Check this music out…

I did an event called Redemption at Widener University on Tuesday night. It was a cool creative evening combining the talents of several of the students with me and an amazing musician named Angela Burns. You really need to check out her music.

The Christmas Story

If you’ver ever struggled to tell the story of Jesus and what that story means to us, you might want to show them this video.

To learn more about this artist and his ministry, click here.

Amazing sculptor

I’m having a hard time finding the sculptors name but his work is astounding.
The sculptor takes wood chips, soaks them in water for many days. He uses a tree from Russia (Red Cedar).Then he starts building his pieces, which takes him about 6 months, 10 hours a day to finish.

Why do I post this? Because I never cease to be amazed at the level of creativity out there. Most people look at wood chips and they see mulch, kindling or scrap. This man looks and sees fur and feathers and turns something most would throw away or burn into works of great beauty.

In some ways this is a metaphor for our lives with Christ. There are times when we and others see ourselves and not having much value, but in the hands of our Creator, our lives become a thing of beauty!

Full Circle

I was talking to a dear and trusted friend about some of the great things that are happening in my ministry right now, especially related to A Night AMOK. I said, most sincerely that I am having fun. She challenged me on that a little bit, thinking fun might be “trivializing” it a bit (my word not hers). Because she is such a trusted friend, I took her comment to heart and began trying to redefine it by explaining how I am feeling.

I’ve expressed before on this blog how when I am doing things like A Night AMOK, I feel like I am doing what I was created to do. It’s one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done. I described the feeling I get as I am doing these paintings as an almost child-like joy and that’s when it hit me. At 48 I am doing what I dreamed of doing as a small child.

I remember being a child and making art, writing and telling stories and acting things out. I dreamed of making movies though that was outside the realm of possibility for a little kid in the early seventies. My school years were pretty terrible and most of that was driven from me or beaten out of me by my peers. I spent a lot of years wandering around trying to figure out who I was. When I look at A Night AMOK and a lot of the other things I’m doing now, I realize the Lord has restored my childhood dream to me. Thing about it. I am painting large pictures, using them to tell stories combined with “movies” I’ve made. I’m even acting. God had given me back what the enemy has stolen and with His help I will use it to His glory for the rest of my life or until He tells me to stop. My life has come full circle.

My friend was right, fun is too trivial for what is happening to me right now, but I really am enjoying every moment.

God is good!

Praise Report

I had a great night last night with the folks from The Foundry Church and the Logos Student Ministry at Widener University for their event Redemption. The program was opened by the always amazing Fourth Man Furnace. Then Brian Easter came out and did half of his set. I did my piece “The Collector” from A Night AMOK, Pix of JC and then Brian Easter came back out and finished off the evening with a set of worship music. It was a great night, I had a great time and pray that God was glorified.

Thanks to Pastor Chuck and Joy Kieffer, Hair Kelly, Fourth Man Furnace and Brian Easter for agreat evening of worship and ministry. I love doing what I do.

By the way if you haven’t heard Brian Easter yet, check him out.

Les Miserables Jean Valjean- A Transformation In Christ

From the film, Les Misérables, the story of a heartless convict named Jean Valjean who is transformed by a single act of mercy; a powerful illustration of God’s forgiveness, mercy, desire and power to change the heart of a sinner into a heart like Jesus.

What could you change with a little grace? Who could be changed by a little grace?

Forgive as you have been forgiven.

IllustrationFriday.com Challenge: Yield

IllustrationFriday.com Challenge: Yield

I think it really is this simple. God loves you, wants what’s best for you and His way leads to life. To turn from that way is to really mess you up.

Joshua, near the end of his life challenged the people of Israel and he said this…
if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Video of the Day: Marc Eckles and the Splat Experience

One of the first performance painters I’ve seen, nails it again!
It’s a reminder that His blood is on our hands, but by His wounds we are healed.

Okay so what would you do with these guys?

NewCreaturez.com

I own the Domain New Creaturez.com and I am considering what to do with it. The site has sort of gone up and down and I’d like to make it a worthwhile site for spreading the Gospel. The name comes from the King James Version of 2 Corinthians 5:17. I was considering a creature art/cartoon gallery of some kind, simple and to the point… But I am open to suggestions.

Why Run A.M.O.K.? Part 2 the Story of Frank

Then there was a man… we’ll call him Frank. Frank was a newly married, new Christian, new father and a professional artist, well sort of. He was designing grocery circulars for a grocery store chain. The work was less than fulfilling, but Frank could at least say he was earning a living making pictures, something most people never thought he’d do. Because the work wasn’t fulfilling and didn’t pay very well, Frank spent a lot of time freelancing. He’d take any art project he could get his hands on including a few that, as a Christian, he probably shouldn’t have. Frank was a man on a mission and he had something to prove.

You see like Bob, Frank was a kid that had a hard time fitting and, as an adult, Frank had somewhat of a chip on his shoulder. Frank was determined to be a raging success. He’d heard the term “starving artist” but that did not apply to him. No matter what it took, Frank was going to show them all!

Except he didn’t. Oh he worked hard, often putting in 20 hour days sometimes for weeks on end but he never quite got anywhere. There was always just enough money to pay the bills but the trappings of success were just not there no matter how hard Frank worked. Working like that was not only making Frank tired and miserable but it was making every other part of his life suffer, his marriage, his friendships, his family even his relationship with God. Frank always rationalized that when he “made it” (whatever that means) he’d make up for all the sacrifices he was making now. Sacrifice was the right word.

Frank was an angry young man and the target of most of his anger was God. He couldn’t figure out why God was depriving him of success. This art was after all his God given gift. Why wasn’t God letting Him succeed? Frank began to see God as his tormentor dangling success in front of him and yanking it away any time Frank reached for it. Frank had been through a succession of jobs and was working harder than ever when one day he heard God. He was praying, which was really yet another rant at God for all his alleged unfairness, when God answered with just a few words. “Your work is your god.” Frank of course tried to fight back, but it was true. When Frank lost two of his favorite people, he didn’t go to God he buried himself in his work. When Frank’s wife miscarried twice, he buried himself in his work. All the things that should have gone to God along with most of Frank’s life got offered at the altar of the easel. Frank was a mess.

A few of the men from Frank’s church made plans to attend a Promise Keepers event called Stand in the Gap around the time and Frank’s pastor invited him to go. Frank put up every excuse in the book but eventually he gave in and went. It was as if every speaker there that day had a message just for Frank and by the end of the day Frank knew what he had to do and he offered his art and himself on the altar of the one true God. Frank quit art, the only thing he thought he was ever good at, and vowed never to pick it up again unless he was doing it for the Lord.

And the Lord redeemed Him…

There’s more to this story and it will be coming soon.

Bible Reading Guide
An important part of following God is knowing what He wants and a great way to know what He wants is to read His Word. Follow this plan and you will finish reading the Bible in a year.
John 20; Hebrews 12, 13
You can also download your own chart here.