everyone gets to play!

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."-Bilbo

3 backpacks. That's a picture of my bags packed and ready to go. The black one on the right is the one with my clothes for the trip. It will be a carry-on for my air travel and will easily ride on my back (thanks to fellow Seattle-ite and world known travel guide, Rick Steves). It has ventured to far away lands with me before and has been a trusted friend. The little one in front is the one with my journal and paints and books to be close to me as my one personal item. It's excited to accompany me, having traveled countless times to places all over this big blue marble as an extension of me. The one on the left with the red & blue coloring is the one experiencing it's first journey. It is stuffed with a huge variety of new art supplies for the purpose of "painting on people's lives". It will be checked into the cargo hold for the crossing journey. It's the one with the treasure awaiting to land and be freely given, poured out, and lavished as an offering of love. Myself and the other two backpacks will at some point return to the States to continue our creative adventures together, but this third one...it will stay in Lithuania (where I am traveling to this month)...it will get to experience it's own adventures with a new owner, for it has a different path to hike. Yes, "everyone gets to play"...even backpacks.

To follow my artistic travel and creative adventures in art ministry, go to my blogsite where I post about and document my trips: Traveling Artist

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Next trip: Lithuania



The Redemptive Choice to Love

"REDEMPTION" 4foot by 4foot mixed media on sound panel. c. 2012 Lisa Marten

Here is the second painting I created during the worship services at Trinity Presbyterian church in Boise this month. It partners with a painting I did 2 weeks ago called "Separation" and coincides with their current sermon series on the effects of sin in our lives. Last time I painted about how sin consumes us with... selfishness as it separates us from God, from others, even from ourselves. This painting is called "Redemption" I painted about how through the redemptive blood of Christ we are made clean and can embrace love...Gods love, others love, our love....and how that love is open arms to give more love out in community...not isolation.(the image is two people embracing).

"CHOICES" (4) paintings in (1) acrylic on cardboard & foamcore. c. 2012 Lisa Marten

I painted live during the prayer & worship night for the college age young adult small groups that was held in the VineArts Studio this last Sunday night. It's 4 paintings in ONE! I call this "CHOICES" ...which is a response to a word that one of the leaders spoke about...that God is giving us choices...in how we worship,pray,take communion,serve others,and fellowship. The night consisted of 3 small groups from Boise Vineyard coming together and joining with other small groups meeting in other areas around Idaho, Washington, California, and Colorado...all at the same time to pray & worship together. I was blessed to be asked to be a part of something so big and so beautiful ...full of life & community. I LOVE THIS KIND OF STUFF!!! and they are praying for me and for my travels in art ministry as I set out around the global world and I'm praying for them as they reach out into the local and regional world. We all have choices...we just need to enter into them.