We want a God that is powerful enough to make the universe and to guide us through life.

We can’t fully understand all of those things, and we’re foolish if we think we can.

When Crystal Johnson was just 7 years old she was out with family and some friends enjoying a day of boating. After a fun day everyone got into cars to go home, but she felt something was off. After some drinks on the boat the driver of her car was erratic, things didn’t seem right. At a gas station where they stopped she decided to get into her family’s vehicle instead. Just a little while later, the car was flipped.

As she saw the car, she asked her Uncle what would’ve happened if she was still in the car. He responded saying that she might have been seriously hurt, or could’ve lost her life.

Thankfully no lives were lost in the crash, and after that she asked her Uncle if she could start going to church with him. She would be saved as a result soon after.

As a child they moved a lot and were not regular in attending church. She found that something was missing in her life as the years went on. As adulthood came, she found herself coming to her Uncle again for advice. She wanted to know more about God. He recommended a Bible believing church not far from where they lived in California. Grace Community Church pastored by John MacArthur.

It was there that Crystal would deepen her relationship with God through the richness of the Bible. She would realize with time that she was putting God in a box. As she learned more from the Word of God, she says its like the lights went on.

Having painted all her life, eventually she would teach art here at our Academy. Art is everywhere, in everything we create, everything we wear, and in our homes. To Crystal, all of the art we see around us in God’s creation is inside each one of us too. When teaching art, she finds the best results when she gives students an idea that gets them to think.

The thought is always bigger than the canvas. By discovering the beauty of God’s creation through art, Crystal hopes students will see that God cannot be contained by a canvas. And that leaves us discovering more about God, every single day.