Imagine This

High Island - Smith Oaks Rookery

Great Egret (Shot with iPhone at Smith Rookery)

Jer and I had a grand visit to High Island, TX on the east end of Boliver Peninsula. We visited the Houston Audubon Society's bird sanctuary, the Smith Oaks Rookery.

Garden Path (Leads to the Clay bottom Pond.)

The Rookery is in the middle of Clay Bottom Pond. It is a roosting and nesting place for thousands of waterbirds during March, April, and May each year. Right now most of the birds have mated and are either finishing nests or tending eggs.

 

The Rookery at Sunset

The photo above shows about what our view was when we first stepped out onto one of the wooden viewing areas across from the island the birds are on in in the middle of the pond.

Photogrpahers and Birders (On a Double Deck Viewing Stand)

[Click on any image to get a larger picture.]

View from the Path that Encircles the Pond

One Egret was visible with her two babies - that was exciting as these were some of the first eggs to hatch this season. In the next two weeks lots of eggs will be hatching. I might need to go back for that! Hmmmm.

Two Little Egret Chicks (In a Nest with Mom)

 

Jeepers, I really NEED a new digital camera with a lens that that would let me capture these birds up close. My little Olympus Camedia with it's 4 megapixels was not much better than my iPhone camera.

Since I couldn't really get great shots of the birds, I explored the paths around the lakes. There were plenty of other things to photograph. 

Abandoned Boat (At the far end of the pond path.)

 

I found an abandoned building they call the barn which turned out to be my favorite spot to shoot.

The Barn (Abandoned Building on the path leading to the Rookery)

 

 

Bolted Door

 

Open Door

 

Got lots more photos but I need to edit some of them. Here is a little birdie to say "goodbye" to ya:

Flying Roseate Spoonbill

 

 

 

Happy Lord's Day

A New Covenant

 

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,

“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

~Luke 22:19-20

 

 

The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers
the day I took them by the hand
to lead them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they broke my covenant,
and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.
But this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD.
I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives
how to know the LORD.
All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,
for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.

~Jer 31:31-34

Texture Tuesday Image

Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday's challenge this week is to use her texture, Little Things. This is my offering:

All's Right with the World (iPhone edit)

 

After using apps to get this scene the look I wanted with those yummy colors, I superimposed (app) this darling couple onto the photo (original background photo by #applified on Instagram.) Then I used Kim Klassen's texture to unify the image. BTW, that's my granddaughter. Her family was in New Orleans. Don't know the story behind this image or how she ended up posing with this guy but I love it, don't you?

Black and White

Thought I'd try my hand at a few black and white photo images. Some of these are favorite past iPhone photos but with new B&W looks. Usually the more color I can put into an edit, the better I like it. This new streak is different. How am I doing with black and white so far?

This one above was a photo by my friend @applified on Instagram. I edited it into B&W and used several apps on my iPad to get this sketched look.

 

I Have Eyes for You (iPhone photo edited with Dynamic B&W app on iPad)

 

 

Through the Front Door (iPhone photo edited with Dynamic B&W on my iPad)

Remember My Going to the Dentist?

 (iPhone photo edited with Pic Grunger and Diptic apps on iPad)

This one didn't make suc a great B&W because there is really no dark darks in it. (See? I'm learning.)

 

 

L'il Sugar (Who's not always so sweet!)

iPhone photo Edited on my iPad with Pic Grunger App and Dynamic B&W app

If you want a better look at the images,just click on each one to see the more detail. I'm on another roll with my iPad so surely I'll be back soon to share. Tah Tah!

He Lives!

Hope yourEaster Day was as lovely as mine with my family. I just wanted to share this photo I finished editing a minute ago. It was my way to worshp today as I was a bit under the weather and couldn't go to our church service this morning.

 

~~~

 

This photo started out as a background photographed by my friend on Instagram who goes by @applified there. You can find him on Instagram if you have that app on your smart phone or iPad. Otherwise, I'll show you the original photo:

Original photo by jvdt (@applified on Instagram)

 

As you can tell, I did quite a bit to this photo. I used some click art and copyright free art to add Jesus and the Calvary hill & crosses. Then I used some other apps to do the lights, clouds, and color edits. The whole thing was done on my rad iPad! Ya gotta love it.

If you have a handle on Instagram, please be sure I know it. I'd ove to see your photos, too.

Happy Lord's Day - Easter Sunday

He is Risen!

Isenheim Altarpiece: The Resurrection by Matthias Grünewald

 

Hallelujah! He is Risen Indeed!

The New Testament teaches that the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter celebrates, is a foundation of the Christian faith. The resurrection, three days after his crucifixion and burial,  established Jesus as the powerful Son of God and is cited as proof that God will judge the world in righteousness. God has given Christians a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Christians, through faith in the working of God  are spiritually resurrected with Jesus so that they may walk in a new way of life. (If these ideas are conflicting to you, disturbing in any way, or don't resolve any doubt you've had -- I lovingly recommend that you pray [yes, even to that God you have doubts about, in case He exsists - what have you got to lose?] pray, before you read these blog posts I ran across yesterday about it. Don't guard your heart -- just read them with comprehension. They are interesting.): Christ the Con Man

 ~~~

Today our church is having a sunrise service and a midday service for the celebration of our Lord's resurrection. Also, as a part of the celebration of resurrection, we will have an Easter egg hunt for the children, as do many othergroups throughout the country. 

 
Easter Egg Hunt (captured with my iPhone) 

I have often wondered about the secularization of Easter. Many Americans follow the tradition of coloring hard-boiled eggs and giving children baskets of candy on Easter Sunday. On the next day, Easter Monday, the President of the United States holds an annual Easter egg roll on the White House lawn for young children. New York City holds an annual Easter parade on Easter Sunday. Sadly, many children think the Easter Bunny and Easter Egg are the only significance of Easter. Did you know that there is a connection between the egg and Easter's commemoration of the resurrection?

 

 
Easter Eggs (dvd-ppt-slideshow.com)

 

The egg has been recognized as a symbol of rebirth in celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the rebirth of man. The egg symbol was likened to the tomb from which Christ arose. Makes sense to me!- so next time you have an opportunity, include this in your discussions of Easter -- especially with children!

Happy Easter!

Holy Saturday

Good Friday

Shrouded Altar Cross

 

Today, Good Friday, we commemorate the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his death.

At any given church service but especially at a service on this day, the message often centers around the seven saying of Jesus as he hung from the cross. As recorded in the collective gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, these were the last truths from the mouth of Christ as He closed his service to His Father on this earth. We, his followers, take great comfort and derive much peace from these short utterings.

1. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do

Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

This first saying of Jesus on the cross is traditionally called "The Word of Forgiveness." It is theologically interpreted as Jesus' prayer for forgiveness for those who were crucifying him: the Roman soldiers, and apparently for all others who were involved in his crucifixion.

 

2. Today you will be with me in paradise

Luke 23:43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you today you will be with me in paradise."

This saying is traditionally called "The Word of Salvation." According to Luke's Gospel, Jesus was crucified between two thieves (Dismas and Gestas), one of whom supports Jesus' innocence and asks him to remember him when he comes into His kingdom. Jesus replies, "Truly, I say to you..." (ἀμήν λέγω σοί, amēn legō soi), followed with the only appearance of the word "paradise" in the Gospels (παραδείσω, paradeisō, from the Persian pairidaeza "paradise garden").

A seemingly simple change in punctuation in this saying has been the subject of doctrinal differences among Christian groups, given the lack of punctuation in the original Greek texts. Protestant Christians usually use a version which reads "today you will be with me in Paradise". This reading assumes a direct voyage to Heaven and has no implications of purgatory. On the other hand, Catholics have used a reading which emphasizes "I say to you today," leaving open the possibility that the statement was made today, but arrival in Heaven may be later.

 

3. Behold your son: behold your mother

John 19:26-27 Jesus saw his own mother, and the disciple standing near whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son". Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother". And from that hour, he took his mother into his family.''

This statement is traditionally called "The Word of Relationship" and in it Jesus entrusts Mary, the mother of Jesus, his mother, into the care of "the disciple whom Jesus loved."

4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me

Matthew 27:46 Around the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, saying "Eli Eli lama sabachthani?" which is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour, Jesus shouted in a loud voice, "Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

This saying is traditionally called "The Word of Abandonment" and is the only saying that appears in more than one Gospel. This saying is a quote from King David. (Psalm 22)

5. I thirst

John 19:28 He said, "I thirst."

This statement is traditionally called "The Word of Distress" and is compared and contrasted with the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman at the Well in John 4:4-26.

 

6. It is finished

John 19:30 Jesus said, "It is finished".

This statement is traditionally called "The Word of Triumph" and is theologically interpreted as the announcement of the end of the earthly life of Jesus, in anticipation for the Resurrection.

 

7. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit

Luke 23:46 And speaking in a loud voice, Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit".

From Psalm 31, this saying, which is an announcement and not a request, is traditionally called "The Word of Reunion" and is theologically interpreted as the proclamation of Jesus joining God the Father in Heaven.

[Seven statements narration was taken from Wikipedia]

 

Crucifixion Seen from the Cross by James Tissot, c. 1890

Maundy Thursday

Last Supper, Icon by Simon Ushakov (1626–1686)

 

Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday,  is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the gospels. It is the fifth day of Holy Week, and is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.

Derived from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "commandment," Maundy refers to the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you") the statement by Jesus at the Last Supper in the Gospel of John (13:34) when He was explaining to the disciples that He would soon be leaving them.

Maundy Thursday is normally celebrated in the evening, when Friday begins according to Jewish tradition. It commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples on the night before he was crucified.

Often Maundy Thrusday is celebrated with a candlelight sevice which is what we do in our church and consequently, it is one of the favorite services of our congregation. We usually have the elders of the church sit at a candlelit table commemorating the last supper and have readings from the gospel reinacting the sayings of Jesus at that last feast. As each reader finishes, the candle in front of them is extinguished followed by the dousing of the Christ candle which the leaves the room in darkness. The elders then leave the sanctuary, the bell toles, and the lighted Christ candle is brought back in to the altar to symbolize that Christ lives even though he was crucified. The congregation then leaves the darkened sanctuary singing, "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord."

You are invited to be with us at First Christian Church of Huntsville, Texas this evening, April 5, to witness this somber, beautiful, and moving service.

 

 

Song: "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord"
Sung by: Tatiana (I Thirst)-album
Movie Scenes: "The Passion of The Christ"
Directed by: Mel Gibson

 

Were You There
 Negro spiritual

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?

 

Texture Tuesday on Wednesday

Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday's challenge this week is to use any of her textures and create a soft image. This edited image is my offering:

Foggy Bottom

I did this one on my iPhone usimg several images in several apps - big surprise, right? So much fun. Click on the image to see it in it's full glory!)

Happy Lord's Day - Palm Sunday

Palm Fronds (Captured with my iPhone)

Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord

Palm Sunday is a Christian holy day that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in pre-Christian times. The holy day commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem  prior to the passover feast before his crucifixion, an event mentioned in all four gospels.  The Gospels describe how the crowds lined the route, spread palm branches on the road, and waved palm leaves in their hands enthusiastically as Jesus rode in on his donkey. Traditionally, entering the city on a donkey symbolizes arrival in peace, rather than as a war waging king arriving on a horse. The celebrating people there lay down their cloaks in front of Jesus on the donkey, and also lay down small branches of palm trees. The people sang part of Psalms 118: 25–26 – ... Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord ....

 

Triumphal Entry (chuck.hubpages.com)

 

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival

heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

   “Hosanna!”

   “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

   “Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

 ¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
   see, your king is coming,
   seated on a donkey’s colt.”^{(Zech. 9:9)}

~John 12:12-15