My Introduction To Northwest Coast Native American Art
October 6, 2007
I had lived in Vancouver very briefly as a child and it was during that time when I was first exposed to the art of the Northwest Coast Native American Indians. It was the towering colorful totem poles out in Stanley Park that everyone gazed at with wonder and appreciation. It took about 30 years later during a return trip to Vancouver when Northwest Coast Native American art caught my eyes again.
I was in Vancouver for business and landed at the city’s new airport terminal. One could not help but notice the huge native carvings near the arrivals area. Later on during my stay, I decided to wander around in the Gastown district. It was in these shops and galleries in Gastown where I fell in love with Northwest Coast Native American art. I saw many wonderful wooden plaques representing different animals. There were also art prints, paintings, masks, wooden bowls and even furnature with these animals either painted or carved right into the pieces.
The colors and designs, which might be considered a bit exaggerated to non-native eyes, were striking as well as bold. I knew at that time that I wanted to include some of this magnificent artwork on my walls back at home. So I bought two plaque carvings and carried them home like newly found treasure.
Do You Know What It Takes To Crucify The Flesh?
October 5, 2007
The flesh is the part of us that resists our transformation into the new person in Christ.
And since this is the case the devil wants to use the pleasures of our flesh to keep us enslaved to our old habits and sinful attitudes.
We have daily choices to live according to God’s righteous desires, and deny sin. When we use our power to choose God’s way instead of sin’s way, we crucify our flesh.
God helps us crucify our flesh through the Holy Spirit so that we may live in the newness of the Spirit.
The desires we must crucify include fornication, covetousness, stealing, and lying plus follow the rest of the ten commandments.
As we put these things to death, we are able to then put on the new man, renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created us.
1 Peter 4:1-2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Laughter
October 4, 2007
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” e.e.cummings
I was reading some material last week about the effects of laughter on our health. We all know how good it feels to laugh and the more humor we have in a day, the better we feel. No matter what the stressful circumstance or situation, if we can introduce some humor, it always lightens the stress. Laughing comes naturally to us; we were born to be joyful and have fun. Small children laugh on average around 400 times a day! Unfortunately, as we move into adulthood responsibility grows and laughter diminishes. Adults average only 20 laughs per day. What a tremendous change!
Thought Produces Desire, Produces Results
October 3, 2007
(Channelled)
Roy? this week you learned something about yourself. You learned that if you don’t take responsibility and action for doing things, things will happen anyways. And when they do you will not feel that you are in control and your will recent the action and rebel even though it is what you wanted. These actions will seem external and out of your control.
For some time now you have thought that you should spend more time running sales leads at your work. You believe that you need more money and you wanted to spend less time in front of the computer. You also felt that you wanted to spend less time in the pub with your co-workers after work. This thought has been going through your mind for months and you have been unable to transform that thought to action satisfactorily.
Procrastination and inaction on a conscious level leads to what appears to be action from an outside source, when your circumstances change.
You once again discovered this week how thought converts itself into physical action at a lower level of your consciousness when you don’t consciously get involved.
Authenticity of Eskimo Inuit Art & Native Indian Art
October 2, 2007
Both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art have gained international recognition as valuable art forms over the past few decades. However, the rising popularity of both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art has resulted in the increased proliferation of imitations and mass-produced reproductions of original Native arts. Some obvious fakes are made in Asia from molds where the finished pieces are forms of plastic, resin or ceramic.
Other fakes are actually made of cast stone simulating actual Inuit Eskimo art carvings and wood for imitation Native American carvings. These fakes, which are harder to distinguish from authentic artwork, are often hand carved reproductions of an original piece of artwork. Workshops have illegally reproduced hundreds of copies without the artisan’s permission. The counterfeiting companies would then attach some type of tag that claims the fake pieces were influenced by aboriginal artisans and even background information on the Native designs used in the artwork. Some even go as far as adding in Inuit syllabics on the bottom of the fake Inuit Eskimo art carvings.
These are very deceptive tactics on their part since they give the consumers the impression that the imitations are authentic and income producing for the aboriginal communities.
Teach Your Child to Pray
October 2, 2007
There are so many books out there on being a praying woman, or a praying wife, husband, nation, etc, but I’m not familiar with one about teaching my child to pray. A child that prays can have such an impact on his family, friends, and nation. If we as parents could teach our children this awesome phenonemon, we really could change the world one kid at a time.
There are so many things our children could pray for. It doesn’t have to be long an drug out. My children simply say, “Help mommy feel better. Amen.” That teaches them to pray for healing. They could say, “Help us get the money we need to buy a car.” That teaches them to pray for our finances.
The important thing is this, we need to teach them. Who else better able to do it than their own parent. You may ask, how can I do this? The first thing you do is, MODEL it. We all know our children are little apes from the get-go. Maybe you’ve heard something along the lines of, “If you don’t want it repeated at a place it will embarrass you most, don’t let your child hear you say it.” Well, model prayer, and you’ll get prayer. If they want to know why you’re praying, or what you’re doing, use that teachable moment and explain it in terms they’ll understand.
Life or Lifestyle?
October 1, 2007
"When you live the life you were meant to live, doing the work you were meant to do, enjoying what pleases you, instead of collecting meaningless lifestyles trophies, you will be full of joy and energy. " Thomas Leonard, Coach University
Life or Lifestyle?
What is a lifestyle and how is that different from a life? A lifestyle is about brand names and buying identity or prestige. Lifestyle gives a false sense of peace and acceptability that comes from others recognizing what you’ve bought into (as well as bought). If your car, clothes, and home are expensive, you’re sophisticated and stylish. If you have the right kind of job or go to the right social gatherings, then you receive the superficial approval of others. This means that your self-esteem is always at the mercy of others, with no appreciation of you as an individual.
A life, on the other hand, is very different. A life is what you lead when you know what matters most to you. It is very simple and comes from being connected to what you know is important and being willing to put that first, not matter what others may think. When you create a life vs. a lifestyle, your self-esteem comes from what’s inside you, not what others think about you.
