The Artist

Art is a lifestyle. Therefore, an Artist is more than simply a person who does the act of creating art. An Artist is a special type of person. I often think of "artsy" simply as a sort of person who draws or crafts, but the Artist is both scientific and artistic. The Artist knows their craft and medium (scientist) and uses it well (artist).

Personally, I know many Artists. One in particular is my friend Nathan. I highly respect Nathan's life and art. Despite financial and logistical boundaries, he continues to create great art. As he is continuing to hone his craft, he is picking more and more knowledge. He knows more about cameras and lenses then I'll ever know. I am always stunned by his attention to detail when I think it looks or sounds "good enough".

I have been blessed to be a part of his recent production, Flipped Justice: Until Vengeance, the second in a trilogy of short films. Let me tell you, behind the scenes Nathan has put in many hundreds of hours into creating details I didn't notice until he pointed them out. This has been a film over a year in the making.

More than his filmmaking, Nathan is a brilliant guy. The very way he interacts with people and cares shows how he is an Artist. Come to think of it, that is a great definition: the Artist is someone who cares. Nathan cares about people, cares about creating beautiful things, and cares about serving his God. That is why I am proud to call Nathan my friend.

Go ahead and enjoy his art. May it inspire you to become an Artist yourself.

"Life is Hard."

My life is pretty hard. Now, in one sense, I don't think I've been through a lot of big tough things. Neither do I claim to have it as hard as Joe Schmo over there. Who can compare pain, being such a personal experience?

Three Word Prayer

Well, I'm 17 and sadly looking at the end of my homeschooled years. I have really enjoyed blazing an non-traditional path through my education. When you finish high school in three years, though, you suddenly realise you're supposed to figure out what you are going to do after the script ends. As I look back, I've been thinking about all the things I didn't do during my homeschooling days.

• I never went to Disney as a child. But I sailed in Canada freshman year.
• I didn't go on a 6th grade trip to DC. But I've been on two mission trips to Chicago and one to NYC. 
• I never once ate a school lunch. But I have eaten a two-pound burger. If you're ever driving through Celina, TN, stop at Ollie's Place and look for my picture on the wall. 
• I haven't become famous. But I helped write a declaration of manhood back in middle school. One of my proudest moments.
• I didn't have friends at school. But I was in an amazing readers'/writers' group.
• I haven't yet done a TED Talk. But I've been a part of some really great homeschool drama productions. The only thing better than homeschool people is homeschool drama people.
• I haven't yet dated anybody. But I have had the coolest friends and the best adventures. 
• I have never won money in a contest. But I've had great mentors, which have been much more valuable.
• I haven't been to a Broadway show yet. But I have been involved in numerous dramas, both backstage and onstage.
• I never took high school physics. But I've volunteered hours upon hours at church.
• I haven't bought a sports car. But I have made more than a few trips from TC to GR.
• I didn't write a New York Times bestseller at the age of 13. But I did try my hand at novel writing and learned from the experience.
• I haven't made my own YouTube channel. But I've written haiku.
• I haven't read all 100 best books of all time. But I'm still working on it. I need another bookshelf...

I haven't accomplished big things, like hiking through Europe or writing an amazing book or starting an organisation to raise money to fight AIDS. But I've been on a great journey. I've had the privilege of growing up in a great home and attending great churches. I've had opportunities to explore who I am, and I'm cool with what I've found. I have had some cool chances to speak into lives. I am in a really cool position to launch into the rest of my life. When I think of all the things I could have done but haven't, I remind myself everything has been preparing me for something great. Something that's much bigger than myself. I'm ready to change the world, but I also know I have to prepare first.

As I've thought about it, 2014 has become to me the year of preparation. Educationally, with opportunities, and most importantly, in my heart. I don't believe that I have to be perfectly educated before I can serve, and I won't let that excuse hold me back. I don't know everything 2014 holds for me or who I will be in another year. But I do know that God is going to use me somehow, and He'll use anything He can to train me.

For starters, I have an opportunity to travel to Mexico for a few months this spring. I'm still working out all the details, but I'm hoping to fly out in mid-March and help however I can at an orphanage. More details to follow. But I'm stoked for a chance to travel and learn from others.

After that, I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing to do next. There are so many options, which makes the choice harder. One of my biggest dreams is to help my generation step up to lead the future of the Church. I love thinking and writing, and I want to use those gifts to this end. I feel called into "fill-time Christian ministry", but knowing me, I want to go Non-Traditional. Instantly, the idea of opening a "writing pub" stands out to me. A cross between a local coffee house and a tea parlour where people can come to write in quiet or gather a writing group. A little Herman's Boy and a bit of the Bird and the Baby. A healthy serving of used books. A dash of friendly baristas. And there you have it: a non-"churchy" way for Believers to love others and build relationships.

We shall see how this all turns out. But in the meantime, I'm working on having my heart in a place where God can work on it. I'm using this time I have left to ask God to use me. I know it won't always be fun, but I'm here for the ride. My prayer is: God, use me.

Another Lament

Alas, I am woefully inadequate to be an adult. But I've seen so much I am no longer a child. Child...sometimes I wish I could go back to that "peaceful existence" when I was free from responsibility. Don't you see I want to be responsible?--but cannot be. Example: I feel like I didn't accomplish anything today. Forgive me, accomplishing is not my goal, but accomplishments do give me a sense of purpose. God, I know my Universal Purpose: love, serve, bring Redemption and Restoration. How do I know my Unique Purpose, how You are going to use my unique skills, abilities, and experiences? I can see some general, long-term purposes, but what's my purpose today?

Just let me say I'm bored with life, feeling like I haven't worked hard enough to earn a break. Kudos to God that human life isn't usually over 100 years--I think that's all I could take. Longing: I want to see God, to be caught up in His embrace, to see all things fulfilled. Meanwhile, He's placed me right here. Now, I am to live for His return, but I'm also to live today, taking advantage of my current opportunity. Opportunities are sometimes obvious, but sometimes it requires me to step out in faith. Pete is a really lazy person who hates hard work. Queer, really. Risks, too, those scary things, he hates them.

Since I'm not buying into what everyone expects me to do with my life (4-year college, typical job), I have to figure out what I'm supposed to do. The thing I know for sure about my purpose is that I am somehow going to lead the future of the Church. Un-traditional life, yes, but I am discontent with living just an ordinary life. Very, very hard to swim upstream. Which reminds me of all those things I wrote that made Non-Traditional seem so idyllic...well, it's not. X()&(*&^@ is what I want to scream!

(You know, I've been reading through Lamentations lately and trying to learn how to lament brokenness, so I copied the acrostic poem style and wrote this piece where each sentence starts with the next letter of the alphabet. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!)

Ahh, Austen, You've Done It Again!

Earlier this year I read Pride and Prejudice and really enjoyed it. A few weeks ago I started Mansfield Park. I also own Emma and a Complete Jane Austen book. There is something magical about entering the Austenian world, something reminiscent of a time past, a time without all the baggage we have today. Fresher, leaner, more focused.

To me, I find it hard to imagine how situations Austen writes about could be reality. I do not refer to my actual imagination: her writing successfully allows me to suspend my belief and imagine the "impossible" as possible. No, what I am talking about is the actuality of such social status: all the characters she created sit around in their mansions because they are rich. (That seems so boring.) Everything they want is provided, so even the "adventures" they endeavor on are planned to avoid all risk. It's humorous watching them make a big deal of planning such excursions. 

None of this is familiar to me, so I almost imagine it as a social experiment: what happens when parts of life are stripped away? People are put in a room so researchers can observe how they interact. I get to observe from the comfort of my reading chair. Austen knew a thing or two about human nature, and she artfully plays out telling situations by removing some baggage and simplifying.

Because of this, I picture this lush lifestyle as idyllic. I see a life without the worries of holding a job, schooling, etc. as desirable. In order to highlight human nature, Austen strips away these external issues and sets the story in the romantic setting of the early 19th century. Balls are a common event, with dancing as a microcosm of life. The only worthwhile thing these characters spend their time doing is courting. (Okay, so I oversimplified that: my apologies.) Even I am excited by the romantic nature of it and deem it ideal. 

But I must remind myself that this is not as utopian as it seems. "Wouldn't it be easy for men to take risk in a relationship if they didn't have to worry about all these other things, like financial security and another four years of school? Back then, everyone was more intentional in pursuit and courting towards marriage." But that's not the point. I need to quit making up excuses and realise that I can be a man right where my story is set. My story may not seem as ideal as an Austen story, but I am called to be a man. I cannot expect my life to be free from the "complications" of school and work (man, would that be boring). Because of those complications, I have so many more opportunities to play the man.

What is Art Part 3 - The Church and Artists

This is the final part of a three-part series on Art. If you haven’t read parts one or two, I’d encourage you to read them to fully understand this piece.

What is Art Part 2 - Entering Art with Worldview

This is Part 2 of the 3 part series on Art. If you missed the first part, go read it here. Stay tuned for the third part! Part 1 left off mentioning excellence in art. That is where we shall pick it up today.

Why Swing Dance?

About a year and a half ago, I was introduced to Swing Dance. I loved it! Since then I’ve tried to describe what makes swing dance so great, but nothing online describes it well. This article came close, but I needed to add more. I wish I could write the ultimate piece on swing dance, and someday I hope to write a book on it (or at least an ebook!), but for now, consider this draft one of my epic tome. Thus said, let us commence.