Peace & Propitiation To You

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.3

 Exposure- 1/10

 ISO- 1600
Lens- 42mm

No Flash.

Tip: If you like making your own Christmas cards, try doing close up shots of decorations and get them printed. Then write your season's greetings on the back! Fun to do, and super easy. Give it a try next year...or this year, if you like sending belated cards.

I realize I have missed a couple posts in the last several weeks. To make up for that, here's a nice big one. Merry Christmas! :)


What is propitiation and how does it apply to us? Let’s start with the meaning of the word. Propitiation basically means to appease. Many modern Bible translations have replaced the word propitiation with other words. One example of a passage where this has occurred is 1 John 4:10, which states,  “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The New Living translation replaces propitiation with “sacrifice” and the Revised Standard Version has replaced it with “expiation”, just to name a couple. 

While both of those words DO have to do with the subject, neither is a perfect synonym for propitiation. Of course, you know what sacrifice means. But I’m sure I probably just lost you at expiation, didn’t I? You’re all probably like “Oh no, there goes Sarah with big words…“  In short, expiation would be removing the stains of our sins, if you will. Many like to put it that Christ is our expiation; he died for our sins and gives us a clean slate, but does it just take stain removal to appease an angry God? No. And that is what propitiation is for.

So, if propitiation is what Christ did for us, why do people often like to use one of the replacement words instead? One reason is translators feel like they have to put simpler words into the text- because to put it strait, people just aren’t as intelligent nowadays as they were in past generations. The other reason they avoid the word is because too many people anymore don’t believe that God is a God of wrath that must be appeased. They like to take that one verse and just focus on the “God is love”. While yes, one of the attributes of God is love, He is also a God of justice and has a great deal of wrath towards us sinners who are oh-so-talented at perverting justice.

The cross is not only something to point to God’s love, but also to his justice and his wrath. God is completely just, and that is why all us sinners were condemned to eternal punishment; it is after all, exactly what we deserve. Yet as a loving creator, He sent His son to die for His people. Why? Because His wrath against sin had to be appeased. On the cross, Jesus became sin for us and was our propitiator. God is so just that He wouldn’t even bend the rules a little, even for his Son to prevent his suffering. Somebody had to pay the penalty, cause getting off free isn’t an option with total justice.

There are many more places I could go with this whole thing, but not now. Now it’s back to our big word. Propitiation. Why should it continue to be used instead of replaced by simpler words? I’m hoping by now you have a guess at this. It needs to stand because it is a reminder to us of not only what Christ did for us, but also as a reminder to who God is.

What Would You Do?

 [[Picture Below]]

A lot of people have it in their heads that the end of the world is on the 21st of this month. I highly doubt this is going to be the case- yet what if it is? Like it says in Mark 13:32, referring to the Lord's return, "But about that day or hour no one knows". 

With all this end of the world talk, it makes for an interesting subject of conversation, if nothing else. What would you do, if you knew for a fact that you would die in two weeks? The general consensus I hear seems to be "go on an adventure! See the world!", followed by stuff having to do with personal finance- things ranging from "sell all my assets so that the gov won't tax them", to "give everything to my relatives or friends before I kick the bucket" or even "Give all my money away to random people".

It seems to me that hearing what people would do with the last few days of their lives can be a good indicator of what kind of person they are and what matters the most to them. Considering the above statements, most people's deepest desires and main concerns have to do with travel and money. What I want to ask is, what about God? Where does He fit into all that? If you only had a few days left to live, shouldn't you be concerned about things to come, rather than things that currently surround you? When you face God, will you be proud to tell Him all about how you spent the time He gave you on earth, or will you cringe as you account for every moment spent pursuing things that have no eternal value?

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray." 
- 1 Peter 4:7

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/4.5

 Exposure- 1/15

 ISO- 400
Lens- 42mm

No Flash. 

Advice: Lightning shots are tough to capture. For best results, put your camera on the settings I have listed, or use a fireworks setting on your camera. Make sure you have either a windowsill or a tripod to keep your camera steady. After that, it's all about timing! Some people will just keep firing off shots until they capture something, but if you've got a good trigger finger & a fast camera, hit the button the second your eye catches any sight of light in the sky- it saves you from deleting 100's of blank shots :)

Rock, Paper... Iron.

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.6

 Exposure- 1/30

 ISO- 1600
Lens- 50mm

No Flash.

Tip: Don't just settle for indoor light if you don't have to. If it's daylight and you have access to a window, open up the shades and get some natural light in! Helps avoid that yellowy hue in your shot.

Friends- wonderful blessings indeed! There for us to celebrate the good, to help us through the bad, and everything in between. Like rock and paper, one can easily get carried away with any little breeze of obsession or feeling; it's great to have a friend who acts as a rock to help keep us held down from going crazy and being swept away.


Another great thing about friends is that they can cause us to see ourselves and the world around us in a whole new way. As long as you are careful to keep good friends, you can really learn a lot! Often we seem to have a problem though: there are so many means of entertainment these days, that we really don't think about trying to have meaningful conversations and to learn from one another.

Having a truly meaningful conversation with a friend (in most cases) is something that must be struck up intentionally. Some times one can have a great conversation by chance, but often it doesn't just come up out of nowhere. You have to ask the right questions. I am very thankful to have all my friends, but particularly thankful for the few that will suddenly pop out theological topics in conversation. Thanks to them, I have had the pleasure of talking of and contemplating things that I maybe otherwise wouldn't have.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"
 - Proverbs 27:17


Like in the above verse, we need to make a conscious effort to talk about things that will 'sharpen' our friends. Things that will make them think, give them strength, and most importantly, things that will help them become closer with God!

Well, It's A Bit Cliche, but...

 

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.3

 Exposure- 1/30

 ISO- 560
Lens- 38mm

No Flash.

Tip: Consider color contrast when you take a photo- it can really help things pop!

I know, this is pretty cliche- a post about being thankful just before Thanksgiving. What can I say? I couldn't resist. Might as well go with the seasons, right? But honestly, I might have written about thankfulness anyways, even if the holiday wasn't this coming Thursday, because I heard a very interesting point concerning the topic recently.

Everyone is thankful in their lives. This time of year especially. But the thing I am here to point out is this: When you are thankful, who are you thankful to? It is just in our nature to always have some one or something to give credit to. Why is this? Because we were made with the life purpose of glorifying God. We have Him to thank for everything; so, do we act accordingly?

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Out of Tune

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.3

 Exposure- 1/10
ISO- 1600
Lens- 44mm

No Flash.

 

Along with photography, I have a lot of other hobbies. One of which, is playing guitar. Sadly, since I usually have so much going on, I don't manage to find much time to practice, and therefore have not been able to get very good. So, while many folks who've played guitar for 5 years are able to tune them by ear, I still remain reliant upon my little electronic tuner.

While I may not be able to get my guitars back in tune without help, I can however, tell from strumming a couple of chords if they are out of tune. A similar (but much bigger) situation seems to often arise within people's minds, concerning the world in which we live. I think just about all of you could agree that society has a problem. You can watch, and listen, and you just KNOW things are not right- but why?

How come we are so sure of this fact? If everything is relative, as many like to say, why is it so readily agreed upon that there is a lot of evil in this world- and what defines evil? How did we get the idea of morals that civil societies uphold- like that it is wrong to lie, steal, murder, ect.? Even people who commit crimes often end up with a nagging conscience- what's up with that?

Like the musical absolutes that are programmed into my guitar tuner, there are moral absolutes programmed into us by God. "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them." - Romans 2:14-15

*The law referred to may be found in Exodus 20:3-17.

Hotter Than A Pan Of Burnt Popcorn

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/10

 Exposure- 1/400
ISO- 100
Lens- 38mm

No Flash.

Oh, it's nearly here- Election Day 2012 is on Tuesday the 6th! This whole election has been hotter than a pan of burning popcorn. I have never heard so much talk of politics, nor heard so much derogatory speech aimed towards two individuals, as I have in the past year. Do you recall ever seeing a whole entourage of clothing bashing past presidents? Perhaps I only notice this stuff more now that I am old enough to vote, but I just do not recall seeing much of the type of thing pictured above in reference to presidents gone by.

As the candidates have verbally dueled it out these past few months, I have began to notice that nobody seems to have any sense of respect anymore. I will not hesitate to say that I do not like a lot of what's gone on over the past 4 years, but that man in the White House is still our top governing authority, and as such, should receive the respect due to the office he holds. On top of that, he is human, and therefore like all other humans, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."). 

When the votes are in on Tuesday, no matter who wins, just remember this:

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." - Romans 13:1-2

Getting Looks

Advice: Candid shots at events can be really fun! Get a camera with a good zoom (or a good zoom lens!) and hide out in the crowd, taking shots from a distance where you will not be noticed.

When Christians share the Gospel with people, often times they will get some rather unflattering looks; particularly from those who are known to be great scholars by the world's standards. Fortunately, despite the popular saying about "If looks could kill, I'd be dead", God does not seem to have ordained that any of His people be killed by a disdainful expression. At least, I have not heard of an instance where this has happened.

So why do so many people feel nervous to share the message proclaimed in the Bible? For those of us who live in America, where so far we still have the freedom to speak of Christ without being killed or physically harmed (in most cases), likely all we will receive are disagreeable words and expressions, or at worst, no longer be spoken to by the individual again. Isn't it a small chance to take when their lives are at stake?

Some may say that it seems a little over dramatic to say one's life is at stake just because they do not believe the Bible, especially when they can see no visible danger posed toward them. But here is the thing about dangers- it's the invisible ones you REALLY have to be worried about. If some one knew there was a deranged killer in the back seat of your car, wouldn't you want them to tell you? And to the one who knows about the killer- wouldn't you be doing a tremendous disservice to some one by leaving them to be killed without warning? Would you hold back giving them such important information just because you'd be afraid they might call you an idiot or become angry at you because they perceive your message as a waste of their time?


"Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." -2 Corinthians 9:13

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God..."
 - 2 Peter 3:10-12a

Brain Freeze

Well, I really wanted to post something meaningful for you guys to read today, but somehow I'm very brain dead! It's odd, cause I have taken a bunch of new photos this week, as well as had the pleasure of attending some really great sermons, yet nothing is clicking for a blog post. I guess all I can say is sometimes God answers my prayer for inspiration with a "yes!" and sometimes with "not today, Sarah". Whether He gives me something to write or not, either way, may the Lord's will be done.

"Our God is in heaven;
    he does whatever pleases him."
- Psalm 115:3

 Advice: When ever possible, do a portrait shoot on a day with storm clouds- it provides terrific lighting on your subject without distracting shadows!

 Also on a side note, this is a totally candid shot of me taken by Zachary R. I was trying to hold my hair down because there was a very strong wind blowing, but I thought it made for a good "Brain Dead" picture :)

Smoke Veils & Liberation

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.6

 Exposure- 1/1600
ISO- 200
Lens- 200mm

No Flash.

Advice: Don't always run on auto! For this shot, I had to do a LOT of experimenting with manual exposure for the lighting, as well as messing around with the manual focus- autofocus refused to allow the bridge to show up!

For quite some time we've been plagued with massive clouds of smoke where I live. Yeah, that's right, that isn't fog in this photograph! The day I took it, we had barely over a mile viability. Then on Friday (after 83 days of dry weather) we finally got some rain! Hooray! The veil of smoke is now gone, and we can enjoy fresh air and take in the lovely fall colors that have been rapidly appearing.

Looking at this picture, I think of how in the Bible things were spoken of as being "veiled". When the rain came, our veil of smoke was lifted, the beautiful fall colors could be seen & we could regain our liberty to breathe outdoors. Likewise, when we turn to the Lord, it is as if a veil is lifted from our line of sight. We begin to see the glory of God, notice His hand in the happenings of the world, and we become liberated from the bondage of sin! (That however is not to say we will never sin while still on this earth, but that we are no longer slaves to sinful desires).

"Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 16-18


"The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." - Romans 8:21

Roadtrip Gone Awry

 

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/7.1

 Exposure- 1/200

 ISO- 100
Lens- 22mm

No Flash.

It's pretty easy to get big ideas. My friends and I get them all the time- sure, they seem great at the time, but you never can tell just how they will end. Making a spur-of-the-moment movie sounds great until you are running down the road bathing in your own sweat on a 100 degree day. Or what about that road trip that starts out to be terrific fun, but ends with you stuck on the side of the road for two hours?

Making plans can be a great thing, but we have to be careful not to get too stuck on them, for they don't always turn out the way we think they will. Sometimes they do not even turn out at all- just ask all those people who have planned beach trips only to discover it's pouring down rain the next day! Just goes to show, as much as we would LOVE to be completely in charge of what happens in our lives, we cannot have total control. 

But guess what? It doesn't mean there is no order to the seeming craziness that happens in life and the universe. God is still in control, and for those who live their lives to Him, they will someday get to see the big picture of why things happen the way they do, and know that all works out just the way He means it to in the end.

"Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” "- James 4:13-15

Learning to Battle

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.6

 Exposure- 1/125
ISO- 200
Lens- 24mm

No Flash.

To become skilled at beating your opponent in Chess (or in this case, Lego Chess!), two of the most important things one can do is 1.) Study the players guide, and 2.) Associate oneself with skilled players who may act as mentors in the game. With learning, advice, and practice, you may gain the skills and wits you need to beat the other player. 

The Christian life is very much like the chess concept. If we are going to grow in Christ-likeness, it is imperative that we study our Bibles. On top of that, it is extremely important to associate ourselves with fellow Christians for friendship and moral support, as well as attend a good church where we may be mentored by a pastor who is gifted in delivering deeper insight into the Word of God (great way to learn truths that the average person may not think of when they read the scriptures!).

With the help of God and fellow believers, we may better our knowledge and gain the necessary perseverance to battle our sinful nature, resist the devil, and help escape spiritual apathy.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:25

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." - Ephesians 6:11

PS: I was feeling very color-aware while writing this...check out how all the important parts that coincide with each other  happen to be of the same hue. ;)

Self Photography

[[Scroll Down For Photo]]

 *click* *click* Self photography! It's done a lot these days. What isn't done a lot is what I'm going to call "biblical self-photography". What do I mean by that? Imagine those girls who take pictures of themselves and constantly compare what they see in that photo to the published pictures of magazine models. They see the model, then look back at their own photograph, suddenly self-conscious of every zit and flaw. "I must fix myself", they think.

This mentality is what we should have- but directed in a different way- towards scripture. We should read through the Bible, looking carefully at the model life & faith that is described in it's pages and thinking, "What does my life look like? How do I compare?" Be prayerful, asking the Lord, "Help fix me, make me more like You. Let me not only be a hearer (or reader) of the word, but a doer as well!"

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." - James 1:22-25

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5

 Exposure- 1/400
ISO- 200
Lens- 35mm
No Flash.

Advice: Take portraits on cloudy days- it helps keep distracting shadows or washed out spots away!

Just as an FYI, I did NOT photograph this (it's me in the pic, by the way)... I handed the camera off to my boyfriend and let him play around after I was done getting shots of him & some antique cameras. So, credit to Zachary R. on this one.

Silverwood Adventures

[[Pictures Below]]

Theme parks are so much fun. They also happen to be in perfect flow with my blog title, as the excitement of a carnival ride is exceedingly fleeting. Ecclesiastes 2 starts off with "I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. "Laughter", I said, "is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?" It's a valid question. What DOES pleasure accomplish? In reference to things earth has to offer, it ultimately accomplishes nothing. We wait in line anticipating how great the ride will be, we get on and have a blast, then moments later, the ride ends and we are no longer fulfilled- it is on to the next promising looking ride!

Humans are made with a special capacity to enjoy pleasures, which we generally use on entertainment and relationships. The thing is, we are never totally satisfied. In fact, as long as we are on earth, we never will be. Why? The entire reason behind our desire for pleasure is located elsewhere- in Heaven. We were made to take pleasure in our Creator, but since the fall, we've lost track of this fact. But some day, those who are called to the Lord will finally be fulfilled when they can worship & enjoy God for eternity. Until then, sure, we can enjoy good things on this earth in moderation- but never lose sight of (or neglect to thank!) the One who allows us these little joys and will one day grant us everlasting joy!

Camera: Samsung S860

Aperture - f/2.8

 Exposure- 1/15
ISO- 200
Lens- 35mm
No Flash.

 

Camera: Samsung S860

Aperture - f/5.2

 Exposure- 1/250
ISO- 80
Lens- 35mm
No Flash.

 

 

Camera: Samsung S860

Aperture - f/5.2

 Exposure- 1/750

ISO- 80

Lens- 35mm

No Flash.

Camera: Samsung S860

Aperture - f2.8

 Exposure- 1/4
ISO- 200
Lens- 35mm
No Flash.

Advice: Use a photo editing program or website to adjust the saturation & warmth of your photos if the sunset doesn't show up in the photos like it did in the sky.

Wow, FOUR photos!? Yeah, went all out on this post. I was just at Silverwood yesterday for my friend's birthday celebration. Had an awful time making up my mind which picture I should use for this post, so hey, might as well just upload them all :] 

Also, blogger changed the dimensions on these photos for some odd reason, so they look a tad bit odd, just fyi.

Flowers of Summer [Blog Introduction]

Camera: Nikon D60
Aperture - f/4
Exposure- 1/80
ISO- 800
Lens- 55mm
No Flash.

Advice: Bring a tripod when you know you will be shooting in dimming light. I forgot to bring mine on this excursion, but lucky for me, there were some handy boulders there to stabilize my camera!

I start my blog off with this photo for a reason- the subject of the photograph goes well with what I was thinking of when I named this blog, "Captured Yet Fleeting". As photographers, we can capture many beautiful objects and moments- but they are fleeting. These flowers that I found in June were on their way out when I returned here two weeks later. By now, I am sure they're long gone. A beautiful, yet short existence. Just like us. 

Like flowers having an estimated longevity, we have a general idea of how long we might live too. The thing is, the flowers could be unexpectedly destroyed by a sudden storm, fire, or eaten by a wild animal (you should see my dog attack a garden!). It is likewise with us: despite our general idea of our longevity, something could happen out of the blue. You wouldn't expect somebody to leave the world at only 13 years of age, but a boy I knew fell off of an ATV two days ago and was killed instantly on the rocks below him. Nobody saw it coming. 

I suppose in a sense, this blog is like my memorial to him, and my tribute to God to remember the brevity of my life and use the talent He has supplied me with to His glory. I hope that you enjoy the photos, find the tips/camera settings I list helpful, and most importantly- think about the writings that go with the pictures.

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;
    let me know how fleeting my life is.
 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
    even those who seem secure.

 “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
    in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
    without knowing whose it will finally be.

 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you. 

 Save me from all my transgressions;
    do not make me the scorn of fools."

---Psalm 39:4-8