Portland Studios

Another Update

All's going well at Portland Studios these days. Chris Koelle just finished up on 3 illustrations for Relevant Media---of three Bible stories (Job, Prodigal Son, and Jacob Wrestling the Angel). You can check out some of that work on his blog.

Cory just finished up on a watercolored hand-type font for DooleyType called Blue Goblet. The letters are meant to coincide with the look of the lettering on the new book he's working on of the same title.

Justin's finishing up on some artwork for Animax Entertainment for another company's feature animated film pitch.

This last Friday we put time into developing some new stories---Justin' Samauri Hamster, Cory's Blue Goblet, etc.

Chris and Cory both are working on art for Oxford University Press. I certainly can't wait to show that off. Chris' story is Edgar Allan Poe's Murders of The Rue Morgue. A mix of digital, guache, and colored pencil.

I was able to talk with Eric Peters and Jeremy Casella some last night. Eric's working on a new album that we'll be designing---he's pushing it on the fast track to get it done pretty soon.

Andrew Osenga sent me some low resolution pics of the photo shoot he just had done for the new record. Can't wait to work with Chris Koelle on the typography and illustration aspect. Should be grand. From what I've heard so far, the album sounds great. Good Morning and The Phoenix are probably my favorites at this point.

There are a couple more album projects that are in the works, but I'm still in the process of getting more details.

Holy Is the Lord

In Genesis 22, as Abraham took his son up to the mountain, his heart must have been filled with quite a few painful emotions. Doubt. Fear. Anger. Disbelief. All mingled with continuing faithful obedience as he continued to trudge up the path towards the summit. I imagine that he could have been looking for some alternate way that he could satisfy God's command. Is there any out? As he neared the top, he must have begun to realize that his options were narrowing and his time was running out. He steadily moved towards the moment when he would kill his son, but not without anxiety and hard questions racing just behind his sweaty forehead. Imagine the relief Abraham must have felt when the ram was found in the thicket in the last brief moments before the knife was to plunge into Issac's chest. God had provided another sacrifice and stayed the hand of death from falling on Abraham's son.

Centuries later, Christ's brow dripped sweat and blood as he asked his Father for another way to satisfy justice. However, this time an alternate answer did not come. Christ WAS the ram in the thicket. The Lord HAD provided. What a somber answer that was for Christ to hear. Imagine the gravity of the moment. He would have to bear the full blow of God's knife of justice. Let us remember however, that Christ fully embraced this reality in a way that none of us can fathom. He sincerely and entirely desired the will of the Father in a way that even a submissive son like Isaac never could have. Praise God for his perfect and loving plan to kill his own innocent Son. Because the knife came down on Christ, we are unloosed from the ropes that had tied us to the altar, and we can walk free.

___

Holy Is the Lord
Andrew Peterson

Wake up little Isaac
And rub your tired eyes
Go and kiss your mama
We'll be gone a little while
Come and walk beside me
Come and hold your papa's hand
I go to make an altar
And to offer up my lamb

I waited on the Lord
And in a waking dream He came
Riding on a wind across the sand
He spoke my name
"Here I am", I whispered
And I waited in the dark
The answer was a sword
That came down hard upon my heart

Holy is the Lord
Holy is the Lord
And the Lord I will obey
Lord, help me I don't know the way

So take me to the mountain
I will follow where You lead
There I'll lay the body
Of the boy You gave to me
And even though You take him
Still I ever will obey
But Maker of this mountain, please
Make another way

Holy is the Lord
Holy is the Lord
And the Lord I will obey
Lord, help me I don't know the way

Why It Matters

Why It Matters
by Sara Groves

Sit with me and tell me once again
Of the story that's been told us
Of the power that will hold us
Of the beauty, of the beauty
Why it matters

Speak to me until I understand
Why our thinking and creating
Why our efforts of narrating
About the beauty, of the beauty
And why it matters

Like the statue in the park
Of this war torn town
And it's protest of the darkness
And the chaos all around
With its beauty, how it matters
How it matters

Show me the love that never fails
The compassion and attention
Midst confusion and dissention
Like small ramparts for the soul
How it matters

Like a single cup of water
How it matters

Friday Day

Friday's will be different from now on. Our plan is to work on children's books and original concepts all day on Fridays. The day begins at 9 a.m. with breakfast provided by Portland Studios where we'll plan our goals for the day. Then we'll end the day with a meeting to review what ideas emerged. More later.

The Mark of The Christian

I've recently read Francis Schaeffer's small booklet, The Mark of the Christian. It's the sort of book that forces the reader to apply to his own life before extending the message on to other people and organizations.

I mainly came away realizing that though no essay can adequately answer all questions that arise in area of applicaion of ecclesiastical separation, we must at least recognize that we must begin by loving others. The essay does not proport to define what precisely constitutes worldliness, or at what exact point a church or individual is forced to part ways with someone, but we know that AT LEAST this is true -- Our measurable acts of love for other true believers is the basis upon which unbelievers have the right to judge whether Christ is sent from the Father.

I've purchased a new domain name -- www.markofthechristian.com -- and hope to gain permission from Inter-Varsity Press to post the text of the book on this site, as well as invite writers to comment and expand upon the theme of the book. Keep an eye out for this new site.

Tis The Season

Finally, there is fall. This is a time of year I have been looking forward to for a very long time. Somehow when this season hit this year, I felt like I could just sigh out any tension left in my chest and simply rest. Not that I've stopped working, not by any means. But the heat and anticipation and travels and build-up of a lot of events in the summer (Cate coming home, setting up the office, sometimes short on money, summer business trips to New York, L.A., Denver, Nashville, wedding in N.Y.) ---all that is over...And all that is left are trips to Bald Rock, apple picking, hot drinks, movies, reading, and brainstorming sessions in the office.