Leaving Hand Prints on Life.

Tip: Put your subject in it's surroundings. Close cropped images can make nice portraits, but if you really want to capture a moment, zoom it out a little and back up to give the image a sense of depth.

I once overheard an elderly man saying, "I was at a baseball game back a while ago and was having a rough time navigating the stairs on the bleachers. Then a young man took me by the arm and helped me make my way out of the stadium. I thanked him and handed him a $20. He's probably forgotten by now, but it meant the world to me." 

You never know what you might do that will leave a life long impression upon someone. For me, it has been as simple as a camp counselor being my pen pal when I was 7, or a certain blog post a friend of mine wrote when I was 16. So many little things you don't even think about can really stick with a person, whether for good or for ill. 

Whatever it is that you do, it affects those around you in some way, whether it be through your example or through something you do to or for someone. The question to ask yourself is, "Am I causing a good affect on those around me?"

In my case, the letters and time spent with that camp counselor made me realize how happy it made me to have someone older paying attention to me and treating me like a friend. Years down the road, I did the same for a little girl I met at church. As for the blog post, it created an amazing mental image that not only made for an enjoyable read, but I think ultimately gave me the slight nudge that lead to me gaining a sense of adventure (which helps this blog out immensely, seeing as I get my best photographs when I am out exploring). 

Matthew 25:40 states, "And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." ... So, what are you doing to people?

Pushing Boundaries

Tip: Don't always center everything. Play with the rule of thirds and try different positioning to add more interest and depth to your photograph.

I went hiking a couple weeks ago and along the way my friends and I stumbled upon this sign. "So, I wonder if the $300 is a flat rate for as many jumps as you can do in a day or if it is $300 per jump?" one of us asked. We all had a good laugh, then watched as one of the people near the water fall hurled himself into the water. "There goes his $300."

Lets face it: we all want to bend or break the rules from time to time. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to not act like a rebel. Sometimes there are obvious consequences, sometimes we discover the downside of our actions later on. But rest assured, there is always a repercussion to what we do, whether we see it immediately or not.

Take for instance the many times the Bible commands us to honor God (Matt 22:37, Deut. 6:5, Psalm 86:12, to name a few). Sometimes we think we can bend that a little- perhaps just do the motions of worshiping Him, all the while devoting our minds to other concerns. Ananias and Sapphira thought they could make it work- they would give to God; they would do the motions and be good, worshipful people and be just a little concerned about their own affairs at the same time. They could bend the rules of worshiping God a little, right? A little white lie to make it look like they were giving their all couldn't hurt just once, could it?

Well...

"For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”),  sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. 

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband."  - Acts 4:34b-5:10

We might be able to get away with pushing the speed limits on our roadways or jumping into a forbidden waterfall from time to time with seemingly little effect upon ourselves or others, but be warned: you can't push boundaries with God. Know what He wants of you and do it wholeheartedly- don't think you can slide by, just looking like you love Him.

Forgotten

Tip: Find an angle where your subject can be naturally framed by the objects around it. This creates a well-balanced images that will be pleasing to the eye.

"There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after." (Ecclesiastes 1:11)

You, like this half-collapsed abandoned house, will someday be forgotten and rotting away. A rather depressing thought, but everyone is due a dose of reality every once in a while. Sure, a few may remember your name, or maybe after your death the work you leave behind may be discovered by someone else, but guess what? They will die too. 

What is my point in saying these things? To make you sad? Nay, to motivate! A bit counter-intuitive though, isn't it, you ask? Not at all. Because while yes, everything on earth will over time fade out and no longer matter, those of us in Christ can take hope, knowing that more permanent things await us.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Do not pour your heart into the temporary things that you will do or create. While those things are not evil and do have their place in our lives for the time, they are not to be our primary focus. Remember to always be keeping to God's word and doing the kinds of things that will bring yourself and others closer to Him and the heavenly treasures that you and others will someday inherent as God's adoptive children.

Little Things

 

 Tip: When photographing an animal, zoom the lens as far as it will go, then snap pictures as you slowly inch closer and closer to the critter. Better to weed out a few far-away shots than to try and get too close too quickly and not get a shot at all.

This year, God has taught me to appreciate the little things. The small details of creation are truly amazing to behold. This is not limited to the intricacies of the animal kingdom, either. In the last 9 months, I have experienced at differing points what it is like to live without taste, without hearing (partially), and without normal sunlight and clean air to breathe. You don't realize how much you take stuff like this for granted until you're forced to be without it for a length of time!

We can be encouraged, observing the small beauties and blessings in life. If God cares enough to put so much detail into a tiny butterfly, how much more does He care about carving out the details in our lives? We serve a truly wonderful God! No matter how chaotic your life may feel sometimes, He is taking care of you.

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his span of life?" (Matthew 6:6-7)

Sailing Through Life

Tip: Remember the rule of thirds in your photography and give your subject some context by showing some scenery around it. This provides a more interesting image.

Recently I had the pleasure of learning to sail, courtesy of a good friend of mine. Imagining what it is like to sail and actually sailing are two extremely different things. I always had an image in my head of someone blissfully steering a boat over sparkling blue water as the wind blew perfectly into their sails at all times. This, I have observed, is generally not the case at all.

Sailing takes work, and plenty of it. The wind will not constantly be blowing into your sails to take you where you wish to go. If you are in charge of the sails, it is your job to catch the wind; you must continually be turning and adjusting them or else you will end up either overwhelmed by too strong of a gust or perhaps find yourself stuck floating idle with no wind going into your sails at all. Meanwhile, either you or your shipmate must be constantly steering the boat- it’s not going to go where you wish simply by means of the current state of the wind.

In some respect, spiritual life can be this way too. You can't just expect your life to change for the better without steering in the right direction. While we are not saved by works (Ephesians 2:1-10), we also cannot expect to grow in Christ if we are not actively pursuing a deeper relationship with Him. If we are not frequently studying the Bible and making necessary adjustments to our life trajectory, we are bound to either become idle and go nowhere or else be swept down a path we ought not to be on.

Sailing a boat is a very grand and rewarding experience, but what shall be even more so is a life well lived for the glory of God- our Lord and Savior.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Stary Night

Tip: ALWAYS bring your tripod if you plan to photograph the night sky.

I've had the immense pleasure of doing a bit of stargazing this summer. The night sky is a breathtaking view. Nothing makes you realize the vast expansiveness of creation like looking up at the stars. It feels so infinite, and in turn, I feel so small. I'm just a dot in this universe, yet the God who is bigger and more majestic than the Milky Way saw fit to make me and stick me on this planet? Wow.

It is so true that "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." (Psalm 19:1). Praise God for the beautiful world He has given us to dwell in, and thank Him for caring enough to create you and give you purpose.

College ≠ Ultimate Knowledge

Tip: Tall buildings look far more impressive when photographed from a low angle.

Ever since my senior year of high school, people have been asking me if I have plans of going to college. Back in 2013, I visited the beautiful Providence Christian College (pictured above) and nearly became a student. In the end, I decided to put further education on hold until I have a definite goal in mind that would be worth spending thousands of dollars to pursue.

Some people tell me that I should go to college so that I can figure out what to do with the remainder of my life. Considering the amount of time and money that would entail, I've been reluctant to take the gamble. Thankfully, college is not the only (nor most important) place to gain knowledge. The book of Proverbs states that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7a).

Where can we gain the fear of the Lord? In the Bible! That's right; no $100 text books, no $15,000+ tuition fees, and you aren't charged several hundred dollars per credit. In fact, now that we are in the digital age, you don't even have to pay to obtain a copy of the Bible. We simply need to invest our time into learning the words of wisdom that God has left for us. We can learn Who He is, know who we are (and what our place is to be), and be encouraged knowing that wherever we go, everything will turn out according to His plan.

College or not, life will never be entirely clear to us. Living in a fallen world will not always be easy, no matter our education. What we can count on, however, is that in the end, God will bless those of us who value and apply the knowledge of Him in our lives.

"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than
gain from silver and her profit better than gold."  
(Proverbs 3:13-14)