Wisdom

These is from February 6th, Super Bowl Sunday. I colored it weeks ago but I didn't make the time to write about it, so here goes.



Every year for the last 4 years I make plans to watch the Super Bowl with six of my best friends. This year we went back up to Apple Valley, where our friends Matt and Amy live. I always look forward to the time I can spend with my friends up there, but I especially look forward to talking with Matt. He is such a wise man and it just spills into every conversation he has. With all that the Lord has taught me shown me this year I wanted to be able to bless him or speak some truth into his life. So I prayed about that specifically before I went up. All six of us were sitting around, drawing, knitting, putting kids to bed, playing video games etc when they realized they were out of dog food. Matt was going to go to PetsMart and asked if anyone wanted to join him, everyone else said no but I felt the Lord say go, so I did. It was a great time of fellowship over buying a bag dog food. I had just listened to that episode of the Orbiter where Darin shared how someone told him he should be a teacher and not a singer. And how that man told Darin that he was already teaching, he was just doing it through his songs and shows. I knew that truth would find a home in Matt. Matt works at High Desert Church as a Graphic Designer and he is a teacher by nature. It's just right now he teaches via his designs. Matt approaches design differently, its not about how good it looks its about how effective the message is. I know that is the point of a good designer, but for most designers it goes like this; great design that doesn't distract from the message. For Matt the design is there support the message, and since the message is beautiful, compelling, and challenging the design is then beautiful, compelling and challenging. He is selfless in it. Long story short I asked him about pastoring and teaching and shared that story about Darin. A couple of weeks later he shared with me that he spoke with the leadership at his church expressing a desire to go down that path and try his hand in teaching or administration or something like that. I don't know exactly what it looks like, but they were receptive of it, and he said thanks recognized Gods hand in our conversation. I thought that was pretty awesome. Kids the message of today's blog post is be intentional with what the Lord is doing in your life!

As for the drawing this is my friend Matt. I know he has the gift of wisdom, and that wisdom grips his heart and gives him vision. So that's what the drawing is of.

Vanity

I have been meaning to write this blog all week, excited about that the Lord is going to show me as I write it. It's so stupid that it took me to Saturday to make time for this. I am sorry Lord. I need to be more intentional, and I can not afford to forget that truth. I live, we live! in such an overly busy and many times falsely "hectic" culture. False because very seldom do we stress out over things that merit such investment of our time, and emotional stress. Now that I am aware of this battle on the plains of my heart I need to fight it, and fight it with intentionality. If I know I am going to be busy tomorrow, then I need to go to bed early tonight so I can intentionally have time to spend with the Lord.

Any who my intentions for this post is not about intention. But about something else that the Lord has been showing me about my heart. Ever since 3 weeks ago when Darin had us read that print out about repentance and confession. At first while reading through it I didn't really sink in. The Lord has done A LOT in my heart this past year. I heard whispers of the enemy saying, "you have already learnt all of this... this offers you nothing you don't already know. This is probably for the others now you" That last statement was what made me realize these are thoughts were not my own, and definitely not from God. So I prayed what the Lord would humble me and help me see through the lies to the truth of the situation.

After Circles I hung out with some friends from church. A bunch of us met up out in LA to see the Groundlings perform (if you are unaware they are a sketch comedy club, a lot of SNL guys come from there). After we went to dinner at this really cool place with the best name EVER! It was called Frankie's Place! haha it was cool. In fact Frankie was there to greet everyone, and he was quite pleased to meet another Frankie, as was I. I though I was having fun, but on the drive home my friend texted me and basically told me in that I was an ass to her all evening. Sorry for the language, but that word communicates best on how I was acting. "Jerk" or "mean" just doesn't cut it. At first my ego flared up, an instant later I felt the Lord place his hand on my heart to quiet it. He was then able to tell me that it was pride.

From that moment the Lord has been showing me some of the deeper parts of my heart. The lesson I am learning now is how Vain I am. He is showing me how widespread this issue is in my heart, my ego, my art work, my weight, my perception of myself, my view of the world, and I am sure the list can go on. How it so goes against what the Lord is growing and developing in me. Both in my talents, with my artwork, and with my spiritual gifting, with discernment. Basically what I am learning is that Vanity is just a prettier form of pride. Pride gets in the way and take the Glory from God. So the less vanity there is the less pride there is, and the less pride there is the less of me there is, and the less of me there is the more of Him there is, and the more of him there is the more He can do. And that is just super cool.

And I have to be careful not to be VAIN enough to think this is an issue I face alone! ha ha the devil is so crafty, good thing God is smarter. :)

Please keep this issue in prayer for me. Thanks guys.

P.S. -I love you all.

Here and Now by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Here and Now

-by Henri J. M. Nouwen

This book merits a second read. For two reason. One, it is just so filled with practical wisdom! Its dense and rich! I can honestly say I know I didn't get from it all that I could have. That brings me to reason number two, I rushed through it. That is my own fault and battle, reading is hard for me. I ended up getting the Audio book to help me finish it off so i wouldn't fall behind. I listen to audio books on a regular basis, I LOVE them. But there is an intimacy that reading the actual book offers that you just miss out on when listening to it while driving too and from work. This is definitely a book I will go back to.

What spoke to me the most while reading/listening to this was how much his advice, wisdom, and stories were directly rooted in scripture. You can only get such "casual" application and clear vision of the Bibles teaching by reading it. That has been a conviction in my heart for the past 2 months or so. That conviction to read more was spurred on by this book, and confirmed when a friend of mine just came right out and asked me how much I read my Bible. It has been a struggle, but I have been reading my Bible before I read other books to help prepare my heart and mind.

I think I am gonna get try and find and audio book of the Bible.

Lameness

First of all sorry about the delay Slices. I dropped the ball these past two weeks on my blog. There aren't many reasons, mainly just excuses, it wont happen again.

Oh and my short term and long-term goal list is to come! I want your guys prayer and accountability. I kinda like you guys! :D

Long Term and Short Term

I didn't get to to my blog last week except for the cat thumb video, which was awesome!, so here goes. My Here and Now one is to come.

I got some major clarity after speaking with Lindsay at Dannah's place on Febuary 27th. She asked me a question I got an answer to 8 years ago, the funny thing is that I didn't realize I was asking myself that question again! She asked me if I ever thought of working at a church doing art. When I was younger I was distracted by the question, "art or ministry?" Distracted so much so that I took nearly a whole year off of college and a whole a semester of Calvary Chapel Bible College classes at an extension campus in Diamond Bar. It took that whole year for me to understand what the Lord was trying to tell me. That He was going to use my art AS my ministry. So then I prayed about working at church and being a designer there. Then God gave me that job at my old church. I was part-time graphic designer for the last 2 years of college at my then church. It was awesome and powerful. So basically the Lord gave me my dream job when I was 22. I was forced to dream bigger, and forced to face the fact that my desires lay outside the church walls. Then I had to learn another lesson, that that is okay. It's okay that i want to draw for a living, it's okay that I feel called into the entertainment industry. He has given me keys to that kingdom, who not use them! Lindsay's question was needed, I was begging to separate art from ministry, when that is one in the same. And then God is just awesome, I see His hand setting things in place for me at DreamWorks. It's like I giant and powerful game of chess and I am content at being God's pawn. He knows what he is doing. One thing that especially stands out is a meeting I had last Wednesday with an old classmate. He is a story artist for DreamWorks so i asked if I could pick his brain. It was awesome, and it was even cooler hearing the Lord speak behind him, basically half of the time he was just a Muppet for the Lord. So much tactile wisdom came from that meeting. I got some VERY clear direction on what I am called to do. I am going to make long term and short term goals after my meeting tomorrow, Wednesday march 9, 2011 at 11:00am. Pray for me and keep me accountable.

Cat's With Thumbs

This is a completely frivolous post. I'll write a real blog soon! :)

I just HAD to share this.