bo.ttega

What’s next…

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What a wonderfully big and complex and exciting world we live in. I know this to be true, but I need reminding on a regular basis. Sometimes I need helicoptered out of my normal life to have my heart jump started.

This weekend did that. A road trip to Vancouver… springtime… sun on cherry blossoms… art installations… White Caps season opener… the pecha kucha… time with my son shopping for grad.… time with my husband on a professional and personal movie going level… time for reading and sharing poetry and coffee and urbanity… time to meet new people… time to recalibrate. All that and the big sigh as we drove over the top of the last rise over Peachland and saw Lake Okanagan spread out below us… HOME. I’m absolutely energized and ready for what’s next.

My deep thanks to the organizers of the BCSLA Conference for their invitation to present in the Pecha Kucha… just wonderful. What an inspiring bunch. 

Akebono cherries 3, in Vancouver BC

Akebono cherries 3, in Vancouver BC (Photo credit: wlcutler)

Poet busking is next. I am going to audition with Kelowna Streets Alive Program this week, and then I will take it to the streets. Not that random spontaneity isn’t fun, but this way appeals in its legitimizing of what I do. I’ll have the choice of 15 sites in the downtown area, any time during 12 hours a day, for as long as the duration of my license. And there is still a random pop up aspect. I’m soooo excited! The only rule… no bagpipes!

And, this weekend on May 5th, another unique poetry opportunity afforded me by the gracious Dorte Meyer at Tribehouse Collective. The Grace Experience at Bo.ttega (one of my favourite venues in Kelowna). It’s a free, family friendly event, a convergence of artists/musicians/creatives/ poets on the topic of grace. What does it mean to each of us… how can we share this overwhelmingly beautiful and somewhat difficult to understand concept in a tangible way, a communal way, an artistic way? I can’t wait to find out. I will be the poet for this event, and have been invited to read several collections of my work. I will also be absorbing all else, and will no doubt come home drained and thankful. GET YOUR FREE TICKETS ASAP!

What a trip life is…

Lesley-Anne, SDG

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So, maybe this is less about me popping up…

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…and more about possibility, opportunity, about keeping eyes and ears and heart open for the potential in each day to offer a word, speak a grace, write with the indelible ink of kindness on another’s soul? More about giving room for God, and inviting him into the conversation. Because I can certainly walk around and randomly read poetry in my daily life when I carve out time to do so. But it’s more likely that I’ll have time along the way or while I’m about other business to speak, to share, to read, to respond. And if I let God lead, then every interaction carries potential. Reminds me of what I just mentioned the other day about ‘purpose’ or ‘intent’…

This morning’s ‘verse of the day’ arrived in my inbox and I smiled… even in King James Version it makes sense to me. And, ironically, a short time later I did the exact opposite, spoke a word out of season, created a commotion where a good word would have been so much better… yes I have much to learn. This often happens to me, just when I give credence to some concept, some way of living, my life is tested in this very thing. It’s suddenly very real then.

VERSE OF THE DAY – King James Version

Proverbs 15:23

“A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season,
how good is it!”

Yesterday I was invited to Bo.ttega to participate in “ESCAPE”. an experiment in paying attention, opening up, creating an opportunity in my life and my schedule for God to do what only he can do.

It started with wonder, awe, reminders of who God is, his power, his glory, his love… continued with worship in music and dance and video and communion, with humble admittance of how much I’m in need of God’s love and forgiveness and acceptance of me and all my lumps and bumps and blunders… and then the creative opportunity… to allow the love and grace of God to flow through me into my mind, my heart, my pen, my paintbrush, my tongue. If this all sounds a little uncomfortable and outside of the box of Christendom… well, it was. And it was raw and real and powerful and tears flowed and hearts melted and wrong things were made right and after 3 hours I was drained and invigorated and so very grateful for having been there. I was not alone in that. We will gather again next month to escape again, to let God lead.

Here are some pictures of our humble experiment in Spirit led creative expression…

Thank you to all the organizers. Thank you to God for his work in us.

Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone)

Lesley-Anne

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