The great purge

So the question is this... is it actually possible for me to leave Saskatoon with less than I arrived with? We will see I guess because I'm moving back to Edmonton next weekend. It feels so good to scale away possessions one doesn't need. There is a huge freedom in purging. I've realized this as my car has been broken into on two separate occasions during the past two weeks... the thieves can have my stuff if they are going to be that aggressive about it. It is just 'stuff' and will decay anyway.

The first break-in was odd. They took my license and registration, a bag of merchandise I was going to take back to Home Depot, a bag of Christian gospel tracts, and a few receipts. So I reported it, cancelled all my cards and accounts and got new ones. The second break- in was Friday night. It had to be more of a renegade operation. It looked as though some inebriate had ransacked my car. My overnight bag (I'm sleeping at my brother's place) was disheveled, my CD's were opened and strewn across the back seat, my seat belt was closed into the door with a stretch of it hanging from the bottom, and there were a few small papers littering the pavement outside my car. Nothing was stolen. Weird. I think that my 'automatic' lock isn't working properly.

In other news, not about me, my niece is very ill. She's only two and a half years old and just went through a mouth surgery to adjust a 'tongue tie' and now she can't eat and keep anything down - and appears to be having some serious allergic reaction to the medication she is on. She is so little and fragile and needs a lot of prayer right now.

The exhibition is up!

So the exhibition is up and looking good. I was wickedly ill until the Saturday I had to mount, I'm so happy the show didn't have to be cancelled. I was in bed the entire of last week, stupidly sick, and battling with the possibility of rescheduling my exhibition and defense (which is not a good thing). I was well enough to walk and carry things on Saturday so I just pushed hard until the wee hours of the morning on Monday night to meet the Tuesday morning deadline.

I just have to say here how amazing God is that He blessed me with health enough to do what I needed to do and He gave me supportive friends and family to pray and intercede on my behalf. Oh, that the God of the entire universe, the creator of time itself, would care about something like this. How cool is that?

I'm so crazy happy, overjoyed, and downright elated at all the little miracles that have been happening all month long.

Here are some pictures of the show. I'll post better quality ones once I document next weekend.

Installation shot 1 (seven foot giant is in the corner)

Installation shot #2. 'maladroit manor' is the shanty town on the right I built to showcase the dioramas. It is overtaking the architecture of the gallery and can be seen from the entrance of the exhibition as well.

See the shanty town/cardboard apartments from the entrance of the gallery!

The giant, or slivers of him, can be seen from every point in the gallery.

Finally the color prints in all their glory! They turned out and look super sharp. I also painted the title wall a cardboard brown to tie in with the boxes which are mimicking the architecture of the gallery. The title wall, essentially, mimics a giant cardboard box - making the gallery a kind of voyeuristic diorama just like the sculptures displayed in the back.

Strepthroat!

It has been a very eventful few weeks and I really need prayer support right now. (Just to give a little background - there were major problems with the company printing my work. They lied and told me they were capable of art quality prints only to later admit that they weren't after missing their deadline by two days and providing me with green photos. This event, unfortunately, was only one in a number of unfortunate events this past week.) I am mounting my exhibition this weekend, lots of mental and physical activity required, and have just come down with strepthroat.
I'm really not one to complain but I'm pretty threadbare at the moment. I know that the Lord is right here beside me, and He was aware of all of this before He laid the foundations of the earth, but it's proving really hard to endure this stretching. I really need rest and some time to fill back up mentally and physically.

Crusade Summit Weekend

Here are a couple of pictures from last weekend's Manitoba retreat. The U of S and U of M got together at Dauphin Bible Camp - it was a fantastic weekend.
Group shot!

Tolu and I on matching horses, gotta love the helmets.

My friend Lorna.

Getting my wick trimmed...

1 Corinthians 13:1
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

Proverbs 3: 18 & 23
18 Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.
23 Wise people don't make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their folly.

So how does one know that they are not walking in the way of fools but are walking, instead, in God's wisdom? By having love. One knows love because it is evidenced in patience, faithfulness, hope, rejoicing when the truth wins out, and forgiving by keeping no record of wrongs. Love is not irritable, it does not broadcast knowledge like a clanging cymbal, hold grudges, rejoice in injustice, and it is not rude, competitive, jealous or boastful. (1Cor 13:4-7)

I've had a tough week and have past a number of spiritual tests but have failed some too. This is why I'm thinking about love and speech. What am I supposed to do when I am wronged? Love. Do I have a right to be angry about an insult? No.

I was fighting with myself over a few things asking questions like "how many times do I have to be insulted to cut someone off? When is enough enough and how long do I have to endure a scourging tongue and a jealous heart?" And I got this image... Imagine a dynamite wick that keeps getting hacked and hacked so the explosion point gets closer and closer to the person hacking away at it. How long is my wick supposed to be? A lot longer than I think. Luke 17: 4 says "Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, forgive him."

So I got to thinking how many times I sin and how patient the Lord is - and how incredibly loving and graceful He is for forgiving me of everything. So who am I to hold a list of wrongs against another? My wick should be endless, patient, and kind. And the dynamite (wrath, malice, anger, bitterness, rage...) should be handed over to God so I don't have the burden of taking care of it. Man, it feels so much better. Cheers to no more blow ups and walking in God's Spirit which demonstrates an endless wick! Cheers to love!