URTA

My week in New York for URTA is a little over a month and a half away. It's ridiculous to fully grasp at this moment in time. And quite thrilling. The outcome will determine which path life beyond July will be directed. Oh em gee. They're giving away gift cards, too! Check it:

http://urtadiscussion.blogspot.com/2012/11/urtas-1000-gift-card-sweepstakes.html

Picasso

Abstract art has always baffled me, and I've had a time learning to appreciate it. My drawing teacher in Charleston, Lynne Riding, could draw anything and make it look incredibly real and "academic", yet here are her most prized paintings:

http://www.lynneriding-art.com/

For the longest time it confused me how she, with such a talent that I continually strive to acquire, chooses these bizarre, seemingly child-like doodles?

And then I remembered Picasso's bull breakdown, which shows the progression of a piece from academic to abstract:

http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/animals_in_art/pablo_picasso.htm

These artist are in an entirely different playing field, reflecting visions from a foreign creative dimension that requires their audience to break the easily-accessed understanding and recognition of what's known, what's expected, and what's familiar.

Out of the box.

Oh, the many things in everyday life we try to stuff in a mental box of suffocating expectation. I am ignorantly guilty.

So, thank you abstract artists of the world, for a beautiful reminder to take a deep breath, give a second thought to a first impression, and then maybe a third, to search for hidden beauty, to find common ground with what appears to be unrelatable, in people, in ideas, in actions, in creations. 

Today is the tomorrow we thought about yesterday...

I'm beginning to feel it - that buzz of joy that inhabits the air this time of year. It's my absolute favorite. Is it really almost Christmas? This past year seems to have flown by so quickly! They always do, don't they?

This year has been one of learning and growing for me; both experiences are often painful and difficult, but the refinement has been nothing but beneficial.

Living in the moment - one hurdle I'm still trying to clear. It's so easy to become absorbed with what's to be done in the future and dream and wonder and live in Lala Land, but then minutes are wasted that you can't get back. I'm working on appreciating every second and keeping my mind in the present.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today's trouble is enough for today." -Matthew 6:33-34

Life is more enjoyable when meaningless worries are cast upon the Lord and the focus is placed on praising and glorifying Him. He's so good. That word doesn't do justice, but what word does? He's amazing-wonderful-awesome-loving-gracious-fogiving-jealous-mighty-worthy-incredible! And I'm madly in love with Him :-)

It's amazing what God does

when you finally decide to give everything to Him. I just read my previous blog, and I am very happy to say that all emotions and feelings I had and kept stumbling over are long gone. It's a very freeing feeling, and I am so glad that God opened my eyes so that I could see what I was being so blind to. :-)

Today in Sunday School, the message was on "Finding God's Will For My Life."

There are two things that are very wrong with that title. The first: It is not exactly my life. It is a life that I have been given to glorify God with. The second: Finding? God's will has never been lost. It does not need to be found. I SO NEEDED TO HEAR THIS THIS MORNING! I love when that happens! Lately, I have been seriously questioning if I need to undeclare theatre as my major. I just don't feel as passionate about it as I once did. So I've been asking, "Lord, what is is you want me to major in?" And I've done the dorkiest things like take career apptitude tests to see if any of the choices that they give me actaully interest me, and you know what?? I need to stop! Do I seriously think that there is a magical number of times that I will ask God and when I hit that time then He will tell me? Um, big negative. I have got to quit thinking about it and trust. Trust that He will tell me exactly when I need to know.

So often we burden ourselves with so much stress and pressure about things, and we don't have to. We don't have to carry those things. We weren't created to do that! God wants to take our load and carry it for us so that we can be free and praise and glorify Him.
Psamls 29:2 - Ascribe to the Lord the GLORY due to Him name.
Psalms 86:8 & Rev. 15:4 - All Nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your Name.

I feel complete. And refreshed. I'm ready for what He's going to do in our lives.

Have a fabulous week and know that you are adored by the Best Friend ever :-)

Growing Pains

The end of a relationship is difficult. There are so many phases, and just when you think you're over someone, the feelings begin to creep back up. My best friend explained to me that when you begin a relationship with a person, you plant a seed in your heart. Time spent together, likes and dislikes, talking, physical affection, being there for each other, helping each other through hard times, all of the laughs, the tears, the smiles, the jokes - all of these things are water and fertilizer to the seed. They cause the seed to grow into a big plant with deep roots. When I ended my first and most recent relationship, I just expected that we could cool off and be friends, which is like if I were to hack the plant until just some stalks stuck out of the ground. It is painful at first - unlike any pain I have ever experienced. But when you think you're over it and you being to remember the all of the memories that made your relationship grow, and when you keep try to keep in touch and miss the "old days", the stalks begin to grow, only they grow into a different plant. It isn't beautiful. It is scarred. It is twisted. It is almost dead. It is being fed by mere memories of the past. So I have come to the conclusion that I have to rip the plant up from the roots by not thinking about it and severing all contact - which is going to be more painful than the first chopping that I did. However, I can't allow this to continue growing. It is taking over my life, and I haven't even realized it until now. I need to totally surrender everything to God and allow Him to do His thing. Who knows? Maybe later, another seed of friendship will be planted between the two of us. Right now it just feels like one of my best friends died, only he's still alive, and I know that I can't talk to him. BLAH! I hate being depressed. SO next blog will be more optimistic :-)