Joey O'Connor's Blog, page 16

When I Draw, I Feel Close to God: Video Interview with Eric Nykamp

Do you feel close to God when you’re doing something creative? When you draw, dance, write, paint, film, sculpt, act, shoot, play music or create in any way, do you experience deep pleasure and worship of God (at least some of the time)? Today, I hope you enjoy this video conversation with visual artist, Eric Nykamp, who has experienced what it’s like to feel close to God as he creates. If you’re like many of the creative people I’ve spoken with over the past ten years, chances are you may kn...

Becoming a Spiritually Fruitful Person

What does picking 6,000 avocados teach you about being a spiritually fruitful person? For starters, climbing ladders, snipping avocado after avocado, and getting on your knees for low-hanging fruit can teach you a lot about being spiritually fruitful…if you’re willing to listen the Master Grower. For the past two days, I’ve been down at our 12 acre organic lemon and avocado grove that is owned by The Grove Center for the Arts & Media, the non-profit ministry I serve. It’s picking season and t...

4 Lessons Triathlons Teach You about Life

Last January, I shared that one of my 2012 goals was to train and complete in the multisport world of triathlon. I’ve been a runner for years, but as you might have read in my earlier post, Learning to Swim, my swimming skills were less than adequate for triathlon competitions. After several years of being tired of going to the gym and the inspiration of my good friend, Scott Rigsby (the first below-the-knee double amputee to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona) I decided I needed...

Is One Banana Worth A Cage of Regret?

Note from Joey: If you missed my short story, The Monkey, The Banana, & The Bamboo Cage, you may want to read it first to see where our story began.

Once the monkey was plopped into the brown burlap sack by the owner of the banana plantation, he found himself in quite a conundrum. If you remember correctly, our little monkey wanted that banana in the small wooden box so bad that he grasped it tight and refused to let go. If he had had any monkey brains about him, he would have simply let go an...

3 Lessons I Learned from an Architecture Graveyard

An architecture graveyard can teach you and I a few important lessons about life. Though I grew up running around graveyards and casket rooms in my father’s mortuary, most normal people I know prefer not to visit any kind of graveyard. So it was only until last week when my daughter Ellie and I visited Cal Poly’s “architecture graveyard” while on a tour of the campus. Ellie was recently accepted into the SLO School of Architecture and we’d heard much about the famous “architecture graveyard,”...

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Consider Yourself Creative

Even if you’re not an artist, at bare minimum, you should at least consider yourself creative. Why? Because you’re far more creative than you think you are. You do have an artist inside of you, though you may never become a writer, a painter, a filmmaker or a poet. Or you just might surprise yourself…

For most of my life, I considered myself an athlete. A jock. Definitely not an artist. Though I wrote a lot of books, I still didn’t consider myself as artistic or even necessarily creative. But...

Good Friday: The Depth of Jesus’ Love for You

In case no one has ever told you, Good Friday is the day to think about the depth of Jesus’ love for you. On Good Friday, the innocent, sinless Son of God was whipped, beaten, insulted, and nailed to the cross as payment for the sin of this world so we could be restored back into relationship with God the Father. So today is Good Friday, 2012. A day to stop. Think. Remember. Examine our hearts. I’d like to share with you some simple Good Friday thoughts with you from the Book of Common Prayer...

Good Friday: The Depth of Jesus' Love for You

In case no one has ever told you, Good Friday is the day to think about the depth of Jesus' love for you. On Good Friday, the innocent, sinless Son of God was whipped, beaten, insulted, and nailed to the cross as payment for the sin of this world so we could be restored back into relationship with God the Father. So today is Good Friday, 2012. A day to stop. Think. Remember. Examine our hearts. I'd like to share with you some simple Good Friday thoughts with you from the a

This Easter, Tell Yourself “In Christ Alone!”

For Easter Week 2012, I want to share one of the most beautiful Good Friday and Easter songs I’ve ever heard–In Christ Alone. Written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, the lyrics of In Christ Alone are packed with amazing, life-changing Truth and deep theological thought. Focused on the life of Jesus Christ from cradle to grave to resurrection, this song offers hope, comfort and perspective to the challenges of life. It offers so many wonderful insights into the benefits of walking with Chri...