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/

Just living life

Today I kept good on a promise I made to my nieces and nephews and took them to Wild Island before the summer ended. I had been promising to take them and really wanted to, but time flew away from me but fortunately I was able to make it work today, just before the end of summer! haha!

It was really nice that James came along. We had fun but that responsibility thing always come on me and I feel like a mamma whose keeping her eye on her cubs. Also, I don't know what they are capable of doing on their own and have to do the crash course to find out while we're together.

For example, the girls said that Isaiah could do the green slide because he was big enough so we went together. When we got up there, I realized rather quickly that there was no way I was letting him go down on a single intertube. He would of freaked or flipped. A dad saw my consternation and offered to give me the double tube that he and his 9 year old daughter were going to go on. I was soooo grateful! We had a blast going down but I realized he's still too small to go down on his own. Had to figure it out on my own. Isaiah had some stumble, fumble and bumble moments today...poor lil' guy - running across some of the white chairs, he fell between them and bruised his hip and scraped his knuckles. Yeah, I know he shouldn't have been running across them. But before you can catch him doing it, it's already done. Later he tripped coming back from our walk to Baskin Robbins and scraped an elbow.

But overall we survived and had a great time! We came home when the park closed at 7 pm and I made dinner and we hung out for a few hours. James is a good man to be so chill about it all. We had fun. :)

Life is good only because God is.....

Sometimes we experience some great moments in life. A lot of the times, we face stress, pressure, pain, disappointment and discouragement. Things don't turn out that "great."

When you think about it.... ultimately, life is good only because God is so very good. Not much else really makes sense. In my happiest moments, I want to remember this. And in my darkest, loneliest moments, I want to remember this.

I can't wait until I see things clearly in that moment when I'm with Him for all eternity. In just one moment, it will all make sense and I will realize that life was only good because God was there all along, whether I knew it, saw it, thanked him for it, or not.

And that's all I gotta say about that. :)

A great book....

I recently picked up a book that I've had for over 5 years. I read this book when I wasn't in a relationship and practically underlined the entire thing. The book just resonates on so many different levels for me. When it comes to women, we are complex creatures who are able to juggle a lot of things at once and most women I know do a very good job at it.

But authentic living is found in contentment and in balance. This book reminded me that first you have to be content and love yourself before you can love others. If you think that sounds too introspective, then might I remind you that Jesus said it first. Love others AS you love yourself. The point is for women, we can be very giving creatures with a tendency to forget self in the midst of life -- especially mammas who are juggling young kids or facing the teen years. This book reminded me that even in the stage of life I'm in, with a new man in my life after MANY MANY years of being single, I still must care for and nurture myself. Yes the Bible talks about dying to yourself but for most giving women who give of themselves day and night, that might not be the whole truth they need to hear. Yes, we need to die to self but we also need to love others as we love ourselves.

The second portion of the book talks about your relationship with a man. Good stuff. Haven't got that far again yet but one thing I appreciate is TD Jakes poetic way of saying things. It resonates with my soul. That's the color inside :)

Finally, the last portion of the book talks about your relationship with the Lord. There's one quote in there that I love.

"In the stillness of the night, when he has gone to sleep and there are pending issues on her mind, it is her Lord who works the night shift and watches over her in the dark. He is the one whom she can talk to when her words cannot describe what she is feeling. Her husband may understand what she says, but her Lord understands what she feels."

mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm. :)

good stuff.

Jen

A Moonlit Hike and a Pilgrim's Progress

Last night James and I met up with 15 other avid hikers at the Mt. Rose Summit Trailhead after work and hiked to the top. Our hike down was in the moonlight and that was very cool!

Parts of the hike were flat, scenic with little meadows, beautifully colored yellow, purple and red wildflowers, streams and even a natural waterfall. Other parts were brutal as we climbed over 2000 feet in elevation with only a few switchbacks to make it a little easier, not completely uphill.

When I moved back to Reno, I joined meetup.com for both the Reno and Sacramento areas. I found out about meetup.com when I was in Budapest. You can find meetup groups on a variety of things from the arts to living an active lifestyle. In Sacramento, they have some amazing groups that train together for Triathlons. Here in Reno the best groups are for hiking and that's no wonder. Lots of options here in the area!

It was absolutely stunning to look out from the Mt.Rose peak and see all of Reno, all of Carson, the Lake Tahoe area and Donner. There were some magnificant views from the top. Getting there was another thing. Not only did my heart rate pound through my chest at some points, but the wind near the top made it so tough that I literally thought I was going to blow over. One of the girls on the team almost did, if not for her walking stick to keep her up. Brutal!! That's all I have to say about the Nevada wind.

The other tough spot came near the top as well. I was breathing in air that made my lungs and nose hairs burn and the wind was kicking up the Nevada dust, blowing it in my eyes. I'm not quite sure what that was all about, but nonetheless, it was tough.

Anyways, I was thinking about how much this hike parallels our lives as believers. Often times there are parts of our journey as Christ-followers that are filled with beautiful meadows, wildflowers, and waterfalls. We are completely filled with the wonder of the journey and we are enjoying it. Other times, perhaps even as we're about to reach some of the mountain tops, there is a huge amount of resistance. Sometimes so much so that it would blow you over if you weren't careful. Maybe even breathing in the venom of the brutal windy air, causing your internals to burn with a not so welcome burn.

One other parallel that I made during our hike last night had to do with James. He's done the hike three or four times before so he knew what to expect and at a few moments he could tell me what was ahead and that really helped. As we got near the tougher part, he carried my bag. He carried my bag to the top. I honestly am not sure if I would have been able to make it to the top had he not been with me and carried my bag. The bag wasn't that heavy but even the slightest weight made a difference when you experience resistance too. Not that James is Jesus, but in this moment, I was reminded that we do have a "Greatheart" (Pilgrim's Progress) or a "Braveheart" in Christ who gets us to our destination if we remain in Him. He has gone before us. He's traveled this road we're on and knows the path. If we stay close to Him, He will tell us what's ahead and when it gets really rough, He'll carry our bag.

Not only did this hike bring forth these parallels, but it also reminded me of a book I read awhile ago by John Bunyan called "The Pilgrim's Progress." An interesting classic, all about the journey.

My final theme from this hike is once again the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. James and I were a little surprised at how quick this group of hikers were hiking the trail. They were booking it! That was fine, but that was definitely not our pace. We wanted to enjoy the surroundings but didn't really get a chance to do that in order to stay with the group. At one point, though, we slowed it down and just enjoyed.

The Hare may have been fast, but it was the Tortoise who made it to the finish line in one piece. In our walk as believers it's important not to get caught up in getting there quickly. Enjoy the race. Enjoy the pace of life and learn all you can along the way. You'll make it to the finish line if you keep your eyes on Him.