Collaboration

   
I was recently blessed with the opportunity to collaborate with some wonderful artists on some art projects.  I've never done anything like this before.  When Kathy first asked me about being a part of the collaboration, I was excited and honored that she would ask me.  But as the time approached for us to begin the collaboration, I began to get nervous.  This was totally out of my comfort zone!  I didn't know what to expect.  There was no plan.  And I had no control over what would happen. I had to trust that God had a plan.
     The first day we met, I remember the anxiety I felt.  I was like, "I'm here.  Now what?"  We prayed.  And God did a marvelous work through us.  We brought our scraps, and leftover pieces and over the course of a month, we're created 6 beautiful works of art.  I'm amazed!  Each piece is so different.  We each contributed in some way, to each piece.  And each person's contribution was absolutely vital to creating that final product.

Interestingly, we are each very different.  We come from different ethinic and cultural backgrounds.  We each work in different mediums.  Our styles are very different.  Even our methods of creating art are different.  But you wouldn't believe how much harmony we've had.  The Spirit of God has worked through each of us enabling us to work with oneness of mind.  We committed ourselves to be servants, listening to the Spirit and being sensitive to the ways that He was moving.

     Did we agree at every moment?  No.  But we always came to an agreement in a peaceful manner.  Sometimes it took time to hear what the Spirit was saying.

     I can honestly say that I could never have created anything like these pieces alone.  Now it almost feels strange working alone in my studio on my personal pieces.  I miss that interaction and feedback.

It's been fun!  And I've learned so much and grown through the process.

I have been given a small glimpse of what God wants to do in His people on a larger scale.  He wants us working together, each bringing our little bit to the table in order to create a Great Feast.  We can't do it alone.  We must be willing to give...and receive.   And in the process each of us will be changed.  Paul says in Ephesians that we become more whole, for you supply what is lacking in me, and I in you.   The church becomes a fuller expression of the Magnificient Glorious Infiinite God.  The knowledge of His glory becomes more complete and more fully displayed.  How exciting!

We need each other.  God wants to use us working together to do something beautiful for Him.

Let's collaborate.

My Song

There's a song that begins to stir in my heart,
that begins to surface as I think on the goodness of God.
As I meditate on His goodness,
His grace,
His love,
His Holiness,
His purity...
A poetic prose begins to rise from my soul
It's been hidden there waiting to be found
It's composed by the Holy Spirit and uniquely song by me.
It is a song that's being song in the heavenlies
by the angels
and by saints throughout the ages
This song is a song our hearts have been waiting to sing
Like a woman with child who eagerly awaits the moment of giving birth
She eagerly anticipates the joy of holding her sweet baby in her arms
But there is discomfort,
there is pain to endure
MUCH PAIN
But in the end, it's worth it
for in her arms is a baby
Oh the joy to hold that precious baby!
This song is our baby
Our heart anticipates giving birth to this melody
As we experience life this song grows within us
developing, gaining understanding, maturing
And often there is much pain that must be endured in order to give birth to this song
But Oh the joy that is felt
Oh the relief that the song has finally been freed.
for this song was meant to be song
An unsung song is a travesty.
We must sing our song.
I must sing my song.

Heavenly Father, enable us by your Spirit to sing beautifully, powerfully, truthfully, pouring ourselves out, holding nothing back, singing in this life until all that we know by faith becomes clearly known.

An Oasis in the Desert

 Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
  You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
With the recent drought in Texas, I've found myself blessed to enjoy more flowers this year than I ever have.  God has given me an "Oasis in the Desert".  Don't get me wrong, all my grass is brown, and my poor little veggie garden has struggled to survive, but my flowers are flourishing.  I thought you might enjoy some of my photographic art featuring my flowers.

I pray that God Himself will satisfy your needs in this recession, and drought.  May He make you an Oasis in the desert-- a place where many will be refreshed, and healed.

Reminders of the Father's love

Every spring I am reminded of how much the Father loves me.  Several years ago, we were blessed with our third child, Michael.  Yet we never had the opportunity to see nor hold Michael for he entered the Presence of God when he was still in my womb.  What a heart-wrenching loss that was!  Soon after my miscarriage, the ladies in my bible study group gave me a magnolia tree to commemorate our little one.  We called this little tree our "Michael tree".  That tree was precious to me.  Not only did it remind me of my precious little one, but it also reminded of my childhood.  We had a huge magnolia tree in our yard which my sister and I loved to climb and play under.  And I've always loved magnolia flowers.  Well, for years I watered, fertilized and cared for this little tree.  It grew and grew, but it never produced any flowers or fruit.  That made me a bit sad because I LOVE flowers.

The last spring that we were in our previous home, God did something for me so beautiful and unexpected.  It still overwhelms me with joy.  For the first time, our Michael tree produced flowers.  Lots of flowers. Beautiful flowers.  What joy it brought to me!  What a wonderful gift from the Father.   It was God's reminder to me that He loves me and cares about the smallest desires of my heart.

The next year we moved into our current home.  Before moving, I had the desire to plant rose bushes in our previous home.  Because I knew we would be moving, I delayed planting any rose bushes, but I was planning to  plant roses in our new home.   You will never guess what God did for me?  He had the previous owner of our current home to plant rose bushes in the front yard.  So when we moved in this house, my rose bushes were already here.  Another sweet reminder of the Father's love for me.  So every spring, I walk out my front door and I'm greeted with a bouquet of beautiful roses straight from the hands of the Father.  Now that's Love.

May our Father bless you with sweet reminders of His love.  They often come in the smallest ways.

Painting of Magnolia flower from our Michael tree

Alecia

Waves of Texture

Here is the first of a serious of pieces I'm working on which integrates lots of texture (papyrus and other handmade papers with natural fibers) on sculpted watercolor paper.  I've been sculpting watercolor paper for about a year, as well as using watercolor paper to create interesting affects.  Initially, I started trying to make paper look like metal.  I came pretty darn close, I'd have to say.  It's fun looking at people's reactions when they realize that it's not really metal, but paper.  I'll have to post a couple of pieces in the future.  I'm really enjoying all of the interesting affects I'm able to create with water color paper, and natural fibers.  I'm thinking about adding some contrasting textures to future pieces like silk fabric. In the piece above, I used my background to provide a contrast to all of the texture in the sculpture.  The background has some texture, but the texture is a lot smoother.

If you want to experiment, take some water color paper, wet it really good, then bend and shape it into interesting shapes.  Let it dry and it stays that way.  There's your paper sculpture.  Experiment with the paper weight.  The thicker the paper, the sturdier the sculpture.  Have fun!

Creative Journey Into the Light- excerpt from my book "Fear Doesn't Live Here Anymore"

       Since I was about 12 years old, I’ve been involved with and loved art.  I took classes, exhibited at school and competed in art contests.  As I grew older, I started pursuing other interests and my art became a hobby that I pursued only occasionally.  I always kept notebooks for sketching.  After having kids, I sketched even less, since I disliked having kids looking over my shoulder while I was trying to sketch.  Anyway, the Lord began speaking to my heart in 2006 about pursuing my art again as a part of the art ministry at my church.  I never even considered being a part of the team because I didn’t think I was good enough.  Many of the people on the team went to art school, and some are professional artists.  I thought, “I can’t do that!” In spite of my fears,  I made the decision to obey.  I began showing people my sketches.  That was scary!  Then I began working on a piece for the next exhibit.  When I attended the first meeting where we showed our ideas, I was terrified.  I haven’t been that terrified in quite a while.  I was so afraid that I could barely speak.  I showed my piece and got a good response!  Whew!

Since then, it’s been an uphill battle with my heart.  I’ve had to deal with pieces being rejected, or not liked.  There have even been pieces that I didn’t particularly like.  I’ve battled myself.  I would hold my breath every exhibit when I revealed my piece or pieces.  I guess I still do, to a lesser extent.  “Will anyone like it?”  “Does it meet the standard?”  Ultimately, I have found my peace in knowing that I sought the Lord as I've created each piece, and knowing that I’ve given my best.   I must trust that God will speak to whomever he has ordained each piece to speak to.  I must trust that He will redeem my “mess ups”.  My job is to seek his face, listen carefully and obey him fully.  It’s that simple and it’s freeing!

      This fear of not being good enough permeates so much of my life.  I’ve always been a perfectionist.  In school, if I made a 99, I was trying to figure out why I didn’t make the 100.  I didn’t then, and I still don’t like making mistakes.  When I was younger, I would be willing to take risks to do something I wanted to do, thinking that I would succeed and not make mistakes.  Over the course of time, because of many failures, I became afraid of failure.  I now understand that failure is a part of life.  I’ve learned more from my failures than I ever have from my victories.  I am able to empathize with others when they fail.  The Lord has also taught me that He is achieving something far greater than we can see when we step out in faith to obey him.  Even greater than that, God redeems our failures.  He turns our ashes into beauty.  Isn’t that what the cross is all about?  If I never fail, how will I know of his redemptive power in my life?

             The Lord is continuing to renew my mind daily with his truth.  I am learning to accept my inadequacies, and failures.  Actually, I'm learning to embrace my insufficiencies .  Though it is painful to have my weaknesses and failures exposed, I know that it is good for me to live in truth.  And truth sets us free.  I am freed to become all that my Creator designed me to be.  I am free to fulfill my purpose in life.  He made me with certain strengths and certain weaknesses.  They were put there on purpose.  Why?  So that I may completely rely on Him.  So that I might know, that I am truly weak.  That is reality.  That is truth.  I am insufficient, but He is ALL-sufficient.  Also, so that I may be united with others in His body.  He calls us to help each other in areas of weakness.   God wants no self-sufficient "lone rangers".  

I'm learning to  make myself available to be used by our great and glorious God.  He specializes in using the unqualified and weak to accomplish great things.  And His plans can't be stopped!

So I ponder the question: Why am I so afraid of others seeing my failures, my weaknesses, sins, mistakes, etc?  I care more about what people think about me, than I care about obeying God.  I want the approval of people rather than, God.  It all comes back to ME.  Let me tell you, the Father is exposing these things by His Spirit.  They aren't easy lessons to learn, but they are worth it.  And every time I think I'm over other people's opinions, the Spirit exposes another area!   I want a heart that is completely devoted to Him.  I no longer want to live my life as a prisoner of other people's opinions.  I no longer want to make decisions because I want the reward of the applause of people.  I want the greater reward.  

1.  Are you resisting obeying God in some area of your life because you’re afraid you will fail?  Are you willing to take the risk?  Isn’t God BIG enough to accomplish GREAT things through you inspite of your weaknesses, sins, and other insufficiencies?
2. Can you think of an area of your life where God revealed his glory through your failures?  What good came of this failure?
3. Are there weaknesses or failures that you've refused to admit?  Perhaps you've made excuses.  Maybe you simply think you need to try harder, or at least try a different method.  Admit, accept and embrace your failures.  Cling to the sufficient grace of our Lord.
4. Who are you trying to please?  A spouse?  Your parents?  Friends?  Colleagues?  Are you using their approval or disapproval to gauge whether or not you're ok?  Ponder this thought:  You are more than Ok, because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Now go deeper:  God knows you completely, through and through and He loves and accepts you as you are.  Meditate and pray over these truths.

Meditate on the following scriptures:

2 Peter 1:3

Hebrews 10:11-14

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

John 15:5-8

art experiment

I was working on a project, and got an idea.  I've got this paper that looks like wood.  It has a wood grain look to it.  I decided to cut the paper into strips, squares and rectangles.  Then I glued them to a couple of small pieces of canvas.  I let it dry and then painted on top of it.  This was the result.  I LOVE IT!  It was one of those Thank You God moments. 

Felecia told me it looks like the D R (Dominican Republic).  I agree.

I've got a couple of new projects where you'll be seeing this technique.  Stay tuned!

But what should I do with my little experiments?  I like them, but they're not finished pieces of art.  Got any ideas?

Leftover Pieces

What do you do with the leftover pieces?  What does God do with the broken pieces of our lives?  Our failures, our sins, our mess...  If we give Him the pieces, He creates a beautiful masterpiece.  

Leftover Pieces 5"x7" Mixed Media by Alecia Baptiste

Thoughts on Art and Beauty

Art is more than just that which can be mass-produced and sold at cheap prices to the masses.  Art should take time.  It requires time in prayer, and contemplation.  It should seek to bring beauty and truth to the world.  It should be enjoyed.  It should provoke thought.  Art should give us a glimpse of our gloriously beautiful  God.  It should never be cheapened. And yes... art is for all--the poor, the beggar, the working middle class, and the rich.  Art that brings glory and honor to God shouldn't be enjoyed only by the rich.  Beauty is for ALL of us to enjoy.  God made us with 5 senses that we might be able to enjoy those things which build us up and bring good to us.  He wants us to enjoy His gifts.

But sometimes we forget the importance of joy and beauty.   The sick, the enslaved, the oppressed--ALL need beauty.  They may not know it or value it.  Their focus is on surviving.  But somewhere deep inside there's a desire for it.  Why else would someone have a big screen TV, and yet be on gov't assistance?  Why would a slave have a piano that no one in their home can play, and yet have very little food to eat?  Why would someone living in a tin shack, yet plant flowers around it?  All of us need beauty. It's not optional.  It's not a luxury.  Art shouldn't be something we create when we've finished all of the "important" things.  It shouldn't be something we expect to get cheaply or for free.  Art costs and its worth the cost when it gives us a glimpse of our Creator. We should be willing to invest in art.

The enemy will use his counterfeits in order to lure us away from the one true God, promising to fulfill that desire for beauty.  He takes beauty and profanes it.  He will take a woman's beauty and cheapen it--inappropriately emphasizing her sensuality.  He will take the beauty of music and use it to portray and promote all manner of wickedness.  He will use art and creativity in such a way that instead of bringing out he best in people, it stirs up all sorts of fleshly cravings, and then tell you that you can't help it.  (He's a liar. Don't believe it.) It's no wonder we have such a difficult time controlling the fleshly desires.  Satan feeds the desires of our flesh.

Beauty today is prostituted.  It's used as a means of achieving financial gain.  I don't mean that one shouldn't be paid for creating beauty.  (Beauty is extremely valuable.) I mean music, dance,poetry and visual images are used to market and sell.  That's its primary use in our culture.  There is very little appreciation of beauty for the sake of enjoying beauty itsself--apart from its usefulness.

Followers of Jesus should lead the world in creativity, and beauty.  Why should we follow the world's example?  They should be trying to emulate us.  Now, that's a paradigm shift? It's not enough to simply speak against the wickedness that permeates our culture.  We must provide the alternative, not just for other Christians--for the world.  We must introduce art as it was intended--to give us a glimpse of the beauty of the Supreme Creator.  So how can we do this?  God is NOT calling us to retreat into our "christian bubbles" refusing to engage with the culture.  I believe we must begin at the feet of Jesus.  We must retreat into His presence, getting His perspective, devoting our hearts to His alone--gazing on His beauty.  Allow Him to fill us with His beauty.  Then go.  Share the beauty with the world.  How do we keep from being tainted by the world's belief's and ideals?  Never compromise.  Be in constant communion with the Father.  Set aside periods of isolation in order to be saturated with His beauty and truth.  The world will become a more beautiful place if we do.
 
Selah.

The Power of Beauty

Because the presence of the Lord is everywhere on the face of the earth, there is no place, no matter how dark and dismal, no matter how  hopeless, no matter how much terror and oppression exists, noone is left without some glimpse of beauty somewhere.  No matter how small and insignificant it may seem, make no mistake about it, it's presence is intentional and  powerful!  It's God's grace to us all--reaching out in the midst of the darkness, reminding us that He is near.  It's our glimmer of hope.  His love will not abandon.  Somehow his beauty will penetrate the most hopeless situation and if we choose to focus on it, an inexhaustible flood of joy will overtake us.  The simple act of thanking God focuses our thoughts on His beauty and amazingly brings peace and joy to our hearts even when the circumstances around us seem hopeless.

Take time today, and look for the beauty that God has placed in your life, and thank Him.  It is His gift to you.