Life Behind Art - Sorry no pictures

I usually only blog about art and technology. Often times you look at an artist and think their life revolves around the creation of their art - you forget they have lives as well. Part of my challenge of working in the Church technology world, is finding the balance of work, community, and family. Often times in the Church world these lines get blurred to the determent of many people. I said all that so I could give you a glimpse into what was my life Friday morning.

Since Simone started working part time (so we could put Jazz in the school that we felt would best benefit him) and Paris started another school across town, life has been CRAZY! Just when we feel we have a handle on it something comes along and disrupts it... 

This is one of those weeks, a day off for MLK threw the whole process into turmoil. Today was the pinnacle of the chaos. On Fridays, we leave the house at 7:20 to get Jazz and Simone to work and school by 7:30. Except we had not been to the grocery store so our children had nothing for lunch. Well that’s not the whole truth... we had dinner at Whole Foods the night before and failed to purchase anything for lunch. 

So, after dropping them off, Paris and I ran to Jewel to purchase 2 lunchables, 2 Red Bulls (for mommy because that is the kind of week it has been) and “something to chase them with” which ended up being Snapple raspberry ice tea. 

Paris was complaining about having to go the the bathroom but had admitted she only was saying that so she could get candy from the principal of Jazz’ school. So we dropped the supplies off and went on our merry way. 

Once we got across town Paris started FREAKING OUT that her stomach was hurting. I HATE having to take her into mens public restrooms, but she cannot pee in a random ally like Jazz can! Nothing with parking (something that plagues city life) was open so I had to drive a bit with her crying in the back seat. We found a Starbucks (clean restrooms) and that was done. Got some coffee and headed on our merry way. 

We arrived at her school 5 min early. Parent Volunteers help children out of the cars on the street along the school. We pulled up and were just hanging out there Paris had taken her seat belt off and had put her back pack on, all ready to get out of the car. 30 seconds before she was to get out of the car she said “Daddy don’t be mad at me” I said “Why?” she said “Don’t be mad at me. I think I pooped my pants”. I said “Turn around.” I then pulled up her coat and pulled her tights and panties away from her body which exposed... let’s just say it was FULL! 

I think I held it together, only future counseling sessions will expose some deep emotional scar that I inflicted today! I quickly pulled away from the curb, so not to have to explain to the volunteer why Paris could not get out of the car. Found a place to pull over so I could get her backpack off and get her seat belt back on. It was a painful experience to watch the expression on her face as she sat in her booster seat with a full panty for the 20 minute drive home. She was disgusted to say the least. I felt really bad but there was nothing to do. 

We made our way back home once back in the loft I had the unpleasant task of undressing her and showering her off... and I mean unpleasant. After finding her a new school uniform and a new pair of tights we were back on our merry way to school. That all happened while a little bit of chaos was going on at work I was on the phone having to arrange for people to come in at an unexpected time. I was totally spent after all of that the rest of the day I just felt like a zombi.

And what was the reason the school secretary wrote for her late? Personal.

10 years

10 years ago I married my best friend. For better or worse, the richer the poorer, till death... I'm sure Simone has felt like making that last one happen a couple of times over the years.

We have changed dramatically over the years home ownership, car purchases, dogs, infertility, adoption, birth families, loss of loved ones, layoffs, moving across the country, and much much more continue to reshape us.

When I look back at this video we had no idea what life would hold, looking back God's faithfulness is evident above all. It's easy to see when you are looking from the other side, not always when you are walking through it.

Dead Dreams

I am getting ready to start a creative coaching program this week. When Carlos sent around the assignments for the first session one of them was to read Ezekiel 37:1-14. This is a passage I was very familiar with. Below is an article that was written by my wife for our adoption agency newsletter back in spring of 2003.

Jason has attended our church, Grace Fellowship, since he was a child. Now on staff, Jason came up with the new name, “Grace Kids”, for our children's building because he was a Grace Kid. Jason also designed the new children's logo and he spent literally months working on special lighting for the children's building before it opened. When the doctors told us we would probably never have children we were devastated. We made ourselves go to work and keep going even though we wanted to just close ourselves away from everyone. At least twice a

week Jason had to walk those children's building halls, knowing he would never have a child who would benefit from the fruit of his labor. Late one night, Jason went to Wal-Mart and purchased baby stuff. He arranged it in a big basket and set it in our bedroom as a faith statement. Soon after, Jennifer Hatch, a teacher at our Christian school gave an interpretation of Ezekiel 37:1-10 during staff devotions. We held on to this scripture. Simone even taped it to her computer monitor. “So I prophesied to my dead dreams like God told me to. And I commanded

life to come into my heart's desire. And that inner dream God gave me lived and rose up fully manifested.” When Simone took Jazz to the nursery the first time, she was given a new mom's gift pack that contains a bib, bottle, rattle, and fridge magnet all with the Grace Kids logo that Jason designed!! After Jason took this picture he realized the sleeper Jazz is wearing was one of the ones he purchased that night. Our once empty sleeper, purchased as a faith statement, now is filled with a beautiful baby boy. What a testament to God's never ending mercy and faithfulness. Now the “inner dream God gave us lives and has risen up, fully manifested.” His name is Jazz David Paul.

Sometimes, in the chaos which is life, you lose sight of the amazing things God has done. When we lose sight of these things is when we start to think that we can do it ourselves.

God, never let us forget your amazing power at work in our lives. Let us continuously reflect on the love you have shown to us.

beneath a velvet canopy

My status was: "Chicago. Summer. Night. Exhale."

Dave Pingel, a friend of mine and awesome man of God, wrote this in response. Dave is one of the best examples of a loving and tender father that I have ever seen.

"In the calm and quiet solitude of the middle of the night
beneath a velvet canopy bespeckeled with star light,
when the hurried, worried pace of life is at a rest
and the hustle and the bustle await the next day yet;
when the air is cool and clean, soothing to the soul
and time is somewhere sleeping, all by itself, alone -
the voice of God resounds in noiseless quietude
proclaiming ageless mysteries to the listening, chosen few.

God's voice is like the night - of peace, tranquility;
like a sea of silent sound whispering eternally.
He speaks not to the ear but softly to the heart
with words worth more than gold His ways He does impart.
Yet, God is not like man, nor are His methods mortal;
He needs no helping hands, no earthly wreaths of laurel.
God needs not the MIND of man to receive the gifts of heaven -
but it's to man's HEART that the heavenly gifts are given.

--dave pingel"

ink it

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Ragamuffin Soul // Coaching For Creatives

A Guy. A Camera. A City

I am going to start a new series to show the photos I take. Living in a City like Chicago I am always surrounded by amazing inspiration for the art I create. I often have my camera with me and will snap photos of things I find interesting. 

Reflections at Millennium Park

Train tracks at the Art Institute 

In the gardens surrounding the Art Institute 

Found this in a garden at the Art Institute 

Love the contrast

The entrance of the Roosevelt Theater

Iconic Chicago Summer

Love the texture

Just a fun picture

Again love the texture

Balance

Balance. Life is filled with always having to balance priorities, this is an area that I have always struggled with. Historically I will get busy with a project and things start falling off the end of the table. In my mid 20’s I was forced to start balancing this aspect of my life. For me it’s like an addiction, you are never over it you just have to learn to deal with it.

The introduction of a wife brought one more aspect of balance in my life. Although we flowed pretty well. She would spend time and help with projects. This continued until I was 29. That year brought the birth of our son, yet another element to have to balance. All of a sudden my table was getting fuller of things that could not fall off, the price was to high. This kept Simone from hanging out and helping as much.

The next couple of years were pretty smooth. When our son was three we introduced another element to balance. Our daughter was born when I was 32, at the same time my work load increased. I literally felt like I was spinning plates - just going from plate to plate just spending enough time to make sure it did not fall. I missed simple things like playing in the snow, I look at those pictures and still regret it.

I am 35 now and don’t feel like I have made much progress. I am convinced that this is not something that ever gets easier you just have to make daily decisions about where your time is going to go. Maybe by 40 I can get a handle on it...

I wrote this on the plane on my way to be a part of the the Worship Facilities Expo Tech Talk. One of the questions that was asked from the audience was about how we balance work and the rest of our lives. Jill Gille one of the panelist said “I wish I had been brave enough to end the meeting, or just leave” It made me think how many times thing have been rearranged in our personal life because a meeting ran long.