Creating Thought

“we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 As we approach the end of this calendar year (2015) and the beginning of the next (2016), are you intimidated by the prospect ahead? I know that I am. I struggled every day with fear and worry because of how drastically our culture is changing. What has been comfortable is going away and what is coming in its place is a culture that despises God and all things that honor God. What changes will take place in 2016 and in one year from now, what changes will be be reflecting upon? The forces of wickedness in this world are building and godly wisdom and reason are being shunted aside. What do we as Christians expect? Remembering again that the disciples of Christ, when he was here on the earth and when he was crucified and died though that it was over. Some actually believed that Christ had failed in His mission and tha...

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6 What can man do to me? Good question. If we think along our normal temporal plane we would say "Man can do a lot to me." After all, have we not seen the Christians who are beheaded because they would not reject Christ and convert to Islam? Have we not seen the reports of women and children being raped with impunity? Have we not seen those who have be caged and burned alive because they did not agree with the militant Islamists?  Yes, we have, and it is natural and normal to react to these things with fear.  We fear that this will be us, it will come to our door and sooner rather than later. We fear that our government does not have a plan or strategy to protect us. We fear that we are looking at a future that is in control of the evil one and there is little we can do about it.  But the Word of God is this; "The Lord is for me; I will not fear;" whatever man can do to me is of little consequ...

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not   envious toward wrongdoers. 2  For they will   wither quickly like the grass And   fade like the green herb. Psalm 37:1-2 Do you believe this?  In view of the increasing violence and acts of terror in our country and the world, is this piece of the Word of God something you can take refuge in?  I know that it is difficult for me to not fret because of evildoers. First of all I have a black belt of many degrees in fretting.  I don't find myself being very envious toward wrongdoers - that caution is given for those who wish they could be rich like the wrongdoers are rich. No, that's not really me. But I do fret the doers of evil, the ones that walk into a concert hall and kill nearly 100 people against whom they have no specific complaint.   But we know they are coming our way. It is only a matter of time and over that time we will see a progression of evil that will come closer and closer to our s...

"When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4 November 14, 2015 Where were you on this day? Where were you the day before in the afternoon when the news of the terrorist attacks in Paris came your way? How were you five minutes after you first heard the news compared to before you had heard them?  If you were like many of us, one of the feelings (among many) was probably fear. Fear that that can happen in our country. That has actually happened in our country so you probably did some mental comparisons with 9/11 and a few mass murders in our country. How about now?  Are you still afraid? Did you do as I did and say something like; "Well, I'm never traveling to Europe, that's for sure."?  Maybe you are not afraid, or at least you are not willing to admit it even to yourself. But you realize the when this kind of attack comes closer to...

Be of sober spirit , be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NASB) If anyone was qualified to make this statement based on personal experience, it was certainly Peter. Peter, who had, of his own accord falling down under the attack of the devil and failed to keep his bold promise. Peter had promised in the most explosive terms his unfailing allegiance for Jesus Christ.  At their last supper together Jesus spoke to Peter about what he (Peter) was going to go through and they had this exchange. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has  demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”   But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”   And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that...

If you are a Christian.  If you have believed and placed your faith in the words of Christ. If you have accepted the free gift of eternal life that was purchased for you on the cross by the death of Christ and secured through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Then the path of your life will include testing of your faith. It is simply a promise given to us by Jesus and in His Word, the Bible. And it is not always easy to understand. When your speak out about your belief, you will encounter disbelief - sometimes in the form of ridicule and hate. But be encouraged. God is your refuge. He will never fail you or forsake you. You can believe this.  "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33) A great truth is this: No matter how difficult life becomes in this world, it will be overcome in an instant. Present difficulties will be repla...

Why have I started writing in the blog again?   Because I have been given a burden.  Because I envision that the culture of our country, which has always been in a state of change, is making a significant pivot away from morality and toward a standard of godlessness. What once governed our laws and the judgments of our courts is being washed away and replaced with a worldly standard that does not include God's precepts.  Because those who confess to be Christian are being tested.  This testing will prove some to be false confessors and others to be true confessors. When it comes time to stand up and lose what we have, some will stand up and lose and others will keep what they have and remain seated, adopting the accepted standard that is being implemented.  Because each day there is evidence that the enemies of the cross of Christ are gaining strength and momentum. They are being enabled by the courts which have rejected God and His word as the basis of soun...

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 This is just one. There are so many passages which should give us a heads up about what it really takes to live as a Christian. It is a given, "the sufferings of this present time" statement can be compared to so many others that talk as if suffering was a common occurrence in the lives of those who were the recipients of the letters from the Apostles, Paul, Peter, John, James and the author of Hebrews.  It was not a rare thing.  Declaring to be a believer of Jesus Christ and a follower of His word had a price that included loss.  It also had great rewards. But in the American Church today, and as it has been for a long time, trials and sufferings because of what we believe have been pretty much non-existent with a few exceptions.  Yes, there has always been times, even in the United States where believers suffered because...

For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:5) What do you know about suffering? Do you think about it very much?  It's not really a subject of choice - especially for those of us who are called according to His purpose in this country.  Oh sure, we know that people suffer because of war, poverty, various tragedies of weather and what is generally called "acts of God."  A friend is suffering because her close friends were in a very bad traffic accident and although the occupants of the car are alive, they are in critical and serious condition in the hospital. So the four passengers are suffering physical trauma and psychological trauma and my friend is suffering from the concern for them.  Another friend is suffering from the effects of chemo-therapy.  Actually two friends are experiencing that. Chemicals that kill the cancer cells also kill the healthy cells leaving little to r...

The last post here was more than one year ago and I wrote about the work of imagination. Actually it was the release of my book "The 4th Kind" which was the subject of the post. It was just 14 months ago. Much water has passed under the bridge and as I look back, the changes that have taken hold, not only of me personally but of my world and world culture in general, have been astounding. My impressions and reaction may be more intense than what others are noticing. Some, I believe are on the oblivious side of the line while others are on the alarmist side.  What about you? If you take a few minutes to consider the past 12-18 months, how much has changed in the world you live in? Are you pretty much at ease and expect that not much has changed and things are on a pretty steady course?  Or are you nearing panic mode and are wondering what is going to happen to in your near future? I know not everyone thinks as I do. I also know that some are thinking that...

Imagination has a big job. We depend on Imagination to create for us worlds and to interpret the words others have created for us.  I started this past week on a new venture.  Actually it is not so much a start but a transition in a project I have been working on for some years.  After four years, "The 4th Kind" is published and begins the second part of the journey from my imagination to the imagination of the reader. The 4th Kind is a book about the abduction by extra terrestrials of a young man 15 years old.  This is my story, or that is how I framed the book. Since no one has ever believed that I was abducted in 1965 and held for a period of days on board a space ship of mechanical aliens I have written the story as a science fiction tale.  There is no proof that my story is true, that it actually happened.  Therefore, there is no reason to insist that others do anything other than enjoy the story as an imaginary adventure. The book reads like a ...

Like so many words, analog can also be analogue.   It has two spellings and many meanings. The only meanings I care about for this discussion are those that relate to 1) clocks and watches, 2) televisions and television broadcast signals, and 3) cameras and photography.   Now it is time to sing the song from Sesame Street..."two of theses things belong together and one of these things is not the same." When the first digital watches appeared on the market, I was desperate to have one on my wrist.  These nifty gadgets showed the time in numbers as I would write or type out the time on a invitation -  10:12 was ten twelve; 3:32, was three thirty two; and 12:00 was either 12 noon or 12 midnight.  If I was looking at a standard clock on the wall, it would be - almost a quarter past 10 or about half past three.  Noon and Midnight were just that. This was my first introduction into the digital age.  With my digital watch which had the smallest of...

If you are an artist, what are your tools? Do you adhere to the rules taught when you were working toward your MFA? Use this, this way, and never never use that at all? Or does your assembly of tools include anything and just about everything? In my view of art as a creative force, creatively using any object or method to produce a piece of art is elemental to the process. Recently, I have been enjoying an app on my iPhone called Hipstamatic. It uses the iPhone camera feature and applies a variety of effects to the final print. The app offers as variables, 8 lenses, 7 flash units, 13 film types and 5 cases (skins) for the camera. The cases have no effect on the prints but selecting any combination of the other three categories produces different results. The flash units seem to have the least dramatic effect and I do not use the flash very often, leaving that option off. My favorite is a lens called Chunky. Chunky with any film produces soft subtle light streaks and ...

(Originally Posted on 10-10-2010) It seems to me that I spend a great deal of time considering where the concepts for my art start. I do this because my ending points are not always very closely related to the starting points. Afterwards by JKC  One artist I know, John Karl Claes, is very structured, very organized in his idea development. He paints landscapes in an expressionistic yet representational way. In preparation for a flurry of work, Claes will develop sheets of storyboards with concepts sketched out. It is from this storyboard that he begins his process of producing paintings that ranges from miniature (3? x 3?) to very large (70? x 60?). It is not evident that size matters to Claes at this point, it is the composition and the elements withing each painting that matter. Each of his paintings always starts with a drawing. The starting points for me are not consistent. Unlike my friend Claes, I am not formally trained. I do not have the hours of class ...

(Originally Posted on 09-19-2010) I believe in nice. I believe in nice people. I believe, unless I know otherwise, that every one is nice. This is a dangerous way to live. Before I know it, one of these nice people comes to a point on her or his agenda where it becomes necessary to play me, and I do not mean as a team player. In order for them to maintain or protect themselves, they have to use other people and I am easy to use. I don’t see it coming and BAM! I end up off my feet and feeling very foolish or hurt or both. Yea, I know. Y’all are out there saying I should easily see this coming and I should not be so naive. I agree. But it goes against my nature to start a casual relationship with a list of suspicions to check off. I married a very smart lady who takes care of all of that. Problem is, she is not always around and I am not always willing to pay attention to her intuitions. So, instead I continue to dive into things, begin projects, take on responsibilit...

(Originally posted on 09-14-2010) Who is the artist you have discovered that has walked or walks in an almost parallel path with you? Is there an artist that seems to “ooze” (if you permit me to use the word) the feelings and deep thoughts you believe could as easily be yours as theirs? Do you have an artist that is not a mentor or teacher but is simply an artist that seems to understand what makes up your drive and desire for art? Mine is Sean Scully. And I do not know exactly why it has been so appointed. When I want to recenter my focus or remember why I paint what I paint, I look at the drawings I did as a young and younger person. All I have to do is pull out one of the note books from my high school days – of which I have very few – or from my time in upper education. I am very easily bored and can very quickly wander off mentally while listening to a speech, if I do not semi-occupy my mind with something such as drawing. The margins along my notebook pages conta...

Posted on 09-11-2010 I’m more of a blog reader than writer. How about you? Do you write more words in blogs than the words you read? Or are you like some today who depend mostly on the micro blogger to provide them with just snippets of blogs they find useful. It is humorous (almost) the number of people who will read a Tweet that references a blog and then pretend they have read the blog. Perhaps, you do not write a blog at all. I know you read blogs or at least are reading this one so that qualifies you as a blog reader. My experience with blogs has been sporadic. My first blog was in 1998. As one of the early web designers from the mid 1990's I discovered a small program attached to my server software that allowed me to blog. I began in earnest and continued until I was attacked with overwhelming spam and the only way to stop it was to delete the blog completely. Today I have a collections of blogs that I comment on for different reasons. This one is about art...

(Originally Posted on 09-05-2010) I’ve been thinking about the rules of art recently. Mostly, I think, it is because I learned the rules that I know through individual study, watching and talking to artist about their process. Why does an artist do what she does or the way he does. I’ve searcher a great deal on the Internet for a concise set of accepted rules and, of course, there is none. Now, just to be clear, I am talking about the rules about the creative process of art, not methods and activities that surround it. I believe we have learned rules such as the danger of solvents or other materials and it is wise to follow what has become established safety rules. Just about as I learn one rule from one artist, I find another who dismisses it completely. Here is an example: an artist friend who stretches and preps his own canvases does so because he can not find any commercial outlet that does it to his satisfaction. Because he produces a large number of painting for several...