With coffee and books in hand, I wanted you to join me as I start my day. This past year has been a crazy and wild ride. As I often do, I wanted to share a bit of a life update with you guys at the start of the new year.

I'm sure that we all have many good stories and life lessons from the past year. In addition to my personal life, I'll share thoughts and visions for the next year of the channel and podcast! It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget to slow down and reflect as we move into the new year!

Life without social media was my first viral video on YouTube. This content surrounding unplugging, slowing, and living intentionally became my focus in the past few years. One major life update was during this season I walked away from my photography and videography business.

It's been an interesting balance to know when to create content for you guys and when to slow down and prioritize my personal life. I never want to be someone who teaches something but doesn't live it. Life is not just about unplugging from technology, it's about creating a healthy relationship with the things around us.

So much of our world is built around what we can see. Faith teaches us to look inward and begin to build our inner life. Who we are on the inside will eventually become visible.

As I move forward, Matthew 6:33 is a verse i'll be meditating on. "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

As I teach on intentionally living out our faith in the every day, we'll begin by focusing on the life and teachings of Jesus. Who Jesus is and the importance we place on him has more implications than we may ever realize. We have to honestly ask ourselves, do we actually know Jesus or do we only know the version of him that was presented to us? At times, religion and well-meaning people have shown actions that don't line up with the love, kindness, and inclusiveness of Jesus.

He ate with sinners, defended prostitutes, and healed the outcasts. Jesus made people uncomfortable by how much he loved what the world would consider unlovable. Meeting Jesus is often much different than experiencing Westernized church. We can often find ourselves mindlessly reading the bible and not connecting with the person who the book is about.

Retreat's mission statement is to inspire others into intentional living and everyday faith. All of our stories, teachings, and videos will surround this idea. It's important to understand the everydayness of faith. We can experience God while washing dishes, hanging out in the yard, or cooking dinner at night. He is with us whether we are aware of it or not!

From this place of knowing Jesus, we can now serve the world around us. Creating with our own hands and serving others is one of the most fulfilling places in the kingdom. This opposes much of western culture that makes everything about me.

As a creator, I wanted to say thank you for supporting me over the years. I've been on a journey of finding myself and developing a healthy balance with the online world. You guys have been so supportive of me on this journey and i'm looking forward to creating new videos this year!

All of the links mentioned in today's video are below!

✉️ Encouraging Monthly Emails From Me! (FREE)
https://linktr.ee/solas.artist

💪🏼 Flow Method // Entrepreneurship & Leadership Podcast
https://linktr.ee/solas.artist

🎨 Solas // The Art Of Creating Alone:
   / @solas.artist  

Other Links: (Free Audiobook, Podcast, Art & Courses)
https://linktr.ee/solas.artist


Timecodes:
0:00-2:53 Welcome
2:54-5:57 Creating For You & Staying True
5:58-7:41 The Inner & Outer Life
7:42-11:48 Seeking Jesus & Kingdom First
11:49-13:54 Why Faith Can Be Unfulfilling
13:55-14:21 Doubting Your Faith?
14:22-17:17 Retreat Vision // Intentional Living & Everyday Faith
17:18-18:34 Creating & Serving
18:35-19:10 SOLAS
19:11-22:09 Flow // Influencing The Influencer
22:10-25:27 Recap