The Yellow Ochre Newsletter
A weekly curation of encouragement and practical wisdom to turn your art from a hobby into a purposeful blessing for your community and culture.
William Blake On Love
Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a heaven in hell’s despair.
Love seeketh only self to please,To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another’s loss of ease,
And builds a hell in heaven’s despite.
Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a heaven in hell’s despair.
Love seeketh only self to please,To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another’s loss of ease,
And builds a hell in heaven’s despite.
William Blake, from The Clod & The Pebble
Poem: A Christmas Gift for Artists
I summon you, in 2025, to dig those God-given gifts, skills, and talents out of the ground. Put them to use.
This year, I give you artists out there something surprising…
A Shovel
Yes, a shovel.
I summon you, in 2025, to dig those God-given gifts, skills, and talents out of the ground. Put them to use.
No matter how far you have to dig,
how much broken cement obstructs the way,
how many bugs must be sliced,
how much mud and clay coats them…
Do not allow them to remain in the ground.
Do not plateau.
Do not compare yourself to Noah, digging for “seemingly no reason.”
Do not continue to walk over the sacred ground they lie beneath.
The Master may grant us yet another year to excavate, wipe clean, and make use.
Though he is clean, he looks for dirted hands.
He has custom-ready recipients your tools align perfectly with.
This is what he holds us accountable to.
The Restoration of Old Man Marley
Home Alone is, of course, a classic. The nostaglia hits the instance the opening scene begins.
I always loved when Kevin sets up the traps. Child-made justice rummaged onto wicked robbers hit the 10 year old heart.
“This is the place to be if you’re feeling bad about yourself.”
Old Man Marley
Home Alone is, of course, a classic. The nostaglia hits the instance the opening scene begins.
I always loved when Kevin sets up the traps. Child-made justice rummaged onto wicked robbers hit the 10 year old heart.
Childhood movies become part of our scenic background of development. And such memories can be most challenging to think critically about.
Last time I watched Home Alone, something dawned on me: Old Man Marley’s character arc.
He is initially portrayed as a spooky old man. Lore, myths, legends abound from the McAllister children. This fear drives Kevin through much of the movie’s background. The audience is left wondering, “Is Kevin more afraid of Marv and Harry OR Old Man Marley?”
Kevin, at least, engages Marv and Harry. He confidently prepares for their return multiple times. But with each glimpse of the Old Man, Kevin hides, runs away,
We finally discover the real Old Man Marley through the lens of Kevin’s transformation.
It’s no accident that the church building is where Kevin seeks help, and in walks a smiling Old Man, wishing him a Merry Christmas. We soon learn that the Old Man has a story—he carries worries and fears. He has an estranged relationship with his adult son. He is not welcome in his family’s lives nor their Christmas celebrations. Yet, he’s open to the perspective of a young child (Kevin).
Home Alone is about transformations. Two in particular. As I child, I figured it was Kevin’s. As an adult, I see it more as Old Man Marley’s. In the final scene, we find both he and Kevin joyfully restored to their families. The turmoil of Kevin’s few days without his family was a metaphor for what the Old Man felt for years being estranged from his son.
There is hope and restoration for all this and every Christmas.
“Old Man Marley” (2023), Matt Taylor
The Nations will Flow To The Lord
Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. Isaiah 2:2
Reversed Waterfall (1998) by Olafur Eliasson @studioolafureliasson
“Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.”
Isaiah 2:2
“There’s Nothing But This Manna!”
Sometimes, artists wish they had other people’s gifts.
Sometimes, we’re like Asaph the temple worship leader wishing he had what others had (Psalm 73).
Sometimes, artists view their gift of manna as a curse rather than a blessing.
God had provided.
He provided redemption to his people.
He provided a way out of slavery.
He provided guidance.
He provided miraculous wonders by dividing the Red Sea.
He also provided manna, God’s choice of sustenance for the people.
The people, however, complained, “who will feed us meat?” “There’s nothing…but this manna!” (Numbers 11:4-6).
Sometimes, artists wish they had other people’s gifts.
Sometimes, we’re like Asaph the temple worship leader wishing he had what others had (Psalm 73).
Sometimes, artists view their gift of manna as a curse rather than a blessing.
Forget not God’s provision for you.
Do not forget your gift brings a certain aspect of life to others.
Remember your unique gifting might be what your community needs for the next 40 years.
2024 Felt like a bust until I did this one thing…
I’m not sure how you felt, but 2024 felt like a bust. The mundane seemed all consuming. The toils of tiredness elongated the hours. And the sleepless nights made my feet feel like cement.
I’m not sure how you felt, but 2024 felt like a bust. The mundane seemed all consuming. The toils of tiredness elongated the hours. And the sleepless nights made my feet feel like cement.
But then I got out a notebook and decided to do one simple thing:
Reflect.
Yes, that’s it. I asked myself,
“What did our family make in 2024?”
By the end of my few minutes, I had 45 bullet points (and counting)! The list included things I had made, my wife had made, and things our kids had made.
By the word, “make,” I do not mean the things common (though you could include those) to our day such as, “I made 3 meals today.” I am more thinking about the actions and words of benevolent intentionality. The playful expressions of joy and purpose. The hands and feet of Christ expressed.
Make fruit.
Take a look back at 2024, and ask yourself:
What tangible thing(s) did you make?
What service did you make for someone?
What moments did you create to bless another?
How did you make the love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-controlling nature of Jesus manifest for others?