In my first year at college, I walked into a Christian (adjective, not the noun) bookstore for ideas to decorate my dorm room. I noticed the art on the walls. So this is what Christian art looks like. I didn’t disagree with the truth displayed, I just wasn’t into quaint scenes with cottages and deer, or moments that are precious. 

I had a vision. “It would be sweet to create art of my faith that was formatted differently.” Everything starts with vision, but remains incomplete without obedience. I had some talent because my Dad was a artist, but hadn’t painted since I was a junior in high school. To this day I’ve never attended art school or taken a post education art course.

That moment was like when God told Sarah she was going to give birth to a son. I doubted (Genesis 18:12). I didn’t rush out to buy art supplies and years passed while I searched for a vision that had already been given.

After we graduated from North Central University, my wife and I worked corporate jobs in Minnesota. We worked, and we worked hard. We moved to California as I continued to get promoted and soon was clearing a large income in my early twenties.

It has been the forgiveness of others, ourselves, obedience, and complete brokenness that led us to the next chapter.

We returned to Minnesota, slept on my brother-in-law’s floor while trying to find a place to live, and what God was doing in my life. We found a house, and I worked mudding drywall, which is an art in itself. Exhausted, one evening I locked myself in the basement and told God I wasn’t leaving until He told me what I was to BE with my life. I said I would die in the basement rather than leave not knowing. Hours passed and finally He spoke through my tears. “I already told you.”

Instantly I remembered when I stood in the Har Mar Mall off Snelling Avenue in Roseville MN and had that vision, “It would be sweet to create art of my faith and format it differently.” This time I didn’t doubt, but like Joseph, I proclaimed (Genesis 37:5). 

Telling my wife was fun. “Hey honey, I’m going to be an artist.” 
“You’re what?” 

I rushed out and bought art supplies.

So it began. It was my HERE moment. What's yours?

 

I never set out to speak at all the places I do including public schools, become an author, paint live during a message or a worship service, unlock the creative gift in others, or consult creativity for ministries. I just wanted to be His masterpiece, and become the one He wanted me to be. After all, His greatest work is us, and our greatest work is becoming Him.

I’m not qualified, trained, worthy, or able in my own strength, yet the path was set. New vision was revealed. Obedience and sacrifice always precede this vision. Vision grows like fruit and is nurtured with obedience and sacrifice.

We have seen much fruit in our own lives and in the lives that God has allowed us to touch. This hasn’t come without a cost, it never does. Love always cost something. We all have gifts, talents and abilities that will change this world and sometimes we don’t know they exist until God truly gets a hold on us.

We named this thing we do No One Underground because of a vision I had after reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, (I played trumpet in high school so I like verses having to do with trumpets) and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

This got me thinking, if you’re not dead in Christ, you’re left in the ground. We don’t want to see anyone left in the ground on that day. We want to leave No One Underground.

No One Underground has changed, learned, grown, and has an exciting vision for the future that includes you.  God has called me to write, create more art, continue speaking and painting in public schools and behavioral health clinics with focused intent.

I couldn’t send a principal, teacher, or administrator to No One Underground with the regulations about religion in schools.  I won’t burn bridges with a school community or business leader by trying to slip past them what they would call religion. I respect the landscape we live in. I believe God is bigger than the landscape.

We started our 501c3 nonprofit titled Painting Hope, www.paintinghope.com to partner with you to reach our world more effectively.  The vision for the future far out weighs our financial strength. You can partner with us yearly, monthly, or by shopping the NOU store.

This is not a slick set up to ask for your money. I don’t want people to partner with us because our marketing is slick but because our mission is yours. We need people to send us. Luke 10:2 says, “...ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” For many, NOU is the answer to that prayer.

We would not be here without God’s favor, mercy, and those who helped us along the way. We hold loosely to our ministry, try not to take ourselves too serious because after all, it’s all His.

Thank you for hearing a bit of our story, we pray it has now become part of yours.

Remember, there is no trailer hitch on a hearse. The war is raging, so rage on. Let’s leave No One Underground.