Day 15~ The Art of Love and War

In Your justice and Your mercy

Heaven walked the broken road

Here to fight this sinner's battle

Here to make my fall your own

-Hillsong United "Love is War"

What is your war?

We all have one or two or eight going on inside of us.

And the way we wage the war inside can be one composed of love and art and beauty.
Yet there lies another side to spectrum. That being hate and destruction and sin.

In The Art of War by Sun Tzu, he writes of musical notes, and primary colours, and tastes. Each of which we have five and when combined make the most beautiful of art. 

Five musical notes give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.

Five primary colours produce more hues than can ever be seen.

Five cardinal tastes yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

What melodies, colours, and tastes will your life experience today?

Will you be ready to receive?

May we attack our waging war inside with the art our heart holds.

Wars can be fought with paint, and books, and music, and words.

What is your war and how are you combing your struggle with your opportunities?

Seek to know your war.

And seek to know your art.

And may you combine the beauty inside with that of your war.

And watch, just watch that war fade with every attack you make with your art.

God's art that he knit together before you were born.

Until next time- 

Andrea

Day 14~ Children are the best artists.

When was the last time you picked a dandelion and gave it to someone?

Isn't it funny how dandelions are rare and precious and perfect to children?
They blow their seeds and make wishes in the spring and then pick their
yellow faces in the fall and give them to their teachers.

When did we stop picking them to share with others?
Was it when we found out they were just weeds and got in the way of pretty lawns and perfect grass?


Children view our world so differently than we do.
They see.
They hear.
They experience.

Leaves become people
Sand makes castles.
Dirt doesn't hurt.
And blowing bubbles is beautiful.

Being an educator is a gift. It is a blessing to watch children learn and create.
And one of THE BEST parts of my job is watching children illustrate their writing.

I usually turn on music, sometimes I let them pick. And I just watch in awe as they create.
No pretenses. No perfection. No rules.

It's refreshing.

Sometimes, I myself, try to draw like a kid.
It doesn't work.
Because somewhere between being little and becoming big, I learned about perfect circles, and perfect squares. And I got caught up in making the perfect star to place on top of the perfect Christmas tree.

We pay money for fine art, for perfect lines and perfect strokes.
We graze in galleries and admire the work of the worlds finest.

But no matter what I see.
Children will always be my favorite artists.

They inspire my art.
My thinking.
And my teaching.

Until tomorrow,

Andrea

Day 13~ The Art of Unity

What was on the top of your to-do list today?

Grocery shopping?
Cleaning the house?
Breathing?

Have you ever made a list of all the moments you could remember in a day, as you experience them?

I've done the journaling thing.
And I've done the grateful list thing.
But today, I just wrote down experiences.
And I did so, with the intention of somehow finding unity within each of these moments.

I'd like to begin with my favorite words I heard spoken from the mouth of an eight year old, that gave me a sense of peace and hope for our future generation.

She said, "My mom and dad had their anniversary this weekend."
When the words spilled from her mouth, my heart rejoiced in the knowing that her parents were still together. Still loving and living and sharing moments with her under one roof. Seems rare these days.

The other parts of my day went a little something like this...

"Jesus in Disguise" played on the radio.
I read Ephesians 2:10
I listened to a sermon by Louie Giglio about the greatness of our God.
He also taught me about the large star named Lucy, that is solid diamond.
I was challenged to go beyond the call.
I read a poem about ants with a child.
I read a poem about a wise old owl to each of my students today.
I read an article about multiple intelligences and learning styles.
I read about kids who are slow processors.
I received a sweet quote from a friend on facebook about being an artist.
I spent the evening with my family and with friends, laughing and sharing about our faith.
I am in the quiet of my home, reflecting and have no voice left. And my throat aches.

So what's the connection.
Where's the unity in all this.
Every bit of today relates back to the scripture.

Ephesians 2:10- For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Every piece of today was part of better understanding Him, understanding others, and understanding the world.
I read, listened, read some more, listened, and now here I sit.
Wondering if I payed enough attention? Or missed a slice of something?

There is unity friends in all we do and say.
The truth of His word will always unify.
You are a masterpiece and when we walk with the artist of life, he pours through us and we become the paint, the beauty of the world.

Find unity.
Seek connection.
Hide away from your fears
you'll find more art in your heart.

Until tomorrow,

Andrea

Day 12~ Random Acts of Art

To be random is to be odd, unusual, or unexpected. To act is to take action and do something.

And art is the expression of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form, producing words to be appreciated primarily for their beauty of emotional power.

So let's be random this week.
Let act and make art.
And let's share it.

Because isn't art meant for the world?
Isn't it meant to be shared- once soul to another?
Isn't art a dance with our spirit?

Join me this week in sharing Random Acts of Art.

Here's what you do!

First, create something.
Anything.
Paint it. Sculpt it. Sketch it. Cook it. Frame it.
You decide.

Then, attach a simple card or note to the back of it, explaining that this is a random act of art and all they need to do next is share another piece of their art randomly with the world.

Maybe you want to include a favorite scripture to go along with your creation.
Like, Ephesians 2:10- “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Lastly, share it. Leave it with a cashier at a coffee house and tell her to share it with the next customer. Leave it on a park bench. In a library. Or in your mailbox. Or send it in the mail to a friend or family member.

Whatever you do, be brave.
And let your art reflect who God made you to be.

Have a blessed Monday friends.

~Until tomorrow

Andrea

Day 11~ I Am an Artist (A lesson from the sidewalk)

Have you ever been looking for something and instead, found something else. And in a moment that thing you were looking for, the thing you thought mattered, didn't matter so much?

It all started with a yellow construction hat. 

How hard could it be to find a toddler construction hat to complete my son's Halloween Costume?

I searched online.

Went to Party City.

Went to Halloween Express.

Even searched the pet costumes.

Nothing.

My last hope was The Dollar Tree.

I was tired of looking and ready to be home.

As I neared the entrance, my eyes caught sight of a man.

A tired, weary man, crumbled in the corner of the two buildings.

A homeless man.

I walked through the doors and suddenly my search shifted to the far corner of my mind and that man, that tired weary man, mattered more than a costume.

I quickly glanced in the kids section for the hat. Nothing.

I stepped outside, glanced again at the man, and walked back to the car.

I jumped in and told my husband we had to do something.

We drove around a bit, contemplating, wondering what to do, what God wanted us to do.

Daniel  parked the car and we decided he would go talk to him. I watched my kind and caring husband step toward the man and greet him. I love how Daniel loves others. That's why I married him.

Within a minute, I saw Daniel turn and head back into the Dollar Tree. I could not watch anymore. I grabbed Weston from his seat and we ventured back into the store as well, without a thought of the hard hat. 

I found Daniel as he was looking for a flashlight. 

"The man just asked for a flashlight," he said. 

Light. 

Just a light. Was all he asked for.

The verse from Psalms popped in my mind.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

We ended up buying him a Bible and a Dr. Pepper to accompany his flashlight.

I noticed the man leave the corner and walk to the front of the store. He looked a bit disoriented and confused. Maybe under the influence?

We walked out and again greeted him. 

I looked at him.

I looked directly at his eyes. 

And behind his worn skin and matted hair and dirty clothes and toothless smile, were the most beautiful blue eyes. 

They were the bluest of blue. And I was locked into them. 

And for the first time, I looked into the soul of this man and felt like I was looking into the eyes of Jesus somehow.

Daniel asked if we could pray with him and he said yes. "But before you pray for me, can I tell you what I need?" "Sure," we both said.

"Pray that I can find a job."

So we did.

We prayed on the sidewalk in Gastonia that this man would find a job. 

Afterwards, I asked him what kind of job he wanted. 

"I want to paint." he said. 

"As in houses?" I probed. 

"Yes, inside and out."

"So you are an artist then, huh?" I said with a smile.

"Yes, yes I am an artist."

"I used to paint houses professionally. I was really good."

I believed him.

I asked him if he ever read this Bible?

"Yes, I have." 

I told him to spend some time in the Psalms and he said he would.

I walked back to the car. 

Heart beating out loud.

Tears flowing.

Mind open.

Spirit full.

That man. The man I almost ignored. 

Declared himself an artist.

And he's right. He is. He still is.

And you are too.

Will you please join our family in praying for this man.

Pray he finds a job painting.

So he can give back the art God placed in his heart. 

He is an artist.

I am an artist.

And you, yes you are an artist.

Day 10~ The Art of Kindness (and lack-thereof)

I thought it was really cool that Starbucks got involved in an effort to help encourage their customers to pay "it" forward. I heard about it on the radio and according to the CEO, he wanted to "show" congress and the government how this idea of passing along kindness and generosity is better than posturing and arguing.

It started Wednesday and ended today.

For two weeks I have had two Starbucks gift cards in my wallet and after I heard about this effort, I thought I would use my cards to purchase myself and someone else a coffee.

My experience was far from extraordinary. Not inspiring whatsoever.
It was downright horrible. Yet still a learning experience.
The polar opposite of what I hoped to be moving.
And all I wanted was to be back in one of my favorite local Coffee houses (SPLAT! or Queen Bee, or Caravan).

But I was there. In that moment. In Starbucks.

I greeted the cashier with a smile. No return was made (That's okay, maybe a bad day or something)

I asked her about the kindness effort and she said, "sorry it ended today." ( I thought, well today is still today last time I checked. ) Yep, my inner sarcastic voice started talking.

I asked her how the effort had been going and she said she knew nothing of it until yesterday and had no idea how it went. ( Ok, so maybe she was busy with other things.")

Then, I asked her if the new Chocolate Chai Latte was good. She said she didn't like it all because it tasted like chocolate and gingerbread. And she HATED chocolate and gingerbread. (That's fair--- not everyone is a chai fan, but this girl LOVES it).

I ordered it anyway.
I'm not so sure she liked that.

Thus began the wait as the chai was made by the anti-chai barista.

I watched her. I prayed for her. I watched the way she interacted with the other barista. Not too nice.

I started thinking  of how I could pass something on so she can see kindness in front of her face.

I reached into my wallet and got out the other gift card and asked her to give it to the next customer.
She said, "thanks." ( notice I did not use an exclamation point)

The next customer steps up. She must have known him. They smiled. Threw happy exchanges back and forth. Discussed how it is time for flannel. That did make me smile, because I was wearing it myself.

But the gift card didn't move. I watched the customer swipe his card. And the act of kindness laid there quietly beside her on the counter.

Maybe it was used after I left. Maybe not. I will never know. But I'm still praying for that girl. I'm praying for someone to show her kindness and for her to feel it and know it and want to share it.

PLEASE KNOW: I AM NOT KNOCKING STARBUCKS!
I have been to plenty of Starbucks' where the workers are kind and wonderful and happy.
But on this particular day, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth that no Chai tea could cover.

So what's the point in this experience?
Well, here's my takeway.

1. Kindness doesn't need a date. Make it a point everyday-- not just when a company declares it.
2. Almost always, local is better! Which is why I will continue to be loyal to the locals.
3. Pray for people who don't share in the kindness you show.
4. Order a Chocolate Chai, even if the Barista hates it.

Yesterday, I stopped by Splat! on my way to work, and one of my favorite Barista's asked me if I had ever heard of Amy Carmichael. I wasn't sure. She went on to tell me of her mission work and her dedication to serving the homeless. I love learning. I love local coffee. And I love how Jesus teaches me things everywhere I go, even in Starbucks.

I will leave you with a quote from Amy Carmichael.

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” 
― Amy Carmichael

Pass some love tomorrow friends and find some art in your heart.

Until tomorrow,

Andrea

Day 9~ Forgetting and Remembering

Life is but a cycle of forgetting and remembering.

We forget to pick up the milk at the grocery store, but we remember to get a card to encourage a friend.
We forget the answer to number ten on a test, but remember the rest.
We forget about the love of Christ, but we remember to love our family.

Life is but a cycle of forgetting and remembering.


Have you forgotten about the artist you were as a child?
The artist who used crayons and glue, and paste.
(Do they even make paste anymore?)
The artist who spent days in coloring books.
The artist who thought nothing scary of a blank canvas.

Please remember.
Remember the freedom you felt when you created as a child.
Remember the messes you made and didn't care.
Remember who you were before people started telling you who you were.

Who were you?
Who are you?

Take a little time today and remember what art meant to you and what it means to you.

Note the differences.
Remember what matters
And forget what doesn't.

How should one proceed if troubled by memories which one knows ought to be dismissed from the mind but which obsessively haunt it? Keep away from every place likely, by association, to revive unhappy memories. Besides thus weakening the chain of associations that would help to hold miseries in remembrance. Make it a point to develop an entirely different chain- and go with it with enthusiasm. - H. Addington Bruce

Day 8~ The Art of Prayerfully Serving

He said he was too young.
Too afraid to speak.
And not qualified for the job.

Service and prayer was his art.

He was persecuted by his own family.
He was plotted against by the people of his hometown.
He was rejected and reviled by friends in the religious world.

Service and prayer was his art.

He brought light to his city, during the darkest of times.
He was the weeping prophet.
He was Jeremiah.

You are not too young.
Or old for that matter to serve.
And yes, you are not qualified.
Most aren't.
Qualifications are not a requirement.
They are found when the service is started and finished.

Prayerfully serving means placing priority to connect first with the Father.
He exalts those who come to him. To those who cry out for wisdom and knowledge.
He is the provider.
We are the acceptors.

To whom will you serve today?
Where will your feet tread?
And what will your eyes behold?
How will your ears hear?

May you experience the beautiful art of serving prayerfully in as many moments as possible.

Until tomorrow,

Andrea

Day 7~ The Art of Doodling

Do you doodle?

I started as a kid, and haven't stopped.
I doodle on notebooks and napkins, on folders and frames.

Doodling is freeing for me.
Something I don't have to think about.
Whatever happens, happens.
No details.
And definitely no perfection.

And isn't the word "doodle" in itself an exceptionally remarkable word?
I think so.

To doodle is to dream, to think beyond lines, to get away with whatever you want to get away with.
Doodling is therefore, doable by any one willing to do it!

For fun facts about the art of doodling, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doodle

Do a little doodle tonight.


Until tomorrow,
Andrea

Day 6~ Art in Communion

Bells sounded.
Psalms spoke.
Children gathered.
Gospels read.
Plates passed.
Bread broke.
Cups overflowed.

And a small light from above reflected into my cup.
My cup that held the blood that was sacrificed so I could live.
I stared closely, in thanksgiving and admiration.
Because the filler of the cup, is the filler of the soul, and for all that flows from the heart.

It was beautiful, to be holding truth in clenched hands, with lights shining down and loved ones near.
All partaking in their own way, their own artful way.

How we take in moments such as these, tell us so much about ourselves as artists.
The narrative I repeat and the narrative I hear, differ vastly from my neighbor nearby, sitting in the same room, experiencing the same moment in time.

Today was World Communion Sunday.
How beautiful this day must have been to our heavenly Father.
To see his creation, worshipping and remembering.
Worshipping the greatest name we'll ever know.
And remembering the greatest sacrifice there ever was.

What made today even more beautiful was the sermon.
The sermon that wasn't planned, but given.
The sermon that didn't match the one printed in the bulletin.
The sermon that reminded our congregation of God's greatest commandment.

To love the Lord our God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself.

He changed the main course of the table today, and we feasted on this great commandment that is so beautiful to say, but so hard to live out.

No paint was needed.

Brushes were unnecessary.

But a canvas was painted in my heart as I took in communion and watched the Holy Spirit dwell among the souls in our church. 

Did you have an experience like this today?
Something so beautiful, so memorable, so art-filled?

Praying you did.
Or you will.
Soon.

Until tomorrow,

Andrea

Day 5~ Art Challenge

Today's post is short and sweet.
It is simply a challenge to you, the reader...

Make something and then share it with someone you love.

Art is meant to be shared.
Our creator shared each of his brushstrokes with us.
He gave us light and breath, and soul.

When we share what we make with others, we are inviting them to drink from the communion cup of Christ.

In revealing, there is revelation.

Take time to reveal yourself to someone else.
Simply show them the art you have in your heart.

Until Tomorrow~

Andrea

Day 4~ Heart Break

Do you remember your first heart break?

That immature love, that wasn't really love, but you were convinced it was because your heart said so. The person you penned a heart around in your class yearbook and wrote love letters to in Biology lab?

Yeah, that one.

Maybe your heart broke a little or maybe it broke a lot.
Maybe it felt like a crack or even a whole.
Even still, it hurt.

And then you got over it,right?
I thank the good Lord for allowing heart break to happen.

Our hearts were made to break.
At times in our lives we face this temporary brokenness.
But what we don't see is that our hearts are being reshaped to be ready for what God has planned.

So what happens when our hearts are cracked and life seems empty?

Sometimes we start filling those cracks with grout.
We fill it with unhealthy relationships, sin and destructive lifestyles.
And pretty soon our hearts are all sealed up and cold.

What if those cracks were meant for art?
For you to fill up with what is already in you?
The parts of you, you have forgotten.

Think about your story and what parts of your story caused heart break.

Maybe you're ready for a filling.
Maybe you need to color again.
Or paint.
Or sing.
Or dance.

I hope you're getting there.
I hope you're thinking differently about what kind of artist you are.
Because you are.

Until tomorrow,

Andrea

Day 3 ~Heartburn

And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32, NKJV

60 million people suffer from heartburn.
And the interesting thing about heartburn is that it's not an issue of the heart.
It's an issue of the digestive system.
But those who have experienced it, know that feeling. And it truly feels like a burning sensation of the heart.

But there is another kind of burning.
A holy kind of heartburn.
The kind that stirs you
and moves you and sometimes shakes you up.

What if all of us burned for what we believe in and let the heart burn happen?

Today I saw God in so many seconds.
I saw him this morning on my porch as the sky shifted from hues of pink to orange in minutes.
I saw him in a conversation with a teacher about a student who "just needs to move" to learn.
I saw him in my studio.

Oh, was he there.

I asked my artists, "If in this moment, they could paint anything on canvas, what would it be?"

My favorite response was this...

"I would paint my feelings."
"You know, like you can use certain colors to paint how you are feeling."

And from there... we conversed about how colors made us feel.

I love kid artists. Maybe because I still feel like one.

But she gets it.
She understands color, and beauty, and feelings.
Matters of the heart.

What would you paint right now, if you could?
Whatever that is, should tell you something about your heart.

So now what?
Are you ready to paint the art in your heart?
I dare you to move.
I dare you to dream.
I dare to let your heart burn today.
And tomorrow
and the next.

Until tomorrow.

Andrea

Day 2~ What is your Art?

I've always loved the fact that so many words can be found inside the word, "heart".

he

hear

ear

art

As a literacy teacher, I'm always asking my students to seek out patterns within words.
Last week I was working with a group of second graders and we were coming up with words that ending with -art. One student said "heart." I stopped briefly and shared with them the words found within heart.As I wrote them down, the Holy spirit whispered...

"He who hears with the ear, will find the art in the heart."
I said it aloud to my students. They said, "hey, that's cool."
They probably didn't understand the meaning, but maybe a seed was planted.

So tonight, as your friend, I'm asking you to seek out the patterns in your own heart.
Because what the heart knows by heart, the heart knows.
And when we know who we are and what's inside us, we find an outpouring of creative gifts to share with the world.


What did you hear today?

I heard busses traveling, crayons coloring, students reading, airplanes flying, music blaring, and my son breathing. Just to name a few.

All beautiful music played by the lives of other human beings.

My art is music. My art is encouragement. My art is loving and listening. My art is creatively connecting with the human heart and leaving my signature everywhere I go.

What's your art?

Dwell on what art is to you and what you want it to be.
Dwell on your gifts, your passions, and your talents.
Are you using them?

I'm praying for you and I'm praying the next 31 days will transform the condition of your heart as we make space for what matters.

Walk into tomorrow remembering this thought...

"The quickest way we can make our lives better is to make time for the things we love because, when we are doing what we love, we are serving the world in a way we were designed to."

Take your heart to work with you, if you work.
Keep your heart at home, if you stay home.
Whatever you do, pay attention, close attention.
Glimpses of God are given daily.
Listen and look.
Seek and find.

Until tomorrow,

Andrea

31 Days to Finding the Art in your Heart

Art.

We've all got it.

It's there.

Waiting in our hearts.
Ready for flight.

And for the next 31 days, I'll be linking up with The Nester for 31 Days of 2013. 

My topic is "Finding the Art in your Heart." Thousands of bloggers from all over will be participating and I would love for you to join in the discovering  of what kind of artist you are. I am so happy to be partnering with my dear friend, Lizzie Branch. She and I met at She Speaks this summer and I am so excited for her new adventure, as she opens up her studio in Clayton, NC! We decided to make this a collaborative effort, so we will both be writing on the same topic. We know God will use our writing to connect us to one another and with YOU!

Neither of us has a plan.
We don't know what will come of our writing.
We just know God moves when people gather.
So will you gather with us, daily?

We need communion.
We need connection.
We need creativity.

Welcome October.
Our hearts are open.

Today, my friend, Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky released her book, A Million Little Ways. I can not wait to get my  heart in this book SOON, as I know it will serve as a guidebook this month.

Take some time to check out her book trailer. Her words are like food for the soul.