Thursday, December 24, 2009




The people that walked in
darkness have seen a great
light:
they that dwelled in the
land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined.
~ Isaiah 9:2 ~

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Monday, December 14, 2009

Bridal Festivities





About a month ago, the sweet ladies in our church hosted a bridal tea for me -- what a memorable, special day! I'm trying to savor these once-in-a-lifetime moments, these precious times spent with my dear friends and family. Like the devotional that a friend of ours gave at a shower that she hosted for me: knowing that I had heard and studied the traditional Bible verses on marriage many times before, she focused instead on what she had learned from marriage. It was Biblically grounded, practical, and absolutely invaluable!

I'm grateful for the community of Godly women who have supported and encouraged me, who have taught me so much over the years without even knowing it.

One word? Blessed.



Thank you to my sister for the first photo in this post!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

(Blue) Angels We Have Heard on High




Earlier this year, my mother and I took a little outing together and traveled to a Blue Angels show. I've had the opportunity to see the Angels once or twice before, and each time I consider going, I'm skeptical. After all, they're just airplanes. Okay, they're actually jets. But what's all the fuss about?



Then I go, and my former skepticism is replaced by "oohs" and "aahs" as the best pilots in our military service execute complicated, dangerous, and stunning maneuvers!



My sister very kindly lent me her Nikon D40, since she was unable to go to the show. My mom found incredible spots for us right in front of the media box (which was on the center of the flightline!).



The show starts out with some impressive stunt planes, and various other diversions (including large amounts of explosives and very loud music). Of course, explosives have a tendency to cause fires.



The stunt planes were marvelous! Some of them were brightly colored -- but I found this trio's maneuvers particularly impressive:



The final event before the festivities begin is "Fat Albert," the C-130 that travels with the Angels to carry supplies and support personnel. Watching this lumbering giant take off is quite impressive -- especially with the JATO (Jet Assisted Take Off), which has now been discontinued due to high cost (think $80,000 per take off).





At last, it's time for the Angels to fly.





And then the airshow really begins! The noise is unbelievable, especially when the planes come up behind you. When they fly low, every fiber of your being vibrates. It's a feeling that only comes when watching the Blues (or watching "Lord of the Rings" in a theater with high-def sound! *wink*).



It was quite amusing to hear the barrage of camera clicks every time the Angels performed a maneuver -- with the media behind us and a row of amateur photographers in front, the noise was almost enough to drown out the roar of the jets! Well, not quite...





At times, the distance between the wingtips and canopies of the planes is only 18". That's less than the distance of my face from this computer screen!





How they achieve such precision is beyond me -- although with a 10% fatality rate since the Blue Angels started in the 40's, that precision comes with a price.



I love this shot -- four of the planes crossed paths right above our heads, and it all happened so quickly that I didn't have time to zoom out. I feel almost like I'm right in the middle of them:



But this is by far my favorite shot from the airshow -- the two lead planes crossing, one right side up and one upside down. It looks like one plane with wheels on both top and bottom!




A close-up of a C-130 on display:



Well, some 600 pictures later (it's so easy when you can just hold down that shutter button...), we were ready to leave. And though we were quite pleased to see the trolley coming to take us back to our vehicle, I don't think our excitement quite matched this little lady's:



The wonders of God are breathtaking, beyond all thought or imagination -- He created flight, and He also created man with the desire and ability to tame the skies. The Blue Angels are truly amazing, but our God is more amazing still.


Thou art Lord alone: thou hast made heaven, and the heaven of all heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that are in them, and thou preservest them all, and the host of the heaven worshippeth thee.
~ Nehemiah 9:6 ~


Wednesday, December 09, 2009

A Pink-and-White Beauty


Just down the block from our church is The Pink House, a lovely and elderly Victorian lady. I suppose her name isn't very creative -- but it just seems to fit.



And is she ever pink! She's undergone some interior renovations in the past few years, which have only increased her beauty and made the space more usable for our church.



Now that it's the Christmas season, she's also looking a bit more festive:



I couldn't resist taking some pictures when we stopped by yesterday. We're planning to have the bridal party get ready at the Pink House, which I'm quite excited about!



Today marks exactly one month to that much-awaited, much-prepared-for day. Not that anyone's counting... *wink*



Saturday, December 05, 2009

A Winner is Announced!


Well, the Austentations giveaway has officially closed. Thank you to everyone who participated! There were 42 entrants and 52 entries. I've really had a blast with this, so I think I'll have to do more giveaways in the future!

Since this was a Jane Austen giveaway, I thought I needed an "entry receptacle" that looked appropriate. I thought this lovely copper teakettle, a wedding gift from some friends at church, was perfect:



A little stirring, a bit of shaking, and then the crucial moment:



And the winner is...



Alex! You can find her at Behind the Lens (check out the festive blog background!). So Alex, you can e-mail me your selection and address -- again, you can pick any notecard sampler in the shop, and you also have 15% off anything in the shop (no expiration date!).

And for a "consolation" prize, I'm offering 10% off any item from the shop to everyone else who entered the giveaway -- just e-mail or convo me so I can make the price adjustment on the item you want!

Thanks again for your kind participation!

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

For Our God is a Consuming Fire


One of the wonderful things about the house we're renting is the wood-burning fireplace. The warmth, the crackle, the delicious aroma of burnt wood -- it's one of my favorite things about this time of year (even in Florida)!



Fires also remind me of our heavenly Father. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Hebrews 12, ends with these words:

"Wherefore seeing we receive a kingdom, which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may so serve God, that we may please him with reverence and fear. For even our God is a consuming fire."



I love the image of our great God as a consuming fire -- though I suppose it's a terrifying image to those who do not belong to Him. But for His people, for those who rest in the death and resurrection of His Son for their salvation, it is a comforting fire. A protective fire.


"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might go both by day and by night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people."
~ Exodus 13:21-22 ~


Praise be to God for His beauty, His holiness, and His love!

(Verses taken from the 1599 Geneva Bible, available online here: The Geneva Bible)