alone at church. Side note: best.people.ever. Anyway, there we were. Lunch with the folks for our first shared meal.

We went out for the very first time on a real date a week or so later. To Shoney's. After church on Sunday night. Romantic, right?

Despite our less-than-storybook beginning, we fell in love and were married within a year of meeting.

We are now 22 years, six homes, four kids and countless arguments, apologies and beautiful moments into this gig. And our love is real. Let me be clear for any young woman reading this. Marriage is hard. Love is hard. But it is designed to be a reflection of the relationship between Christ and his church. It is meant to point the world to the Glory of God. It is meant to be more than a feeling (yes, I'm singing that now, too). And it is worth it.

Brad is the pastor of CrossPointe Church and is a truly Godly man. Is he perfect? I wish. Am I? Not by a long shot. Are we called to be together? Yes. And we will continue to work out our relationship as a display of the Gospel.

I am thankful to share my life with this wonderful man.

Kids

Our family story is not really straightforward. If you want the punchline first, here it is. We are currently proud parents to four extremely talented, intelligent, and gorgeous children. And there is no impartiality whatsoever in that statement.

As of August 2016: Joseph is 18, Jacob is 15, Arabella is 11 and Abraham is 8. They are really pretty great kids.

When I write about them, I will not call them by cute fake names. Not because I am opposed to anyone who may choose to do that for privacy reasons, but because I can barely keep up with their real names as it is.

That was the cliff note version. The extended version is a bit more complicated, kept us on our knees, and re-enforced our appreciation for the sovereignty of God. Each of these stories may at some point make it into the blog, but I'll leave you with the knowledge that we have faced many things that I do not share often.

We were touched only slightly by infertility, Joseph being conceived about 18 months after we decided we wanted a child and actively worked to that end (no inappropriate comments please).

We faced a major medical issue with Jacob, requiring him to be delivered 5 weeks early and having 2 surgeries before he was 6 months of age.

I went into labor 13 weeks early with Arabella and was on bedrest for 10 weeks. This was before there was anything good on the internet. Just saying.

Most significantly, we experienced four miscarriages. Losing these babies was painful beyond what I can explain. I still dream of them and still shed tears even after all of these years. I'm not sure that I will ever truly understand why we had to go through that, but we rest in the sovereignty of a loving and mighty God in all things. Even in this. If you ever need someone to pray for you, please feel free to reach out to me. I actually do understand this pain.

Then there was our Abraham. He was a bit of a surprise and I'll be honest in saying that when I figured out my "stomach flu" lasted way too long, I was initially upset about the pregnancy. Not because we didn't want another baby, but because I didn't think I could handle facing another loss. And I was 38 years old. But isn't God good? Sweet Abe was my easiest pregnancy and is a blessing beyond measure to our family.

That brings us to the present when we are navigating the parenting of young children, tweens, and teens. Yes, we are past the baby and toddler stage, but we totally remember! (at least I do) This is not a parenting blog, but I want you to know that we've seen some things and are still right in the trenches with every parent reading this.

What I Believe

My husband is the lead Pastor at CrossPointe Church in Columbus, Georgia so I'm going to totally cheat and refer you to the Doctrine Sections of that website for a full explanation and scripture references. I think it's very important that you know where I stand on these issues and are comfortable in what you are reading or referring others to.

I will, occasionally, have guest writers on this blog but you can be assured that I will be confident in their theology and knowledge of the Word and will be personally responsible for assuring that what is posted here is consistent with our beliefs.

What We Believe

The Gospel

Now, if you want to skip the long version and get the basics, here goes (please note that the details are good so you should check it out at some point).

The Triune God. I believe in one God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who know, love, and glorify one another.
Creation of Humanity. I believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image.
The Fall. The supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to the God under whose just and holy wrath we stand; the only hope of all human beings is the undeserved love of this same God, who alone can rescue us and restore us to himself.
The Plan of God. I believe that from all eternity God determined in grace to save a great multitude of guilty sinners from every tribe and language and people and nation, and to this end foreknew them and chose them.
The Gospel. I believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ—God’s very wisdom.
The Redemption of Christ. We believe that, moved by love and in obedience to his Father, the eternal Son became human: the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one Person in two natures.
The Justification of Sinners. I believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on our behalf.
The Power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that this salvation, attested in all Scripture and secured by Jesus Christ, is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as the other Paraclete, is present with and in believers.
The Kingdom of God. I believe that those who have been saved by the grace of God through union with Christ by faith and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit enter the kingdom of God and delight in the blessings of the new covenant: the forgiveness of sins, the inward transformation that awakens a desire to glorify, trust, and obey God, and the prospect of the glory yet to be revealed.
The Restoration of All Things. We believe in the personal, glorious, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ with his holy angels, when he will exercise his role as final Judge, and his kingdom will be consummated.

Random Facts You Don't Want to Miss

I do not like to cook despite the fact that my family likes to eat.
I sort of love caramel & Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
I do not love nuts and exclude them from all recipes. The exception to this rule is candied pecans. Love those for real.
I played the lead in my school musical in High School. (not to be confused with Disney's High School Musical)
My son, Jacob has played lead roles in his school play for the 5 years, playing Aladdin, Horton, Peter Pan, Gaston, and Jack Kelly. My daughter is stepping into lead roles of her own now (Ermengarde in Hello Dolly this year). And their little brother was Little Simba in Lion King Kids and Mowgli in Jungle Book Kids! I couldn't be more proud.
My oldest son taught Middle School in China the year after he graduated from High School... talk about leaving the nest in a big way. He was great and we were proud.
I was on bedrest for 10 weeks with Arabella. With two preschoolers running around me. And a new kitten happy as she could be.
I've always been a Redhead but noticed my first gray hairs in college.
I love to sing. I'm an alto. Just an alto. Seriously. Maybe a tenor.
I tried to give up coffee once in Medical School. I failed.
I succeeded in giving up coffee during each of my pregnancies. #successfeelsgood
I wasn't convinced that the internet (the "world wide web") would really catch on when I first discovered it.
My healthy weight is less than my actual weight (see #2). Accountability welcome as I try to fix this.
I was Camper of the Week at church camp when I was eleven years old. Where is that trophy?
I've been scuba diving in black river water where you cannot see more than one foot in front of your face, even with a light.
I was almost disowned by my family because I'm Team IronMan. It all boiled down to the age of the actors honestly. #donothate
I launched Grace in Color on my 47th birthday. October 4th, 2016.

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I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

Email me anytime at jen@graceincolor.com! I'd love to meet you!

If you’re looking for a place to start discovering articles on any of the topics explored on GiC, check out the Start Here page.

If you are interested in inviting me to be a guest on your site, podcast, or conference, I'd be pleased to consider it. Just email me at jen@graceincolor.com. I love meeting new people!

Also, feel free to message me at any time on Instagram (I hang out there a lot). Again, I want you to know me and I'd love to know you as well! Thanks, Jen.

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