Hallelujah - Bethany Dillon

"Hallelujah" by Bethany Dillon

Who can hold the stars
And my weary heart?
Who can see everything?

I've fallen so hard
Sometimes I feel so far
But not beyond your reach

I could climb a mountain
Swim the ocean
Or do anything
But it's when you hold me
That I start unfolding
And all I can say is

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah

The same sun that
Rises over castles
And welcomes the day

Spills over buildings
Into the streets
Where orphans play

And only you can see the good
In broken things
You took my heart of stone
And you made it home
And set this prisoner free

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah

Wait - Mat Kearney

This song is about waiting on the Lord. It's a beautiful song, and helping lead me into some quiet time with God. :)








The wind hit my back
Cold as I remember
And caught me off guard
In the middle of December
Sometimes a crowded room
Can feel the most alone
Sometimes I wonder
Why you won't pick up the phone


This wall is glaring
And it's too hard for me to climb
I've ran and ran
And now there's nothing left behind
I see a picture of a broken man inside
I tried and tried
And now there's nothing left but time

And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
Together we will fly tonight
Leave all of the rest behind
I'll wait for you

These hands can feel
Like they're not even mine
A tree and hill and a cry in the night
Sometimes a little step is the greatest divide
Sometimes I feel your breath right at my side

When this wall is glaring
And it's too hard for me to climb
I've ran and ran
And now there's nothing left behind
I see a picture of a broken man inside
I tried and tried
And now there's nothing left but time

And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
Together we will fly tonight
Leave all of the rest behind
I'll wait for you

Here I am at the edge of the road
One hand on the end of the rope
One crack and it breaks alone
Wondering who's gonna take me home
On my knees when you call my bluff
Begging please from the edge of the rough
I know when I've had enough
And I know it, and I know it

I see a picture of a broken man inside
I've tried and tried
And now there's nothing left but time

And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone
And I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you alone

Wait here, stay here
Say you're the only one I need
I know it, I'm holding
Together we will fly tonight
Leave all of the rest behind

I'll wait for you
I'll wait for you

Wait here, stay here
Say you're the only one I need
I know it, I'm holding
Wait

Change Appeared

And all things hushed. 

Yet even in that silence a new beginning, 

beckoning, 

change appeared. 

     Happy Spring!  If you know me, you know that I love seasons.  Spring is always an encouragement--after a cold, dark winter, things get warmer, brighter, and blossoms just keep popping out to say "hello! It's spring!" :)... the sound of birds chirping, new colors and warm weather just add joy to my days.  Sometimes change comes quietly, and all of a sudden, you look around, and things are different.  Sometimes we wait long and hard for changes.  But mostly, changes happen in His perfect timing.  :)  Thank you Lord for Spring <3.

Thank You, More Please

OK I just want to say: GOD IS AMAZING! ... I know we already know that. BUT He continues to surprise me in new ways, and just blow me away with His love. 

I recently watched "Happy Thank You More Please," a movie that shares an interesting philosophy of practicing gratitude.  In the movie, one of the characters shares a story of talking to a cab driver, who tells her she needs to practice more gratitude--to keep saying "Thank You" for all the good things, and she'll be happier.  We have all heard this before, I'm sure.  However, he also tells her to add, "more please."  I really liked the mantra, and related it to God and His abundant blessings.  God has so many blessings in store for us that He just wants to pour out, and Scripture tells us to ask for them.  Also, we need to be ready to receive them, and aware of the many gifts as gifts, not as something we're earning or that we deserve.

So far, in giving up time/my heart & head space for Lent, God has stretched me and blessed me a lot.  He's revealing to me some stuff to draw close to Him to work out in my heart, but also providing me time and opportunities with amazing friends/family/church family to process some things out and mutually bless & encourage each other.  

... Thank you; more please. <3

Slow Down

Lent 2012

For this Lenten season, I am seeking to use this time to really go deeper into my new year's resolution (Rest).  God continually urges me to slow down and  rest with Him moment by moment throughout the day, and also by taking specified time aside with Him.  I saw one of those guys holding a "SLOW" sign the other day while driving. Little did he know that God was using him to speak to me in the midst of whatever I had going on that day/in my head/on my calendar and/or to-do list.  At one point that day, I looked in the mirror as I was washing my hands and felt God say "slow down" even there!  Moment by moment, just slow down the pace and rest with Him.  Sometimes people sacrifice certain things for Lent, but I just really want to give Him more of my time, heart, and head space and foster a slower, prayerful pace.  Lord, help me :)

Going with your Gut

Covenant
Oil on Organ Salvage
2012
photo credit: Lisa Bennett
(www.lisa-bennett.com)    

     I envisioned this painting the moment I laid eyes on the beautiful scrap of organ amongst piles of architectural salvage at Building Character in Lancaster.  For some reason this old, dry, decaying wooden structure was longing for new life, renewed vibrancy and to sing praises to God once again.  I assume this organ was played in a church somewhere, making joyful noises to God on high.  How could it just be discarded there in a pile?  At the time, I was still developing a seasonal series on canvas and put the organ piece to the side.  Now, three years later, I am finally displaying this beautiful piece and receiving a plethora of positive feedback on it.  The funny thing is--I almost didn't go with my gut.

     After painting the rainbow on this organ, I doubted its simplicity.  Is it too rainbow-y? I remember asking my collaborator (and myself), Liz, on our show that is currently being exhibited, Two-Point Perspective.  Am I just kindergartener still making rainbows on everything and loving simple, bright color?  Well...in a way.  I just read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, who shares in his final lecture before his pancreatic cancer worsened and eventually prematurely ended his life here on Earth.  In his lecture, he passionately expounds on his philosophy of holding your childhood dreams at heart, and remembering that little guy, or girl, and all he or she wondered, dreamed, and envisioned for life.  He recommends sniffing crayons to flood back childhood memories and sentiments (he even kept a crayon in his shirt pocket sometimes).  The funny thing is, I keep crayons in my purse at almost all times.  I also grateful to be living out my childhood dreams of being an artist, and I still love color--and rainbows.

     Allow me to tell you how it all started in kindergarten.  For some reason at that time, we had art on a cart.  I don't really remember any other art class from kindergarten other than the one I am about recount.  On this specific day, my art teacher had paint, brushes, and water cups on her cart!  I already was super excited for the time to paint for real--not just lame watercolors that always get messed up, or finger paints, which are fun, but we all know is kind of babyish (my kindergarten impression).  So, I took my brush, and went to town.  I painted a house with a V-bird in the background, and a tree, I think.  I remember painting a rainbow, too that day.  My art teacher saw my house painting and remarked how great it was and said, "you are an artist! I want to hang that on display!" and my heart soared!  My mom took me to the East Pennsboro Area School District Administration Building to see it one day, and there it was--with a black mat frame and my name on it.  I was an artist displaying her work!  Whoa!  ...and I was hooked ever since. From that point on, my dreams were to be an artist, teacher, or both. Which is now true!  How cool to have childhood dreams fulfilled.

     Covenant received amazing feedback at our art reception last night!  It was the favorite of the night (of my body of work), and several people inquired about buying it or wanting something like it.  The best part is, my grandma, who was one of the first guests, bought it before anyone else could!  It suits her well because she has played the organ for 20+ years in church, and still plays today.  I remember playing on her organ with my siblings when we were little--it was different than the piano because it had to warm up (the sound of it warming up was like a tea kettle slowly gaining air to sing). The organ also had all of these levers that my siblings and I would click up and down a million times (as if we knew what we were really doing).  I jokingly told Grandma that I got the organ salvage from her old organ (had her for a minute)--which was too cool to actually be true.

     The moral of my story: with your gut.  If you are compelled to make something, make it.  If it lines up with your childlike wonder, a simple truth and irresistible inspiration, then do it.  I am excited to make more art on architectural salvage, and will see where my art leads me next.  It all started with my love for color and painting in kindergarten, and has developed for the past 20 years (already!).  I am looking forward to where God will lead me with this gift and passion, and hope to bring the glory and wonder back to Him.


P.S. Covenant's title is based on the story of Noah's Ark in Genesis 6-9.  After the flooding was over, God made a rainbow in the sky as a covenant that He would never flood the entire Earth again -- a promise for peace. "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. " --Genesis 9:13

Glue and Grace

Antonio Gaudi's Mosaic Benches in Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain

"Man is born broken. He lives by mending. 
  The grace of God is the glue." 
  -Eugene O'Neil

    I'm reading the book Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott, a personal memoir that I would highly recommend.  Her writing is honest, quirky, and captivating.  She includes different quotes, and the one above really struck me.

     I thought of broken bits of glass and ceramics that make up beautiful mosaics. Alone, these discarded bits of things are fragile, broken, and forgotten.  When glued together, these tiny pieces become something larger, something beautiful, and maybe even functional, like the benches pictured above at Guell Park in Barcelona.  I've always wanted to sit on those benches--to see and feel their beauty.

     We are like mosaics---each of us all fragile, broken pieces, and when alone sometimes might feel forgotten (stay with me here, I am not trying get you down).  In the midst of our brokenness, God's love comforts us, stabilizes us, and holds us together.  He makes us into a larger, more beautiful, and more purposeful masterpiece.  At Bible study last week, we pondered about "community" together, and it's been on my mind.  We still are all broken with rough edges, but if we keep clinging to God's glue of grace, He helps smooth out our rough edges and fill our cracks so that we can love each other and work together in our communities with a bigger picture and a bigger purpose.