The Sensible Social Movement

Protesters anger me. I say this, while feeling simultaneously that some protest is necessary. This is a generalization, but it's true.

I don't like random people on the street talking to me. In fact, I'd rather they not come up and talk to me at all. If you're going to talk to me about cruelty to animals, I think you should consider talking about cruelty to humans (the ones down the block, in this city, country, and world).

Don't hand me any little pieces of paper. I will throw them away. The environmentalist in you SHOULD KNOW THAT.

Social movements these days are often spearheaded by a single major organization (or sometimes a group of organizations), most of which are non-profits. I'm not saying I'm anti-non-profit. But these guys are mostly to blame. Sorry people, but once you let the cat out of the bag, it's over. Once you start, that is, you are responsible for the actions of your adherents. Their actions reflect back on you.

Some of the weird campaigns are begun in the sponsoring organization (say, PETA for example) but many come out of fringe groups of individuals loosely associated (if at all) with the central sponsoring entity. What does this mean? It means you've got a bunch of wackos running around making your cause look like it's for nutters. And you're letting them do that to you.

Control.

Mitigate.

This is the NAME of the GAME.

There are strategies and tactics organizations can use to insure there is a separation between individuals closely associated with you, and those who are the nut jobs. This involves providing clear training sanctioned at a head quarters, focus protest groups, organizers trained at the head quarters, among other things which are time-proven tried and true avenues to effecting change.

These groups who "say" they want changes to occur but aren't employing these time-tested methods don't actually want change. They want the status quo. They want their organization to continue as it's been, and frankly they're wasting your money, time, and energy. If you want things to change, then either join the board of that non-profit and force them to change, or come up with a more effective team (and I will help you do it, because I revamp, brainstorm, and start up well).

Be sensible. Be smart. And if you want to keep on keeping on, do NOT talk to me on the street. I may punch you. Or ask for your name and address.... no telling what I'll send you in the mail. :-D

Art/Design: Multi-purpose Table

We looked everywhere for a table that would fit in our apartment and serve all our needs (somewhere taller than a coffee table, but smaller than a typical kitchen table). We finally decided to make our own table which is finally finished and in our living/dining area. These are the following stages (each of which could have worked on their own, but only the last really works with our interior).

Once we assembled all our materials, Christian put together the table, with a little sanding help from me. Next came painting, which I chose to do in three layers.


This is the first layer (mostly complete except for the top corner). I used acrylics (because I didn't feel like dealing with disposal issues associated with oils). Several different reds (alizarin, cadmium, and brick), blues (medium, ultramarine, deep), and a burnt sienna.

I wanted to get a playful undercoat that picked up on the reds in our house and tied the cooler subsequent coats to this theme of red (and now green as you can see in later layers).




This is the second layer, which is loosely based on Indian floral motifs (often found on semis) depicting versions of the four seasons (Counter clockwise from upper left-hand corner Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter). Between the central flower/Sun and the seasons on the left is a cloud and rain, on the right, a fire/flower. Colors used were burnt sienna, yellow ocher, white, and cadmium deep yellow.

Obviously this type of design can only work in certain decor situations (a hippy-funky-60s-retro type, an ethnic themed vibrant colored indoor situation, a bright and lush ethnic garden, or a bohemian drug induced eco house). Needless to say, this wouldn't really fly in our place. So what to do?!


We bought a can of satin finish leaf green and I sprayed randomly across the top, and thoroughly coated the legs. Then I took forest green, ultramarine blue, cadmium medium yellow, and a dash of white to mix a variety of greens to accent and pattern the spray. I tried to incorporate some of the earlier layers into the accented patterns.

Christian then coated the whole table with with 3 coats of clear poly to insure the condensation from our drinks wouldn't screw up the paint (among other things) and VIOLA!!!! We have a unique and beautiful table fit for our living space.

You'll notice the earlier layers really allow for the top pattern to come together (and add some nice surprises for the viewer upon closer examination).

Note: If you know anyone who is interested in decorative arts, or would like to commission a piece, I am for hire. I can design an unfinished piece of assembled furniture or a finished piece of furniture, in addition to wall murals etc. Just let me come and see the room where it will be located, and give me any specifics (such as palette or content, surreal through abstract) and we'll discuss price.

Under and Over: A Prayer Request

This past week Christian got over his flu, and transferred it to me. Needless to say, we've been taking turns being holed up in our less than ideal apartment stewing in our own diseased filth. Yummy.

It put a little bit of a wrench in our job hunting, in addition to other external factors. I applied to a few colleges in a variety of positions and two have gotten back to me. One of them expressed interest, but I was unable to get a hold of them to schedule an interview (after they requested one). The other wanted to pursue me but then the next day sent me another email saying, "Oops. We found someone for the job. We'll keep your resume on file because the law requires us to." Nice.

Christian hasn't been having much luck either. He got stuck on working security for whatever reason, however he has a goatee. Apparently goatees don't provide the right image for most security sites - they require you to shave. Neither Christian or I like him without a beard. Chatting today, we thought it might be better for him to do computer repair work. Even if he was working at a lower hourly rate (80 is typical, 40 is what he normally charges) he'd be doing better, working less time, than he would at a security job. We'll see if I can't convince him to post something around the 'hood. There's also an internet cafe opening less than 5 minutes drive from our house. That would also be an easy thing for him.

The main problem is that AZ has been so hard hit with this financial crisis. Lots of people have lost jobs, or aren't making enough money to make ends meet so they're taking up another job, or they're being pushed jobless into the market. This flood of highly qualified people with years of experience isn't exactly good for people like Christian and me.

It's really taken a toll on our overall morale. I may have started finding homes for different items in our apartment, but frankly we're worried whether or not we'll be able to stay here. Christian is worried about even being able to attend school, the whole reason for us moving out here.

I wrote to Cambridge Drive (a wonderful group of people, and if you're in the SB area you should definitely check them out) telling them our woes. In a day's time I had gotten responses telling me stories of their early married years and assuring us they'd pray for us. Which is actually why I'm writing this here, I'd like you to pray for us too. I believe in the power of prayer. I know it works. I know positive thinking works, but if you increase it exponentially, it's power increases by the same fold. A small measure of security (no pun intended) would probably be all we needed to see us through this less than stellar time.

My plan is to call/email/harass employers I've sent materials to, as well as call all the temp agencies in town. I figure, even if it's just temporary, it will still be more income then we have now. Maybe it will give me a chance to work on my book (grin).

Blessings to you and yours.
May God's peace wash over you, and God's love carry you in your times of trial.
May you find the support you need exactly when you need it.
May any suffering or trial you experience be an avenue to strengthen and grow your spirit.

Amen.

God Hit Me Over the Head With a Guitar.

It seems like this is all one big test. I was thinking about it this morning lying in bed with our little black fan moving the hot bedroom air out (hopefully providing some relief from 90 + temperatures). I don't know if you've seen that show, Joan of Arcadia, but I feel a bit like Joan. Basically I'm coasting from one set of instructions to another, however it seems to be revealed. Some people might think I'm crazy (Bill Mahr for one) but it's only because they don't understand.

You see, my spiritual journey started rather young. When my mother was in her third trimester pregnant with me, she was ordained. By the age of four I was standing on dining room chairs "preaching to my people." By 7 I felt like I could "hug" God, and I started having conversations with, or monologues to God. Sometimes I addressed Jesus. I think it was more depending on how I felt at the time. I was baptized when I was 9, on Palm Sunday. I would have been baptized at 7 if I could have, but my father didn't think I was ready.

During junior high and high school I tried very hard to distance myself from the church, which is what led me to Bard College, the overall spiritually darkest time of my short life. There was a generally hopelessness on campus. For those people who have high EQs, it is toxic. Some places retain the emotional content of things that occurred in that location. It was like this at Bard. You could feel all the lost and tortured people - one of the dorms had been an insane asylum, another had terrible suicide stories associated with it. The woods were associated with rapists and murderers (or so the stories went). But even before I heard the stories, it felt dark. It felt oppressive. There were times there where it felt like I sat on the fence between light and dark, moments of unimaginable peace and others of deep despair. Somehow I knew I had to leave. I knew I had to go back to church.

I went on a mission trip the summer after my sophomore year to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. While I was there I had deja vu regularly and often times knew things before they happened. Some people may chalk this up to "hooby-dooby shit." The thing is, I'm not a new agie kind of person. I'm firmly grounded. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. I swear to God about that. It was during that time I realized I was at a crossroads. Other people on the trip had visions about my choices, about what I should be doing. It became clearer and clearer that there was a major choice here. I could return to Bard or I could take a leave of absence and follow what I thought God was telling me I needed to do. I chose the latter.

I've always been asked whether or not I wanted to be a pastor. It's been the on-going question. When I started speaking, teaching, and leading workshops, more people began to ask that question. Over time it has become more and more persistent. In the past five years I've had more dreams, more deja vu, more directions. Like I said, I just follow where it seems I'm supposed to go (I even had a dream showing me that I should marry my husband).

Even Phoenix was a set of directions. I tried a couple of other paths that I thought should work, but it seemed they just weren't meant to be. You see, either everything falls into place for me and it is clear I should be doing something OR nothing does, and it's clear I shouldn't go in that direction. Moving to Phoenix mostly fell together. Now it just seems like a test. Either that, or I haven't been as true to my directions as I thought.

Fuller Seminary has an "outpost" here in Phoenix. When we were getting ready to move, I was finally resigning myself to the possibility of becoming a pastor. I wasn't sure what was available in Phoenix, but I thought I might be able to do some distance learning while Christian was doing his MMI thing. For some reason Fuller kept popping into my head. I looked at their website, and low and behold, they are here. Strange. Oh, and by the way, you can start during their Winter term (January 2009). I haven't finished the application because frankly I'm worried about being able to pay for that, rent (and basic necessities), as well as Christian's schooling.

I was worried about finding a church out here - so often church searching takes forever. Many times people never find a place that fits. But we were here a short time before the pastor of a church we really liked went and contacted US! If that's not divine intervention... I don't know what is.

How does this relate back to Joan? Well, in one of the episodes God asks her to take up guitar. I'm pretty much in that spot. I've always shied away from it because of my father's ridiculous skills. I never felt like I could quite measure up. That said, I have a beautiful little guitar made by a small furniture maker turned luthier. It sounds goregous (it's not a Lowden, but it's lovely). At lunch this past Sunday that same pastor asked me if I played any instruments. Meanwhile I've been posting on Craigslist that I was looking to join a band. The first serious offer I get loves my voice, and they really want some guitar. Seems it's time I finally learned to play.

We can't know how our actions will effect the lives around us. We just listen for God's voice everywhere and follow, trusting it is all done to bring about the Kingdom.