Each new day...

Every day is a new day. A new day to start fresh with your dreams and goals.

Yes, life gets complicated on occasion. Sometimes those complications are of our own making. We make choices about what we are going to do in the next few minutes, and sometimes those minutes explode into hours. In the process our dreams and goals are left in the dust, and we don't have enough time left in the day to pursue them. Maybe this is a lack of discipline; maybe this is an "unconscious" attempt at avoiding the really important things in life. I'm not sure on occasion.

What about our dreams... those elusive things we wish to see happen, but just never come into view. Is the answer in blocking everything else out except those few things and concentrating on those few items? Unfortunately, that does not work for me. There are too many others areas of my life that need attention to zero in on a few selected goals.

On the other hand. Maybe the key is to un-complicate things and shed a lot of things that don't serve the major goal. OK, I have read the time-management books like you have. I have been a slave to my day-timer (when it was paper - remember those days?). I am not sure my life was much different than when I was going day to day, solving problems - my own and others; chasing kids; going about daily work. It just seemed at the time that the chaos was a little more organized.... and made me feel better about it. (Not dissing planners etc).

Personally, I have found satisfaction in being able to help someone 'in the moment'. To be an agent of change and hope in someone else's life. How is that measured? Sorry... there's no way to measure the effects of a 'word spoken in season' (as the KJV Bible puts it.) I suppose the accumulation of small acts of kindness and courtesy can add up to 'a life well lived.' Why not?

The Deer

Deer

Heart beats quicken
Game is on the run
The beauty of the the beast
Draws a longing gaze

I raise my bow
Aim at the heart
Agonizing patience
Ponder the path

I see her eyes
Steeled toward me
Calmly release
The powerful bow

My heart fixes
on easy prey
My goal
To own and consume

I am skilled
In the art
Of taking...
for myself

What stands before me
Catching my eye
My heart envelops
The object of desire

The Triumph...Empty
As I awaken
The Hunt is illusory
Clouding my heart





"The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9 (New Living Translation)

Friends Facing the Future

This is a message for my dear friends, John, Jill and Josh, who read my blogs regularly.

You know our God is Mighty, and has Power beyond all knowledge. You trust in our Savior, and testify of His love and mercy in your lives. There are no sermons that can adequately address all that is happening in your lives at the moment. There are no words that can 'fix it' for you.

BUT, there is Love from the "Father of Lights" that surrounds you and, amazingly enough, comes by means of God's people on occasion. That we can be a little help to you in your need gives us joy beyond words. Our church family is hovering over you in prayer as you face the illness (and related issues) that God has allowed you face at this time in your ongoing relationship with Him.

Don't give up. We love you.

Norway Fjords

This is a haunting shot of the Fjord trip we took in Norway. Another example of digital magic. We had an absolutely beautiful day on this trip, and our host, Irene, said the weather is not always as cooperative. Hope you enjoy this shot.

Peter's wedding.

My oldest son, Peter, and his lovely bride, Kristin, as I officiate at their wedding.
What a joy and privilege for me!
These pictures are from a very talented young lady who gave the photos the sepia treatment. Very well timed photography. Not to take away from the beauty of the occasion of the Wedding of course.
This was a wonderful, magical wedding that was very different than any other wedding I have taken part in. Peter and his bride are very happy together, and they will be a huge blessing and encouragement to those they will reach out to in the future.
What a beautiful couple! What a beautiful wedding.

digital photos

Sunne, Sweden.

An incredibly beautiful little town.
What amazes me is the quality of photos that you can make with the small point and shoot digital cameras! I can remember the days when you had to wait to see if you got the shot... and in the process snap off about a dozen photos at 40cents each hoping one of them might be a 'keeper' . I deliberately left this one 'raw' with no digital monkey business! My camera for this shot: Fujifilm Finepix Z5... with up to 6 meg. Anyway, I love this picture and it brings back many good and happy memories of our trip to Sweden to visit our friends there.

If you are wondering, the church in the background, tying the composition together is the State Lutheran Church. The Swedes take their "church" seriously. In fact we were told that before a new town is established, the government builds a church first before anything else. (Don't know if that is fokelore or not).

I became interested in photography at the age of 10 or so. I learned darkroom processing when my parents bought me a complete set (second hand). I never really perfected darkroom techniques until in college when I did most of the photography (from camera to yearbook). I could never afford good equipment, but did the best with what I had.

I remember telling myself, when digital cameras first came out, that I would NEVER go digital. Well, my first digi was a Nikon Coolpix, the first generation. After I started seeing the results from that 2Meg camera, I virtually stopped using 35mm cameras. Say, I have a really well-kept Olympus OM system, complete with original Olympus lenses... if you want the set, let me know... make me an offer I can't refuse. (I am so 'sold' on digital, I have no real desire to shoot 35 anymore- something I thought would never happen.)