First Job for D & M Photography

Well we started D & M Photography this weekend, well we started it before, but this was our first shoot together.   It went really smooth.   I was quite nervous right before they got there.    But as soon as they showed up we just went with it.   I thought we got some beautiful shots, this is only a few of them, we took like 500 shots.

More thoughts on Peace

Thinking of peace I realize this word is so much bigger than I ever imagined.   Christmas comes to mind, how we love to hear the angelic message of peace on earth good will towards men.   To bad it’s only Christmas that we seem to want to hear this message and not every day.   Then take the first few letters of Christmas, Christ, only the Prince of Peace can bring lasting peace.  I went to bed Wednesday night after hearing Jerry’s message of peace, peaceful.   Last night it wasn’t as easy, because I made the mistake of turning on the news instead, and listening to the tragedies of the globe, both near and far away.   So I find myself going to bed, with heart full, and praying for peace once again.

Maybe it’s not possible to have Peace on Earth, but peace is possible.   Peace with God, yes sometimes I’m not obedient, I wasn’t when I was little, and sometimes I’m not being big, we sin, we are human, but through my faith in His son, I’m forgiven.  I pray for forgiveness almost as much as I pray for peace.  There are so many types of peace as I wrote earlier, there’s emotional peace as we cast our cares on HIM, there is also the possibility of interpersonal peace.   Which is us loving our neighbor’s living peaceable with all.   I think this is a reality, and I think it is possible, I have faith that it is.

Then we can think of global peace, I think that will only come, when Jesus returns.

By our prayers and by our example, that is my prayer for peace, my prayer for all of us that we can fulfill that verse in the bible Luke 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.    Also my favorite line in the animated version of “The Little Drummer Boy” which is probably my first memory of the mention of peace.

The Peace Bubble

We just got back from the peace bubble at our church, you can check it out at www.peacebubble.org   Jerry Leggett imagines a world of peace.  He's touring the country in his little bubble, he has a beautiful voice, and a beautiful message.   His question is do you believe in peace?   Then picture it what does it look like to you.  I believe it's what I look for daily, if we can find it in ourselves then we have accomplished something.   With faith I believe it can be obtained for myself through God.   I picture it with compassion     The thought of  the Good Samaritan comes to mind.  If we could be full of compassion, just like that Samaritan that made is way down the road to Jericho and encountered a wounded Jew lying alongside the road.  Others had hurried by, too busy with their own affairs to be interrupted.   But the Samaritan, who was hated by the Jews and would be expected to pass by, “had compassion.”   He bandaged his wounds,… set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. I think of my own life, how things come into my life in strange ways, often in the often in the form of an iterruption.   Just when we think of our duties for the day and are done and we are headed home for a quiet evening, someone shows up on your doorsteps asking for your time, or on the street when you are getting gas, and someone asks for your help or money.  How often we turn, even when we see someone coming.  If we could not look at these moments as intrusions of interruptions.  Instead think of the oppurtunities sent our ways to show HIS love and serve those in need, wheter it be to listen, to show love, to help someone on their journey.   We need to live for that moment.

Sometimes interruptions are actually sent our way, if we could just not turn from them.  We may get something much more special out of life that you never expected like PEACE.

This next little piece is from his website, I really like it.

WHAT IF?

What if we all paused for a moment of peace at noontime?

What if we all listened more carefully to the world around us?

What if this moment for peace inspired acts of peace and compassion?

What if the world we all dream of IS possible?

 

Is peace possible to you?  Can you imagine it?

 

A Blessed Sunday

I picked my family up today, and they all went ot church with me along with Lisa, who is part of the family now too, she's one of Sherry's best friends.  It was so wonderful having my family be a part of my church family for the first time.   I almost got teary eyed.   My family really enjoyed the sermon and meeting everyone, all with open arms, just like our church is, It's awesome.   My sister when she was hugging our pastor, I heard her say to her, ya'll have something special here.   We really do!  It was nice to feel that.  Then we all went out and had a big picnic in the park, Rochelle and Val brought the twins, and Aaron, Cathy and Laurie came, and Turk, Mike, and I.   It really meant a lot to me everyone being there.   They really enjoyed our church family.   I'm sort of without words, hard to talk about all it meant for me.   I'm missing them now that they are on their way home.   Here's some pictures from today.

My family came for the Gate River Run

Today was the Gate River Run 2007.  9.3 miles.  My family, mom, sister, brother, niece, and my sister's friend Lisa came down.   My brother and I ran it together.  Boy am I sore.   Here's a few pictures from the weekend.  The morning yesterday started off with my jittery nerves.   I got up at 6:00 went by the hotel, picked up my brother, and we took off walking a little over a mile to the starting line.  It was overwhelming 15000 runner with as many spectators as runner, I had to hit the porto potty, from nerves, but the line was 400 people long so I never made it, well actually I did in the bushes right in front of the Jaguars stadium while about 20 people walked by, and I thought I was pee shy.   We ran got in line, got a 10 minute stretch in, and the gun went off.   Right as we passed the starting line, a woman hits my ipod on my arm and it’s on the ground, my stupid ass turns around and leans down to pick it up, and my brother is screaming, your going to be trampled, as my ipod hops from foot to foot, somehow by the mercy of God, it bounced up in my hands, I turned around and my brother is laughing his ass off at me.   I wasn’t even thinking, I really could have been trampled it was crazy.   So we start on our run, ipod is back on arm.   We talk and laugh, and he makes it the first mile, keeping right up with me, I’m going pretty slow.  Right after 1 miles we see my mom, and sister right as we are about to jog onto the Main Street Bridge, the big blue one.  My sister has problems with the camera so about 1000 people pass us in the meantime cause I want at least one shot of me running.   I finally have to go over to her and show her how to turn on the camera.  But the picture still turns out fuzzy, anyway we keep going, and I notice my brother’s shorts are about to fall off and he’s showing crack, and I notice a photographer, and I tell him to get in front and get our picture taken, I think about pulling his shorts down but decide not to embarrass him to death.  We go on, and I tell him I was thinking about pulling them down, and he laughs, about 2 mile marker my bladder hits again, I have to pee in a construction site, and Lance says he’s heading back that 2 is all he can do all red faced, so I tell him I love him and run on.  But he actually has a change of heart and tells himself he can do it.   And takes off running again, little to my knowledge.  I thought he had headed back.   The run continues for me, I get angry at a few mile markers because they had run out of water already, and I really need my water.   Luckily the next mile has it.   I enjoy the scenic side of San Marco and the river, and all the rows of Doctor’s houses on the river.   I enjoy the little ladies sitting in their front yards rooting us on.   I start getting that adrenaline flowing at different times.   When I see a familiar face in the crowd, or some stranger puts their hand out for me to clap.   I get in the zone.   By mile 6, I’m burning up, but luckily my friend Drew and Tom live at mile 6 and they were outside rooting me on, and taking pictures, then I get hit by a waterhose that cools me down, and feels so good.   Miles 7 and 8 just seem to flow by.  Mile 8 is the uphill of the Hart Bridge, I know if I can go over it I will make it, at the top of the bridge I notice someone laying on the side passed out, with blood and 5 medics working on them, then a firetruck and ambulance is on the way.   Wow, I turn to get a view of the city from atop the bridge, I know I’m going to make it, in my head chanting, thank you God, thank you Jesus.   I pick up my pace, really kicking it my last mile, thinking mama, and Sherry, and Lance, and Autumn are at the finish line.   I’m passing everyone.   Then I go through the finish line, and as I pass, I slow, then I walk to the side, and that’s when it got ugly, I hurled.   I really pushed it that last mile.   I was drinking these energy gel’s the whole way and that was all I had on my stomach so it wasn’t too bad.   But my family wasn’t at the finish line.   Lance actually ran the entire race, finishing a few minutes after me.   It was so funny!  I was excited for him, because it really is an accomplishment.   More on the day later, got to go pick them up for church.

Beck family reunion

Mike's Uncle Gord and Aunt Elaine came to town last weekend.  Mike's mom made a wonderful dinner for all.   Mikes cousin Gord Jr and his wife Kristen and their boy Little Gord and girl Shelby, and Kristen's mom.   Along with Mike's sister Tiffany and her husband, and Mike's nephews Asher and Jacob.   Turk and Me were there as well, and we all had fun, and got very full bellies.  I always enjoy watching how other's interact with each other.   I'm sure Mike wishes he saw them more.   They were all so nice and warm and everyone enjoyed the children, I think they are what make it so wonderful for the grownups.