Finding My People, Raising the Next Generation, and Following Joy

"Sometimes the greatest thing God teaches us isn't how to do more... it's how to become the kind of person who can keep saying yes to what He's calling us to do."

---

Some Weeks Change the Way You Think

Some weeks are filled with exciting accomplishments.

Other weeks quietly reshape the way you see the world.

This was one of those weeks.

After another full week outdoors followed by a busy weekend at Spooky Nook, I found myself completely exhausted. Monday and Tuesday became intentional days of rest, and although part of me wanted to keep pushing forward, I realized something important.

Rest isn't the opposite of purpose.

Sometimes it's part of it.

I'm slowly learning that if God has called me to spend my weekends pouring into thousands of families, then I have to protect the person doing the pouring.

Stewarding my energy isn't laziness.

It's gratitude.

It's trusting that taking care of myself allows me to keep serving others with joy for years to come.

---

Finding My People

One of the greatest gifts this week wasn't something I planned.

It was meeting Christine. 

Before volunteering with Cocoa Packs, we'd only communicated through emails and phone calls while coordinating the event. Even from a distance, I had this feeling that we were made from the same stuff.

Then we met.

Without hesitation, we wrapped each other in one of those genuine, heartfelt hugs that only make sense when you recognize a sister in Christ.

It wasn't awkward.

It wasn't formal.

It felt like we had known each other forever.

As the day unfolded, I watched Christine love people with a joy that was impossible to ignore.

She wore heart-shaped sunglasses.

She sang praise music while serving families.

She laughed loudly.

She let me completely cover her in glitter.

She encouraged children with an enthusiasm that made everyone around her smile.

I don't know everything she's walked through.

I'm sure she carries burdens just like the rest of us.

But what I saw was someone who had made the decision to lead with joy anyway.

To lead with love.

To lead with hope.

To keep pointing people toward Jesus.

Watching her reminded me of something I've been craving more and more.

This is my tribe.

People who know that joy isn't pretending life is perfect.

It's choosing to shine anyway.

People whose servant hearts overflow because they know how deeply they've already been loved by Christ.

That's the kind of sisterhood I long for.

The kind that hugs you like family before you've even learned each other's story.

The kind that reminds you we're all simply walking each other Home.

---

Raising Up the Next Generation

One of my favorite parts of the day was trying something completely new.

Instead of setting up my booth the way I normally do, Christine provided a round table, and I placed it right in the center of the tent. Around it, I set up three chairs—one for me and one for each of my artists-in-training, Xennah and Celeste.

It looked a little chaotic...

But it was my kind of chaos.

Whenever a child sat down, Xennah or Celeste greeted them with a smile and immediately made them feel welcome.

If they knew how to paint the design the child wanted, they jumped right in.

If they didn't, they practiced flowers, hearts, butterflies, or simple designs on little hands and arms while chatting with the child until I came over to complete the face paint.

Then we'd all work together.

I'd paint.

The girls would add sparkles.

Rainbow hair.

Hair tinsel.

Extra magic.

At any given moment, there were three children sitting in chairs, all at different stages of their experience, while I bounced from one to the next, laughing with parents, encouraging the girls, and somehow keeping my little joyful circus moving.

And honestly...

I loved every second of it.

The beautiful part wasn't teaching them how to hold a paintbrush.

That can come later.

I was teaching them something much more important.

How to love people.

How to make children feel safe.

How to respect every parent.

How to slow down long enough for a child to feel truly seen.

I reminded them that when a child sits in our chair, this isn't about us anymore.

For a few minutes, we get to help them forget whatever worries they carried in with them.

We get to reset the atmosphere.

We get to make them feel celebrated.

The paint.

The glitter.

The rainbow hair.

The sparkles.

They're simply the icing on the cake.

As I watched Xennah and Celeste loving on those children, I realized something.

Maybe this is part of my calling too.

Not just creating joyful experiences for families...

...but helping raise up the next generation of artists who understand that the greatest masterpiece they'll ever create isn't painted on a face.

It's the way they make another human being feel.

---

Preparation Creates the Magic

Most people only see what happens on the weekend.

They don't see Thursday night when I'm mixing fresh henna with freshly squeezed lemons.

They don't see Friday afternoon filling cone after cone by hand.

They don't see the brushes being washed.

The sparkle jars being filled.

The supplies being organized.

Preparation isn't glamorous.

But preparation is part of the art.

Beautiful experiences rarely happen by accident.

They're built one thoughtful step at a time.

---

They're Simply the Invitation

Saturday at Spooky Nook was full of everything I love.

Children laughing.

Parents smiling.

Hair tinsel sparkling.

Henna drying.

Face paint revealing huge smiles in the mirror.

Then something beautiful happened.

Three wonderful women stopped by.

I honestly don't remember whether they bought anything.

What I remember is the conversation.

We started talking about Jesus.

Whenever it feels natural, I love offering people one of my free cross henna designs.

As I paint the cross on the back of their hand, I usually smile and say,

"Jesus' love is free, yo."

Then I tell them something that's become very close to my heart.

Sometimes we're our own worst critics.

We convince ourselves we're not enough.

We replay mistakes.

We believe lies about ourselves.

My hope is that every time they look down and see that little cross over the next week or two, they'll pause...

Take a deep breath...

And remember that God loves them more than they could ever fully understand.

To be kind to themselves.

To remember they are enough.

To remember they are deeply loved.

Then I usually grab my glitter.

Because everything is better with sparkle.

We laughed.

We hugged.

We celebrated.

Then one of the women quietly smiled and said,

"Let's pray."

Without hesitation, we stepped in close together, wrapping our arms around one another in a little circle right there in the middle of Spooky Nook.

Around us, tournaments continued.

Children laughed.

Whistles blew.

People walked by.

But for those few moments...

Everything else disappeared.

There were joyful shouts of,

"Yes, Jesus!"

"Praise Jesus!"

"Thank You, Lord!"

We embraced each other.

We prayed.

We laughed.

We gave thanks.

The atmosphere itself seemed to change.

It's one of those moments that's almost impossible to explain unless you've experienced it yourself.

You could feel the Holy Spirit.

His peace.

His joy.

His love.

It felt as though His presence surrounded every one of us, flowing through every hug, every prayer, every grateful heart.

As we hugged goodbye, I found myself thinking,

This... this is why I do what I do.

Face paint brought us together.

Henna opened the conversation.

Glitter made us laugh.

But none of those things were ever the destination.

They were simply the invitation.

The real gift was watching God use ordinary moments to remind complete strangers that they are deeply loved.

Those are the moments that fill my cup.

Those are the moments I'm chasing.

---

Building a Life That Can Last

As the weekend came to a close, another realization settled into my heart.

I'm simplifying almost everything.

My booth.

My displays.

My workflow.

My supplies.

Every unnecessary movement.

Not because I want to do less.

Because I want to protect my energy for the things only I can do.

Creating joy.

Connecting with people.

Encouraging others.

Sharing hope.

Everything else can become simpler.

I'm realizing I'm not just building a business.

I'm building a life.

A life with enough margin to keep saying "yes" to the people and moments God places in front of me.

Because at the end of the day, Brooke Zook Art has never really been about face paint...

Or glitter...

Or hair tinsel...

Or even paintings.

It's about creating moments where people feel seen.

Loved.

Encouraged.

Reminded that joy still exists.

And reminded that God's love has a beautiful way of showing up in the most unexpected places.

---

This Week's Takeaway

This week reminded me that protecting my energy isn't selfish.

It's what allows me to keep showing up for the people God places in my path.

The greatest moments this week weren't the ones I planned.

They were the hugs.

The laughter.

The prayers.

The children.

The conversations.

The reminders that we're never meant to walk through life alone.

If this week taught me anything, it's that joy grows best when it's shared.

And maybe that's the real invitation.

Not face paint.

Not glitter.

Not even art.

But choosing to love people so well that they leave feeling lighter than when they arrived.

Until next week...

✨ Spread Joy. Shine Bright. Keep Sparkling. ✨

With love,
Brookie 🌻