Featured Artisan: the Real Estate Pastor?!

Do you know Lionel Wilson? Some of you do. He is my very favorite Realtor, Minister, father, husband, and friend.
Today Pastor Rob was teaching from Proverbs chapter 11. A passage which is near and dear to my Realtor husbands heart. So much so in fact that for the past several years it has been his business message and mission. Be a giver, have integrity, encourage others, speak kindly and without hypocrisy, build relationships, win souls and walk wisely.

Around 2005 God had been teaching Lionel many good but hard life lessons. One thing that spilled over to every area of his life is valuing people above everything. "Lionel I have called you to ask those I put in your path, what can I do for you," spoke the Lord. In business that equates to people before paycheck. The Lord told Lionel that work would be his ministry and God would be his provision.

Since that time Lionel has set out to be a servant in Real Estate. His passion for people has made such a striking impact, in what can sometimes be an unpleasant industry, that many people have lovingly called him the Real Estate Pastor. We chuckle when we hear this, but really it is true. Lionel prays with and for those that he works with. He gives wisdom that he believes is from God and not just regulated by market trends. As a hard working man he of course is diligent in knowing the business of real estate because he believes God would not want him to be negligent in any area and he sets out to do his best for the Lord in every scenario.

I can not say enough how much I have learned from Lionel in business. Over twenty years he has worked in some areas of sales and marketing. Several years he was a pastor as well, the truth is, he gets people, and people have always been his business.

He that waters is watered himself. Proverbs 11:25


This is the quintessential verse in chapter 11. Give to others and yes you will be yourself so filled and completely satisfied in life. God has blessed Lionel in so many areas of his life and especially in business. He is grateful and amazed. When many people were complaining of the real estate market and the "shift" that has occurred the past three years, Lionel set out to have his best year ever. God had put it on his heart to do so. And closing out 2009, he did have his best year in real estate ever, more than doubling sales the previous year. God is, faithful and He did provide.

So Lionel faithfully presses on to continue to follow hard after God, shepherding the flock along the way, for now that flock comes in the means of Real Estate.

I am so proud to work for such an honest and passionate man, and blessed to be married to him!

Featured Artisan: tribute to a daughter

This girl is artsy! No doubt about it.

There are so many things I could say about my dear 17 year old daughter. From birth she has inspired beauty and art in our world and she keeps on astounding us with her gifts every single day.Bethany is one of those lovely, bright blue-eyed, rosy cheeked, full of expression, verbally robust, laugh out-loud, girly-classic-vintage styled teen age girls that could really have been born in any era.

She is timeless.

She is one of the most talented actors I have had the privileged of knowing my entire life and I have known and worked with many.Bethany has been part of over 30 shows and is a joy to watch on stage, truly in any roll. But theater being among her first loves, she more than just graces the stage, she costumes, crews, stage manages, and directs. All with the skill, gifts, and responsibility to match most adults.
If that were not enough to boast of, and that is plenty believe me, she is also one of the finest hand stitching crafters I have ever seen. She has a knack for intricate details and fine hand sewn work. She loves to make scarves, hats, embellished hair accessories, purses, bags, etc. She started crocheting at the age of seven and she can make pretty much anything. She started sewing when she was 13 and she is learning to become a fine seamstress.

She has written some of the best papers her teachers have read and she wrote me a song and sang it to me while playing guitar. She taught herself for my last Birthday, which is one of my favorite Bethany moments.

She taught herself guitar! Yes she is very self motivated and when any one comes around that plays guitar she grabs hers and has them teach her a thing or two. She loves to sing loudly. She is growing musically as it has not come as easily to her as acting, she works even harder at it.

She loves Jesus! This is for sure one of the things that has motivated and propelled her in life. She has served and ministered with college age students since she was seven. Using all of her gifts for the Lord has given her the blessing of being so gifted and accomplished at such a young age.
We are SO proud of the young woman she is becoming and excited to see all that God has for her. I recently shared with someone, she is like a force that none can reckon with, except for the Lord of course and in my heart He keeps telling me, just get out of the way Kristen, I am doing all this in Bethany, do not hold her back!

Featured Artisan: Sarah Nelson

Introducing the fabulous and amazing young design talent, Sarah Nelson!

She is most definitely "CREATIVE" in His image. But before I go on about that, I just have to say that I have been a part of this girls life for several years now and to know her is to know a pure and genuine heart for the Lord.

Sarah, recently married and embarking on adulthood, has blossomed quite stunningly into an extraordinary designer and life artist. Here is a young woman, wife, new home maker, college student, daughter, sister, and friend that is inspiring and motivating so many of us, not allowing her gifting from the Lord to lay dormant.

What has seriously stirred my heart to write this post is how naturally she has emerged into this new season. Though yes she has always loved fashion and been interested in artistry, this I believe is something more.

As I think about the Lord and how He is the ultimate creative being, and we are created in His image, I have come to believe that we bring Him the most glory through using the creativity He has given us. It is my firm belief that He desires to see this part of Himself gushing from all of our lives.

Sarah has tapped into that stream and it is flowing beautifully. She LIVES her art creating a masterful setting for Gods beauty in her every day surroundings. It is amazing to see the wonderful texture, colors, sheen's, sparkles, shapes, and elements that have so originated from God's creation, interlaced in Sarah's style.

Now I know we all do not have the same flare and eye as one as gifted as Sarah, but we ALL do have gifts and should be encouraged by her to use and share them as God directs. I know I have been. But don't take my word for it, you can find her lovely ideas and sweet spirited words on her blog Frills for Thrills.

I am so blessed to see this young girl totally put her self, her heart, her art, and her life out there for all of us to see. It takes some courage and a lot of love. And I for one really appreciate it! Thanks girl. We are all excited to see what God has planned for this amazing avenue in your life.

Have a great day readers, and share some ART in life today!
(photos borrowed from Sarah)

Featured Artisan: Dearest Sara

There are some people who come into your life that make a grand entrance and hold a commanding presence. I lovingly refer to these people as larger than life.



Sara Stokes is just that. When I met her she was fresh out of high school ready for anything and everything. She was sweet and smart and sharp. We counted money together for the BBQ ministry at our church, then actually started working together at the credit union.

I quickly became one of Sara's adoring fans, there have been so many of us.

One thing I did not know about Sara was that she had been in dance since the age of three. I only learned this detail after one of the performances of the very first drama at Oregon State. She came up to me literally beaming and said, "the next drama, I have to be part of."

We had no idea then that God was doing something really BIG.



Sara did join our team, not only as a dancer, but as a leader, teacher, choreographer, visionary, actor, you name it, she was willing to do it. She poured her entire life into this ministry for several years and during the six months out of the year we were not working on a drama, she was dancing her heart out for Jesus in other Countries, working with local dance teams, or street performing.

Sara was extremely gifted in so many ways. Her dancing was beyond graceful, it was brilliance in motion, her creativity was limitless, and yet how she worked with her team astounded me. She could take untrained dancers and weave them into a collage of beauty, it was supernatural. She could see in a person something they did not see in themselves. She believed in people. It was inspiring. Once we had an audition where close to 60 tried out, Sara cast them all, not having the heart to turn any of them away.



In a sudden turn of events Sara was taken from us in a car accident on June 19, 2007. It was a tragic ending to an amazingly gifted and blessed life.

Yet Sara lives on. She of course is with her savior Jesus Christ. We however have so much of the life she left in us all. Determination, a hard work ethic, a heart to share Jesus, a commitment to excellence, reaching for more than before, CAN do attitudes, pushing ourselves to do and be better, Sara gave us that.

Sara danced for Jesus. She never made it about her, she walked in humility and led others to do the same. Working with her was a gift. I am a better leader and director because of it.

I miss Sara. Some day I will see here again. But until then I plan to go on living for Jesus, sharing art in life the way she lived.



Thank you Sara for what you have given us, we will continue to give as well.