Search For The Light

Mountain on Fire by Lawrence Wolfe

(click on photo to see larger version)

I got up early this morning, on a Saturday, to go search for the light! So many mornings while I'm stuck at my desk at my day job, there has been some beautiful morning light for photography. My husband took the above photo about this time last year. The mountain appeared to be on fire, lit by the earliest morning sun beams. This is what I hoped to find today. But it was not so.

The beams of orange light, glowing over the eastern horizon quickly turned to a dull yellow, blocked by cloud and denied to break thru & light the mountains I was set up to shoot. I could see the edges of blue sky along the western horizon, some glowing yellow light to the south, but nothing came through the clouds to light anything for my lens. It just wasn't meant to be this morning.

However, the forecast calls for some sun later in the day, so perhaps I'll get my chance with the light later this afternoon.

Looking for light for photography can be compared to human's search for enlightenment. Everybody seeks SOMETHING. And we all go about it in different ways. Often, we can get on the wrong path, the wrong idea to finding what we seek. And we take this path, hoping to find the light we are longing for only to be disappointed at the outcome, like I was this morning.

Its only when we seek the true 'light of this world' that we can be truly enlightened.

Jesus said in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another" 1 John 1:7

And when we receive this light that we seek, we then become lights pointing the way for others to find what they seek.

"You may become blameless and harmless, children of God without falut in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Philippians 2:15

So when you do meet someone who is searching for this type of light, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Be Still!

Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! ~ Psalm 46:10

Something New

So I've decided to try something new. I've been so impatient for spring photography that I thought I'd try my hand at some indoor photography with a white sheet. So I went to the store on a rainy ugly day on the weekend & bought a nice new white sheet. After several ironing attempts it took laundering the sheet twice to get all the fold creases out of it. Got myself a little set up in a corner of the living room and stole both desk lamps from our office for my little project.

Shooting indoors against white is harder than I thought. For starts, for outdoor photography, I almost always set the white balance on my camera to "Cloudy" because I like the warmth it captures. But it was making the white sheet very yellow so I adjusted it to 'tungsten' in order to 'cool' the white down. This helped with making the white look whiter.

However, due to having lights on both sides, I found I was getting a lot of ghastly shadows so it took several shots & light repositioning. I also noticed that if there were any creases in the sheet, they would cast a shadow too. So I pinned & pulled & straightened it as much as I could.

Lone pineapple - desaturated

The pineapple, by the way, was a very willing & patient model. Hardly moved a muscle! The pinecones, however, got attacked by my meowing assistant and eventually busted into crackles on the floor. The assistant was then fired & sent outside.

I also tried different levels of flash output. Eventually I found that if I wrapped one piece of tissue around the flash gave me just the right amount of light. And with the two desk lamps pointed just so and the shutter speed slowed down, I could still get enough light without the flash at all.

So, I spent the better part of an afternoon snapping & flashing, repositioning and learning. Then I got to the post processing on the computer for some more tweaking. I've only just begun & have realized that there is a lot more to it than I first imagined. And that with a few afforable tools, I've discovered a whole new world of photography to learn. Definitely a great way to spend a rainy cold afternoon. With a little practice, I might be able to turn out some pretty good shots.

Another suggestion, I found on the internet, is to use a large white cardboard instead of a sheet...but I will continue with my sheet testing a little longer.

Valentine's Day

A Valentine's Message out of chocolate!

Its Valentine's Day! The day of love! The day of sweethearts! The day of romance! Cards, flowers, chocolates and teddy bears will be flying off the shelves at elevated prices for today. Restaurants will bring out their special 'Valentine's Day' menus that are always at least 50% more than any other day of the year. Couples will be engaged today, fall in love today or be reminded of romance by their loved ones. Other couples will use this day to emphasize their already romantic relationship. And still other couples realize they don't need a special day to show their love for they show it each and every day.

I was a bit cynical on love and romance for a couple years. Divorce has a nasty way of doing that to people, as some of you may be able to relate. But something happened...love found me again. Found me when I stopped believing in it. Love had this amazing way of creeping up on me & forcing bitterness out of my heart to make room for its ever expanding ways. Simple special moments, one by one, filled my life with smiles.

And since then, I have had not only 2 very special but memorable Valentine's Days, but nearly 3 years of love-filled moments making every day special. This is our third Valentine's Day together and the morning is like any other, we drink coffee together, content in the quiet peace of being in the same room, never doubting that we are in love!

On the Way

Motorcycle season yet?

I think its becoming pretty obvious that I'm getting impatient for spring. It was a bit easier not to think about it when there was snow on the ground but the valley bottom is back to its regular "February Brown" color and now I get antsy. Patience is a virtue I need to work on.

Today was the first morning that I felt like I could drive to work without headlights on. Not a sunny day, still typical low cloud, but it was bright. Oh how tempting it is to call in sick in the weeks building up to spring. Just want to strap on my hiking boots & head for the hills. But then, the hills are still covered in snow. So they aren't ready for me yet.

I think its just a longing to be outdoors, away from a desk, away from a cooped up building full of dust and paperwork & people with colds. I long for some fresh air, sun in my face, and the smell of the wet earth coming back to life. I'm longing for walking & hiking and riding on the motorbike, daylight past 4:30pm, sunrise before 7:30am.

Are you eagerly anticipating spring? Is your world still covered in snow & ice or starting to thaw? I can't be the only one with this longing so please share with me yours!

Spring Yet?

Is it Spring yet?

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him ~ Psalm 31:7

The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:8

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ~ 1 Timothy 6:11

Wait on the LORD;Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! ~Psalm 27:14

No More Sea: Sunday Theology

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." Revelation 21:1

Approximately 70% of our planet is covered by water. Oceans, seas, lakes, rivers. We are called The Blue Planet of the solar system due to our abundance of water. Without it, our planet would likely be desolate and barren. Water and the need for it affects everyone on earth. In countries in Africa there is a huge shortage of clean water. Seems so helpless when so much of the earth is covered in salt water.

What would the earth be like without our oceans? Would it become a great desert, with miles and miles of sand? Would the lakes and rivers have anywhere to go? What would sustain the greeness on our planet?

I have been curiously pondering this verse in Revelation 21:1 today. When the earth is renewed after the 1000 year reign, what does it mean by "there was no more sea"? I don't understand so I thought I would dig a bit to see what theologians had to say about this. What I found mostly, was that theologians focus on the first half of the verse, interpreting what the 'new heaven and new earth' would be and many of them seem to ignore that 'no more sea' part in their interpretations

However, I did find some information, mostly taken from the site Blue Letter Bible which offers several commentaries on most verses in the Bible

Some theologians interpret this literally, as it is. The oceans will be gone so that there is more landmass to house the redeemed from all the ages and they are free to spread out over the entire earth.

Another interpretation deems the sea as a representation of "perpetual unrest" so the absence of the sea would mean the presence of peace.

Another theologian, David Guzik, says that "To the Jewish mind, the sea was a place of separation and evil... the source of the satanic beast... and the place of the dead." so perhaps he means the absence of the sea then would be the absence of evil and death.

I found an interesting interpretation on a website of commentaries called Divine Plan that said this "the sea is a symbol for the masses of people in a restless and unstable anarchistic condition, just as the land represents the social order, and as the mountains represent the kingdoms of the present time. As there is no reference to the physical earth and physical heavens being destroyed, so there is no reference to the physical sea being obliterated. The symbol signifies that under the new arrangement, under the control of the new heavens or spiritual powers, the reconstructed social order will be so satisfactory, so complete, so thorough, that there will be no more sea-class, no more restless people, no more dissatisfaction, no more anarchists; everything will be reduced to law and order; and law and order will under the new regime secure justice to every creature, obliterating the differences of wealth and power as they now exist." Interesting, no? Click here if you want to read more from this same line of interpretation.

Well, I've found interpretations for both physical absence of the sea and metaphorical for this particular verse. I'm sure there are countless more commentaries to be read as Revelation is a book that has fascinated theologians for centuries. I'm not sure which interpretation I would prefer. I love the beauty and vastness of the oceans on our planet. But I also believe God could continue to sustain our world without the enormous quantity of water. Another thought that will, for now, remain a mystery to me until that time comes to pass.

Have you got an opinion of this verse? Please share it with me!

Heart's Desire

Reeds along a stream in winter waiting for Spring

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. " Proverbs 13:12

My husband and I were talking the other night while we watched a dvd series we had bought on the book of Daniel from JVI Ministries and it got us talking about blessings asked for and blessings received without asking.

We have each gone through periods in our life where we've begged & pleaded with God for the 'desires of our hearts'. So often, when we as people, are earnestly desiring something that may not be in line with God's will, we often hear His answers as "No" because we don't see results right away. What we are really missing is that still small voice saying "Patience".

Strangely enough, when the begging & pleading stops, and we open our hearts, it seems God takes that moment to say "now that you're listening, let me show you what I have for you, its so much better than what you thought you wanted." And it is! God knows our heart's desires even better than we do. But sometimes we're so concentrated on the thing we think we want, we may never open up our heart's to see what He's got in store for us.

So, my husband and I came to this conclusion that God had indeed granted us our heart's desire, once we stopped seeking for what we thought we wanted. But with this thought, we also concluded that now that He has blessed us so richly, being thankful isn't enough. How can we give back to God in appreciation for the blessings he's granted us? It has started the thought process and we're certain it will be a new challenge or goal in our lives.

Historical vs Old

"Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks" Ecclesiastes 10:18

I love coming across old barns or old cabins, especially in the middle of nowhere. There is so much to wonder about when I see one. I wonder who lived there. What sort of farm did they have? Is it really really old or has time and weather just been really hard?

My thoughts seem to be the same as many others for I always hear people saying "I love old barn photos.". This particular barn is not to far from where I live. I like to photograph it in the different seasons. I was out there on Sunday morning after a new dusting of snow to see if I could capture it in a white winter blanket.

It has signs on it now asking people to keep out for their own safety but visitors are more than welcome to explore all around the outside. It has definitely stood strong through many years.

I often wonder about the purpose of some heritage buildings. Though I appreciate many of them, like this barn, sometimes I wonder why others were even bothered with. A certain building in our town is going through the process of deciding whether or not it should be deemed a heritage building and if so, preventing any more upgrades to be done to it. This sort of annoys me because in my opinion, its just an old junky building. Though its history is important to the people who know it, its appearance and frame just come across as old. Maybe I'm just not sentimental enough but I believe a far greater good would be done by knocking it down, building a new building in its place and dedicating the new building with old photographs and the story of the building's history in its foyer.

I don't suppose I'll be asked to participate in this town's historical society any time soon. I do understand the purpose of heritage sites. If I didn't appreciate the buildings of the past, I wouldn't be photographing old barns & buildings. But sometimes I wonder if the effort of preservation is worth it in the long run on certain things, like this building in town. Its not really a building that tourists are going to drive by and notice and think "what a neat old building, lets stop here and look around.". But they may drive by and think "what an old building!" and keep driving by.

Or maybe I like small 'grasps' of history but don't appreciate saving the whole. For example, I can't wait to restore a junky old door with glass panes in it to replace a regular interior door in my house. Not because I know any of its history, just because I think it will look kind of cool and the glass will allow more light through. I suppose I could have just gone out and purchased some sort of french door to serve the same purpose but I'm attached to the thought of using this old one. And besides that, I got it free!

So, though it sounds like I'm a bit on the fence, I think I'm more about careful selection. Some historical things should be preserverd & revered, others are just old and its time to let them go!

Seeking Adventure?

Flying over Greenland - Photo by Jen Warkentin (my mom)

"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139:9-10

There are still some pretty remote places on this planet. But true wilderness, land untouched and undiscovered is getting to be a rare thing. Someone somewhere has a goal to be the first to see it, the first to walk on it, climb up it or swim under it. Deep jungles and rugged lands used to be a mystery, something that only National Geographic showed us and very few would venture into. Travelling to Antarctica had suddenly become trendy. Trekking the Himalayas is on many people's "Top Ten" lists. If there is somewhere on this planet you want to see, there is a tour operator waiting for you.

Of course, not everyone is meant for adventure. And not everyone longs for adventure. Or certain kinds of adventures. Though I love photos of the blue iceburgs of the Arctic Circle, penguins in Antarctica and Himilaya trekking, I don't think I'm meant for a COLD adventure. Unless I can greatly improve the circulation to my extremeties, my fingers and toes always get cold first leaving me uncomfortable, even with the proper gear. So for now, I'm convinced I should stick to warm weather adventuring.

Me - Rhinos - Zambia

I have to say, I'm a little bit glad that there is still a mystery surrounding the depths of our oceans. With so much water on this planet, there is still much to be discovered underneathe its depths. Every year there are announcements of newly discovery sea creatures, both large and small. Might be a blip in a headline or hit the back half of a newspaper. A few people see it and think "oh, that's neat." and the rest carry on without a care about the discovery.

It always brings me back to the verse, "This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great." Psalm 104:25 "Innumerable" always stands out at me, like a message that we aren't ever going to know the diversity of life under the sea. I've tried snorkelling a couple times and then I took a few scuba diving lessons in Africa. I was blown away! Swimming along underwater and being able to breathe is a fantastic experience, very surreal the first couple times. I couldn't believe the things I saw in my few short times. It was fascinating. I felt like I wasn't even on earth because I was seeing such new & amazing things. Not unseen by people before but a new discovery for me in somewhere that was formerly 'remote' to my way of thinking.

Scuba lessons in Malawi - Me on the left

I think there are still more adventures in store for my future and I wish them for you too. Discovering something 'new to you' about this planet can be an amazing experience. When I think of how God created this planet for us to discover I am reminded that there are no remote places to go that He isn't there with us. And I think it brings Him great joy to see us take pleasure in these discoveries. From the remotes of the Arctic, to the depths of our oceans, find something new that amazes you, even if its being fascinated by the leaves in your own backyards.

Cars

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

Just about anyone who knows me, knows I love my car. I drive this black Jetta. She's sporty, and cute all in one car. I adore my heated seats and my diesel fuel tank that goes twice as far as gas giving me more freedoms in driving further to where I want to go. The seat covers & steering wheel are covered with geckos. Right now, a snowman hangs from my rearview mirror. Its definitely a 'girl car'.

I love driving my car. I just love going for drives, even without a destination. It seems to be my replacement for the times I need to get out in nature to still my soul but don't have the time or place to go for a hike. Sometimes I'll crank up the stereo, sing along at the top of my lungs and sometimes I'll just drive in silence, more enthralled with the scenery around me or the thoughts in my head. I almost always can re-center myself out for a drive.

Though I love my car so much, I have a secret. I really want a truck one day! A red sporty 4x4, not too big, not too small. Nissan Frontier comes to mind. One to take me up in the mountains & backroads where my car is too delicate to go. But I am loyal to my car. Its taken me down many roads both literally & figuratively in my life. Its great to travel in, comfortable and reliable. Perfect for long road trips. I'll ward off the truck desires for a while longer in favour of my car.

Its hard not to be affected by the 'bigger & better' theme that is always bombarded in the marketing world. A bigger truck. A bigger house. A bigger boat. Bigger! Bigger! Bigger! More! More! More! I see it in my little town too. The battle of the big trucks. Competition is fierce. For such a small town, we probably see more Hummers than most of the valley. So much competition to appear important. Don't get me wrong, I think Hummers are pretty cool, but they've lost their appeal over this past year or so when I see their purposes around here. "look at me and be jealous" they seem to say. And truthfully, I've seen a few that I do feel 'jealous' of but not to the extent that I feel I need to join the competition.

Still, I take pride in my car but I think its more because I know where I've been and where I want to go. And I know my limitations. A loan for a big fancy new truck right now is out of the question and unneccessary. My car is paid off and we have other priorities. Maybe one day I'll have a little sporty red pick up but not right now. I don't need to be part of that 'bigger and better' world.

Peppers & other such sins

Thou shalt not eat a plate of nachos, delightfully indulging on jalepenos and green peppers, for thou knowest that they shalt give thee extreme indigestion & bloating & pain. Thus are the pestilences thou shalt bare for thine momentary pleasures of wrong doings.

Ok, you're saying - where in the Bible does it say that? Well it SHOULD say it in MY Bible because I obviously needed to read it yesterday!

siiigghhh! What a horrible sleep I had. What a tummy ache I have this morning!

So, after work, the three of us gals decided to go out for a drink and a visit. It had been a long week and we needed to talk about it. One gal ended up working late so two of us sat & vented about all & everything work related. But because we waited for girl #3 for so long, we ordered a plate of nachos, with everything on it. Now I KNOW BETTER than to eat green peppers and I NEVER eat jalepenos but for some reason 'drinkin & talkin' seemed to dull my judgement (I only had one drinkk but managed to pick off every tiny shred of green pepper I could find in the pile to ingest) The other gal finally showed up so we continued chatting & continued picking off the plate.

2 and a half hours later, I finally went home only to change my clothes & turn around and go back to the SAME pub to meet diff friends for appies. (I hoped the change of clothes would throw off the waitresses - I'm sure they had no clue that I was JUST there) We had a few wings & I had half a drink, no longer hungry or thirsty but enjoying the company. All was well, good visit, went home & was in bed by around 10.

However, when hubby woke up the first time at 1:00 I felt soooo blah. At 3:00 I went to the couch, burping & groaning. And about 4:30 when he got up cuz he couldn't sleep anymore I went back to the bed, still groaning. Got up at 7:30 and tummy is still in knots. So, I think its safe to say that I got my reminder about not eating PEPPERS. hehehe. Now I'm enjoying a coffee and will have some mild cereal in hopes of taming things in there.

So there you have it. My 'whine' for the week and my lesson learned!

Peace

"You will keep him in perfect peace who's mind is stayed on you" Isaiah 26:3

In the busyness of our every day lives, its easy to be consumed with our jobs, our families, our friends and our hobbies and forget to peacefully centre ourselves. In a world full of war, hate and turmoil, its hard to find a place of peace in our souls.

"World Peace" is that term that every body wants, the phrase every beauty queen states is her utmost goal, and something nobody really believes in.

Where is that place of tranquility, where you can step back from the world, from its horrors and terrors, from its nagging for your constant attention, and be still? It doesn't need to be a place of beauty & serenity, but it does need to be a place where you can quiet your mind.

It is said: "There is no peace,' says the Lord, 'for the wicked." Isaiah 48:22

In this world full of so much wicked, where is the hope for our peace. Our hope can only rest in God. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

My prayer for you today is that you have a place where you can be still, and allow the peace that comes from God give you rest and hope.

Light of Creation

Its going to be a beautiful day! I woke up this morning & saw the whole street was 'socked in' with fog and thought to myself 'Great! Another dull day of low cloud." I was soo wrong. Got into my cold frosty car & drove off into the spooky foggy darkness on my way to work. As I topped our hill I noticed this blazing light over the opposite horizon. It was the almost full moon, looking amazingly huge through the fog. Wow! It was breath-taking!

And then I looked over my shoulder to see the eastern horizon was just glowing orange, preparing for sunrise. I broke through the fog to see it was going to be a gorgeous clear day!

I could see that every twig, branch and blade of grass was encompassed in a sheath of white frost where ever the fog had touched, just waiting for the sun to crest over the horizon and bathe them in gold.

Its days like today that I mourn the fact that I'm sitting at a desk inside, staring at a computer all day when I wish to be outside taking it all in with all my senses...and my camera of course!

However, I realize that I am much luckier than many who are stuck at a day job all day. I'm not sitting in a cubicle, nor am I in the center of a cold dark building. I'm surrounded by WINDOWS! Over my right shoulder, the sun rises behind me over the mountains and travels across the sky over my shoulder through-out the day. Usually once it rises I have to close my blinds to the brightness or I can't see my monitor but it keeps me warm & bright all day. In front of me and to my right, I have two huge windows over looking the mountains and the valley to the north. I can see the weather coming, the wind direction (cuz I have a view of the airstrip wind-sock) and a view of some glorious mountains in front) If I get up and walk to my left, I have a view of the western hills, which are currently being illuminated by the rising sun. So while I may not be able to be OUT in the beauty of this valley each day, I can certainly enjoy seeing it from my desk all day long.

On a day like today, an old Sunday School song comes to mind that I share with you now: (I couldn't find who the author was for this song)

Morning sun, light of creation

Grassy fields, a velvet floor

Silver clouds, a shimmering curtain

He's designed a Perfect World

I'm amazed at His talents

Stand in awe of One so great

Now my soul begins to sing out

To the Source from which it came

Bless the Lord, who reigns in beauty

Bless the Lord, who reigns with wisdom and with power

Bless the Lord, who reigns my life with so much love

He's designed a perfect heart.