"Be The Light" Kintsugi Votives
Created by Oregon artist, Stephanie Schmidt
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.
Oregon artist and native, Stephanie Schmidt, started making Japanese Kintsugi because she believes the symbolism of this ancient art form tenderly reveals the juxtaposition of how God brings beauty out of ashes. She intentionally leaves a missing piece out of every design to symbolize our work in process and the hole that can only be filled by our God.
These treasures have been a gift to many throughout the world during times of both joy and sorrow. God is the greatest Artist with our stories and Stephanie’s works of art continue to speak to the heart of Courageous Girls.
Hence, the limited edition Be The Light votives.
They are inspired from the words of Ephesians 5:8-9. Stephanie has prayerfully and graciously handcrafted each and every votive for our greater Courageous Girls Community. In raising her own daughters, God has made her increasingly aware of the messages that the enemy and our culture want to whisper to them. False messages about what beauty is, about their worth and about their identity.
She believes that part of our job is to counter these lies with God’s truths: He defines true beauty, determines our worth and is the only One who can define who we truly are. The message of learning to walk as Children of Light and walking in God’s truth is shared throughout the Courageous Girls curriculum. Stephanie values the ministry of CG as it helps put words to so much of the weight of the culture’s impact on her own family. Written from the heart with grace, love and encouragement, the CG ministry helps to better equip and empower me as a mom. The soft glow of the light through the brokenness of these votive pieces reminds us that God uses all of who we are and experienced to draw others to Himself. Our job is to love Him and allow Him to have His way with our lives. This stance brings hope to a world that has darkness, loneliness and despair.
Stephanie’s prayer for each recipient would be that they would feel the freedom to allow God’s healing light to shine in them and through them. Sometimes we feel urged to hide our imperfections and struggles, but she believes God beckons us to rest in the identity He gives us and allow healing light to shine through to others.In Courageous Girls, we support moms in discovering their own courage in raising a daughter who knows she is LOVED, despite what her own voice or other voices in her world might tell her. These Kintsugi votives remind us that God beautifully uses us right where we are, just as we are, for His glory.
About the pieces: Each ceramic votive stands approximately 3 inches tall and holds a tea light. Votives are either jade green or soft blue and designed with a glossy glaze over a cracked finish. A personally handcrafted Be The Light card is included with each votive. Each Kintsugi Be The Light votive is uniquely and personally handcrafted, carrying slight variations from the pictures shown. If you’re purchasing a vase for international shipping, please check with Stephanie for shipping arrangements.For decorative purposes only. Never to be used for food or drink and should never be placed in a microwave or dishwasher.Metal in the piece may show a natural tarnishing over time. To many, this makes the piece more valuable as it ages while others may choose to restore it to the original gold tone. If your piece tarnishes, please use a dry silver cloth to gently remove the discoloration. Never use chemical cleaning agents.
About the artist: Stephanie Schmidt started making Japanese Kintsugi because she thinks the symbolism of this art form so perfectly reflects life. Even in the midst of brokenness, beauty can be found, and what was once broken can be mended into something that is stronger than its original form. Stephanie has been married to Monte Schmidt, a former pastor and one of the front-line clinicians at Living Wholehearted. They have three adult sons, two adopted daughters, one daughter-in-law and a brand new grandbaby.
If you have a specific question about the limited edition Be The Light votive, reach Stephanie Schmidt at NWHeartCreations@gmail.com.
To learn more about Monte and Stephanie Schmidt, listen to Episode #53 and #54 of the Living Wholehearted Podcast with CG Co-Founders Jeff and Terra Mattson.