my day off

What a blast I have had today! I got to visit one of my favorite spots in Mansfield, The Carousel Works! They just created the carousel prototype for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, amazing! The officials from the cruise line were here in Mansfield to watch a test run on the carousel a couple days ago. People from Finland and all around the world where there with computers in hand to run all sorts of diagnostic tests on the carousel. They needed to make sure it was compatible with rough seas.

The employees had to sit on the animals while they raised and lowered and tipped the carousel different directions! With computers connected to the carousel, they were able to test the ability of the carousel to remain stable and compensate for the different pitches. How cool is that! Right here in little 'ole Mansfield!

And I'm proud to say that several of the carvers and artists (painters) are part of our congregation at Crossroads! This leopard is just one example of Tim Gorka's amazing carving! He is so talented and so humble about his ability. I believe artists have God given ability that few of them fully realize. They have been set apart by God as an artist or musician. While most of us can only express ourselves to the Lord in a few ways, artists have a whole additional mode of expression to offer Him. Their forms of expressing come from deep inside each of them. I think this may be why so many are tortured at times.

The longing to create comes from deep within their souls and if it is misused it is a very personal hurt. Critics can destroy them and cause them to hide their talents. My mission is to provide safe places and creative ways to use their art within the ministry. I wnat to provide opportunity to 'give back' to the God that created them this way. It pleases God to receive worship from His artists!

My day off was awesome when I went wandering through the maze of creative genius at the Mansfield Carousel Works! I came home so inspired I went outside and began to work on my Easter Cross project. Easter is going to be a great weekend full of artistic worship to the King!

I love these kinds of days off - now it is off to begin the long overdue painting at our house! A great day indeed!!