Archive for the ‘crazy schemes/ideas’ Category

12 Days of 12 Dollars of Christmas

December 24th, 2008

This year I wanted to celebrate and remember Christ’s incarnation for more than just one day on the 25th of December. I wanted a way to participate in and enter into Christmas for all 12 days of the Christmas season (December 25th until Epiphany on January 6th). So, I’ve been thinking about different things Bryan and I could do for the 12 days of Christmas, I had a lot of ideas that went through my head, but here are the things we stuck with:

-          We are going to read the Christmas story each of the twelve days of Christmas.

-          We are going to together read the book “The Story of the Other Wise Man” by Henry Van Dyke over the Christmas season. We’ll read seven pages a day to finish it in exactly 12 days. I’m really looking forward to this – I’ve read this book before and really liked it and I’m excited to share it with Bryan.

There’s one more thing we decide to do, but it takes a bit more explanation and it involves YOU and this blog.

-          Each of the twelve days of Christmas I will write about a different charity, non-profit, or missionary family here on the blog. Most of them will be organizations and people who Bryan and I have some kind of relational connection with. This will be a way for you all to find out about some great organizations and people and a way for me to advocate on behalf of others about the wonderful work that God is doing around the world. But, there’s more… Bryan and I will also be giving at least $1 dollar to each of these charities/people. I know $1 dollar isn’t much, just $12 dollars for the whole Christmas season. But, here’s where YOU come in. Each day as I talk about these people and companies I’m going to ask YOU (my readers) to also give just $1 dollar (or more if you’re able). I figure $1 dollar isn’t much for any one person to give, but if we each give $1 then it could definitely add up. So, I look forward to telling you all about some great organizations and people over the next few days and I hope you will join me in supporting the work God is doing through them and praying for each of them over the Christmas season.

So, what are you doing over the 12 days of Christmas? I’d love to hear your ideas for this special holiday season and how you are remembering the incarnation of God and stepping into incarnational living yourself.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

Never Miss A Post – Receive free updates via RSS or Email

If you like this post please consider buying me a cup of tea (Suggested: $3 a cup)



Art Exhibit THIS WEEK!

December 7th, 2008

As many of you know I’ve been planning an art exhibit for Advent with a number of other artists. This week it actually all comes together and this tinny dream that I lay at God’s feet months ago will now actually happen. So, for those of you who are in Prague set it on your calendars:

Poiema

presents

LIGHT: an artistic exploration of Advent
18 artists explore the significance of Light in Advent

December 12-14, 2008
12:00-20:45

St. Thomas Church, Josefska 8
off Malostranske namesti

Cost: 50 Kc

Hope to see you all there! 

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

Never Miss A Post – Receive free updates via RSS or Email

If you like this post please consider buying me a cup of tea (Suggested: $3 a cup)



Another crazy idea: Life Studio

October 21st, 2008

So, sometimes I get in these crazy day dreams. My mind starts to wander and I come up with these full blown ideas that are so big that even as I’m dreaming them I know they will never come to be. Lately I’ve had a lot of that… so recently I was thinking about the various people I know in my life here in Prague and about different things that some of them have told me they would love to do someday if they could (from hosting prayer retreats and counseling people, to building an arts community and teaching art classes, to having a café or coffee house) and I was thinking about some of the things I have recently been dreaming about and hoping for lately (having a yoga studio). Then I started thinking about The School of Life in London. And then my thoughts just took off and I started thinking about a place that could be sort of like the School of Life but could fit my specific community here in Prague and combine all the gifts and passions of the people around me. Anyway, the following write up is the result of that day dream… just thought I’d share another of my crazy day-dreaming schemes with all of you J enjoy…

Life Studio

Life itself is an art form and like any other art form it is strengthened by time spent in the studio. That’s what the Life Studio is all about – we want to provide a place and community for you to deepen and strengthen your greatest art form, life itself. A studio is different than a classroom – it’s all about experience. Everything we offer here at the Life Studio is experiential. We want to give you a place where you can join with both masters of a subject and with others who are at your same place so that through hands-on experiences you can find healing and growth for your whole life.
We recognize that different people have different needs and are at different places in their lives so we offer a variety of different studios all under one roof. Wonder through our art gallery, featuring art work from our various studio classes. Come sit in our organic, fair-trade café and talk to one of our studio specialists. Flip through our brochure and pick out classes and experiences that will be just right for your current needs. Here are a few ideas on what we offer:

-          Coaching and counseling sessions (private or group)

-          Yoga studio

-          Nutritional consultations and personal fitness instruction

-          Photography studio

-          Pottery studio

-          Painting studio

-          Couples counseling

-          Marriage retreats

-          Book club and various other discussion groups

-          Community service events (including a weekly soup kitchen hosted by our café)

That is just a taste of the many opportunities we offer to help you develop your life into a true and free work of art.

Ah… to dream… *smile* sigh*

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany

Never Miss A Post – Receive free updates via RSS or Email

If you like this post please consider buying me a cup of tea (Suggested: $3 a cup)



A Good Day

October 19th, 2008

Today was a really good day. This morning Bryan and I made pancakes and I put homemade pear sauce on them that I made yesterday – it was so yummy. Over breakfast we were chatting and came up with a fun idea for a photography project that we are going to do (even if it ends up just being the two of us doing it). Basically, the idea is to have a few different photographers who all commit to taking one picture a week of “life in Prague” for one year and then we will post the pictures up on a web site. Bryan’s been working on creating the site all day. I’m really excited about it and feel like it will be a fun project that will be challenging, but not too overwhelming.

Then I spent some time catching up on some blogs and looking at photography sites and getting inspired. I love the blogs I read and it was so great to spend some time reading through posts from this past week. I also spent some time reading on of the many yoga books I have to read for my certification program. The one I was reading today deals with anatomy and yoga – it was so interesting.

Then on the way to church we walked past this dumpster and sitting next to the dumpster was a big box of books. I love books, especially old hard cover books, and there were so many beautiful books in this box it made me sad to see them just being thrown away. So, I took 17 of them. It was my first excursion in “dumpster diving” and I loved it. I was soo excited to get all these beautiful old books for free and to rescue them from being thrown away. I love the idea of reusing something that someone else discarded and think that the metaphors that can be drawn from this are so beautiful. I’m planning on using these books for decorating and making my own journals out of some of them. I’m thinking I might have to start checking out dumpsters more often…

Then we had church and discussed the last supper together. There was a lot to talk about in this story and we had some really interesting conversations. I’m sure that we could have gone even deeper in some of the things and even though I have read this story and heard it literally hundreds of times I still walked away with a lot to think about.

Then I came home and got to talk to one of my best friends in the world, Laura Johnson. It was so truly lovely to hear her voice and laugh and commiserate and share our lives together even from thousands of miles apart. My favorite quote from the conversation: “We’re so dynamic. We’re like two elements that when you combine them they explode. We explode!” Seriously, I laughed through so much of the conversation and it felt soooo good! I love my friend, Laura.

Now I’m going to eat some chocolate and hang out with my wonderful hubby. Maybe I’ll watch some Pushing Daisies. I’m thankful for days like today – days filled with creativity, reading, beautiful books, good food, redemption, salvation, deep conversations, laughter, and sharing life with good friends. Thank you, Lord, for today.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany

Photographs by Beth Stedman

Never Miss A Post – Receive free updates via RSS or Email

If you like this post please consider buying me a cup of tea (Suggested: $3 a cup)



Experiencing the Church Seasons Through Art

September 12th, 2008

A while back I heard about a group in London doing an art exhibit for Lent. A number of artists (mostly photographers and painters) got together and all created art work having to do with Lent and journeying through Lent. I thought this was a really cool idea and thought why can’t we do something like this in Prague?

One of the things that I have done this past year is tried to enter into, and walk with Christ through, the different seasons of the church calendar (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and “Ordinary Time”). It has been an incredible experience for me and God has really spoken to me through each of these seasons. God has drawn me into deeper truths about my life and my own walk with Him as I have journeyed through Christ’s life and the life of His church during the church year. One thing that I have wanted though was to make that journey more in community and to do so in creative and artistic ways that touch more than just the mind but also reach into the heart – I wanted a journey through the church calendar that would not just be mental but symbolic.

God has shown me a lot over the past few years about the power that symbols and pictures and stories can have and the special ways that God can use these things to draw us to himself. So, I started to think about getting a group of artists and creators together to make an exhibit of pictures and symbols and stories for each season of the church calendar for one year. I dreamed of a group that would consist of all types of artists (photographers, painters, sculptures, potters, writers, movie makers, etc, etc) each bringing their own unique talent and gift to the table to show the different church seasons in an artistic and creative way that would help people to enter into the redemptive moving of God in the world, whether they are far from God or near to him. I imagined a group that would be made up of artists from all different backgrounds, nationalities and churches, united with a common desire to create something that would bring glory to God.

So, that was my idea or vision and honestly I don’t really know what will happen (or not happen) with it. But, I want to take a little step towards it and create an art exhibit for Advent. The weeks before Christmas are often so hectic for people and we all spend a lot of time preparing externally for Christmas day – buying presents, decorating the house, going to parties, etc. But, I would love to see a place and an experience that would help people prepare their hearts and souls for Christmas. I’d love to create a place, through art, where people could experience Advent and what it really means – a place where they could remember that Christ has come and is coming and will come again. And I think that art can speak to that and draw people into the story of Christ and his church better than anything else.

So, I don’t have any of the details worked out. I don’t have a venue or anything yet. I do have a small handful of people who have expressed an interest in being involved though and for that I am really thankful. So, if any of what I’ve written here resonates with your heart I would love for you to join me in praying about this and for it. If you live in Prague and are at all interested in helping make this happen by creating art (in any form) for the exhibit I would love to have your help. If you have any connections with art galleries and know of a venue that might work for this I’d love to hear about it. Or if you are just curious and want to hear more about it I’d love to talk with you about it.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany

Never Miss A Post – Receive free updates via RSS or Email

If you like this post please consider buying me a cup of tea (Suggested: $3 a cup)