Guess where this Photo was taken

I’d like to know if you can tell where this header (orange sky-scape) photo was taken.

First to guess it right gets a treat.
Good luck.

Jesus, WORST TATTOO EVER!

What a FIND! Introducing painter Stephen Shelby Sawyer. (art4god.com)

Steve, doesn’t just do art FOR God, but ON God.

He probably means well, but

when I first saw this image called “No Appointment Necessary” I threw up a little in my mouth.

Shortly after pondering that, I laughed my butt off at the lunacy of it all. It’s probably that smoldering look in sexy Jesus’ eye that tickles me. This hunky American Jesus is totally peacockin’! If you’ve got it, flaunt it, right JC?

If you’re wondering where the Holy Spirit is, I proposed that he’s in Jesus’ hair.

BTW. Wicked hot triceps, Jesus. I mean, Steve. Yes, we noticed!

(Hey friends, if you think THIS Jesus is hot, wait until you see him in, the Sabbath, painting. He’s reclined and “resting”. Right. He looks like he’s waiting for, oh, well never mind.)

Steve has also painted Jesus as a super buff boxer at least four times. Round 15 is the sexiest I’ve seen of that series. (And his hair is crazy gorgeous, like Jesus uses Wen shampoo.)

One of the more awkward ones, is Fireman’s Prayer, Jesus is tucked in close behind a firefighter, and helping him, by holding his hose. And No, I did not make that up.

I thought I didn’t like Thomas Kinkade. But, Steve, you kick his buttocks.

If you don’t like this art, does it mean you don’t like Jesus?

Did anyone ever tell Steve that Jesus was not attractive?

^{Isaiah 53:2 (prophecy fulfilled)}

He grew up like a small plant before the Lord,

like a root growing in a dry land.
He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him;
there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.

What if you got a tattoo of this picture of Jesus with a tattoo?

I will give you $100 if you do it.

It’ll be totally BEAST, dude.

Or, maybe the universe would explode. Not sure.

Give it a try: Give this image a caption.

Day Job

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So, I should probably tell you that I’m not just verbal, but also very visual. I’ve been moonlighting (a nice way for saying “not working full-time”) as a graphic designer for the last 15 years. It’s related to what I studied for my undergraduate at Kutztown University, that they call “Communication Design.”

I just assembled a blog site that features a few samples of graphic design and advertising work I’ve created: here. I’ll post tips there for marketing, promotion, design, answer your questions, as well as note Specials I’ll offer on things like designing and printing posters, brochures, postcards, table tents, and more.

Business cards is not where it’s at. I’m here to help you think BIGGER, but not more Expensive.

(If you leave your questions and comments over there, I’ll get a better idea of info to share with you, etc.)

What do you do to moonlight?

Knitters Gone Wild

I ❤ (heart) knitting hooligans. It’s just so random. So…beautifully joyous. And it keeps streets lights warm all winter.

OR this is how grannies and librarians (or fine arts fibers majors) get the street cred. and exposure to jump into their own gangs.

Ever wonder what librarians do after midnight?

It’s known as yarn bombing.

Spontaneous Praise

This morning on FACEBOOK, I issued a challenge to my friends who happened to be on their computers at the time. The challenge was simple: Sing Praise.

Quickly, a friend replied by posting a Psalm of her own. Inspired, I rejoined with more praise, and then so did another.

After you read what happened, maybe you can type in a few words of praise.

Jodi Shockey Plum 

I sing praises to Your name oh Lord, praises to Your name oh Lord. For Your name is great and greatly to be praised. i sing praises to Your name oh Lord…

about an hour ago · 

(me) Praise you God, the Highest One. You glory extends from the heavens to the depths of the earth. The stars shout for joy, the tree sway to your music, the birds sing your refrains, the creatures acknowledge you.

Sharon Herbster

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. . .Praise Him ye creatures here below. . .Praise Him above ye heavenly host. . .Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

(Once my granddaughter was talking to me on the phone from NC and sang me her “Jesus song”. She asked if I knew any Jesus’ songs and I enthusiastically said “YES!”. “Sing one for me, Mimi” she asked. So, I did. When I finished she said, “Sing me another one!” This repeated and went on for close to a half hour. . .)

Andrew Wyeth – natural surroundings, autumn

Some of you know that I used to claim fellow-Pennsylvanian, Andrew Wyeth as my favorite living American artist. He died this past January 16, in his sleep at the age of 91. His 7 decades of artwork are a profound legacy to the world of art, and culture in general. He was a master of the difficult egg tempera medium, and dry brush watercolor. Technically, Wyeth has superior talent as a drawer and painter, having been tutored by his father, skilled illustrator N.C. Wyeth.

At this time of year, I am attracted by the changing seasons, and the brilliant landscapes. Wyeth did many paintings of landscapes, and I’m drawn to his works at this time of year. Please enjoy a few samples, and these links to his collections. I hope you get a chance to visit them in person.

Links to museums with Andrew Wyeth’s work:
Andrew Wyeth’s website
Brandywine River Museum
Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center
Smithsonian Magazine Article on Andrew Wyeth

A sample of Andrew Wyeth’s work: (click on the image to see it, or enlarge it)

Late Fall, 1981, Andrew Wyeth

Dil Huey Farm, 1941, Andrew Wyeth

Groundhog Day, 1959, Andrew Wyeth

Turkey Pond, 1944, Andrew Wyeth

Snowflakes, 1966, Andrew Wyeth

Trodden Weed, 1951, Andrew Wyeth

Refugee, c. 1980, Andrew Wyeth

Braids, c. 1980, Andrew Wyeth

Airbrone, 1996, Andrew Wyeth

Helga series painting, c. 1980, Andrew Wyeth

Please leave your comments to this work. Thanks for visiting, today.

Let the Wild Rumpus start! -my movie review

 

max, the king of the wild things

 

I’m going to see the film “Where the Wild Things” are today. I’ll post a review, of sorts, on here after a little reflection. Then we can discuss it, along with how the book has had an effect on you over the years.

Leave any comments you have about the movie, (whether you’ve seen it or not) or your thoughts and feelings about the book.

MOVIE REVIEW (of sorts)

OKay I saw it.

General thoughts: If you think of this movie strictly as an adaption, not film based on book, you can fully enjoy this work. It takes different turns then the book, so I kept noticing that, and it got in the way for me.

The movie has some sweet moments, of both innocence and profundity; and Max is a boy dealing with his faults and fears, in a way that the best he can do alone, with wild things doing the same sort of thing. All the same, the movie has a middle area with a slow spot, and it seems like the plot has disappeared. What plot there is at the island meanders hopelessly, but that’s not all bad. Max is a boy who cannot, after all, be King for long. The dialogue of the monsters often left we wanting, but the puppets/actors/CGI is done in a way that carries the entire wild thing off. Jonzes’ movie-making style is  suited for this type of piece, and he does many creative direction work I loved. Wildly effective.

Of a 100%, I give it a 78%. It’s worth seeing, if you drop your expectations of the beloved classic tale. Nothing can recapture Maurice Sedick’s work in feature length, so far. However, Spike Jonze has made a good, but not flawless, film.

(for parents) *I detected 2 language usage (damn was the word I think), for those of you who don’t want children exposed to this sort of thing. As far as me taking my 6 and 9 year old, I might wait until video. This is mostly because Max is so unruly at the beginning, I picture my kids imitating his antics as fast as they get a chance. The “scariness” was there, but wasn’t all that terrifying. It wasn’t so much TEETH, or realistic gore, but suspense. A creature loses an arm, but it’s not blood that comes out, and he complains, but doesn’t appear to be in pain. It could be that the dull spot in the middle, could make children, teens  (and some adults) bored, or worse, whinny. This movie is fine for children over 8, in my opinion. Under that age, I think the parent would have to decide based on the sensitivity of their particular child.

Ask questions, or leave comments:

Hope this was helpful.

Hoodoo Voodoo Series- coming soon

 

movie with the best hoodoo play on words Below: Scene from The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, 1945

 (info and photo from here)

hoodoo info below via wikipedia:

The dominant worldview in hoodoo is usually strongly Christian. Historically there has been an Old Testament strain in hoodoo thought. This is particularly evident in relation to God’s providence and his role in retributive justice. For example, though there are strong ideas of good versus evil, cursing someone to cause their death might not be considered a malignant act. For example, one practitioner explained it as follows:

“[In] Hoodooism, anythin’ da’ chew do is de plan of God undastan’, God have somepin to do wit evah’ thin’ you do if it’s good or bad, He’s got somepin to do wit it . . . jis what’s fo’ you, you’ll git it.”^[12]

Not only is God’s providence a factor in hoodoo practice, but hoodoo thought understands God, himself, as the archetypal hoodoo doctor. On this matter Hurston stated, “The way we tell it, hoodoo started way back there before everything. Six days of magic spells and mighty words and the world with its elements above and below was made.”^[13] From this perspective, biblical figures are often recast as hoodoo doctors and the Bible becomes a source of conjurational spells and is, itself, used as a protective talisman.^[14]

 

The goal of hoodoo is to allow people access to supernatural forces to improve their daily lives by gaining power in many areas of life, including luck, money, love, divination, revenge, health, employment, and necromancy. Due to hoodoo’s great emphasis on an individual’s magical power, its basic principles of working are generally felt to be easily adapted for use based on one’s desires, inclination and habits.

 

Hoodoo and Voodoo are often mistaken for one another. Some believe that the terms may have a common etymology. Simply put, Voodoo is a religion, whereas Hoodoo is a group of magical practices.

Response to Reader – Displeased with “erect nipples”

Michael wrote in to make me aware that my blog had a “luke-warm” message toward sexual temptation because one of the posted Flickr photos depicted a [clothed] “bra-less young lady with erect nipples.” He also included this verse for my edification, and to prove his point:

(red emphasis his)

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³²Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— ³³even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

I’m very sorry this was an upsetting experience for Michael, and fraught with potential sexual backsliding, for him, and possibly for others.

Originally, I had been impressed with the wordpress Flickr link that *automatically* generates, and rotatates submitted photos from a (supposedly) G-rated, artistic Flickr site file folder titled: “Interesting.” I hadn’t seen anything offensive, but I understand this photo might have crossed the line for some people–well, men and lesbians primarily, but also those who don’t like looking at chilly women (or men), female store mannequins, or being reminded that nipples seem to have a mind, and actions of their own. It seems foundational garments–lack of them–are a foil again! Just like in the 1960s.

I didn’t know the photo was in the rotation, and I’m sorry it (might have) stumbled some of you.

My decision-

Due to not having control over the nature of the photos my readers are exposed to, I am removing the auto-generated photo gallery link from Flickr for now. I prefer that Flickr was set up differently, so I could pick “landscapes,” or “scenery,” “topic themes,” or non-nippled photos that suit my taste, and have them displayed, rather than whatever “Interesting” might be to someone, which, in this case, turned out to be two small bumps in the road for me, and the Life As Prayer blog.

If anybody has a good suggestion for adding topical rotating photo art in the sidebar in wordpress, let me know; and until I figure out a better way to have revolving art that won’t titillate, um, so to speak, I’ll axe the Flickr shots that have been in the sidebar. Sorry to those of you that will miss them.

Weigh-in with your ideas, or thoughts.

Thank you. And sorry Michael.

P.S. This reminds me. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Support the Tat Tats! Wear pink, and remember that 40,610 will die of breast cancer this year! Get a mamo, or encourage the woman in your life, (or a man with man boobs) to do so!

(When I get lemons I make a lemonade post!)

Thanks everyone.

Sunday Dawn Walk

Today I woke up at 6:22 a.m., and even though I didn’t want to I felt I must take a walk. It was still dark outside. I dressed into the first things I could find, and couldn’t locate my glasses, so I put on my husband’s prescription sunglasses. I looked like a bug creature.

I felt like I should go back to a nearby hillside were I walked earlier this week. I had gone there to see the sunrise then also. I had gone a bit too early, and by the time came for dawn, dense cloud cover blocked a good view. Still, it had been a nice experience. 

This time as I crouched on the dewy hillside overlooking the tree-covered town of Cressona, dotted with lights, I looked up at the stagnant bluish cloud cover again. But interestingly, if I waited about 15 seconds I could sense cloud movement eastward. It made me realize that even when I’m waiting, and it seems nothing is happening, it is. Sometimes I just have to be more perceptive, and patient to notice it. The morning turned beautiful with the new light, and the dark prescription sunglasses intensified the hues, especially the reds, making the scene even more brilliant.

It was an introspective start to me day. Worshipful, pondering, astonishing, and encouraging. Surprises are at every turn.

I changed the header photo on the home page to one from this a.m. Hope you like it.