Smart Phones...

So my mom just got a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 smart phone... I think she is cooler than I am. I have never really been able to afford the new things; smart phones, high def tvs, tablets, or whatever. At least not until they are far from the new thing. So it was a treat for me to play around with my mom's smart phone today.

The phone works off of the android operating system, and it really just blew me away. I guess I had never seen a smart phone outside of Blackberry. This was way cooler.

Someday I would really like to have a tablet. I think they are really cool, and would have a blast keeping up with all my Internet activities through some device looks like it should be in a SciFi movie.

Oh well enough about technology.


    
   On to reading! I am reading the Wheel of Time series for the third time through. I love these books. Robert Jordan does a superb job of bringing the story to life and he ties such intricate connections that you would expect a story board to look like a spider web. 

   Currently I am reading book 4, The Shadow Rising. The books are a good size, but you get every imaginable perspective; male and female, young and old, good and evil. This series is at the head of my recommendations.

  I have also read Tyranny of the Urgent. This tiny little paper back book is a great reminder of the importance of balanced priorities. In ministry there are so many different things that pull from every side that scream for our attention. Yet if we look objectively few are truly important, most are simply urgent. I think that no is perhaps the hardest word for many good loving ministers to learn.

As for my life? Well little more is going on. I am still looking for a church job. Pisgah Forest Baptist in North Carolina recently contacted me to let me know they are still considering me. I try not to let my hopes get up to much and to be prayerful about all of my decisions, but I know I would really like that job. Regardless I would love a job somewhere.

Sammy is due in late February and we are getting kind of nervous about not having much ready for him. Hopefully I will hear something in time to at least be making arraignments. I am really excited about my little boy showing up. Jenny is getting big enough that you can see her stomach move with the baby. She keeps showing me how shallow her belly button has gotten and I keep telling her that its a baby timer and will pop out when Sammy is done!

Other than various forms of anticipation I guess the only new thing to report is about my photography. The pictures I have for today are more of my cousin Trey and his girlfriend Arley. They were not exactly the most willing models, but their parents wanted pictures so I got my first opportunity to take some portraits. Even if it was impromptu. I would love some feedback on them so please let me know what you think!

Dreaming...

I've been dreaming lately... dreaming of a new lens so I can step up my portrait photography. A lens much like this one.  
The f stop is great and it would widen my 50D out to a normal wide angle lens. This would allow me to get up and close, while allowing a wide enough angle to draw the viewer in. I love the crisp, real view feeling that these give.

The other great benefit is that the fixed focal length forces you to accept the challenge of shooting up close and personal.

Alas the time has not come, for the price is yet to high!


Speaking of beautiful portraits, I found one today on a blog that I would really like to share with you. The photo was on http://kirstenberkabile.blogspot.com/

     

      The wonderful part of this picture to me is the beautiful use of shadow to draw attention to the subject's eyes. The color is striking, without being over saturated, and the tinted window looks almost like a painting. Simply wonderful. 

The rest of Kirsten's pictures have the same warm and engaging charm. She does a very good job.

As for my picture for the day, I am sure it appeals to few, but I really enjoyed the poetry behind it.

The pure new snow on the burned out char of a tree seemed enough to make me smile. To often we choose to see ugly or beauty. Even among our art we draw attention to the beauty of life among the dead.

Yet seldom do we seem to be able to celebrate each season for what it is. Winter brings death and quiet. The world settles into a soft hush like the slow rhythm of sleep. 

All find this season. Eventually. Yet, there is beauty in a story coming to a close; if it was well written. And death is the greatest closing. So the question then is was it well written? 

I pray we can all meet a well deserved rest after a long, warm, and well written story. My grandparents are nearing their homecoming. While I know that I will miss them terribly, I must be happy for them. Life is filled with rush and flurry, hurt and earthy striving. They have written well the story of their lives, and I hope to do half as well with mine. A story is beautiful at it the close because every end brings life anew. I pray the Lord would let them celebrate this season of their lives and know, whatever journey lay ahead, and ending is only a chance to start again.

      I pledge you in this cup of grief,Where floats the fennel's bitter leaf!The Battle of our Life is brief,

The alarm, - the struggle, - the relief, -Then sleep we side by side.

    - An Excerpt from The Goblet of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Discipline?

Ok, so I know there aren't pictures associated with this post, but I needed to weigh in on something and I didn't see making a new blog! I hope you will be patient with me.

My wife pointed out a Dear Abby article to me where a school teacher berated the primal and evil, not to mention unenlightened, barbarity of physical discipline concerning your children. She went on to rant that she could see patterns proving that children who were disciplined in this manner were going to hit other children and were most likely behavior problems. Furthermore she said it caused serious psychological damage...

Here is where I wanted to weigh in...

I was spanked as a child. It caused no psychological issues. It did however teach me appropriate boundaries, the importance of respect and discipline, and stood as a testament that my parents cared enough to do something. I never had to wonder about the reality behind warnings... I knew what consequences were. I never felt my parents were to heavy handed, or abusive, or were hitting me because they were angry. In fact, it was fairly obvious that they didn't like giving me the spanking either.

I find myself confronting an entire generation of 'time out Timmy's" and jelly spined parents that appear, for lack of a better word, afraid of their children. As a Youth Minister and a Direct Care Worker, and the husband of a Teacher, I have seen children practically beg for harsh discipline. Why? They want some proof that someone cares enough to do it. They want the security and safety of enforced boundaries. They want to know that, yes if they step a foot wrong they will face consequences, but that if someone makes a step towards them they have to protection of that same solid parent.

If all they get for any infraction is a time out, what will happen to someone who threatens them? A time out? Hardly comforting.

So here we have quickly decaying boundaries between parents a children, rampant lack of discipline among adults or Children, and a growing belief that anyone who does hold a standard, any standard save tolerance, is barbaric.

The sad fact is parenting without discipline leads to brats that tell their parents what to do so that they feel like their is SOMEONE in some type of control, offering some type of security. We have parents who cant muster enough love to teach their children proper consequences.

Now, for those who strive to stay consistent and strong with their non-physical punishment. I do want to apologize for any offence taken. I do not envy the unmeasurable task ahead of you in trying to figure out how to teach a creative, headstrong, and stubborn child the life lessons they will need to function as healthy adults.

I have never railed on anyone for choosing time outs regardless of my feelings about the method. This is why I did not choose to write a reply to the "teacher" who was spread by Abby. Yet when someone regards someone else's proven attempts to raise a strong and healthy child as barbaric and then spreads this opinion as documented truth, spouting lies, and claiming some sense of positional authority... well needless to say it makes me more than a tad irritated.

Again, I want to apologize for anyone who might find offense, but let it be known from Youth Ministry, to Direct Care, to Public Schools every single serious behavior problem I have ever seen had one thing in common. Parents whose strictest form of discipline was a 10 minute time out, or taking away the child's smart phone for a couple of hours.

Spanking is barbaric? I think allowing a child to grow with never an indication of consequences beyond a time out or having some toy taken away, and then letting them face the world with never a clue... that is barbaric and unloving to boot.

THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY

This was great. I suggest watching it on full screen. Enjoy!

Trey…

 

Over my Thanksgiving visit with family I had the opportunity to take some pictures for my cousin Trey and his girlfriend Arley. They are a fun pair, and I very much enjoyed meeting her.

Let me know what you think of the pictures, they are some of my first attempt at working with someone other than my wife.

Petey, the Baby, and My Love

SO yes, I know the baby is hard to see, but he is there. These were taken just outside the house. I think I'm getting better at the people pcitures, let me know what you think! And for those who are curious, Jenny is about 20 weeks along... it is a boy... and we are super excited!

Jenny...

I Got to take some pictures of Jenny, my favorite model! I thought i would share an early sample.