Help Choose Film Sound Track

As Mark has been creating the visual portion of our film, "To the Diggers", ideas for improving the sound track have been occurring to us. You can help us choose the sound track by listening and commenting on two versions. Until December 1 we will give you signed artwork from the film if you leave your e-mail addresses with your comments.

Two versions of the sound track are posted on the Web including this blog (above). They are in the form of two separate videos, approximately 2 minutes long, and the visual is just a still graphic. Please listen to both versions. Then, in your comments, state the version you prefer and convince us to use that one.

The more friends and family you get to listen and comment the better we'll know how to make the sound track.

Both versions are posted on each of the following links. Go to one of the sites and enjoy listening:

• Our Indiegogo Campaign Site: http://indiegogo.com/Art-Gets-Home Listen to both sound tracks on the "Update" tab. Vote and comment on the "Comment" tab.
• The Artingle Blog: http://artingle.blogspot.com Just vote and comment under each version. While you're there why not subscribe to the blog?
• Facebook: Horizon Gate Productions page http://artist.to/horizongate/Mark's Profile page http://profile.to/markrturner/ Choose and comment under each video in the video section. Choose and comment under each video in the video section.
• Horizon Gate's Blog: http://horizongate.blogspot.com Just vote and comment under each version. While you're there why not subscribe to the blog?
• Horizon Gate's You Tube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/horizongate?feature=mhum Comment in the channel comment box. While you're there, subscribe to our channel.

Help us make this movie!

Final Days for "Art Gets Home"

November 21 is the last full day of our Art Gets Home campaign to secure our Horizon Gate homebase. Visit our campaign page at Indiegogo.com ( http://indiegogo.com/Art-Gets-Home ) and you will see video of the place with Mark explaining the challenge.

As of this writing there have been over 1,621 views of the campaign home page. If just one-third of those people had contributed the lowest level of support offered, $20, our homebase for the arts would be current with the mortgage and have some funds toward coming payments.

There is still time to make our goal of $8,908. As each person contributes, many who might have only viewed the site are encouraged to make that next, simple click to join in. Even giving the smallest amount anonymously, helps build the momentum to rescue this important ministry.

• At each level of funding signed artwork, photography and films are offered as "thank you's" for your strategic help.

Ten years ago a major gift made it possible for us to begin radiating life-giving art from this place. It has been a place of inspiration to many who have attended events and seminars here. It has been a place encouraging original, imaginative creation, and conducive to quality preparation for mission trips. This has been an important place for recuperation when returning from ministry outreaches.

With the help of our supporters this homebase will be developed and improved for even greater ministry to come.

• When you help send bread to famine victims you feed a few for a finite time.
• When you help send our art to a world seeking God you feed countless souls for eternity.

That is the importance and value of this homebase.

Two Earmarks of God's Work

Everywhere we look there are forces and circumstances that break apart and scatter people.

Two Earmarks

We have recently been reminded by Christ's life that faith is characterized by "gathering" and "generosity" (Luke 11).

These are earmarks of God's actions among us. When we see these happening, we know where to put our support and what to cooperate with.

Want to see what God is
doing in the world?

Look for deeds that are healing divisions between people and gathering us together. Avoid people, organizations, and media that are divisive in language, visuals, attitudes and actions. Embrace what is conciliatory and usually you will find openness and generosity in there with it.

Generosity seems easier to spot, but it comes in many forms from handing a street person some change, to listening to someone's problems. We thank God for a generous plumber who recently broke away from his schedule to come over and help in an emergency.

In Tough Times

When times are tough it is harder to be generous with schedule and resources. But, without generosity toward one another, how will we survive the tough times? Yes, God will save us. God's way is to engage the flesh and blood walking on earth. We come into tough times often because we do not live as God's gathering, generous people.
That's learning the hard way. We know we're tired of it. How about you?

Still learning and growing,

Mark and Donna Turner
November, 2010

We Have Power of Place

Arts Home Base - Main house viewed from office/studio -- Here we can produce our films and art, house collaborating artists, and hold events. Situated in a mountain retreat setting near a historic California gold mining town, we neighbor other facilities which can house larger retreats and temporary production space. Helping us keep this property is a substantial boost to the creation of art and films which draw people to God. Through this place you can be an important factor in art and films which give countless people hope and courage to do great things.

When you apply for a job you expect the establishment to have some structure in which to work. Even if the job is out in the field, or on the road, you have someone someplace to relate to. We usually steer clear of a "business" which can not be found on the map.

So, too, artists usually need to operate out of more than the trunk of their car.

Ten years ago we were helped with a major gift to begin purchasing the place for our arts ministry. You can be part of the beauty and inspiration which now flows from this arts haven in the mountains around Julian, California. From here we have created art for ministries in Africa, Australia, North America and the global Internet. From this home base we assist and teach arts in our city as well as overseas. Having this place has made it possible to create art that carries the light of Christ around the world.

Please visit our "Art Gets Home" page http://indiegogo.com/Art-Gets-Home . Watch the video there to see pictures of the place. Listen to Mark's three-and-a-half minute presentation and peruse the levels of contribution from as low as $20. We are giving away signed art, photography and films as "thank you's" for contributions.

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.