Garden Spider

I stopped by Robber’s Cave State Park in Southeast Oklahoma today during my travels and found this beautiful garden spider in the doorway of a picnic shelter (at least I think it’s a garden spider and non-poisonous).  I almost walked right into it.  I think if I had found this spider crawling on me, I might have lost my cool.  Aren’t God’s creations amazing?  I took a few shots from the other side of the web but the green-foliage background greatly distracted from the spider’s color and form.  I also took a few shots from the side, but none captured the spider’s essence more than this straight shot.  Sometimes finding a new angle helps, but not always.

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The Washington Monument Reflecting in a Pool

I took this shot on a cold December evening from the steps below the Capitol Building.  Behind me the lawn of the Capitol was full of people admiring the decorated Christmas tree.  Although I found that fascinating, I found this more so.  There was a nice blue haze from the coming night sky, but I enhanced it a bit while making the shot a duo-tone.  The spire points heavenward to remind us of the potential of justice and righteousness in our country.  But it simultaneously points hell-ward to remind us of the dangers of a country gone wrong.

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Union Station in Washington, D.C.

I caught this scene coming out of Union Station in Washington, D.C.  Sometimes the shot you want takes patience.  Because of the large number of people coming and going along the exterior corridor, I had difficulty minimizing the number of people in the foreground of the photo.  In fact in this shot, I had to PhotoShop out a blurred foot entering the frame in the lower left hand corner.  I didn’t want anyone in the foreground because I was afraid they would become the focus of the shot rather than the wonderful architecture that had caught my attention.  As it turned out, the woman in the white coat makes a nice contrast to all the other people without distracting from the arches.

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I found this old shovel lying across the hood of an old abandoned truck not long ago.  It made me wonder how long had it been there and what the story might be behind it.  Did the farmer simply give up and leave it along with the truck?  Perhaps he laid it down to take a break and something happened that he was never able to return.  Then again, maybe it was simply an old rusted shovel he threw on top of the old rusted truck when he got himself a new one.  My grandfather used to have old tractors and tillers sitting idle among the weeds on his property.  A used to sit on the old metal seats and pretend I was laboring in the fields.  Scenes like this shovel conjure up memories and spark my imagination all over again.  What memories does it bring to your mind?

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Yesterday evening I sat across the table from a young woman I’ll call Pam (not her real name)  and listened as she told her story of struggle, pain, and eventual light.  The bowl of chili I had in front of me turned cold because I became so enthralled with her story that I forgot to eat ( a rarity for me).  Pam shared her journey of an early pregnancy, an abusive husband, and an out-of-control teenage daughter.  Several times she had to stop to regain composure and wipe the tears from her eyes.  Just a few months ago, she was ready to give up.  She didn’t know what to do or where to turn.  Then a woman came into her life that Pam called a “Godsend.”  This woman simply listened, encouraged, and cared.  She was there for Pam when Pam needed her.  The new friend worked with Pam’s daughter and loved on her as well.  Over several months tremendous change happened in Pam’s life.  For the first time in a long time she had hope.  She started to laugh again and to enjoy being with her family.

Pam said of her relationship with her new friend, “It has changed me.  It has changed the way I see myself, the way I relate,  and how I care for my children.  I have learned things I will pass on to my children and to my grandchildren.”  It occurred to me as I listened to her story that the small things we do for others–caring, loving, being there, encouraging, sharing our time and our knowledge–can have a profound affect on other people.  In addition, there is a ripple effect–a friend changed another friend, who will change her children, who will change their children.  The generational cycle of poverty or abuse or failure can be altered by the caring love of another person willing to invest what they have in another person’s life.

Scripture re-emphasized this lesson to me this morning as I read Jesus’ words in Luke .

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like?  What shall I compare it to?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden.  It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.”

Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?  It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Luke 13:18-21)

I used to think these passages had something to do with our verbal witness.  That is, whenever we told someone about Jesus, it had the potential to do great things in their lives and God’s kingdom of people would grow numerically.  I think differently now.  The kingdom of God is the living out of God’s love in our lives.  Just a little bit goes a long way.  Just the smallest seed of love or a pinch of caring in the dough of someone’s life works absolute miracles.  This is not to say that we are only expected to give the smallest amount we can.  Rather, the meaning is that God can use our smallest offerings to change the landscape of people’s lives.

Each of us have something to offer, some small thing–a word of encouragement, a listening ear, a caring spirit, a skill of labor.  When we use these seeds and leaven in the the lives of others they are transformed.  Their lives are changed.  Our small offering of love becomes a mighty tree that bears fruit of its own.  The consistent kneading of our caring into the life of someone else grows them into great sources of food for others.  The kingdom of God is within us.  It is found in the small things God has given to us that we have to share with others.  When we do, the kingdom is multiplied beyond our imagination.

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Muslim doctor helping Christians

Okay, before you start throwing stones at me for this title, let me explain.  I know that Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and a time set aside for Muslims to pray, fast, and seek God.  They eat nothing between dawn and dusk, spend more time in prayer than normal, confess their sins, and ask for God’s guidance in avoiding sins.  This is not unlike the Christian season of Lent, except devout Muslims often observe Ramadan much more seriously than the average Christians observe Lent.  See Ramadan on the Net for more information on this holy month.

Unfortunately, we hear much in the news about Muslim extremists and fundamentalists that are waging a war of jihad on the west.  What we don’t hear about are the millions (yes hundreds of millions) of Muslims that care deeply about others, seek peace, and truly want to follow the will of God for their lives.  Do I agree with their understanding of faith and what it means to be right with God?  No.  But I do see much in their faith that I admire–such as serious prayer and devotion during Ramadan.

A few years ago just after 9/11, while I was still serving on a church staff, a member approached me about leading a class on the Muslim faith.  I was not against such a proposal until he further explained his intent and thesis.  He believed all Muslims hated Christians and wanted to kill us (information he had read in a book by some Christian alarmist).  He wanted to warn our church members of the danger so they might protect themselves.  Such false assumptions leads not to love and Christian attitudes toward others, but to fear and prejudice.  (By the way, we didn’t have the class).

Since that time, I have met several Muslims I would call friends.  Let me tell you about the wonderful woman in the picture above.  A group from my church took a mission trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia earlier this year.  There, we ministered to Chin Christian refugees that have fled Myanmar because of great persecution.  Among other things, we had a small medical team that traveled with us.  We had a couple of nurses and a pharmacist (who happened to be my wonderful wife), but we had no doctor.  After a little bit of searching we found Jessica who was just about to graduate from medical school.  She is a devout Muslim.  She prays five times a day and she cares deeply about people. Jessica agreed to go with us and paid her own way to Malaysia like the rest of us in order to tend to the needs of Christian refugees in another land.  She participated in our nightly devotions and prayed when we prayed (though admitted she could not close her prayer with “in Jesus’ name”).  She openly shared her faith with us and listened intently to our understanding of salvation.  Jessica and millions like her have no desire to destroy Christians or Christianity.  They, like us, are seeking the will of God for their lives.  They, like us, want to live a life of love and compassion for others.

So I return to my original statement.  Ramadan is a time for Christians to pray.  During this month, millions of Muslims around the world will be praying for forgiveness and God’s direction for their lives.  We should join them, that God might hear their prayers, lead them to the free forgiveness provided through Jesus Christ and open their eyes to the will of God for all of us.  During this month we should also pray on our own behalf–for forgiveness in our hatred, fear, and prejudice toward Muslims and for love to embrace all God’s creations, especially those who are truly seeking Him.

Lord, forgive me my arrogance, my fear, and my self-righteous attitude.  Thank you for the Jessicas you have brought in into my world to instruct me and challenge me in my own faith.   During this month, open the eyes of those who truly seek you that they may understand your forgiveness that leads to salvation.  In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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Success is sometimes not about doing something, but about not doing.  Yesterday morning I had a lot I wanted to do.  So as not to forget anything, I took the time the previous evening to make my “To Do” list.  I had pictures to frame, materials to buy, photos to print, lessons to write, bills to pay, and phone calls to make.  So after my morning exercise and a quick breakfast  I was ready to dive in–to accomplish a few things in the hours that remained.  My first task was to prepare to teach my Bible study class.  I had already finished the studying and was ready to put my notes on paper.  Get it done, I thought.  Move on to the next task.

With my Bible open before me and my fingers on the keyboard my inner voice said, “What are you doing!?”  Preparing a Bible study lesson is not about throwing something on paper.  Sure, I could knock it out in a short amount of time and check it off my list, but does that make me successful?  Hardly.  In fact, it almost guarantees my failure when I stand before my class on Sunday morning.  I got up from my desk and sat in the chair I use for meditation and prayer.  I sat quietly for a few minutes doing the best I could to erase all that I wanted to do in order to focus my mind on God. It turned out to be a wonderful conversation.

God is my life blood.  God is my hope, my guide, my purpose.  All the activity of my being is for nothing without God.  It doesn’t matter what I get done or what I accomplish if I’m not willing to set it all aside to seek him.  I didn’t get everything done yesterday I wanted to get done, but it doesn’t matter.  I had a wonderful  time with God in my morning stillness that carried over into all I did throughout the day.

Be still and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)

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I’ve always felt God had a special purpose for me, that I was to be important in his kingdom.  Perhaps this vision of grandeur is not unlike that of the disciples who thought they deserved to sit at Jesus’ right hand and left hand in the kingdom.  Aren’t I special to you, Lord?  Don’t you want to make me great?  So to prove my worth, I spent many years trying to make this worthiness and greatness happen.  I went to seminary–twice (I didn’t seem to get it right the first time).  I served God at ever increasing larger churches.  I taught in a seminary and wrote articles and curriculum.  I kept trying to make God’s special purpose for me happen.

I suppose I felt a bit like Sarah, the wife of Abraham.  When God told her husband that he would become the father of a great nation, Sarah thought, “Well, we better get busy and make this happen.”  Can you blame her?  She wasn’t getting any younger.  When this “promise” didn’t seem to be happening, Sarah decided to be a bit more proactive and make it happen.  She told Abraham to take her servant as his wife and have a child that way.  And hey, it worked.  But in the end we discover that this was just Sarah’s plan, not God’s.  That’s what happens to me so often.  I’ve decided, for whatever reason, that God has some special purpose for me, so I better get busy and make it happen.  However, when I work so hard to create a purpose for myself, that’s all I get–my own efforts, and these are often disastrous.

So am I saying all those years of good effort, of church service, of writing and teaching, were wasted?  No, many good things came out of those years.  What I am saying, though, is that trying to take over the pursuit of God’s purpose for me on my terms is doomed to failure.  I still believe God has a special purpose for me and for you, but I tend to look at this purpose in grandiose human terms–the next Billy Graham or Mother Teresa.  What I’m learning, however, is that God’s purpose for me may be much less public, much less noted in the eyes of my peers.  What God desires of me is to be patient–don’t be in such a hurry to make something happen.  Trust God that he will work out his purpose in me in good time.  Perhaps I may never know for sure what that ultimate purpose is, if it can even be defined in human terms.  Ultimately, it doesn’t matter.  In the meantime my task is not to live my life in pursuit of grandeur, but of humility and faithfulness.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your love, O Lord, endures forever–
do not abandon the works of your hands.
Psalm 138:8

My prayer is that God will fulfill his purpose for me.  I don’t need to step in and help God out in this or try to get ahead of God in making it happen.  God will do this in me because his love endures forever.  God should have given up on me a long time ago, but I pray he won’t abandon his work within me.  I am, indeed, a work in progress.

In recent years, I have taken a liking to photography (as I hope you can see by this site).  Some have said I have “an eye” for it whatever that means.  So immediately I want to jump to the conclusion that this is God’s new purpose for me and I must help him out to make it a reality.  Whether it is or isn’t, I cannot say.  What I can say, however, is that I must not run ahead of God and try to make it happen on my own terms.  Instead, my task is to simply be patient, to be faithful, and to offer my gifts to God and his church.  God will take care of the rest and fulfill his purpose for me.

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Sometimes what we find to photograph surprises us and tells us a great deal about a setting, situation, or person.  While in Malaysia, I was invited into a small one room apartment to take a few photos of the young men who lived there.  When I entered, there were five twenty-something men sitting on mats around the small barren room.  Stripped to the waist because of the heat, they were watching a small, fuzzy-pictured TV with old-fashion rabbit ears.  I took my shots of the men and their room, but what drew my attention more than anything else were these lone items hanging from the wall.  I don’t know which of the young men owned the jeans or the guitar, but it was clear that both were special.  They held a place of honor in this barren room.  Whoever owned them, didn’t have much, but he had some great pants and loved music.  I wish I could have heard him play his 5-string guitar and thus reveal a little of what was within him.

The things we choose to hang on our walls says a great deal about us–what we like, what we value, what we find beautiful or moving.  My wife and I are in the process of re-thinking all the artwork on the walls of our home.  I’ve been pouring through my photographs to see what I want to print and display.  It is an excruciatingly difficult thing to do.  How does one choose that perfect piece of art that speaks volumes, that lets others see a small piece of your interior?  In this Malaysian apartment, two simple items spoke volumes.  Could I limit myself to two hangings that capture who I am, what I see, and what I value.  I doubt it.  Partly because I don’t know myself well enough for that yet.  I want to believe I’m much more complicated and interesting.

Whichever photographs I choose to hang on my walls, I think I’ll find a place for this one because it captures a glimpse of another human being and reminds me how what we display (whether purposefully or not) offers some revelation of who we are.

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Dancing Children

Photography is meant to be fun, which means it is okay to experiment.  Not only is it okay, you should be experimenting with your craft regularly.  Experimentation pushes you beyond what you’re accustomed to and keeps you from getting into a rut.  It expands your understanding of the technical possibilities and taps into your artistic creativity.  The shot above is one of my recent attempts to try something new.  I liked the outcome.

I call this image “Dancing Children” because that is exactly what it is.  At a large 4th of July gathering I attended, the organizers passed out glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets to everyone who attended.  As you can imagine the children (and most of us adults) loved it.  Many of the children quickly began collecting this wonderful toys, draping them around their necks, wrists and ankles.  Others strung them together to make jumping ropes.  After the fireworks (which were amazing, by the way) the children began playing in the dark–dancing, running, and cartwheeling.  I really wanted to capture this wonderful joy, so I opened my aperture setting as wide as it would go and exposed the childrens’ play for three seconds.  Although I held the camera as still as I could, it really didn’t matter, since the children were in constant motion anyway.  To finish this particular photograph I layered four shots using the “Merge to HDR” function in Photoshop.  If you don’t have Photoshop, don’t worry.  Each of the four single shots were pretty amazing by themselves.  The point is, try something new that you haven’t done before.  Stretch yourself.  Be bold.  If it turns out lousy, who cares.  No one sees it but you.  Every once in a while, something wonderful occurs.

I really love the result I got here because it reminds me of those children playing in the dark.    Besides that, it just looks fun.

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