Karissa Liu of Karoodles in Toronto, Canada

Say hello to Karissa, a fellow Canadian for me and a sister in Christ to us all! :)

There are so many beautiful aspects of her God story, how God has grown her passion, vision and skills in art to share the gospel.

Enjoy reading her testimony and please share with others, maybe especially if you know a teen or young adult wondering about or questioning their purpose.

Karissa is also open to more chats - her contact details are at the end of this post.

Welcome, Karissa!

Name: Karissa Liu

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Age: 20

Welcome! Please could you tell us about yourself and @karoodles?

Hi lovelies! My name is Karissa and I’m a second year nursing student by day and run my Instagram page and Etsy shop @karooodles by night. Prior to the pandemic, I didn’t spend any time doing my hobbies. So in May of 2020 I decided to make an Instagram account to motivate myself to continue my hobbies. At first it was just a platform for all the creative things that I like to do (lettering, bullet journaling, bible journaling and baking). But slowly I started getting my own style and began sharing the gospel and all the things I was learning about God.

Although I live like a typical teenager with university and hanging out with friends, I know I’m called to be a salt and a light and live differently than our world! I now use my Instagram platform to share how we can BRIGHTLY LIVE LIFE and live for the glory of God. I created my Etsy shop so you can encourage yourself with the gospel daily or buy cute gifts to share with your friends to catch up with their faith journey or share the gospel.

Other than school and lettering, I love to read fiction novels, spend a day either by the lake or ski hills, and love a nice friend date.

Have you ever struggled with identity? How did God lead you to his truth?

I think one of my biggest struggles with my identity was near the beginning of my faith journey as I didn’t know if I was truly saved or not, especially because I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. I always felt like there were requirements that I wasn’t ticking off or just something missing. I always felt insecure because I didn’t grow up in the church and didn't know all the God knowledge that others did. If you feel like this now, know that you are not alone.

But you want to know something that’s beautiful? God does not have any requirements for us to receive His gift of salvation. You don’t need to be able to recite 5,000 bible verses, you don’t need to know all the lyrics to worship songs, and you most certainly do not need to be perfect. God welcomes us with open arms!! Don’t know if you’re truly saved and want to have a stronger relationship with God? Here's a little basic prayer for ya!

Lord Jesus, I believe that You are God, that You died for my sin, and that You rose again from the dead. I know that I am a sinner, and I ask You now to be my personal Savior. I’m placing my full trust in You alone, and I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank you for keeping Your promise! Amen.

Also, I think that if not everyone, then most people have struggled with issues of self confidence and self worth. All throughout my pre-teen and teen years I have struggled greatly with self confidence and feeling like just an average. I would always think that I’m not anything special and categorize myself as just an average; an average student, an average daughter, and average talents.

The truth is, there never was, nor ever is, nor ever will be anyone like me. God created me uniquely and that is something so special and not average. God led me to the truth that my worth is in Christ. My worth is not dependent on me. Instead of focusing on the trivial things in life like my looks or the talents that I don’t have I now identify as a Child of God, who is wonderfully and fearfully made (Psalm 139:14)

What does celebrating your God-given design mean to you?

To me, celebrating my God-given design means knowing that I have my own mission field that I am given. God has given me specific talents to use to bring the glory to His Kingdom and make His name known. I no longer have to worry about finding my “purpose” in life because God has given me my purpose, and He has equipped me with all the things I need to fulfil that purpose.

What has God shown you about your God-given design through writing and drawing for @karoodles?

I’ve always grown up artistic and crafty, but I always thought that it would just be a hobby. Never did I think that my hobby would turn into a way to share the gospel. Little did I know, God was working on my heart and had plans for me. I did not think that it would lead to something as big as this!

I think I struggled with my art at the beginning because I didn’t know if I wanted to be gospel focused or gospel centred. I didn’t want to water down the gospel with my other lettering. But I’ve come to realize that I bring in a lot of nonbelievers onto my platform and expose them to the gospel in my own ways, and I really thank God for that. I’m less insecure now about whether or not I’m watering down the gospel because it all comes down to my intentions. Even with my lettering that seemingly doesn’t appear Christian, the messages behind it are and my whole platform is very much gospel centred.

Through this whole Instagram and Etsy journey, God has truly shown me that He designed me to use my art as my mission field, and now I use my God-given design to connect with others and share the gospel with believers and nonbelievers. Having this Instagram page has pushed me to strengthen my own relationship with Christ and walk alongside others.

How would you encourage someone who is struggling to embrace their God-given design and live out their God-given calling?

Let’s reflect for a moment. Our world today is so self absorbed and so many people are trying to find their “purpose” in life. I’ve been through this myself before I came to Christ, thinking, “is there more to life than this?” The answer is yes! Let me tell you that when you let go of the thought that you have to “find your own purpose” and “be enough for this world,” you find freedom in embracing your God-given design.

God has a different purpose for each and every one of us to bring glory to His Kingdom. When you cultivate confidence in God and His purpose for you, you begin truly living a life for Christ and having the heart for God. This will pour into every aspect of your life. You too can make disciples and share the gospel anywhere and everywhere you are.

Without Jesus, you are not enough. But with Christ, your worth is dependent not on yourself but on an all powerful and loving God. God has made each and every one of us different but for the same purpose, to make disciples of all nations. Life is short and fragile, live life for your God-given calling. If you feel God calling you to do something to make His name known, do it!!

Thank you for sharing your testimony! Are you open to receiving any follow-up questions? How can we contact you?

Yes! I would most definitely love to answer any more follow up questions and connect with all of you! The best way to reach me would be on Instagram or you can email me at karooodles@gmail.com