JC Group for Artist

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Comment by Jay Cookingham on September 28, 2009 at 6:53pm

Hey everybody...sorry that I have been away for awhile. A lot of life has happen. I hope to catch you all up soon. God Bless!

Comment by mark payton on May 16, 2009 at 1:59am

on taking photos - last summer I had my family reunion. My parents and one of my other aunts and uncles were celebrating thier 50th anniversary and an other uncles 80th birthday. So we had over 250 people there to celebrate. Now as a landscape photographer I still "aim" my shots from time to time. But every once and I while I don't -I just point and shoot. However, when I started taking pictures at the reunion I didn't even do that. A trick I learned while in the Army when trying to take photos of a friend of mine that hated getting his picture taken. And with the advent of digital photography even easier. I walked throught the crowd, camera in hand, and would just lift up the camera and push the button at random. It made for some beautiful shots(as well as plenty of deleted ones). When a camera is seen we tend to put up a mask. But when unexpected all my shots were of my family as my family really is. No fake smiles, just the truth. Granted I did delete some that would have pained some (every family has thier problems and I wasn't going to air them in front of the entire clan). I can definatly see there being some of that same kind of problems in a church family that just don't need to be published. So following God's leading does come into the picture here too.

Comment by Geri-Jean Blanchard on May 14, 2009 at 4:07pm

I agree with you Molly! Fantastic quote Jay :)

Well, I attended the prophetic art meeting. It didn’t go the way that "I" had planned. The meetings were AWESOME!! People had their art easels set up everywhere. There were dancers and poets and drama type people. It was GREAT! I was SO excited to photograph these beautiful people. But I chickened out! MY GOODNESS!! There was another photographer there totally going for it. Maybe partly because it was a foreign church I hadn't been to before and maybe cause it is such a vulnerable place .. Artists and Worshipers pouring out their hearts ... It was very difficult. I did take a few shots ... from my seat ... the first night .. and I just didn't bother the second night.

But what God DID do in me is He created a new hunger and passion for walking in prophetic art and worship. There was SO much LIFE of GOD in this place !! God's beautiful children pouring out their own expressions of worship to Him. SO much diversity and variety! THIS is what the church should look like. It was SO beautiful !!
I am SO hungry to see the church walking in this!!

What I saw "in myself" at this meeting, was that I am STILL walking in the FEAR OF MAN !!! HOW I HATE THIS !!!

I thought I was FREE.... I feel SO paralyzed at times to FREELY express my worship to God ... And at one time I was SO free to dance and sing and do whatever the spirit led me to do. Now... I feel STUCK ....

P.R.I.D.E.

I hate this in me .... STINKIN' PRIDE !!!

Does anyone else relate to this. To be an ARTIST requires being...
VULNERABLE..... to OPEN oneself UP in abandon to GOD.
Which tends to UNCOVER oneself.... Which means .... to be SEEN ...
I don't WANT to be SEEN ... If I am ... there is the chance that you may not like what you SEE .. and may REJECT me ...
SO .. I choose to stay COVERED ... by NOT opening myself or NOT expressing myself or even OBEYING what GOD asks of me .. because I am TOO AFRAID ...
I LOOOO......NG for the day , when we can all be willing to be OPEN and VULNERABLE and WEAK and HUMBLE in God that HE would really SHINE through.

I have also found that in myself as an artist , I have been afraid too of those that are better than ME.. which doesn't take much ... LOL ... mostly everyone is… HAHAHAH... but there is still the FEAR, … that “I” won't be good enough or “I” won't be the BETTER one .. (MAN … WHO CARES !!! …my stinkin PRIDE that’s who !!)
Which causes me to “HOLD BACK” ( close my heart )
from encouraging others to step forward or stops me just from encouraging at all because I don't want them to "OUTSHINE" me .
It even stops ME from BEING fully who God created ME to BE, because “I” am wanting to be SOMEONE ELSE !!
This FEAR (if it is in me it is in many more besides me) I believe is keeping the church from truly walking in the power that they could be walking in.
If I am walking in fear of someone rising above me,how many people are being left out because I won't pull them up or encourage them to join me.
Does this make sense?? It does to me. There may be people who have never been encouraged to pursue what they are called to, just because someone is afraid of losing their place that they refuse to release them in their calling.

One of the answers I,myself have come up with is to realize that every single person is unique and different, God has created a SPECIAL place for each and every one. NO ONE can take that SPECIAL place that God has created especially for you NO ONE!
But we must allow others their moments to SHINE as well.
I cannot be the only one and I would never want that kind of responsibility.
Each person has their time to SHINE and if we follow God's leading we will be sensitive as to when to step up or step back and TRUST that God knows what HE is doing. And to encourage others before ourselves. To help and encourage one another to be ALL that God created them to be!!! WOW !! Will GOD begin to SHINE then eh !! WOO HOO!!

God help ME today to walk in HUMILITY before YOU! Help me LET GO of my NEED
To SHINE and KNOW that as I walk in HUMILITY and an OPEN HEART and BE just exactly who “YOU” created “ME” to be… that I “WILL” shine !! EVEN BRIGHTER than if I am trying to fit into someone elses mold.

Comment by Molly Lyons on May 14, 2009 at 12:01pm

Gorgeous quote Jay thanks.

Comment by Jay Cookingham on May 14, 2009 at 11:50am

Hey everybody! Hope all are well, I have been so busy finishing my book, so not much time to post. Here's a quote to think about...Blessings!

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit. ~John Updike

Comment by Geri-Jean Blanchard on April 28, 2009 at 5:53pm

Hey Kelly, just reading your post. Exciting! I pray God will give you inspiration!
I am going to take some pics at an Prophetic Art type conference this weekend! I am SO excited about it! Never thought I would be using photography as the creative outlet at one of these events, am SO excited that they are allowing it!! WOW !!

Bless you and I pray God really moves through you!

Comment by Kelly D <>< :) on April 28, 2009 at 5:15pm

I am going to start taking pictures at events for the DFMWR Marketing Department @ Fort Carson....I am really excited to see what kind of pics I am goign to get for them with my little digital point and shoot :)

I'll try to post some here after the event I am planning on shooting on Saturday :)

KD <>< :)

Comment by Scarlet Wolf on April 14, 2009 at 10:07pm

Hi everyone !

Comment by mark payton on April 2, 2009 at 11:49pm

for those of you who have been praying for us here is an update. We have to be out by the end of this month. I felt the Lord telling me to ask a friend of ours if we could rent a loft they have above thier garage. When my wife went to ask them they told us they had been thinking of offering it to us. It is 2 rooms and we would have to share the kitchen and bath with them. They are asking for $375 for the loft, electricity and cable so we are jumping on the offer. It will be uncomfortable but I think that is exactly what what God has intended so we don't stay for too long. So we are packing up and getting ready to leave.

Comment by mark payton on March 14, 2009 at 11:55am

just click the mouse over the word stabo

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