So, there has been a lot of buzz lately among Christian women about the Pursuit Manila Gatherings. I have been blessed to be part of two gatherings, one in February and the other one was a special gathering for Moms.
I have been following Pursuit Manila’s leader, Rhiza Sanchez-Oyos’ blog and Instagram account. I have been intrigued by her gorgeous posts featuring 3 x 4 inch cards that had bible verses or inspiring messages, which I found out were called Passion Cards. I fell in love with these cards. It was love at first sight. I really, really wanted to have one.
That is why I my first gathering I received my first ever Love Edition Passion Cards! The first editions were in black and white. Eventually the colored editions came out and they were, oh, so lovely! Not only were they visually appealing but the messages again spoke to my heart.
The cards have encouraged me in days when I felt low and unsure. I just looked at them and it reminded me of the goodness of God and that everything that happened was not without God’s permission. Don’t get me wrong, the Passion cards will not and should not replace our quiet moments with God and His word. (I know Rhiza will agree with me here) They are instant admonitions on who God is, who we are and what is our purpose in this crazy world.
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As Rhiza suggested, Passion cards can be given as gifts to friends, which I haven’t done because I want to hoard all of them haha! What I do is tape them on the wall of my work space wall together with my bible verses and quotes that impacted me a lot. I also have two framed side by side, strategically placed on my desk.
Obviously, I adore these cards so much that I even allotted a blog post for it! I am a lover of words. I know how words impact me and the people in my circle that’s why these cards resonate so much. Words have the power to edify or put down a person. King Solomom says in Proverbs 16:24:
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
I know that Rhiza is a lover of words too because she expresses them so well in her blog. So I want to share with you my interview with her, the inspired mind behind these Passion Cards and how she came about creating this meaningful keepsakes.
How did the idea of Passion Cards came about?
Growing up, I’ve always loved doodling quotes and bible verses on my journals. I’m a visual person, and there’s something about seeing words on paper that, to me, brings more essence and meaning to them. I like collecting post cards too! I thought I’d want to create a little something that people can take with them wherever they go. Something that will inspire people, and can be used to spread the inspiration around.
These cards were originally designed and DIYed for Pursuit Manila, that is, before I realized there would be so many of us! After the second gathering I realized that my DIY effort–printing these out on sheets of board paper and manually cutting them, not to mention producing them with whatever little budget I have–was not enough anymore.
Pursuit Manila ladies would know the DIY quality of the first sets of cards that I gave away during the first and second gathering. Eventually, I decided to have them mass-produced and printed professionally.
What’s in a name? Why “Passion” cards?
I think the name speaks for itself. They are cards that are designed to fuel your passion to seek God more, pursue His calling, and inspire others to do the same. On a personal note, this is a passion project so in a way it was convenient also to call them Passion Cards. 🙂 (Shout out to my husband who’s with me through nights of brainstorming sessions and helped me come up with ideas for the name.)
You already have four six editions. Can you describe your creative process? Do the themes come first or the verses/quotes?
Right now we actually have 6 Editions. The themes would come first usually. As I made a personal commitment to produce a new set of cards every month in time for the Pursuit Manila gatherings, I normally based them on Pursuit Community’s monthly themes. When the project kind of took off, friends have approached me for collaborations so I have a few Editions on queue that have branched out from Pursuit’s monthly themes.
This May we had the Mother’s Day gathering, so I created a Mommy Edition; and we had the Ashes to Beauty gathering, so in collaboration with Julie Tarroja, I created cards that featured some of the lyrics from her songs as well as Bible verses relating to the topic.Right now we actually have 6 Editions. The themes would come first usually. As I made a personal commitment to produce a new set of cards every month in time for the Pursuit Manila gatherings, I normally based them on Pursuit Community’s monthly themes. When the project kind of took off, friends have approached me for collaborations so I have a few Editions on queue that have branched out from Pursuit’s monthly themes.
Which is your favorite Passion Card and why?
It’s honestly hard to pick. Every single one has become relevant to me in different circumstances.
(I love them so much) Do you have plans of making bigger sizes that are frame-ready? What are your future plans for Passion Cards?
Yes. 😀 No details and timeline yet, but many have asked for bigger sizes. Maybe I’ll call it a different name.
The idea with Passion Cards though is that you can take it with you wherever you go and you can hand them out to friends or strangers even. That’s why they’re really designed to fit in your purse or your filofax.
How has the concept and purpose of Passion Cards changed the way you view God and your journey with Him?
One thing for sure, as Christians we are called to spread the gospel and share God’s Word. And the passion cards have become a channel for me to do that in a relevant and timely way, especially in this age where people are always looking for inspiration and something to hold on to.
The creation process has also made me even closer to God. Everytime I sit down to begin designing new editions, I always ask God to breathe into these cards, otherwise, they’ll just end up as empty words and pieces of paper. When I meet people who tell me how one of these cards made them ponder upon God’s love, or inspired to seek God more, those are major affirmations for me to know that my labor is not in vain and that He has blessed the desires of my heart.
Even the way it is earning us a little extra so that I could keep making the cards has become a tangible assurance for me to keep trusting God’s faithfulness and provisions to our family.
Rhiza is the artist behind my blog makeover 🙂 She is a Content Marketing Strategist, designer, wife and mom to adorable twin girls. She makes beautiful things because it was God who gifted her with an ingenious mind. What a blessing to see God’s hand at work in the lives of his people. Follow her on Instagram as @rhizaoyos.
Aren’t you inspired to get a set for you and your friends? Head on to the Chasing Dreams Shoppe to order your own Passion Cards. Did I mention they are only 100 pesos only (excluding shipping)?