Stop, Listen, Cry

I heard this report on NPR last night, as I calmly painted in my bright, well-lit studio, amidst color and paint and the creativity of others.

And I wept. 

And wondered, how?  Why?  Why does this happen and continue to happen?  How can God bear the anguish of our humanity and our inhumanity.   What would I have done?  How does forgiveness of others and ourselves happen?

How many other stories are out there that need to be told?

We need a Savior.  We have a Savior.  Beyond that, I simply don't know what to say.  Perhaps a wordless prayer for Shin, for his captors and fellow prisoners, for me that my heart would be truly compassionate towards those who suffer.

Thought For the Day

And Allah said:  I am with the ones whose hearts are torn.

   -- Hadith Qudsi

I Needed to Read This

From an essay by Romano Guardini, Italian Catholic apologist from the mid-twentieth century:
"Blessed indeed are 'those who have not seen, and yet have learned to believe!". Those who ask for no miracles, demand nothing out of the ordinary, but who find God's message in everyday life. Those who require no compelling proofs, but who know that everything coming from God must remain in a ultimate suspense, so that faith may never cease to require daring. Those who know that the heart is not overcome by faith, that there is no force or violence there, compelling belief by rigid certitudes. What comes from God touches gently, comes quietly; does not disturb freedom; leads to quiet, profound, peaceful resolve within the heart.

And those are called blessed who make the effort to remain open-hearted. Who seek to cleanse their hearts of all self-righteousness, obstinacy, presumption, inclination to "know better". Who are quick to hear, humble, free-spirited. Who are able to find God's message in the gospel for the day, or even from the sermons of preachers with no message in particular, or in phrases with no quality of charismatic power about them, or in the happenings of everyday life which always end up in the same way: work and rest, anxiety -- and then again some kind of success, some joy, an encounter, and a sorrow."

Save the Socks

These WERE my favorite socks, purchased at the Scandanavian House in New York City several years ago.  Handknit out of luscious wool, they kept my feet warm while I looked snappy. 

I recently had a medical procedure and knew that my feet would get cold.  So I proudly wore these to the hospital and sure enough, they kept my toes warm.  Not until I got home did I discover that both socks had quarter-plus sized holes at the bottom of the heels.  Even though chagrined, I couldn't throw them out.

So what to do?  What any sock-loving person would do!  I up-cycled them into hand warmers.  Hand-warmers lined with fleece, no less.

Cute, cozy AND cheap.  That's me.

Creativity a la "Mad Men"

Yesterday while driving into work, I heard a piece on NPR, "Damn Good Advice", about a long-time advertising executive, George Lois, on creativity.   His damn good advice?  Always start with the written word.  And marry that with a compelling image. 

He believes in creativity as a life-changing philosophy.

To quote him, "The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything. And I really believe that. What I try to teach young people, or anybody in any creative field, is that every idea should seemingly be outrageous."

Thank you George Lois. 

Look around, look within.  Look for creativity.

I found it on a bench outside a shop in Bentonville, AR recently.  It made me stop.  And smile.  It is a good example of an everyday object seen and made in a new way. 

Or for a binge of inspiration, check this out.  

Get out and get creative. 

Weekend Fun

The girls spent Friday night with us; we're still recovering yet we miss them terribly.  What great fun:  feeding the ducks, flying kites, sliding and swinging, having a picnic outside, bouncing on the trampolines, riding bikes, learning new songs and eating ice cream.  Whew!  All that in less than 24 hours.

What joy.  What gifts of grace.

Sometimes It Helps To Step Back

In this post, I'll show you some of my older work.  I have to get some distance on my paintings in order to be a bit more objective.


JOY

You might recognize this one.  It hangs in our bedroom and it is a cheerful sight first thing in the morning.

Haitian Sky

I like to think that in the midst of the darkness and anxiety that is Haiti, there is a breaking through of the light.  It's hope; it's Godly concern; it's the on-going work of the kingdom.



Haitian Mountains

  I took a lot of liberties with the colors, the Haitian hillsides being striped of vegetation and life.  Most days, the hillsides looks iron grey and dull.  For me, these colors represent the vitality of the Haitian people and their culture.

The Latest Desk Buddy

She's pretty cute.

Not as cute as the grandgirls, but cute all the same.

Thanks Jennifer.

We're All About Headbands

Movie Recommendation

If you like and admire good design (I do); if you crave practicality combined with ease of use (check) and if you're curious about how those lovely, streamlined objects (such as the OXO line of products) came to be, watch the movie "Objectified."

And look at your world in a whole new way.

Now That the Weather Has Turned Warmer

I've finally finished a vest I started months ago, using yarn given to me as a gift. 

I finished weaving in the ends last night and blocked it and it's dried this morning.

But I don't think I'll get to wear it until the fall.

It will keep.

And We Stumbled Upon a Celebration

of Holi, "the colorful festival of Holi is celebrated in February or early March. Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renews relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi'.  Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Numerous legends & stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid. People rub 'gulal' and 'abeer' on each others' faces and cheer saying, "bura na maano Holi hai".

--http://www.holifestival.org/

Having read about Holi in my numerous books about India, I was delighted to actually witness the occasion.

What a Wonderful Weekend (Continued)

The next morning, we could see clearly what we could only intimate the night before.  The Inn at the Mill in Johnson, AR is worth the trip.

What a Wonderful Weekend

Road trippin' with the Chiles:

• a jaunt through the backways of Southwest Missouri on our way to Arkansas
• the clearest, brightest sky filled with stars and the hugest orange moon lingering on the tree line
• laughter and GPS and telling old stories
• making new memories
• finding the most wonderful inn and restaurant at the end of our journey

Dinner:

Our intrepid friends:

The restaurant, a James Beard establishment, hosted a fascinating collection of teapots:





Is This Clashy (or Clashing)?

My dearest thinks so.

It's all one piece, using three different skeins.  It's the Helix pattern.  And because it is knitted with short rows, it is ruffly and fluffly.

I like it. 

We often agree to disagree when it comes to color.

And scarves.

Joy in Two Dimensions

Thanks to the blog, "Design Sponge," I stumbled across an exciting Spanish artist, Nuria Mora, whose work sings with joy and inspiration.  I'm moved by how she creates art in public spaces, enlivening drab corners of urban life.

If you love color; if you love nature, if you love the unexpected, check this out.  Live inside the Public Space page for awhile and emerge renewed.

Molly, Trim Your ToeNails; They're Cutting the Blankets

My friend Mary E and I went to hear Danu, a traditional Irish band in concert last night.  The whole time they were playing, I could feel myself smiling.  And sense my feet tapping.  Oh yeah, and the hands got into the act too. 

Celtic music speaks to my very soul and my heart and evidently, my face.  The jigs and the reels bring me joy.  The old style singing touches a place of longing: of longing for place and for the wonder of creation.  I am moved and renewed when hearing this music of my ancestors.  Perhaps it is that, a connection to people of a far-away place and time.

Whatever it is, I am grateful.  And my face is still smiling.

(Molly Cut Your Toenails is the name of a reel). 

Can It Be?

Was it really 25 years ago that you were ordained to the priesthood?  Were we really once a childless couple, fresh out of seminary with new lives and new friends and a new church and new debts?  Not to mention, lots of questions, a healthy dose of fear, and several patient mentors along the way.

You've always been my main man, my primary squeeze.  You've always made me proud: of you who are, the hard choices you've made, your faithfulness, your sense of humor, your integrity.  And did I mention your sense of humor?

I don't have the pictures to capture what I want to say or how I feel, but I do have a few blurry ones from the lovely, glorious reception that the church held this past Sunday to celebrate the day.

The 25 years have been yet another one of our adventures together.  Along the way, we've known wonderful and loving Christians who've allowed us to love them and who have loved us back.  We've been allowed to be part of their lives, and they've been part of ours: as individuals, as a couple and as a family.  We've known unconditional love and complete support from many.  We've experienced heartache.  But we've also experienced the faithfulness of God, the call of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We've learned a little bit about trust--trusting God and trusting others.

It's a wierd life being part of a clergy family.  I don't know any other way to describe it.  It's wierd.  It's a blessing too. 

What does Ken have to say about it?  Read his point of view here:

http://www.onepriestsblog.blogspot.com/

May The Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Have a Restful Weekend

Give Me Mindfulness

God, help us to live slowly
To move simply
To look softly
To allow emptiness
To let the heart create for us.

Amen
  -- Michael Leunig, from "When I Talk to You: A Cartoonist Talks to God"

A-Don't-Take-It-All-So-Seriously Prayer

Give us a sense of humor, Lord
and also things to laugh about.
Give us the grace to take a joke about ourselves,
and to see the funny side of things we do.
Save us from annoyance, bad temper, resentfulness against our friends.
Help us to laugh even in the face of trouble.
Fill our minds with the love of Jesus;
for his name's sake.
 -- A.G. Bullivant