my artistic day...

today was all about ART for my group (which consisted of grady, june, shari, erin, millie, maxx, and luke scarboro. art is not a HUGE draw for the youth, unless you bribe them, which is why MY kids went on this tour). we spent the morning in oak park to see frank lloyd wright's home and studio and a took a guided walking tour of oak park to see other houses that he built. amazing.

and then a long afternoon at the art institute. seeing so much art that i think if you cut me i would bleed impressionistic paint. 

oh, and to all the youth who WANTED to bring their headphones on this trip but didn't because it was in the rules to NOT bring headphones... i took this photo of the ibelieve ipod at the art museum (apple doesn't really make that product, by the way). that made me laugh. and that would still be unacceptable to bring because headphones are like weapons. (inside joke).

then we had a little visit to millennium park and we saw the giant bean in person. well, if a giant reflective bean was a person.... and we took photos of ourselves reflected in it. so it kind of was like seeing a person in the bean. it was great to be able to take a photo AND still be IN the photo. 

and since it was an artsy kind of day, i thought i would add this verse about what the GRANDEST work of art any one can do in this life...

Hebrews 6:1

So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. 

Grow up in Christ. 

The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. 

But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!

i think these choir mission trips are GREAT for taking all those foundation truths that we have been learning all year and putting those truths out on the road (literally) and seeing how this all works in the day to day tiredness and hunger and having to get along with LOTS of other people who don't alway do things the way WE would do them (which is the RIGHT way, of course). not that i am speaking for myself here. i am just surmising what i think the "youth" might be learning.

and now the bad news... this is my LAST blog post that will actually be while i am ON choir tour. maxx and i have to catch a 5:45 a.m. flight (yes, you read that correctly) tomorrow morning. which means catching a cab at about 4 a.m. (yes, you read that correctly). maxx has to be back to go to scout camp on sunday morning and i have a friend and her twin 4 year old daughters coming in to spend the week with me. which will be exciting for her because i plan to sleep for most of next week and let her do laundry, cook and clean for me all week. 

BUT i will be posting again with a link to a website where i will be putting ALL of the photos that i took this week and you can download any or all of them for yourself. AND once i make the slideshow of photos set to cool music, i can post that on this blog too so you can watch it also at your own leisure and watch it OVER AND OVER AND OVER... not that i do that on nights when i can't sleep...

see you all at 7 on sunday night for the return worship service. it really has been such a pleasure to read the comments and stay in touch with you all this week. it has helped me to "forget myself" and follow Jesus as i thought all day about what i wanted to say to you all about the amazing experiences that we have been having...