Peacock

So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us. ~Gaston Bachelard

What I've Learned: The Stuff of Childhood is Not Only Still Relevant--It Keeps Getting Better!
Last weekend was my 35th birthday, dear Reader, and as has been my custom the last few years, I chose to spend it doing something fun that I've never done before. Oh sure, I've been to the zoo many times, but I had never pet stingrays or had the pleasure of visiting the Butterfly House. So, despite being soaked in a sudden and fierce downpour, the fabulous Miss Kim, Aunt & I braved thunder, lightning and flooded paths to make a few birthday wishes come true at the Brookfield Zoo.

Thanks to a lab tech friend, we waited out the rain by taking a behind-the-scenes tour of some of the zoo's labs. We learned a great deal about poop, in particular. That is, zookeepers collect poop from an animal and bring it to the lab where scientists extract and measure specific hormones. The presence and concentration of certain hormones help scientists determine an animal's stress levels or if a female is pregnant. Fascinating stuff.


Polar Bear

Once the rain began to let up, we ventured out into the zoo to see a dolphin show (very much fun), pet cow-nosed stingrays (slimy but very cool) and then to drip-dry in the warm sunlight of the Butterfly House, where we were surrounded by Monarchs, Swallowtails and many other gorgeous, winged beauties. Quite shutter-happy, we lingered with the butterflies for a good while. Other amazing critters we saw included lions, tigers and bears (of course!), as well as primates from three continents, giraffes and sleepy wombats. All in all, a wonderful day reminiscent of my childhood visits to the zoo--but with a decidedly intellectual twist on the pure joy of discovery. Below are a few of my favorite zoo shots:


The Fabulous Miss Kim outside the Butterfly House


At the Brookfield Zoo Butterfly House


Giraffe


Peacock


Monarch Butterfly


Cat-napping Tiger


Pulling Your Tail


Mom & Me


Butterfly


Baboon

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. ~Albert Einstein

Quotes courtesy of the Quote Garden.

Purple Phlox

Practice is the best of all instructors. ~ Pubilius Syrus

What I've Learned: Practice Brings Continuing Joy.
Spent yesterday afternoon at the Morton Arboretum with my friend, LK, taking photos with my new lens. What a lovely day, Reader! It was hot--low 90's--but the Arboretum was not crowded, so we strolled leisurely through the gardens, stopping to shoot whatever caught our interest. I am quickly getting addicted to my new Zuiko 40-150mm lens (my DSLR: the Olympus E-420).

Of course, with my first wedding shoot coming up in a few months, I'll be practicing non-stop all summer. Which gives me the perfect excuse to drop everything whenever there's a chance to practice with my new gear. How great is that?! Below are my favorite shots from the Arboretum. If you haven't had the chance, Reader, it's a wonderful place to visit.

Use your gifts faithfully, and they shall be enlarged; practice what you know, and you shall attain to higher knowledge. ~ Matthew Arnold





Lilies


Big Talker


Waterlily


Lily Pond


Waterlily


Whoozy-Whatsit


Purple Phlox


Hydrangea?


Fuzzy


Dragonfly


Astor


Lake


Blush

Quotes courtesy of thinkexist.com.

MC & KB

You know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well. ~Author Unknown

What I've Learned: God Grants us Gifts so that we might use them in Service to Others.
I've known for sometime now, Reader, that God has a plan for my photography. True, I'm not sure what it is yet. But, having been blessed with this gift and the tools & opportunities to make beautiful images, I know He is as much at work in my creative life as in the spiritual. I love that. I love that God takes our creative passions seriously. I love that expressing my creativity in praise of Him can be as much an act of sacred worship as tithing or serving. I love that He provides joyful work.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of driving out to a friend's farm to shoot her engagement photos. I've known KB for many years and was very touched when she and her fiance asked me to photograph their wedding this October. After praying about it and doing plenty of research, I felt convicted that this was a wonderful opportunity to use my gift to serve my friend (in my first wedding as a photographer). I arrived at the farm with my trusty Olympus E-420 and was greeted by KB, who wore a gorgeous plum dress and looked more lovely than I'd ever seen her. Her fiance appeared shortly thereafter and we embarked on a relaxed morning shoot involving the couple and their horses--all with gorgeous views of their property in the background.

Took me most of the week to edit the photos but I finally got them done and presented them to my friends this afternoon. I hope they enjoy them as much as I have. Perhaps the thing I love most about photography is the unique opportunity it provides to clearly show a viewer that special something or personality quirk that makes your subject so interesting.

Photography was never a gift I aspired to, and yet, it was in God's plan that I would one day pick up a camera and discover a calling. I can't wait to see how this gift He's given me will impact the lives I encounter. It's already completely transformed mine. What a wonderful way to serve my brothers and sisters--and to serve my Beloved Father.

So, without further adieu, here are a few of my favorite shots from last weekend for your enjoyment, dear Reader. Love is a mighty fine thing to behold...


















He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began. ~Leo Tolstoy




True love stories never have endings. ~Richard Bach

Quotes courtesy of Quote Garden.

Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees. ~Victor Hugo

What I've Learned: The Biggest Moments Are Often Rooted in Simple Decisions.
The first thing I will remember, dear Reader, about this--my Baptism Day--is the fading heat of a 90-degree summer afternoon and the scent of a hundred lilacs in the air. I will remember how, after days of being anxious, all the nervousness I felt melted away the moment I stepped inside the church. I will remember bouncing with joy and meeting everyone with a smile as I took it all in. I'll remember my family all being there and holding the hand of a dear friend who was also baptized today. Most of all, I will remember stepping down into that pool on the stage where Pastor Pete and I talked while my Faith Story was read aloud to the congregation. Then Pastor Pete took my arm and dipped me beneath the water, cleansing me of all my sins and signifying that I am now a new creation before God.

It was some weeks ago, after attending the last water baptism service at Christ Community, that I knew it was time for me to publicly declare my faith by getting in the water. Having made the decision to accept Christ as my savior in February, this was a tangible act of obedience I knew I needed to do. Neither of these decisions were arrived at lightly--it took something like six years of seeking before I really understood what being a Christ-follower meant and that I wanted to have a personal relationship with Jesus.

But once I knew that, the two biggest decisions of my life were eerily simple to make and resulted in huge moments of humility, awe and indescribable gratitude.

Reader, there are few things more joyful than acts committed in total confidence because you know you've made the right decision. I can't describe how this experience feels--it is something each of us has to decide for ourselves. But when it's right, there is no doubt. No anxiety. No regret. Only the most amazing peace and God's promise of everlasting life. Makes for a pretty darn good day.

God enters by a private door into each individual. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quotes courtesy of The Quote Garden.

Elementary School Chicks

There are joys which long to be ours. God sends ten thousands truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, and then fly away. ~Henry Ward Beecher

What I've Learned: The Best Way Aunt Knows to Pick Up Chicks.
What I always forget, dear Reader, until spring comes 'round again is how wonderful it has been to grow up in a family that keeps farm animals. I'm 34 now, a responsible, upstanding adult who dutifully rushes off to work each morning in chandelier earrings and returns many hours later, her mind full of what was accomplished and what still needs to be done. I breeze into the house, deflecting canine affection, and drop keys on the desk while juggling ipod, cell phone & purse. The same dull routine every night.

But God blessed me with a family whose unabashed philosophy about loving all forms of life is best explained in hyphenated phrases like: go-with-the-flow, we-had-a-change-in-plan & okay-this-is-what-happened. There have been countless times when a new baby goat, lamb or other critter in need of special care has come to stay at the house for a few days or weeks. Animals in need just appear in a crate in the garage, mudroom or kitchen. Which is why I only do a brief double-take when I come through the door and hear peeping coming from a large cardboard box on the kitchen counter.

Peering into the box, I see 20 adorable assorted baby chicks, all staring dubiously up at me. They're fully-outfitted with a tiny feeder, watering station and a red-glowing heat lamp. The driveway is empty and no one else is home. There's no obvious explanation for a box of chicks. At most other homes, this might seem strange. But at Aunt's house, one simply remembers that ah, yes, it's spring and the parade of baby animals has begun.

A day or two later, I peek on my way out the door and, suddenly, there are a lot more chicks in the box. Then Aunt appears and explains the presence of peeps. It seems several local grade schools had just completed their class projects of raising chicks from eggs. With the school year ending, homes must now be found for all the chicks and Aunt is on the chick-placement list for 2 different school districts. As hobby farmers, getting 50 or so chicks a pop at no cost makes fine business sense. So, here we are: 70-plus chicks cute as a button and free to good home. Our new Future Egg-Layers of America.

"It's the best way I know to pick up chicks," says Aunt, the 7th grade English teacher.

It might just be the best way I know to live too.

Quote courtesy of The Quote Garden.

My New Diet Plan (a.k.a I Love Cheese)

What I've Learned: Being A Fast Oxidizer Rules!

Met with the nutritionist yesterday, Reader, for an hour-long metabolic consult to determine what type of metabolism I have and which healthy eating plan would be the most beneficial. This is all part of my RELINQUISH focus for 2011: I'm letting God guide me in healthier lifestyle choices for my body, soul and pocketbook.

Having never seen a nutritionist before, I went in kinda nervous. What if she told me I could only eat stuff I don't like? What if the best way to accomplish what God wants for my life is to give up on tasty food? Do I have the strength to do that? What if it's yucky?

After some informative supplement talk, the nutritionist revealed my diet plan. Turns out, God doesn't want me to endure yucky. He wants me to rejoice in Cheese. Well, at least in protein and fats. I'm what they call a Fast Oxidizer, which means that I do best on a diet low in sugar and carbohydrates but high in protein and good fats. So yes, breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, chocolate and coffee are now off limits.

I should be in tears. I should be heartbroken I can no longer eat raspberry buttercreams from Fannie May. Instead, I could hardly tear my eyes away from the list of foods I do get to eat, which includes: 17 kinds of cheese, salted butter, heavy whipping cream, whole milk, eggs, bacon, beef, lobster, caviar and scallops as well as 18 other kinds of my favorite seafood. Most of my favorite vegetables are on the list too: spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, avocado and olives. The list also includes: bananas, most nuts, corn, peas and 35 herbs & spices.

I started laughing. I asked the nutritionist if she was serious. Do I really get to eat all this? This is good for me? She assured me it is. Suddenly, my new healthy eating plan seemed like the Holy Grail. Who knew that all the stuff I've been craving (but that we're told is WAY too fattening) is exactly what my body needs? I was floored.

I thanked the nutritionist and left with a great big grin. I had trusted in God and was willing to do whatever He asked of me to get healthy. But never in a million years did I expect Him to find me a plan I could love as well as live with. Amazing!

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. ~Ambrose Redmoon

What I've Learned: incredible sacrifice happens quietly every day, as a matter of course and with great honor.
I've been in tears several times today, Reader. For almost a week now, I've been keeping tabs on the latest earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis news coming from Japan and praying for the Japanese people as they deal with unimaginable devastation, intolerable conditions and now, the threat of radiation exposure from a damaged nuclear power plant. I can't wrap my head around the magnitude of the destruction being reported.

As the casualty estimates rise, I've been hanging onto the few stories of hope that are surfacing: a 4 month-old baby found alive 3 days after being swept from her parents' arms during the tsunami, a Japanese student studying in America who feared her family was dead but then found a You Tube video of her house (the only one left standing in her neighborhood) and her sister holding up a sign, proclaiming everyone is all right. I can feel God working in these small miracles.

Then today, I heard about the Fukushima 50. Reader, I don't have the words to describe how it felt, reading report after report of these brave plant workers, engineers, soldiers, policemen and firefighters who volunteered or chose to remain behind at the crippled Daiichi plant after hundreds of their fellow workers and the surrounding inhabitants were evacuated.

These people are working in dangerous conditions amid flood debris, wrecked buildings and the constant threat of more fires and explosions. That alone is reason enough to call them courageous. But it isn't what moves me to tears. As these workers risk life and limb flushing damaged nuclear reactors with seawater in an attempt to keep them cool, they're being exposed to radiation levels that The New York Times calls, "five times the maximum exposure permitted for American nuclear plant workers."

They are braving lethal radiation to prevent more radiation leaks and protect their families and countrymen from the effects of a full nuclear meltdown. They are sacrificing their own health and lives to save their country. This isn't a movie plot or a cheesy, made-for-TV miniseries. These are live, thinking, feeling people with families who are out where no one wants to be, giving everything they have to do their jobs, knowing that it will almost certainly cost their lives.

How do you describe or honor that kind of courage? Their ability to put fear aside, keep suiting up and going out there every single day echoes what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross. Yes, I do think there is something very Christ-like in the quiet, matter-of-fact work of the Fukushima 50. He died for us. They too, are making the ultimate sacrifice to save others. I'm praying for them, for their families and will continue to do so throughout this crisis. Please join me, Reader, and keep them in your heart. Whatever the outcome, let us honor what they do there. And may our Heavenly Father, bless and keep them. Amen.