Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast . I'm your host , kristen Kurtz , and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching . I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck , unlock their true purpose and potential , break free from limitations and thrive with confidence , courage and hope . If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me , head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further . Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode . So tune in and let's unlock hope together . Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast . I'm Kristen Kurtz , your host . I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul . Please help me .
Speaker 1Welcome Cody Reisted to the show . I am so thrilled to have her here with us today . It has been a long time coming and I truly just love everything about her . We had some time to chat before we got started and we're definitely kindred spirits . I guess you could say you know sisters in Christ who have so much in common and yet so many differences . So , cody , would you be open to sharing a little bit about yourself ?
Speaker 2Well , I am a creative
. For my father , to put it simply , I've been called to create , to paint , to be an artisan in his kingdom , and that's my love . That's what I do , that's my passion . I'm a mom , I have two daughters and I'm married been married almost 25 years . I live in Colorado . I'm a transplant though , as I was telling Kristen before this , born in California and raised in Texas . So if you hear a little bit of clang along the way , that's why . But I love what I do and I'm just grateful to be here and to get to do this today .
Speaker 1Well , thank you for coming on . I would love to hear . You know , many people would say , well , I can't create and , honestly , like if I were to say like that , I was like an artistic creative , I would say no , but I know that it's in everybody . But you know , some are absolutely anointed to be painters and artists and artisans , such as yourself . So what did that process look like for you to step into your calling ?
Speaker 2to step into your calling . That's quite the story . I heard the audible voice of God when I was about eight years old . I've never I say that because even my creativity and my gift of artistry kind of what I would call it , the ability to paint and draw with a whole lot of ease happened . I do not know what it's like to not be able to do that . I've been able to do that since childhood . And so when I heard the voice of the Lord , you know , at the young age of eight years old , I very much associate that . You know , he was the creator of the universe to me , he was my creator . He's a master artisan , and so I responded to that call .
Speaker 2And you know , at that point , even at that young age , you know , I was going to live with the one who created with , you know , created me . I was going to live for him . I wanted to live in a relationship with him and I didn't really grow up knowing any difference than that A very personal relationship with the artist , the master artist , and but from that relationship I also knew that the gift of creativity and the ease to create like I can was a gift of God , and so there was always a weightiness to it that I remember , you know , in my teen years , you know , growing up with that , why , why did God give me this gift ? There is a reason . I know that there is a reason , there has to be a reason . Gift there is
a reason . I know that there is a reason , there has to be a reason . And it really developed into almost a holy restlessness by the time I was , you know , a teenager and young adult .
Speaker 2I majored in art , you know , as an artist in the fine arts , and to college for it and all kinds of things . I only lasted a semester and changed my major , the art that I came in contact with at the college that I went to , and I won't mention it . But the college that I went to was very dark , the atmosphere was dark , the , what we were asked to create , was waiting with with darkness . I could not . I had walked with the Lord a long time at that point already , but I did not have a heading or an understanding of you know what I was encountering um , as you know , kind of a prophetic person or a um spirit led person . I didn't understand . Um , you know why I would walk out of class and my hands , just like I felt dirty .
Speaker 2I felt like I had misused and not even more than misused a holy gift . I've always seen the gift that I have it's not of me , it's something I have received from my maker and I felt almost that it was , you know , looking back , it was like a feeling of abuse and misuse for sure , and so I only outlasted a semester , I thought that , you know , going into college and everything , I thought that , yeah , that's , you know , I have this gift . God wants me to use it . I don't really know what else to do right now , so I'm really going to hone it . I'm going to , you know , really take a lot of drawing classes , et cetera , and really hone my you know , ie , god-given talent to then be able to use it , however he leads me to use it . So it was a major .
Speaker 2It was an upheaval , you know , within myself when this happened , because it was almost like a , you know , an aborting of a plan that I thought that you know was of the Lord and that I had . And to , you know , to hone my creativity , to hone my artistry , and it did a number on me . It went really deep . Creatives , artists , musicians , writers were interesting people .
Speaker 2We're very much people of solitude . We live very deeply . Things affect us greatly and we don't always process outwardly , and so it cut very deep . The spiritual atmosphere was just so much and I'll just say it again , there's so much darkness that I , you know it just grieved my spirit and I couldn't even find the vocabulary and I didn't have the understanding even of what or why . You know , I was , I was experiencing and feeling what I was feeling at that point . So I changed my major as a lack of I didn't know what to do . Now , you know , I was like I don't know what to do . Now , you know , I I was like I don't know what to do . Now . My plan just got , you know , just blew up from the center . Um , I don't want to have anything to do with this . If this is what the art world is like , I cannot have anything to
do with this do with this .
Speaker 2So I changed my major . I did not pick up a paintbrush , which in my world , for me , was very unusual . I did not pick up a paintbrush for probably over three years . I completely walked away from it and God was so patient . You know we still connected in other ways and you know that that relationship , you know , remained there .
Speaker 2Um , and he , when I transferred to a different school cause , I was just like I need to get out of here , I need to start over , and so I changed my major , I transferred to a different school and went a while and it was basically my last semester of college and I just had a few hours left that I needed to get and I had an elective that I needed to fill and there was an art class and it was actually a watercolor class in Palo Duro Canyon , and I was , you know , my artist in me was itching to do it again . You know , to do that again . But my mind and my heart were in two different places . My heart wanted to , you know , engage with the Father that way and to create again and to paint again , but my head was like you can't do this . You know , it was just such a bad experience , and you know we're not , you can't do this . And it was really interesting because the Lord came to me one day .
Speaker 2I was walking on this new campus it's a beautiful campus and I was walking along and , you know , really trying to kind of decide . I'm like I've got to fill this hour and you know I need to fill this elective and you know , I could just , like you know , what can I take and not take this art class ? And God was just like he's just like , why don't you come over to the Fine arts building ? So , just , you know , just go in , just let's just go in and just take a look , and it can't hurt , you know .
Speaker 2And he's just wooing me back and , um , so I went ahead and , you know , went in and it was in between classes , there wasn't a whole lot going on , it was just an afternoon and and we walked , um , I mean , cause it literally felt like Jesus came and he was just walking with me , but I've just , I've kind of had the privilege to always get to live like that , um , with him very near , and so he went with me , you know , and and said it can't hurt , you know , we'll just , we'll just go look around and I remember walking in the fine arts building and they had a kind of gallery set up over to the side . They had several rooms that just were full of paintings . And this particular college was a little bit more righteous , I guess I really don't know how to put this , but the area that it's in is a little bit more Bible Belt , you know . So it was less offensive , we'll put it that way . The artwork on the walls was a lot of , you know , beautiful landscapes , floral , a lot of you know God's beauty .
Speaker 2It was like yes , joyful , you know , light filled art . And I remember walking along and I just started like silent tears , I just started crying and I realized like my soul had missed . I realized like my soul had missed , had missed the beauty that art can create , that brings to us . You know , I missed , you know , in the art world , yes , I missed the textures , I missed the lines , I missed the painting , I missed the gallery . But in the spiritual realm , I missed that relationship of closeness with the creator , of creating with him and creating things of beauty and light . And my soul just was drinking it in and I was just crying and God just came to me and he was just , I was just crying and God just came to me and he was , you know , so sweet and so kind and he was like you know , you can do this , I want you to take this class , it's going to be okay , it's going to be okay .
Speaker 2And you know , this was just about taking a class or not . At that point , nothing bigger than that . But at that point , and so I went ahead , you know , I took the class and and it was like in a moment , you know that walk through the gallery , he just healed everything and redeemed , you know so much , and my and I was able to engage in that class and create things of beauty , create things of light , and without all the yuck dark things . Because art is very powerful , it cuts to the soul of man and it can be very , very dark . It can carry so much yuck stuff as we have all encountered , especially in this day and age , you know , we really have , um , the eyes are the windows of the soul and so what you see seeps into your whole being and we need to be really careful about what we see .
Speaker 2But in that class , in that way , in that art , fine arts building even it was very , you know , they created things of beauty , they created things of light , they created things of hope , they created things , you know , things , that would reflect the father's nature , and the darkness was not there . So it felt like coming home . I had silenced that part of myself and really cut off breath , you know , for three years , and it was like something inside of me came alive again that had not gotten to breathe for a long time .
Speaker 1Well , the enemy sure tried to steal , kill and destroy your , your calling right .
Speaker 2Yeah , definitely he has several times , several times . There's been things now that that have definitely definitely tried to derail , that have definitely definitely tried to derail .
Speaker 1Well , I have to ask , like do you remember because I'm imagining , I'm such a visual as people are talking , like I'm literally seeing you ? Do you remember your first painting that you ?
Speaker 2I do . Well , I don't necessarily remember it , but my mom and it was actually of a like a pioneer wagon horse yes , I know horses and a wagon and pioneer times and I was like three years old , I think is what she said , three or four , and she said she took it to the pediatrician , you know cause . She was like is this normal ? And um , and he's like , no , it's not , it's not normal . So yeah , that was , but I don't remember that . That would just be you know what I've gotten blessed to hear from my mom ?
Speaker 1The first thing that I drew and how about painting when you like , stepped into that class . What ?
Speaker 2was the first painting you released . Well , that class is more like just stepping back into what I've always done . I took art classes when I was younger , you know , in school and everything . I was actually very blessed . We moved quite a bit but I was always blessed to have this incredible art teacher ,
like at every school I went to . And so I got to , you know , experiment with all kinds of different media . I got so much encouragement as a child from various art teachers and , looking back , I know , you know , I know that that was God , um , really feeding my confidence in that gifting and just solidifying , um , what I sensed inside of you know , this is this is a gift from him and I am , I want to steward it and I want to figure out how he wants me to use it . So I was very blessed in that way when I was growing up .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's incredible because I mean , I don't know about you , but I feel like a lot of people who are walking out . You know , pioneering callings right , going back to the pioneering , the season's all about launching pioneers and really highlighting people who are doing things different to you know , have this beautiful calling that the Lord's put on their life and I I just I feel like there's too many that don't have somebody in their corner who are supporting them , like you had to kind of bolster you as you're walking this out , right ? So , being you mentioned earlier , you know , artists , artists , creatives maybe are a little bit more introverted . Do you find that people in that space have others who are like coming alongside and supporting them , or is it kind of a singular journey ? And for the believers , of course they have , you know the lord , so it's not just a singular journey , but do you know what I'm saying ? Do they have community that's coming alongside them ?
Speaker 2Well , I think it's very vital and important to have community of , you know , like-minded pioneers around you . Mine was not an immediate thing and when I started painting live , I was actually called into it . The father asked me to paint live and I had never even seen it done . I especially hadn't seen it done in a church setting or event setting , that kind of worship setting . I had never seen that . I was raised Baptist and , you know , had strong understanding and , you know , teaching of scripture and things you know , definitely , but that was not part of the environment . And so when God asked me to , you know , paint live in front of people it was actually in 2007 was my first live painting with a father and it was for my daughter's dedication and I wanted this song played for her , but I cannot sing and my mom was actually the one that came to me and said you know , honey , why don't you paint to it ? And I had no grid for that . Like I said , really she didn't either . I think it was a Holy Spirit , you know , thought , implanted in my beloved mom's head , and so she , you know she suggested it and so I went ahead and did it and there was probably it was a small country church and there might've been , you know , 20 , 25 people there to see that first live painting . And it was a mess , it was a birthy mess . I don't even know where that painting is now , but there was a missionary at that painting and he was a guest that day and he actually asked me to come and do a painting , to sell and auction permissions . And then that one paint , you know , it just led , it completely opened the door .
Speaker 2Um , that initial first painting for the father was in November and by May of that same year , um , I was painting at a Graham cook conference , um , in front of about 3000 people . Oh , my gosh , so like six months later , yes , um , and I had no clue , I had never , you know , when it first kind of started rumbling and I did that first live painting and literally , when I stepped up to the canvas , I had never heard the voice of God that clear and that directive until that moment . It literally was like I had stepped into his space and it was incredible . My bones just started burning and I knew that .
Speaker 2I knew I couldn't define what was happening , but I knew that . I knew that this , this was one of my , this is a purpose in life that you know . This was the purpose for the creativity , for the artistry that he had given me . Um , it took flight . I guess you could say I had no idea how to man it , no idea what I was doing , um , no idea what would come next , but I knew that I had touched destiny and I could not let go .
Speaker 1Yeah . I have to go back for a second , because one of the one of my most favorite things I love to hear is I didn't know what I was doing and I what was the thing you said right after that ?
Speaker 2Well , basically , I couldn't not do it . You know , I knew I had touched destiny , I I had , I had to do it yeah , yeah , wow .
Speaker 1So your yes in like like flung open the doors and oh yeah , I'm curious , the first painting , like what was your first painting when you did the live painting ?
Speaker 2It was actually Jesus sitting on a hillside , like in Jerusalem , and he was in kind of a quiet . You know all the scriptures where he . There's so many scriptures , if you go and just read the story of Jesus , that convey and reveal him as a man . You know how did he live and operate , what did he do , and there's so many scriptures where he , he pulled back and you know he pulled away for solitude with his father . And I've always found that you know a touchable , I guess you could say just touchable . I want that , I need that , and so that was the first painting was one of those moments of solitude where Jesus had pulled up to the hillside just to be with his father .
Speaker 1Well , thank you for sharing that process with us . With this first time you went live , it's so beautiful how our guests can just usher in all these doors , right . What was the experience like going ? So you went from a group of 25 people or so to a group of 3000 . Like , what was that ? Like you know , I guess I want to know . Like going up on a stage um , how was that for you ? Like is it ?
Speaker 2comfortable . Yeah , no , uh , no , by all means , no , um , but it was for God . So , you know , I was in and I had told him I was in and there's no backing up . But no , he , the Lord , came and basically flipped my world upside down , like as an artist , meaning that after that first painting , he had me , he had me hook , line and sinker and you know , my heart burned , like I said , my bones burned . It was unlike anything I had ever encountered , but yet like something finally landed in my life and it was where it was destined to be .
Speaker 2You know , I knew that I couldn't move from the hot seat , but at that moment the Lord moved in and decided .
You know , he said OK , you're going to paint on black instead of white , or even you know other colors , but you're going to paint on black and you're going to paint big um , four foot by four foot canvases , and you're going to do these live , and you're going to do , in front of people , um and create . You know , in the now , and I , uh , you know I , I was like , oh , my gosh , because he took away every , everything that was familiar to me artistically . Um , in the physical , he flipped , uh , to paint on white and then to paint on black , um , you know , photographers , artists , they probably will understand this more , but it's almost like flipping your brain upside down . You have to see entirely different , you have to create entirely different . It's like upside down . So he , you know , we did that , I used to create . It would take me days , weeks , you know , to create something that was , you know , maybe 16 by 20 . And all of a sudden we're going 48 by 48 .
Speaker 2I was very , you know , I did this in private and God says , no , we're going to do it in front of thousands , you know . So it was very much like having to be exposed , you know , I don't really know another word for that . It was , um , having to be exposed , my inner life even . Um , because what artists kind of create , what musicians create , you know , we experience first what we create . The hands and the heart are connected and the Lord works through the heart first , and then you express those things and the conversations that you have , you know , the , the life experiences that you have , the encounters that you have with the Lord , they end up being , you know , they filter through the mind , the heart , and then they come out of the hands and that's a very sensitive , private , or it can be process , and so there was a very sense of exposure that I had never encountered , you know , but knew that , you know , once again , I was like I can't not do this and I don't have a clue what I'm doing .
Speaker 2God , how do I do this ? I even went to you know , pioneering kind of something new . I was like , okay , well , how do I educate myself ? You know , kind of the typical thing we do , you know , let me go look and see . Are there other painters out there ? You know worship painters , for lack of a better word . You know , what are they doing ? How are they doing this ? What media are they using ? You know , like , can I go to school for this ?
Speaker 2My mind raced with all those normal thoughts , I think . And God just came to me very clearly and I never will forget it . And he's like came to me very clearly and I never will forget it . And he was like , don't expect a map and I don't want this to look like anything that you've ever seen before . That's why , you know he birthed this ministry and what I do , um , trained me . Um , on a farm and ranch that is actually 60 miles from like a grocery store , um out in seclusion and isolation . I believe isolation is key for destiny to actually happen . Isolating , at least with the Lord , may not be a physical thing , but seclusion and pulling oneself away , as Jesus did , to be with the Father and to turn off all other inputs , I guess you could say I think it's vital , I don't know that you could walk in your destiny and you can walk in your calling and actually execute your mission from heaven without intentionality towards solitude with the Lord .
Speaker 1I really catch that . I think that is a huge key for somebody today , especially in this time that we're living in , where it is so noisy right .
Speaker 2It's so noisy , yeah , you've got to cut off everything . And I think that God used I don't think I know he used the isolation and the solitude to pull me away and crash course . In that solitude and isolation and isolation he was able to crash course , tutor me as a rabbi , artist and rabbi you know , creator , how to even do this . I had always enjoyed working with I mean , it was right down to like the media . I had always enjoyed working with oil because , oh , they give you plenty of time and they blend and , you know , in the artist's world , you know pencil , pen , I mean all these other things . I kind of have like a disdain for acrylic , and that's exactly what he called me to . And acrylic , you know , he said , okay , acrylic dries quickly , it's cheap , it can cover a lot of area and , once again , it dries quickly . You're going to need all of these things to paint live . This is what you need to do and I know you don't like it , but I need to train you in this media and I need to train you how to paint on black , because when you get in front of people and it's on the lights and things that this is actually going to benefit , you don't have to fill in as much . You know . There's just all kinds of things that I had to learn to trust him that would go against my IE natural gifting and my comfort , what I was comfortable with , you know , when I was creating . He went against everything that was comfortable and he took a crash course and as I was preparing for the Graham Cook conference this is the one that you know it was like first painting in November and then Graham Cook was in May , and I mean crazy story of like how they found me and asked me to come . I don't even really actually know the track of how that happened , I'm not even for sure and but I got this wild call . You know , will you come ? And I'm like I'm sitting there on the phone going , oh my gosh , this is huge , you know , and I'm terrified , but I can't not do this . I've prayed this in . This is what I've asked for all these years . It's like God , I want to use this how you want me to use it . It's supposed to be used in a specific way and this is that . And so I have to say yes to this , but you are so going to have to help me because I don't have a clue what I'm doing . You know I have no way to prepare . I have no idea how to prepare . I have no one to call .
Speaker 2There was no community at that time . For me , community came much later , when actually I was the one that was like teaching and helping from experiences that I had had . You know , um , now you can look around and there's a lot of creative communities , uh , kingdom creative communities . It's beautiful . Um , when I began , when I started out , especially in the fine arts and the artistry , uh , that was pretty non-existent . So it was just the Lord and I and he took me to boot camp to prepare for this conference and he woke me up my girls were little at the time and he woke me up at 4 am every morning for three weeks and to go into the studio we're going to go paint , let's go paint , let's go paint . And it was like . It was like the Holy Spirit , with all this energy standing beside my bed saying let's go paint , let's go paint at 4 am .
Speaker 2You know , I didn't need an alarm clock for three weeks and he took me out to the studio and trained me . He taught me the logistics you know we're talking very tactile logistics in the natural realm of how to use acrylic paint , what to mix with it so that it would blend more , what you know what brushes to use . I mean all the ins and outs that I had . I had no idea it was all new to me , you know . Yes , I had a God-given talent , but this was unlike anything I had ever done before . And he took me to school and I did seven live paintings in three days , seven , seven . He crash-coursed me into . It was like a graduate program that was a few months long , I mean , it was boot camp and it was literally like a dunking .
Speaker 2But looking back , there's multiple times in my life especially with you know what I do that , um , you say yes and or I say yes to him and God just dunks me . He , he just crashed course quick , all right , you know , here we go . You said yes , let's run . And you know he doesn't work with her , he works with everyone differently . Um , but I kind of laugh because there has been times . It's like , you know , it's time to jump off a cliff . That's how he and I work .
Speaker 2The first painting he came to me I was so nervous , so nervous and but I was like I'm gonna do this . Lord , you know , I said yes to this , I'm gonna do this , I have to do this . I can't explain why , but I got to do this . And it was like God came to me and he was like , are you ready to fly ? And I just had this vision of like running off on the cliff with the trust level of he's going to catch me . You know , because creating in front of people is terrifying , but creating in front of people takes a lot when you're working with the Lord takes a lot of trust that he will show up . You know that you have created a space and laid out the supplies necessary , not just in the natural realm , but in in like , within yourself , um , for him to come and invade that space and for him to that he's going to show up . Because if he doesn't show up , when you're painting in front of 3000 people of vision you have never painted , um , it can really end badly .
Speaker 1So when you went up to the canvas , did you like , did you have any idea of what you'd be painting ? Or did he like kind of withhold that until you were standing there ?
Speaker 2He works differently .
Speaker 2I've noticed now I've had the privilege and and blessing to , you know ,
get to meet other you know IE worship artists and , um , he works differently . I've noticed with all of us , um , with me , from the get-go mine was very much of like a uh , corporate , um focus , and so I would engage with the Lord . I still do . You know , what vision do you have for your people ? What , what do you want on this canvas for your people ? So mine is very much a corporate conversation , I guess , with the Lord , and it happens beforehand and it always has . As I was preparing , you know , those seven canvases , um , I knew what I was . He would show me , uh , specifically what you know , what each painting was going to be , um , the colors , um , you know we had it's kind of interesting because it's like I meet him halfway he gives me half of the information and the other half I don't get until I'm actually jumping off the cliff with him , so meaning that he will give me the list of colors he'll give me . You know we work out . What I do is paint black on black and so I use two different colors of black and I'll work out the vision on canvas at home and I can see those lines . So that way everything the perspective is correct , the um I pray excellence of artwork is correct , so that when people look at it there's no hangups that could almost kind of prohibit them from like traveling further into that piece of art . And so those things are worked out at home with this black on black that he's taught me . He taught me how to do that and we do the you know plan , all the colors . We have all the colors packed , the paints packed , the brushes packed , everything is like packed for the journey , I guess you could say . Then , when I show up at the event , then we apply all the color and there's times that you know he'll even creating these and prepping them at home .
Speaker 2You know , doing the black on black , he'll show me the greater , you know , the greater vision of it , but he'll leave out some details and he'll even like there'll be kind of a space and I don't know . I'm like , okay , lord , what goes here ? And he's like , oh , you'll find out later . You know , I'll put some , don't worry about that . You know , right now , and literally he won't tell me until we get there in front of people and I'm actually executing his vision on canvas and painting it , that he will show up and , and at times he's even shown up in the paintings that there were like I had no grid for what he was going to do .
Speaker 2You know , he'll put things in the paintings that I he didn't even tell me about . I love it and those are , oh , it's fascinating , it's absolutely fascinating and at first it was , you know , pretty scary Part of the process of working with him . Now , now it's my joy , I love that . You know I'm like , oh boy , that's going to be like , you know , a treasure in the dark . You know , treasure found later that I didn't know about , you know , and , and even now it's like , you know , I've learned to enjoy that factor of our relationship . As you know , painter and rabbi artist so much that you know , one day , I know that he's going to disclose to me , you know , things that he put in the strokes or conversations that he was having with people during that painting that I have no idea about . I'll get to hear those things , yeah , yeah .
Speaker 1So beautiful . Thank you for you know walking us through that process and you know that process and you know the back end of you know your beautiful artwork with the Lord , because it truly is . I love that you talked about jumping off a cliff with a backpack because you know , like I said , we have a lot of similarities and we have differences and I've had moments where , you know , in my life where the Lord's called me to do something that I would call very stretching , and if it's just say yes and it's like that is so outside of my comfort zone , but when you say yes , there's such a a piece over it but yet there still is an element , maybe if you're stepping into something that is like so outside of you , right , that is , you know there is going to be , you know there is going to be . You know he says do not fear how many different times in the Bible , because he knows that we will experience some of that Right . But when I left the job like in 2021 , I actually he said , go Right . And it was so outside of what would make sense in the natural and I I literally imagined to myself like jumping off a cliff with a backpack and knowing that there would be a parachute in it , but I I didn't get a chance to even see the parachute and , trusting in that , you know , free fall , right , it truly is a free fall . There's freedom in just jumping with him , right , um . So you like experience that as well , I've .
Speaker 1I've talked to some other people who've taken some big steps and they've also had those , uh , you know , moments of feeling like they're jumping off a cliff . So we're , we're part of the same club , but we've done it in different ways . Yeah , yeah , yeah , so , yeah , so good um , so I wanted you to share , if you're open to it , um , can you share , like , maybe one of your favorite um paintings and what like ? Why it's has impacted you so significantly ? Which one is your favorite , can you say ? Can you narrow it down ? See , I'm not a painter .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 2Well actually I probably can In 2000, . I guess 17 or so , I'm not even completely sure , but I think it was 2017 . I got an invitation to paint at at Red Rocks Amphitheater and in front of it it was 10,000 people . And , yeah , just when you think you get comfortable and you know what you're doing , God moves again . And just make sure that you know you stay humble in the process .
Speaker 2And so , anyhow , I got you know , I had the incredible experience and opportunity to prep two paintings to do kind of right beside each other on the same night at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado , which is absolutely stunning . The scenery is just stunning , it's outside and everything . It's amazing worship leaders and things . It was an incredible invitation , no-transcript , and because I have found that in order for an artist to release something from the inside you know , an experience , an encounter , we have to digest it and take it in and carry it , even for a period of time and really sit with it . Um , for the anointing to come onto it to release it , and especially in a situation where there's , you know , 10,000 people .
Speaker 1Yeah , yeah .
Speaker 2Yeah , and so the Lord took a lot of time . Um , it didn't . You know , that part didn't surprise me because it was the largest audience that we had painted for . And so I sat with these two paintings and both of them are kind of my favorites , but one of them just literally undid me because I was prepping it , you know , by myself , and doing the black on black , and God had shown me , and it's actually vessels of restitution , or let's see , vessels of restitution and revival , I believe , and a reformation , I'm sorry , vessels of reformation and revival . There's so many R's floating around in the spiritual realm right now , but anyhow , he had , you know , given me that vision . I'd sat with a long time and kind of came to the point that , okay , now it's time to get it on , prep the canvas , and so I started laying it out . It's very complicated , it has five ships in it .
Speaker 2The Lord has always done things very symmetrically and , you know , in a square . There's a whole lot of reasons that he has me do it this way . Some of what he
does and how he creates through me is that to keep all doorways open , even things being out of balance , can inhibit his spirit from like getting to flow as freely as he would like . You know , if things are done , if it , if the vision is done with artistic excellence , then it provides even a greater tool for him to use . I guess is what I'm saying , cause you know how it is . We've all like walked past something and even if you're not an artist , but you notice it and you're like something's off in that painting , you get stuck . You know you get stuck there . So part of what I do with him is remove those things . And so the symmetrical part , you know is is pretty big , with the , with the paintings that are done , live and things . He likes the balance and so this one has five paintings .
Speaker 2The flag , I mean five ships . The flagship in the middle is literally , you know , like right in the middle . And so , as we were doing the ships , you know I'm like , okay , lord , this flagship , what do you want on the helm ? You know the wood , what do you want there ? And what I saw in my spirit was a dove and like with the head down and the wings going out , you know where it's actually carved into the wood , and but a dove . So I started drawing that . You know I could feel him on it . It's like , yes , you know .
Speaker 2And so I start drawing that , as I'm , you know , seeing it in my spirit and , you know , step back and I'm like , okay , that's , you know , in my natural realm , going okay , that looks pretty good , you know . And getting it laid out on the canvas . And I kind of sat back a minute and God was like I could , I could feel Jesus almost walk into the room and he's like look again . You know , like he had a surprise or something . He's like look again . And I'm like , okay . So I'm like looking at it again and I'm like I see a dove , you know , there's a dove , you know . And so I sat there a minute Cause I'm like I don't , I don't understand you know what . Why do I feel this like electric happy in the atmosphere ? You know , like you're about to get me in a good way and surprise me . And he's like look again . And so I like , leaned in , you know , I'm on my little stool and I leaned in and I'm like looking at my own lines . I mean , you have to keep in mind , I drew these , you know , and I'm looking at my own lines and suddenly the dove is also . It's like a vision on . A vision is also an eagle looking upwards with its mouth open with its mouth open .
Speaker 2I so did not intend like it was not even in my grid of artistry to to do that . It was brilliant , it was so brilliant , but it was something I could , like I did not come up with . I take no credit for that brilliancy . It was incredible and it was so shocking that at first I like like took my breath back and kind of laugh , like you know , and then I just started crying Because I was like the magnitude of the master artist literally had taken my hands over in my quiet little studio , with just him and I , and created something so far beyond myself , you know , so far beyond the natural . Yeah , you know , it was like , and he's like , yeah , and there's so much to be taught from that . You know , one day I'm sure he'll do that . Um , that he revealed to me , you know , as .
Speaker 2And so then , as I started like prepping it and sitting with him and all of this and and looking at it and just going , oh my gosh , I'm not touching it . I'm not touching it and I'm working on everything around it , but I'm not touching that . You know , it is done , it's ready , and um , and God was just like . You know you come to us . He said I want my children to come to me in a position of such humility you know it's like a dove before me and and and they're bowed before me and graced with humility and , but in that humility is power and that they may see , and even their . You know the people around them in the earthly realm are going to look at them and see them as kind of lowly and humble . You know it's the scriptures that we have to that refer to this bow low and you will be lifted high , you know , and they may see that version of that person . But from heaven's perspective , this is what I see the fierce eagle that has their mouth wide open and is screeching for my sake , and the power that's on the eagle . That's how heaven sees the humble and that's the anointing that can come when you place your heart in the position of humility like that . The anointing looks like this and I was like . I mean it was just by the time , god's done with me . You know , with this , with that one , I'm just sitting down there sobbing . You know it's just like .
Speaker 2And that encounter with the Lord , that memorable conversations over that painting , I was just like God , I can't get this one , I can't give this one up . You know I can't give this one up . And he was so sweet and kind and he's like , he's like you don't have to , this one's yours . You know , you get to keep this one , it's yours . And so that one , because of the level of artistic excellence that did not actually come from me , it's just him moving through me , unbeknownst to me . I , you know , I treasure that image , I treasure that canvas and I think that in a degree , I think that in a level , he does as well , because it was almost like his gift to me . You know that was over a decade into what we do . You know him and I painting together and so yeah , but that would be my favorite one .
Speaker 1Such a visual of you know , we haven't . You know we've talked a little bit back and forth on social media and , like I know you through social media and I've talked to you before this and you know just , I just see it as such a visual representation of how he sees you and it's so beautiful . You know the , the power , the Holy spirit , power and the powerful Eagle , like , oh my gosh , I , is this something that you're able to share with us , to be able to see , like I want to see it ? Maybe you can just show me .
Speaker 2Oh yeah , I don't , it's actually kind of in storage right now .
Speaker 2I'm in between studios and things . My life's a little interesting right now , but it is in my possession . But I can , definitely I can send you the link . Is that something people can purchase ? Yes , yeah , you can purchase the prints . The original it's mine , but the prints , yes , definitely do . Yeah , there's prints . He actually . The revelation that goes with this painting corporately is like seven pages long .
Speaker 2My website , I have multiple collections . If I get to create everything that God has put in my spirit to create in this lifetime , I need to live , to be about 300 . Spirit to create in this lifetime , I need to live to be about 300 . It's , you know , it's amazing . We paint and I , we paint my dreams . I paint my sleep constantly .
Speaker 2You know creativity , but there's several . You know I have abstracts . I kind of have all water levels , I guess you could say , of encountering the Lord through the artwork that he and I do . This particular painting is like you know you walked in and there's nothing under . You know you walked into the ocean and you're way out there and there's no land in sight . That's what the treasury collection is . It's the heavy , prophetic , revelatory deeper waters collection and it's . They were created live and this painting was is one of those , and so they all have . Every painting that I do has scripture associated with it on the website , but these have scriptures and have revelatory writing to go with it , and this one is like seven pages long . If you type it out , do you , do I ? What Do ?
Speaker 1you have books in you .
Speaker 2I've already written two books . One of them isn't on the website . I actually wrote it in 2016 . I'm really sitting with the Lord on what to do with that book . I have copies and everything of it , but it's it's just interesting . It's a and , but it is written from a painting called the journey of destiny , so it's more like a photography revelatory book . It's very , very , very different book . It's very , very , very different . Again , no map for that he's working on . There's a painting on that I have done . That's called the sword of inspiration , and that one as well has had a very long revelatory prophetic piece to go with it . And so the God , god is wanting me something . I'm kind of'm kind of praying for time to open up and even mental space to write and to formulate books from some of these pains , because they carry so much within them .
Speaker 1Yeah , I was seeing that for for you , so definitely press in with him um , I , I was gonna share , um , you know , definitely follow cody on on social media . Um , I don't even remember how I came across you . I just have this love prophetic painting and , um , I again , I don't know how I found you , but when
I did I was like , oh my gosh , everything here , um , but I have a story behind one of the paintings that I picked up I think it was last year and it's the anointing of the archers , and I won't get into the story behind it , um , for sake of time , but , um , it does hold such a deep significance for me and the prophetic word associated with it it just resonated so deeply .
Speaker 1I don't know , if you have it on hand . But I'll definitely post in the show notes a link to that painting . That really just it was very timely , let's put it that way . But I'd love to hear , like the heart , a little bit of the heart behind that specific painting , um , and the why behind creating it , if you're open to sharing that one was done um for a worship event , um , in longmont , color , colorado .
Speaker 2It was ongoing for quite a few years called Resound and the Lord . Really , he favored the atmosphere , his presence . He just thoroughly enjoyed the gathering of creatives and worshipers at this event . So it was a very open , open atmosphere for creativity and for his presence and , um , it was just wonderful . So I always enjoyed like prepping and getting to um , go to that event and that was one of the paintings .
Speaker 2One year um was the archer and the anointing of the archers and at that time sometimes God speaks things ahead of time and sometimes I have found his deepest words of revelation carry , no , they transcend time and they move from generation to generation . And I guess that's , you know , one of the privileges of what I get to do is at times I feel like I do get to touch eternity and transcend time with what he wants to put on canvas and what he wants to write . And that was one of them . There was a generation there that year that the anointing of the archer spoke to , but I knew , creating it , that it would happen again . I guess you could say again and again , and that there was , you know , women warriors , but men , warriors as well , that carried , that God was training up to carry the word of the Lord , both prophetically , through scripture , you know , simply hearing his voice , with decisiveness , clarity , a people of great focus on his heart , a people of great honor , kind of like the people of great honor , kind of like the times of the archers of old . They worked for the king , they would honor the king , everything they did was for the king and it kind of carries that , almost like renaissance of the Lord being the King and you're carrying , you're fighting for him , you are warring for him , you're living under his authority , you're operating from his authority .
Speaker 2And as a prophetic voice you know to live and operate in that place and that space . And but that there was a generation rising up that he was very much training and adoring to know that they are the beloved . They do hear his voice and he sees that they want to release his voice in the proper way , in the proper timing and directly from his heart , untainted . And the skills of the archer . So what is true in the supernatural is true in the natural . And the skills of the archer are very much they're able to .
Speaker 2You know , as a prophetic voice , he's training others , to be as the archers and very much able to tune out distraction , tune out other voices .
Speaker 2Actually , you know , turn inward and hear your own breath and hear your own breath with God and hear the breath of God . I don't know if you've ever my husband , you know I have shot a bow and arrow and the stillness that you have to find physically is extraordinary . And so the Lord , in that process of seeing his prophetic voices rise up as archers in his kingdom , so much overlaid with the skills of the archer and the natural , targeted , they come in stealth , almost Quiet , timely , timely , both in the natural it must be timely and to deliver the word of the Lord at the proper hour , at His beckoning , timely manner . To be that sensitive and that able to turn inward that you hear the heartbeat of the Father and tune everything else out . To be that focused you know , the eyes of your heart , that focused to release that word and to release that word where it's supposed to go , like an arrow . So it carries a lot as well .
Speaker 1That painting carries a lot as well so beautiful and it even , you know , whenever I I've had a lot that I've shared with women over time in relation to an archery , and it's that pulling back right , kind of like Jesus did , um , that representation of , of the pulling back so that we can be released , so we can , you know , hit the mark like we were talking , or you can't , you know , step into something . You know there's , there's just so many people that are just caught up in so much noise and if they're so caught up it's so hard to aim , can't even aim . You're just , you know what I mean .
Speaker 2It's , it's just yeah yeah , no , the world is spinning and you have to be able to , um , you have to be able to turn inward and , almost , in essence , lock out the world .
Speaker 1Yeah well , I would love to hear more like maybe I'll have you on another time .
Speaker 1You know we'll have to , okay yeah thank you so much for sharing everything you've shared . Um , one of the things I do at the end of every episode is I always ask if you would be open to sharing with the one that is listening in today , because he called me to do this for the one , and I would love for you to think of that person and to share any words of encouragement or wisdom you might feel led to speak over them , and then would you mind praying us out , yeah ?
Speaker 2No , I would just say , if you , you don't have to know
what you're doing when you say yes to the Lord , and in fact it is far more powerful If you die to your own agenda , die to your own knowledge , or what you call knowledge , and literally choose to surrender completely and say yes when he's asking you to do something that is so beyond you . That's how you know it's God . And I would also say , just , you know , once you find what that is , because we all have , we all have a destiny Jeremiah 29 , 11 . We all have plans that he has placed on us . We all have a purpose that he has placed on us . And when you discover that because he will bring it to you if your heart wants it , when you discover that and your spirit and heart recognize it your mind may not , but don't let go . And even if you don't have the support and you probably won't of those around you or the , you know , spiritual grid or the understanding , however you want to put it , of those around you , you know , don't let go . Do him the honor of not letting go and see what he will do with it , because when you show up one day before him , you will be known as in heaven , that you did not let go , that you walked into your purpose , your calling , inner destiny , and you , you did what he has asked you to do and you did it in faith , and there's no greater thing that we can give him . Is that our yes and amen and our trust . There's no greater thing that we can give him . Is that our yes and amen and our trust . There's no greater thing that we can give him .
Speaker 2So I'll go ahead and pray , abba , father , I just pray that you enrich the spirits of everyone who hears this Lord , that you highlight that which needs to be highlighted and that you disclose that which needs to be disclosed . And that , father , you just unleash your voice , that you unlock places within hearts and unlock dreams , and that you set their sails , father , into their journeys of destiny . Father , bring them the confidence that only heaven and your company can bring . Bring them , father , the resolution within their spirits that only you can bring . Father , I pray that you bless your pioneers , bless the savers out there , bless the people that are going into the unknown and willing to go into the unknown with you , father .
Speaker 2You're the most courageous being that ever walked the planet and you walk with them into the unknown . It's destination ? Unknown , except it's the Father's heart . So , lord , I just bless the dreams . I bless the waves of creativity that you have placed within every soul you ever created . I bless , father , their eyes to see in ways they have never seen , and I bless their ears to hear the voice of their creator in ways they have never heard you before . May their night hours be full of the presence of heaven . In Jesus name , I pray Amen .
Speaker 1And Cody , oh my gosh , thank you so much . Oh , I just felt his heart for so many that are listening in today . How can listeners contact you ? And I'll have all your information in the show notes , of course .
Speaker 2Probably the best way is just simply the contact form on my website and it's Cody C-O-D-Y-E Riestead R-E-Y-S-T-E-A-Dcom . Yeah , that's pretty well the best way . I'm not . I'm on social media , but I actually have a young lady that kind of does it for me . So if you want to reach me directly , it would be email through the contact page on my website .
Speaker 1Sounds good and again , I'll have this all in the contact or the show notes , but I would love to have you back again . I feel like you're just such a wealth of um , just beauty and knowledge and joy . You just like burst forth Holy spirit . So , um , I'm going to close . It's a God of hope . Fill you with all joy and peace and believing so the by the God of hope . Fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope . And that's Romans 15 13 . So , Cody , thank you for being a brave voice . Who's setting so many free ? And thank you again for being here today . I will be back with another episode next week . Thank you , listeners .