2009 Starts with Clarifying Goals

We began the new year by taking a long, prayerful look at our world and the part we play in it. Knowing that God's desire is that we each grow into our full potential as co-creators with God, we listed our dreams for that potential. Then we prioritized our aspirations in terms of time and progressing capabilities.

The process confirmed, clarified and added detail to the vision which we have carried for years: to create multi-media works of art which show God's reality and to exhibit them in ways which facilitate drawing closer to God.

This year we are sifting through our collection of screenplays to choose two short art films for production by December. Slowly we build a series of art films which we hope to display in a gallery, besides distributing on DVD and on the Web.

Other goals include growing in our Internet marketing skills, building a “fan base” for our films, and new ways of building assets which will supplement the donations of our supporters. The training we receive in our private businesses is pushing us ahead in these areas.

We also reaffirmed our vision to develop and contribute to a community of artists and arts supporters who share similar visions. This would include generating resources and support for the artists and mentoring younger ones.

Artists Deliver Vision In Hard Times

In times like these, when jobs are lost, income shrinks, investments and savings fade, and debt is the slave master, people lose vision and hope. The Bible says that people need to see the way in order to progress in life, to see the way through this world and beyond. Without such revelation people scatter into a chaotic mess and ultimately destroy themselves. “Where there is no vision [no revelation, no prophecy] the people perish [are made naked, are vulnerable].” (Proverbs 29:18)

But, to the hopeless and fearful God wants to give new vision, a vision which artists will deliver if they are not among the first to succumb to those same economic pressures. The same pressures which quench people's vision press down on the artists too, usually more, hence the label “poor artist”.

Artists are responsible to receive God's vision and to deliver it to the people. Artists inspire us to imagine what is beyond the limitations and describe solutions outside the box. Artists warn of destruction and call to walk with God through the wilderness to the promised land. Artists remind us of God's promises of care and God's power to make good on those promises. Artists help us visualize the wonders that are not here yet. This is faith, “the evidence of things not seen”, imagining, the first step toward our destiny.

Times of danger and depression are the times to get artists up and producing, for the world needs the vision and hope God would give through them. Artists are valuable assets which keep giving vital vision if we will invest in them.

To Generate Money Think Outside the Box

Some arts and ministry supporters make giving a priority and sacrifice to honor it. But most supporters donate on the basis of discretionary income which, these days, is slim if any.

Our imaginative creativity and ingenuity can go beyond donating “as able”. Assets could be established which generate on-going income for ministry and the arts. Assets are things which earn money without you having to run them: investments, bonds, real estate, intellectual properties, residual income, etc. Many of us were not taught the difference between assets and liabilities, or, if so, we forget.

So, we accumulate many things which drain our income (liabilities) instead of thoughtfully purchasing assets which would generate income to support those missions and causes that tug at our hearts. Instead of paying the banks for a large collection of liabilities (debt with interest), imagine the abundance of being out of debt with the ability to give substantially to ministries and the arts. That would be a lot more fun!

Ask Mark and Donna, or visit http://www.graceproceeds.com , about their tool which makes that kind of fun possible.

Personal News from the Turners

In the last four months the Turners have helped four households start on an accelerated path to eliminate debt and recover equity in their homes. They have been working long hours offering real tools to help people prosper in spite of economic hard times:

1.) A super calculator and coach which guides the client to eliminate debt and mortgage in less than 1/2 the time, save thousands of dollars in interest and increase discretionary income with little to no change in their current spending;
2.) A home based business with a recession proof product that can provide as much income as desired and a large array of tax write-offs;
3.) A suite of software components essential to any home based or direct sales business including Internet marketing machines and a tax wizard (see their site for this suite of tools http://www.mybizpack.com/graceproceeds )

On news stands now, the February issue of Success from Home magazine is devoted to the company for which the Turners are agents.

The Turners help people prosper so that they can overflow to others in need. See their funny video “Financial Fun with Fern" http://www.youtube.com/financialfun . See the web site for their business http://www.graceproceeds.com

Believing Is Seeing

Artists inspire hope. Artists call us to act on that hope. That action is what we call “believing”, letting the hope affect our behavior. Artists lead us in making concrete that for which we hope.

So, we proclaim these affirmations as steps in becoming artists who inspire, call, and lead in faith. We have a hope of the Greater Reality which God intends for us and we want that hope to affect our work, play, health, finances and relationships with others.

Christ's earthly behavior was based on the Greater Reality which God has for us. The signs he gave showing God's Greater Reality were healings, life-giving words, world changing deeds, and release of people from bondage. By dying and rising back to life, he demonstrated that the Greater Reality promises even eternal life. As if in darkness, most could not see the Greater Reality in which he lived. But at least they could see the signs.

In some, he sparked the hope that there might be more to life. To those with hope he called to act upon the hope. Those who trusted his call and acted upon that hope he transformed to be able to see the Greater Reality, to live, die and live again as he does.

Christ commissioned the transformed ones to go throughout the world sparking the hope in others, calling to act upon the hope and conducting life based on the Greater Reality of God. Ages later we at Horizon Gate have chosen vehicles to spark, call and demonstrate the life of the Greater Reality: the arts, media, literature, business. As people trust Christ who reaches through us to them, God transforms them to live in the Greater Reality.