Thine hands unto

Thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.---
Deut. 12:18

Christ, when He blesses, blesses not in word only, but in deed. The lips of truth cannot promise more than the hands of love will surely give.
Spurgeon

When I was young at my grandmothers steep yard in West Virginia, it was a pleasure to mow the soft bluegrass with her reel mower.
When I was older and we moved to Florida, it was pure drudgery to mow the hard bahia grass with the reel mower.
Same blades but very different results. I liken the Bluegrass to a life where Christ both blesses in word and in deed. Even upon hills, the cutting is a joy.
When one works in his own effort, apart from the proper tool, (the spirit), toil and sorrow ensue.

Into Olustee Shadow

Is it actually essential to carry the sharpest lenses and the latest gear? When I returned from the Sunday Battle of Olustee 37th re-enactment of the 149th year after the actual Battle, the photographs that piqued me the most were those I had deliberately blurred and panned slowly. It evokes more of a sense of the time to me. I did not take enough of this type as I should have.
For the 150th next year, I hope to concentrate half of my exposures to the ethereal and mysterious.
 

Consider Him

Consider Him.
Hebrews 12:13

Believer, who art weary and disheartened because of the roughness of the way, look at the Master's footsteps, and see how He suffered.
Spurgeon

I must constantly remind myself, my path compared is primrose strewn and soft with pine needles.
What gives me the audacity to go about in a state of sorrow and pity for my minor scratches?
Could it not be the enemies tactic to sideline us in our own misery?
I think so.
Morning by morning I rise and cast away the pity, the woe is me countenance I so love to parade.
And so again today,
I consider Him.

Alligator Day

In the latter afternoon, knowing a front was moving in, I went out to Alligator Park to see what developed. Went on foot with the vest, the D40 with the manual 180mm and 2x extender, plus the Canon S100 and iphone4. I had hoped to see the White Pelicans but I assume the fishing was not to their liking, or they were on the deeper Southern side of the lake.
I was able to capture the two alligators in a one minute video that was uploaded to Utube within minutes after filming. That is what I want in a camera, which is there.
In all, a few promising shots that I later worked in the computer with the HDR setting.
Going more for the graphic look.

Cross Crow

This reminds me of Rev Whitney Dough, an old time Methodist preacher that had a talking crow.
He wrote a book about his adventures with that crow. I thought in our day and age of whacky so-called in the name of Christ things we do, why not an amazing crow. Whitney Dough I am sure would approve.

Fruits of righteousness

 

The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 3:18

The way of peace we cannot know till we find our peace, where our immortal aspirations place it, in the fulness and the friendly eternity of God.
Bushnell

We carry about sack loads of our sorrows, our ill wills, our pride, our vanities all in the name of our own self-righteousness. And we wonder why there is no peace, no peace. Why things just never work as planned, why the constant sadness, despair and sense of foreboding.
We have failed to place the seed sack upon the back of the sower, the only one able to
make fruit from all our vain attempts.
No good thing comes from us. It all must come from the hand of the friendly, eternal God.    

In my infirmities

More gladly, therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corin. 12:9

Work in me, Lord; I would labor
In Thy vineyard for a while,
Thou my feeble faith rewarding
With the bounty of Thy smile.
Work in me.
Anna Shipton.

Gus was shot twenty-two years ago, leaving him paralyzed in a wheel-chair.
He lost both legs due to gangrene setting in.
He lives in a tiny, ramshackle home just North of the tracks.
Daily a caregiver comes to clean and bring food.
And through all the infirmities, still I look forward to his
infectious smile and good cheer.


Anna Shipton(1815-1901)was an English religious writer who, from a relatively early age, wrote essays on Christianity.
"Fellowship with Jesus lies not alone in pleasurable emotions; you must learn it in suffering and in service."

Koonville Road

Today I read for the first time the first sixty-four meters on Koonville Road, from Pinemount Road to Archie Glen Road where Pastor Russell lives. Along the way, first I came to Janice's house. She and I used to work at JCPenney over ten years ago. She was in the process of foreclosure and not sure where she was going to live. Her daughter, who lives next door in a trailer was not going to let them live with her.  I then came to the place where Tommy Browning lived or at least had a cabin. He recently passed away. On his porch was the old bear skin and the rockers.Sad times. Next I came to the home of Adron and Clara Jones. When Landon and Jordon were little, I would take them to their place to fish in the pond.in the back yard. Clara also worked at JCPenney with me in the stockroom. They travel and have purchased a placed in Sylva, North Carolina where they spend several months in the summer each year. Happy times.
Finally, I came to the Andrews place just as Brain Andrews was leaving. He was heading for Olustee to set up camp. He re-enacts. His father Steve had copied me some Bobby Horton Civil War Songs several weeks ago and I was able to get them, after talking awhile with Cindy, Steve's wife.
Good timing.

Charity

Charity suffereth long and is kind. I Corin. 13:4.

Kind words are the music of the world. They have a power which seems to be beyond natural causes.
Faber.

Mrs Hamilton, the mother of David Hamilton, has sold her home in Texas and moved in with her son. Mrs. Hamilton is well into her nineties and has lost much of her vision. She depends upon the sound of our voices to recognize who she speaks with. Her words are full of kindness and she expresses her appreciation each Sunday for taking the time to speak with her, to make her feel welcome.
Like my mother, she as well never has an unkind word for any person. Both Mrs Hamilton and my mother are rare treasures.

Alligator Cardinal

Cardinal on the Alligator Lake Park trail.

Rossi Road

Riding the bike back from the college entrance road on US90, a ten mile ride, I stopped for a sunset shot, using my magic sunglasses filter over the Canon S100.

Owen Ware

The old wash tub on the shed of former Sheriff Owens home on Vickers Terrace in downtown Lake City.