What Kind of Peer Pressure Are You Experiencing?

Peer pressure can be used both for good and for ill. In one instance last summer, I was thankful for peer pressure. My friends and I discovered this abandoned house. I've always had a fascination with abandoned places, but never had the opportunity to go into one before. This time, the chance had finally presented itself. The thing is, I almost didn't have the nerve. Lucky for me, my friend did. He went in first and gave me just the push I needed. As a result, I got a collection of neat photos, fun memories, and a story to tell!

On the flip side, peer pressure can be a terrible evil, as it was in the life of Samson. At the start, in Judges 14, it merely involved him giving away the answer to a riddle that would cause him to lose a bet and some belongings. The second time, things took a far worse turn:

After this, he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her,“Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.” (Judges 15:4-6)

After a lot of pushing from Delilah, Samson gave in to her pressure and told his secret. Promptly, the information was used against him. "The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison." (Judges 16:21)

Next time you are being pushed to do something, stop and think. Is it good? Is it helpful? What is your motive in your choice to follow or disregard the pressure? Is it something that will be pleasing to God?

Will you take what's yours?

“So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?“ - Joshua 18:3

I was surprised upon reading this passage. After all of the years the Israelites had spent getting to and then waiting for the promised land, knowing full well that it was their inheritance given to them by God, when they finally got to the edge of it, some of the tribes just sat. Over the prior few chapters of Joshua, these tribes had seen God give their relatives victory in battle as they took their shares of land, so they had no reason to fear opposition. They knew God had promised the land would be good, so there could be no doubt about how well the land would suit them. In fact, Joshua 18 gives no reason why these remaining tribes put off taking their land at all. It simply states that they didn’t move toward what was theirs until they were pretty much ordered to.

Why would you sit and stare at a good thing that has been promised to you, but not take it when the opportunity is right there?

As I contemplated this fact, I realized we do the exact same thing today. Not with land, of course, but with God Himself. In the new covenant, God is our portion. To all those who come, He has promised eternal life and reconciliation and communion with Himself. Yet, we sit. Even those of us who have come to the Lord often put off spending time learning about and communing with Him. Some things about humanity just don’t change, eh?

Are you going to come and enjoy that which God has promised to you? Or are you going to sit around until circumstances force you to pursue what you’ve been promised?

You Can't Overcome Your Biggest Obstacle

Water: it is one of the main boundaries in the world. Cities are divided by rivers, properties may be divided by a stream, and the continents are divided by an ocean. Sometimes, water separates us from things unexpectedly, like in the photo above when the walking path between two nearby towns flooded and became impassible by all practical means. 

In the Old Testament, water was the separating factor between Israel and their escape from Egypt. Later on, it was the one thing between them and their impending conquest of Jericho. In both of these accounts, however, God used this great obstacle to remind the people of His power and protection.

In Exodus 13:15-18 we read, The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

Fast forward a number of years, and we see in Joshua 3:7-13 a similar event: The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

The likeness of these two instances really struck me. God lead His people through many obstacles over time, but it was fascinating that of all things they would cross a body of water on dry ground twice. What are the odds? Well, humanly speaking, zero. Even with our modern technology, we still cannot instantly dry out a path through a river or sea. At best, it would be a muddy swamp that your feet would get stuck in. But God? He knows no limits. Perhaps, He gives us our most limiting obstacles to remind us that it is not we who have the ultimate power, but Him. He will give us what we need to overcome them in His timeframe and by His will.

Branded for Christ

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called..."  "Be imitators of God, as beloved children." - Ephesians 4:1 and 5:1

Like the soda bottles above are branded with the name of their maker, so we who are in Christ are "branded" as children of God. Each type of soda also has it's own particular traits, causing it to stand out from the others. Even amongst a shelf full of knock-off flavors, everybody still notices the brand-name sodas, bold as ever. Could the same be said of us?

In a place filled with pleasant, decent, yet unbelieving people, do we still stand out as those who are adopted by God? Do we think about our heavenly Father enough to converse about him with our fellow believers and those who may happen to ask about our faith? Are we actively looking for the great things that He is doing in our lives and the lives of those around us? Do we know God well enough to be imitators of Him, or are we merely satisfied to follow our society's rules for being the same type of "good person" that everyone else is?

 We're bound to embrace our "brand". Consider which one you hold the hardest to.

Trail of Danger

To one side of you there is a rock wall, to the other, a several hundred foot drop into a small, rocky river. One option will scratch you up, the other will likely end in many broken bones or even death. So, you keep to the skinny path that separates you from both fates, taking care to watch where your feet fall so that you do not slip. 

Hiking that trail felt like the perfect visual example of Proverbs 4:27, "Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil." Allowing yourself to fall to sin is as serious as careening down that trail in such a careless manner that you stumble over the edge. The only difference is that when you are swerving on the path of life, you often don't realize how close you are to falling until it is too late. 

How do we keep ourselves from harm? Let God's words in scripture guide our actions, illuminating where we ought to place our feet. How do your actions and lifestyle look in the light of scripture?

New Beginnings

The new year tends to emerge with much noise and glory. People banging pots, blowing party noisemakers, lighting off fireworks, and making toasts to new beginnings and resolving to change their lives for the better. There is so much excitement and enthusiasm. We know we've made mistakes over the past year, and we're all ready to write them off and start up anew as best we are able.

Why are we so thrilled by the prospect of new beginnings? Why do we like that feel of a fresh start so well? Because it's what we are meant to have. We are meant to be transformed by a relationship with Christ and become new. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

If you're already in Christ, do you see the newness? Is there a noticeable difference between you and the rest of the world? It won't be an overnight switch, but the closer we grow in our relationships with Christ, the more like Him we will become and the less like the rest of the world we will seem. I pray for you and myself alike that the difference will be ever increasing. 

Happy New Year!

Those Trying Times

"Welcome to solitary confinement,"  are words which undoubtedly once echoed through this room as a prisoner would get shoved through the open door into the small dark room. While none of us have likely been imprisoned in a solitary cell, we may have gone through times where we mentally felt like it. Even King David went through a period like that, and in the process he penned this Psalm:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul

    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

(Psalm 13)

There are several things that can be noticed about David's stance in this psalm:

1.) His sorrow coexisted with his joy.

2.) He was considered a "man after God's own heart", yet he still experienced very difficult times and felt distant from God.

3.) He was praying to God, despite feeling distant and abandoned.

4.) He recognized that counseling himself during times of hardship leads to more sorrow- he needs God's counsel.

5.) He trusts, rejoices in, and praises God amidst the hard times.

How can you be more like David as you tackle life's challenges?

What is Love?

We always hear the word "love" at weddings and read about it in dating/marriage books. In our culture, it seems like anything with the word "love" has to have a romantic connotation. When those who are outside of our family tell us "I love you", they often feel the need to specify "but not like THAT".  If love does not always have to equal a romantic attraction, what IS it? In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul puts it like this:

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.

If you have love, you display these attributes: 

• You're patient
• You're kind
• You rejoice in the truth
• You bear what's thrown at you
• You believe without doubting
• You have hope
• You endure all things
• Your love never ends or has conditions

Indicators that you may lack love:

• You're envious
• You're boastful
• You're arrogant
• You're rude
• Things MUST go your way
• You're irritable
• You're resentful
• Sinful things/thoughts give you sadistic joy

What side of these do you sway towards? Admittedly, my love needs some work. 

The Grey Zone

Tip: Get a long range lens and zoom in on an object to create a nicely blurred background.

This was done with a 200mm lens.

"Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." (Romans 14:20-23)

There are certain things that are morally neutral; while the Bible commands us not to be gluttons or drunkards, there is nothing telling us specifically what to eat or drink. There are many Christians who are flat out against alcohol consumption or eating meat because those things are bothersome to their conscience - on the flip side, there are many who enjoy the same things with hearts of gratefulness toward God for them. 

To those who can confidently do these things before God, be conscientious about who is around when you are enjoying these liberties- don't do things that could lead those with a more fragile conscience to fall to sin.

To those who are against exercising these liberties, be careful that you do not begin feeling and acting self-righteous about your choice, looking down on those Christian brothers and sisters who choose to enjoy such things on occasion.

To everybody: be respectful of your fellow Christian's convictions, whatever they may be, as long as they are not in violation of scripture. Civil discussions on such matters of differing opinion are healthy and wonderful, but when you begin to try and force someone into adopting your stance on the "grey areas", you've gone too far.

Making Alterations

Tip: Add interest to your shots with a shallow depth of field.

 A friend recently showed me an article in which an autistic man volunteered to be part of an experiment to see if electrical stimulation to a specific part of the brain would enable him to better sense and read emotions (which is a task many with autism struggle with). The man had always dreamed of having this ability; he looked at it almost as if it were a superpower. Being able to understand people's emotions would enhance his social life so much! As it turned out, the experiment worked, but his new found ability turned out to be more overwhelming than he ever would have dreamed. It took him 5 years to regain stability in his life, and along the way his marriage crumbled due to the the extreme alteration of his personality.

While the scientific world may be admired for it's ingenuity, their developing ability to fundamentally change who and what people are is becoming rather alarming. Not only that, but in some instances it is like a slap in the face to God- His creation saying "You messed up, now let me show you how you should have made me!" 

Let us remember that God made each of us the way we are for specific reasons; there are no "oops" moments when He puts us together.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

-Psalm 139:13-16

Lesson From A House Painter

Tip: Pay attention to textures; when you find a particularly interesting one, 

play with angles for close-up images. 

I was talking to an acquaintance who makes his living from house painting. He loved his job, but said that in some respects it could have just the slightest hint of discouragement; he knows that every eight years or so the houses will need to be repainted. "We either have to keep up a steady repair," he said, "or things will deteriorate." Right he is - and in more areas than just our homes!

Have you ever experienced spiritual deterioration? It begins with the feeling that you don't have enough time to study the Bible. Over time, you put it off a little here and there, and before long, you find yourself completely out of touch with God's word. When this goes on, over time what good intentions you had of eventually getting back into it will fade and you'll be left without a desire to study and know what God has said at all. It is truly a tragedy.

Are you in a slump right now? Don't wait in hopes of the problem fixing itself! Just like a house or anything else, your spiritual life needs constant attention or it will fall into decay. As God said to Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8). A successful spiritual life is one that knows God and his revealed word as best as possible. May your desire for him ever increase.

Oh, where do we begin? The rubble or our sins?

Tip: When photographing abandoned buildings, try to position yourself near a window to take advantage of ambient lighting; it is much more enchanting than harsh bulb light.

This abandoned room reminds me of the lyrics of one of my favorite popular songs:

I was left to my own devices
Many days fell away with nothing to show

And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Great clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

The bridge of the song states this:

Oh where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?
Oh oh where do we begin?
The rubble or our sins?

The song is titled Pompeii, and it depicts a vibrant culture that was bent on vanity and living large. Enamored with their entertainment, beauty, and success, these ancient people never would have imagined that their gorgeous city would be ground to a halt within a few hours. I imagine whoever once lived in the room pictured above never would have imagined it standing there the way it is today, either.

What about us? Do we, in our fast paced societies, ever stop to contemplate the fact that our lives and accomplishments are not everlasting? Do we take time out from our day to day lives to seek out the knowledge of the One who is everlasting and apply His counsel to our lives?

Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,

and have their fill of their own devices.

For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

but whoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.

-Proverbs 1:29-33

Biblical Joy #2

Tip: Use sun-spots/lens flare carefully and sparingly. It can either add a great mood or a big distraction to your image.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

If you've ever heard the popular worship chorus, the above verse may seem almost cliche as it repeats over and over again in your head. Starting a new day might seem just as repetitive. Wake up, go to work or school (or both?), eat, sleep, repeat. Maybe have time to see a few friends or family members here or there. Maybe have time to read a short paragraph or two about God alongside part of a Bible verse, if you can squeeze it in.

If the above sounds at all like how you live your life, it's no wonder joy is a rare thing to come by!

Just slow down and think about it for a second: God made today. He made it, and the fact that you are alive to see it is a gift from Him. We've lived so many days that we do not realize what miracles are continually happening around us: our body parts all work together to keep us functional, the sun comes up, the earth and planets properly rotate to make the days and nights and seasons happen. This stuff could not be without God upholding it all and allowing it to keep working.

Be in awe. Worship God with amazement. Know that He has let you come this far for a good reason, and pray that you may seek Him more each day that He lets you wake up. Never let yourself complain about the miracle of another day, whatever happens to become of it.

3 Overlooked Lessons From The Great Flood

Tip: When photographing in potentially dangerous situations, come prepared with emergency items and the knowledge of how to save yourself if you get in a pinch (or even better: a friend who can help). If you aren't prepared, leave.

Nearly every year, there comes a period of time when the river rises and the snow melt carries in lots of extra water and debris to the valley in which I live. Flooding is a good reminder of the one great flood that God once sent, back in the times of the book of Genesis.

Typically, when the flood of Genesis is mentioned, people automatically think of Noah and the animals all crammed onto a boat floating around, ending with the rainbow of God's promise to never again wipe all living things from the earth. While these are key aspects of the account, there are other lessons that can be gained. Here are a few:

1.) God is not required to show us mercy as we live in sin. 
The whole reason this all happened was because "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time." (Genesis 5:5). While He has promised never to exterminate all living things from the earth, do note that He can and has struck down smaller groups and individuals as He has seen fit (remember Ananias and Sapphira? Acts 5:1-11; Also, the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah- Genesis 19:1-29)

2.) God does choose to show mercy to some people.
"So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:8). God could have chosen to lump Noah in with everyone else and call humanity a waste as a whole, but Noah honored God in his living and the Lord chose to let him and his family continue on.

3.) Numbers are Irrelevant.
To many groups, having a large number of attendees means the difference between a church that is "alive" and a church that is "dying". That simply is not the case. Nowhere in scripture does it say that you must have a big Bible study or belong to a mega-church to be spiritually fruitful. When God sent the great flood to wipe out the races, notice that out of all the people in the world at that time, he only saved eight - "On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark." (Genesis 7:13). Also, again referring to the account of Sodom & Gomorrah in Genesis 19, notice that the Lord only saved one family. As Matthew 18:20 states, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Thank God that He has shown you mercy though you don't deserve it. Thank Him that He chooses to at least save a few people. Thank Him that He shares His presence with us and will bless even the smallest groups of people. 

The Long Trek

Tip: Having people in your landscape shots really helps put the vastness of landscapes into proportion for your viewers. Do it whenever you can!

I was talking to a fellow hiker recently; he told me of a time when he came to the end of the trail he was on and several yards ahead of him he watched as two hikers dropped their trekking poles to the ground and shouted "We are finished!". In the moment, he assumed "Wow, their first hike and they are so adamant about giving up that they are just leaving their gear on the ground for someone else to take? Sad." Upon further conversation with someone down the path, he later found that the two were from Europe and had spent the last year on the Pacific Crest Trail, walking from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. The shout of "We are finished!" was not defeat, but triumph- they had just completed a world famous trail that is over 2,000 miles long!

Enduring through trials in the Christian life can be as difficult as the physical strain that one would feel if they hiked the entire Pacific Crest trail, at times; even Paul said he was "being poured out". For those who persevere, it will be more beautiful and glorious than conquering 2,000 miles of a scenic trail. Let us strive to be able to honestly say what Paul said in 2 Timothy:

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" - 2 Timothy 4:6-7

Keep going, my friend. The Lord put you in this race and He will sustain you!