Redeeming Creativity

I am not sure anyone still reads this blog. I am more than ok with that:)

Sometimes I DO actually think of things besides how to make my house cuter.

And for those times, I am going to document them on this blog.

Writing helps me organize my thoughts so they are not a jumbled mess. It helps me to sort out things I think about and also put down on paper (or screen?) encouragement that has helped me lately and new ways I see God move.

I have been thinking about creativity lately. I've been really into blogs for awhile now and I see women on there who are so creative. I love it.


I think as I get older I appreciate it more and also love to think about the relationship between God and creativity. I mean, Jesus was creative. So, isn't creativity a way to worship God and become more like him?

I defintely dont claim to be the most creative person on the planet. Not even close. But I am created in the image of God - and as a Christian I should be a mini-creator.


I so appreciate a beautiful picture, a nicely deocrated room and perhaps most of all - a super cute outfit.


When we were buying our home I remember thinking I would rather pay less for something to be able to make it our own than to pay more for something that already had all the nice things.

Now I am sure we can get into serious sin when we use our creativity for evil. We try to be the best only to show off, we want attention, we want to feed our pride. That doesn't mean we stop creating. It means our creativity must be REDEEMED and used for the glory of God.

There is something about transformation and personal touch that has always had a special place in my heart ... It's my way to express myself and also to challenge myself to be creative - like Jesus was creative.


If you think about the creativity of God - the sunsets, the millions of animals, the different skies, the weather - holy cow it just keeps going.

As Christians we should be the most creative, the most artisitc, the hardest workers. We should do our jobs well - to the best of our ability.

We should be agents of redemption.

We are little creators - just like Jesus was a big creator.

We can redeem the crappy things in our job/home/relationships/neighborhood and make them beautiful.

How can we be an agent of redemption in the things that the world might see as less than beautiful or drudgery? How can I take my passions and gifts and things I enjoy and not use them for gain or attention but for the glory of God?

Anyways - just some thoughts that I have been wrestling with and working thru. I am not a pastor or preacher or anything. These are seriously just areas the Lord is challenging me in and making me wrestle with.

I love blogs.

Today as I was doing my daily facebook stalking session - I came across a link to a blog about a pioneer woman. It was amazing. The lady had recipes, photography, homeschooling...basically everything about her life documented. She even had a link that told the story of how her and her husband fell in love. And I was in love. With her blog. I find myself falling in love with blogs way too easily. A blog ho if you will. If you have a blog and it is not long, too abstract for my simple mind ...I will probably read it. Blogs are cool cuz they are like your own personal magazine where you can write about whatever you want. Like in college I wanted to write for a magazine when I graduated - And now I do. Except the magazine is really this blog and I dont get paid and only my family and a few friends read it. And the magazine doesnt come out every month but only when I am feeling creative.

if its not broken...do I fix it?

Uh oh. I started another blog. But somehow I just miss this blog. Even though the background is significanly lamer on this blog it feels like home. I have not told but two or three people about my new blog - which I started in order to commemerate my new season of life as an engaged lady. Perhaps I should just fix the problem with this blog (lame design, I never updated it) and I will be good to go. Ok. Thank you blogoshere for listening to my thoughts.

Rawr.

So....I just needed a place to post a picture of this shirt. I was doing some research for a good costume for summer camp using the words "white tiger" and this shirt came up. I thought it was pretty amazing. So many elements of style have come together to form this hybrid of awesomeness:

1. tie dye

2. a picture of the front of a pair of faux overalls

3. a baby white tiger

Seriously. Somewhere out there is a person who thought this shirt was a good idea.

Engaged!

I am probably the world's least consistent blogger. This is sad. I blog...and then I feel self conscious because I find out people are actually reading my blog and then I stop. But - I am going to push through the awkwardness and divulge my innermost thoughts for all the see. Jk. Jk. I am gonna keep it light, but informative. And...lots to inform these days. First things first, I am engaged! Holy cow. I am currently the very lucky, future Mrs. Lindsey Stamm. Here are some ways you can also say Stamm.

* Stammtastic
* Stamm-a-rama
* Stamminator
* Stamm it (if you are the swearing type)
* Stammwhich

Anyways, while I am still a little shocked that I am marrying Josh - I am at the same time not that surprised since I can remember thinking the very first time I saw him - wow...that's the guy I am gonna marry. The road was kind of bumpy and awkward ...but it ended beautifully with lots of God moments to tell about:) He is totally my favorite person to hang out with.

Here are some awkward moments I had with Josh before we got together. I want to give girls hope that you dont have to have it all together or be super cool in order to find love.

* The "are you giving me a hug? A high five? Oh...you're just blocking the sun" moment. Yes, yes - there was a time (long before Josh awknowledged his undying love for me) when Josh would like to give me high fives. But since I pretty much was in love with him - I would always go in for the hug. I was really bad at deciphering his body language. One time Josh put his hand up to block the sun and I hugged him. He doesn't remember this. But I do. how can you forget awkwardness like that??

* The "oh shoot...he wanted me to hold his hand and I just gave him a high five" moment. Ladies. If you are watching a romantic movie and the guy next to you likes you and you like him - and he lays his hand next to yours and kinda grabs your hand a little....this is the wrong moment for a high five. But alas, I did not get that memo. Instead I gave him a high five. And in my head was like "your such an idiot..."

* The "I live you" mispelling moment. One time Josh and I were emailing and he said "I Live you" at the end of the email. This was confusing to me. Clearly it was a mispelling...but it could have gone either way - did he meant to say He LIKED me or he LOVED me? Ah. I just told him I lived him too.

Ok. Anyways. After 3 years of friendship and four months of dating Josh proposed at Disneyland:) Wahoo. November 13, 2009 is the big day! We can't wait.

February blog.

Well - thought it was time for another blog. My boyfriend has given himself a very early curfew leaving me with little to do at the end of the night but blog. I suppose I could do other things like take up knitting or pray or read some spiritual books...but I am a nerd and I am going to work on my blog.

This entry will be short and I will just bullet point the most interesting things from life. Or the things I feel comfortable blogging about....

* I found a new favorite snack. Wrapping pieces of string cheese around a pretzel. It's like a ghetto version of a mozzerella stick. In fact, that's what I am going to call it. Ghetto mozzerella sticks.

* I have a new job. I am the admin for the student ministries at our church. I likey. I of course feel the need to now use a super spiritual sign off on my emails. Here are ones I am considering...

- In his grip
- Saved by grace
- Loved deeply
- Resting with the redeemer
- I am probably sinning right now
- gotta go read my Bible

* Speaking of Godly things...I saw a kirk cameron movie this weekend. Don't mock. Fireproof. Fireproof was delightful and did not disapoint. Casting Crowns and Chick-fil-A made some cameo appearances, which made me laugh.

* Have discovered the joy of Target "Long and Lean" tank tops. I have bought four of them and have worn them 2 at a time in different combinations for about the last 17 days. And don't let the name fool you. In my experience, you do not have to be particularly long OR lean to wear them. Take it from me.

Well. That is my blog entry for the day. Shout out to my friend Caroline who inspired me to write again.

Root beer

Today at work I am drinking root beer…. from a bottle that looks like a beer bottle. So, I put the bottle in a brown bag I had at my desk so people wouldn’t see it. But now it really looks like I am drinking beer but concealing it like a homeless man. I think root beer people should put root beer in cans so that those of us who like root beer can enjoy it without looking like we are boozing it up in the work place. I am just saying.