Leah Rade

Saints QB Drew Brees talks about Jesus

Orange County Arts Commission on Facebook

Orange County Arts Commission is now on Facebook.  Click the link below to become a fan and stay informed about the arts in Orange County.

Orange County Arts Commission on Facebook

Orange County Public Art Project

If you know me well you know that I balance the intensity of ministry by serving Orange County artists and citizens through the work that I perform serving on the Orange County Arts Commission.  This commission is an advisory board for the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. 

In 2008, based on a request from the Friends of the Orange County Public Library, the Orange County Arts Commission received unanimous approval from the Board of Commissioners to sponsor a public arts project for the new library located on Margaret Lane in Hillsborough. A Call for Qualifications was issued to NC artist, with Orange County artists encouraged to apply.  A total of 14 submission were received by the April, 2009 deadline.  Four finalists were selected by the committee to present the site-specific designs.  Public comment on the finalists' site-specific designs was solicited. The Orange County Library Public Art Selection Committee selected the design submitted by the artist team of Michael Waller and Leah Foushee of Hillsborough, NC. 

Arts Commission staff met with the Hillsborough Town Planner, and it was determined by the attorney for the Town of Hillsborough that a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Hillsborough Historic District was needed for this project.  On June 16, 2009, the Board of County Commissioners authorized the County Manager to sign the agreement with the artist team contingent upon approval by county staff, the County Attorney, and the Hillsborough Historic District Commission.

The Hillsborough Historic District Commission met on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, and rejected the proposed public art project by the Arts Commission as submitted by a vote of 4-2.

The Orange County Library Public Art Selection Committee met again on October 14, 2009 and decided to move forward with the proposal by sculptor Wayne Trapp of Vilas, NC, one of the 4 finalist.  At the November 5, 2009 regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, this revised public art proposal was approved unanimously, pending approval by the County Attorney and the Hillsborough Historic Commission.  The Hillsborough Historic Commission meets this Wednesday, February 3, to vote on the new proposal.  It is our opinion that the Historic Commission has voted based on the subjective view of the art, not on the structure size and scope, which is what they are charged with. 

If you are a resident of Orange County, I am asking you to read the article appearing in today's Herald-Sun, the Library Prospectus, then check out artist Wayne Trapp or his FB page. After your review, I'm asking you to email Margaret Hauth, Planning Director at margaret.hauth@hillsboroughnc.org and Mark Bell, Chair of the Historic Commission at mark@twinchinmeys.org; encouraging them to support this public art project which will greatly enhance the overall experience of Orange County residents who visit the new library and is a collaboration of public and private funds.  Thank you for your help.

*Please note when reading the Herald-Sun article that public art is most often meant to be useful or interactive.  For example, when a bench is going to be needed the bench can be created in such a way that it is not only functional, but also a work of art.  That is public art at its best and was what the original submission was going to be.

My Scaredy Dog

I love my dogs!  Bob is scared of everything.  Mike shot this video of Bob this morning when Bob was too scared to climb the snowy steps.

Christian Joy

My devotional was so powerful this morning & very appropriate in light of pastor Dave's message last Sunday, that I thought I'd take time to share.  It's from Living the Message, Daily Help For Living the God-Centered Life.

"It is clear in Psalm 126 that the one who wrote it and those who sang it were no strangers to the dark side of things.  They carried the painful memory of exile in their bones and the scars of oppression on their backs.  They knew the deserts of the heart and the nights of weeping. They knew what it meant to sow in tears.

One of the most interesting and remarkable things that Christians learn is that laughter does not exclude weeping.  Christian joy is not an escape from sorrow.  Pain and hardship still come, but they are unable to drive out the happiness of the redeemed.

A common but futile strategy for achieving joy is trying to eliminate thing that hurt: get rid of pain by numbing the nerve ends, get rid of insecurity by eliminating risks, get rid of disappointments by depersonalizing your relationships. And then try to lighten the boredom of such a life by buying joy in the form of vacations and entertainment.  There isn't a hint of that in Psalm 126."

And now, God, do it again— 
      bring rains to our drought-stricken lives 
   So those who planted their crops in despair 
      will shout hurrahs at the harvest, 
   So those who went off with heavy hearts 
      will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. Psalm 126:4-6

     

21-Day Fast & Fasting Resources

For the next 21 days our staff members have committed to fasting and praying along with pastor Dave. We encourage you to join us in prayer.  Whether you've fasted before, or if this is your first time, please consider the information below before beginning.  We feel privileged that you would pray with us.

Daniel Fast

The Daniel fast is a great model to follow that proves to be extremely effective for spiritual focus, bodily discipline and purification in the body and soul.  It is probably one of the most commonly referred to types of fasts, however within the term “Daniel Fast”, there is room for broad interpretation.  In the book of Daniel, we find two different times where Daniel fasted, once in Daniel 1 and again in Daniel 10.  Daniel 1 states that he ate vegetables and water, and in Daniel 10, while the passage does not give a specific list of foods that Daniel ate, it does state that Daniel ate no rich (or choice) foods as well as no meat or wine.  So based on these two verses, we can see that either of these, or any variations in between constitutes a fast.  Again, there is nothing “inherently spiritual” about one type of fast as opposed to another.  It is important to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

Here are some links that provide some suggestions of what a Daniel fast can look like as well as some recipe options.

Daniel Fast - Ed Young

Daniel-Fast.com

Juice Fast

A juice fast is when no solid food is consumed and instead involves the intake of vegetable juices, fruit juices and water.

Juice Fasting

Duration & Extent of Your Fasting

Our 21-day fast is intentionally designed to be flexible.  As with choosing what type of fast you will be undertaking, it is important to also decide ahead of time how long you will be fasting and to what extent you will be fasting.  Some people may choose to fast at one level all 21 days or culminate with a special 3 day fast at the end.  Others choose to fast one week out of the 21 days, or even fast once or twice a week throughout the 21 day period.  This is a personal decision and one that should be prayerfully considered.

Check back daily for recipes, devotional links, as well as encouragement.

What's Happening This Week at New Horizon Church

Click here to find out what's happening at New Horizon Church this week.

Christmas Eve at New Horizon Church

This post is for my blog friends and FB friends who have never been to New Horizon Church or have never met my wonderful colleagues and wonder what they're like...Check out this awesome promo video, then DON'T MISS our services on Christmas Eve at 4:24 & 6:24.  It'll be the highlight of your Christmas!

New Horizon Church Christmas Eve 2009 Promo from New Horizon Church on Vimeo.

Hitting Rock Bottom

Several times per week, as I listen to people passionately share about loved ones, describing how low they are; they often end with, "I guess they'll just have to hit rock bottom."  I take great comfort in knowing that God is that "Rock".  A few years ago I listened to a testimony of a man who made horrible decision, after horrible decision and ended up hitting rock bottom.  In his testimony he said, "I ended up hitting rock bottom, and when I did I discovered the rock was solid." He accepted Christ & his forgiveness and became a new creation.

Psalm 62:1-2 [MSG] says,

 ^1-2 God, the one and only— I'll wait as long as he says. 
   Everything I need comes from him, 
      so why not? 
   He's solid rock under my feet, 
      breathing room for my soul, 
   An impregnable castle: 
      I'm set for life.

Pray for your loved ones, that if they hit rock bottom, they discover the Rock is solid.