grow

There is lots of GROWTH going on around here!!

despite many growing pains~

I'M LOVING IT TOO!!

To catch up, why I've been so quite lately~


ROAD TRIPPING!!

YAH!

in my new BFF~

winnie-

when I got her she was a poor sad 8o's version of mauves, blues, and brown paneling.

she begged me to save her from the dread.

so i did!

if you can imagine all the places i've been~

and all the places i'm going.

you will see

why the blog has been

quiet.

While I soak up the SUN-

don't worry much ART has been made~

Fun continues to be had~

and a BOOK is being wrote.

yep.

   It will be published next year!!

When YAH shows up.

He SHOWS up!!

my heart is full of gratitude~

because He SEEKS the lost

and brings them BACK!!

I can't express how deep this hits~

if you have experienced great loss

or have someone who is broken

or outcast 

or MAYBE this applies in many ways

to you~

know this truth and forever cling to it

He will seek 

AND FIND... 

THANK YOU 

EL ROI {God who sees}

for making a way,

when there was none..

THANK YOU for

restoration of what was broken

&

healing what was "dead"!!

for making it better

than it ever was!!

for chosing me, 

chosing us 

to be 

"YOUR EXPRESSION".

This heart,

this family,

will forever be 

proud to tell

OUR STORY,

YOUR STORY

for ONLY YOU

could accomplish THIS!!!

 

LOVING LIFE!

So many great new things going on!
 I'm so overwhemingly inspired as I co-create my life with the Creator!

Here are some of the things which has really moved my heart over the past month!

Watching the LIVING WORD literally jump to LIFE!
it literally came ALIVE before my very eyes

& my spirit was transformed 
as I read aloud passages that shattered

some complacency
attitudes
and tiredness
as our team read through COMPLETELY non stop in 73 hrs..
 from Genesis to Revelation!

Simply provoking
the ordinary thought
of merely being a Christian
& knowing the written Word of God
as if one could contain its POWER
with all its "i know that verse by heart
& I've heard this one since I was a child"
as if it needed me to exist...
as if I could dull its sharpened edge
with my jadedness.

See,
 the Word of God is alive! 
It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword - it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart. {Hebrews 4:12}



WARNING if you love sweets, you'll be really bummed you missed out on our Sweet Shoppe Fundraiser-
                                                           Even if you don't like sweets,
                                      we transformed our whole property into a colorful
                                                               array of yumminess
                                            that kids of ALL ages and sugarlessness LOVED!!!
                                             
                                                 It was CRAZY {but FUN} to put together!

{photo by Edina}

                           {photo by Edina)

{photo by Chasity Roanhorse}

KJ  looked  so CUTE!!! 

{Teon's sweetness however steals your heart!}

You haven't heard from me for awhile because I've been working alongside of a beautiful group of people who have a beautiful expression of life with the Creator. If your in KC or the Grandview, MO area, you should come celebrate with us!

Lots of great things
for your family,
for the individual
and for the SPIRIT!

ITS NEXT WEEKEND!!

Oh the things that go on in this house!!!

Breaking the Silence

I've been pouring myself into the depths of creativity

to explore the very intense issue

that has plagued the nations

with its shame 

and ignorance

so much so that many don't want to talk about it

 let alone face it...

or maybe don't even know it exisits.

I am giving it a voice.

I am breaking the silence.

TOGETHER WE ARE BREAKING THE SILENCE.

What am I talking about?

If you live in the Kansas City/Grandview Mo area~

come to the exhibit that I'm curating

during the Truman Heritage Fesitival

Thursday, May 3 beginning at 6 p.m.

Friday, May 4 @ 6 p.m.

and Saturday, May 5 from, 10 a.m.-8p.m.

723 Main Street, Grandview, MO 64030

I will also be exhibiting with a host of other incredible fine artists

on a very provoking issue 

:the Face of Infanticide

 {in the nations}

You won't leave the same as you came in!

R E S P E C T: Songs that say it better than I can

Christ come first
A man second.
{Or maybe a woman in your case}
This is the stand of the righteous man!

Imisi, My brothers here, sing the truth!

Let me show you that I respect you
In ALL THAT I say and do! {Imisi}

Hidden in my heart
reside desires that could tear me apart
but Lord knows I seek His ways~
His LOVE,
HIS MERCY
HIS GRACE!

Lord knows I seek His ways~
unfailing GRACE
Hidden in the depths of my soul
resides A PEACE that I've never known
he gives it freely to those who SEEK.

He gives it freely to those who SEEK
with ALL heart, mind and soul
    {lyrics from Hidden, Vanesa Mardueno}

I've been seeking
and enjoying
the good things
that goes with being
 true with God
not perfect but real~
Loving Him first
Respecting His Ways~
watching Him
align my days with His Beauty
faithful in the details
as well as His GRAND Vision that
spreads larger than the skies~
when I put on His spectacles
I see greater than from my natural view
it can occasionally be an overwhelming sight
that makes me want to step back
and sit down,  even sometimes yell
"WAIT! I'm NOT ready!!"
but he says
"The PARTY GOES ON WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!!


So many are invited
but so few are going~"

I'm going!! I'm going!!

DON'T Miss the PARTY!

FUN NEW & OLD THINGS!

los of time spent in the colorful art trailer 

love the old but new to me!

I love Siano's artwork!!

MOVING!!

                                           

New PLACE with 5 acres!!

            Shannon taking her "mission" so seriously~

due to ridiculous rescheduling and an issue of lost keys to the truck, we went this route!

  2 box springs

2 small cars

4 gals=Box spring mission!

                                         chasity & i mission accomplished on our vechile! (being pro's and all)
                                                                       
       then we were hijacked by the ever cautious shannon who didn't trust our rez car
          (we rolled our eyes, and shook our head and took pictures while the others made us wait!!)

Let the GREENS go in! 

I love green smoothies!

I have so much energy

and my body feels GOOD!

        its Spring and I've been loving the beautiful weather!

I love being outside!

My sweet son (in blue below)always brings me flowers

when he comes back from a walk

There are so many blooms!

The most beautiful are the trees.

This one I get to walk out my back porch and it instantly 

makes my day brighter!

                                                                     I tried a few times to 

 capture this most amazing tree on my neighbors

ranch...but not lucky  catching a good photo

so I'll share it with you...

when I get a good one

My oldest son finally graced my camera with his face and not his hand!

HE even posed AGAIN after I shaved their heads (at their request) 

My oldest likes no hair and my youngest well

the photo says it all~

he's all about dramatic effect

His hair design is pretty sweet--& it goes all the way behind the back of his head

and to the other side of his ear-

It was my first time doing so much lines

not too bad eh?

What my very busy week looked like:

this is how Siano helps his mama cut some realllllllly tear inducing red onions before

our party

which was a slight amendment to this awesome collard green recipe

YUM!

this is what the EMPTY bag of Navajo Frybread looked like:
    yah about that=even though I put 2 aside for myself for later
                                                            _as I was unable to eat till midnight_
                                 {I didn't get ANY  thanks to a devious frybread stealer!)

                                I won't mention any names, but the thief IS in the photo below!

My week was FULL of

music filled joyful days!

       
                                                                                      (My son's new ukulele!)

                                      which helped because I'm carrying something HEAVY

                                                         as  I'm deep in creative mode
                                                                                for an
                                    An intense ART SHOW on March 23rd (More on that later!)

When my week slowed down........and since I was deprived of frybread earlier in the week
                    ....................................Siano made homemade Roti for the first time
                                                                 

thanks to Manjulas Kitchen

well it began with him

 {I ended  up finishing}

ALTHOUGH I should have watched the video first (DOH!)

it would have been much easier for Siano to knead

BUT it came out well (just thick!) 

and then I devoured it as it was smothered in avocado 

hot sauce, pinto beans and pepper jack cheese chunks!

                                         If you want to try to make Roti, watch Manjula's video!


                                     I made mine with wheat flour--It'll be a new weekly staple!

The days and nights were especially beautiful this week!

And a new one begins full of the ART & the WORD

He is MY LIGHT! I am not afraid!!

Are you BLIND?

“Judging others makes us blind,
                             whereas love is illuminating.
By judging others
                          we blind ourselves to our own evil and
to the grace which others
              are just as entitled to as we are.”


                                                 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Identity

3to1, a photo by paintYOURworld on Flickr.

Sunday is the most segregated day in America. This is ridiculous and NOT ok!
ONLY 5% of churches are integrated.  
                                                                                Curtis Paul Deyoung



Are you coming from a place of hurt or place of freedom?

How you relate to others is relevant to how your cultural history has shaped you. How can you walk into liberty and unity if your still operating out of hurt? Your worldview and/or culture shapes who you are as an individual.

A favorite word {in missions} is Reconciliation:

1.
reconciling of people: the ending of conflict or renewing of a friendly relationship between disputing people or groups

HOWEVER it is most often not politically correct to discuss this in the "church".

Do you have an understanding of it?
Do you think it is even relevant to you?
Are you even aware of the cultures around you?
Are you aware...
Are you aware?
Do you accept the responsibility you carry in relating to others?

Its TIME to heal and celebrate our differences
WHY??
SO THAT together we can move in POWER!!
Everyone has a voice, and they want to be heard~

It good to talk about social justices, and even agree with it,
its such a major issue...
ESPECIALLY in the body of believers
BUT practically how does change begin?
How do I walk this out?
ESPECIALLY if no one wants to talk about it, or even worse doesn't even publicly acknowledge the history, the pain of the great divide!

SO I am asking how do we do that?
HOW DO I do that?
as an Individual? as a group culture?
Before you can get overwhelmed with information,
ideas, and justification...

Lets begin with you (with me).
I'll start with a simple question.

In Whom or where is your/my identity based?
It's
Something to ponder.
Something to pray on.
Something to change, if you don't have a solid answer.


Want more?
I'll be addressing this more this week.

Let my people DANCE!

"If you wonder where I am, I'll be with the GREAT I AM", and of course Gracelynn of NotGraceland, SamSon, Rachel, and Warriors Come Home. This is how ya worship MON! reggae late night in da Prayer Room!! yAH moN!

Video won't embed so go here!

While others sleep
We are wide awake
experiencing JOY
{for those who wait upon the Lord!}


Joy!!!
gotta dance around
got it
deep in my soul
got to get it out
Let my people dance!
let them dance right now!
Let my people dance
SCREAM & SHOUT
 dance around!
Let them show you how!!"
       lyrics "Let My People Dance"
                    written & performed by SamSon


no one can steal my JOY
{or my dance!}
I don't wait in vain!
I'm LAUGHING till it hurts,
 dancing till I can't no more
experiencing every last bit
of goodness & adventure that life offers-
it follows me wherever I go-
all the days of my life!
JOY is my weapon. 

"yesterday is gone
tomorrow hasn't come yet
but one day I'm gonna live that
right now i wait on change
change can only come from
God...
that day I will be ready
cuz
I don't wait in vain!!!"
              written & sung by 
                        Rachel Faagutu


RISE ABOVE!!!
Whata LIFE!

beautiful Things

Dancing in the parking lot by the flashing light

all the laughs, that i can't contain

the freedom to move as You move 

{my true love}

unexplained joy that words can't adequately express

authority in my walk

favor in places i've never been

inspiration in the night

Love as I've never experienced

{BEAUTY from ashes}

-----its worth it all!

Never underestimate PRAYER!

before God, we can't hide our hearts.
our true motives, 
our judgments
and especially our selfish ways
no matter how we justify ourselves
for the wrong we do,,,
and often even to the point of delighting in it!
even attempting to say God over looks your wrong-
or would even bless it-
God is JUST.
God judges the heart...
and He changes us because
of His Love for us!
we may not understand
because our eyes see
according to our own limited way....
BUT GOD.
Because of God's greatness, 
He see's our weakness..
and see's the inner person
the ones He knows in the intimate place, 
He speaks to
those whom He draws to himself
not so they can't be condemned
or self righteous
but so they can walk into FREEDOM
in His kindness He moves our hearts
away from that which only hinders 
so that we are no longer the same~
He is loyal and faithful,
and he teaches us to be the same
and as He asks us to walk in His ways
they often do not mix well with our nature
nor do others understand-
we have a choice to make
do we chose to walk out in faith
that which we know in our spirit
to be true? 


When the Lords asks you to stand
for that which man does not understand
it is most often mocked.


LET THEM LAUGH!


Because when you honor God
with all that you are,
and all that He is requiring of you
YOU WILL FIND
FAVOR in AMAZING PLACES.
you will find PEACE,
AMAZING GRACE
and STRENGTH
that is worth FAR MORE
than any way we could chose our self!!
so let them laugh,
take them to the Lord
he will move your heart 
as you humble yourself
He will move on your behalf!
When you take those who mock to Him
and get right before Him in motive
when you stand in prayer
when you set your eyes upon 
Him, and Him Alone...


YOUR PRAYERS MOVE MOUNTAINS!
They destroy strongholds
as they come before His throne
and the ALMIGHTY God
is moved by YOUR response
You have the authority to 
COMMAND darkness to fall
when you are right before the Lord
HE comes to your rescue
and He silence's the mouth
of the mocker!


SO be encouraged,
CONTINUE to PRAY
and you will SEE
the POWER of
the MOST High God
DO the
IMPOSSIBLE!!
FOR HIS GLORY!


The prayer of a righteous person
            is powerful and effective
                                                         James 5:16

The Battlefield

The Battlefield, a photo by paintYOURworld on Flickr.

A few years ago while traveling, my kids and I came upon this battlefield in Louisiana. From the moment I walked upon the memorial, I felt the strong presence of the Lord, as he moved admist my brokenness, to strengthen and empower me to FIGHT for my marriage, despite my circumstance.

My heart was softened as I walked about, and entered the graveyard. Each stone represented so clearly, the battle they believed in...one that they gave their life for! The Lord questioned me. Would I stand in hope, would I battle and endure despite the cost?

 It was not an answer that came easy.

I had to face the reality of the pain that cut to the very core of my being....the abandonment, embarrassment, the anger, and most importantly the choice to guard my heart against bitterness and blame. Did I have hope? Barely a glimmer...My mind was set on I'm content to be alone for the rest of my days, I didn't need a broken man.

The Lord didn't push me, or make me feel guilt, instead he revealed his Love. The truth of what Love really is. He showed me his scars, he opened my blind eyes to see. The death he endured, he did for even those who choose Him not...and as I came into understanding of what it would cost me...

I raised my hands to surrender as I stood looking out at the vast battlefield--
              (yes this photo is actually me my son took it)

I will do it for you Lord. Only for you...

I SURRENDER ALL!

because you showed me the TRUTH of Love!!

Today I have an abundance of hope,
as I trust in Love!
As I stand in the midst of the battle
WINNING---
as Love fights for me--


 Love does not gloat over other people's sins but takes its delight in the truth!


Love always hopes-
always endures!!

the art of LOVE

artofLOVE, a photo by paintYOURworld on Flickr.

                          altered polaroid series


O le a le uiga o le  alofa? 
What is love?


I  had not really pondered on this question much, until I was asked it by the Creator himself. I thought I knew and I tried to explain to  him my answer...then He opened my blind eyes!
....I realized what thought was love, was actually an impostor. I had no idea, what love cost, nor was I truly willing to pay that price.


If your asking yourself that question, especially as Valentines Day approaches, I dare you to ask God.


What is Love, {and does my life display it?}


Especially for those that are hard to love.... 

and more so for those you may take for granted....


You might just be incredibly surprised at His answer. I was!


My whole life has since changed! 
FOR the BETTER!!

Surrounded by beauty

Surrounded by beauty, a photo by paintYOURworld on Flickr.

I love my beautiful four legged neighbors.......

waking to them, makes my heart swell

connecting spirit to spirit-

i don't have adequate words....

their beauty soothes the soul.