the unlikely orange

"in our image" mixed media collage gregory a. milinovich "and love again" mixed media collage gregory a. milinovich thanks to those of you who checked out my etsy site yesterday.  i sold these two collages, and am always happy when i know that some of my collages are finding a good home.  there are still 50 collages available at my shop , so if you haven't already, take a moment to check them out.  *** in other news, we are having a big yard sale on saturday, so feel free to stop by and say hello.  if you are in need of an antique pepsi bottle, a laptop lock or a vinyl copy of petra's "captured in time and space" then this is the yard sale for you.  disclaimer: if you stop by and find something that you bought us is for sale, it is shannon's fault.  sorry. *** hope you find a way to enjoy this incredibly gorgeous weekend. 

"enmity"                                                                                        "real-o-matic" mixed media assemblage                                                               mixed media collage gregory a. milinovich   ...

you know, religion gets a bad rep these days.  i've said it countless times in my own ministry: following Jesus isn't about religion, it's about relationship.  we know that Jesus often railed against the religious leaders of his day.  and we have all learned that terrible - terrible - things have been done by "religious" people in the name of their religion.  many of us have hummed along with r.e.m. as they so poignantly defined the mood of a whole generation: "that's me in the corner, losing my religion..."  our culture has generally dismissed religion as a product of powerful organiztions, one that often tries to control and use others for the benefit of the few.  and this may not often be far from the truth.  so, the poor reputation isn't necessarily undeserved.  and yet, there is something to be said for being religious, at least in the pure sense of the word.  i'm very religious.  about some things, that is.  take coffee, fo...

happy birthday, casey kasem.  you were born on this day in 1932, and the world just wouldn't be the same without you.  i mean, whole generations of kids would have grown up without the perfect voice for shaggy rogers from scooby doo.  without shaggy's pre-gen x apathy, where would we be?  but more importantly, where would any of us be without america's top 40?  i mean, the sweet vocal stylings of casey kasem saying, "we're counting down to the number one song in america," is something that can't really be described by mere language.  i spent many a sunday night in the mid-90's, next to my boombox, with my index finger poised on the pause button, ready to record "ice ice baby" on cassette, as soon as casey introduced in his signature way.  so happy birthday, casey kasem.  thanks for the memories.  keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. 

so yesterday was cade's birthday and we celebrated on saturday with a small batman-themed party.  he has been on a batman kick for quite some time now, so i busted out the old batman/superman cake kit that my mom made me when i was a kid (it's from 1977, the year after i was born, so basically it is really old): i had never made one of these before, but i thought it turned out ok for a first time.  that's right: i made the cake this time.   i know you all realize that shannon is the master cake-maker in our family, but i took the reins this time and knocked a pretty tasty and sweet-looking batman cake.  as you can see from my cake above, it sort of looks like batman has a growth on the left side of his abdomen, or an enlarged heart or something, so i'm hoping its not serious.  the good news is that almost every night before bed, cade says a prayer for batman and robin, so that should help.  in any case we had a nice party, and Cade's favorite part, of c...

today is my little man's third birthday.  THIRD!!   i can't believe how quickly three years can go.  but i don't simply want to mourn how quickly the time has gone.  i really want to celebrate how wonderful those years have been.  life with cade is such an adventure, and such a joy.  so today we celebrate you, caedmon.  with your bright blue eyes, your love of batman, your propensity to hug, and your easy going nature.  if i could open up  the top of your head and make sure that there is one thing that is firmly seeded there, it would be this: that you know that your mother and i adore you and love you with a wild and unstoppable love.  you are our joy.  happy birthday, little boy.

this last thursday we celebrated earth day.  every year at this time i pause long enough to consider my own assumptions about this planet, and about how my own behavior does or does not match my beliefs.  it seems to make sense to me, but each year i am also amazed at how some Christians get so upset about earth day.  i would explain here to you, in case you aren't aware of the diversity of Christian responses to this day, but to be honest with you, i don't really get it.  i know that the throngs of Christians get their "facts" from fox news, which has a deeply rooted political agenda, and therefore spins the truth to suit that agenda.  and people listen.  i also know that when it comes to the environment there is a deep fear in people - fear that things might have to change, or fear that a terrible disaster will happen, or that the government is going to take control of everything - and fear leads people to do, think and believe some crazy things....

many of you realize that my almost perfect 2009 sports year didn't end with a good flavor.  while i got to enjoy the gators win a national championship, the steelers win the superbowl, the pens win the stanley cup, and the yankees win the world series, the steelers finished the year by falling into a terrible slump and sliding right out of a playoff spot.  at that time i wrote this post to talk about hwo bummed i was and to start a countdown to the 2010 nfl draft.  well, that moment arrived last night, and despite an awful offseason full of bad behavior, moral grandstanding, poor reporting, and rumor mongering, we have officially put an end to the 2009 season and are moving forward now.  with the 18th pick in the first round, the steelers drafted maurkice pouncey, a center from the university of florida who almost certainly be able to step in soon and improve our offensive line.  this is not a sexy pick by the steelers, but a very good one, in my opinion....

"possible" mixed media collage on canvas board gregory a. milinovich here is a collage i made a while back called "possible."  just a little visual reminder - at least to me - that each day is a canvas laden with possibility, with opportunity, and with potential.  what will you make with your day?  what will you do today?  where will you go?  who will you love, and how will you do it?  how will your turn the darkness into light?  how will you give thanks today, for most this amazing day?  the possibilities are endless.  i pray that, in whatever way is given to you, you find a way to fly in this day.  it is possible.

i'm pretty sure i must have at least ten posts on this blog dedicated to this very idea, but after the weekend i just had, i feel the need to remind anyone who is reading this of one of the fundamental truths of my faith: that God is deeply, wildly, uncontrollably, and recklessly in love with you.  i don't mean that God has to love you just because of the way the universe is set up or something.  i don't mean that God loves you with some distant cosmic love.  i mean, quite literally, that God adores you.  i mean that God chooses you.  i mean that God looks at you and rejoices in you.  that God's heart beats faster at the sight of you.  that God can't stop thinking about you.  i mean that God loves you with the kind of love that cannot be stopped by distance or by time or by death or by anything else.  from the moment that God began carefully designing you, until this very moment, God has been passionately pursuing you, calling you close...

well, i'm back from my walk to emmaus.  if you've never been on a walk to emmaus retreat, i HIGHLY recommend it.  seriously.  i have been on one before, and this time i was serving as a volunteer, but it was still an incredible experience.  however, i am exhausted this morning.  i got home from the retreat last evening, ready to eat some dinner, and then realized that i was having blood work done this morning, so i had to fast.  so, i haven't eaten in a while, and i'm groggy, and my stomach hurts from laughing so much.  it's been a great weekend.  check back tomorrow for a more regular agent orange post.  i'm just too wiped today. 

just letting you know that you won't be hearing from me from thursday through sunday.  have a blessed weekend. 

we had our annual easter egg hunt this year, and it netted a few digital memories for posting in scrapbooks, but it is hard to capture on camera the furious joy of children just released on a mission to find small plastic eggs.  if i told them that baseball-sized diamonds had been hidden throughout the yard, they would not have been nearly as excited.  i guess, it's a matter of perspective .  if you told me that we were going to have an "easter steelers-memoribilia hunt" i suppose i would be the one running around like a bunny on amphetamines. 

after my trip to the holy land, i promised you that i would write one final post to sort of wrap up my whole experience there, and although it has taken awhile, i am finally delivering on that promise.  while our time there was a whirlwind of activity and a bullrush of information, i spent enough time looking through windows into the past, windows into my own assumptions, and windows into the bible that some light certainly made its way through.  beyond simply having a good time and experiencing a different part of the world, i was both blessed and challenged in deeper ways.  one of the great blessings was experiencing what many have called "the fifth gospel," referring to the incredible visual-ness of being there.  it is one thing to read that Jesus was baptized in the jordan river; it is quite another thing to actually reach down and touch its water.  it is something amazing to read that Jesus turned water into wine, it is something altogether different t...

amidst the cardboard chaos that we call home these days (we're packing, and there are boxes everywhere), my body has decided that it is a good time to get sick.  i don't feel as bad as death, let's say, but i don't feel good either.  and i don't' have much of a voice.  mostly i can just sort of bark like a seasick seal.  it's not pretty.  but in the middle of all of this, i took some time to reflect on what the heck is going on with my beloved pittsburgh steelers, and just wanted to note that here on my blog today (even though i know most of you detest these sports posts and would rather see adorable pictures of my kids).  first of all, i woke up yesterday morning with the anticipation of waiting to hear from a district attorney in georgia about the case against our franchise quarterback, ben roethlisberger.  i knew that the announcement was supposed to come sometime yesterday about whether or not they would be pursuing criminal charges against him...

well, with my soul still rejoicing every time i wake up and discover that it isn't 29 degrees and snowing, i thought i would share a song with you today about spring.  unfortunately, i can't find any videos of it on youtube, and i don't have the time to make one.  however, if you click here , it will take you to a webpage where you can just hit play on the little gray media bar right under the name of the song.  the song is called spring, and it is by a folk singer named richard shindell, whom i have had the pleasure to see in concert.  this song has a decidedly irish tint to it, as it celebrates the rebirth of the world out of the brokenness of winter.  great song.  here are the lyrics: Spring from Somewhere Near Paterson The day will begin like any other Another sunrise in the east It will reach across and touch you like a lover It will tease you from a dream And opening your eyes you will surrender To the light that fills the room And the...

wow.  that's amazing.  how is that guy holding the sun?  of course this is a ridiculous question because as you look at this picture your brain is able to do the necessary calculations to determine that what you are seeing here is actually physically impossible, but is instead a visual trick based on the position of the sun, the man, and you. it's all a matter of perspective.  and it really is.  my dad used to say this line all the time when we were growing up.  i would be fiercely trying to defend my black and white, categorized version of the world and dad would sometimes simply shrug and say, "it's all a matter of perspective."  i hated that, but as i have gotten older, i have...well....changed my perspective on that.  i think he's right.  things can look very different depending on where you are standing.  take a look at this, for example.  how comfortable would you be using this bathroom? i mean, who wants to use a to...

hey there...it's a random wednesday!  some of you have told me that these random "stream of conciousness" posts are your favorite, so who am i to stop now?  i'll keep them coming when i can! first of all, the yankees evened out their record to 1-1 after a 6-4 win over the red sox lasts night.  i must say that with baseball being back, and the weather in new jersey weighing in at about 85 degrees, it feels like summer.  and that is okay with me.  i have missed you, baseball.  welcome back.  this year for lent i taught a class at church called "chocolate for lent," which used the movie chocolat to explore several lenten themes like sacrfice, hospitality, change and spiritual growth.  i had nearly 20 regulars who took the course, and i really enjoyed the weekly dialogue as we grew together as a group.  last night we ended the course with a chocolate themed dinner, complete with a chocolate fountain, and a couple of entrees made with chocola...

here are a few pictures from easter morning around our house.  of course we had family visiting so above you see jack and cade with a couple of their cousins.  everyone looked sharp and enjoyed the amazing weather and the joy of the day.  i can't believe how old my boys are looking!  yikes...

"lent 2010: go tell peter" 7/7 mixed media collage on hardcover book panel gregory a. milinovich well, this final collage wraps up my series of 7 lenten collages.  as you may remember, this was my exercise for lent this year: rather than giving something up i committed to making one collage for each week of lent which specifically dealt with the text we were dealing with in worship that week.  for this final week we looked at mark 16:1-8 in which the women discover the empty tomb and the angel tells them that Jesus is risen and that they should go tell the disciples and peter .  strange, in a way, that the gospel writers would include peter's name specifically.  but when you consider that the last time we saw peter he was denying Jesus, it may not be all that difficult to understand.  this emphasis on peter is expressing the truth that the great power of the cross is forgiveness.  God wants peter to know that even though he failed, that is not the end of ...

life bursts forth in every nook and cranny of this broken world, like a broken savior, barely contained by a cold dark tomb. life - love - always wins.  happy easter.

very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  -romans 5:8 my prayer is that as you move about whatever activities you have planned for this friday, that you would at least take a moment to let those unimaginable words sink into your soul in a new way.  this day is not just another friday.  it is not just a holy day from a bygone era.  and it is not just an excuse to use images of brutal violence for evangelistic purposes.  this day, this good friday, is a day to recognize that God with skin on did not cling to his God-ness, but sacrificed it, and not only that, but sacrficed even his human life, revealing a love wider and higher and deeper and broader and wilder than we can possibly imagine.  it is unimaginable.  and it is for me, the chief of sinners.  and it is for you, too....

happy april fool's day!