Photography, Trees, Cool, Crisp Air & A Breeze

Last Wednesday Debi and I went to an REI workshop on capturing Fall colors. There were a few photographic techniques that I learned and that was a lot of fun. We are planning to use our new skilz at Rancho San Rafael park or some other trail head soon. This brings me to a desire for a better camera. I'm thankful for the camera I have on the I-phone, but don't really have a lot of flexibility with it....zoom, lense options, etc., are lacking. Oh well. I'll enjoy what I've got and be content in it.

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There's something about trees that I'm fascinated with. The tree outside of Noel and Mo's house is so intriguing. I'm going to take a picture and try and sketch it sometime. Maybe it's the thought that below the surface of the earth there are roots shooting in various directions to keep that tree grounded and sturdy. Maybe it's the fascination I have with the variety of bark found on different trees. The leaves shapes are also quite intriguing for me. I think of all the scriptures referencing a tree....most specifically being rooted in Christ and being like that tree that's planted beside streams of living water....flourishing throughout life. I want to be a tree....Not literally, but in my spiritual walk. What started as a seed 21 years ago, I pray germinates into a full grown tree that others can climb, or build a nest in it.

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One of the best things about Nevada is the cool, crisp morning air. I love breathing in that wonderful Nevada air. One of the best things about this state. :)

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I'm hoping to get a painting easel and some new painting supplies very soon. I've got the itch to paint some themes. I'd love to take painting classes so I'm keeping my eyes open for something that would work with my schedule.

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Once again I'm thankful for all the blessings God has given me. I'm trusting Him to lead, guide and direct me in my relationships, my job, my hobbies, my life. He makes all things work together for good. And for that, I'm so absolutely blessed :)

Peace

As many of you may have noticed, I've recently been inspired by a young artist Akiane whose artistic abilities started at the age of 4 and have ballooned into something the whole world can enjoy. A painting she named the Prince of Peace, (a painting of the face of Jesus) based on the man who visited her in her dreams as a young girl has recently caught my attention.....

In Isaiah 9:6, well before Jesus ever came onto the scene, God described the event in history that would take place and change the world...the birth of Jesus.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Prince of Peace. He rules and reigns, bringing freedom from disturbance. His presence brings quiet serenity to the worst of situations. Maybe this is why we pray for peace in the earth. Oh how desperately we need the prince of peace to come. Many areas of the world are longing to be far from war and violence, dispute and dissension. He is not a weak God. He is strong and powerful, able to rescue those who call on Him in truth. Until that time that he brings back everything into perfect order, He will even use the evil things in the world and turn them around for good. He is good. He is God and He reigns in peace. I believe that with all my heart.

Prince of Peace, I pray for your peace on earth. I pray for your peace in me.

tranquility, calm, restfulness, peace and quiet, peacefulness, quiet, quietness; privacy, solitude. antonym noise, peace of mind serenity, peacefulness, tranquility, equanimity, calm, calmness, composure, ease, contentment, contentedness

Prince of Peace by Akiane

Can you remember what you were doing at 4 years old? What about 9 years old? Well, if you have a difficult time remembering this part of your childhood, what about your teen years? Can you remember when you were 14?

I do! And no doubt like me, most of you were probably far from being a world renowned artist. Themes of heaven and visions of a world unknown to your childish mind were probably not being played out like a movie in the crevices of your brain.....It's doubtful they were they being sketched out on paper with such vivid detail that aspiring artists well into their formative art years would be baffled to grasp.

Akiane was born into an atheist immigrant family here in the U.S. At age 4, she began describing to her mom in vivid detail the dreams that were playing out in her head. Akiane was homeschooled, she had no babysitters, and the family watched no television.

"We were with the kids all the time, and so these words from Akiane about God didn't come from the outside—we knew that. But there suddenly were intense conversations about God's love, His place [in our lives], and she would describe everything in detail."

By the time she was 9, she painted the man who visited her in her dreams and visions - Jesus. The name of the painting she tagged as "Prince of Peace."


Her parents didn't expose her to Christianity and they struggled to make sense of what she saw in her dreams and what she told her parents about. Over time, her parents came to accept the faith of their little girl and trust that the things they originally thought were nightmares were actually life-changing glimpses into the reality of a world they had only begun to embrace and understand.

Some of the paintings Akiane has painted that I find most fascinating are vibrant with color as she captions those paintings with descriptions of a world she's been to in her dreams. She says the colors are brighter than we could ever imagine, colors we have yet to experience. The music? Completely breathtaking. And this Jesus, this Prince of Peace?

I found one quote from her book quite inspiring....

"I was told to pray continually. He showed me where He lived,… I was climbing transparent stairs; underneath I saw gushing waterfalls.....What impressed me most were his gigantic hands—they were full of maps and events.."

Maps and events according to Jesus....Time....Galaxies....Quantum Physics....She paints these things with her brush and yet she's never had a painting lesson in her life. Her father was Russian and atheist, her mother Lithuanian and atheist.

Incredibly inspiring that a young girl would be able to expose the world to an unknown unseen world through the strokes of her brush.......

If you get the chance, I highly recommend a thumb through this book at Barnes and Nobles.

You can also check out some interviews with her on You Tube or visit her website.

http://www.akiane.com/