Empowerment is the ability to persevere and overcome life's journey through its harsh terrain, treacherous peaks, and raging storms, all while retaining your sense of worth and building your character so that when people look up, they see an honorable person who they are willing to fully trust and stand with during times of peace and desperation. Many aspects are important for true empowerment. For one despot will fall when justice prevails, but the trusted and honorable servant who leads by example will be given power and a zealous devotion by those who follow that person. Humility keeps you from falling and God exalts those who humble themselves. Faith builds you up, sustains you, and directs you to the finish line. Courage moves you on to further heights and strengthens your resolve in your time of need. Gentleness and love softens your heart while also deeply affecting others and comforting them, giving them a sense of trust and security in you. Awe and wonder of God's creation and His nature deepens your thoughts on faith and resolution, brightening your world when all else seems to fail. Lastly and most importantly, servanthood gives those around you a sense of honorable respect and trust in your actions and your character. All of these qualities are the building blocks for the foundations of empowerment. Empowerment is a quality which is developed by experience. Experience through small successes emboldens me to greater heights. As I encounter resistance, I build endurance. When disaster strikes and my plan fails, I overcome it and am made stronger for it. As I grow through these trials, my courage is bolstered. Pride comes before a fall, thus humility is crucial for empowerment. I find humility in the realization of my limits and both embrace and channel the strengths of those with me in the race of life. What is the point of empowerment without faith? Through faith, I am directed in life. Without direction what is a person? They wander around and are lost. Through the revelation of my Savior, my pathway is paved. I know the end of my journey. Thus faith builds up empowerment because empowerment has direction in its steps. Life drags people down. Our days can start to feel gray and dull. But, when I walk in the sun with its rays on my face, look around and see so many details in God's creation, and hear the cheerful chirping of the birds, my heart warms, and I stand in awe and wonder at what a mighty and personable God He is who gave me such a beautiful sight to see, hear, smell, and feel. Thus without awe and wonder to brighten one's day, how would we move on to tomorrow with energy and spirit in our steps? What endears one person to another? What makes one person trusted and cherished? Gentleness and love. One soft word in a raging storm can be a lighthouse in their time of need. When life throws them struggles, I try to ease their burden. When I am soft-spoken and gentle, it moves people. Without love, what is a person and who would follow them? I would say nothing and none. The first shall be last and the last first. Through servanthood, my character is edified. Who wants to follow a leader who dares not soil his own boots? From Jesus Christ who showed us how to live honorably to great leaders who followed their men into battle, history tells us servanthood in leadership is one of the best qualities by which people are moved.

I grew up in Europe where art was everywhere. You could enjoy famous oil paintings, grand cathedrals, fairytale castles, and marble sculptures just by driving for a couple of hours. Here in America, art is not as prevalent and many people have lost an interest in art. Over here no one talks about art. When you walk into the bookstore and look at the children's section, you do not see many illustrated books that could rival the classic writers and illustrators of old such as Beatrix Potter, Jan Brett, and Bill Pete. Over the years, I have strived to paint and sketch like these artists and writers. I want to make a difference in this world and move the hearts of America and its children. I want to bring back a love and appreciation for art and lovely things. I want creativity to be seen as a blessing and used to its fullest potential. Our hearts should be moved by such beauty and our minds should dwell on the glorious things in life. When I was younger, my mom read to me story books with sweet illustrations. I remember enjoying each detail in the pictures and would pour over them for hours. I particularly loved the watercolor illustrations. They seemed to have such life and movement in them. Now that I am older, I realize that I want more children to have that opportunity to enjoy charming picture books with innocent stories and sweet endings.