FRESH Art Café

I wanted to share some excited news with you! I've been talking about it for a while, but it's actually going to happen! I have photography which will be hung on the walls of a local organic restaurant, Fresh Art Cafe.  The owner, Kitty McCoy, is going to have an open house to showcase my photography and celebrate her one year anniversary as well!

The event is TOMORROW night (4/29) from 5:00-9:0pm (flyer time is wrong). I would love for you all to come by, say hello and see my photography! It's a new adventure God's leading me through! [Some of you might not even know about my new project. To learn more, read the story on my blog: Happy Feet.

FRESH Art Café
2100 Riverchase Ctr. #226
Hoover AL 35244
205.988.8360

Also, read more about what makes Fresh Art Cafe tick from a customer and “up-and-coming” local Blogger Carrie Rollwagen (who was recently featured in Birmingham Magazine) who chose to give Kitty a few lines in her recent blog! Read it here, and follow her: Shop Small - Buying Local in Alabama
 
I hope to see friends and family come out and support me tomorrow night!  It would be a lot to me!  Who knows, we might play some games afterwards!

Happy Feet

There was a certain time in my life, when I had to put the camera down and just live life. I loved capturing all life had to offer, but I quickly realized I wasn’t the one LIVING this said life. Recently, I had good intentions to document my life more through writing. However, one glance and you’ll see I haven’t blogged since the first of January. That’s not to say there haven’t been many things to blog about, I just chose to once again LIVE through the experience rather than editorialize my life. Hmm, there’s gotta be a balance.

Photography and writing are both huge aspects of my life. They are my creative force to find beauty in the world around me. They are my voice when I have no words. And finally, I believe they are the gifts God’s given me to share His love. Therefore it’s my duty and responsibility to not squander this talent.

At every turn, I’ve always tried to keep the attention on Him. I write for and see Him in the pictures I take. But sometimes, human nature creeps in and it wants to say, “I did that.” It’s easier for me to step back and do nothing rather than primp for the glory, when really it’s all about Him.

I’ve been asking Him to show me what my “Feet” project should be. Oh, that’s right, I never explained what that was. You see, last year, I went to a women’s conference through Church of the Highlands. The main theme was to put “feet” to your God assignment. In that, whatever you’ve been tasked to do for His Glory, put it in action. So, if you felt led to lead a Bible study for children after school, then you were to start one. If you felt led to run a marathon, you were to start training and make the goal to accomplish it. For me, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was supposed to do. Write another book? No, I didn’t really feel led to go that route. I’ve been thinking and praying about it for months, but all the while still taking pictures.

Jason frequents a local organic restaurant on Riverchase Parkway called “Fresh Art Cafe”. (VERY good food!! Please go support the business!! 2100 Riverchase Center #226, Hoover, AL 35244, 988-8360). The owner, Kitty, mentioned to him that she’d like to add some artwork from local artists on the wall for decoration, but wasn’t sure whom to contact. He told her about me and my love of photography.  She asked him to tell me to bring in some pictures and she'd hang them in her store.  How exciting huh?

JP told me about this conversation about a week or so ago and immediately something in me went, “YES! THIS IS IT!” Since then, I’ve been scouring my computer for my best of the best pictures. It was a daunting task at first. I wasn’t sure the best path of least resistance, but quickly realized I really did need to go through every picture I’ve taken in the last year. I spent most of last Sunday working on it. I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel when I showed JP some of the ones I’d chosen thus far. He was impressed and renewed my sense of purpose.

I went to Michael’s the other day and bought a bunch of frames. That, my friends, is putting feet to a dream. To actually visualize my pictures in these frames made me VERY excited… but also nervous. You see, writing has always been easy for me. I knew God had blessed me with talent long ago. But photography is a recent passion. I do think I have gifting here as well. But it’s one thing for me to think that and an entirely different thing for strangers, who know nothing about me, to view my work.

Here’s the thing. I know this has been set up by Jesus. I honestly don’t think this is an accident. So, no matter what ends up on Kitty’s walls, I’ll know that I did my best; put my best foot forward, if you will (no pun intended [get it?  Foot Project]). That in and of itself is enough to bring Honor and Glory to Him.

So, if you're in the Riverchase area soon, you'll have to stop into “Fresh Art Cafe” (2100 Riverchase Center #226, Hoover, AL 35244, 988-8360) to not only get a really good lunch, but also take a look at my art on the wall!  (I'll let you know when it's they're officially up!) 

Happy trails!

21 Days

Homework.  I've never liked homework.  Not in school, not as an adult.  I mean, who wants to bring work home?!  As much as I've always loved blogging, it started to feel like work.  So, I just sorta stopped.  God's given me this desire, passion and the ability to write things that most people don't see or know or even get until they read what I write.  Which is pretty amazing!  Humbling and amazing!  During my blogging hiatus, I feel as though I've been dishonoring God by not using those talents.  I've been thinking about that a lot lately. 

I've been working on, well, praying about what I should do for my next  "feet" project.  (What is "feet" project?  It's a whole other story that I don't feel like sharing right now.  Soon though.) Essentially, I was created for a specific purpose.  Now, what that purpose is, I'm not sure yet.  I might not know the full extent this side of Heaven (which is frustrating).  God's given me these passions so I need to use them.  So... I've decided I need to blog again. 

How long will I blog?  I don't know, as life is b-u-s-y!  I'm thankful that I'm busy.  It's a blessing the things and people I'm busy with.  My life has drastically changed the past nine months in ways I can't even begin to describe.  I'm extremely thankful for those blessings, but at the same time, I'm busy and therefore can't get as much done.  Or so I think...

Every January my church, Church of the Highlands, does 21 days of prayer and fasting.  It's essentially a tithe for our year.  We are giving God our first in the new year.  In past years, I've given up certain things such as listening to secular music.  (I remember how hard that was.  I was so committed that if I walked into a store and the radio was on, I walked right out.)  Well, most of the church does a total food fast (water only).  Some do a media fast, while some others does something specific they feel God is leading them to give up.  Ultimately, it's an offering to God.  Less of me and more God.

I personally can't do the no food thing.  I know my body and I would get horrendous headaches.  However, I can give God others things, such as my Facebook time.  Gosh, FB is like a Venus fly trap!!  I hop on to check something really 'quick' and the next thing I know, three hours have passed and it's time for bed.  So, yeah, I can give that up.  Sure, I might miss my friends and what's going on in their lives.  I'll also miss playing Scrabble with my sister, but you know what?  I can use that time I would have spent playing on the computer to do something productive.  Goodness knows there's not enough productive hours in the day! 

Jason also suggested I give up something I really love, like my nightly mug of Publix's frozen peanut butter cup yogurt.  It's ridiculous how much I love this stuff.  When he mentioned it last night, I replied by saying, "I can't give it up for a whole month!  God knows I can't do that!"  haha  So he said, take it a week at a time.  Week one: no Facebook.  Week two: No refined sugars (only natural sweeteners, like honey).  Week three: Haven't figured that one out yet, but perhaps add more fruits and vegetables into my diet.  Because, frankly I don't get enough.  My diet is not entirely the best for me.  I eat way too many carbs!  I'm not fueling my body with the things it needs to be strong and productive. 

Which leads me to the next step in my attack.  I want to get healthy.  Not just because around the globe made a resolution/"commitment" to get in shape.  No, no.  I never make resolutions like that.  I know this sounds crazy, but I know myself.  If I resolve to do something, it usually falls by the wayside within the first month.  Which causes me to get down on myself.  Instead, I set goals.  Sometimes I have to make them small and attainable, so I can push myself to the big ones!

Jason and I have decided to work out three days a week this semester instead of doing a small group.  Last night was our first night to really go at it.  We did about 25 minutes of cardio and 30ish minutes of lifting weights.  The gym was super packed.  I hope it's not always like that!  But it was amazing!  It was hard and it hurt and I sweated like a pig.  (Although, I'm not entirely sure that pigs actually do sweat!  Where did that expression come from anyway?)  The workout was really good.  I came home exhausted, but energized.  (Though, I did have an unscheduled nap in front of the TV before bed.)  I slept hard and woke up without any sore muscles.  That's good!  Guess that means I need to push myself harder and do more tomorrow night? 

I was on the way home from work tonight, when I was talking with God.  Not necessarily praying, just talking with Him about life.  It dawned on me that this was to be my blog post, but I knew if I didn't get those thoughts down then, I doubt I would remember them later.  Usually I think of good things to talk about while sitting in traffic, but by the time I'm in front of the computer; it's flown the coop!  I had the bright idea to use the voice recorder on my phone and talk through what I wanted to say.  Then when I got home, I would dictate back to myself what I wanted to say.  Good idea huh? 

So, yeah... this is the beginning of some kind of new journey.  I will do my best to be faithful.  Happy trails, friends!