Count Your Blessings

I found this duo, Amy and Lauren, on YouTube some time ago and love their music. This rendition of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” encouraged me to post this note about counting your blessings. Please, listen to the music and read on…

I use to pass out a note entitled “Count Your Blessings” along with a yellow legal pad to folks who worked and or lived around me and I tried to encourage them to take a look at the good things or positive things in the their life. 

We often have a tendency to forget the blessings in our lives especially when things get tough.

My humble endeavor met with such open hearts that I want to pass along the encouragement here online. Sadly I can’t give each of you your own yellow legal pad but you can acquire one and then make your own list of blessings.

If you find the idea of worth, pass it along to your friends, family and or your work mates. You know, we can change the world, one person at a time by helping change their heart. Fostering an attitude of gratitude is a great way to do it.

Count Your Blessings…

Before I get to my shared list of blessings, I want to take a moment and share with you something somebody shared with me the other day and I think we all need to hear a story like this from time to time. It’s good for the heart and the soul!

“There was a time when I was in a state of utter despair, immersed in guilt over promises made on which I had not delivered. I went to my vocal coach, Fred Wilkerson, weeping copiously. 

He asked what was the matter. I responded, “I’m going crazy. I am almost at the brink of suicide.” He offered me a legal-size, lined yellow pad and a pen. He said, “Write down your blessings!” 

Furious that he didn’t understand my condition, I shouted, “Don’t talk nonsense, I’m telling you I am going crazy.” 

He said, “Write down that you could hear me say ‘write down’ and think of the millions who cannot hear the cries of their babies, or the sweet words of their beloveds, or the alarm that could help them seek safety. Write down that you can see this yellow pad and think of the millions on this planet who cannot see the smiles of their growing children or the delight in the faces of their beloveds, or the colors of the sunrise and the softness of the twilight. Write down that you know how to write. Write down that you know how to read.” 

Wilkie, as he was known, gave me that lesson in 1955. Fifty-five years later, I have written 31 books, essays, plays, and lyrics for songs — all on yellow pads. I remain in an attitude of gratitude.” — Maya Angelou Performer, Poet, and Author

Here are some of my blessings that I should always keep in mind:

I'm thankful for a body, that works as it should, for the most part, given the amount of abuse and or neglect I've heaped upon it over these 48 years.

I'm thankful for a sound mind, though some may disagree with its soundness, and my natural and restless inquisitiveness.

I'm thankful for hands that can type and preform delicate motor functions and which are skilled at crafting, caressing, and creating.

I'm thankful that my family, neighbors, friends, and teachers along my way taught me how to read and fostered a love of books and the pursuit of knowledge in me.

I'm thankful for my one good eye and for the redundancy of the visual system my body was born with, so that when I destroyed one of those eyes out of stupidity that I had another one to fall back on.

I'm thankful for my first bike and every bike since that carried me into a life long love of riding, exploring, and playing.

I'm thankful for a faith that is as intricate, informed, and structured as it is fluid, exploratory, and grace-filled.

I'm thankful for friends, family, acquaintances, lovers, and even a few adversaries who help to teach me how to live in relationship and offer me a glimpse of the infinite diversity within infinite combinations that makes up the human perspective.

I'm thankful for my many animal companions who shared my life and taught me about unconditional love, responsibility, and companionship.

I'm thankful for steel cut oats and pizza. ;-)

These are just a few of the blessings in my life but there are so many more to be thankful for. Maybe you can add a few things on your own yellow pad!

Day Two The Seven Days of Creation: Water From Heaven

“And God said,’“Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault sky. And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.” -Genesis 1:6-8

Day 2 of Creation: "Water From Heaven"

“Water From Heaven”

24″ X 36″ Acrylic on Canvas

By Brian Ernest Brown, OSH

“The Painting Bishop”

I really enjoyed this one, capturing the separation of the waters from the heavens was a task I wasn’t sure I was up to but I turned up one of Liam Lawton’s cds , “The Could’s Veil” and away I went. This also seems to be among the favorites of the series but I’ll let you be the judge.

When we think of creation often our thoughts are caged by ages of interpretation of Holy Scripture and the familiarity of the story but can you imagine the creative forces? Can you imagine the power? Can you imagine the joy? Can you imagine the love? I did, if only in my limited ability. God is indeed an awesome God!

Day One The Seven Days of Creation: Let There Be Light

"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." -Genesis 1:3-5

Day 1 of Creation: "Let There Be Light"

"Let There Be Light" 

24" X 36" Acrylic on Canvas

By Brian Ernest Brown, OSH

"The Painting Bishop"

I hadn't painted in years when I picked up the brush and began this next series of paintings.

My friend Juanita had encouraged me to set up a painting studio at the Branson Mill Craft Village in Branson Missouri many years ago and we'd paint together. We had just watched some YouTube videos of a fantastic artist in Asheville, North Carolina by the name of Jonas Gerard. He was just so lively and it looked like so much fun and boy did we need to get a little wild and sling some paint!

We got excited! And others around us got excited too and wanted to paint with us. We invited them to do just that, as they were able or wanting. Some took us up on the invitation and we developed a wonderfully fun little painting studio. We hoped our little studio might become a place for other crafters and people to unwind and let loose.

We both had always wanted to try our hand at abstract painting and so I dug out my brushes, put together my easels, and we both bought lots of acrylic paint and many, many canvases. I also bought a new cd player to crank up praise music by which to paint. What fun!

I'll be showing some of the paintings here on the To Love So Well The World blog but I wanted to start with this particular series on The Seven Days of Creation from the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible. These paintings are 24" wide by 36" tall and are primarily acrylic on canvas. Enjoy!

Things Artists Hear

I have been a professional artist for over 20 years and I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard one of these statements, I'd be rich! People say the silliest things without even thinking about what their words might really mean.

Occasionally, throughout my career, I've been known to turn the tables on them and ask what they do for a living. Then I would try in some way to relate the statement to them and their livelihood. Sometimes it hit home but most of the time it went over their heads.  That being said, I felt a little better all the same.

Charter For Compassion

Compassion is in short supply these days and is sorely needed in every aspect of our lives. Sadly it is often lacking most in our churches and seldom expressed through our faith. Please join me in signing the Charter for Compassion and during this new year let compassion be a clear expression in your life while also reflecting it in the lives of those around you.

 If you do nothing else today, please visit the Charter For Compassion.

Saintly Wisdom Guiding Social Media Interactions

Saint Isidore Patron Saint of the Internet

Having been recently updating this blog with various social media links et cetera, I was thinking about how we tend to interact with one another these days in social media and other digital communications.

Just wanted to pass along some saintly wisdom we could look to that could help govern our email and social media communications on the internet. These sage sayings might be useful guides for us all as we attempt to communicate in this sterile, impersonal, modern age of cyber space in a respectful manner.

All too often it’s easy to forget that there’s a person on the other end of the communication and we lapse into unkind practices. I find it very appropriate that we look to ages past and saints long gone to their heavenly reward to aid our efforts.

 Our guiding rule as we type our emails, posts, and various other social media interactions should always be:

“Let the tongue have it’s rein firmly in the heart.” –St. Columbanus

 A good thing to remember when companioning our brothers and sisters:

“Oppression is not only evil, it is blasphemous because it makes a child of God doubt that s/he is a child of God.” –Archbishop Desmond Tutu

A good thing to practice with our brothers and sisters during disagreement:

“He [the monk] should not speak evil of, or harshly reproach, another, nor should he put anyone to the blush. Never should he violently rebuke anyone or carry on a conversation with a boorish person, and his speech at all times should be noted for its lack of boastfulness.” –Monastic rule of St. Ailbe

 When we take ourselves too seriously remember:

“Pious humbug is an invention of the devil.” –St. Comgal

When you’re feeling a little full of yourself and tempted to speak down to a companion think on this:

“Do not ever think yourselves better than the rest of your companions who share the same faith.” –St. Cuthbert

When someone new comes to the list seeking fellowship keep in mind:

“Do not despise those faithful who come to you seeking hospitality. Receive them, put them up, and set them on their way with kindness, treating them as one of yourselves.” –St. Cuthbert

In the haste of irritation be mindful of your free will and your choice of posts:

“The freedom to choose makes us like God: if we choose evil, that freedom becomes a curse;if we choose good, it becomes our greatest blessing.” –Pelagius

And when you interact try your best to see Christ present in the other person:

“See in each herb and small animal, every bird and beast, and in each man and woman, the eternal Word of God.” –St. Ninian

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Much of my build-out was based on my bed.  I needed as much room as I could get without sacrificing a decent bunk to sleep on.  A good friend of mine had suggested I look into a Zinus Memory Foam mattress and that's just what I did.  I managed to find a narrow twin which is only 30 inches wide a 75 inches long.  So it would be long enough for a 6 foot tall person like me to sleep on but take up as little width as possible in the van.

I added it to my Amazon wishlist and behold, my very first patron and a very good and thoughtful friend of mine bought it for me as a surprise.  It arrived ready to unbox, unroll, and inflate.  I was beyond tickled and excited!  This single event kind of made the whole thing real for me.  I would really be sleeping in this van out there the world somewhere and soon!

The link I added above is not the mattress that was purchased for me. Sadly for you, dear reader, it would appear that Amazon is no longer carrying that exact mattress that I now have but offers a hybrid of some description instead.  I'm just glad my friend acted when he did and purchased my original choice.

The instructions said to let the new mattress inflate for 72 hours before use so I had to wait three days to try it out.  In the meantime it made sense to try and pack my glassblowing show back into the Kraken to see if everything would indeed really fit, tables and all.  It took no small amount of arranging and rearranging but finally I was able to get it all in with a little room to spare and without blocking the windows which was a big goal for me.

This exercise in spatial relations reminded me very much of those finger puzzles I would get as a kid which had square tiles of letters in a plaque with one square empty from which you could shift and maneuver the letters around to make words.  You simply had to move "A" to move "B" to move "C" to spell CAT.  Well my friends, it would appear that I have been able to spell CAT with this build-out.  I hope it functions as well in reality as it looks here in preliminary preparations.  Only time will tell the story.