Summer Reading

Carrot Top Studio is headed out of town today for a week of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. We appreciate your clients patience as shipping will be on hold from today until July 2nd. 


I grew up absolutely absorbed in my library's summer reading program. Thanks for signing up for that Mom! Reading still brings great pleasure and my bags are packed with probably three weeks worth of choices instead of just one! Here's a little of our selection:

Passing the Colors : Engaging Visual Culture in the 21st Century by Chris S. Overvoorde who is professor of art emeritus at Calvin College. In this book he addresses challenges faced by artists who long to remain in the church. The purpose of this piece is to demonstrate how important the visual is to worship and devotion and how including artists in faith communities strengths the ties that bind. I've never felt unwelcomed by the church as an artist but I think this book will expand my thinking. 

I'm almost a year away from turning fifty. Wow! So I'm taking a friend's recommendation and packing Jubilee Time. She used it in a class about seeking spiritual direction in the second half of life at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Reading her course description made me intrigued. Typically I don't make a big deal out of birthdays in general or even milestone birthdays but this book looks to be interesting and the format seems great as it's written by the author but infused with writings and thoughts from others. I wonder what I'll be challenged to think about?

I couldn't resist already starting to read Awaken Your Senses: Exercises For Exploring the Wonder of God by J. Brent Bill. This topic takes me back to when I was a elementary art teacher and there was much emphasis on teaching to the many different learning styles students have. I've always felt that this applies to worship as well. Some people connect visually, but others through the auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, etc. Bill applies this notion to our five senses and our personal faith. I suspect that much of this will translate easily to corporate worship as well and might open my mind to new ways to use our work in the studio.


Due to my passion for and recent trips to Haiti I also hope to read through Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle: Living Fully, Loving Dangerously by Kent Annan. I am more and more constantly reminded of how comfortable my life is. I don't believe this is what it's called to be but boy is it tricky to give that up! As I continue to pray for what God has in store for me next I suspect Annan's personal experience might give me a glimmer insight for my life. 

And lastly, I must admit I love "reading" cookbooks. The creative soul in me really likes cooking also, but a cookbook that tells stories of the how and why of the recipe is doubly delicious (pun intended!) So Ripe by Nigel Slater is a super large volume that will probably be absolutely devoured. And because I won't be actually making the recipes during the reading it will be very skinny on calories. 


And you? What's on your summer reading list?

World and Church

I've been reading about love and God. I'm drawn to what Mother Theresa teaches when she said, "do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary... Do not pursue spectacular deeds...In the work we have to do it does not matter how small and humble it may be, make it Christ's love in action." This seems like a great message for Ordinary Time when we celebrate God with us, God for us and God through us. Within this I am grateful for a God who insists on both incorporating us into a nourishing, worshiping community and mobilizing us as his compassionate, transforming presence in the world.

prom ready

So what is your world? My world this week consists of a daughter who has just completed her junior year in high school. She spent a very festive night dining and dancing at prom and then having a group of friends to our home for the rest of the evening. Through subtle acts (such as providing their favorite pop tarts for breakfast!) I pray that these young people experienced our home to be a place where they were all welcomed. That the small, humble acts of hospitality were a demonstration of Christian hospitality.

with one of my nieces

Secondly, I'm preparing to be out of the studio for a week with my extended family.  We live throughout the United States and almost half are "carrot tops". We aren't all typically together but for once a year for 24-48 hours. So this week together will certainly be a time to loving each other as neighbors and functioning as a compassionate, family community.

Lastly, we're planning our next mission trips to Haiti possibly in November but definitely in February. We participate in the mission of God. We all are capable of this on a daily basis but are also at times called to leave our neighborhood to do the work. This might be the neighborhood next to ours or it could be half way around the world. In Haiti we've been able to evangelize, serve the poor, educate, and worship in community alongside the Haitians. We are also able be the salt and light to each other--as brothers and sisters in Christ. This shouldn't surprise me but I still am greatly moved by the memory of a Haitian friend telling me on my second trip that he had been praying for me since our first encounter six months prior. Awww yay....Christ's love in action.

Our current collection of stoles created using silk hand dyed in Haiti can be seen here.