My Life as an Accidental Artist

He's a Keeper

2012-01-26T23:02:00.004-05:00

Twenty five years is a long time. There are lots of memories made, inside jokes, and any number of stories---good, bad, and ugly. I decided to make a photo book of our years together. Brian, however, out-creatived me.

First he made a reservation at a new restaurant in East Cobb. He secured the chef's table and made sure they knew it was a special anniversary.

Then he presented me with a pillar candle holder filled with frosted marbles and dark chocolate kisses. That was good, but THEN...

Mixed in the kisses were 25 strips of silver cardstock, each printed with a memory, an inside joke, or just something he thinks about when he considers our marriage.

Husbands, take note. MAJOR props. EPIC win.

The restaurant provided two delightful desserts: a maple pote de creme with cinnamon biscotti and a pineapple upside-down cake with macadamia nut ice cream and nut brittle. Both were served with a fabulous sweet dessert wine with hints of honey.

We finished the evening at rehearsal for the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus. We took a cake and some of our original wedding napkins to share. Everyone enjoyed celebrating with us.

On to the next 25. Brian has that long to top his ultra-creative silver anniversary gift!

Twenty Five Years

2012-01-24T22:30:00.001-05:00

I thought only old people had silver anniversaries. I was mistaken. YOUNG people do too!! We were just REALLY young then!!!

I am working on a book of our first 25 years married. Now that today has passed, I will start sharing some of the pages as I go. I had hoped to have it finished, but...

Here is the first page:

I started the project last September, but, as my projects usually do, it expanded. Maybe I'll have it done before Carrie's wedding. We shall see.....

What's in a Name?

2012-01-22T19:56:00.003-05:00

So, the Southern Baptist Convention is considering a name change. To that I say, "It's about time!" The Southern Baptist name rings of old, stodgy, and stale religion. Southern Baptist will always be stained by years of shameful racism. Southern Baptists make up a large part of the maligned right-wing, conservative, dogmatic, intolerant "moral majority." Whether the perception is correct doesn't matter. Perception IS reality in our current culture.

Having been a member of a vibrant, Bible-teaching, people-loving church that happens to be affiliated with the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) for seven years now has taught me that even the most stubborn Southerner, if he truly wants to please God, will become able to adapt and change. Eventually. With much prodding. One of the things that attracted our family to our current church home was the "ten core values" printed for all to read, posted on walls, and repeated by the Pastor. (And recently, administered in pop-quiz form to all church employees---even the lowly part-time baristas like me!) Most were familiar, as I grew up in an American Baptist (mercy) church, and have attended a number of non-denominational churches that had solid Bible teaching. However, one stood out as unique: We believe in an unchanging message and are committed to ever-changing methodologies. WOW. Not "we will never deviate from the master plan set in place 50 years ago" or "but we've always done it this way." That was refreshing to read as a core value of the church. We have seen that worked out, too, as the church has added contemporary music to some of its services and has fully embraced technology in reaching a younger seeking population.

Churches that do not adapt, die. Churches that forget their first love in making those adaptations destroy. It's a delicate balance that even the best-intentioned churches don't always achieve, but it follows the Biblical model of Paul who met people where they were and modified his approach without minimizing his authority.

The SBC as a group has recently committed to a new focus on reaching the lost and discipling them. This is a change of past years when the focus was on maintaining church order and condemning those who attacked it. Once internally centered, the SBC is making an effort to reach outward with its time, personnel, and money. It's an exciting change, and one that I think pleases the Father. There is a long journey ahead, but the paradigm shift has begun, and a new enthusiasm should begin to emerge.

It makes sense, then, that the Southern Baptist Convention considers a name change. Saul became Paul. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel. Each name change signified a new role, a new character, and a new vision. The SBC has a new vision and is developing a new character AND a new role. A new name will allow the old perceptions to be put aside so that the new ideals can prosper.

It's about time.

My word for 2012

2012-01-08T23:04:00.000-05:00

I have read a number of blogs and challenges in the the last few days about choosing a single word to represent the hopes and wishes and goals for the new year. I certainly like that idea far better than resolutions that are made and broken within days. I stopped making resolutions years ago. Last year I did an art piece at called it "The Year of Being Content." For the most part, that concept did work itself out in my daily life. Even thought I was busy, I didn't wish for more than I had, I was grateful for most days, and content with the experiences I shared with my friends and family.

In the last days, I have considered what my word might be for 2012. Within the last 24 hours, two different sources led me to consider the word "dissipate" as the opposite of what I wanted to do. One sermon preached by John Wesley (1703-1791) complimented a sermon by John Herring (Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, 8 January 2012) and by the end of the day, I knew my word for 2012: connected.

When my friend, Bryan Black, chose "Do less, Be more" as his status on Facebook the other day, my first thought was about Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus. Luke 10 tells how Jesus stopped to teach at their house near Jerusalem. Martha, being the good hostess, worked to prepare food fitting for a rabbi and for those who traveled with him. Mary, however, sat at his feet, listening to his teachings. (Dr. Herring aptly noted that a woman seated in the same room as a rabbi was not standard behavior for women of that day. That Jesus allowed her to sit there was an example of how he elevated the status of women.) Martha, whose intentions were good, complained that Mary was not doing her fair share of the work. Jesus rebuked her saying that Mary had chosen the better thing.

This brought me back to Bryan's status and the link he shared with me to Wesley's sermon on dissipation:

6. And even as much serving dissipated the thoughts of Martha, and distracted her from attending to her Lord's words, so a thousand things which daily occur are apt to dissipate our thoughts, and distract us from attending to His voice who is continually speaking to our hearts: I mean, to all that listen to his voice. We are encompassed on all sides with persons and things that tend to draw us from our centre. Indeed, every creature, if we are not continually on our guard, will draw us from our Creator. The whole visible world, all we see, hear, or touch, all the objects either of our senses or understanding, have a tendency to dissipate our thoughts from the invisible world; and to distract our minds from attending to Him who is both the Author and End of our being.

I can so relate to Martha. She wasn't doing anything wrong, but in pursuing the good, she missed the best. Her focus was pulled out of connection with Jesus, and scattered by all the tasks set before her, tasks expected of her by her society and culture. How often to I get carried away by the tasks before me? Do I keep myself from being connected to my Lord and to true fellowship with my brothers and sisters by a routine that is busy at best and chaotic at worst?

The natural man often fills his days with good things: humanitarian endeavors, goodness to family, loyalty to friends, and other admirable qualities. But in the midst of all that, he is still alienated from God. That tendency toward dissipation is only mastered by the Holy Spirit's leading to sit at the Master's feet and listen. To be still and know God is counter to everything our current culture demands.

10. But so far as any one yields to this temptation, so far he is dissipated. The original word properly signifies to disperse, or scatter. So the sun dissipates, that is, scatters, the clouds; the wind dissipates, or scatters, the dust; and, by an easy metaphor, our thoughts are said to be dissipated, when they are irregularly scattered up and down. In like manner, our desires are dissipated, when they are unhinged from God, their proper centre, and scattered to and fro among the poor, perishing, unsatisfying things of the world. And, indeed, it may be said of every man that is a stranger to the grace of God, that all his passions are dissipated, --

"Unhinged from God." Isn't that just the perfect phrase for most of Christendom today? Unhinged, disconnected, scattered.... We DO the right things. We SAY the right things. We show up to church. We may even tithe. (Okay, probably not. Statistics show that fewer than ten percent of American Christians actually tithe.) In any case, even those of us who call Jesus "Lord" find that we are mostly unhinged from God on a regular basis. We love the experience of connection during events and retreats, but when the mundane reality of life re-establishes itself, we are quickly scattered once again. It's not that we don't care, but that we, like Martha, get busy with doing and forget about being. Being quiet with God. Being still.

12. Hence we may easily learn what is the proper, direct meaning of that common expression, -- a dissipated man. He is a man that is separated from God; that is disunited from his centre, whether this be occasioned by hurry of business, by seeking honour or preferment, or by fondness for diversions, for silly pleasures, so called, or for any trifle under the sun. The vulgar, it is true, commonly confine this character to those who are violently attached to women, gaming, drinking; to dancing, balls, races, or the poor, childish diversion of "running foxes and hares out of breath." But it equally belongs to the serious fool who forgets God by a close attention to any worldly employment, suppose it were of the most elegant or the most important kind. A man may be as much dissipated from God by the study of the mathematics or astronomy, as by fondness for cards or hounds. Whoever is habitually inattentive to the presence and will of his Creator, he is a dissipated man.

I like this section of Wesley's sermon. Our church culture tends to look at a word like "dissipation" and equate it with "sins." If we don't smoke or drink or dance (or go with those who do), we pat ourselves on our Pharisaical backs and applaud our righteousness. However, we (and I am more guilty than most) often become "serious fools" who forget God in all sorts of elegant and laudable pursuits. Working with humanitarian efforts or feeding the poor or teaching the young or caring for a family--these are noble efforts, but if they distract us from relationship with God, they are no less sinful than less honorable activities. Ouch.

So what is the solution? How do I, in 2012, maintain a commitment to be connected? Wesley, of course, has a brilliant solution:

20. It was from a full conviction of the absolute necessity there is of a Christian's setting the Lord always before him that a set of young gentlemen in Oxford, who, many years ago, used to spend most of their evenings together, in order to assist each other in working out their salvation, placed that question first in their scheme of daily self-examination: "Have I been simple and recollected in all I said or did?" Have I been simple? -- That is, setting the Lord always before me, and doing everything with a single view of pleasing him? --Recollected? -- that is, quickly gathering in my scattered thoughts; recovering my simplicity, if I had been in any wise drawn from it by men, or devils, or my own evil heart? By this means they were preserved from dissipation, and were enabled, each of them, to say, "By the grace of God, this one thing I do: (at least, it is my constant aim) I see God, I love God, I serve God. I glorify him with my body and with my spirit."

To be free from dissipation and to be truly connected requires an active accountability of my days. "Have I been simple?" It's such an easy question to ask, but the implications are profound. My activities are not the problem that leaves me "unhinged." Rather, it is the focus of those activities. Where are my thoughts as I do what I do? Do I work so that HE is glorified? Do I sing that HE is honored? Do I serve my family, my friends, my church for HIS sake? This must be my constant motivation: HIS glory, HIS renown, HIS fame. In that, there is connection with HIM, and from that, connection with others.

Let this year be one where I am fully connected in my relationship with the Lord, and after that, in my relationships with others, and then (and only then) with the things that I do.

Quotes taken from John Wesley's Sermon 79 on "Dissipation"

To End Slavery

2012-01-05T21:06:00.001-05:00

More than 40,000 college aged students gave (not pledged, GAVE) more then 3 MILLION DOLLARS to end human trafficking in the US and abroad. They stood in line to give. They gave from their hearts, not their excess. They gave joyfully. They gave willfully.The Church needs to take a close look at itself and eliminate the Pharisees who make giving a duty to be trumpeted. The Church needs to rise and sing and give and disciple and love.Just sayin'.

My favorite photo of 2011

2012-01-02T18:31:00.003-05:00

Gulf Shores, Alabama...

A New Year

2012-01-01T16:27:00.001-05:00

This is the day for making resolutions for change in this coming year. This is the day when the past is put away for good and the future is a bright and clean slate, ready to fill with good things. At least, that's what many people do this day. For me, New Year's Day is not a day for resolutions. The last resolution I made was one to make no more resolutions in January. It's the only one I've actually kept.

For the next 6-10 weeks the road will be full of people resolved to lose weight or get in shape. The gym will be packed as well. For the next week or so they will drink more water, make healthier food choices, and exercise every day. The food resolutions might last until the Super Bowl in February, and by March the roads and gym will be home to those who do not resolve, but those who simply DO.

As for putting away the past year, I'm not convinced that's the right thing to do either. Granted, some years are better than others, but every year contains lessons to learn and remember. Every year has moments of satisfaction. Going into a new year hoping for something better doesn't accomplish anything except set up expectations for things outside of personal control.

I prefer to live in the present, neither dwelling on the past nor driven by the future. Each day has enough trouble and enough potential of its own. If I can awaken in the morning and put my feet on the floor, it's already a good day. If I can have a cup of coffee with a satisfying breakfast, I am more blessed than many. If I can move my body for the sake of health, I am ahead of the game. If I have a job to do, my needs are met. If I have a purpose for each day, then I am rich.

I don't need the turn of the calendar to motivate me to think theses thoughts; they are part of my daily routine. Gratitude should be as natural as breathing for anyone living in this country. We have much to be thankful for.

A Tale of Two Christmases

2011-12-29T22:19:00.002-05:00

The Gift

2011-12-26T18:56:00.000-05:00

Trash to Treasure

2011-12-22T23:34:00.000-05:00

From this:

to this:

(Thank you Cloth, Paper, Scissors for the inspiration.)

All is Well

2011-12-22T17:51:00.003-05:00

All Is Well - Christmas Festival 2011 from Johnson Ferry on Vimeo.

Johnson Ferry Baptist Church 2011

Stone Mountain Thanksgiving Tradition

2011-12-18T21:54:00.001-05:00

Annunciation

2011-12-12T22:51:00.001-05:00

Another in the series of images based on poetry by Madeleine L'Engle

"This is the irrational season
When love blooms bright and mild.
Had Mary been filled with reason
There'd have been no room for the child."

"After Annunciation" Madeleine L'Engle, Crosswicks Ltd. 1978

Emmanuel

2011-12-06T20:21:00.001-05:00

What We Do Not Know

2011-11-30T10:58:00.001-05:00

Water, flour, and newspaper

2011-11-28T20:26:00.001-05:00

I saw an article in my favorite magazine that inspired me to put empty water bottles to a new use. As it turned out, the Cafe where I am a barista has loads of empty bottles from flavored syrups. So, armed with a dozen bottles of various sizes, I pulled flour from the freezer, gathered several days worth of the Marietta Daily journal ads and classified, donned an apron, and retreated to 1975 summer camp projects with an decidedly accidental artist flair.

The project in the magazine was about Christmas tree angels, but I quickly found that my creations would be too heavy for tree tops. Still, I was having fun, so I decided to move forward and check a few people off my Christmas list while I had fun reliving childhood craft projects.

This is my first completed doll. She is joyful.

The project consisted of multiple steps, from creating an armature of bottle, paper, and masking tape to papier mache to paper clay to paint to decoupage and finally to finishing touches. As I worked with the materials I found myself talking to the dolls (as I call them) and asking them who they wanted to be. The most surprising step for me was seeing the faces as they formed. The first one caught me so off guard that I actually said out loud, "Well, hello there." From that point on, I quit thinking and just let the faces and personalities emerge.

I now have a dozen dolls in various stages of completion. Each is unique, and I hope the recipients enjoy the results as much as I have enjoyed the process.

This is Joy. She makes me happy.

Dolls in three stages: needing final touches, paper clay'd, and gessoed

papier-mache

Sometimes it's good to play.

Inspired by Erin Butson Cloth, Paper, Scissors, November/December 2011 "Angels Among Us"

Tis the Season

2011-11-16T21:06:00.001-05:00

How Great is Our God

2011-11-14T20:54:00.001-05:00

I saw this first at the Passion City Church Good Friday service at Verizon Amphitheater in Alpharetta, GA. It is just too cool.

Carrie and Mike

2011-10-20T22:54:00.001-04:00

Sonoma County Fair 1998

2011-10-19T12:11:00.000-04:00

Apple Season

2011-10-11T19:30:00.001-04:00

Corinne, 1996

2011-10-10T22:10:00.002-04:00

Carrie, October 1992

2011-10-09T22:19:00.001-04:00

Marching Band season 2011

2011-10-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

Mutability

2011-10-07T23:07:00.003-04:00

We are as clouds that veil the midnight moon;
How restlessly they speed, and gleam, and quiver,
Streaking the darkness radiantly!--yet soon
Night closes round, and they are lost forever:

Or like forgotten lyres, whose dissonant strings
Give various response to each varying blast,
To whose frail frame no second motion brings
One mood or modulation like the last.

We rest.--A dream has power to poison sleep;
We rise.--One wandering thought pollutes the day;
We feel, conceive or reason, laugh or weep;
Embrace fond woe, or cast our cares away:

It is the same!--For, be it joy or sorrow,
The path of its departure still is free:
Man's yesterday may ne'er be like his morrow;
Nought may endure but Mutability.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley
The only constant is change. I Ching

Conflict is the root of all good literature, and at the heart of conflict is change. When some inciting incident upsets a beginning balance, the wheels of the protagonist begin to work, attempting to regain that beginning balance. Sometimes the balance is restored, although the protagonist should have grown as a character. Sometimes that balance is utterly destroyed. Even then, however, there is an unchangeable resolution. The book ends, the covers are closed, and the reader moves on to the next book on the list.
Conflict is also the critical element in living a full life. However, unlike in literature, there really is no beginning balance, and an inciting incident may be as insignificant as a dream or a single wandering thought. What then? If something small change change the future, how does one hold on to sanity or contentment or joy? Without a beginning balance, how can man find his way through 70 years of uncertainty?
What is the purpose of a goal, anyway? Why do men dream dreams and debate vision? If man has no control of the next moment, why plan? For what can he prepare?
Perhaps that is the point. Those who allow themselves to be so constrained by a particular plan never truly experience the spontaneity of adjustment. Those stiff-necked people who pretend to know the best definition of success cannot possibly work out unusual solutions to projects or adapt quickly to a new idea. The best and brightest of men are those who live on the edge,, welcoming each change as an opportunity to grow, to invent, and to create. That measure of success is not in some societal absolute, but in the satisfaction of personal achievement.
To live a boundless, unrestrained life is the beginning balance of the creative mind. The inciting incidents of change are merely the springboards to imagination. The rising action becomes an exciting and frustrating series of new applications and new ideas. Climax is that moment of revelation. Resolution comes with adaptation. There is no denouement in life because each resolution leads to another inciting incident. The story does not stop in a life fully lived. The covers of the book never close, and there is no need to find another life to live. The man who chooses a full life embraces every change.

Happiness is...

2011-09-29T17:53:00.003-04:00

A Card

2011-09-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

I haven't made a card in FOREVER, so it felt good to actually sit down and create this one:

My brother is so cool

2011-09-17T21:35:00.001-04:00

The dude second from left with the sunglasses on his head? Yeah, that's my baby brother.

Transcendentalist 1

2011-09-16T20:50:00.000-04:00

I'm developing a new approach to teaching literature by making photography/digital design an essential element. The last few sessions we've studied the Transcendentalists with an emphasis on Whitman and Thoreau. Emerson became the source for journaling.

The students had to choose a selection from either Thoreau's Walden or a selection of Whitman's poetry (Dover has a little book of them, which oddly, leaves out some of my favorites.)

I pulled a section of Thoreau called "Solitude." It reads, in part:

I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will. Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows. The really diligent student in one of the crowded hives of Cambridge College is as solitary as a dervish in the desert. The farmer can work alone in the field or the woods all day, hoeing or chopping, and not feel lonesome, because he is employed; but when he comes home at night he cannot sit down in a room alone, at the mercy of his thoughts, but must be where he can "see the folks," and recreate, and as he thinks remunerate himself for his day's solitude; and hence he wonders how the student can sit alone in the house all night and most of the day without ennui and "the blues"; but he does not realize that the student, though in the house, is still at work in his field, and chopping in his woods, as the farmer in his, and in turn seeks the same recreation and society that the latter does, though it may be a more condensed form of it.

Thoreau was, of course, talking about the benefits of solitude. As an introvert, I identify with the idea that society can be exhausting and that a respite is refreshing. However, I also identify the idea that it is possible to be lonely in a crowd, and so I used that idea in my piece. I used a student from another class as my model and took a timed exposure (without a tripod, by the way), having her hold still while other class members walked around her. I desaturated her image and increased saturation on the background students. The digital papers are from my collection (mostly Faith Sisters and DigiDesignResort). Add some word art, play with blending modes, and done. It captures the essence of being lonely and I think illustrates Thoreau's concept of social fatigue.

New Necklaces

2011-09-08T21:51:00.007-04:00

I've been busy making new necklaces for 3Cs Design. Here are a few, but check out the shop to see them all! They're only $25 (and there's a wedding coming up that needs funding!)

Emily Dickinson

2011-09-04T23:01:00.000-04:00

Emily Dickinson was a strange bird, but she wrote beautiful (albeit sometimes morbid) poetry. Since I'm teaching a new class that I'm creating as I go, I'm experimenting more with incorporating poetry into my photo and digital projects. It can be particularly challenging, especially right now when my Muse is on vacation. Seriously, can't she vacation when I'm not in dire need of her? Ah well...the weather and seasons will change soon enough, and I'll be out, camera in hand again. Until then, I will read poetry. And plenty of it.

Mother-in-Law?

2011-08-18T22:26:00.001-04:00

Reflecting at summer's end

2011-08-15T10:13:00.000-04:00

It's mid-August, but with schools starting this week, for me, the summer is at its end. It's different this year. Carrie keeps in touch more through Facebook, Twitter, and texting than in visits home, which is appropriate for a college senior. Her life is now her own, and we're letting go more and more as she begins to establish herself as the adult she wants to become. Corinne begins that journey this week. We moved her into the dorms yesterday, knowing that she will likely not live at home again. It's an exciting adventure for her. Caty Mae is the only one at home now, but school began for her today, and the house is quiet. It even feels emptier. And that's the way it is supposed to be.

We raise our girls to be strong and independent. They make their own choices and live with those consequences. Sometimes they choose well, and other times, well, we wish they listened better to us. Each has a future that is hopeful and positive; there is no reason to suspect otherwise. Yet I wonder what they will learn from their choices. Will Carrie regret not being more proactive in finding a fellowship of Believers? Will Corinne look at the grudges she holds and see how bitterness damages precious relationships? Will Caty Mae hold her ground on the things that matter and engage in conflict at the right time and in the best way? I can't know these things, but I can pray for them fervently, knowing that God sees through eyes even more loving than mine.

Everyone wants the perfect happy family, white picket fenced house and all. But the reality is that it doesn't exist. There are those who are blessed with happy children whose nature is to please. There are those whose marriages improve over the years without much effort. There are those who never deal with the tragedies of loss--whether it be lost jobs, lost opportunities, lost or wayward children, lost parents and siblings and friends--some float though life smugly assured that they haven't suffered because they are BETTER. Deep inside, though, even those will deal with loss, because they will not have experienced the depth of joy that only grief can allow. That self-satisfaction prevents them from a walk with God that is raw and real in many ways. So often they refuse to break out of that self-imposed "christian" bubble, limiting their experiences with God to the comfortable.

I don't want to be comfortable. I don't want my girls to be comfortable. I want them to live their lives with passion and fire and exuberance. Comfortable is easy, but comfortable is lazy. There's too much out there that God has planned for us to be satisfied with laziness. Strength and endurance come by throwing off the things that make life easy and running after God's best with all out heart, mind, soul, and strength. That's where the joy is. That's where delight comes from. That's what I want for my girls. That's what the Father wants for me.

3Cs Design--on Etsy

2011-08-10T13:54:00.001-04:00

It's been a LONG time since I put anything in my etsy store, but I've been a necklace making manic, so hopefully these will sell (must support the addiction...)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/3CsDesign

Deep Sea Fishing

2011-08-05T21:26:00.000-04:00

Caty Mae turns Fifteen

2011-08-05T21:25:00.000-04:00

Corinne at Destin

2011-07-29T14:56:00.000-04:00

War is a Fevered god

2011-07-27T18:25:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Advertising Challenge

2011-07-21T21:52:00.001-04:00

DigiDesignResort has great digital products, but I am REALLY hooked on their challenges. One of the 13 (yes, 13) challenges for July was to scrap a page mimicking a 1950s ad featuring Marilyn Monroe.

It's a classic 50s look, with multiple fonts and a fairly monochromatic color scheme. The first challenge was to decide which family event fit the inspiration. Choosing photos was a challenge because I had to rely on Facebook downloads, which are tiny files. (I get around that by using my OnOne software to enlarge the image. It doesn't do anything for sharpness, but it helps make the pictures workable.) The other thing that I had to figure out was the text. Most of my layouts are photo-heavy and text-light. This one required a fair amount of written language.

I decided to use Corinne's senior prom pictures. She looked particularly elegant, so I thought the "look" would be appropriate. For the journaling, I caught her in a chatty mood and asked her to write up her thoughts about her prom experience. A couple of DDR papers, PSE blending modes and crop shapes, three fonts, and about 30 layers later, I have this memory to share:

See why I like the challenges? I never would have done this without the inspiration of the challenge.

The Story of the Unicorn

2011-07-19T10:23:00.002-04:00

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-14T22:35:00.002-04:00

Beautiful Like Me

2011-07-12T23:56:00.001-04:00

"I am not beautiful like you; I am beautiful like me." (Joydrop)

When I first saw the challenge to create a self-portrait that included these lyrics, I cringed. I am one of the self-critical who will never feel beautiful because my features will never conform to current societal standards. I have worked for years to accept my body type (strong and muscular, when the ideal is tall and slender) and to be satisfied with my looks, from broad forehead to strong jaw. Still, to have to write something linking me to beauty is a challenge. It would be easier to use the quote and ignore the journaling requirement of the challenge, but I know the introspection is good for me, so I set up the camera and think about what makes me uniquely beautiful.
I know people think that I am creative and talented. Others see me as persistent and intense. A few envision me as compassionate and sweet. I've been told I am inspiring. (I haven't quite figured that one out.) I know I am a good teacher with a dry sense of humor, but does that make me beautiful? What defines beauty anyway? I know Psalm 139 by heart, and I've taught on God's standard of beauty, so I know the "right" answers, but that doesn't necessarily mean I feel beautiful on a regular basis.

As I created the easy part of the artwork, I thought about the journaling. Finally I decided to look at the picture carefully and write what I saw. I look pretty good for my age, but I think it is less my features (which are about the same as they've always been) than it is my spirit revealed in my eyes and smile. I am strong. I am positive. I am passionate and intense. Those are the things that make me look the way I do. And in that sense, that makes me beautiful-not like anyone else, but like me.

Whitman

2011-07-11T23:09:00.002-04:00

Love is Louder

2011-07-08T12:47:00.002-04:00

Gulf Shores 2011

2011-07-02T00:08:00.000-04:00

My Mom as a Girl

2011-06-21T23:54:00.002-04:00

band banquet

2011-06-19T22:42:00.000-04:00

Guess who won "best hair?"

Love the Thunder

2011-06-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

One Greyhound barks at it. The other Greyhound hides from it. The Italian Greyhound ignores it. Me? I love it. I could just lie in bed with a book and read with the music of the clouds as accompaniment.

ahhhhhh

Puccini

2011-06-14T22:38:00.001-04:00

Long May She Wave Flag Day 2011

2011-06-13T22:30:00.002-04:00

Just a fun little layout from a speed scrap on Jessica Sprague.com

2011-06-11T17:36:00.002-04:00

Heritage:My great-grandparents

2011-06-08T18:06:00.002-04:00

ouch

2011-06-05T13:09:00.001-04:00

²⁰ Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings

2 Chronicles 21

In my "read through the Bible in a year" series, I've worked through Samuel, Kings, and now Chronicles. Israel and Judah had more than a few terrible rulers. God gave them chance after chance, but most of them never repented leaving foreign altars, marrying foreign women, and worshiping foreign gods. A few of the better kings tried to reinstate the true theocracy, but still failed to remove all the false gods' temples and altars from the high places.

As bad as they were, most of them were buried with the former kings.

And then came Jehoram. His first act as king was to kill all his brothers. Then he married a daughter of Ahab-one of the most wicked people to ever walk the face of the earth. After that he built up more temples to false gods and forced the people of Jerusalem to worship at them. Both Edom and Libnah rebelled and set up their own kingdoms to protect their people from the wicked king. Jehoram went out of his way to rebel against God and lead people away from what is good and holy. Finally, the prophet Elijah send the king a letter:

“This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. ¹³ But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better than you. ¹⁴ So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. ¹⁵ You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’”

One would think that might be sufficient warning, but it wasn't. God finally allowed the Philistines and Arabic Cushites to overthrow Jehoram, plunder everything, and take the family (except the youngest son.) Then the promised disease struck, and Jehoram died after two years of agonizing pain. Apparently he maintained his evil mind, because there was no pity on him and no royal funeral pyre. He was buried, but not in the tombs of the kings. When he died it was "to no one's regret."

I may not be a trained Bible scholar, but in my reading, I don't recall any other person dying "to no one's regret." Not Pharaoh, not Ahab, not Jezebel, not any other king who rebelled against God. "To no one's regret" means that every soul in the kingdom was relieved to have him gone. We can't even say that about Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Napoleon...choose a historical figure who did evil. As wicked as they were, someone mourned them. Someone regretted the lost life. But Jehoram was in a league of his own.

How does one man immerse himself in rebellion against God so deeply that his death is beneficial for everyone?

For everyone living today, there is a hope for a better legacy than that. There are those who deny God and who teach that this life is all there is. They say that death is followed by decomposition and nothing more. Most of them are blinded by their own god-complexes. To believe in any deity is to deny their own superiority.

There are also those who choose to remain blissfully ignorant. They're too busy living to really care about what happens after death. Many of them have visions of harps and wings and familiar faces. These are the ones who believe that, if there is a heaven, they're probably good enough to get in.

There are others who have a skewed perspective of God. They humanize the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Sovereign Creator of the Universe, in order to make Him more "approachable" or more "familiar." This is a dangerous path, for the God who struck down Jehoram is unchangeable.

Others claim to know the mind of God. (Harold Camping comes to mind.) Many of these people form religions and practices based on what they want God to be. In the end, they generally become enthralled with their own power over others, and are revealed as frauds.

The problem with all these concepts is that they ignore the fact that God is not man and man is not God (or even a god.) God's justice is real. His standard is perfection. And His love endures forever.

It's a dichotomy that the finite mind cannot understand, no matter how high the IQ or how sensitive the empathy. Fortunately, we don't have to stay mired down in the murkiness of mankind's mess. God, in his love, makes it possible to seek after Him heart, soul, mind, and strength. He asks so little of us---and yet it requires giving up everything we think we are: powerful, intelligent, witty, attractive, capable, talented...whatever.

First, we acquiesce to the fact that this life is NOT all there is. Peggy Lee sang it well...there is no reason to do anything other than drink and dance if that all there is. There's no hope for anything better unless there is more than this life.

Secondly, we take a long and honest look at ourselves. Pretty good? Probably. Evil as Jehoram? Not even the wickedest one among us. But perfect? Far from it. We are inherently selfish, wanting that which brings us pleasure (sex, money, and power---it's one of the three.) On our own, it's hopeless...and we may as well keep dancing.

However, as improbable as it seems, there is a way around the perfection expectation. God instituted a series of feasts, festivals, offerings, and sacrifices in order for people to demonstrate that their hearts and minds wanted to please the Creator in spite of their imperfections. Kings like Jehoram eliminated them, and the people suffered. Eventually, the people abandoned them and scattered from Jerusalem all over the world. In His mercy (and it can only be love and mercy), God provided an ultimate feast/festival/offering/sacrifice. He came and lived as one of us: Jesus. Jesus said over and over that He and the Father were one. He put aside his deity for a time so that he could fulfill all the feasts and festivals and offerings and sacrifices in a way that no king could ever destroy. When Jesus died (having done nothing wrong-ever) and when He came back to life, the need to keep festivals and feasts and offerings and sacrifices disappeared. It doesn't make sense to the logical, rational mind, but logic and reason are limited. God is limitless, so the things that mankind cannot comprehend makes perfect sense to Him.

So then, the third step is to acknowledge that Jesus is the way around the perfection expectation. When we choose to trust Jesus with our lives, our future is assured. God looks at Jesus (and at Himself, since He is One) and opens wide the doors to confidence and assurance that this life is NOT all there is and that there is an eternal hope and future.

Finally, God gave us three things to do as we live our lives: Do justly, Love mercy, Walk humbly with Him. (Micah 6:8)

The legacy of King Jehoram was his ultimate rejection of God, which led to ultimate rejection by his people. I want my legacy to be that I embraced God and demonstrated that by doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with Him, knowing that, anything I count in my favor is nothing in comparison to His glory.

I Need to be HGTV'd!

2011-06-04T18:27:00.000-04:00

HGTV has a new show called "HGTV'd" where they send a designer and a crew to makeover one room in a house. I entered our master bathroom. We've never liked the floor to vaulted ceiling wallpaper, and we hate the pink carpet. (Whoever thought pink carpet was a good idea in a bathroom should be forced to live in a pink carpet padded room.)

So, I need help from my friends. Click the link to the HGTV site and give my room 1 star (for really awful.) Then leave a comment telling the producers just how much this room (and this family) needs a major makeover!

Oh Mercy! Marietta Master Bath

Get everyone you know....we've lived with this ghastly room for 6.5 years---and it'll be 8-10 more before we can afford to make it over right ourselves!!!

Save Brian from the flowers on all four walls---and save us all from the pink carpet!

Books...

2011-06-01T13:03:00.002-04:00

Graduation

2011-05-31T23:18:00.002-04:00

Reflection

2011-05-30T22:26:00.000-04:00

This is a combination of two photographs, paper, and several digital elements. It makes me think of far away places of wonder.

The Music of the Universe

2011-05-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

My contribution to a digital music challenge:

just a few layouts...

2011-05-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-05-08T21:47:00.002-04:00

In Honor of Mother's Day

2011-05-07T17:13:00.000-04:00

I couldn't do it without them:

Justice According to the Law, Mercy According to His Grace.

2011-05-02T20:36:00.002-04:00

Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from them.
Proverbs 24:17

May 1, 2011 will go down in history as a momentous day of retribution and justice. Osama bin Ladin, the mastermind and head enthusiast of Al Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan by American Special Forces. Under bin Ladin's leadership, Al Qaeda led the world in terrorism and murder in the name of a god they call Allah. Ten years ago, their work killed nearly 3,000 American civilians on four airplanes, the Twin Towers of New York, and the Pentagon. American citizens of every race and creed, going about their daily business of living, were snuffed out in a few terrifying moments. Life in the USA has never been the same.

Security at airports has become nothing short of ridiculous. Six year olds are patted down for explosives, and everyone is subject to x-ray. Liquids are not allowed in greater amounts than 3 ounces. Some places confiscate anything sharp---including nail clippers and files. Even shoes are subject to x-ray. Airline travel has become a long and tedious process, filled with warnings and stringent rules.

American military families have endured the greatest burden, next to those who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks. Multiple tours of duty, roadside bombs, improvised explosive devices, snipers, searing heat, duststorms, bitter cold, and long separations from family are a few of the sacrifices made by US Armed Forces. Men and women served multiple tours to places full of danger, where Americans are subject to the worst treatment possible if captured.

American tourists risked criticism abroad, as our nation was perceived to be the instigator of an "unjust" war against terrorism and extremism. For ten years, the US has persevered in seeking out retribution for the 9/11 attacks, and justice for the one who promoted "death to the infidels."

So, according to the law, a mass murderer who breathed hatred and spewed evil with every speech received his due punishment. In the early morning hours, US Navy Seals acted on intelligence from the CIA (and a variety of sources, including prisoners at Guantanamo Bay) and shot Osama bin Ladin twice in the head. It was justice: quick, decisive, and final. Details will continue to be revealed over the next days and weeks, but the most important news is this: Osama bin Ladin is dead.

According to the law of justice, there is cause for joy. Proverbs says:

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
Proverbs 21:15

The message of justice is clear: the evil ones will be held accountable for their actions, and their just punishment should serve a warning to others who may consider perpetrating further evil. Whenever any of bin Ladin's disciples struck a blow against Americans, people who followed him danced in the streets, burning American flags, and desecrating the symbols and values that American's hold dear. We were horrified by the celebrations at the murder of one of ours.

Now, however, it is the Americans who cheer at death. Worse yet, it is many Christians who "thank God" that bin Ladin now faces eternity in torment. "We got him," they shout as they plan parties to celebrate the death. The sentiment mimics the same one that so horrified us when the tables were turned. We must consider that bin Ladin chose to follow after evil, but his followers believe their mission is from Allah. Their holy writings have been interpreted in such a way that they espouse violence toward all non-Muslims. These people are deceived. They are blind. They do not have ears to hear the truth. They celebrate because they do not know the God of grace and mercy, but only a god of violence and retribution.

How, then, can Christians find cause to gloat and celebrate? Osama bin Ladin received justice according to the law, but he faces eternity in the torments of hell. He could have chosen mercy, but instead followed a god of his own making. That should not be a cause for rejoicing, but for thoughtful introspection. Osama bin Ladin is now beyond hope. Those who revere him will move farther down the path of iniquity, and may well follow him to hell. How is that a cause for celebration?

God certainly doesn't rejoice when this kind of justice is meted out. Ezekiel 18:32 says, " For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" Granted, the passage refers to rebellious Israel, but the New Testament reiterates the idea that God's mercy is extended to all people. All have sinned; Christ died for us--while we were still in our sin; God so loved the world; there is no difference between Jew and Greek---the theme is the same: God created mankind for fellowship with Him, and to lose one breaks His heart (even though, yes, He knew in advance who would reject Him and who would draw near.)

If all of humanity were to stand trial and make an account of actions, thoughts, and motives, NO ONE would be spared the punishments according to the law that justice requires. It is mercy given by the grace of God Himself that saves us. We, as Christians, must remember that we are set apart by God's mercy and that it is ONLY His mercy that saves us. Gloating has no place in the heart and mind of the believer. Zechariah wrote, "'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.'" (Zechariah 7:9) This, then, must be our response to bin Ladin's death: justice administered, but compassion for those whom he has misled.

Titus 3

¹ Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, ² to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. ³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

How Great, Indeed.

2011-04-28T21:01:00.002-04:00

Pondering Passion

2011-04-23T00:43:00.014-04:00

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities: all things were created by him and for him.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

You do not realize that it is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.... So from that day on they [the priests] plotted to take his life.

I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

This is my command: Love each other.

Father, the time has come.

My kingdom is not of this world...I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.

Here is the man...shall I crucify your king?

Finally Pilate handed his over to them to be crucified.

It is finished.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Now THAT is passion.

Scripture from the NIV Bible, Zondervan Press.

Colossians 1

John 3, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17,18, 19

1 Peter 2

1 John 2, 4

What does Passion mean?

2011-04-22T14:56:00.002-04:00

What exactly do we mean when we talk about passion? And why do we call the week before Easter "Passion" week?

Most of the dictionaries equate passion with an extreme emotion, particularly one of ardor or love. Somehow, though, "extreme emotion" seems insufficient, particularly in light of the events of Good Friday. Over and over Jesus told his disciples that his death was necessary and imminent. John 10 says,

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

While the disciples did not understand (John 16:17), Jesus knew exactly what lay ahead for him. He knew that the Jewish leaders did not have authority to condemn him to death, and that his life would be taken by the Romans. Roman torture and execution for non-Romans was well-known for its brutality and violence. Yet, Jesus submitted. And we call it "passion."

Jesus acknowledged the depth of his fear in Gethsemane, when his prayer was so intense that his sweat became like blood. By the end of those horrifying hours, Jesus acquiesced his human will to the will of the Father, and stood, prepared to endure the next events that would be the most cruel and brutal the Roman soldiers could imagine. But for what?

For "extreme emotion?" For power? For notoriety? For fame? For glory? For what, exactly?

John 3:16, in its simplicity is beyond profound: "For God so LOVED...." There must be more to passion than "extreme emotion." Passion is extreme, to be sure, but passion has power. Emotion may be an element of passion, but it cannot drive action. Emotion is a result, not a force.

Passion, then, is a motivating force, something that drives an individual to endure great suffering or to lay aside circumstances, expectations, and abilities to pursue it. Love is passion, not the other way around. It is a choice, a power, a drive too strong to allow any impediment to its living out. That must be why the book of John (and his epistles) focuses so intently on love. (According to one source, some form of "love" appears in that gospel alone nearly 60 times.) Jesus told his followers repeatedly to "love one another." It is a command, an instruction, and a choice.

To choose love is to demonstrate commitment. To choose obedience is to demonstrate humility. To choose the will of God over self--that is the essence of passion.

There is power in passion.

That's My King

2011-04-18T22:45:00.004-04:00

PWA Blog Hop

2011-04-16T15:40:00.003-04:00

Well, better late than never!!! I had some computer glitches, but here is the project for my portion of the PennyWiseArts 2011 blog hop:

Speed Scrap!

2011-04-15T22:40:00.003-04:00

I love finding new places for inspiration. Thanks to my friend, Bea, I found DigiDesignResort...and tonight played in my first speed scrap:

Nothing says a spring day like...

2011-04-12T13:46:00.001-04:00

This is another of the journal prompts for my creative writing class. I thought I'd play along this time.

Nothing says a spring day like yellow dust. It covers the cars. It covers the patios and decks. The tennis courts yield clouds of yellow as the ball bounces off the line. It gets into noses and eyes and contact lenses. It turns to yellow mud after a spring shower, leaving artistic trails as the water evaporates.

Yellow is a happy color. It evokes images of sunshine and laughter and outdoor fun. It recalls smiley faced circles, and a certain sugar cookie from a bakery in Bakersfield.

Yellow is warm and friendly. It embraces the soul and turns the blue spirit into the green of new beginnings and life. It energizes and harmonizes and highlights the best and the brightest.

A spring day in Georgia is all about the yellow dust. It annoys, maddens, and frustrates. But yellow is happy---even in pollen form, because it means that winter is over, spring has arrived, and summer is on the way.

A little taste

2011-04-10T21:11:00.001-04:00

I've been working on a digital scrapbook for a friend. Here are three of my favorite pages:

A Dose of Old-Fashioned Common Sense

2011-04-01T21:42:00.000-04:00

I love this woman:

Plain, but not so simple

2011-03-31T18:17:00.000-04:00

I think this should be required viewing for all school boards, administrators,and teachers:

No Original Thinking Allowed.

2011-03-30T19:54:00.002-04:00

When we moved to Georgia, we chose our home partly based on the reputation of the schools. The elementary and middle schools are terrific. The academics are solid and the extra-curriculars (especially the music) are superb. Then high school hit. This particular school is highly rated in the state and even nationally. Music and sports and art programs are stellar. Students score well on standardized test and college acceptance is the rule, not the exception.

However, the educational philosophy is more about elevated test scores that make the school look good than about actually EDUCATING the students. I have in front of me a rubric for a research paper in an American Literature class. As I review it, I realize there is not ONE point for critical thinking, independent analysis, or unique discussion. There are sixteen points to this rubric and every single one of them is based on layout, grammar, and mechanics. There are more points awarded for using the correct font than for using the student's own brain.

This disturbs me. No, it angers me. What are they teaching there? How will these kids excel in college/career unless they learn to think critically and communicate well? This particular teacher didn't even read the essay in question (and no, it's not one of my own children's papers.) She skimmed through the paper checking off sources (two primary, four secondary), topic sentences (and she missed one), and keywords that she thought were relevant. Had she actually read the content she would have discovered that her chosen keywords were irrelevant to the actual thesis. She would have read a well-supported, strongly written paper---with a lot of punctuation errors.

Granted, spelling, punctuation, and proper citation matter. It's important to communicate correctly, but it's MORE important to communicate actual SUBSTANCE. Sadly, this teacher (and she is one of many) apparently believes that thoughtful analysis is of no value. Students may not know anything about thinking critically, but they darn well know where to use a semi-colon!

Bill Beattie, an American coach, gets it, saying:

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men.

I believe that my job as an educator is to teach my students how to read critically, how to interpret information, how to draw conclusions, and how to communicate effectively. Part of that does include insisting on proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Citing sources is important to differentiate between the students' thoughts and the ideas of others. But to end there and to hold that as the ultimate goal does the students a grave disservice. Where is the encouragement to reach beyond expectations? Where is the motivation to try new things? I like what Jean Piaget wrote:

The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done---men who are creative, inventive and discoverers.

Unless more teachers decide to become educators, rather than test-preparers, the future is pretty bleak. Teenagers will continue to be underestimated, test scores will continue to be a poor representation of anything of value, and true innovators will be harder and harder to find because no one will be willing to think outside the standardized test box.

PSE OnOne play

2011-03-26T16:20:00.001-04:00

I love how a little software manipulation can make a bad picture really artistic!

before

after

It feels good to play a little.
I made the necklace based on a project I saw in Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, March/April 2011 edition. The flowers are made of old torn paper. I added microbeads for detail (Pennywise Arts.) The rest is traditional beading and a chain from a craft store. I made the clasp fit toward the front for an asymentrical look. I'm really happy with the way it turned out---and the fun I had making it!

More Playing

2011-03-19T21:01:00.000-04:00

I used my birthday money from my mom to invest in "OnOne" software, a program that allows me to easily create cool effects. Here is a sample, using a picture of sweet Abigail:

before

after

Fun stuff!!!!

Excuses, Excuses...

2011-03-19T17:28:00.003-04:00

One of the things my students learn quickly is the Mrs Loomis does not tolerate excuses. Printer didn't work? Should have finished early enough to find an alternative. Out of town? We're in class two days a week--you are responsible to get the work done. Out of paper? Out of ink? No internet? (see answer above.)

So, it's probably no surprise that I roll my eyes at exercise excuses from reasonably healthy people. There are very few people whose doctors discourage any form of exercise. (I have known one in my life, and she WANTED to get out and move. Sadly, she passed away from Type Two Chiari Malformation) Most people are able to exercise; they just aren't willing.

Want excuses? I have plenty:
1. I was diagnosed with asthma at three. I know the insides of ERs all over the country--and a couple internationally. In all likelihood, I will die of some asthma-related malady (in many, many years)

2. I have a slight case of scoliosis. It's not enough to warrant correction, but it is enough to cause pain, muscle inflammation, and stiffness.

3. I have a titanium plate in my neck to secure a bone graft after a ruptured disc. There is another disc threatening to herniate and rupture, too.

4. I have fragile feet. The bones are more flexible than they should be, and that can be painful, although not life-threatening.

5. I am busy. I have a part-time teaching job. I also tutor. I have a photography business. I am an artist (and I've actually sold a couple of things!) I have a daughter in college, a daughter about to graduate from high school, and a daughter in high school who is in marching band AND swims year-round. Mom's taxi-service is always running.

6. Then there is my passion for music. I sing with the local symphony choir--weekly rehearsals, plus concerts. Give that up? Not a chance---it's the best therapy I know.

7. Allergies? Yep---to pretty much everything that grows from animals to yucca trees.

8. Finances are tight (see #5)

9. I have a long term injury sustained when I was hit by a car 16 years ago. It can cause excruciating headaches (and the medicine I take for my high blood pressure excludes any anti-inflammary over the counter medicines to ease them. Acetaminophen barely touches them.)

So, as far as excuses go, I have plenty. I don't write this to elevate myself, but to encourage anyone who reads it: if I can exercise regularly, anyone can!
I run...because it works for me. (My doctor can hardly believe I run like I do, but she keeps an eye on my health issues and tells me to keep it up until my body tells her otherwise.) But there are so many options for people! Time an issue? Make a10 minute committment. EVERYONE can carve out ten minutes over the course of a day.

Walk, bike, swim, dance, lift weights, stand on your toes, stretch, invest a few dollars into bands, find househod materials to simulate weight lifting (milk jugs, sugar bags, laundry detergent tubs....be creative!), find fitness shows on television, check out videos from the library...just MOVE!
Start small. My running began with walking. I added a short jog (from one mailbox to the next.) I extended the jog time. Then I moved faster. I still take walk breaks. (Jeff Galloway is a hero for making the run/walk interval acceptable in the running world.) Sign up for an event--something about having paid to participate is highly motivating. (Plus, many events come with really cool shirts.)
Do one push up. Do one squat. Then add one more. Use a two pound weight. Then a five. Be persistent. Be faithful. Be stubborn and determined to persevere.
It's your LIFE---make it spectacular! Get off the sidelines and play hard. No excuses!!!

Photoshop Elements play...

2011-03-17T22:46:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I just need to PLAY!

God So Loved the World

2011-03-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

The completed work.

Spring promise

2011-03-13T19:35:00.000-04:00

God So Loved

2011-03-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

Work in progress....I need to photograph a crown of thorns myself to make it right...but wanted to share the concept.

The World Beloved

2011-03-10T23:31:00.006-05:00

There is an unusual Mass composed by Carol Barnett with libretto by Marisha Chamberlain that I was privileged to sing last weekend. It is a Bluegrass Mass, an oxymoron at first glance, but brilliantly crafted. The music moves gracefully from the classic Mass feel to the joyousness of Bluegrass harmonies and rhythms. The more we rehearsed it, the more I came to love it and appreciate the tremendous talent of the composer and lyricist.

Part of the power of the piece comes from the way Chamberlain compiled the texts. Her theme came from 1 John 4:7-21:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

     This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

      God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

       We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

The Mass opens with a theme that resurges four more times in movements 5, 8, and 12:

They say God loved the world so dear
He set aside His crown
And cloaked Himself in human shape;
They say that He came down,
And dwelt awhile among us here.
He came on down.

Simple words. Profound thought.

It takes me to Philippians 2:5-11

...Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

From Kyrie to Benediction, this Mass celebrates the magnificent love of God, who, out of love for us, became one of us, in order that we may have fellowship with Him.

It is more than my puny mind can comprehend, but I am grateful for His great love.

Photoshop Elements Play

2011-03-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

One of my groups has a black/white digital challenge this week. Here is my contribution:

Cobb Symphony offers Bluegrass Mass, savors classic symphonies | accessAtlanta

2011-02-23T09:33:00.000-05:00

Cobb Symphony offers Bluegrass Mass, savors classic symphonies accessAtlanta

Just shut up and sing

2011-02-21T20:05:00.002-05:00

Ai yi yi--these last weeks have been a tempest of debate, discussion, and determination to be RIGHT. And for once, I haven't been on one side or the other (well, mostly.) My World Lit class has had a excellent adventure through Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Wilder wrote the book as he struggled with th will of God and the love of God. How can a loving God allow bad things to happen to seemingly good people? Are people predestined for suffering or does God allow it for an unseen purpose or as a test of faith? They are familiar questions almost 100 years after the book won a Pulitzer Prize. And the answers are just as unclear.

Of course, this was a perfect opportunity to teach these 15-16 year olds about Joseph Arminius and John Calvin---and the two opposing schools of thought named for them. As we talked, we found that the class had a couple of "hard core" Calvinists and a couple of equally adamant Arminians. The rest of the class settled in the middle---liking the security of salvation Calvinism teaches, but the free will expressed by Arminians. Socrates would have enjoyed the energetic discussions of the class, and my job as facilitator of learning was made easier by these kids who took on the challenges of the material with wisdom beyond their years. But it was exhausting! In the end, we had to agree that both Calvinists and Arminians are Biblical in their views, and that God, being sovereign and outside of time and space, can both pre-determine and allow free will. We don't have to understand it. As long as we, as believers, are unified on the essentials of the faith (deity of Christ, literal death for sin, literal resurrection for glory, impending return to reign), then we don't have to agree about the rest. (In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. Attributed to Augustine, but probably much older.)

The emotional fatigue certainly had an effect on me as I interacted with some adults who want to be RIGHT at any cost. Normally I can smile and nod ("bless your heart") but this week, the relentless corrections got to me and drove me to tears. Of course, the inciting event ended quickly and relationship restored within hours; it still affected my demeanor for a bit.

World events, from teacher protests in Wisconsin to chaotic revolutions throughout the Middle East (nothing new, but fiery this week) just added to my view of the world as a place where no one really wants peace, but wants only to be RIGHT--and won't be satisfied until everyone agrees. No one will admit to being wrong, and no one is willing to back down or, heaven forbid, compromise on the non-essentials. What a selfish world. Years ago Coca Cola wanted to buy the world a Coke to promote harmony. I don't think a carbonated beverage has that kind of power, but music certainly does.

If believers of different perspectives on the methods of salvation can join together and sing in unity to worship the Holy God, is it too much to ask of the rest of the world to look at the essentials of every conflict and then just shut up and sing? What a lovely thing it would be....

In Memory of Celeste Streutker

2011-02-13T21:32:00.001-05:00

One year ago on Valentine's Day, friends lost their first born daughter in a horrific auto accident. On this day, in honor of Celeste and her family, please drive extra carefully and pray for families who have lost loved ones so unexpectedly.

Textures to share

2011-02-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

My blog-buddy, Elizabeth Golden inspired me to share a few textures with my art friends. Use these in YOUR work, if you like. (and I'd love to see what you do....)

More 2010 layouts

2011-02-12T22:18:00.000-05:00

A Few More Miles

2011-02-09T18:43:00.000-05:00

For some reason this song just resonates with me today, particulary these lyrics:

And I'm gonna press to the end

I intend to finish strong and then

I'll see God's face - the One that I adore

We only have a few more miles to go

It's a live performance, and full of emotion:

Not much time to decide

The prophets have all prophesied