The Value of Art

My child routinely brings me drawings and paintings and little things she has made for me. I have a fridge covered in her art. I have shoeboxes stuffed with her drawings and her beaded, painted, pipe cleaner creations. They have no practical use, but their value is immeasurable. Why? Because they are expressions of my child’s love.

When I write or paint or play music, I’m simply imitating my Creator in my childlike way. Of course, there is usually an echoing American voice in the back of my mind wondering if my creation might be the next media phenomenon destined to shake my culture’s collective conscious. (The voice sounds like the male announcer on movie trailers—you know the voice. It’s very convincing.) But my foremost goal is to use a creative outlet to make something for my Father.

When my stories are read by the world, the literati may see a waste of ink and the corporations may see no potential for profit. When I play bass, I may feel small comparing myself to other players in this savant-stuffed music mecca. But if I am truly writing or playing to praise my God, the point is not whether the art I produce has worldly use. The point is whether my creation has eternal value.

My God had all of my days written in His book before I lived one of them. My God knows my thoughts and my habits and every word on my tongue before I speak it. My God knit me together while I was in my mother’s womb. No matter how immensely I may love my child, I can still only love her with a fraction of the love my God has for me. And that lets me know that my creations have value to Him.

Wading to the Breakers

I have completed Book Two in the Uncharted series. From outline to final draft - two months. Amazing, fulfilling, dumbfounding considering I teach homeschool, am rehearsing bass guitar for upcoming performances, help my husband with his business and keep a home. Not so incredible if I admit my writing gets 99.9% of my computer time. I am not currently on Facebook. I don't Tweet. I don't Pin anything.

Here is the catch: if I want my books published I must (so they tell me) get an online presence flourishing. I must blog more, pin, post, tweet and self-promote.

I've been blessed with wonderful, encouraging feedback on my books. If God wants to use my work to bless others, He will make it happen. Social media doesn't make God make things happen and the lack of online presence doesn't keep God from moving in our lives. Yet (just like the paradox of how we who are saved come to faith) I have some responsibility in this matter. If I want my books published, I have to self-promote. That concept freaks me out!

I feel like I am standing on the shore looking out at an ocean and don't want to get wet and I am being told I must wade out to the breakers and let them hit me. Over and over. I have to Tweet and I have to query agents and I have to act (online) like I am someone worth listening to. I have to stand in the breakers and then *hope* one picks me up and carries me and IF it all goes well I will get caught on the crest before I'm swirled into its turbulent kinetic energy and spewed onto the shore, panting and exhausted.

But what if God did give me the gift of writing and what if He did so that I write stories that inspire and uplift and comfort and what if I have to wade out into the breakers to get the stories out there and if I do... what does he promise but that He will be with me! He is my sure foundation, my fortress, my deliverer, my comfort, my peace, my security. He promises to guide me by my right hand and afterward receive me unto glory. Ah - glory! His glory! That is the end I want - His glory.

Fine. I'll Tweet.

Christa Wells - Come Close Now (LIVE at The Basement)

One O'Clock

If a normal lifespan is one day and we are born at Seven A.M. then tomorrow I pass One O'Clock.

It's not a milestone birthday by any conventional means. It's just a numbers game I made up when I was very young. And, for me, tomorrow I am officially beginning the afternoon of my life.

That's fine with me. I am a sinner saved by grace. Since I surrendered my life to Christ every day has been a gift from Him that I do not deserve and I strive to live fully for His glory.

As a new creation I now live without questions and without shame and without regret. I pray God allows me a full lifetime to see my daughter grow up and to help my husband all of his days, but I fully acknowledge that my life is hid with God in Christ and I pray His will be done most of all. Each day has been a gift and will continue to be a gift until the Lord calls me home.

So, when I was young(er) and made up my little numbers game, I thought I was only good at being young and it would be such a pity when I "passed noon". Now I know the truth and I pray I spend the afternoon of my life spreading the Gospel and being spent for Christ.

God Is So Good

A while back at the end of a Sunday worship service the pastor had us sing the song God Is So Good.

You know the song:
"God is so good
God is so good
God is so good
He's so good to me!"

Though it was a beautiful moment of worship and the voices filled the sanctuary, something bothered me. That last line stung my thoughts for several weeks. I started noticing the phrase popping up  everywhere. I even wrote in my journal that it seems that when Believers speak of some good circumstance in their life they give praise to God by ending their story with "God is so good to me!" We even say it around my house... we'll have a little unexpected income followed immediately by a major car repair need and when praising God that the need is already met we exclaim, "God is so good to us!"

Amen! Yes, He is good to me. To us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us! Keep praising Him!

But, what has stuck in my craw since that chorus played is that God is good. Period! If we say 'God is good to me" when we are healthy and have no looming burdens and the kids are behaving and we like our current circumstance, then what is God when we can't get what we want or when we're mistreated or when we're staring down the barrel of a chemo syringe? If God is good when your circumstances are good then the flood gates of doubt are wide open when circumstances are less favorable. I've seen it happen with Christians so many times. Things get tough, they doubt God. It's wicked.

The truth is God is good. It's who He is. And the truth remains regardless of our circumstances or feelings. That is why it is the Truth.

God is so good!

Joyful Blue

I love this date! Every year through the sneezing spring and heat wave summer I dream of October 15th. First frost has destroyed my mortal enemy, Ragweed. The humidity has lifted. The air is clean. I soak it in so deeply that I can get high just breathing. (Apologies to my Fundy friends, but I'm *really* excited today!) I'm going to bask in the windows-down, slow-floating-leaves beauty beneath the joyful blue of October 15th!

When Nine Hundred Isn't Enough

"So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died." Genesis 9:29

I wonder about the first few generations to live on earth. They lived so long - hundreds of years. Imagine!

Mostly, I wonder if on their death beds they looked at their children and with tearful reflection said, "It goes by so fast!"

Drive Fast and Eat Cheese

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." ~ Helen Keller

I have an adventurous spirit. I was an exchange student in high school and spent my senior year ten thousand miles from home. I've hiked, I've rappelled, I've snorkeled. I've jumped out of an airplane at 14,500 feet. Why 14,500 feet? Because the rest of the group jumped at 12,000 feet. I've slept under the open sky in the Australian outback and awoken by a wallaby licking my toes. I've been chased through the New Mexico desert by a rattle snake. While spelunking in Illinois, my face shared the crevasse in a rock with a massive spider. I've been rescued from a drunken crowd by security while onstage playing music on an American college campus, and I've recorded with a former Beatles producer. I've been sprayed in the face with Windex by a Maori in New Zealand, and I've accidentally started a small fire on a plane in Japan. (They're very forgiving.)

My adventures haven't always been about seeking the thrill. And, I'm not always smart. I signed a marriage certificate as a teen because I thought it was the perfect ending to a fairy tale. And it was. The ending.

In the workplace I've had normal jobs, and I've had jobs that got the response "I've never seen a girl doing _____!" Those have been my favorite. Girl bass player, girl pizza guy, etc. It invites adventure. I'm not after danger. I've always been street smart for a white girl from the burbs; my Dad made sure of that. He taught me the dangers that lurk and how to watch out for them. Good thing, because I've never been tough. I've got tattoos and piercings, but that doesn't mean I'm tough - it means I shouldn't allow myself to get bored.

Which brings us to the present... today I looked up "adventure" using the dictionary app on my iPhone. Granted, I'm on day 8 of bronchitis, so I'm not quite myself. But, let's face it - no matter how sweet the sweet parts of motherhood are, it still did to me exactly what I was afraid it would. It made me boring. The overwhelming desire to protect not only this innocent little being I was given, but also her only mother, has my hands planted firmly at ten and two o'clock. The big adventure in my life is laundry. I enjoyed the miracle of pregnancy. I accepted the challenge of infant care with no prior baby knowledge and came out victorious. I navigated the minefield of toddler dangers, and stuck to my guns through the "2's". Now, we have a routine. Stability. Exactly what I've been trying to build. Yet, all I want to do is drive fast and eat cheese.

So, this is my new challenge. I'm older, wiser, more mature, and have good reason to wear a helmet at this point in life, but I'm definitely seeking my next adventure. Stay tuned to see where all this leads...

Heckman Family Reunion

We had an unofficial family reunion yesterday as most of my Dad's family gathered to surprise him with a 60th Birthday Party. He knew something was up during the months of planning and secrecy, but since the only date we could get everyone together was a few weeks after his birthday, I think he was surprised, especially by how many people came.

I'm also experimenting with black and white film (remember film?), so here are a few snap shots of the family:

Left to right: Rachel Keith, Marty Keith, Keely Keith, Ian Myers, Ashley Myers, Kevin Heckman, Sara Heckman (holding baby Colten), Bryan Heckman, Van Heckman, Pam Heckman, Cherine Heckman, Rick Gomez, Rod Heckman, Darla Gomez, Cody Evans, Michelle Heckman (holding baby Jax), Brendan Heckman, Talitha Oettinger, Michael Oettinger (holding baby Lucy).

My parents: Pam & Rod Heckman

My Dad and his siblings: Kevin, Cherine, Rod

Me and my siblings: Keely, Brendan, Darla, Talitha

Thanks to everyone who came - from near and far - to help celebrate my Dad.  He really enjoyed it!

Marty's Amazing Belt Buckle Collection

My life is currently a full, beautiful blast of energy and motion. Still, I must pause to showcase one of the seemingly random collections in my home. May I present... Some of my husband's belt buckles:

This is a unique handmade belt he commissioned last year. It's a replica of the belt worn by the character Bo Duke on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. Marty actually met John Schneider once and asked him about "the" belt. The buckle currently on the belt is from an antiques store. "The" buckle will be made soon, I'm sure.

Now for some of the buckles:

My Record: Two Years, Six Days

Today is a special day for me. I have now lived in my present home longer than I've lived anywhere in my life. My record: two years, six days. Not just a record in my adult life - this is the longest I've lived in one home in my entire life.

I wrote a blog once listing the many places I lived as a child, but for the past 17 years, I've been mostly in the Nashville area.

Anyway, my current home feels like home. As much as any earthly home could for me. I know my citizenship is in Heaven. There awaits my inheritance. My hope. Then, I will truly be home.


"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 3:20

14 Monkeys Saved

My 3 year old daughter was in the bathtub this evening playing with a Barrel of Monkeys. I kept hearing, "Father, Son, Holy Spirit." Splash! "Father, Son, Holy Spirit." Splash! "Father, Son, Holy Spirit." Splash!

"Honey, what are you doing?" I asked curiously as each monkey was ceremonially dunked.

"I'm bath-tizing my monkeys, Mom."

Mamas Pick the Mood

My 3 yr. old was a little difficult yesterday. She often watches me while she does something she knows she's not supposed to and waits for my reaction. This is not new. The new part is: when I told her not to do it she added a very whiny, "But Mahhhhhh-ahm!" That is "but Mom" in the loudest, whiniest kid voice you can imagine.

So yesterday, after hours of nothing but annoyance, correction, annoyance, correction I left the room, and prayed that God would give me strength. I instantly thought: do something funny. So, I walked back in like drum major in a parade and sang a silly song. She laughed until she got hiccups and we went on to have a wonderful and fun evening.

God reminded me that when my child is stuck in a bad place it is I who must make a change. I can either freak out and yell at her and we can have turmoil, or we can find a way to enjoy each other. I'm the Mama, I pick the mood.

Mamas pick the mood. Great reminder, Lord, thank You! I wonder how many other Mamas forget that. Surely, I'm not the only one :)


"The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands."
Proverbs 14:1

1973 Volkswagen Beetle

A person, once very close to me, often said, "You can learn something from every person you meet. Every person has some grain of knowledge you will never otherwise learn. Find out what they know and learn it."

That was the only grain of wisdom that I learned from that person. That and about cars. I love cars. I love pre-computerized cars. I love working on them. I love the purr of a properly timed engine. I don't have mechanical opportunities in my life right now, as old cars and young kids don't mix for busy mommies. And, I may never fix up an old car again, but I have fond memories.

The first car that was actually mine was a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle. I loved that car. She broke down a lot. Sometimes I knew what was wrong, and sometimes I had to push her. She flooded a lot when parked and I'd have to push her out of the space, let her roll a bit and pop the clutch. Brilliant! I miss that car... and I learned something.

Is This a Luna Moth ???

I saw this big guy clinging to the bricks on the Borders building in Cool Springs. I've never seen a moth like him before. Does anybody know what he is, and if he's migratory? I think he is a Luna Moth, but I'm not sure.

Superhero Parenting

Yesterday afternoon in the car my three year old was displeased with the overcast sky and asked, "Mommy, would you turn that light on, please?"

I looked at the dashboard searching for the light she referred to and responded, "What light, Sweetie?"

Pointing up through the back window she said, "The one up dare."

"The sun?!" I asked in astonishment.

"Yeah, that one!"

I chuckled at the abilities my child endows me with and said, "I cannot control the sun, but thank you for thinking I'm that powerful."

She is at such a sweet age. She has so much faith in her Daddy and I that she doesn't even question the supernatural power she believes we possess. We'll be sure to use those powers for good.

No, I can't control the sun or the sky or the boy who was mean to her on the playground. But, I can control myself and never yell at her or belittle her or shun her. Yes, I will use my powers for good and not evil.

John Martin Keith

I adore my husband. He adores me.
He adores the Lord. I do, too.

Worship is beyond singing and playing musical instruments in praise to God. It is how we do everything in our lives. I adore my worshipful husband. I am happy to follow a man who follows the Lord.

I once thought the Bible was so degrading to women and Christians were just controlling each other. Then, God in His irresistible grace redeemed me and gave me His Spirit. Now, in the Bible I see every answer to every question in life, and I can honestly say What godly woman wouldn't happily submit to a godly man?


"The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands."
Proverbs 14:1

Psalm 23 (like you've never heard it before!)

My Baby reciting the 23rd Psalm at 2 years old.

Oh, Oswald!

I just read this in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

"The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance."

Bulls eye!

I've gotta read that again...

Yep, it hits the target of my own experience with the same precision each time I read it!

Dust

I am filled with love for my Lord.

I've typed and deleted a paragraph twice now. It seems I can't articulate the one thing that has never changed since the day I poured my heart out to my Maker and said, "Here's my life. You can have it if you want it."

He wanted it.

I've not taken my eyes off Him since.

Still in awe.

It seems I can chatter about nonsense, complain about inconveniences, muse about irony and boast about my sweet family, but my words will never do when I want to express my love for the Lord.

Maybe that's because I can't get over His love for me.


"For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust."
~ Psalm 103:14