I had a unique opportunity last Saturday that I just have to share. I met up with my friend Emily, and we had some great conversation and dialogue about life, love, and art. Emily is one of those people who just lights up a room when you walk in. Her passion, love of life, and encouragement is so contagious; I always leave from our get-together times simply fulfilled. Can it get any better than that?

Emily is an artist extraordinaire. By that, I mean that she is sacrificing a lot to pursue her dreams as an artist. She gave up a full-time job and moved out to the country in order to acquire studio space and explore what being an artist means for her life. That's bold. And brave. And beautiful. (I might be slightly jealous.) This is my favorite piece of hers... so far:


One of Emily's artistic focuses centers around creating Listening/Memory pieces. I'll let her explain her process better here so I won't butcher it, but basically, after an interview time, she creates an image based on a provided memory that serves as a reminder to the commissioner of where they've come from in life. Pretty unique.

So I'm working on collecting artwork for our next Mercy Project fundraiser coming up in June. (MUCH more on that later.) I had asked Emily to contribute a piece for the auction, and she decided to interview me about our trip to Ghana last summer as the premise for her piece. I'll be honest, I was a bit skeptical. What would I have to say that could possibly turn into this amazing piece of work? Well, that's when you have to just trust the artist! So on Saturday, Emily and I sat down, and while I talked about the trip, she sketched and 'recorded' my memories in a visual way. It was amazing. I was surprised at the emotion I still felt in talking about the first time to touch down in Africa, teaching art to precious children, and holding the hand of a child in slavery. And then to see that drawn out through another's interpretation – just a really powerful experience.

Emily has recorded a bit more on her site here, as well as posted the original sketch. Go check it out! She'll now take this sketch and turn it into a masterful painting for our auction. I can't wait to see the final; I'm just afraid I'm going to want to keep it for myself!

The last thing I'll say about all of this... is this: I was reminded this weekend of the important task we have as Christians to tell our stories to others. Your story may not include a trip to a remote jungle in Africa, but it no doubt includes moments in which to celebrate, learn from, and share with others. Live a good story today!

I had good intention to document the weekend with exciting pictures, but I flat forgot. I'll work on that; no one wants to read rows and rows of letters all the time. Also, a shout-out to my best pal for starting her blog. Excited to 'reid' of your adventures!

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Dear Weekend,
Wish you could stick around longer, but thank you for giving me restful ammunition with which to enter that which is lovingly referred to as Monday Morning. I am most grateful for card games and tasty cookies, meeting with old friends and discussing art and life, exploring new running trails in Grapevine (next time I'll take a better map), a picnic by the lake with a stellar book, lots of sunshine, a good movie and evening of conversation, quiet time early in the morning, running in 45 degrees, a time of worship, and new music.
Please come again soon,
Me

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I was considering keeping my verse from last week (Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.) for another round as it's been a favorite thus far. Simple and to the point. But I looked up the next one I had written down and decided to go ahead and switch it out. Perhaps 1 Thessalonians will be revisited at a later date. For now, here we go:

Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. (NIV)

The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in God protects you from that. (Message)

Proverbs 29:25

I heard a sermon preached on this verse not too long ago, and it really struck a cord with me. I've never thought of myself as a "people-pleaser", but I think there are times when I very much feel ensnared with concern of what others think of me, doubtful of the place I'm at in life, longing to win the approval of those I care about. There's a definite fear of failure that lurks around and sometimes rears it's ugly head. It's indeed a disabling feeling that I would dare say is fairly common for a lot of people.

But those moments of gentle confirmation from God? Utterly amazing! And enough for me. Enough for me to try my darndest to remember that my days must be about pleasing my God and no one else. May you start this next week with a glimpse of the safety and weightlessness of trusting in God's approval of who He made you to be.

In light of our camping expedition last weekend and the fact that it's now the perfect season/weather for such, here's a few shots of one of our first camp trips. Granted, the tent was set up in the front yard, but I figure it counts. This little orange pup tent made some serious miles when we were growing up...



If I may ask... what's up with the knee-highs and the little hood? I mean, really?! Eh, I guess I was at least smiling instead of screaming... this time.

Happy Friday!

Well, this is a long time in coming, but a few updates from the week...

Our March Mercy Project Newsletter went out yesterday. You can view it here. Lots of great things coming up: Guinness Flag Football Game in a few weeks, trips to Ghana, Art Auction in June. Excited!

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Amber and I found a great camp spot at Ray Roberts last weekend and enjoyed a short excursion. We've been to the south side quite a bit, but drove on to the north entry to check out a new locale. Let me tell ya, it was fantastic. 8 miles of trail, 3 additional miles of concrete pathway, swim area, playground, great lakeside campsites, picnic areas, and more water spigots than I've ever seen at a state park. We spent our time hiking, exploring, grilling, and reading. The weather was perfect, and the moon was spectacular. These are all Amber's pics, save the last moon shot...


Our spot...


Amber and Callie getting ready to go hiking...


And we're off...


Callie likes to drink out of water bottles...


... but isn't convinced she needs to be in the lake.


Best. S'mores. Ever.


Don't be confused, there was no dainty eating here. This is merely a 'pause for a picture' moment before the demolition...


And the amazingly bright moon. Very cool.


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Verse of the week:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This verse has been a great one for me this week. Just a calming reminder in moments of "I-want-to-pull-my-hair-out"!

Good strawberries are just one of the finer delicacies in life. I went into Sprouts for the first time yesterday and scored a few 'baskets' for $1.29. Hard to beat that. They don't have that ripe flavor just yet, but I still got a little excited. Posting these pics this morning seemed appropriate...

One of the best parts of our summer trips to Colorado was driving the winding roads through the mountains. We could always count on a few sudden exclamations from Mom, "There's some strawberries, pull over, pull over!" Mountain berries are tiny. Tiny. Mom always referred to them as morsels. But boy, were they ever worth it. The taste is unsurpassed by the wanna-be grocery store variety. So here we are, undoubtedly somewhere on the side of the road, with Mom pointing out the best berries. If you look real closely, you can see the few that I picked in my thermos lid in the last picture. Doesn't look like I was too thrilled!




Happy Friday! Get outside this weekend!

To the Two Guys at Crooked Tree This Morning:

Thank you for your kind conversation. (I’m not one to stick my nose into another’s business, but I couldn’t help overhearing as I sat a mere 10 feet away.) I generally try to steer clear of religious debate with people, but I sincerely appreciate your logical arguments and concerns over a current situation circulating this week. It’s refreshing to know that there are people who can sit down and have an intelligent and loving conversation over spiritual issues. I find this to be rare and encouraging. I’m impressed at the way you both respect the opinions of the other, at the way you know how to listen to another’s viewpoint, at the genuine concern you seem to have for those who would claim to be spiritual leaders. Thank you for reminding me that healthy, public dialogue and appropriate questioning of 'faith matters' is not only possible, but certainly necessary, for those of us who would claim to be Jesus-followers.

Sincerely,
The Curly-Headed Girl in the Corner