Always Grow

Looking back at this past year, how did you grow? How were you changed?

     I like to draw trees. Every tree is different with its twisted limbs, leafy foliage, strong roots and rough bark. Some trees even seem to have personality to me. The bent over, crooked trees seem wise, old and full of experience. The straight, stately trees seem proud, maybe even arrogant and the little saplings seem full of life and energy.  Each tree grows a little throughout the year. Maybe a little taller, a little wider or a little more damaged. Each year a storm may tear off a branch. Perhaps a name will be carved in its trunk.

     Yet the tree continues to grow, to blossom, to bear fruit, to rest and to grow again. Ever and always growing despite what goes on around it. Looking back at this past year, how did you grow? What were your successes or your failures? In this new year of 2013, I challenge you to grow closer to Christ. Live each day for Him no matter what goes on around you. But ever and always grow. A tree that doesn't grow is dead. The old year is behind you and new year is before you. Determine to grow into a closer likeness of Christ this year. 

Happy New Years! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!! Remember that Christmas is about giving with no thought of receiving in return. :) Here is my very first painting in oil colors! It is also a gift for my next door neighbors!

A Beach Full of Chicken Eggs

    I dream crazy dreams. They usually include flying, dangerous situations or wild twists on everyday objects. Last night was one of those nights. I dreamed I was at a beach surrounded by....what else? Chicken eggs! I wanted to find an egg that was about to hatch, take it home and watch the process of the young chick emerging. I remember dreaming that I picked up a big egg and put it in my bag. Well, a couple minutes later the egg was broken and a big mess in my bag. However, I went back to the beach to choose another egg. I broke this one as well. While I was in the process of choosing a third egg, some people came running towards me telling me to go somewhere else. I quickly took my bag and left. Later on, one of my friends approached me and told me that he knew I wanted to have a little chick. He then proceeded to hand me a cute, fluffy, yellow chick all for my own.

    Now I will leave you to think what you may about my dream. I personally woke up thinking, "How strange to dream about chickens!" I doubt my dream means anything more than an active night time imagination but I couldn't help but draw an object lesson from it.

    Sometimes I find myself thinking that my life needs a new start. I need to stop doing this and start doing that in order to be a new or better person. However, my attempts always fail. My resolutions to be better might stand firm for a little while, but I always find myself back where I started. When I try of my own self to be better, when I try to choose a new life for my own self, I usually end up where I began, broken and sometimes in a worse mess than before. The only Person who can really change me, who can take the broken, messy contents of myself and exchange them for a new life, is Jesus Christ. He gives me new life as a gift. It is not something I can manufacture on my own. I always end up breaking the promises I make to myself to be better. My only hope is to turn away from the 'beach' of my own wishful attempts at a new life and allow God to give me a new life which will grow to maturity with and in Him.

From This Past Year

A poster of a guitar I completed for my church.

    I just wanted to show you all a few art pieces I have finished this past year. Some of these I did when I was bored, others my church asked me to do. The Asian sunset one I painted with a friend and the Lilies are on canvas. 

A Rose

Typical Asian Sunset

Lilies 

Let Your Light Shine

    When I was about seven years old, I remember hearing a story of a king and his three sons. The king had ruled his empire for many years and was now old. He now had to decide which of his three sons (who were triplets and thus each had equal right to the throne) would be the next king. Finally, he gave them a challenge and the winner would become the next king.

    The king told his sons that 'there are no limits to what can be achieved, but a great king must know how to....benefit the people of his kingdom regardless of wealth and riches.' Each son was then given one copper coin. They must use only this coin to fill up an empty room in the palace with whatever they wanted. 

    The sons went and looked everywhere for something to buy that would fill up the room. At the end of the day, the king was waiting for them. The first son had bought empty barrels with his coin. These barrels were filled with water and emptied into the room. He watched happily as the room was filled almost halfway. 

    After all the water had leaked out, the second son came. He had spent his coin to buy all the hay from a farmer. The hay filled the room nearly three-quarters full. He felt confident that he would be the king and the last brother could not top his feat. 

    Once the hay was removed, the third son came forward and stood in the middle of the room. He apparently had nothing with him. Everyone looked on expectantly. The king, thinking his third son had not taken his challenge seriously, asked, "Did you bring anything, son?" "Yes, father," answered the third son. He then proceeded to take a small candle and match out of his pocket. He struck the match and lit the candle. "Yes, father. I did buy something. I bought a candle and decided to fill this room with light." 

    

    Whenever you see a candle, think of ways you can fill your world with light. Fill your home with love and kindness. Fill your workplace with patience and smiles. Fill your school with happiness and diligence. 

Matthew 5:16 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 

Story taken from: 

http://revolutionhive.com/2012/01/25/the-king-and-his-3-sons/

Water or Wood?

    Instead of huddling around an open fire and roasting marshmallows, here in Asia we use open fires for daily cooking. Grilled fish, steamed rice, barbecued chicken, and noodle soup are a few of the things cooked over open fires. Sometimes while I bike down back alleys, I will see mothers and little old grandmothers stirring steaming pots or turning roasting meat. Wood and charcoal are used to keep the fires at the right height and when all cooking is finished, water is sometimes poured over the fire to put it out.
    I once heard a saying that went something like this:

When there's a fire, some people bring wood and some people bring water.

    This could be applied in the literal sense but it is really talking about how we deal with tension in our day to day lives. When there is a problem, a tense situation, an opportunity to gossip, a chance to annoy or frustrate someone we don't like, what do we do? Do we bring wood? Do we increase the tension? Forget to think before we speak, or take the opportunity to add a negative word or action? Or do we bring water? Do we think and pray before tackling the situation? Refuse to destroy a person's reputation through gossip, or take  the chance to purposefully do something nice for someone we dislike?
    We are told that "blessed are the peacemakers." This week try to be a peacemaker. Bring the water. Put the fires out! Everyone knows how much damage fire has the potential to do. It can burn down buildings, obliterate forests, and worse even kill people. When there is disagreement or tension between people, it has the potential to burn down relationships and obliterate friendships. Bring the water! Put the fires out! 

Frustrating Keys

     Have you ever come home at night and tried to unlock your door in the dark? You fumble with the keys a bit. Insert one key, it doesn't work so you try another. You insert another key and it gets stuck. All the while you wish you had left the porch light on or had at least picked out the right key while still in the car. This page of my journal is a Zentangle version of two keys. Here is the experience I had today that corresponds with the drawing. 

     I teach English to twenty-five teenage students for two hours, four days a week. Sometimes my students are studious and behaved, other times it seems like it is all I can do to stay a few steps ahead of their attitudes and classroom tricks. Today, in class, I was faced with a situation I have never had to deal with before. It came up suddenly and I was not prepared to take care of the incident. Later, as I was reflecting on what had happened, I began to wonder if my solution had been the most fair. I wished I had brainstormed all the possible problems to my particular classroom rule, and thought of solutions ahead of time. 

    I realized that the incident I had in class today could have been prevented with some fore thought. Just like every time I have tried to unlock a door in the dark I have wished I had left the light on or picked out the correct key. The lesson I learned? Take a moment to think things through ahead of time. Thinking ahead may prevent problems from forming or at least give you possible solutions to the problems. Thinking ahead may also prevent you from getting frustrated when you feel like you have tried every key on the ring and you still cannot find the right key!

A Roll of Toilet Paper

     Yes, I did draw what you think I did- a roll of toilet paper. Before you judge my choice of subject matter, read on! :)
     We all usually see toilet paper everyday. It is one of those things we all need but never really think about until it runs out. I had this experience happen to me a while back. For you to understand this story, I have to give you a bit of background information. Where I live, toilet paper is used to wipe your mouth like a napkin while you eat. It is usually non-existent in bathrooms. Instead, people use what I call 'The Sprayer' - a miniature shower head used to wash your backside.
     When I first came to Asia and used the bathroom, I looked around expectantly for the toilet roll. It was not to be found. It is funny how something so seemingly unimportant becomes of first importance as soon as you are left stranded without any! I quickly became acquainted with 'The Sprayer' and made a note to self to always bring some toilet paper with me in the future.
     The lesson I learned? Don't overlook the small things that don't seem significant now. Don't wait until you find yourself without them and in a fix. Keep track of small purchases or at the end of the month you will wonder where all the money went. Notice the small opportunities that lead up to the big ones. Appreciate and cherish the people in your life. Do the best you can to not be caught off guard and wishing you had the small things back again (like toilet paper when you really need some!).

Unique Fathers

     I almost forgot it was Father's Day! Being halfway around the world has a way of making the date slip from mind. The good news is I remembered in time! Looking back on this past year I see that I have grown closer to my father. Maybe separation and distance has something to do with it but I know that I talk (well as of right now it's more emailing and chatting) a lot more to my father than I ever used to. I am so glad that I have been able to further discover what a great father I have.
     The second page from my art journal is a depiction of a tree. Trees have long been a favorite subject of mine and I like them for their strength and uniqueness. By uniqueness I mean the texture of the bark, the shape and arrangement of leaves and the variance of limb structures. I remember as a child, I always drew trees with a forked trunk and a ball of 'leaves' on top. As I have grown and observed trees more, I have come to notice the detail that makes a particular tree, a tree.
     This is similar to the way I have seen my father as well. As a child, I saw him in a general way: someone who went on walks with me and played with me. As I have grown, I have come to notice the details that make my father unique. His unexpected humor, his relationship with the Lord, his love for my mother (they've been married twenty-six years!), his like for vanilla soy ice cream, or his wish that all of his children choose what's right in life. I hope that in the future both my depictions of trees and my closeness with my father continue to be better.
   Before I close there is one Father who I cannot leave out. My Heavenly Father. The Father who wants the best for all of His children. Just like my earthly father, I am still getting to know my Heavenly Father. I am noticing more details about Him all the time. His unexpected answers to prayer, His undying love for me, His never-ending forgiveness or His personal interest in every human being.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (Jam 1:17 NKJ)

Especially to my father but to every father: Happy Father's Day!

Rain: How Does it Define You?

     It rains an awful lot at times here in Asian country. In the morning, it may be bright, hot and sunny but by noontime it may be a full-blown tropical downpour. More than once I've been caught off guard and have had to make my way home again in the rain.
     The Tai-Kadai people don't like rain. If it starts to rain, why everybody heads for home or finds the nearest shelter to stop under and wait out the worst of it. It's only the bravest who don the colorful rain jackets and ponchos and travel about on their motorbikes. If it's raining before class time, it's only my dedicated students who face the weather and show up for class. The rain, in a way, defines my students.
     Those who are consistent with attendance and classwork are those who are determined to keep up their good grades and attend class no matter what. Those students who are average, do poorly or are lazy with classwork are those who tend to stay back from class when the skies let loose. I like to think of the rain as similar to the circumstances each one of us faces in life.
     Sometimes the situations we find ourselves facing are not always pleasant. However, if we choose to move forward and not shy away from unpleasant circumstances we are more likely to be successful in the end. We find our courage, strength and persistence by using them. We hardly consider a person strong or courageous who sits on the sidelines waiting.
     No, it's the people who know they don't melt under a downpour and who don't mind getting a bit wet that pull through the situation in the end. They let the 'rain' define them in a positive way.

So....I have decided to start a new sketchbook journal. That makes the whole purpose of this blog recording my thoughts and my surroundings and sharing my discoveries with you! I intend to draw the feelings I have and the objects that are around me everyday. I am hoping to learn more about myself and more about life. You are welcome to join me in my art adventure even though you may not be able to draw! (Goodness, it seems like I've been drawing forever and still nothing seems to turn out the way I like!) Feel free to give advice on how to improve my sketches or comment on what you have learned from similar emotions and daily objects.