The Purposeful Snowflake

Written-Saturday, May 26, 2007

I know this may not be the best picture in the world, but in my world of photography, it represents something profound to me that I thought I would share. The snowflake, that you see has not been altered in any way. It is here now before you, exactly as it was then on that cold snowy day. If you click on the image you can see a larger view and will notice the amazing detail. There are many types of snowflakes, this particular one is called a Fernlike Stellar Dendrite. These are the largest snow crystals, and can often fall to the earth with diameters of 5mm or more. In spite of their large size, they are single crystals of ice. These crystals can be extremely thin and light, so they make a low density snow pack and are what every skier or boarder hopes to find- "Great Powder".
There in that moment was captured the wonderful complexity of God's creation. Yet it will never be as it once was. All we have is a frozen image , caught in time, allowing us the luxury to look back andcontemplate how the life of a snowflake can be much like our own fragile and temporal lives. The bible tells us in Psalm 103:13-16, As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him, for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field, the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

Like the snowflake, our lives here will soon be over. The impressions that we have made on the lives of others are the only things that will carry on after we are gone. Our choices have far reaching effects. Some that we may never know. Yet many times we let our emotions and desires rule us and we end up regretting things ignorantly done or said.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires- Romans 8:5

There is only one answer for this conflict that we experience. We must become purposeful in all that we do and we must do, as the bible tells us in Galatians 5:16 and 24, So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature... Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

This death can be a painful experience, but it is necessary if we are those which belong to Christ and we want to leave impressions that positively impact the lives of people we love.

Next to that snowflake is a boy that I love with all my heart. He has experienced both the blessings and cursings that have resulted from the choices that I have made. He is not completely in focus in this picture, and I'm sure he would tell you that he is still not completely clear about the road he wants to travel in this life. There have been confusing messages, broken promises and hurtful words spoken. As I take an honest look at my life, I must admit that I have not always walked by the Spirit, yet there is a powerful truth that I cling to. I know, that if I confess my sins, God is faithful to forgive them, and the bible tells us in Romans 8:28, that in all things God will work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.

One snowflake, aimlessly falling may silently disappear without notice. Then we also see the majesty of God, as many snowflakes purposefully come together and cause a mountain side to glisten and sparkle like a jewel in the hands of the King. My hope and prayer is that we can be a part of something greater than ourselves. That we will determine to be a people of purpose aside from our ever changing feelings, and in so doing leave something on this earth that is beautiful and ultimately glorifying to God.

Isaiah 55:10
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

My Brother and Hero

Written- Friday, June 22, 2007

What do you say to a man that tells you God has spoken to him? Do you begin to doubt or question him or do you listen and join your faith with his, and pray that the life saving mission he has been entrusted with, is going to result in a positive outcome for all involved? I listened to my brother pour out his heart, and then I prayed for him, as I've never prayed for him before. This was to be a life changing adventure, not just for Randy, the recipient, but also for Ron, my youngest brother. He had become willing to walk according to the Spirit and hold fast to the truth that he knew. Yes, he knew- God had spoken and the tears that came to his eyes were not about fear, but about gratitude. God had found him worthy and had chosen him, and trusted him, to not only hear His voice, but to actually follow through and become obedient no matter what the cost.

First, he would endure all of the extensive testing and probing. Then the horror stories of those that had never recovered from their operation and advised him to "reconsider". Backing out was never an option for Ron, although Randy, understanding the sacrifice, gave him that option many times. Then the personal testing, and probings of the heart came. Yes, He knew that God had called him to donate 60% of his liver to a man that he only knew casually. That was the easy part. I think the profound understanding was in realizing that God was actually interested in the details of his life. God was not just a ruler in the sky, He was a loving father, that cared immensely about him.This father knew all about his insecurities, his failures, as well as his hopes and dreams. I believe God also knew that Ron was a man that He could trust. Many claim to love and serve God , but few are willing to go where God wants to lead them. They choose instead to remain complacent, looking at the many obstacles, and allow fear to become the driving force rather than faith. The paths that God chooses for our lives must be approached with a child like trust, knowing that as we keep our eyes on our Father, He will lead, provide, and sustain our walk. This road will often require sacrifice and a love that is beyond human in affection. Whenever we endeavour to follow our Father's will, He always provides us with all that we need.


The bible tells us that we find our life when we become willing to lose it. Ron found a purpose greater than himself, when he became willing to listen and surrender. This was indeed a road that held a profound spiritual truth. But like every treasure, it did not appear on the surface. It was buried beneath the obvious.

His concern for Randy, a man he hardly knew, had been transformed by Divine intervention. God had placed such a deep burden in Ron's heart for this man and his family. A love that only God himself could give, penetrated my brothers heart and so compelled him forward into the outstretched arms of a loving father that assured him that there was nothing to fear. His own life mattered little in comparison to the hope that a family would be spared certain tragedy. Even after the operation there was only one thing on his heart and mind, and that was the condition of his newly acquired brother. In the twilight realm between a conscience and unconscious state I overheard my brother tell an unaware nurse a very prophetic statement- He said- "You know, I have two choices. " She replied, "two choices?". He continued "yea, I have two choices, and I choose door number two!". Now I am not so sure what the nurse heard that day but I think we can all hear the voice of God speaking to us as my brother has lived out the truth that we all face on a daily basis. You see, we all have two choices. We can live apart from God and refuse to listen and go our own way which will ultimately lead to our disappointment and destruction, or we can draw near to God and seek to know and do His will, which leads to His provision and blessing. Every day we have that choice and every day God is calling to our hearts. The question is, are we willing to listen?

My brother is now my hero, because he showed us the way to live by living it, not just by talking about it. His obedience and sacrifice leads us all to question. Are we choosing door number one, or door number two? Yes, this is a site about Christian Photographs, but today it is a place where we all come to contemplate what it really means to be "DE-LIVERED".

One man was delivered from pain, sickness and certain death in the natural. But, no less significant, is that another man was delivered from these same elements in the spiritual realm. Pain, sickness, and death are the rewards of those who choose door number one and make this life all about protecting their own best interests and putting their own selfish desires first. Door number two is where we find everlasting truth and peace. As we enter through this door we find love and we are enabled to give love in the fullest sense of the word. It is the door we all must walk through, if we are ever to become completely delivered from ourselves.

UPDATE: The operation was successful and Ron and Randy are both healing and recovering perfectly.
Luke 13:24
He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrowdoor, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

1 Corinthians 16:9
because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

Proverbs 28:26
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Psalm 107:20
He sent His word and healed them,And delivered them from theirdestructions.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; thereforechoose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

Portland Roses

Written-Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Portland is one of my favorite places. I think it must be not only the beautiful scenery that make it advantageous for taking  Photographs, but the beautiful, inspiring people as well. I would be there for six days and by the end of day five, every day had been perfect! The sky was big and blue, above the Columbia River and it held a sun that shined continually. This is not the norm for a city that is known for multiple rainy and cloudy days. The conference I was attending, had taken much of my time, and I was looking forward to my last day as I had planned to venture out around the city and capture some new images. But, towards the end of our final meeting, I heard the gloomy news. The rain was headed our way and my picture-perfect, hopes of a sunny tomorrow was clouded over with news reports and well meaning friends that explained to me that the most I could look forward to tomorrow was rain soaked sneakers!

Well, I thought, I'm trusting in the One who commands the weather, I knew that my Father was going to make a way where there seemed to be no way. So, with renewed faith and a prayer of thanksgiving I laid my head down to sleep and waited for the morning. When I awoke I excitedly looked outside and much to my dismay I saw a thick cover of clouds and light sprinkles of rain. Now those of you from Portland know that this usually means that rain and misty fog would take hold, for what could be, days on end. At this point I knew that I had to again, make a choice. I decided that I would trust God for a sunny day. Now many may be thinking here- "What? Does she actualy think that God will answer her prayer and move away clouds?". Well it depends on what your clouds are made of. You see, whether God moved a natural cloud or a spiritual cloud, for me it did not matter. What I knew was that God could be trusted.The first words out of my mouth were- "Thank you Lord for a beautiful sunny day!". I then decided that I would drive through McDonald's and buy some extra cheese burgers to hand out to some of the homeless downtown. I cleaned myself up and got dressed in some comfortable clothes, grabbed my black rain coat and continued to offer up prayers of thanksgiving, for a beautiful sunny day. Now, what I saw in the natural, every time I looked out the big sliding glass door, was more clouds and rain. The daily paper, at my room door, also collaborated with all the other doom and gloom, bearers of bad news. Nevertheless, I was on my way. First stop, McDonald's!Coming out of the drive-thru window, I happened to look up. There before me was an opening in the clouds and a small patch of blue sky peaking out from behind the veil that wanted to steal my joy, but couldn't. I spoke out loud in my little, white rental car, "Thank You Lord!!!". I knew that He heard my prayers and was blessing me. The God of the universe hears us. He hears every cry and every shout, and every breath of praise. The bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that He is a rewarder of those, that diligently seek Him. That blue sky was my reward that day, but it was not to be my only one. That afternoon, I met an interesting homeless man, that became my friend and tour guide. He directed me to The Portland Rose Garden, where we both excitedly jumped out of the car. I began to snap away at roses but continued to peek over at him and was so blessed to find this grown man smelling every flower that he saw. It was as if the smell was freedom to him. Freedom from the pain of homelessness, and the worries of where his next meal would come from and would he ever find laughter and joy again. Though he had lived in Portland for a long time , he had never taken the time to visit this Rose Garden nor had he ever taken the time to smell the roses as he did that day. I often live like this homeless man. I can become so preoccupied with the cares and worries of life, yet all the while, Christ calls me to Himself and says I am your freedom, and the truth that you have been searching for. Inhale deep, like the fragrant rose, I will overwhelm your senses so that you can rejoice in my sweet aroma. I will penetrate every part of your being. My joy will become your strength.
I do believe that God answers our prayers, but not always in the ways that we would like to see. Our faith is in Who He is, not What He does. This means that, in just the same way that a loving Father will always do what is best with his own children, so our Father in heaven does, in regards to us. Even when answers toprayers come in unexpected ways and hidden rainbows. You see, it could have been raining cats and dogs, and I would have still been able to see the "sun shine" that day. God actually performed two miracles in Portland. First, He brought thesunlight through the darkest of clouds- literally. Second, He brought light to the heart of a man that had been covered over by darkness. A miracle is that which happens in the heart. My continued prayer is for that man to be brought into the fullness of Christ and that He would experience the blessings that come to those who put their faith in Him. Remember we all need to take time to smell the roses..


PSALM 145:
8You are merciful, LORD!You are kind and patient and always loving. You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation. All creation will thank you, and your loyal people will praise you.They will tell about your marvelous kingdom and your power. Then everyone will know about the mighty things you do and your glorious kingdom. Your kingdom will never end, and you will rule forever. Our LORD, you keep your word and do everything you say.When someone stumbles or falls, you give a helping hand. Everyone depends on you, and when the time is right, you provide them with food. By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live. Our LORD, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere. You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help. You take care of everyone who loves you, but you destroy the wicked. I will praise you, LORD, and everyone will respect your holy name forever.

The Good Shepherd

Written May, 21, 2007

I recently spent a week in Tahoe with my family and on the way home I came across this little lamb that inspired me. We were driving along the freeway when I spotted this large herd of sheep grazing in the late afternoon sunshine. I decided that I would stop and snap a few photographs of these amazing creatures that really do teach us so much about ourselves if we have ears to hear. I pulled over and hoped my children would be patient with me as I hopped the small fence and began making my way across the fields. Now, while all the other sheep saw me approaching and cautiously backed away to a safer distance, there was this one little guy that was totally oblivious to me and everything else going on around him. In many ways, I felt I had stepped into a Warner Brother's cartoon, and I had to C.O.L ( chuckle out loud ) at the image before me. This obliviously distracted fellow continued to chew away on something that must have been in his mouth for quite some time, his eyes closed, in a self absorbed dream like trance. I'm sure he must have been thinking about how wonderful this day was, the nice warm sun on his cleanly shaved back, plenty of sweet grass to munch on, the wind lightly caressing his sweet face. He didn't have a care in the world. It really was a joy for me to step outside of my camera lens and just behold him in all his glory. Yet as I stood there watching him, I was also struck with the absurdity of it all. I did not use a zoom lens to get this shot above- I was actually THAT CLOSE !   If I had been a predator this lamb would have been an easy target and a welcomed meal. I watched him for a while longer in between carrying out my mission to take as many pictures of him as I could and there, in that moment I was also lovingly reminded of the Good Shepherd that watches over and protects His flock. We too, can so easily be caught unaware like little lambs, we too need to be protected from the predators that want to devour us.

I have been told that when a number of sheep, belonging to different shepards, are lying in the same pasture, a shepherd can summon out his own herd by his voice alone. A stranger could try to emulate the call, but it would be difficult to fool the sheep, as they will only follow the voice that they know. How often do I close my ears to that voice. How often have I wandered away from the safety of my Shepards call. There have been times in my rebellion and pride, that I insisted on going my own way, forsaking the truth that I knew. 

Those experiences have humbled me, and made me realize my utter dependence on the Good Shepard. I have come to understand that I will hear His voice best, when I continue to abide in His presence. 

He has promised never to leave us or forsake us, and I do believe that in His tender care we can find comfort, reconciliation, and protection. We may be simple minded, and limited in our abilities, but there is really only one thing that is needful. Like Mary that remained at the feet of Jesus while Martha went away busy and preoccupied, we must continue to draw close unto our Lord, even while the rest of the world rushes by. Then we can be assured that we will hear His voice, and He will be faithful to guide and direct our lives so that we can ultimately bring all glory and honor to Him. Jesus tells us that He has come so that we might have life and have it to the full. Imagine how easy that is--we don't have to be any more intelligent than a little lamb! 

               All we need to do is listen to His voice and follow Him and He will give us Life!

 John 10: 1 - 18.

The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved." He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that they may have life and have it to the full!

You Alone

Trusting. These days, trusting seems more like hanging on to a frayed rope that is unraveling beneath my grip as I desperately cling to anything, something that I once knew to be true. Do I fear falling? Or could it be the fear of having to admit that my faith, though sincere, still lacked something that was keeping me from experiencing that abundant, joy-filled life that I knew existed, yet still lacked. Yes, I have faith, but do I really TRUST You Lord? Do I abandon myself daily, to your care? I must admit that I am filled with anxiety most days and I have an endless agenda containing remedies that are meant to make me "feel" better. But, none of that is working. Let me put a braid in that rope, repair it, make it stronger. I'm sure there must be a great article on the web that can teach me all that I need to know. The Google gods are always available to help! Self Sustaining, Self Reliance, Self Improvement... are these the enemies of Trust? When I am honest with myself I have to admit- If I do not trust You well, then I may not know You well. I do not need more prescriptions - I need more of You! The lie that started in the garden, haunts me still- Is God really Good? Is He keeping me from the good thing that I want? If I really believe that God is good, and that He wants to give me what is best (the desires of my heart), then why wouldn't I trust Him? When I rely on myself apart from Him, I am declaring that I am God. And the serpent whispers- " you will not surely die, but you can be "like" God." So I've trusted in my own abilities and wisdom, and made my own decisions. Sure, I've prayed about it after, so that I would feel better, but woe to those that call evil good and good evil. This is where Adam and Eve fell, and this is where we fall. They doubted God's goodness and in so doing, stopped trusting God. The moment we do that, we are in defiance. We willfully break the only fellowship that has the power to save and deliver us. Love can not be love unless there is trust. Do not say you love God, if you are unwilling to trust Him. We mistakenly believe that trust must be earned, but the kind of trust I am talking about is a gift of love we give back to the One we are trusting. It is a vote of unwavering confidence and tangible evidence that we are willing to become vulnerable, even through situations that we do not understand, knowing, and all the while believing out-loud for all the world to see, that the object of our trust is GOOD. Father let me know you well, so that I might trust you well, for this testifies that my love for you is real. I'm letting go now of that worn out rope, but I am not afraid,  I'm confident that your arms will be there to catch me and lead me home.