"You don't ever leave home, you take it with you. Or else, you're homeless."

-James Baldwin

Feliz Día de San Valentín

In this movie, Holiday Inn with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, poor ol' Jim has the worst slap-in-the-face Valentine's day ever. 

While I could be single and sad, I chose hope. I chose to embrace the holiday of love and celebrate the love I do have in my life. 

It doesn't matter if I don't have a valentine; at least mine didn't run off dancin' with my best friend/biggest competitor while I was singing the love song I wrote for her.

Poor Jim.

Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore

I'll admit first off that I did not read the entirety of this book, but for 1 hour explored thoroughly the introduction, beginnings of several chapters and the close. Speed reading! While this is not a Christian book it was written by a former Catholic monk of 12 years with degrees in philosophy, psychology, musicology, and theology. He provides a secular philosophical perspective on cura animarum, the care or charge of the soul. Although not necessarily a novice topic or idea-- after all, it is a form of self-help-- I found some tidbits in the book poignant and would like to share a few lines:

"The great malady of the 20th century implicated in all of our troubles and affecting us individually and socially is loss of soul. When soul is neglected, it doesn't just go away; it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence and loss of meaning." -p. i

Definition is an intellectual enterprise; the soul prefers to imagine." -p. i

"Humility in the artist in his frank acceptance to of all experiences, just as Love in the artist is simply that sense of Beauty that reveals to the worlds its body and soul." -Oscar Wilde, p. 266

"We care for the soul solely by honoring its expressions, by giving it time and opportunity to reveal itself, and by living life in a way that fosters the depth; interiority, and quality in which it flourishes. Soul is its own purpose and end." -p. 304

I think the author is missing that we ourselves cannot save our own souls, even though we might be able to take "charge" of them. While he speaks truth in Western society's loss of interest and recognition of soul, I do not believe true satisfaction can be attained merely through self expression and honoring self-truth.

Can I go ahead and put it out there that every single painting class I've attended this semester so far (6: 3 hour sessions twice a week for the past 3 weeks), I have cried during or after? My final class of painting, the highest level, the brightest artists, the intimidatingly knowledgeable professor, the blank canvas, the rough start, the critiques comin' in hot, the feelings of embarrassment, of shame, of disgust, the inability to convey, the inability to identify what it is I want to convey, the feeling that I know nothing after all these years of art instruction...


I came across this quote and I want to take the liberty to apply it also to my situation in Fine Arts 405_3323:

“We write (paint, create, express) to find out what we know and what we want to say.” 

 -William Zinsser, Writing to Learn 

Just keep swimming, just the swimming, swimming swimming...

Today I was telling my story of the Philippines and how I worked alone and independently most of my internship to a man also working in the Philippines right now. His response was unlike anything I have ever heard before, but really struck me. 
He said, "Well, working alone teaches us more about dependancy on one another."
It hit me because while I am running around trying to serve ourselves, I am missing the truly important concept of being in community or fellowship. 
Without a place to belong, self-gain is worthless. And it feels like it after awhile, too.
Which is why we need each other, no matter what the context.




(PS...This is my 100th post!)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Although I'm not in Indiana enjoying my family this Christmas, I enjoyed the dessert sun and small family gathering to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. 

Although I will not be with family on New Years, I will enjoy being with another special person too.

We are all a hybrid culture.

A good job, Starbucks.

“Who was afraid of Jesus in the Bible? 
Those who thought they had power.
Who are the ones who were the closest to Jesus?
Those who thought they had none.”

—	Pastor Tim Chaddick, from today’s sermon

New Blog

I have created a new blog that I will transition into using 100% eventually, as soon as tumblr updates their accessibility to non-tumblr users. Find it here: www.dietcokeandgrenadine.tumblr.com
I will keep updating here too but I am disappointed with this network blogspot lately!