Raging, Ranting, Raving, and Rhapsodizing

Allow me to engage in a little well-intentioned nepotism. My dear cousin Annalyse is working on a very cool project which I am now going to shamelessly plug.

Lysie works for YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Tampa, FL. She is the assistant to the couple who head up the Tampa missions base, Art and Ellen Sanborn. In 2002, they produced a play called Judah Ben-Hur which opened in Singapore to great reviews. Now they are working to get Judah Ben-Hur on Broadway.

This play is a unique way to bring the gospel to countries that do not allow religious groups to come in and work, because Christianity is discouraged or illegal (like China or many countries in the middle east). Normally, they couldn't just go into some of these places and talk about Jesus. But if they come in to produce a play that's been on Broadway (even a very Christian one), well then... that's American entertainment! When they did Judah Ben-Hur in Singapore (I think) some rather important people received Christ as a result of seeing it.

In order to get it on Broadway, the Sanborns have to show possible investors that there is sufficient interest. So here's a clip of the play... there are more on youtube. The more views they get, the better it looks when they present to investors, so please view the clips and forward on to people who would be interested. Also, pray that the team would have favor as they work to get funding. For more info check out their website.



I can't say I'm a big fan of Broadway plays, but I'm a big fan of bringing the gospel to people who have never had the chance to hear it. I'm an excited supporter of what Lysie has been working so hard on for many months, and hope to post updates on their coming successes!

I've mentioned that I'm working on my business, but I don't think I've written about what I'm doing. My hope is to develop a business doing commissioned portraits. You give me a photograph, and I draw it, essentially. It's something I've always been good at and something I've always been passionate about. It's pretty wild to think that in high school I spent an unsettling majority of my time drawing, and now people would pay me money (real money!) for my work.

My first step is to build my portfolio, partly to have something to show off to potential customers, and partly to figure out how long it takes me to complete a piece. As I'm working on my portfolio, I'm realizing I need to challenge myself to do much more detailed work than I have before. My audience is no longer myself and whoever I might show my sketchbook to. Now I'm drawing for people who know the subject intimately- a mother, a husband, whatever. In other words, I'm going to be doing work that will be subject to a much more critical and discerning eye. Right now, my drawing is probably good enough to impress most people. But is it good enough that a mother will look at it and see her child? Or will she see a face that looks nice but just isn't quite right?

Honestly, I have doubts from time to time if I'm good enough to produce art for that audience. And it's scary to put so much of yourself on a piece of paper and then "put it out there" to be criticized and possibly rejected. This is so new for me and I just don't know what to expect. But the more time I spend on a piece, the better it gets. The more hours I spend working every week, the better my work gets. I'm looking at this as an opportunity to develop my skills and bring them to a new level of maturity.