About Melissa Fischer

“He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19

I am a child of God, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, artist, and spiritual director in training. I come from a long line of artists, but came late to any consistent practice of art myself, having first studied Animal Science, then, after marrying my husband, Stephen, and having children, I immersed myself in homeschooling my three children until my youngest started college in 2006. I then worked as a professional dog trainer, which afforded many opportunities to encourage individuals and families. Along the way there have been times of joy and times of struggle, but my desire since I first came to know Christ as an eighteen-year-old has been to live for God, to always grow in my relationship with him, and to encourage others.

I live life with a sense of wonder and a curiosity about God’s ways in the world, desiring to become ever more attentive to his voice. As I meditate on the beauty of God’s work, I search for his “fingerprints” in creation that give evidence of his presence when it may not be obvious, and it’s my hope that my artwork helps others see and appreciate that as well. I delight in the spacious life God has invited me into and hope to help others hear and respond to his invitation to them.

I prefer to live on the quieter side of life, often with paintbrush or pen in hand, as I sketch my days and draw into God’s presence alone or with others. Sketching helps open my eyes to God’s fingerprints in the world, and I enjoy leading Sketching as Prayer Retreats, when we together seek to be attentive to God’s presence, voice, and fingerprints. More recently I have sensed God’s call to receive training to become a spiritual director, and am currently receiving spiritual direction training through Leadership Transformations’ Selah Certificate Program and am now offering spiritual direction to women.

I can be contacted at melissa@theartofprayer.space