Tag Archives: relationships

Picasso I Am Not

04 Friday Sep 2015

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the-weeping-woman

The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso

I have been told that I am an illustrator, not an artist. An illustrator draws what he sees with his eyes; an artist draws what he sees in his mind. Well ………..  that is quite possibly true.

This is no judgment against modern art or specifically Picasso. I just don’t get it.

I’ve begun a digital art class and one of the assignments was to pick out colors in different pieces of artwork that demonstrated “color plasticity.” Huh?

Supposedly, there are certain color combinations where colors “push and pull” at each other. Huh?

Opposing colors can cause the eye to move across the canvas while others are more “static” and cause the eye to get stuck in one location. Huh?

I’ll have to take your word for it ………. I don’t get it.

I, eh hem, didn’t score very high on that test.

Exodus 31:1-6 (NIV)

Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:”

God is an artist and he loves beauty. He has placed in the hearts and minds of many people the ability to create works of art.

“It is important to define beauty. Art that is created to shock or horrify, or to glorify or elicit sin (violence, lust, greed) cannot be called “beautiful.” It is still “art” but not art that glorifies God. Art that glorifies God must have the same two properties as the designs created in Exodus 31. First, it must be “artistic”; that is, it must be creative, well executed (a good representation of the object) and well crafted (well made). It must have worth as an object of value. Second, it should be something of which the artist can say, “God put it in my heart to make this.” gotquestions.org

I agree with the above statement.

What do you think?

Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Blessed Are The Peacemakers 

10 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Children, Christianity, Devotional, People, Raising The Mug

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snickersWhen our oldest daughter was in elementary school, she was in a rotating class. That is, rather than the teachers moving, the students moved – common for middle school and up, but not elementary students. She shared a desk with another girl from the other class.

One day, our daughter came home from school with a message that she needed us to buy some candy bars for her to take the next day. When we questioned why she needed them, she simply said that her teacher told her to bring them.

Hmmmm……… was there a party we should know about? No.

Was there some extra after school project that needed the candy? No.

After we pushed the point a little further, our daughter began to cry, insisting that the teacher had just told her that she had to provide the candy bars.

This sounded like a job for super mom.

So the next day when Jane dropped the kids off for school, she went inside to have a chat with the teacher. Apparently the other little girl who shared our daughter’s desk had tastier snacks than we provided for our daughter, tastier snacks in the form of candy bars. And, eh hem, our daughter had been helping herself to the other girl’s snacks. When the teacher caught her at it, she simply asked for our daughter to replace what she had stolen……an important detail that our daughter failed to mention.

Suddenly all was clear ………

Matthew 5:9 ESV – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Romans 12:18 ESV – If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

When a person commits a sin against another person, sometimes a little more than, “I’m sorry” is needed to restore peace. Sometime restitution is in order:

“The Bible gives us a good deal of guidance with regard to restitution. The prime New Testament example of this is Zacchaeus in Luke 19:8. There, Zacchaeus, a tax collector turned believer, repents of his former life and he gives half his possessions to the poor (whom he formerly robbed) and paid back all he stole fourfold. This was going above and beyond what was required, often times, by the law. In Exodus 22 and Numbers 5 we find laws concerning restitution. Sometimes the offender is to simply replace what it was he took or destroyed. Other times there was an extra cost on top of the value of the property as a kind of interest or restitution for the trouble of having to deal with lost, stolen, or damaged property.” opc.org

Maintaining peace is one thing. Restoring peace, once it has been disrupted, may take a little more effort. Restitution is a good beginning – it shows that the heart of the offender has changed and that they are sincere in their apology. They are in fact doing the best they can to replace or repair the damage that they caused.

Here’s to a peaceful day. Take a deep gulp from your favorite mug and ask God to guide you in areas where you can help restore peace.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

The Thread of Life

04 Thursday Jun 2015

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weaving-the-hammock

photo courtesy of Seaside Hammocks.com

Every mission trip that I’ve ever taken to Merida Mexico has included sleeping in hammocks. It may sound a little uncomfortable at first, but you get used to it. The hammocks are all handmade by local Mayan people in the same manner that they’ve been making them since the days of Christopher Columbus. You can see the basic process in these photos.

A great website that has a video and explains the method in more detail can be found at The Ultimate Hang – Weaving A Mayan Hammock.

hammock-main

photo courtesy of Mexican Folk Art Guide

No one would be foolish enough to attempt sleeping on a single thread hanging between two trees, no matter what strength the thread possessed. It would be physically impossible to balance yourself and all of your weight focused on one thin thread would be terribly uncomfortable. But woven together, with your weight distributed equally among multiple threads, the idea suddenly becomes feasible.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

9 Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Brothers helping brothers, sisters helping sisters, friends helping friends ……. That is part of the beauty of Christianity ………. you’re not living it alone. Once you step into the house, you’re surrounded by family. By yourself, you are but one weak thread; woven together, we become a strong net that is capable of giving support, rest and comfort.

Have a hot mug of something special today and thank God for the people that support you.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

One Pebble In A Bucket Full Of Stones

19 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Christianity, Devotional, Life, People, Raising The Mug, Travel

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Bucket_of_stones

photo courtesy of Wikimedia.com

If you read my story yesterday, you have some idea of how my involvement in missions began. I’m going again this summer; back to Merida Mexico. Our church has been returning to the same place every other year for 20 years and now it has become a long term relationship for us. Here’s how it began:

In the early 90’s, two friends met at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando FL, Kevin Burrell and Wilbur Madera. Upon graduating from seminary, Wilbur returned to his home town of Merida Mexico, Kevin became our associate pastor at Faith PCA in Watkinsville GA. They were miles apart, but their relationship continued. In 1995, Wilbur issued an invitation for Kevin to bring a team to Merida to help build a church.  At the time, Shalom was only a small group of friends meeting together in a home and all they had was a piece of land, nothing more. Our church sent a team to help with the construction; first a gymnasium, then an education wing and a sanctuary……….. all mostly built of concrete mixed by hand and poured one bucketful at a time.

Merida 1 Merida 2

The new church thrived. When their personal facilities were completed, the projects moved outward to other locations: San Pablo Seminary, Blas Pascal Christian School, churches in Maxcanu, Chablekal, and other parts of the Yucatan. Shalom grew and the message of hope, that God loves and wants to save his people, spread throughout the Yucatan Pennisula.

We are not the only church who helped build Shalom. There have been many churches from all over the southeastern US who sent teams to assist. The work has been anything but dramatic. We haven’t dropped a bomb of spirituality on our southern neighbors, but rather one small pebble at a time – stone by stone, block by block, bucket by bucket, relationship by relationship, one story built upon another. And God has blessed our efforts. The church we helped plant has not only impacted their city, but the whole region.

Merida 3

In my opinion, the reason this ministry has been so successful is because of the relationships that were developed years ago that have continued throughout their history. The prayers and sweat of brothers and sisters in Christ from different worlds working together to achieve a common goal. That is what makes these mission trips worthwhile. Remember, the church is not the physical structure; it is the people within its walls. Someday, years from now, all of the physical structures that we helped build will crumble and fall, but the relationships will last for an eternity.

1 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV)

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

We are living stones, part of a network of believers who form an international team, sacrificing our time and resources to help build the kingdom of Christ. Individually, we are no more than a single pebble in a bucket full of stones; together we become the house of God.

Mugs raised high! Here’s to building the kingdom!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Little Decisions That Make Big Differences

18 Monday May 2015

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Small airplane

photo courtesy of sportysnetwork.com

I would never have ventured to guess where a snap decision would take me. 1981. I had only been married a few months, was out of work, had just moved to a new city and started attending a new church. The pastor called me one Friday afternoon to ask if I would be interested in going to Mexico on a short term mission trip. The team was one man short and they were leaving the following morning.

Wow ……..no time to think about it. They needed an answer pronto. I called my young bride to see how she felt about it and got the “okay.” “Why not? You’re not working at the moment.”

So the next morning, I loaded my bags with five other guys and we flew to Monterrey Mexico in a six-man prop plane. The noise was deafening, but we made it safely.

donkey braying

photo courtesy of Carol Oswald

I only have vague memories of that trip: a family that invited me to a picnic after church on Sunday, buying tamales at a roadside stand and eating them for the first time, sleeping on a concrete floor in an unfinished house, a burro braying out back that was our alarm clock every morning, drinking cokes all week to avoid the water. (Bottled water wasn’t available in those days. Can you even imagine?)

It only took a few days, but I fell in love with the Mexican culture ……….

There was an old woman who served as a full time missionary at the school where we worked. On our last day before we returned to the states, she looked deep into my eyes like she was seeing into my soul and asked, “Will you be back?” I was surprised by the question. But somehow I knew my answer and so I told her, “Yes. I don’t know when or how, but someday I’ll be back.”

How prophetic those words have become. This July marks the 9th mission trip to Mexico that I have participated in. I have helped lead the last six.

I am convinced that it was no accident that I was out of work that year. I doubt I would have gone if I’d had job commitments. God sent me to Mexico and has graciously given me more opportunities to return again.

Isaiah 30:21(ESV)

21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

You never know how one decision will impact your life or the lives of others. I could have declined that invitation. Who would have thought that a phone call could have made such a big difference in my life …………

Stay tuned for more on this story tomorrow.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Forging a Relationship

25 Wednesday Mar 2015

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wrought ironI have a friend who is a blacksmith. The company he works for makes wrought iron gates and railings, all of which are very decorative and beautiful. His work is similar to the iron work I have seen in Antigua Guatemala. In Antigua, virtually all of the windows on the streets have some form of ironwork around them. The iron is there for protection because when I say “window” that is a loose term. There are openings in the walls with wood or glass shutters, but the construction is not very strong. It would be incredibly easy to break in if the iron work was not in place.

I don’t know much about blacksmithing, but what I do know is that it requires two things: heat and pressure. The heat is provided by a forge and the pressure is usually provided by a hammer and an anvil. Heating the metal makes it more pliable so that it can be bent and molded to the artist’s desired shape.

Blacksmithing is one of the jobs on my bucket list. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the opportunity to learn but I hope to some day. I came across a good blog site on the subject if you care to read up further on it.

Working Iron: A Primer on Blacksmithing

God also uses heat and pressure to mold us into the shape he desires. Through trials of various kinds, God is forging a relationship with his people. The bad experiences we suffer through are meant to perfect us in the way that impurities are removed from metal by applying heat. Iron must be worked and pounded in order to become a useful tool. God’s desire is for us to be more useful and more productive in life. He sculpts and molds each child with patient love and affection until they are the perfect shape to bring the most good and beauty into their lives.

Psalm 66:8-12 (ESV)

8 Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

1 Peter 4:12-19, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 5:3-5, Psalms 34:19

If the purpose of forging metal is to create something beautiful and useful, how much more beautiful is the forging of a relationship with God?

Hot and tasty, filled to the brim. My mug is up! Here’s to the molding and shaping of an enduring relationship with our great God!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

How Do You Spell Love?

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

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Love . Red paint.

What makes you feel loved?

  • A dozen roses?
  • A bath decorated with rose petals?
  • A box of chocolates?
  • A card with romantic words?
  • A night out on the town?
  • A candlelight dinner for two?

I would venture to guess that your idea of love is different than mine. That’s what makes the command – “Love your neighbor as yourself,” so difficult.

Oh, come on, we all know what Jesus meant.

Do we? …………. Really?

Valentine’s Day is 10 days away. I’ll give you 10 days to think about it.

You can reply or comment if you like.

Knowing Your Father

31 Friday Oct 2014

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hitchhiker

courtesy of peggydavis66 on flickr.com

I picked up a hitchhiker a few years ago. I was on my way to an appointment when I passed a teenage boy with a book bag over his shoulder. It was one of those moments I argued with God. “You need to turn around and pick that kid up,” God said. “No, I don’t want to; I’ll be late for my meeting,” I replied. “You need to do it anyway.” “You always make me do things I don’t want to do…….”

Soooo, I turned around and pulled up beside the young man. I asked if he needed a lift to which he replied, “Yes.” Apparently he had missed his ride to school but was determined he was not going to be absent. I asked which school it was and directions to get there. I was blown away when I dropped him off; it was at least 10 miles from where I picked him up. His commitment to be in class, no matter how late he already was or how far he had to walk, was nothing short of amazing.

People today are scared of hitchhikers, me included. Picking up strangers is not a habit I practice routinely. However, what if you passed a stranded driver or someone in need of assistance, and as you approached them, you recognized the person as your father. That would be completely different. Your father is not a stranger; he is someone you know and trust. You know him because you’ve lived with him all of your life. You’ve spent countless hours in his presence.

One of the greatest obstacles to our Christian growth is that we don’t know our Father. You can’t know someone unless you spend time with them. Confidence in relationships is developed from shared experiences, learning how a person responds to adversity and good fortune.

The book, “Knowing God” by J. I. Packer has had an enormous influence on my understanding of God. Here is a quote from Goodreads.com

“Guidance, like all God’s acts of blessing under the covenant of grace, is a sovereign act. Not merely does God will to guide us in the sense of showing us his way, that we may tread it; he wills also to guide us in the more fundamental sense of ensuring that, whatever happens, whatever mistakes we may make, we shall come safely home. Slippings and strayings there will be, no doubt, but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we shall be caught, rescued, restored. This is God’s promise; this is how good he is.”
― J.I. Packer, Knowing God    

Ephesians 1:17 – NIV

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

The greatest tools we have to knowing God are the Bible and prayer. The more time we invest in those two things, the better our relationship with him will be and the more we will understand his plan for all mankind and for us.

Let’s all raise our mugs together with a fresh resolve to know and understand our Father better!