Sometimes life is an adventure that you should make the most of.
Sometimes It has dangers or distractions that you should avoid.
How do you decide which is which?
Its moments like these you need…
Strangely enough this is an experience I had today. And despite the huge amount of effort to get the couches through the eye of the needle, as soon as I was done I thought “that wasn’t so hard.” This is a crazy statement based on the transpired events of the afternoon.
I think the reason it seems plain now is because my biggest obstacle was actually not knowing if it was possible to get the couches (yes, plural) in the lounge room. Was all my work in vain? Were these couches to remain outside forever?
I was once told that all couches are made to fit through standard doorways and, vice versa, all houses were built with moving couches in mind. This ensures that while it may seem impossible to do, there’s always a trick to twist said couch through said house. I’d like to say that the designers of the couch and house, in this instance, did a particularly poor job. After trying every possible trick, removing several doors and dismantling the couch, we finally got it in. But now it’s easy (ish), now all I have to do is reverse that pattern to get it out. And I know it’s possible, I know because I saw it.
Here’s the punch-line:I would like to live my life with the abandon of knowing that there is a way, even when no way is apparent. Having the faith that soon I’ll look back on my impossible problems and say, “see that wasn’t so hard”. Let’s God and us overcome our impossible obstacles together.
Are you in?
Positive Affirmation
I once had a friend comment on why they always complimented people. They said something like “its such an easy thing to do that cost absolutely nothing, why wouldn’t I just make people feel great?”
I think that’s an amazing piece of insight, especially when there’s so much negativity in our culture, not only in media images which feed our insecurity, but from our friends and family as well. I tend to compete and put people down without even thinking about it, I’m getting better at seeing the truly best in people.
You look great by the way.
Underutilised Hero
I’ve never really liked Super Heroes, which people tell me is pretty weird. I think the deal is that they inspire and impress people, but my natural reaction is “So what if you saved the world, you can leap a building in a single bound!” Anyone can save the world if they have superpowers, I’m more impressed when someone average saves the world, or sacrifices their dream for the sake of raising their kids, or gives blood, or donates to charity. The fact that someone as average as me, maybe even more so, could make a difference is what inspires and impresses me.
I'm pretty sure we’ve all got super powers of some sort. Probably not flying or mind-reading, but everyday superpowers like being a really good listener, or being able to make your brother feel good by letting him beat you at scrabble. And because we can’t fly or read minds we think we can’t change the world, that’s why superheroes let us down. One really good listener could change the world. One loving brother could heal a broken heart.
What’s your superpower?
xkcd
This is a comic by Randall Munroe at http://xkcd.com/828/ which he put up last Thursday. xkcd has been a big influence on my drawings and this site. Randall Munroe has said on his site that there’s an illness in his family, which I think this might relate to. Since this comic seemed to fit into the content I post, I thought I would share it with you.
We all know someone who is sick or in need, sometimes its us. Our thoughts, prayers, service and company should be with those it will bless.
Theo
More prickles than a desert cactus.
This is guest comic by the space princess who appeared in the first post. She was all ‘You should do another story, with a cowboy who walks into town and says ‘blablabla’ and then in the end something funny happens.” So I told her, ‘You draw it.’ And she did.
The Plan
I wrote a list of all the things that I couldn’t control. It was a long and frightening list. I wrote it down and let go of it. While i trust that there’s a more solid plan going on, I also know that sometimes there’s nothing wrong with not having a plan at all.
Absolutes
Hazel is a lovely girl who is very sure of herself. She must live in an inconstant yet very exciting world.
It struck me yesterday that every development she makes allows her to explore her world more. First she began to see, then she began to reach out and touch things, then she began to put everything in her mouth. Soon she’ll start to be more mobile; rolling, crawling and then walking. Then she’ll begin to communicate more effectively… and so on and so forth.
I wonder now if that remains true of us as we get older, I wonder if I keep being able to interact with this world in new and exciting ways. I wonder if I can do it at the pace that Hazel can. Maybe there’s just something special about her youth, or maybe I can learn something new this week.
Portrait of not getting it right
I think our society is plagued by fear of not getting things right. I could be wrong (Irony), maybe it’s just me who has this core desire to impress everyone and never show weakness. Well today I don’t care what people think so much. Today I’ll do my best and hope that people like it and not worry so much if I show a little vulnerability. Thanks for reading.
Cool Shirt
I love a cool shirt.
My favourite is one with all these useless superpowers on it. The list includes ‘Become a laptop forever’, ‘Communicate with fruit’ and ‘Summon a lamp, once’.
Feelings
My feeling are only a portion of who I am, and therefore smaller than my whole. For some reason I feel encouraged when I remember that I’m physically bigger than any negative feeling I have.
All’s fair in love and war
This is a result of an ‘Ends justifies the means’ thinking. I’ve been reading some Lee Camp, and am reaffirmed in the need to teach more creative ways of achieving our goals and resolving conflict than violence.
Fragility–More a visual diary than usual.
A while back the roof at our office fell in. It happened at night so no one was hurt but everyone got paranoid. Suddenly the roof, our stable friend we could rely on, was as shifting as the 1 hour parking spaces out front. Paranoia took hold of the staff as they began to doubt their personal safety. The roof looked precarious, and no part of the roof so dangerous as the part just above the beholders head.
From little things…
I literally kill everything I try to grow. I think I lack the emotional intelligence to grow plants. They’re all “Theo, we’re thirsty!” and I’m all, “Hey plants, you need some fertilizer!” and they go,”No Theo, we’re thirsty, we’re dying!” then I say, “Have some water!” and they say, “Yay! Water!” and I say, “More water!” And they’re all, “We’re drowning! Please stop…” and then they die.
Hazel is not like this:
She’s all “Theo, I’m thirsty!” and I’m all, “Hey Hazel, you need some fertilizer!” and she goes,”No Theo, I’m thirsty, I’m dying!” then I say, “Have some water!” and she says, “Yay! Water!” and I say, “More water!” And she’s all, “I’m drowning! Please stop…” and then Jess takes her off of me and says “What are you doing with this fertilizer inside?”.
Metaphor
Page Turner
This drawing is based on a ‘post it’ I did a while back at work (below). It’s done completely on the computer with a Graphics Tablet that I borrowed (thanks Esther!). It’s about balance and distraction, Though it feels a bit fake and corny with the ‘gun vs bible’ motif. The objects in either hand are just symbols of conflicting priorities that I have, and how they’re proving more and more incompatible.
Going Deep
My friend Gerard had this door in his house that didn’t seem to go anywhere. When I asked him what it was he got all mysterious and jested that it was “the room of his depravity!”; a kind of space where all his failing clustered and stagnated. I mused at what might be in there, and images of dark and dank caves with shifting shadows came to mind. This picture is about friendship and the power it has to clean out the crap we think we can’t deal with. Leaning on each other makes my life easier, and gives me perspective about my room of depravity. Thanks to all those guys who are here with me, making it seem not so bad.
Egg Eater
Five Questions I ask myself each morning…
“What shall I have for Breakfast?”
“Why are eggs so yummy?”
“What should I do while I wait for my egg to cook?”
“Why am I so easily distracted?”
“Why is my house full of smoke?”
Mobility Fail
I’d like to say something but I think this is pretty self explanatory. I often feel stuck in positions that are completely my choice to be in. I’ve found that picking up new bright behaviour is a good way to let go of another old dull one. I took up the project of this blog so that I could use my time constructively and stop playing so many violent computer games. I’m quite enjoying it. So the exciting part about this comic, I guess, is that he’s/she’s only a few steps away from what he/she desires. Sweet!
Play Station
It’s been a busy week but here’s my newest installation in colour! I’ve been thinking about control this week. What it’s like to have it, what it’s like to not have it, how I deal with the things I can’t control, why I crave control so much. Sometimes it’s nice to just kick back and try not to control the things I can’t control anyway. To relax and trust that something else can control it, something I can trust in. Not that it’s easy.
Back Up
Perception is the real killer here. Not knowing or ignoring how things really are can keep us in great pain. We’re never so far away, but we all need to reach out.
Letting it all out
One day I felt real crap, like I had all this revolting rubbish in me that I needed to get out. I felt as though there was so much to detest in me I could never get it all out. Instead of inducing my vomit reflex I drew this. Then I felt much better and I put this picture above my desk for the amusement of all.
Not by sight
So here’s my thought; it’s stupid to shoot a bow and arrow with a blindfold on, you’re not going to hit your target because you need control to do that. But what if it’s something you can’t control, what then? You have to just risk it, or trust that things will work out because of some other control, or you struggle to try and control it and get stressed out because you can’t. So if you had faith that something other than you’re own control could line up the arrow, then you’d be best to not try to control it yourself, in case you messed it up. So I’m trying every day to let go of control, so I don’t get stressed out when I cant control a situation, and so I can see something else at work.
More images below:
Bad Day
This is a post-it doodle; which is the best I can grab at during the day. Some days I feel like everything is hitting me at once, relentlessly. Or like a spear is striking me through the heart, does anyone else get that? I drew this a while ago though, I had a great day today. Just so you know.
Arms open wide
People often believe that we don’t deserve God’s love but He loves us anyway. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the Bible about this, it’s just a confusion of the fact that we can’t earn His love or grace. For example, parents don’t expect their children to deserve love, they give it freely, and the children only have to accept the love offered. I reckon it’s pretty amazing to keep loving no matter what, and I think that’s a truly transformational message to send someone. So if God loves us always, then the only right thing for Him to do is to offer us grace. It’s not injustice to be forgiven a dept, it turns out that the only way that God can be truly Just to us is to offer mercy.
This is an excerpt of an old painting I did on a PAC a couple of years ago. The full original (below) fitted into the theme of Micah 6:8,
Rescued
This is a really rough drawing (obviously) that I’d like to re do some time. I like this original though, as it feels true and raw.Its based on 2 Samuel 22:17 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me.He drew me out of deep waters”, and is about rescue. The caller isn’t inert, he’s not just waiting for me, he’s there when I need him most, else I’d never reach him in my own strength.
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