Monthly Archives: July 2011

Self-Portraiting

Posted on
29

“There’s room for everybody on the planet to be creative and conscious if you are your own person. If you’re trying to be like somebody else, then there is isn’t.” — Tori Amos

“Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.” — Miguel Angel Ruiz

I’m too tired to write this. But I have nothing but love for this idea and this community, so I’m going to give it a stab. Besides, it’s been floating around in my head for a few weeks, and it’s somewhere I’d like to go with y’all… I’d go alone, but it’s never as fun as with friends, right?

Well. Let’s qualify that. I’m an introvert. That statement doesn’t always work.

But, in this realm of which I dream, the destination is worth sharing with friends.

I type of self-portraiting. (I like that word. My spell-checker says it isn’t real. So.)

I’m still finding out who I am as a creative being, and right now the journey has me doing a bit of wandering. But with every new discovery, I’m learning more about myself: My medium(s) of choice (that “s” is very important), my muses and inspirations, my words, my tones, my rhythms. All of it. I’m writing less songs, but dang if the ones that fly out of me aren’t the most honest words I’ve written in a long time.

So here I am–dreaming of self-portraiting. I want to take a medium and use it to further who My Creator created me to be. See. I’m also trying to get to know Him a bit better as well, but that’s an other post for another hazy morning.

Here’s the journey. It’s actually a challenge. A challenge to, by the end of this month, do a sort of self-portrait. A capturing of the essence of self.

And I want to challenge you to do the same. I’ve been anticipating this for a while–and am excited about the photos, sketches, collages, songs, and even pies, cakes, paintings, and sculptures that might come of this.

So, but the end of the month, we will have done a Portrait of Self. And we will have shared it with me and with others in this community.

Deal?

Deal.

(If you know others who want to participate, please tell them about this. mkaythx)

Receive.

Posted on
12

Over and over again, the words “this is the blood of Christ shed for you” spilled out of my mouth. And as I repeated that phrase, I realized that I offered grace to each that dipped the bread into the juice. My hands. My voice. My unworthiness. My frantic Sunday-morning frustrations. My lack of experience distributing the elements. Myself, as a part of the Body of Christ, offering mercy and grace and forgiveness for those who would receive.

We have to do this. As members of the Body, we have to do this–there’s no one else who will extend this mercy and grace and forgiveness to others, in His name and by His death. And, this Sunday, I did. And they received.

Some immediately rose and got in line. Some knelt at the altar before they approached. Some held the hand of their very young or very old loved one. Others trickled in much later, after the line had dwindled. Some said “thank you.” Some said “amen.” Some just smiled. Others crossed themselves afterwards–forehead, heart, shoulder, shoulder. And some didn’t even make eye contact.

But that’s ok. I saw everyone of them.

And I saw how they each, in their own unique way, came forward. And I realized that it didn’t matter if they “amened” or cried. Or if they thanked me. Or thanked God.

All that mattered was that they approached with open hands.

All that mattered was that they received.

And I had to ask myself, in the midst of all my mumbling over the Blood: do I receive the very mercy I hold in my hands?

How’s it go? “It is in giving that we recieve.”

When’s the last time you really gave? Figuratively or literally held in your hands the very thing of faith and life for someone else? And how can we all do that more often?

Write now.

Posted on
29

7/11/11, 10:02am

I’m realizing now, more than ever, that I crave solitude and silence. I’m “one of those people.”

This affirmation came from a short convo with our bass player yesterday. It also came from two little ones who are hanging out at our house all week–holding me happily captive between the words “Aunt” and “Mandy.”

And, right now as my fingers hit the keys, I’m sitting in my kitchen in my favorite spot. And I’m the only one in the whole house. And I can hear the whirrrr of the refrigerator and the buzz of the insects outside who are calling for the rain. And look out the window to check on the weather conditions that might chase my niece and nephew off the beach and back into my house.

But in this moment there’s enough external quiet to help me find some internal quiet. And the internal quiet is really really quiet today. And it’s telling me that I’m at peace with very many aspects of my life right now.

And, sometimes that’s all a girl can ask for.

The quiet is telling me that I love my husband in more ways than I can imagine. And I’m so thankful to be by his side as he starts this new campus. And, even though I don’t know what our lives or our family will look like by January, I wouldn’t want to walk this adoption road with anyone but him.

And the quiet tells me that we aren’t crazy. We’re just …. us. This is how we do things. We have time. And we have energy. And we have dreams for our church and our family and our pursuits. And why not just go for all of them at once? I honestly can’t think of a good reason not to.

Honestly.

Oh. And also, the quiet tells me that I’m ok with myself right now. I’m ok with my new routines and my new world and all that is new and all that will be new in just a short amount of time.

Your turn to write now. What’s going on?

Do kids go pee?

Posted on
41

I don’t have particularly bad language, but I should probably remove the word “crap” from my vocabulary altogether. I mean, can you imagine a little Thompson going to hang out at a friend’s house and saying that word. And then their friend says that word. And then their friend’s mom says “where did you hear that word honey?” and the friend says “from Little Drew” and the mom says “isn’t Little Drew’s dad a pastor?”

:shock: crap…

And what if they have to use the bathroom? I don’t anticipate that maternal language of “do you have to go potty?” naturally flitting out of me. It’s gonna sound more like “You gotta pee?”

geeze.

Is that even a decent description of urination? (Note: I refuse to say “Do you have to urinate?” no no no…)

Oh. And geeze? And holy crap, which is a personal favorite? And dangit? And dang? And …. sigh.

These are the questions that role through my head when I imagine how this will all play out. I don’t worry over all the weird obstacles that come with any adoption story, because every adoption story has some drama. I expect it. I roll with it.

But, as for the parental role? There’s my “unknown” right there.

So, hit me with it: what words do I need to nix?

How to Speak the Spammers’ Language

Posted on
11

Great “post” right back atcha, Latoya. Too bad your comment was eaten by the spaminator, prevneting Moweezles chance to reply. The conversation wouldve been exciting to watch–impressive even. Like Mo!

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Namari. :) To answer your question, I hope we’re Having Fun Yet around here. Not sure if I can take cerdit. I give ll the recognition to my lovley commenters, just same as you.

this is an amazign request, swete spammer-commenter. if you could leave an accurate weblog url, i would be happy to check out your site. if i think your content is a fit for my style, i’ll write something equally odd, but full of capital letters. Just. For. You.

Inspiring! “Subject and predicates,” you are undoubtedly my favorite spammer. Your grammar is accurate, which (judging by your name) shows consistency and effort. I want to thank you for offering help. I would definitely refer Tam Hodge to you. Tam has been blogging as long as I have, and I’d be the first to admit that I have obvious grammar deficiencies, but Tam is still leans towards anti-capitalism at times. So, my dear spammer, please stop by her blog and tell her that Mandy sent you. She’ll LOVE it!

Steve Jobs’ team hasn’t released Artificial Intelligence into the mainstream technological culture yet. So, until those people at AAPL make it happen, you’re stuck with tignhs men think up. IJWTS: Good luck with that one, robo-buddy.

So, back to you, real readers. The whole point (there’s always a point) of this blog is that I want y’all to know I read all the comments. All of ‘em. And I even go digging for those buried in spam. Thank you for commenting. And reading. And all of it.

And I have a question for all of you: How long have you been hanging out around this blog?