Confessions of a Quirky Christian Artist

I've spent all week making a giant, paper mache tree. And a 4 foot wide moon. Then setting them up at church to be the backdrop for my wedding ceremony. It's the day before my wedding. (My second and last wedding.) And I'm really thankful for what God has been doing in me. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm excited. Well, for starters, I don't usually get excited before an exciting thing, just during. I am certainly anticipating the event with joy. And I guess that makes me happier than excitement. Because joy, true joy is full of peace. I'm quite calm, content, and worry free. (I wish I could say the same for Heather!) And it's not because I'm disengaged from the process of preparing for the wedding. Like I said, I've been heavily involved in the decoration and such. I simply know in my heart of hearts that this is meant to be, so I'm not worried about what-ifs and could-bes. My fantastic church is showing wha...

It be September 19 th matey. It's the official Talk Like A Pirate Day. Arrrrgh! So this may be the most annoying post I've ever done…. So I was stand'n thar in church yesterdee. The music was play'n the jigs be about worship'n God n' all. I be appreciat'n the lyrics but not feelin' them the same way I feel the cold, salt-stained steel of me cutlass. Not the same way I did last year when the storms of life was at their worst. Then the thought struck me like a 2 pound load of grapeshot. I remembered the talk me pastor was giving me and me bride-to-be in our second pre-marital counseling session. He told tale of a sailing ship. I suppose it could be a pirate ship if one were so inclined… He says thar be two kinds of people in a relationship: sails, and anchors. These types that are like sails tend to catch the wind and drive a relationship. They tend to make decisions faster and go with change easier. This makes them flex...

I have been reading C.S. Lewis's 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe' to my sons in preparation for the film coming out this Christmas. We just got to the chapter where the children are in the beaver's home and are being told that they need to meet Aslan. When they find out that Aslan is a lion, (symbolic of Christ) they are freighted. They ask, "Is he a safe lion?" Mr. Beaver chuckles, and says nothing to allay their fears. I don't think many Christians are comfortable with an un-safe God either. I think that is why Calvinism is not very popular. There are some problems I see with Calvinism. Not so much the doctrine, as the application, and even more problematic, it can be a huge downer on Christian apologetic work. In other words, the concept can scare people away from Christianity faster than topics like abortion, gay marriage, and hell. Now this could be because it's totally wrong, and people's reactions to it ...

I don't know. I might be. But since I don't have any schooling in theology I really can't say for certain. One thing I love about the internet is that it can be very educational. I love forums where people debate things and post links to articles and Bible verses and such. I wish I could sit down and read a book by Thomas Aquinas or St. Augustine or Jonathan Edwards. But I can't do that right now. So I learn by reading articles about such books. Which is why I can't satisfactorily determine any sort of alignment with their thinking, which is why I can't say if I'm truly a Calvinist or not. I've been frustrated recently by my inability to really get into some serious study of theology. It fascinates me, and as I learn more about it, I realize how important it is in shaping the way Christians interact with God and the world around them. And when I read debates about ideas like Calvin's, I can't help but wonder what proc...