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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I want to thank you again for a most life-changing four days at Ad Lib. I loved every moment and am already looking forward to next year! It was a privilege to be part of a group of Christian artists of every discipline. (Karen O’Connor, Author)
Thanks for creating a think-tank, relationship-building, retreat-type conference. I enjoyed it very much because I’m currently at a point where I see value in doing that. Thanks for the spiritual tone. If we wish to create that which is Christian, it’s critical that our creative endeavors flow out of our relationship with the Creator. Much to feed our spirits and souls. Thanks for the emphasis on excellence. Encouraging excellence can be tricky as it requires evaluation, and evaluation can kill as well as challenge. On the other hand, unless we wrestle for improvement, we’ll stagnate and when we settle for mediocre, we spawn more of the same. Somehow, there needs to be both a safe, encouraging atmosphere that stimulates growth where what is excellent is modeled in every art form, whether music, art, drama, or writing. Go for the best! (Patricia Souder, Director, Montrose [PA] Christian Writers Conference)
I’m grateful for all the supportive and open-minded Christians this conference has drawn. I also love the variety in the agenda of the conference, the different types of artists being represented, the laid-back atmosphere and the spiritual overtones. (Mary Blye Howe, Author)
AD LIB - I loved it. I had no particular expectations, except that God would be somehow manifest, and of course He was. I was greatly blessed by the rich assortment of mature faith and artistry I found, and honored to have special time and place given to me in such a group. (Sanne McCarthy, Chair, Drama Department, CO Christian University)
I liked the very informal atmosphere, the fact that facilitators participated in all the events and were very available to us, and the ease of meeting people and striking up a conversation. The setting was beautiful and the food bountiful, both of which made us feel quite pampered. I also liked being exposed to people’s work, because this gives a different (fuller) perspective on the person. (Lola Scobey, Colorado Springs)
I sense AD LIB is one-of-a-kind and exceptional. Its principle is sound and enriching. The collaboration with other artistic disciplines is rich and unusual. This year’s AD LIB was so wonderful. I wanted never to leave. I felt so much love and encouragement. (Nancy Goes, Christian Fine Arts Association; AD LIB Advisory Board)
I appreciated so much the commitment to keeping focused on Him. I was just thinking that as we met afterward to talk, it was mentioned that many of the comments had to do with the spiritual tone of our days together. And that was what it was all about. Programs are important, to a certain extent. Encouragement of one another is vital. But what makes this retreat different is that it is not a conference to program out time with, but a retreat to keep us open to Him. (Ethel Herr, Author; AD LIB Associate Director)
Here’s my response, succinct and heartfelt: AD LIB was unlike any other conference I can recall. Quite simply, it was for me a very special interregnum. (Leonard Goss, Author; Acquisitions/Development, BROADMAN & HOLMAN Publishers; AD LIB Advisory Board)
The AD LIB retreat was a true Sabbath. My "clock" in now on analog and not digital. It is ticking with the rhythm of the surf and not with the buzz of the 60 cycle drone of all household appliances. I am now human again and determined to resist the call of the cacophonous crowd calling me away from the Sabbath walk. (Derrel Emmerson, Pastor; Author; AD LIB Chaplain)
Ad Lib was so rich in so many ways; it impacted me emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Listening to our speakers, conversations at meals, prayers, listening to Derrel late at night reading "God’s Trombone", images of Jerusalem from Ethel, the wind blowing through the trees, Joy and Scotty’s drama, the music that still echoes its verses in me, and on and on. Plunged back into a busy schedule, I’ve found myself sharing bits and pieces whenever appropriate with others or reminding myself. (Marcy Weydemuller, Author)
I went through a period of sorrow after the retreat. It felt as if I had left my family. It surprised me just how connected we can all become in such a short amount of time … I think it is our "Holy Kindred Spirit": A thought I’ve had just recently about this: Because out educational system is so geared toward the left side of the brain, most creative thinkers stop using that part of who they are at a very young age. This is then coupled with the many messages we get that "you’ll never make a living in the arts, you have to have a marketable skill", or "the arts is not a serious vocation, it is something you do in your spare time". These messages give any creative person the idea that their gifts and talents are not only not worth pursuing, but also not a valuable way to contribute to society. Therefore, there are many creative souls out there who are struggling to be who they are, to find a place where they feel welcomed and valued, a place where they belong. This is the kind of place I find at an AD LIB retreat. When we gather, I often get the sense that the early Church may have had, that we are seeking refuge with each other for a time so that we can gain the strength to go out and minister in the hostile world … that we come together to discover His Truth about who He has made us by seeing His image in each other as it is expressed through our writing, drama, art music, etc. I believe that God’s creative children are very strategic in the spiritual war that is taking place. They are the ones who usher in worship. These days, what should be the banquet table of worship in a church service has been reduced to hamburger helper. Could this be because those with the song aren’t singing? Could God be calling out His creative children because He is moving His church towards revival? If this is true, it seems only right that he bring His creative children out of captivity and bondage first so that they can blow the trumpet around the walls of the city, so that they can dance and sing and paint His praises … so they can weave the words that describe His glory, His beauty, His coming again. I could go on and on with these thoughts. I’ve been thinking about this for a few years as God has been bringing me out of my own "captivity". He has used AD LIB to do that in my life and I feel sure that He has plans to use it for this and other even greater purposes in the lives of other sleeping artists. The work echoes eternity, and I am SO excited to be part of it. PLEASE, let me know how I can be of service to help it move in the direction God is taking it. (Betsy Tinker, Writer)
This year’s retreat was once again a blessing. I came to AD LIB very drained and discouraged with issues pertaining to ministry work as well as my personal walk with the Lord. I knew that God had a refreshing for me at this retreat and He did not let me down! AD LIB has become an oasis for me, a place to rejuvenate, a place to connect with other creative brothers and sisters, truly a place for Sabbath. I found the strength to carry on in the call that the Lord gave me as well as renewing His vision for me personally and CFAA. AD LIB is truly becoming a family of believers of every denomination without compromise to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This song aptly declares the purpose of AD LIB: "Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me". Amen and Amen! (Sue Gibbons, Director Christian Fine Arts Association; AD LIB Advisory Board)
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