Happy 2011!

'Tis the Season...

Just a reminder to those ordering gifts from the website this

Christmas Season-all mail orders

must be placed by Monday, December 13,

to make it on time for the holidays,

if you don't want to incur extra shipping charges!

Merry Christmas

Here's something fun...

A friend of mine, (who I graduated from high school with,) has an

amazing blog for do-it-yourselfers. (Is that an actual word?)

It is loaded with creative and inventive project ideas and

step-by-step instructions on how to do these projects.

Register and have the opportunity to win a copy of

"Unbutton My Heart," (my autobiography)

and the story of how Poetry Art came to be

http://itssoverycheri.com/2010/11/07/give-a-way-time-poetry-art-by-launa/

San Francisco was SUPERB!

I loved getting to see everyone and exhibiting the art at the

ATTACH conference.

What FUN people, great hearts and enthusiasm...old friends and new.

It was just what Marty and I needed to refresh.

Hope to get there next year in Omaha.

It's hard to believe 9/11 was already 9 years ago...

My Australian next door neighbor gave me the news.

I was working in my art studio and I wondered how this was going to effect our country and personal aspects of my life.

We were in the midst of an international adoption from Viet Nam.

Would we be hindered from flying their and picking up our daughter?

(Turns out we were until January of 2002)

I had two sales reps on the road in a southern state and I was concerned whether they would have trouble returning home from their trip.

As I worked on a different painting, with a heavy heart for what was

occurring in New York, I conceived this piece that day.

(I did the poetry and image during the uncertain weeks that followed.)

Finding Strength In the Broken Places

Together

We are finding strength in the broken places

Through lifting up prayers

Clutching faith with both hands

And balming each other's wounds

We will see color in the hopeless spaces

In that morning

When the light comes shining through

That will be when

Instead of shattered dreams

We will see infinite beauty

As though staring at a stained glass window

With all the jagged pieces fitted together

Even now it seems a bit clearer

That you and I are more than just faces

We are fortified souls

Brought in communion through pain

Yet this present sorrows bred within us a new courage

To keep the door of our hearts open

And allow hope and healing

To tiptoe in again

Launa (c)

THIS BLOG IS DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WEBSITE:

WWW.Poetryart.net

&

WWW.Globalimpactworldrelief.org

Two years ago, I took a much needed sabbatical of sorts from creating Poetry Art. I have not discontinued doing business or working with select galleries, but I had taken a break from personal appearances, promotion and actual painting. After almost twenty years and three children, it was time for a rest and reevaluation about how I really wanted to go forward with this art form, the business and the ministry of "Art that Heals the Heart."

(We also completed our family by welcoming a 2 year old boy, from the foster care system. He was/is a broken hearted and wounded spirited little guy and my calling as a Mommy is more important than a career! My priority is helping him heal and integrate into our special tribe.) As always, charity begins at home!

Taking this time off was beneficial, as it gave me time to focus on being creative in other ways. I actually wasn't certain whether I would return to Poetry Art at all, as I felt such a need to "lay it all down." It was in the hands of God and He seems to be nudging me forward...so, I am back!

I have been blessed with a new office and studio building on our property and am stocking it with all sorts of good art supplies and fun stuff to go forward. I am absolutely revitalized and have got a better "vision" for what I'd like to do and where I'd like to go.

Poetry Art has always been about helping at risk children and I don't see that ending; not in the least. As a matter of fact, I already have several projects planned that will continue that mission worldwide. As a mom of adopted children, I also continue to see myself as an advocate for the fatherless, the forgotten and those who feel "thrown away" or valueless. The core of what I do is my faith and that focus will continue throughout the imagery and poetry too.

I want to move forward in raising funds for AIDS orphans and HIV+ moms, children damaged by war and natural disasters, adoptees and those waiting for a forever family and displaced women and children. I have a dream of doing art camps in border camps, in slums, orphanages and in displacement camps and impoverished nations around the world. Please keep checking in as I will be promoting a print to raise money for that goal and continue the "Joy Bag" project as well.

Oh, one more thing-

I will be in San Francisco for the ATTACH conference, Sept. 22-25 at the Crown Plaza I look forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones there!

Dropping the Rock

It was heavy, quite cumbersome, holding the girth of that rock

My fingers laced around its cool stomach, a white knuckled clutch

He told me to drop it, “Please, just let it go.”

But as awful as that big stone was and as hard as it was to carry

I didn’t wish to see it leave, it somehow felt safe, familiar

For me, it represented love, security, family

He said, “Put it down and I will give you something better.”

“Something worthy of your care, something of real value.”

But I continued to hang onto that stone for dear life

I didn’t want to face uncertainty, I didn’t want my hands to be empty

They had never been that way before

Having this exhausting burden was better than not having anything at all

Or so I thought

“Let it go.” He murmured softly into my ear

So with a groan, I let it slip, it tumbled to the earth

It rolled very slightly and found comfort in a shallow niche

My bottom lip quivered as I fought back embittered tears

Although I felt much lighter already, I was still sad to see it go

I stared at my bare palms, they were open, naked and forlorn

Unused to this barren state, they looked pink and pitiful, terribly small

Here was the moment I had dreaded, it was a terrifyingly frightening time

Now, I had to trust the promise that my friend had made me

This would require pure faith, the kind I wasn’t sure I contained

“Just put them together.” He humbly requested

“To form a deepened cup.”

This he instructed while pointing to my hands, I obeyed in silence

I had given up my cherished rock, what more was there to lose?

With my eyes tightly closed and apprehension in my womb

I waited for that longed for gift, the replacement for my pain

I waited for what seemed like an eternity, I breathed, sighed and waited

It didn’t happen all at once, I even wondered if it would occur

But soon, as he had vowed, it began to pour into my hands

I felt the prickles of a ticklish rain, massage my upturned palms

At first, it stung, then kind of kissed and quickly filled the hole

The sensation was like a spray of baby breath with fairy dust

And a dash of perfect peace

Finally, I could stand it no longer, my eyelids fluttered open

I had to see this thing!

With a cry, with a gasp, to my utter astonishment

Something beautiful had indeed been wrought

My hands were filled with diamonds

Yes, DIAMONDS!

Big ones, clear and true

Like stars misplaced from heaven

They twinkled, glistened and gleamed

I returned my gaze to the brown rock, it hadn’t moved an inch

It was speckled and arrayed in dirt

Mired in the paralyzing clay

I looked again at the gems that were overflowing in my hands

And a realization hit me strong

“I can’t believe I treasured that!” I sighed

My amazement filled my soul

Out of breath, half out of my mind

I began to giggle, loud and unabashed

Still unsure as to what all of this meant

I glanced at my best friend

He was laughing too

There was a mystery here indeed…

“God is pleased to fill your hands with diamonds.” He explained

“But they must first be empty and open…”

So there is room to receive them.”

© Launa Stan

Article as seen in Truth Alive Magazine (Kerala, India),

June 2010 Issue:

A Living Poem

My earliest memories are filled with my father telling me that I was worthless because I was born a girl. His cruel words peeled away any sense of value that I might have initially possessed. I spent decades trying to prove him wrong. I sought importance through a myriad of worldly means, before Jesus rescued my tattered heart and saved my soul. What a mess I had become when He found me in my sin.

I believed that I was worth loving only if I was beautiful enough, physically fit, successful in my vocation, clever and highly knowledgeable in multiple areas. Despite all my achievement, I still fought with bouts of self-loathing. The old recordings in my head continued to say that I was nothing.

I love Ezekiel 16 because it describes the spiritual condition that Lord found me in, “…on the day you were born, your navel cord was not cut nor were you washed in water…no eye pitied you…but you were thrown out in an open field and were loathed…and when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said, “Live!” The verses go on to tell of how He had compassion and washed this unloved infant and claimed it. It continues to say that He anointed, clothed and adorned it with costly jewels. In verse 8, God spread His wing to cover the shame of nakedness and “You became mine.”

It has taken me years to understand that my true value does not come through my appearance, the number of dollars in my bank account or what people think of me, but it is because I am His child. The idea that God Almighty would make a sacrifice of His own flesh and blood son for my purchase continues to boggle my mind.

The promised Messiah wouldn’t have died for a worthless human being.

One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 2:10. It tells me that I am His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. The word “workmanship” is actually “poema,” which means, “Poem.” I am God’s own work of art, His poetry in motion! It is an incredible thought. I do an art form that uses my own poems to form the imagery; I visualize this verse being the same way. God’s children are walking Poetry Art. I often wonder if I looked closely at my brothers and sisters in Christ, would I see God’s own verses all over them? How often do we walk past the Lord’s poems because of their outward filth and shabbiness, in what station of life they were born into or how unlovable they appear? Imagine what divine beauty we miss!

This piece of art, "Tapestry of Entwined Arms" was commissioned by the Summit County Children's Services in Akron, Ohio some years back. The original painting hangs in their lobby. I have offered this print for sale as a signed edition, however there are less than ten prints left for sale.

Please see details about pricing and shipping on the website:WWW.Poetryart.net

Beneath the image is the poetry that the art is made from.

(Note, the shine on the right side of print is from a flash.)

Detail

Tapestry Of Entwined Arms

I have seen a captivating fabric

So artistically woven

With deliriously bright colors

And small intricate patterns

Only the finest materials

And adornments were chosen

To craft and embroider

Such a masterful piece

One would suspect

That this most priceless of treasures

Would delight, transcend

Intrigue and inspire

Such a generous gift

Could bring undeniable pleasure

To be enjoyed

For grateful generations to come

Yet, instead of being valued

It has been left to fray

Rather than being cherished

Or sheltered

It has been ignored, neglected

Left in disarray

Vibrant hues have become faded

All the patterns are askew

Having been unskillfully patched

Even knotted in places

It looks completely different

Than it did when it was new

This magnificent fabric I speak of

That is fast becoming unraveled

Is our children

Each one a precious thread

With a place in the weave

Though some of the strings are loose

Twisted or broken

It isn’t too late to believe

That we can restore to the innocent

The legacy of this great heirloom

That is rightfully theirs

A priceless tapestry of entwined arms

Crossed legs and laughing eyes

Of crooked smiles, bashful stares

And sweet, uncontrived wisdom

It is in our hands to unleash their potential

Open up a kaleidoscope of imaginations

Give them grass and flowers

And vast butterfly skies

But especially the undaunted courage

To dream beyond the clouds they know

We have experienced this fabric

In our own lifetime

Now, we must foster within ourselves

The bravery to help them see

We must look beyond our own four walls

To find those strands and reach for them

Bring them home, hold them dear

Smooth them out and weave them in

Do whatever it takes for them to mend

So piece by piece and bit by bit

This tapestry of enchanted youth

Can be made whole again

©Launa

My wholehearted thanks to everyone

who purchased Poetry Art

in January-March 2010

to benefit

the vulnerable people of Haiti!

I will be posting updates in the near future as to

how we will be handling the outreach to Port-Au-Prince.

Keep checking back.

100% of Poetry Art purchases made from this website (WWW.Poetryart.net) as well as gallery wholesale purchases and reorders in February and March (and already January)

will be donated to aid the vulnerable people of Haiti.

We (Global Impact) plan a vision/outreach and assessment trip to Haiti

in the upcoming months.

The disaster relief that is happening right now is the first wave,

which is providing people with the essentials to sustain life.

When the major relief organizations leave or pare

down their staff (and they will, they are set up to be first

responders to each cataclysmic occurrence,) then we will go in.

My heart aches for the children, the multitudes of orphans that are being

left to fend for themselves. We will definitely bring relief,

Joy Bags and other tangible aid,

but will be looking to see the possibility of doing a

long term work, as we did in

Gujarat, India, after the earthquake there.

(We build a school.)

So...if you have thought about ordering a print,

card, book and have been putting it off,

here's a good reason to do it fairly soon!

-Launa

APPEAL for the Vulnerable People of Haiti:

As many friends and collectors of Poetry Art know,

my passion is for outreach and being able to help those who for a variety of reasons cannot help themselves. My husband Marty and I formed Global Impact in 1999 to do just that...

our mission statement specifies that we aid those who are hurting

because of disease, poverty, wars and natural disasters.

The moment I heard of the horrible earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010 in

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, I knew we HAD to do SOMETHING!

Let me share a bit of our history...early on, right after we gained Non-profit status, we did a mission to Turkey. An earthquake in that region had decimated the towns of Duzce and Izmit. Because of the outpouring of generous Global Impact supporters, we were able to give physical aid and support in a tent city and finance the building of sanitary latrines and showers for the refugees as well.

In December of 2001, the worse earthquake in India's recorded history crushed the Gujarat region. Again, our hearts were moved to something. As soon as the major relief organizations moved on to the next disaster, we partnered with an Indian national (who we still work with today) and financed and opened a grade school in the rubble strewn area.

Now, Haiti is suffering devastation and we are committed to helping. Will you help Haiti too?

These arrangements are in the fundamental stages and I will post more, as we know more.

If you want to make a tax deductible gift to the vulnerable of Haiti, please mail to :

GLOBAL IMPACT WORLD RELIEF

7470 E. Gumtree Lane

Prescott Valley, AZ 86314

WWW.GLOBALIMPACTWORLDRELIEF.org

Remember that you need to indicate on the check, "Emergency Fund for Haiti."

You will receive a tax deductible receipt by mail.

Global Impact is a 501 (c) 3 non profit org. registered in the state of AZ

If you have further questions, email me (Launa) at:

LStan@globalimpactworldrelief.org

or Poetryartist@yahoo.com

or Marty at Mstan@globalimpactworldrelief.org

This blog is done in conjunction with WWW.Poetryart.net

Poetry art by Launa

We are pretty excited about some of the outreach projects we are planning for

Global Impact World Relief

for the year 2010...

Me (looking pretty glamorous in my Wellies) sorting through and doing inventory.

Marty is the muscles of the operation.

We are grateful for the donations, both cash, in kind and volunteer hours that so

many people have given in 2009.

Thank you Joy Wili for sewing so many HUNDREDS of Joy Bags and financially

committing to filling them!

We also want to say a HUGE thank you to the Kim Family (Mom, Tony and Hannah)

for the tremendous in kind donation of FANG garments and fabric for more Joy Bags!!!!

(These are the 1,600 pounds of boxes that are pictured above.)

As many people know, I was the very first Designer for the Junior label Fang, way back when...

This great company and it's ownership have been faithful and generous

supporters of Global Impact and we couldn't do what we get to do

for vulnerable people worldwide without the giving hearts like theirs.

We endeavor to continue our relief work to AIDS orphans and HIV+ moms in Zambia and to street children in India as well as expand into Mexico, US Native American Reservations and to the needy in Romania. If you would like to learn more, visit WWW.Globalimpactworldrelief.org