Creative Call Began this WEEK

Every week, for almost three years now...
I have gotten together with a group of incredibly gifted ARTISTS
at my house...

Together we study God's Word about what it is to be CREATIVE
and on every other week we CREATE.

The website for that can be viewed at HIGHLAND ARTISTS (click here)

We started our fall semester this week with about 15 of us and had
a visitor from FORSTALL's come share class information and get to know us.

He is an incredibly talented graphic artist who also is on a creative journey
after he lost his twin brother and his wife of 40 years.

To hear his story, how he worked in graphic design for so long and now has quit his job and longs to be an ARTIST full-time (which he IS by the way...and a gifted one at that) is an inspiration.

We invite any "aspiring artist" to put aside ANY hesitation if you feel ART is your calling...if God gives you a nudge...DON'T DENY IT...just run with it!

We provide on the site some workshop tips from our meetings where we often have "guest artists" share their tidbits. Enjoy!

Allison

MUSICAL TALENT

This is a season of new beginnings...the fall...a fresh start...

Church of the Highlands is the church we attend...along with now over 10,000 people a weekend. Each week on Sunday we are inspired to walk a better path than we did the week before...

That is all we need to do..trust God...learn, grow, and try to improve...baby steps...

On Wednesdays, we get deeper into the word of God..Pastor Chris has messages that he is spreading across the nation and the world.

Also on Wednesdays, SWITCH takes place upstairs in the church, where now 500 pre-teens and teens burst out in song for the love of their God.

I wanted to include a sample of a couple of these teens who are giving it all for God...their myspace pages are listed...
Alexa is a talented 15 year old who writes her own music..Christian songs that we will no doubt find playing on our radios...
the other...a link to my son, Brent's website...where he too is writing songs and wants to be a praise and worship leader.

I think back to what I was listening to at their age...and I am amazed at the clarity they have at such a young age..and I thank God every day that He has led me...and as a result, my children to THE ROCK.

Click here for:
Alexa Rankin

Brent McCollough

CHURCH OF THE HIGHLANDS

God wants us all to use our gifts and talents for HIS KINGDOM...
Blessings and may Fall bring you in touch with your gifts and talents...

and a winning football team (GO BAMA!) :)

GUSTAV

The Gulf Coast has seen quite a bit of activity, and the state of Alabama in the past three weeks with a tropical system sitting on us a few weekends ago.

Weblink to the Gulf coast is available here if you want to take peek.

While I lived on the Gulf Coast for four years, I decided to take it to higher ground and of course, sympathize with those who choose to remain there full time.

I expecially feel for my friends at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo who need funding now more than ever to move the zoo to highter ground...
Another evacuation has taken place.

Gulf Shores, Alabama

SEDONA

I have not written since going to Arizona...
what a hot...yet beautiful place...
we stayed a week...in 112 degree heat..and NO it is NOT a dry heat..
it is HOT...

But we had a blast...
Ann Kathryn went too..

pictures say it all...
Red rocks...Sedona
Grand Canyon...
Route 66...
The Mondrian...
This chapel was on the way to the Grand Canyon..
and we saw the one in Sedona build by Frank Lloyd Wright..
a dream of an artist's...build after her family members passed...

it was a creatively stimulating trip and a spiritual journey as well...

and another incredible Birthday and Father's day trip....

FACEBOOK

I have joined the ranks of FACEBOOK...
wow..you can lose a day on there!
With buttons and gadgets...and chat groups...
WOW..
I have had to limit the kids to a few hours a day...

We have also taken the liberty of making our home TEEN FRIENDLY..
more for parents than teens...

No more computers in their rooms..
I built a computer station in the den..where I can look over at any time..
and the tv...they have to watch movies in the den...

They are surprisingly ok with all of this, as they are such incredibly spiritual kids...they go to Church of the Highlands...where they are being challenged to be different...to stand for more...to want better values and morals..
They have decided to wait til college to "date"...a wise thing as all you do is practice divorce by breaking up (the only option when dating starting at 10!)

And they want to "hang in groups" and start bible studies at their school, and write praise and worship music...
they tell me the WANT me to know who they talk to (their pastor talked to them about this..about accountability...) and what they do online...they are far more mature than I was at that age..they tell me if they think a movie is too harsh....

And last week they went with us to Hemphill Elementary at West End for a prayer walk to take back our streets from crime and paint the school..the playground...
they loved it....

They read their Bibles daily but are REAL...not "religious".
I am so proud of them all...

they are tonight at the final night of a three day conference...they are ON FIRE...
and such an inspiration to me.

I wish so badly I had been so grounded...perhaps I would not have made so many bad choices and mistakes...

God has incredible things for their lives...I can't wait to watch them unfold...

If you have a pre-teen..I encourage you to arm them with whatever you can to help them combat the worldly views of sex, love, money and power...

there is something to be said for children with humility.
Photos: The girls painting the hallway at the school
A band of warriors praying through the streets in the rain...people ran out to give us umbrellas...asking "what are you marching for?" and we said...
"we are here to pray for your town...to fix up your
school" not once did we get a "why?"...we got "THANK YOU JESUS" FROM MORE THAN ONE MOM AND "THANK YOU...PRAISE GOD" from a local business man...

This area was suggested by the Bham Police Dept. as one of the most needed and highest in crime (we were escorted by three patrol cars as we walked and prayed)
(The kids stayed in the school...with our new doberman, SAMSON)

Get CREATIVE!

I have been painting again..
and the BEACH CLUB show was a success...while HOT...

here are some more GALS paintings...
and one of the angel paintings....

Hope all of you are finding something creative to keep your mind working...
tonight Ann Kathryn (3) and I made a simple project..
we took a jar (originally from my olives...) and used hodge podge glue and a cute
left over napkin that had flowers and butterflies on it. I cut it in strips and let her paste them around the jar then covered it with gloss...

we put a zinnia in it from the garden...

it is easy to keep them entertained...especially when they love ART..
and who DOESN'T love art...the more personal..the better...

happy creating!

Allison

SOUTHERN LIVING- Photo shoot at the house

I have friends, this month, praying specifically for me...for abundant creativity...
and I believe in the power of prayer...
but this week...it was QUITE FRUITFUL...

Out of the blue, I got a call from a stylist at Southern Living Magazine, requesting that they be able to see my house. They had a photo shoot they were working on...well, actually three.

So I said, SURE...as I do with our church when they need a place for a 24/7 student to live...(FOR ALMOST A YEAR!) and then..that ended up being TWO boys!

And then a friend, who had sponsored a 16 year old ministry student at our church was moving out of their home while she would be there for three more weeks...
so as you can guess, she moved in and leaves us this weekend...
she has been a delight!

And so when they said, "we need a place to shoot a bathroom shot, a living room and a poolside shot..." of course I said, SURE!

And they came. It was fun to see the process...I had done this type thing years ago as an interior designer..staging shots...once for a rug company, once for a wallcovering book...it was so exciting to watch and be a part of...
(I will be the model for a feature on "getting organized for the holidays" and am wrapping presents...That one comes out in November...

however, with anything..it is not in stone til it goes to print...and actually some of the shots they took were "RE SHOOTS" of one that didn't work out so great...

so when you see the orange cabinets....you'll know we made it in! Ha

My "miami re-do" mentioned in an earlier blog is featured in the background for a lipstick article.

After going to Miami and loving the bungalows that were poolside, I created my own here...curtains, matress..Nikki Beach music...

If you can't go to MIAMI...BRING MIAMI TO YOU...

Hope this finds you lounged in a comfortable spot soaking in what is left of summer..

Allison

Photos from "behind the scenes at the photo shoot"