While I love things that are complex, there are times when I just want to shoot something that is natural.
Nature’s Hand
This is a Cypress Knee. They are a natural oddity that are usually found on river banks. I love photographing them because they are like people, there are no two alike.
I call this Nature’s Hand because if you look closely it has five fingers and the “thumb” in the foreground look like it has a fingernail.
When you are shooting look for things that appear to be something they are not. I have shot a lot of trees, tree roots, stumps and other oddities of nature. Insects, dragonflies and other creatures can also make interesting artwork.
Today’s woman is Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah who was the wife of Hahor the brother of Abraham. The Bible tells us she was very beautiful and attractive, chaste and modest and unmarried.
Abraham sent his most favored servant out to find a wife for his son Isaac…… Abraham sent specific instructions with Eliezer [the servant] on how to find this perfect wife. When Rebekah appears at the well Eliezer ran to meet her. The servant said to her “I pray you, let me drink a little water from your water jar”. Rebekah responded “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly let down her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink. After Elizer drank from her jar she told him “I will draw water fro your camels also, until they finish drinking”. Elizer then asked her after the camels had finished drinking whose daughter she was and asked to lodge at her father’s house. While sitting down to feast, Elizer told of his errand. After listening, her father and brother acknowledged their understanding of his mission and said to Elizer. “Rebekah is before you; taker her and go and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has said”.
Isaac and Rebekah married. Isaac prayed much to the Lord for his wife because she was unable to bear children. Now this is the second woman we have found to have been barren. The Bible goes on to say that she too was given a miracle when the Lord granted Isaac’s prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. Not only was she with child but was destined to bear two children. She questioned the Lord as to state of her condition. He replies “The founders of two nations are in your womb, and the separation of two peoples has begun in your body; the one people shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. Now put yourself in Rebekah’s position. You just find out that you are pregnant after having been barren all for your life, then she realizes that she is not just pregnant but pregnant with twins. But these twins will serve a much higher purpose. When Isaac and Rebekah married he was forty years old but when she delivered he was sixty years old. Twenty years of prayer had passed that Isaac prayed for an heir now his reward was compounded.
What have we learned about Rebekah? Yes, she was beautiful, chaste and modest but she was also a woman of amazingly strong faith. It was her faith that led God to fulfill her greatest desire to bear children. And so he opened her womb to house the founders of two nations. While she was unprepared to bear twins, she loved them both but not equally.
The fact that she did not love her sons equally caused problems when her sons grew up. As faithful as she was, why was she not strong enough to rejoice in both of her sons. Read more about her relationship with her sons in Genesis 25-23 through Genesis 28-40.
In the pictures above you see one of limbs and one of roots. What do they say to you? I know you are asking what does that have to do with society? A lot!
The roots are like our own. They start out spindly but become a vast network into the soil to support what will become a massive trunk and limbs. Like this vast network we have our own supportive system that we may or may not even recognize. This country started with a small root system, just a small band of indians, they began to develop into a vast nation of people and different tribes. Then came the English who migrated to this country along with the scottish and others seeking a new life. They too settled here and developed their own colonies starting another root system. Already these are two different groups with two different root systems and lifestyles. More immigrants came to develop their own root systems and those systems became strong truncks. They were still fairly separate at this point but already at odds with the other systems (races). They didn’t understand each other’s lifestyle and language much like some trees can’t grow together because one of them will wilt and die.
If you look at the limbs though, they have a purpose. These limbs help to balance the tree and provide seed for new trees. Now look at trees that have no limbs, they are dying or already dead. In society, we have lots of trees (origins of people) with lots of limbs (groups within those origins). All of these limbs are important to balance the tree and all of the trees are important to develop the forest (our country). While the original owners and keepers of this land were the Native Americans, all races have added value to this country. It’s time we learn to lean on each other and strengthen this tree! No tree deserves to die!
There were many women in the Bible that followed Eve. There was Eve’s daughter-in-law, Cain’s wife who was of so little importance she is actually unnamed in the Bible. So Eve’s great great great grandson was Lamech. Well as some men were in that day, Lamech decided he was not satisfied with one wife so he chose two. The first wife was Ada and the second Zillah. Ada bore sons while Zillah bore and son and a daughter named Naamah.
During this time Eve continued to bear children. Think about it now, seven generations later she was still bearing children. Adam lived 930 years but there is no mention of how old Eve was when she died. In fact, the early chapters of Genesis mentioned few women by name. It is not until chapter 11 of Genesis that we see another wife named. This is the wife of Abram who was a decendant of Noah. Her name was Sarai. Along with Sarai is mentioned Nahor’s wife Milcah. Other than to mention that Sarai was beautiful but barren there is little else mentioned of these two women until Sarai meets Hagar. We all know how this story goes.
Sarai (Sarah) goes on to give the maid Hagar to Abram because she felt so inadequate that she bore him no children. When she sees that Hagar is pregnant she becomes angry. Hagar gave birth to a son, Ishmael. Sarah tolerated Hagar and her son. When she and Abram became advanced in years, The Lord spoke to them separately and announced that Sarah would bear a son. Sarah found it unbelievable that God would favor her in her advanced years with a child. She did in fact become pregnant and bore a son named Isaac
After the birth of Isaac Sarah saw no further need for Hagar and her son. She pleaded with Abraham to cast them out which he did. Isaac grew and this was the child that God asked to be placed as a burnt offering. This was a test of faith for Abraham. Sarah was unaware that this event was taking place. Sarah raised Isaac and rejoice at this opportuity for motherhood. She lived 127 years.
Now what does all this tell us about Sarai (Sarah)? She was beautiful but barren when Abraham married her. She was faithful to God and to Abraham. She made the ultimate sacrifice as a wife and gave her husband to another woman. She followed God’s commands even when she did not fully understand them but was rewarded in her old age with the child of her dreams. She exhibited strength, tolerance and loyalty. Could you have been as strong as Sarah?
You see where I am going with this. While not all of the women were strong, Eve and Sarah were.
References: The Bible and Collector’s CBC Edition Women Of The Bible
Eve of course the Bible tells us was the first women pulled from the ribs of Adam. God created her as a companion for Adam. If you think in the narrative, the Bible tell us very little about Eve. What did she look like? How did she and Adam interact? And more importantly what were her thoughts? We don’t know!
This year has been like no other and more than any other year women have made a statement. Since I am finishing up the Bible I think it is a good time to go back and look at women of the Bible
We know that Eve went against God’s instruction not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. She is perceived to be weak. As a helpmate to Adam, she did the one thing that would make God angry at both her and Adam
Let’s assume that life in the garden was perfect until that point. Now comes the “what if” factor”. What if Eve had never bitten into that apple and shared it with Adam? Would it have just been the two of them in the garden forever?
And who was Eve? She was devoted to Adam and to God until that fateful day in the garden. She fell to temptation! She didn’t mean to defy God, she certainly was unprepared for the consequences, and hid her face in shame!
Removed from Paradise, their future was uncertain. Adam took Eve to be his wife dispite the fact that they had been banished because of her actions. Think about that now, he could have gone on his way and suffered his own punishment but he loved her so much that he chose to stay with her.
The Bible goes on to tell us that God said to her: “I will greatly multiply your grief and your suffering in pregnancy and the pangs of childbearing. .. Yet your desire and craving will be for your husband. It’s like he was saying to her “ok you screwed up” and cast the punishment of childbearing but at the same time he still wanted her to please Adam which was his initial goal.
God could have struck them both down, but he didn’t! Dispite what they had done he loved them and even though they had been punished, their love for God grew. This is where Eve ends in the Bible other than the births of Cain and Able.
So what did we learn about Eve? That she was a weak woman in the beginning…and weak of faith but even though she was punished by God because of her lack of faith God still saw value in her. She became a stronger woman and the first to bear children. She was a faithful wife to Adam and a loving mother.
I am one of those rare birds who not only shoot in digital but also still shoot with film. So, when I started gathering rolls to develop I also realized I had some old rolls I never developed. The picture above was one of the old ones so I can’t recall where this was taken. I love the geometrics of it. Circles, triangles and squares always intrigue me. Here are a few more.
Inside an Indian hut at ManteoThe time of day you shoot roses makes a difference…
Replicas of history…
Like me, a little withered and worn but still has value.Who would have thouht a tower could make such a statement…
Just because things or processes are old doesn’t mean they can’t work. I really miss developing film. There is something about watching that picture develop before your eyes that is always Intriguing. I still shoot in film because you just can’t duplicate the quality. I shoot in digital because it is sometimes quicker, not because it is better.
Point N Shoot has never been my thing. I like detail and sometimes the mystery that can be found in a photo. What is the real difference between film and digital you ask other than the equipment? The difference is with film you are actually getting a true copy of the image you see, with digital you are getting only a computer generated copy of the imager. Which is more correct? The true film image.
Yes shooting with film is more costly these days, but if you want quality, it is worth it.
We start out in life as part of a small family unit. We have parents and siblings. As we grow our lives develop much like a tree that has many branches as shown in the image. The right half depicts our family life while the left half depicts our work life.
So many times the left half overshadows the right half and the tree begins to sway. Finding balance is important to a healthy home life. I know in my family as a child I remember seeing my father sometimes only late at night because he was so focused on financial security and being sucessessful. While success and prosperity are important, it is the pursuit of these that can sometimes rock the life boat. It is worth it in the long run to make that extra effort to give of your time and yourself.
On the family side of the tree, as we grow we participate in dating to find that perfect spouse. The pursuit of perfection sometimes leads to bad choices. You don’t have to settle for second best but you should settle for who is best for you. Making a choice should not be about looks but about two people who communicate well, offer attributes that are beneficial to the other, and similar views and values.
Now we are on to the marriage. Marriage should not be entered into casually, but because the love and desire is mutual for a more permanent lifestyle. Marriage can be truly amazing among two people who have the right components or a life in burning hell for those who don’t. I have experienced some of both.
When you are married to the right partner, there is nothing you can’t conquor together. When you are not, each day is a battle that will probably never be won. Just imagine it as stock that has turned out to be a bad investment.
Last but not least comes the children. There is nothing more wonderful than holding your first child in your arms. That being said, it takes all that you have in you not just to give birth but to raise that child into what we hope will be a responsible human being.
Now you see that big word at the top of the tree, LOVE. The Bible tells us:
And so faith, hope, love abide [faith-conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things:hope-joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation;love-true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for in but the greatest of these is love.
If we allow ourselves to LOVE, then all things are possible.
I love to create….anything. Since photography is a passion of mine, I use it for many things: material to paint from and as a pattern for cross-stitchers. Here is a sample.
Sitting Pretty
What does this have to do with cross-stitch you ask? Everything! For those of you who do not know what cross stitch is it is a type of embroidery… here a pic:
This is my pattern “Bottoms Up”. See the little x’s… you use embroidery thread on material like Aida, Hardanger or Linen depending on the size you want and pull your thread across from one corner of the little boxes to the other side and then the opposite corner making an x.
In the Sitting Pretty pattern above, I shot the photo and uploaded it into a program called KG Chart Pro and it creates the counted cross stitch pattern from the jpeg file.
If you don’t have a hobby, this is a great way to learn a new hobby and create something beautiful.
If you have further questions about counted cross stitch feel free to email me at sgheath1@hotmail.com, make sure you put cross stitch in the subject line.
There has always been music around me. When I was just a small child my father would wake me up singing things like “Wake Up Little Suzzie” or “You Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog”. At the age of eight my parents made arrangements for my aunt to give me piano lessons. I drank up the lessons on notes like a wino devours his last bottle. It just wasn’t possible for me to get enough of it.
Unfortunately for me, the more time I spent on the piano the less time I spent on my studies. When my grades began to plummet, so did the lessons. To my parents way of thinking that was the quick fix to the problem. My grades only improved to a marginal level. It wasn’t that I wasn’t smart or anything, but that I just got bored easily. Music for me was a calming tool that made all my thoughts come together.
The piano in our house sat idle, just there for me to look at. Not being allowed to play, I soon lost the desire to. Oh the notes rolled around in my head still but they no longer had meaning. Five years went by, I guess my parents finally figured out that without music I was nothing. On my thirteen birthday I was handed a very large box. It contained a guitar. A short time later my father took me to town for guitar lessons. It wasn’t the piano but my fingers seemed drawn to it. I played for the church youth group and for anyone who listened.
I had no desire to play professionally, but in 1995 my husband and I went to Nashville to do a TV show. While it was fun, that was all it was to me. Oh we talked to artists and producers and it became very apparent that talent had nothing to do with getting a record deal. By the time the producers, songwriters and managers get their cut there is little left for the artist. Not the kind of lifestyle I wanted.
At 69, I still play for church on occasion and senior citizen functions and that is just fine with me. The moral of this story is do what make you happy not necessarily what makes other people happy. If you make other people happy, that’s a bonus!
About fifteen years ago I received my certification as a Doula (a professional advocate in natural childbirth). While I helped a number of families navigate through the natural delivery process, I didn’t realize how much I was helping myself.
While I still find it difficult to maintain a healthy diet, I slowly started changing the way I looked at things in my lifestyle. I was in a stressful job, my father was dying of cancer and the day-to-day struggles of life were overwhelming. I started applying some of the relaxation techniques and other natural theories to myself.
I trashed all over-the-counter medications and started researching natural alternatives. Even in the grocery stores, I began reading labels and opted for non GMO food products. You do not realize how many contaminates you eat daily. I don’t take any medications that are not prescribed and my physician understands my desire for natural substitutions when possible.
Am I healthier than I was before? Yes to some degree. That doesn’t mean I don’t have issues but I have healthier choices in how to handle them.
Start with the basics, the way you breathe. Sit in a comfortable chair, not a lounge chair guys, breathe in slowly for 7 seconds and exhale the same way and relax. Breathing with this method will not only relax you but benefits the lungs. Try this at least twice a day.
Meditation – I was never really a believer prior to my research but now I can say it is beneficial. Sit on the floor in a Lotus position (reference yoga position crossed legs) relax every muscle from your head to your toes. Next clear your mind of all negative thoughts. This is a great opportunity for prayer or music, whatever benefits you the most. I personally do both.
I even apply some of these techniques to my dog. He enjoys a good massage and I try to supplement healthier foods and snacks when possible.
These are just a few of many changes you can start for a healthier lifestyle. Have a great day.
Through My Eyes 