Scott Fillmer

2009 Year End Photo-Video

Scott Fillmer — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:46:20 +0000

2009 was a busy year that saw a lot of changes in our household. Throughout each month of each year for the past 15-18 years or so I have taken photos every chance I get, but it has only been in the past several years where I have taken photos of just about everything my wife and I do as we go about the year. This puts a new perspective on the year when you look back at an entire year of photos and see what all we were able to do.

People often think you need special equipment or expertise to be a good photographer, and in some cases that is probably true, but for every day events, any picture is better than no picture. Most cell phones have cameras now and they are around the 2MP range which is certainly good enough to shoot a passing smile. In fact, a good majority of the photos you will see in the video below came right out of my iPhone camera. It has taken some practice but I have gotten very good results with just using my iPhone camera, and there are many photographers that have made a point to compose a gallery here and there using their iPhone camera.

This video below is a combination of about 1,200 photos over about a 5 minute period, hope you enjoy it, happy new year to everyone. If you want to watch the video in a larger window just click 2009 Year End Photo-Video.

The Pictorial History of a Tree

Scott Fillmer — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:23:54 +0000

We have this great tree back behind our house and I usually take photos of it as the seasons change and I have been wanting to write one single post with all of the photos together to see how one single spot can change over time. Below is where I sit in the summer and read, contemplate life, and view from the house in the winter and rain. I love the warm open feeling it gives in Spring or Summer and the uninviting look of winter. As the days count down for our departure to Virginia, this is one spot I am going to miss while we are gone.

The original posts that came from this photos can be found here:

Fog on a never end cycle of rain in the south – December 14, 2009

Temperature and Dew Point Converge – March 6, 2009

Crazy Weather, 70 Degrees with Snow? – February 28, 2009

Beautiful December Day, Valkyrie // Friday Feet – December 27, 2008

Star Trails, the North Star, and a Cold Night with the Tree Swing – November 26th, 2008

Another Beautiful and Very Colorful Fall Day in Alabama – November 9, 2008

Fall Has Finally Arrived in Alabama, and My Swing Loves It – November 5, 2008

View of Our House from a Tree Swing // Friday Feet – October 17, 2008

Do You Have a Quiet and Peaceful Place to Hide? – June 22, 2008

A Foggy Summer Morning in Auburn Alabama and a Tree Swing – July 7, 2008

Below is are some of the photos from the posts above.

Photos and Thoughts of Thanksgiving

Scott Fillmer — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:02:34 +0000

Thanksgiving is now long gone (and so is the food I hope) but I finally got around to editing a few impromptu photo shoots that happened over that weekend. We often move from holiday to holiday and are “thankful” when it is time to be thankful, and “merry” when it is time for Christmas, but the spirit should remain with us year round. This past Thanksgiving weekend was a little different in our house this year. We were home and able to share the meal with our extended family and had a wonderful time. I had a photo shoot with my pastor’s family, my car died, and then on Thanksgiving day took a few shots of my Nieces and Nephews (I have several).

Christmas is going to be a bit strange for us as well as we make a move up to Virginia just before Christmas to continue our class work. It will be kind of weird being in a new place during the holiday but Deborah and I are looking forward to making new friends and worshiping with new Believers. Below are just a few shots from the Thanksgiving weekend (I am going to try to upload a few more to my flickr account). The last shot at the bottom is my Niece Martha and my Nephew Levi, quite a pair.

God, Wind, and Surfers

Scott Fillmer — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:45:00 +0000

There is nothing quite like the power of God as seen through an incoming storm on the ocean. This week we planned on spending a few days in-between our two fall semesters down at the gulf, and of course there was a strong remnant of a hurricane from the Pacific on its way over right to our little spot. The ocean is even limited in our mind by as far as we can see, and only from the tiny little spot on the sand we can stand. But it changes every day. I have been to the Pacific, Atlantic, and of course the Gulf and it never looks the same, the ocean, even from our small perspective. The surfers were quite thrilled to see the 35-40mph winds down there today, and I took a few shots of the local surfers.

The Humble Prayer of a Confederate Soldier

Scott Fillmer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:45:25 +0000

I love this short prayer below. I came across it this morning looking for some files from about fifteen years ago, and I am sure many have read this poem before. The author is only listed as “unknown Confederate Soldier” (here), so it comes from a few years back, but it is still worthy of circulation today. We can still call on His name today in the 21st century and He will “most richly bless” us.

The Prayer

“I asked God for strength that I might achieve. “I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. “I asked for health that I might do greater things. “I was given infirmity that I might do better things. “I asked for riches that I might be happy. “I was given poverty that I might be wise. “I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. “I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. “I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. “I was given life that I might enjoy all things. “I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for. “Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. “I am, among all men, most richly blessed.”

I am, among men, most richly blessed… if only because of You, Lord. Amen.

Gameday 2009 Kicks Off Today // Auburn vs La Tech

Scott Fillmer — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 13:18:54 +0000

Today starts the new football season, and probably a new era with Auburn football with Gene Chizick as head coach. I have spoken to Gene several time over the off season and he is always cool as a cucumber,

I wish him all the best as he starts what has to be one of the most stressful jobs in the south. So much has changed in my house over the last year, but Auburn football never seems to change, it is timeless. September rolls around and Tiger Walk strolls down the street 2 hours before kickoff, the band plays marching around the stadium 90 minutes before kickoff, the eagle flies from the rafters and the game is under way.

Last year I spent the entire football season shooting each game, painstakingly documenting each event through photography, this year I am going to watch the games as a fan and nothing else. I am looking forward to it, next year looks like it might take us even farther away from the football season so we will enjoy each game (just please Lord don’t make it toooooo hot).

To see the photography from Auburn’s 2008 football season you can click on the link here for football. See you at Jordan Hare.

Auburn Football vs Louisiana Monroe

Learning to Live a Life of Discipline

Scott Fillmer — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:27:28 +0000

We all know that living a life of discipline is important for many reasons, but this topic is not something traditionally touched on Sunday mornings, how learning to live a life of spiritual discipline is just as important in the Christian walk. Often we think we can only worship on Sunday in the church building, or only pray when we get on our knees and fold our hands. That is a slight over exaggeration but we know that scripture says in 1 Thess 5:17 to pray without ceasing, so how can we do that if we only participate in prayer or worship on Sunday mornings?

The photo I shot below was taken on a beach in Orange County California several months ago. It was almost deserted except for a few surfers and after a long day of work it was a great place to worship and pray while I watched the beauty of God’s day come to an end (other photos from that afternoon of worship are posted in Pacific Coast Sunset in OC // Friday Feet).

I just finished one of the best small books I have read recently called Spiritual Life by Westerhoff, and in his book he explains 6 different ways we go about learning to live a life of spiritual discipline. Silence and solitude, preparation, writing, reading, and several others are all ways we can experience God’s presence, and in turn grow in our spiritual relationship with Him. I for one am excited to be able to worship the God who made this sunset, it was an afternoon between me and His presence that I won’t soon forget.

If you would like to read my extended comments on this topic I have made them available in this short essay called Spiritual Formation, Learning to Live a Life of Discipline in a pdf download. I have a long way to go, but love knowing that I can worship our Lord anywhere, anytime, and he hears my prayer, and he hears yours as well.

Link to pdf Download.

Batterson on Chasing the Holy Spirit

Scott Fillmer — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:19:12 +0000

Once again I am a little behind the current book release scene in reading Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson but I did finally get around to reading this book last week. After a quick tally for 2009 I discovered that this was around book number twenty-five for me this year and out of all the popular (none scholarly) books I have read so far, Wild Goose Chase had to be one of the best. Reading Blue Like Jazz and Wild Goose Chase back to back was very interesting and they complimented each other very well, even though they were very different books.

Batterson walks through, in very practical ways, how we go about chasing after the Holy Spirit (as Celtic Christians called Him, An Geadh-Glas, or the Wild Goose), or our lack there-of. Often we go through life from one routine to the next and our spiritual life becomes, to us, boring. As Batterson explains, God never meant the Christian life to be mundane and boring. It is dangerous, bold, exciting, and adventurous… when we learn to depend on Him and follow the Holy Spirit instead of our own selfish ambitions.

As I have mentioned in my blog many times in the past, I have never thought God intended our life to be the pursuit of a good 9-5 job, a nice house with a two-car garage (and two cars to go in the driveway because we can’t get them in the garage), a 401k, and early retirement so we can play golf until we are called home to heaven. An over exaggeration perhaps, that might be “the American dream”, but I don’t think it is God’s dream for us (or at least not for me). Batterson brings this home and sums it up like this:

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death

Set God-Sized Goals

Pursue God-ordained passions

Don’t let fear dictate your decisions

Don’t take the easy way out

As I read through each chapter it became aware to me that Batterson has been following me around without me knowing it, and I appreciate him writing a book just for me. What a great reminder it was to read about living boldly for Christ and not getting stuck into a routine of ineffectiveness.

The book was a quick read, easy to understand, and applies to a great many Believers in the U.S. today. It was probably written more for the layman or pastor but anyone interested in following the Holy Spirit, wherever it leads, can’t go wrong with Wild Goose Chase.

Back When I had Hair

Scott Fillmer — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:42:40 +0000

Yes, this is me from back in 1994 with our Basset Hound, Blazer. We just got back from a week of travel from Virginia to North Carolina and all places in between. When we got back we found out that Blazer (who is 16 years old) had about reached his limit with life and after sharing that life with us for the past 16 years he will be very missed in our family. He traveled to every state in the continental U.S. and we have countless memories together. Our house feels empty but right now but God’s plan moves on ahead. More photos are over on Deb’s blog here.

We went up to Virginia to visit the campus of Liberty University where I am currently working on my MDiv (Master of Divinity) at Liberty Theological Seminary. I have the option to take a language track in Greek and Hebrew, which will take about a year or more to finish, but must be completed on campus. So we went up to Lynchburg to see what our living options might be when it comes time to take those classes.

Up to this point every class I have taken has been through their distance learning program and although that is the easiest path to take, it might not be the best path to take. The language track will open up some opportunities for post-graduate work, but more importantly I hope it will benefit whatever ministry I am a part of when I finish my masters.

As a follower of Christ I don’t ever want to get to the point in my walk where I am unwilling to get out of my comfort zone and take bold steps. I have found the older we get, the easier it is to live in a state of routine and forget that we are to live boldly for Christ, and sometimes that means giving up the easy path for a more challenging one. I think sometimes we can stay chained to our safe routines for so long that we don’t even know how to escape if we wanted to, and faith is supposed to be anything but routine.

A lot has changed in my family since 1994 when Deborah took this photo at our house in Homewood, Alabama, Blazer is not with us, neither is my hair, but some how I added a few pounds and our routine will change once again.

On Our Way to the Outer Banks // Friday Feet

Scott Fillmer — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:15:18 +0000

I haven’t posted a Friday Feet shot in a while so I thought I would get a few shots of Ebby before we left tomorrow. After a long semester we are finally leaving tomorrow for Anderson SC (to worship at NewSpring on Sunday), then to Virginia to visit LU, and then over to the Outer Banks. One of our favorite spots on the east coast, the Outer Banks, is also one of those gems we have in the U.S. that is very empty once school starts and has some of the greatest locals around.

I am looking forward to spending at least one full day on the quiet beach reading a book. Till then, meet Ebby. I did just cut the grass but she is still a little shorter than the grass is tall.