The person behind the camera

For Christmas I asked for a new camera.  I have a Canon Rebel Xti, and I LOVE it!  I've learned so much with it and it's just a great camera.  However, I don't use it much.  I do at home, but when I consider bringing it out and about I hesitate.  It's big and I already have my hands full with 3 kids. More often then not I would opt for leaving it behind and decide to just use my iPod camera.  I decided it was time to get a camera I would actually want to bring with me places.

I ended up getting another camera from Christmas The one I asked for.  Someone saw me with it and said, "Oh, you downgraded."  Well, I guess you could look at it that way.  If it's a matter of size, then yes I downgraded.  My new camera cannot swap out lenses and does not have some features that my Rebel has.  But I consider it an upgrade.  Because I'm taking picture again.  I actually bring my camera places and I can just toss it in my purse without feeling like I need to bring my extra-large purse.

I once read that it's not a good camera that takes good pictures, it's a good photographer.  I agree.  It all comes down to the person behind the camera.

Here are a few shots I took with the new camera.  I think they're just as good as anything I've taken with my Rebel.  Although, that's coming from a professional amateur.

Lola at the Science center

Ferry

snoozing with bunny ears

Snow Beauty

Back to normal....

Last night I said to Matt, "Well, tomorrow we go back to the normal routine."  He responded, "Ya, whatever that is."  Ha!  So true.  With Christmas and Winter break, New Years, M.L.K. Jr. day and a week of snow, the past 6 weeks have been anything but normal.

But seriously, I really was anticipating that today would be the beginning of the "normal routine".  I had no idea that my day would include crawling into this truck to salvage any items that may have survived the accident.

My alarm went off at 5:45 a.m.  I wanted to hit snooze, like I often do. But the heat was on, the house was warm and I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, "GET UP!!"  So I did.  A little less that an hour later I heard my phone vibrate.  I assumed it was just a text message.  But it kept vibrating and I realized someone was calling.  It was Mom.  I answered and I could tell right away something was wrong.  I listened as she told me Dan was in a car accident.  He left a voice mail that he was probably headed for Harbor View.  But when she called they said there was not a patient by his name.  She said, "I don't know what to do! I need your help!"

Now right before she called I sensed the Lord say, "Go turn on your computer"  I questioned for a second, but I'm trying to listen more and act on what I hear.  So when she called I had my computer right in front of me, making it very fast and easy to look up and call area hospitals- Thank you Lord!

I got a prompt, "Call Harbor View again."  I called and asked if they had someone by his name.  They did! Thank you Jesus!!  I headed over to pick her up, passing a 4 car accident on the way that closed down part of Highway 16!  Not a great day for driving apparently.

When we got there he was in x-ray.  When they wheeled him in I was shocked!  No scrapes, no bruises, no cuts, no blood.  He looked... normal.  We sat and waited for results of the CT scan and x-rays and told us what he remembered about the accident.  Hitting the ice and the car spinning out of control.  Then rolling and thinking, "I'm about to meet my Maker."  The car stopped... upside down. He realized he didn't hurt but needed to get out of the car, so he kicked out the window. How very Jason Bourne of him, I joked.

By 11:30 or so the doctor came in to tell us he was free to go!  Broken bones? None.  Head injuries? None. AMAZING!!!  INCREDIBLE!!!  TRULY MIRACULOUS!!!

I keep thinking, "Maybe the accident wasn't as bad as I thought."  But the more I think about it and look at the picture of the mangled truck I realize it was as bad as I thought.  By the grace of God Dan is alive and walked away with hardly a scratch!

A normal day...not exactly.  A miraculous day...YES INDEED!!

Getting started

I once had a conversation with someone who said, "If you're going to blog you need to do it for yourself".  So, that's what I've decided to do.  And if anyone is blessed by it or gets anything out of it then Praise the Lord for that!  


Why,"Waking up"?  I recently read the book, "Same Kind of Different as Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.  A truly INCREDIBLE book.  At one part in the book a woman is serving food to a homeless man.  She notices that in spite of this mans foul smell and the dried vomit in his beard, he is smiling.  So she asks him, "Why are you so happy!"  To which he replies, "I woke up!  And that's reason enough to be happy!"


What a great perspective!  I thought about that.  If I wake up to another day then God has something planned and more He wants to accomplish through me, because "All the days ordained for me were written in His book before one of them came to pass." Psalm 139:16.