Life for the first three weeks of May has been filled with lots of meaningful events. Along the way, I've taken more photos than usual, and was amazed at how many "photo opps" I had. As I looked back over hundreds of pictures, I was grateful for how much "significance and beauty" my Father had allowed me to experience in three short weeks.
First, a few notes:
Except for the photos with me in them, I took all of these pictures between May 3rd and May 20th.
The major events include:
A couple of trips to the Edisto Rose Gardens in Orangeburg, SC, to test out my new Panasonic Lumix ZS20 Camera (hence the flowers and birds!).
The wedding of Matthew and Elizabeth Jones on Sullivan's Island. Matthew is the oldest son of Joel and Patty Jones...wonderful friends for over 35 years (Joel and I were at Clemson together)!
Baby dedication service at our church on Mother's Day with two families, the Huttos and the Brelands. I took group shots as part of the worship service. Hey, we're family aren't we!?
A trip to Wake Forest, NC, to visit Randy and Kittie Trail (again lifelong friends of over 30 years since seminary days), and to help out with things as Kittie had surgery while I was there. (It went well.)
I ended up with shots from my climb up on old fire tower (with permission from the owners!)! So this is just to remind folks that there is beauty all around us, if we'll take time to notice!
So here are just a few of the reasons I can say "Thank You Lord" over and over and over again!
Even in difficult days, we can find good if we look for it! If we can't see it, maybe that means it's our turn to do something good for others to take pictures of!
Our Father wants us to focus on the good stuff. How do I know? Well, Philippians 4:8 for one: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
So look around...take a picture...if you're not having a good day, then find a way to make it a good day!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Hungry, Hungry Heron...and I Got Him on Video!
A couple of weeks ago I was at the Edisto Rose Gardens in Orangeburg, SC, and was amazed at how calm, cool, collected, and calculated a blue heron was. As children threw bread in his vicinity, and turtles approached, he remained unmoved, focused on the water, or, should I say, on what was under the water. After I videoed him the first time, I return a week and a half later to find him in the same stance at the very same location with "similar" results.
I've been playing around with iMovie, so this is what I came up with...
So what's the object lesson here? The heron lived by focusing on that which would sustain his life, not being distracted by that which would not.
I've been playing around with iMovie, so this is what I came up with...
So what's the object lesson here? The heron lived by focusing on that which would sustain his life, not being distracted by that which would not.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wow! What an Update on Caine's Arcade!
Here is a follow-up to my previous post about "Caine's Arcade."Just a quick recap:
- A 9 year old spend last summer at his dad's auto parts store in L.A.
- He makes an arcade out of cardboard boxes using his old toys for prizes.
- He works hard, tries to get people to play, and they don't.
- He doesn't give up.
- His first customer (looking for a door handle for his car) is intrigued by his creativity and "spunk." He also happens to be a film-maker.
- He plays the games; he makes an eleven minute short film on Caine's arcade.
- He invites people to surprise Caine by showing up on a Sunday afternoon.
- They do, they play, and they give Caine "the best day of his life."
- The short film goes viral (4.5 million views).
- A website collects money for a scholarship fund. The film-maker (Nirvan Mullick)thought $25,000 was too high a goal. Well, here's the rest of the story...and it keeps getting better!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/caine-monroy-caines-arcade-video_n_1429846.html
Oh, and a pinball company gave him a vintage pinball game, too! PLEASE, PLEASE don't forget the power of love, compassion, generosity, and kindness! Is there a Caine in your life who needs encouragement? Well, go and encourage! Today!!!
I loved what one article said about Nirvan. It was something like, "Nirvan set out to make Caine's day, and he's ended up making Caine's LIFE!" Never underestimate the exponential power of LOVE expressed in simple, sometimes LIFE-CHANGING.....KINDNESS!!!!!
Oh, and a pinball company gave him a vintage pinball game, too! PLEASE, PLEASE don't forget the power of love, compassion, generosity, and kindness! Is there a Caine in your life who needs encouragement? Well, go and encourage! Today!!!
I loved what one article said about Nirvan. It was something like, "Nirvan set out to make Caine's day, and he's ended up making Caine's LIFE!" Never underestimate the exponential power of LOVE expressed in simple, sometimes LIFE-CHANGING.....KINDNESS!!!!!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Have You Ever Made Somebody's Day?
When was the last time you intentionally made someone's day? What if you didn't even really know the person? Nirvan Mullick, a young film-maker in Los Angeles did that for a nine-year-old kid named Caine Monroy, who spent last summer making his own arcade out of cardboard boxes at his father's car parts store. Nirvan came looking for a door handle for his '96 Corolla, and found Caine inviting him to play. He did, and then Nirvan asked Caine's dad if he could make a short film about Caine and his arcade. Here's the video (that has been seen by almost 4,000,000 people!):
After the flashmob, at the end of the day as Caine and his dad drove home, Caine turned to his dad and said, “Dad, this was the best day of my whole life.”
All because I guy looking for a door handle, found a smart, little kid waiting on a customer to play some games he made out of cardboard boxes from his dad's stockroom.
Nirvan had a simple idea: tell Caine's story and invite people into it. The result? EVERYONE was blessed! EVERYONE....Caine, Nirvan, the flashmob, oh, and the folks who have donated (mostly a dollar at a time) over $150,000.00 to Caine's college fund!
All because a complete stranger had an idea to bless a little kid, and ACTED ON IT!
So, again, I ask you: have you ever made somebody's day? What are you waiting for?
After the flashmob, at the end of the day as Caine and his dad drove home, Caine turned to his dad and said, “Dad, this was the best day of my whole life.”
All because I guy looking for a door handle, found a smart, little kid waiting on a customer to play some games he made out of cardboard boxes from his dad's stockroom.
Nirvan had a simple idea: tell Caine's story and invite people into it. The result? EVERYONE was blessed! EVERYONE....Caine, Nirvan, the flashmob, oh, and the folks who have donated (mostly a dollar at a time) over $150,000.00 to Caine's college fund!
All because a complete stranger had an idea to bless a little kid, and ACTED ON IT!
So, again, I ask you: have you ever made somebody's day? What are you waiting for?
For more information on this story go to: http://cainesarcade.com/
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Christ's Death Tears the Veil in the Temple
"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and[a] saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:37,38
Don't Rush Through Good Friday
Every year I find some pretty good videos to remind me (and hopefully others) of the significance of Christ's death and resurrection. This one focuses on "scars."
Friday, March 16, 2012
My Ultimate Coat? Unfortunately...uh...NO!
I saw this coat advertised on the net recently...
You can find details by clicking on the picture! Will I get one? Well, I might have until I found out something very, very important. Here is a picture I took recently with my beloved Panasonic Lumix ZS7 camera which I use for 95% of my photography these days. 
Do you see that ugly hair-like smudge in the middle of the picture? Well, I thought it was on my lens, so when I saw this, I cleaned the lens. It was then that I found the little hair was not ON my lens, but IN the lens!! Now think about it...a $300 camera rendered almost useless (Okay, at least SERIOUSLY flawed) by a little hair fragment!
Getting it removed may cost as much as a replacement, or at least enough to justify updating a three-year-old camera. (Wait, is that a bad thing? Oops...let me get back on track!) So here's the deal. I take a lot of pictures, and one reason I can do that is that I often carry my camera in my coat pocket. As I researched this problem (that other people seem to have frequently), I found that while the camera is in my pocket it is collecting all manner of dust, lint, and, yes, hair fragments!
When I switch it on, it automatically extends its impressive zoom lens (16x optical from your photo buffs!) which makes it ready to capture reality with stunning clarity. Unfortunately, the extending of the zoom lens tends to suck in all the aforementioned dust, lint and hair fragments!
The spiritual moral of this situation! Small things can mess up bigger things! Up until now, I never notice the collection of filth lurking in my coat pockets. Now I notice!
We don't tend to notice the small things we let collect in our relationships. Look at some marriages. Little comments, sarcasms, criticisms go unanswered. Without even realizing it, couples can slowly arrive at a place with nothing positive is said. Friction, though not noticed at times, slowly wears down the harmony/intimacy that once existed.
Garbage collects and somewhere along the way, in the stress and busyness of life, the negative emotional lint and dust gets sucked into our psyche, messing up the picture of our relationship...pushing us apart. The picture of love we started with is now marred, and though there is still much good in "the picture," our attention is eventually drawn to that ugly hair that is suddenly so noticeable. If not corrected, this situation can make each partner easy prey for looking elsewhere for affirmation/satisfaction like porn, affairs, etc. They may simply opt for mediocrity. This is not the picture of marriage our Father intended for us.
Some couples wisely get busy cleaning the lens of their relationship. Smudge cleaning is NOT done by jumping into blaming each other first. True cleaning should begin with each realizing his or her responsibility in the situation; confessing his/her contribution to the breakdown of communication; and then by each partner renewing his/her commitment to the marriage. It is so easy to jump to the BLAME stage, bypassing the "lens cleaning" we each need to do first. (Did you see the blog post I did yesterday on getting the plank out of your eye, before looking for the speck in someone else's eye?)
The same process occurs between friends, too. Oh, and it also occurs in our relationships with our Father (except He's never at fault!). We dabble in little sins, not realizing the damage they do when we let them get sucked into our lives as habits that mess up the picture of our witness and ministry to others.
So whether it involves your relationship with someone else, or with your Heavenly Father, don't neglect the dust and lint of your own sin. Deal with it! Scripture promises that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Nothing cleans the smudges that ruin the pictures of our lives like forgiveness!
You can find details by clicking on the picture! Will I get one? Well, I might have until I found out something very, very important. Here is a picture I took recently with my beloved Panasonic Lumix ZS7 camera which I use for 95% of my photography these days. 
Do you see that ugly hair-like smudge in the middle of the picture? Well, I thought it was on my lens, so when I saw this, I cleaned the lens. It was then that I found the little hair was not ON my lens, but IN the lens!! Now think about it...a $300 camera rendered almost useless (Okay, at least SERIOUSLY flawed) by a little hair fragment!Getting it removed may cost as much as a replacement, or at least enough to justify updating a three-year-old camera. (Wait, is that a bad thing? Oops...let me get back on track!) So here's the deal. I take a lot of pictures, and one reason I can do that is that I often carry my camera in my coat pocket. As I researched this problem (that other people seem to have frequently), I found that while the camera is in my pocket it is collecting all manner of dust, lint, and, yes, hair fragments!
When I switch it on, it automatically extends its impressive zoom lens (16x optical from your photo buffs!) which makes it ready to capture reality with stunning clarity. Unfortunately, the extending of the zoom lens tends to suck in all the aforementioned dust, lint and hair fragments!
The spiritual moral of this situation! Small things can mess up bigger things! Up until now, I never notice the collection of filth lurking in my coat pockets. Now I notice!
We don't tend to notice the small things we let collect in our relationships. Look at some marriages. Little comments, sarcasms, criticisms go unanswered. Without even realizing it, couples can slowly arrive at a place with nothing positive is said. Friction, though not noticed at times, slowly wears down the harmony/intimacy that once existed.
Garbage collects and somewhere along the way, in the stress and busyness of life, the negative emotional lint and dust gets sucked into our psyche, messing up the picture of our relationship...pushing us apart. The picture of love we started with is now marred, and though there is still much good in "the picture," our attention is eventually drawn to that ugly hair that is suddenly so noticeable. If not corrected, this situation can make each partner easy prey for looking elsewhere for affirmation/satisfaction like porn, affairs, etc. They may simply opt for mediocrity. This is not the picture of marriage our Father intended for us.
Some couples wisely get busy cleaning the lens of their relationship. Smudge cleaning is NOT done by jumping into blaming each other first. True cleaning should begin with each realizing his or her responsibility in the situation; confessing his/her contribution to the breakdown of communication; and then by each partner renewing his/her commitment to the marriage. It is so easy to jump to the BLAME stage, bypassing the "lens cleaning" we each need to do first. (Did you see the blog post I did yesterday on getting the plank out of your eye, before looking for the speck in someone else's eye?)
The same process occurs between friends, too. Oh, and it also occurs in our relationships with our Father (except He's never at fault!). We dabble in little sins, not realizing the damage they do when we let them get sucked into our lives as habits that mess up the picture of our witness and ministry to others.
So whether it involves your relationship with someone else, or with your Heavenly Father, don't neglect the dust and lint of your own sin. Deal with it! Scripture promises that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Nothing cleans the smudges that ruin the pictures of our lives like forgiveness!
In The Mood for Quality Entertainment? Good Luck with That!!
I like to check out the website ROTTEN TOMATOES for movie reviews because it gives scores based on a lot of movie critics. If a movie receives over 60% positive reviews, it is certified as "fresh" and worth considering.If the movie receives under 60% positive reviews, it is certified ROTTEN. This week (3/16) I thought it funny (and a bit telling of Hollywood's ability to produce films of consistent quality) how the current top grossing films at the box office rated with Rotten Tomato critics.
Here is the list and their ratings:
Check out what some are calling the lowest rating movie of all time: Eddie Murphy in A THOUSAND WORDS:http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a-thousand-words/ OUCH!
Philippians 4:18 reminds us: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. From this week's list of top grossing movies, doing this might prove difficult in your local theater.
What's a discerning person to do? Hmmm...what about a good book!? Hey, what about picking up THE GOOD BOOK!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Be Care About Speck Obsession!
I was humbled this week...in a most unexpected way. I was in Charleston visiting with Joel and Patty Jones, very dear friends for over three decades. Patty has been battling lung cancer for two and half years, and has responded to a number of chemo therapies. She has been in a trial for a new drug that her doctor thought held promise, and I went down to be with her and Joel as they would get a report about whether or not the new chemo was working. They got good news that her cancer was stable and not spreading. This meant she could continue immediately with another round of chemo.While waiting with Joel for Patty to get situated with an IV, I decided that a little humor would be in order. I noticed Joel was wearing a pair of sandals and socks and I commented that I thought that footwear was only appropriate for grandfathers. He smirked and said it didn't bother him, and that was that...until we went back to keep Patty company as she received an hour and a half of chemo.
As I sat down in the well-lit alcove with Joel and Patty, I looked at my feet, and noticed something I had not noticed all day....my shoes! Here is what I saw:
I knew I should have replaced that burnt out light bulb in my bedroom! Yes, I showed them to Joel and Patty, and yes we had a good laugh (as did her sister later when we told her; and my church Wednesday night at Prayer Meeting when I told them!). In an instant I was reminded of Matthew 7:1-5: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Thankfully, my object lesson was relatively painless, but it did remind me of how often I'm tempted to criticize someone prematurely without considering my part in whatever issue is at stake. To be a little more pointed let me remind you to pause before criticizing anyone in a particular situation.
In that pause, consider your words. THINK!!! Is what you are about to say:
TRUE?
HELPFUL?
God-INSPIRED? (Would He approve?)
NECESSARY?
KIND?
We are all flawed. I'm not saying (and I don't think the Bible is saying) to never comment on another person's failings. I am saying to pray for the wisdom to be "redemptive" in your comments in such a way that the person realizes you are speaking with a sincere desire to help them have a better life. We need to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE (Ephesians 4:15) with a sincere commitment to be part of their journey of change (if, in fact, they are the ones (and not us!) needing to change!).
It is so easy to become obsessive about specks in the eyes of others while being totally unaware of our own "plank blindness!" Better tend to your plank first, before you go hunting for eye specks in others, while being totally oblivious to the unmatched shoes you are wearing!
In that pause, consider your words. THINK!!! Is what you are about to say:
TRUE?
HELPFUL?
God-INSPIRED? (Would He approve?)
NECESSARY?
KIND?
We are all flawed. I'm not saying (and I don't think the Bible is saying) to never comment on another person's failings. I am saying to pray for the wisdom to be "redemptive" in your comments in such a way that the person realizes you are speaking with a sincere desire to help them have a better life. We need to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE (Ephesians 4:15) with a sincere commitment to be part of their journey of change (if, in fact, they are the ones (and not us!) needing to change!).
It is so easy to become obsessive about specks in the eyes of others while being totally unaware of our own "plank blindness!" Better tend to your plank first, before you go hunting for eye specks in others, while being totally oblivious to the unmatched shoes you are wearing!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Elephants - Another Lesson in Love
Did you know that it has been documented that elephants grieve the loss of others in their herd? Did you know that they are among nature's smartest creatures? (Check out more on "elephant cognition" here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_cognition )
What fascinates me is how they take care of others in the herd. Here is a video of several elephants "rescuing" a baby elephant in danger of drowning. If you're too busy to see a minute of gentle "trunk-assisted" attempts to bring the toddler to shore, skip to the halfway point.
I continue to be amazed at the beautiful complexity of nature our Father has engineered. I'm a big fan of "benevolent" species, with dogs, dolphins, and now, elephants topping my list of favorites. I'm equally amazed, however, at how quickly (and frequently) humans can forget basic levels of kindness and compassion. We may be on the "endangered list" of benevolent species.
Such a loss of basic human concern has been evident in so much of the media's treatment of the death of Whitney Houston. I understand the public's fascination with celebrities, but I also know at the heart of this media frenzy, is a grieving family who does NOT need to be the opening segment of "Entertainment Tonight."
Her death was tragic, but she was still a human being deserving of some kind of dignity immediately after her passing. Instead, she becomes the subject of scores of entertainment, news, and news magazine programs, not to mention the rest of the media world (i.e. internet!). That would be fine if the focus was on her contributions to the entertainment industry (which are mentioned, of course), but the media goes far beyond that. Even before her body can moved to her hometown, headlines talk of "a life of squandered opportunities," "Whitney's appearance at a club the night of her death," "exclusive photos of the bathtub where she died," etc.
I realize there are lessons to be learned from Whitney's life and death, but is it too much to ask that people wait until after the funeral to begin that process? I know it's too much to ask of the media to "behave" appropriately so soon after a celebrity's death, but it does remind me how Christ-followers can be "media outlets" of their own, with lives publicizing compassion, understanding, caring, and above all else...LOVE. How desperately the world needs the good news of Christ's love, and most won't go to the Bible on their own to find out. First they must "see" there's love to be found, and they are looking at the qualities of our lives as a reason to investigate a different path than the one they're on.
So don't let elephants show us up as a species! Find some way today to be genuinely compassionate and helpful to someone in need! You may be just the stimulus someone needs to find out Jesus really does love them, too!
You can be loving right now, by pausing to pray for Whitney Houston's daughter and the rest of her family who are trying to grieve with 100's of photographers and media vans sitting outside their house.
What fascinates me is how they take care of others in the herd. Here is a video of several elephants "rescuing" a baby elephant in danger of drowning. If you're too busy to see a minute of gentle "trunk-assisted" attempts to bring the toddler to shore, skip to the halfway point.
I continue to be amazed at the beautiful complexity of nature our Father has engineered. I'm a big fan of "benevolent" species, with dogs, dolphins, and now, elephants topping my list of favorites. I'm equally amazed, however, at how quickly (and frequently) humans can forget basic levels of kindness and compassion. We may be on the "endangered list" of benevolent species.
Such a loss of basic human concern has been evident in so much of the media's treatment of the death of Whitney Houston. I understand the public's fascination with celebrities, but I also know at the heart of this media frenzy, is a grieving family who does NOT need to be the opening segment of "Entertainment Tonight."
Her death was tragic, but she was still a human being deserving of some kind of dignity immediately after her passing. Instead, she becomes the subject of scores of entertainment, news, and news magazine programs, not to mention the rest of the media world (i.e. internet!). That would be fine if the focus was on her contributions to the entertainment industry (which are mentioned, of course), but the media goes far beyond that. Even before her body can moved to her hometown, headlines talk of "a life of squandered opportunities," "Whitney's appearance at a club the night of her death," "exclusive photos of the bathtub where she died," etc.
I realize there are lessons to be learned from Whitney's life and death, but is it too much to ask that people wait until after the funeral to begin that process? I know it's too much to ask of the media to "behave" appropriately so soon after a celebrity's death, but it does remind me how Christ-followers can be "media outlets" of their own, with lives publicizing compassion, understanding, caring, and above all else...LOVE. How desperately the world needs the good news of Christ's love, and most won't go to the Bible on their own to find out. First they must "see" there's love to be found, and they are looking at the qualities of our lives as a reason to investigate a different path than the one they're on.
So don't let elephants show us up as a species! Find some way today to be genuinely compassionate and helpful to someone in need! You may be just the stimulus someone needs to find out Jesus really does love them, too!
You can be loving right now, by pausing to pray for Whitney Houston's daughter and the rest of her family who are trying to grieve with 100's of photographers and media vans sitting outside their house.
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