The reason that I choose these collage pictures is because they are completely unpredictable. There is no specific form or structure. They develop as they are forming until someone says "Ah that's it!' Then the collage picture is formed and one is satisfied with the result. Collage, to me, is an ordered chaos that is birthed in the heart of an artist that abides by no particular rules except the desire and flow in their own heart. Collage is outrageous and defies rules! Just sayin' of course. :)
Collage = a piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric onto a backing.
A thought just occurred to me. Wow! A collage may be considered a less formal type of art. Perhaps it is considered not sophisticated enough. It may even be looked down on because it has no real appeal and looks like a child could do it. But, to me a collage is beautiful, even changing, ever forming with no set rules except what is in the artist's eyes. One needs to look at it. Really look at and let is speak to YOU.
Jesus was a type of collage. Don't you think? He came to those in a form that defied explanation unless one really opened their eyes to see the beauty of the whole piece. He appeared to be chaotic, without reputation, perhaps childlike, and a mess compared to the religious system. They did not see what He really was, just like the collage. When they tried to box Him in and reign Him in, He simply wouldn't allow that to happen. Look at this simple example. When the disciples tried to steer Him away from children, He rebuked them and simply replied:
Matthew 19: 14 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven."
What a powerful statement! This statement puts iconic leaders in their place. This statement stops traffic. It simply says "Hey you guys don't have a clue what I see, what I feel or the ways of the kingdom! Move over and let these kids, these nobodies, come to me!" In this case, under these circumstances, I want to be childlike. Not childish but childlike.
I want to be a collage filled with the surprise of color and form that develops over time. I want to be a collage that no one can quite figure out. I want to be filled with color and texture and design for that is how God has created me. I started out this blog today wanting to write about something else but then this morning happened. And I knew I must press through the chains of predictability, the prison of mundane Christianity and move on. I may not know where or how but I am moving.
You see, there is a continual pressure put upon us just like the pressure put upon Jesus from the religious system and the disciples that walked with Him. Thank God I don't have people around me that put a pressure on me to conform and not to form in Him. But I do consistently face a religious system that tries to knock us out and they never stop trying in various and unique ways. They often make me feel like I am not quite right, not quite good enough. Or they act like we don't exist and pretend that we are not worthy of their attention. In years past, sad to say, I bowed to this actually thinking that something was not quite right with me but I am not developing into something else along the way. I am a collage that many try to put into a prescribed box but they can't. When they can't, then they label me as rebellious, angry, unsubmitted or some such thing. I refuse to accept that. I am FREE! I am a collage that is developing in a free form with the colors that God chooses to throw in, the form God chooses to design. Free to be exactly what the Lord tells me to be and nothing less than that. A little bit of venting goes a long way. I love blogging.
This is a blog. Not teaching or preaching but expression. Outrageous is to be bold and to stand out. I was outrageous when I was younger but then something horrible, terrible, awful happened. I was inducted into religion over time. Told to be a good girl. Told to not rock the boat. Told to BE in the context of what people in the church wanted me to BE. Right now I feel like I am violently shaking off any and all remnants of a coat that simply does not fit. In the process, I am losing people from this list. I am being defriended on Facebook. I get few responses from what I write and no one presses "like" on my FB posts anymore. Sigh!!!! What's a girl to do? :)
But what is the alternative? To BE what people want me to be? To follow the existing norm of Christianity as defined by the leading iconic Charismatic movement. Heck no! I won't say "hell no" for that may upset some religious people. :) It seems that I have tried so hard to fit, that I have lost who and what I am in Christ and I am taking it back and not looking back. Want to follow? I am walking with no regrets and no guilt.
Jesus was outrageous. He was and still is an enigma, not readily understood. He never faded into the woodwork but always stood out for doing outrageous things as He moved around in His day. His life was based upon an outrageous connection with heaven that put His life on earth into the proper perspective. That is where it all starts. To be truly outrageous, you must walk in the earth with a total focus on eternity, an ear to hear and eyes to see. In living an outrageous Christian existence, you live and move and have your being in the reality of Christ Jesus, the finished work of the cross and the shed blood. Such freedom is not found in anyone or anywhere else but in Jesus Christ.
For years I have been in transition. The purpose of this transition has become so simple to ME. I realize that I have been transitioning within myself. It has nothing to do with an external transition but an internal movement away from anything that hinders God from moving in me and through me in a new wineskin. I have been filling up with new wine. It has not been external shaking, quaking, chasing conferences, talking about angels and third heaven experiences. No no no! It has been an internal transformation to see a new way and to move a new way. In other words, previous to this time, God was wanting to download new revelation but my internal computer system could not read what He was trying to say. So in this time of transition to return to the norm of outrageous Christianity, I have been re-programmed to see where He is moving and to move that way. Out of the box in every way.
I am waiting on God in every aspect for my greatest concern is to move ahead of Him in what is predictable and normal rather than to think and move out of the box. I don't want to talk about it anymore but to do it. That is reflected in Rivers of Eden. I don't want to build something that looks like what is out there. So what is it I do want? I want a creative design workroom where people can come into a creative environment to be challenged to grow in their creativity in a revelation of Christ Jesus. This is not easy at the present time for the current norm fights creativity in every aspect. So we are stopping predictable meetings and looking for a small building to rent to decorate a design and Creative House for the Lord. That is step one. I can see it in the Spirit and now I want to see it manifest in reality.
Who shall come to this? I don't know. Time will tell and in this blog you are essentially following my journey in this and I pray it helps you to start your own journey into being outrageous. :)
Outrageous - very bold; unusual; startling. Let's use this word in a positive sense. How can I make it clear? Hmmm. NOT BORING. Yes, that is it. Have you ever wanted to just be YOU but were stopped due to the demands of life, more life, and even more life. Somewhere deep inside you there is someone wanting to get out? You just want to find that person for you know when you do, your life will change. I want to be outrageously creative in Christ.
Many often feel challenged and frustrated when their current life does not sync with their desires. So they run here and there searching and looking. Again I want to say that each of us has been born with a desire to be YOU, to be ME, to BE. We run here and there when all along, it is in us. Jesus Christ.
Remember the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and the red shoes. At any moment, she could have gone home when she clicked those shoes together but she didn't even know it. That's you. That's me. Jesus Christ is the source of our creativity. He is our life. All along He is here wanting to expand our lives, increase our lives. Yet the majority of Christians seem stuck in a rut of mundane living, tethered to a religion and not a relationship with Jesus. He is reality. He is our creativity. He adds color to life. He puts music in us. He breathes artistic expression in us. He is creative. Selah. (To me that means I take a deep breath and breath at the wonder of that. Ahhhhhhhhh!)
My theme on this blog this week or maybe many weeks - outrageous creativity. Not being bold to draw attention to our selves just to be bold. We see enough of that in reality tv. Not being outrageous to draw a crowd of people to stroke our ego. Being outrageously creative to grab onto the kite strings of life and allow yourselves to soar. In Christ. How awesome is that. This week I am going to focus on outrageous creativity. Inside. I may write 3-4 times this week for this subject burns within me and it is a mandate that i have in life that forms my foundation. Outrageous creativity in Christ. How does that sound?
Creativity stirs me. Anything creative stirs me. Creative people challenge me, frustrate me but never leave me bored. Hmmmmm seems like people said that about me. I have done a lot of things in life. One can say that as one gets older. Ouch! But, it's a good thing. You see I wanted to be a fashion designer so I took years of fashion design. Then I started taking piano again and love to sit at my piano. Then I also took drawing classes. I have gone the way of many outlets of creativity. When I was young, my father discouraged doing this so I was stifled and lived a life that wasn't me. But, then Jesus Christ came into my life, really came into my life and started to restore the years that seemed lost and I found myself and I am finding myself again in Him.
Please don't say you are not creative. That is the biggest lie the enemy feeds the church at large and many buy it hook, line and sinker. This next phase of my life I am going to challenge the creativity inside people. Off we go!
