Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's soul The accompanying piece to ‘Wild at Heart’, this time John Eldredge teams up with his wife Stasi in the writing department in pursuit of the heart of a woman, in all her feminine beauty. "Even to see her walk across the room is a liberal education." Synopsis “Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the Beauty of the story. Those desires are far from child’s play. They are the secret to the feminine heart. The message of Captivating in this: Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation. - What Wild at heart did for men, Captivating will do for women. Target Primarily women, some might say Christian women, but I believe women from any culture or religion can gather something from these pages. It is also a very handy read for men too, seeking to understand their woman, or just women in general a little more. In fact, most women that have read the book, implore men to read it too, just like women should read Wild at Heart. "She knew treachery' Bottom Line Admittedly, not being the direct intended target reader of this book, meant it took me a while to find a rhythm, a while to get going and find that groove you seek when reading any book (each one has their own). However, once I got into it, making the necessary readjustment, because as a man I’m reading this primarily as a learning exercise, I could then glean what I could and in some instances recognize where certain things could be applied to my own life. These are the type of books men want to read but seldom find the energy to do so, or perhaps they start but fail to finish it, so it is a small triumph that I managed it, though I’m not cracking any champagne bottles. This book tackles the issues of beauty and strength, and varying forms of such, as well as the modern woman and how her role, and the regard for her, has changed. But its more than that. It’s a wonder when looking at all the great stories of the world, that there are so few about heroic women (compared to men), though we know that were it not for women, those men would not have been around to achieve all those accomplishments, but is that it? Is that all women are for, to bring strong and courageous men into the world? NO! Of course not, the message is rather that in every story of greatness, women played an equally crucial role. If men be the reflection of God’s strength, then women are undoubtedly the reflection of God’s unparalleled beauty, in all its complex glory. "Beauty is Dangerous" [Image credits: nbcLatino.com, flickr, russianwomentruth.com, wallsave.com, "womens-league", "asian-women-hairstyles"] In fact, so beautiful was she, that the first man, Adam, actually chose her over God; but he would discover that nothing can compare, nothing can satisfy the hunger of his soul for what God is and has… that deep spiritual yearning we all carry – no material thing can satisfy a spiritual need. The two are separate yet can be connected; in that a man and a woman in marriage become one in spirit, but God always comes first, because he's the creator of ALL, he created both man and woman, and if we are to seek our purpose in life, we must look to the creator for guidance, not other creations... A large portion of this book is aimed at marriage and the relationship between the man and woman, but focussing on how the roots take shape to form a strong bond – that is to say how women deal with their lives before entering marriage (the same goes with guys) and even how to get the best out of their husbands (for those already married). This may all seem unromantic in approach, but I assure you, reading this, and other books like it, will only highlight how romantic God really is, and how much of heaven has been imprinted on this earth. There are lessons in this book that can be learnt and re-learnt as many have claimed, and I concur, that this is a book that can be read several times. We were meant to delight in the splendour of a woman’s beauty, their allure, their intricate mysticism and complicated nature… but the world (devoid of the Spirit) would and does abuse this. Women, who are meant to be man’s equal, are subject to exploitation and depravity, where beauty is a thing to be bartered and traded. Yet, as I’ve re-learnt here; beauty is alive, it is nurturing, and it is has the ability to grow, to enlighten, enliven and invigorate. How many men have gone to war for beauty, to show off their valour, even with humble intent? How many times has your spirits been lifted at the sight of something beautiful? Beauty can soften a hardened heart and break down barriers, but it can also awaken the primal beast in men, hungry with insatiable desire. Beauty has the ability to evoke strength in those who gaze upon it, and to instil resolve and life, even if that life is simply the basic quickening of the pulse. And, you know what, we need beauty. It’s in our DNA? What would the world look like without it? What would the world be like without the enchanting presence of a woman? "Beauty overwhelms us, enchants us, fascinates us, and calls us" We, as men, are drawn to beauty, because that’s what it does, it attracts, but as men, real men, our duty is to ensure that we avail our strength (and protection) and also ensure that it is always enabled to flourish, because if not, then beauty can also wither and grow dormant. This happens far too often, but there's still hope of that beauty being rekindled to return to its passionate freedom. In Wild at heart it was said that there are two kinds of women; one who is like the Caribbean, and the other like the North Atlantic Sea… but only one of them requires a real man. Captivating attempts to awaken what’s at the heart of every woman (but in the process also educates men as to their role to play). It may take things from a Christian vantage point, even criticizing the church for stunting and suppressing the role of women, but the principles can be applied universally. I highly recommend this bestseller, whether you're man, but especially if you're a woman! 4/5 "Show me your face,let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet and your face is lovely." You belong among the wildflowers You belong in a boat out at sea You belong with your love on your arm You belong somewhere you feel free - Tom Petty For my book review of "Wild at Heart", click HERE
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So, this is how I roll... My roll of honour, those whom I have selected, I dabbed my sword upon their proverbial shoulders in a virtual knighthood of blogging, sort of... in a much smaller way, and without the sword. I must just say that I had 11 people, but quite a few of them reneged on my proposal - so its not my fault that there were full calendars, schedules etc etc... Here though, are the eleven questions I asked them: 1 What sort of books do you like to read? 2 Do you believe in a higher power, (I’m thinking spiritual here)? 3 What fascinates you most about humanity? 4 If you were a colour, what colour would you be? 5 What’s your favourite scene from a film? 6 What are your three favourite foods (desserts are also food)? 7 What is your favourite song or lyric? 8 What is your passion and what inspired it? 9 If you could do one wild and extreme thing, what would it be and why? 10 If you could have lunch with a comedian, who would you choose? 11 Could you think of three things that your close friends would say that would describe you the best? And now, for the honour roll: Kelly Brown - Spark Change ("think of it as something between Pay it forward & Chicken Soup for the soul" - my words) Claudia Jones - It's a me thing(s) - yes, lots of 'things'. Claudia is a creative human and self professed Bubblegum enthusiast. Joachim Wilbers - JoachimArtist - following on from my post "The Future of Art" (don't be lazy, scroll down, way down) - visit his site and follow the many links into this fantastical world of digital art. Special Mentions: Although not participating in the challenge, the following blogs were on my provisional list of recruits - so see it as a small list of cool blogs to check out... (I included them with their Twitter profile pics; everyone on the post is worth a follow - its what I've done) Marysia's travel blog "MyTravelAffairs" - visit and find out more on Marysia's travels around the world. Cassie Patton's blog called "WittyTitleHere" - she's a professional writer, part time photographer and 'passable' dog whisperer. Blog of author and psychiatrist Olga Nunez Miret (posts in Spanish & English) visit her page here Darlene Craviotto: Screenwriter, playwright and author (and Mom). Her blog is titled "Can you all hear me in the back" Is Art stagnating? Where is modern art going? Will we ever see another Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael, Modigliani, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh or Pollack? Logically, when you think of it in context, my instincts says “NO”… they were all innovators (paying specific attention to painting here) – pioneers, but has everything that can be done in the art of ‘paint of canvass’, already been accomplished. Of course that’s what the challenge is for today’s artists – to be the next big thing, to forge a new path, a new direction in their field. Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that too many people want to be the next great artist… just hear me out here. Here’s what I mean: The oldest art school in the world, still active today, is a little over two hundred years old, yet in its early days it’s pretty safe to say that few people knew about it (although art schools existed as far back as the Middle ages - VanEyck in Flanders f.e. 13 -1400's. (Michelangelo, just by the way, learned through early apprenticeships, first as a 13 year old working under Florence painter Domenico Ghirlandaio, and then under a retired sculptor, creating his first major sculpture at the age of 17 - The Battle of the Centaurs.) Then you think about how many art schools there are in the world today, anyone with vague artistic flair can apply, and a percentage of those applicants will manage to forge a career in the art world, most finding their place, or niche, within the corporate/commercial world. What this means is that art has grown exponentially in the last century, accessible to every household – which is, for clarification, a VERY GOOD thing. Many will argue that that was (and was for the renaissance crowd) the ultimate goal of those earlier pioneers – to bring art to every person. Art is part of life. Without art, the world would be an unliveable place for most. Plainly put, we need art as an outlet of our creative selves… the sad reality of it though, is that all forms of global art forms might have diluted the craft. The trouble now is distinguishing the good from the brilliant, and then there are the blatant publicity stunts… (I’m not a fan of blank white walls or installation art – using light fixtures for instance). Media has played a huge part in the dilution of the craft. I think there are many new forms that have popped up recently that grab me – performance art (using a large crowd of people) as well as sand art (creating pictures and stories using sand on an illuminated screen). And yet, can we say that there is a definitive new art form or artist/painter, who is doing something new and revolutionary, and will be talked about for many years to come, much in the same vein as the artists of old. I heard it put a different way: The experts and genuinely gifted artists of today are pushing the envelope – but are they just doing it in incremental fashion – a little at a time. Where is the giant leap forward (or sideways) in the thinking and/or application on creating something people have never seen before? I admittedly am not on the pulse of what’s the most spoken about thing in the art world right now, but like many, am very receptive and attentive to it, always on the lookout for something that will grab my attention whilst also admiring the works of old. When you think about it, Art as we know it today, where everyone can say they know an artist, is very new – yes it has been around for as long as people have – noting rock paintings etc… but artists in the truest and purist sense of the word were always rare and in certain places revered, they certainly were not on virtually every street corner, so in a way it’s a catch 22 scenario… you want art to be present in some form or another in every household, but I for one, still want that something new, which will be universally recognised as something no one has ever seen before. My prediction: The next great artist or art form (in the purest sense) will come from Africa. I’m not saying that just because I’m African but because I believe it’s the most untapped resource in the global context. Admittedly though, I do say this more out of hope and prayer. For it to happen, something in the art industry must be corrected; that of the “classification system”. You may have, once upon a time, come a upon a curio in your day, I speak specifically of those wooden animal statuettes. You can go around, round up 100 to 1000 people and give them all a lump of wood and say “carve something that will sell” – I’m betting you’ll only find a couple worth keeping (let alone worthy of a sale), yet this industry (somehow has been shunted from labelled as sculpturing) is relegated by the art industry and labelled “Arts & Crafts”. Just because someone doesn’t own a degree or even a formal education (specifically in the Arts), does not mean that person’s work is less good, or less relevant. That individual was inspired by a variety of things, most times pure circumstance, whatever the case; the result is a piece of art which they have toiled over, more often than not with their entire livelihood at stake… Just the other day I saw paintings of a 5 year old American boy selling for thousands of dollars (and that with no tertiary training); hence formal education has little to do with the product. It says something that practically all the great artists were poor in their day, some even trading their works for a meal… living, creating, day by day… So, to conclude; on the earlier question of art stagnating, and thence the future of Art... Art has been described as an indefinable and boundless thing/form, meaning the possibilities are endless, and as is so often the case when initially exploring a theory on a topic (in this case), one is enlightened and finds new avenues. Here's a quote of an artist friend of mine who was happy to share his opinion on what the future holds: The next great artist and art form will be found in the digital environment, is my opinion. We are still in an experimental stadium... Technique is taking all over, so obviously this also will happen in art… So, the Digital environment then, as the world wades through the plethora of new technology and how best to apply/implement it in/to our lives - so Art is in a veritable stage of self rediscovery (hence the labyrinth image) - exploring where it will venture to next. If you're still in the dark on this, then I urge you to explore it. Here's some images and quick links into this realm - the future: Digital Art - (& mini Artist Feature) |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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