On my other blog, I have written some articles about the importance of remembering. So I will periodically trace that idea by “remembering” some of the events in our life that preceded this blog. The first remembrance is of our wedding. On a September afternoon in 2004, we drove from Louisville to Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the Smokey Mountains to get married. We arrived at the clerk’s office minutes before they closed to get our marriage license. The next day, the 18th, we stood before Leah and Michael Dowdy, Heath, Carlton and Bethany to be wed.

The above picture is the official artwork for Sunfest 2008. We were able to land a large autographed print from the artist. The festival hosted a juried art festival with a number of great art booths. Going through these booths may have been the most enjoyable part of Sunfest for Suzie and me. Deniz had his own booth. Here Suzie and I enjoyed several other acrylic on canvas works. The Sunfest website includes the following information about the artist chosen for the official work.

Ilkin Deniz started his journey as an artist before he went to elementary school in Turkey. Ilkin studied in the graphic department of a fine Turkish Art school and held exhibitions of his paintings from his early years. Ilkin stayed in Istanbul until he was 30 and now resides in Palm Beach, Florida. Ilkin is famous for his boat paintings, which convey to America the elusive charm of the Mediterranean and the endless horizon of the blue sky meeting the blue sea.

Check out the artist’s own website for other examples of his work including some jazz music.

Suzie and I headed back to Sunfest 2008 early this afternoon. What a beautiful day for some music and a festival.

I was interested in hearing Little River Band. LRB is a 70′s band worth hearing today.

We managed to get down front stage right for the concert.

Last weekend, Suzie and I went to an auction where her uncle works (K and M Auction Liquidators). Suzie’s family has a long heritage in auctions, etc. During this auction (while Suzie was meeting her newest cousin), I bid and won a nicely framed print of a Renoir painting. I love it and it is now hanging in our living room.

Here is info on the painting and a blurb about Renoir:

Dance at Bougival
1883
Oil on Canvas
181.8 x 98.1cm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Pierre Auguste Renoir’s (1841 – 1919) art celebrates life’s temporal pleasures, the ‘here and now’ of his time, more than any other Impressionist artist. Preferring to paint his friends and lovers, his masterful depictions of their candid facial features and body stances convey the youthful spirit and intimate charm that ignited the feeling of an Eden of earthly pleasures. His portrayal of luminous color, skillfully varied brushstrokes, nuances of light and shadow all worked together to form a warm sensuality that made him a leader of the Impressionist movement.

The moment that will be the highlight of Sunfest 2008 was on opening night when Sheryl Crow introduced her friend, Eric Clapton.

This is the review from the paper:

Clapton soars with Crow in SunFest surprise

By LESLIE GRAY STREETER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH — “This is Eric Clapton!”

And thus, we could have ended our review of Sheryl Crow’s headlining set on the opening night of SunFest. She’s good, OK? She’s awesome, actually, and so was George Clinton and the 3,000 members of Parliament Funkadelic bopping around dressed like pimps and babies or what have you, and also Michael Franti and his delicious reggae consciousness.

But Sheryl’s been here before. And so has P-Funk. But Slow Hand? That’s a special, special thing. He stole the night – even though he jammed out on only one song, adding a blistering guitar solo to a cover of Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground before disappearing back into the night to wherever guitar gods live.

Because it’s freaking Slow Hand, seriously.

Before and after the Very Special Guest appearance, Crow was as solid and consistent as she ever is, spinning out hits like A Change Will Do You Good, I Can’t Cry Anymore and The First Cut Is The Deepest, with a singalong that started with that song and continued with the fantastic My Favorite Mistake. The funny thing is, there was always a rumor that Clapton had inspired that song.

Crow’s always denied it, and even if that was the case, all seems to have been forgiven, because as great as she was before the appearance of Slow Hand, a fire was lit afterwards. As he slipped away, she spun into Soak Up The Sun, the happiest song about having a mundane life ever written, and then the coda of Everyday Is A Winding Road and All I Wanna Do.

Suzie and I were in the crowd for this – just a few blocks from our apartment. This song is a part of Crow’s body of work that questions some of the political moves of the day. I may not agree with all of the lyrics, but I do admire an artist writing with a purpose.

We are all smiles after Suzie’s baptism on Sunday. Head over to my other blog for actual pictures of the baptism.

Sunday evening Suzie and I spent some time talking about the booklet “Ultimate Questions.”

Suzie had read the booklet and had some questions. After some good discussion, Suzie knew that she wanted to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.”

Read the booklet by clicking on the link above. It is an excellent explanation of the gospel.

Suzie will be demonstrating her new faith by being baptized in the Atlantic Ocean at Palm Beach this Sunday evening.

I am excited about the baptism service. It will be a part of the ministry of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach.

The third chapter of Timothy Keller’s book is titled, Christianity Is a Straitjacket. According to Keller, Christianity is often viewed by contemporary observers as something that limits and restricts to the detriment of society and individuals. Specifically, it is viewed as a danger to civic freedom, as culturally narrow and as individually enslaving.

The thesis of this chapter is summed up in this paragraph

Christianity looks like an enemy of social cohesion, cultural adaptability, and even authentic personhood. However, this objection is based on mistakes about the nature of truth, community, Christianity, and of liberty itself.

Keller then exposes the fallacies of these arguments. In the end it is Christianity that frees us to understand truth, to express community and to really be free. “Disciplines and constraints, then, liberate us only when they fit with the reality of our nature and capacities.

Keller concludes the chapter with a great discussion of the freedom to love. That God has constrained himself for us out of his love for us. We find tremendous freedom when we respond by the constraints of love for God.

These chapters continue to deliver on truth. My appetite has aroused to read what lies in future chapters.