Silence

I slip in my earphones, and carry my camera through the woods, lost in thoughts and music. The forest is pretty, but nothing special – already the bright autumn colors are dimming and most of the leaves lie dead on the ground.



I follow Dad and my little brother on a deer trail. My hat and my jacket keep catching on briars and other plants that have thorns. Finally, I turn of my music and shove the thing in my pocket. And I just listen.

Mentally tuning out the soft chatter of my companions, I hold up my camera and – for once – make myself look through the camera’s eyes, instead of trying to make it see the world through mine. I see the sunlight falling through branches and touching them with light. I see the pine needles mixed with leaves creating a soft carpet beneath my feet. I see all the photographic values in the shapes of the nature around me, and I breath in the cool October air with a joy growing inside of me like sunshine lighting my life.



I can FEEL the silence all around me. It’s heavy and pure and makes me want to make a noise. But I don’t. I just listen to the silence, and I relax in it. Lord, please speak to me in the silence…guide me from my chaotic noise. Push out my busy thoughts. Shove off from the world that never stops making noise…and explore the quiet, misty sea of silence that exists all around us – if we know where to look for it.



I’m soon off walking again. The memory stick for my camera is full, so it goes back into my pocket. I’m feeling drowsy and ready for a nap, so I hurry to catch up with Dad and Caleb. The silence is gone for me. Already, I’ve given in to the world and shrugged off the peace in the silence.



And yet I expect God to speak to me – through the TV, music, the internet, books, tapes, and my swirl of thoughts that never stop going. Because if I stop thinking about the world and my life, I am forced to let God into my mind and heart. The water takes me away, and I am frightened. I don’t want to drown in God’s peace and quiet; I seek the comfort of noise. I’m afraid to put God in control again. God, what do you think you are doing? This is my life, I had plans. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. So I take the wheel and pilot myself back to shore.



Later I’m reminded that I’m feeling rushed and I don’t want to be. The water laps at my feet. Teach me to let me let You take me away…

26 things - a photographic scavenger hunt!

Okay, so, for the month of September, I tried a do-it-yourself photography "class" (haha), called 26 Things. It wasn't my idea, though, so don't give me any credit. What you do, is you get a list of 26 things (I got several online, but you could probably just make up your own) and you take a picture that represents that word - in your mind. And you have to do this in one month. It sounds easy, but it's not. Some of the words are harder to represent than others; but it was definitely fun! I completed September...but not with "flying colors" - I'm hoping to do better for October! We shall see =). Enjoy the photographs, though:

1. Couple (aww! lol)


2. Slope (of course that word makes me think "ski slope", but the snow isn't here yet :( )


3. Plate (microscope plate xD)


4. Going Places (oh yeah, I am SO going places ;)


5. Scrambled (a beautiful mess, eh? LOL!)


6. In The Distance


7. Underneath (can you see the word through the water bottle?)


8. Bright (there are so many definitions of this word; since I was running out of time, I just chose this one)


9. 11 pm (actually, this isn't a night picture...but it looks like one! I took a picture of a clear ruler THROUGH a microscope; right at the last second, I moved a little, so the picture turned dark. So it looks like a fence in the dark :D)


10. Today (this is really showing me how much I need to work on creative photography...)


11. Everyday (this is something I totally view every day...but I tried to make it look more creative than just a closet :P)


12. Resemble (shadows are perfect :D)


13. Childhood Memory (perhaps not in the literal sense..haha)


14. In The Water (a pond at Kingwood Center sufficed :)


15. Flower (just a simple one, in the field on the edge of our property :)


16. Button (ah, too hard to get one singular button...lol)


17. Heritage (this is one of my favs)


18. Glow (I love this candle!)


19. Clock (duh)


20. Closed (this one definitely lacks originality xD)


21. Smile (this one is random...I didn't feel like putting my smile that close to the camera, or trying to get just a plain picture of a smile...and, hey, at home, my options are limited :P)


22. Back


23. Plastic (and the perfectionist in me is crying "I wish it was at a better angle!" lol)


24. Handle


25. In My Fridge (sorry this one is not very creative...)


26. Looking Back At Me (this one was fun!)


Thanks for going on my photography journey! There will be another post for October, so check back at the end of this month...:D

What's Wrong With High School?

I have figured out what's wrong with high school: there's no playgrounds! Honestly! But don't pass it off as a joke right away; let me explain.

Have you ever seen a high school building with a playground? I don't think I ever have (not that I've been around or anything...). And it's kind of sad. Our culture has forced high schoolers to think that playing on a playground is immature and belittling. In one sense, when you're in high school, you have lots of thoughts, responsibilities, and pressures forced upon you; in another sense, there are very few people who trust teenagers to be able to excel or act like adults. These two concepts collide and it is difficult to judge just what we are, as teenagers. We're not allowed, or expected to be, adults. But we're not allowed to be kids, either - we have to keep it together, to project a self-image pleasing to our parents and our peers. Playing around isn't an option, usually.

But the way to handle all the extra responsibilities is to balance out work, school, and chores with fun time. I'm not saying you have to go play tag on the playground (although it's not a bad idea :) ); it can be anything from sports to board games. But it's the concept of a playground that is the key. You have to do something that frees you from responsibility, that let's you be who you are. To pretend to be an adult may seem mature, but it's stressful and creates a false image. So you have let your self have "playground days" - balance being mature (to gain the trust of adults around you), and also enjoying being without all the responsibilities that adulthood brings. I mean, your not gonna be a teen forever...