Mushroom

Canon EOS Rebel T2i, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 2.8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter, 100 ISO

I have not been satisfied with where I sit in my faith lately. I have let myself "get too busy" or too lazy. I have procrastinated, and convinced myself that I would be better about quiet time and prayer and reading later. And by far the worst habit I have is the longer I put it off, the more I feel bad about putting off God and it takes me even LONGER to return to Him out of guilt. You would think this would be all the more reason to run to Him, but that's what Satan does to a heart... the guilt soon mushrooms out of control. I know we all have seasons like this, but I want to find the discipline in me to fight these seasons away.

One thing I KNOW about my God is that when I turn to Him and really surrender and seek Him, my faith also mushrooms faster and greater. This fact is what keeps me searching for that discipline to just sink into the Word like I know I'm supposed to. It's not easy. Life certainly gets in the way.

Ironically, a mushroom can take the shape of an umbrella, which is how I like to picture God's protection. Sometimes, I find myself walking outside of the umbrella, and, like an idiot, wonder why I'm getting drenched. But, as I remembered recently, all I have to do is walk right back under it. He will cover, guide, and protect me. He never promised there wouldn't be storms, but He did promise that He'd lead me through them.

I am ready to get out of the rain.

"...'Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty."
-Malachi 3:7

"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands."
-Psalm 119:10

Liquid Sculptures

Canon EOS Rebel T2i, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 2.8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter, 400 ISO, flash fired

I am obsessed with photographing water... in any form. I'd seen this idea before (dropping fruit into a glass of water) and decided tonight, I had to do it. I absolutely love the picture above- it almost looks like a baseball player made of water coming out of the glass! (See his glove?)

It is so amazing to me what can be captured on film in a split second, that we can't see with our own eyes. Each splash is different... different swirls and twirls and drops... like liquid sculptures.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’" -John 7:38

Fresh Rain

Canon EOS Rebel T2i, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 4.0 aperture, 1/250 shutter, 500 ISO

Ahhh, sweet rain. Although it put a damper on my pool plans, I welcomed the cool air it brought with open arms; the browning grass and the shriveling plants and flowers embraced each drop as well, soaking in the moisture until they could hold no more.

And then there is the short time after the rain where everything smells so fresh and renewed, and water drops chase each other into puddles, or they cling to blades of grass in perfect, tiny, spherical droplets as if to say, "look at me! I made it on my own!"

Let the rain kiss you.  Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.  Let the rain sing you a lullaby.  ~Langston Hughes

"Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” -Acts 14:17

Poor Baby

Canon EOS Rebel T2i, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 2.8 aperture, 1/160 shutter, 1600 ISO

Timmy is my love. He really is my baby. I joke about what I will eventually be like one day when I have my own children because of the attachment I have to my dogs.

Sadly, part of being a good pet-owner of a boy dog is to have him neutered, which happened yesterday. He is absolutely pitiful. Luckily he is sleeping a lot... but it breaks my heart because he is usually such a happy, active, energetic puppy! You can see in his eyes he just doesn't feel good. I'm giving him lots of extra love today, and he hasn't left my side.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God." -Luke 12:6

Upside Down World

Canon EOS Rebel T2i, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 4.0 aperture, 1/160 shutter, 1600 ISO

Yet another "social insect" that fascinates me... who even knows what this ant is thinking as he sits on his own little world, upside down. Maybe he is escaping, much like I would if I was surrounded by thousands all the time. Or maybe he is on a mission. A worker as diligent as an ant, I would imagine it is the latter of the two.

Among the fascination and respect I have for the ant, I also have fear. I am allergic to ants, so I try to be very aware of the area around me when I am outside, so as not to "upset" a colony (or even just one or two of those little guys). Crazy how something as tiny as a piece of dirt can cause such a huge reaction in my body. But then, when I think about what the ant must be thinking as a shoe casts a shadow over its home and threatens to bring itself down, unknowingly, into the midst of hundreds of thousands of workers protecting their queen... I'd be ready to bite, too! In fact, in my own way, maybe I do. There are times in my own life where I feel like others are "stomping" on my world... and I wonder, what kind of pain or poison have I "injected" into others...?

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
- John 16:33

Beautiful Bee

Canon EOS Rebel T2i, 100 mm 2.8 macro, 2.8 aperture, 1/160 shutter, 500 ISO

What a perfect way to start this blog! Although sometimes a nuisance, the bee is one of those amazing, tiny, perfect creatures that captivate me... her delicate wings that take her effortlessly into the air, her "dance" she does to communicate with other bees, and her dedication and loyalty to the other bees in her hive, as she alone can not produce even half a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime!

Today, this bee reminds me that there is power in numbers... and things that you cannot do alone, CAN be done with the help of friends and family. I tend to be an independent thinker and doer, which can be good sometimes... but I need to remember as I face new challenges in the upcoming months to "work smarter, not harder" and be ready to work as a team with others so I am not overwhelmed.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their hard work. For if one of them should fall, the other one can raise his partner up. But how will it be with just the one who falls when there is not another to raise him up? - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. - Hebrews 13:16