Art Reveals the Unseen

Drawings for the film "To the Diggers" -- Here is a sequence of drawings by Mark Turner studying a TV studio camera and camera operator. A TV studio is usually a mass of technology that we don't want to look at. Everything is focused on the illusion created by the gleaming set. But, these drawings show very intriguing shapes, lines and colors behind the scene which will entertain our viewers' eyes. Part of the mission of our film of drawings is to reveal more than the viewer normally thinks about. As a film the drawings will move through the field of vision and show a relationship to each other. In the gallery the drawings will stand alone as still images. In both ways the art will illuminate the mind and heart of the beholder.

Not Knowing Everything Is Very Freeing

by Mark Turner

The same picture can take on wildly different meanings depending on your attitude, world view, and faith. Remember that we do not see the whole picture. There are unseen things going on. That's not just “spooky talking”; it's just reality: you can't know everything! So, looking at the circumstances of your life, pessimism could be completely unfounded. Well, optimism could be unfounded too, . . . unless you embrace faith.

Faith informs our view point that yet unseen good is coming, that observable bad circumstances are not the whole picture, that God is always working all factors together for the good. Scripture is packed with promises and reassurances that God loves and delights in us, that God is everything we need, defending, rescuing and providing regardless of the way things seem.

Is God delaying the help we need? We simply can not see God working out factors we do not even know are part of the picture. Too often the “normal” response is to focus all of our strength, soul and mind on ourselves as the self-sufficient masters of everything. This could and does kill people. I mean, consider the stress that puts on us.

Give faith a boost by remembering that we do not know everything, but God does. Say, “Hey, for all I know God has the answer right around the corner.” Is this self-delusion? Call it what you like. I think a lot more is accomplished with this attitude than when we say, “I know it all. Get out of my way,” and then proceed to make things worse.

Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, rise up with wings, run and walk without fainting (Isaiah 40:31). Value your understanding, but do not rely exclusively on it since it is but one aspect of the picture. Rather, acknowledge God in all your ways and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5).

Thinking and speaking with faith releases us from the pressure to fix everything ourselves, which is the impossible obligation put on us by a self-centered world. Interestingly, when we acknowledge we don't know everything, we relax and experience the joyful freedom needed to release creativity for effective partnership with God in ultimate solutions. Why would we want to live any other way?!

Art Gets Home - grab this place to radiate hope

Through this place you can be an important factor in art and films which give courage and hope to countless people. Help us secure our home base by either going to http://www.indiegogo.com/Art-Gets-Home , or going to http://www.horizongate.org and clicking on the "Donate" button to participate. (donations are tax deductible)
Beauty and inspiration will keep flowing from this place if we work together. $2,700 is needed by Sept. 30. An additional $5,619 will be needed by the end of October.
The equivalent of 12 pledges of $110.58 per month is needed to keep up on the payments. Call Donna's cell, 760-445-9470, to pledge.
Here is a concrete way to support the arts that inspire the world to do great things.

"To the Diggers" Film Enters News Media

Drawings of political campaigns have given way to drawings of news anchors and pundits. These drawings will be part of a montage corresponding to this part of the poem:

"We, transfixed by
images, Chew on shiny, tasty,
sexy fear, . . ."

The poem speaks of the transitory nature of statements blown out of proportion by the media today.

Mark spends many hours searching for models and then creating the drawings. The overall effect of all the drawings with the rich sound track will be very engaging. To see more drawings and follow the progress of the production go to Mark's blog, http://artingle.blogspot.com .

We Help Other Nonprofits Use Business As Mission

Non-profit organizations are feeling the loss of support as the economy has cut employment and as large donors have pulled back. Many charities and ministries have closed their doors. Many churches have measured a sharp decrease in giving. Horizon Gate too is suffering. But, the needs for which a mission was started do not go away just because the money does.
The Ministry of Helping Non-Profits
This is why we have attached to our mission "cause marketing," the work of helping other non-profits raise funds by inviting people to switch brands in support of their cause.
Newman' Own brand helped popularize "cause marketing" by donating all company profits to charity. The Shaklee corporation is giving non-profits free, perpetual fund raisers. At no charge, Shaklee, the number one all natural nutrition company in the U.S., is providing a state-of-the-art shopping web site and the means to earn a large, residual income internationally. As non-profits accept the opportunity, the Turners receive a percentage of their Shaklee business and that helps support the ministry of Horizon Gate too.

Organizations Are Signing On
One church has signed up under the Turners and another church is very positive about it. We will soon present the concept of "cause marketing" to an organization which does construction projects in low income communities. The Turners are presenting this program about once-a-month. As these organizations sell the products and sign up their own Shaklee distributors, they could add $10,000 to $14,000 to their annual budgets within six months. There is no limit to how much they could grow this fund raiser, especially when expanding into the currently open Shaklee markets of Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan and China.
Send Your Non-Profits Our Way
If you know of, or help a non-profit organization such as a church, private school, service organization, PTA, arts organization, or Sports club, chances are that they need the benefits of this opportunity. Please put them in touch with us: 760-445-9470, e-mail HealthIntheJungle@gmail.com. They can see an introductory video at http://tinyurl.com/freefunds2

Business and Mission Go Together

When the Mission Machine didn't feed all the bill collectors . . .

. . . Earl knew he had to push some of those other buttons.

Our mission is about people receiving inspiration from films and art so that they awaken to the significance of their lives on earth, rise in faith, encounter Christ and go on to live Godly lives. What mission could be more important than that?
But, part of the work is navigating through a world full of obstacles which try to deny us the time and resources to accomplish the mission. When we take on outside jobs, such as the one Mark and Donna have taken at Taylor Research, we do so with the prayer that it will fit in and contribute to our vision, rather than compete with it.
Effective, meaningful art requires sustained periods of thought, prayer, searching for inspiration, and experimentation followed by long hours of highly skilled labor. So, taking an outside job does interrupt the flow of art.
We understand that it has gotten harder to donate, but that you still want to give. Other streams of income can be employed to sustain the ministries you believe in. By building a new stream of income in the Turners' Shaklee business you can support us both through business and renewed donations. Click here to go to their business web site: http://healthinthejungle.myshaklee.com .

No More Small Thinking

The world does not need anymore small thinking. The challenges before us are all big and we all need to think bigger to meet them. If you are thinking "How will we survive?", fine. (Room for doubt) Now enlarge your thinking to "How will our survival help someone else thrive?" (Expectation of succeeding) If you are thinking "How can I help 10 other people?", good. Now enlarge your mission to help 100 people, 1,000 people, . . . and keep growing in God's strength.
We have been meditating on Psalm 18 which is full of metaphors about doing superhuman, implausible feats. As we apply these metaphors to our lives, we move ahead to meet the challenges and find God performs through us what we viewed as impossible. Small thinking keeps us from becoming all that we are made to be.
A business leader of ours, Gary Burke, says, "If you don't go after it, you'll never get it. If you don't step forward, you'll always stay in the same place. If you don't ask, the answer will always be 'no' ". Jesus says, "Keep asking and it shall be given to you; keep seeking and you shall find; keep knocking and the door shall be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)
We're running with you.
Love,

Mark and Donna Turner
September, 2010