It's official!

Our new photography website is up!

check it out at www.capturetheexperience.com

I'm so excited! :-)

Are you rich?

Upper class? Middle Class? Lower Class?
Where do you fall?
Click here to find out.

globalrichlist.com

You may be surprised...

Your favorite song...

thanks for the comments on the website people :-) Looks like we've made a decision--for those who have emailed, im'd, or called me, you probably know which way we're headed... the rest of you will just have to wait and see. :-)

Now I'm wondering what your favorite songs are...? We have an UNLIMITED music gallery on the new site (yay!), and so I'm starting to put together the list of songs that I will consider for ambiance.

Some already on the possible list include
The Way You Look Tonight -- Frank Sinatra
Unforgetable -- Nat King Cole
Best Part of Me -- Dave Burkum
Instramental -- Dave Burkum
Isn't it Love -- Andrew Peterson
Somewhere Over the Rainbow -- Various artists
Love Song -- Third Day

Etc...
So what are your favorites??

I need your oppinion!

Ok, so we're getting ready to purchase a new website from for our photography business.

So, I thought I had it figured out--until today, when they released a new template (at a special sale cost I might add), So--if you have time, visit the templates at


template 28 (our original choice)

template 29 (the new template)

And let me know which one you like better--and why?!
Also, they are going to be releasing a "B" version of the 29th template sometime today... it should have a cleaner and more professional look to it... so you can watch for that if you like.

Thanks for your help!
Christina

And now... the Teichroew News

In one of my previous posts, I eluded to some big changes that had come down the line for Jonathan and I. Here's a bit more on the explanation--and an opportunity to thank God for his amazing provision.

So about three weeks ago, as we were gearing up for our church's missions festival, Jonathan came home from work to let me know that he had some important news. Turns out due to industry slow-downs, the Minnesota district had been ordered to cut everyone in his position at all the stores in the district. The cut was immediate, he was told on Friday night, and his last day was to be the next Monday.

I was a little shocked. We knew things in the market were not looking good, but had not anticipated that this action would come so soon--and even when we thought about it, we had always assumed that they would create another position for him (in fact they had already expressed desire to transfer him into a trainer position--but right after that talk, corporate had initiated a hiring freeze on the whole district, so we had been waiting for that to be lifted so he could transfer out of his position).

That Friday evening, we had to leave home almost immediately to set up for our missions festival with the rest of the team. I was mainly just walking around in a daze, trying to process what had happened... by the end of that night though we were starting to come to grips with it, and had a chance to talk things through a bit.
As we talked, we both realized that we had been praying about his work situation for months... as J gets ready to start school in January, his previous position would have been a very difficult situation. It was almost an hour commute from our home (each way), and even farther from school. The hours they were demanding would have made it very difficult to get to classes (It was not uncommon for J to leave at 6am, and get home at 6pm--and those were the short days!), and adding school and homework to that mix would have certainly cut out almost any time we had for each other.

As we had a chance to step back, we realized that if we had been praying for God to work in J's work situation, how could we do anything but trust Him if things started happening. By Sunday afternoon, we were wondering if God wanted us to finish J's schooling in China

If you know me, you probably know that I like things to be laid out and planned... yeah sure, I've been known for spontaneity--but you have to understand--it's a carefully thought out spontaneity... Yes we can go to Canada in the middle of the night, yes there's a car to sleep in, yes I have enough money in my bank account to take care of emergencies... My craziness has usually been strategically applied. So for us to suddenly be out of work, with a mortgage and bills to pay--My natural reaction would have been to freak out--try to figure it out--make a gameplan--and get on top of things again.

Instead, we both just felt this great peace about it. As we consciously worked to trust God--that he was doing something in this--I let go of my desire to 'figure it out' and we both prayed and really tried to wait on God, to see what he was going to do. This doesn't mean that Jonathan didn't start looking online for jobs and such, but there was just none of that desperation that we felt it was really up to us.

On Monday morning (J's last day at that job), he began saying his goodbyes at work to the people he has met over the last two years. By Monday afternoon, there was rumor of things happening in the upper levels of the company. See, last October (05), Jonathan had been chosen to lead a relief team to Gulfport MS, to help with Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. We had both gone (I was the trip photographer), and in that process, had gotten to know some of the leaders within the company. Turns out, Jonathan's lay-off had been a middle management decision, and these people not only didn't know about it, they were upset that they were losing him.
By Monday night they had apologized for the confusion and expressed a desire to keep him, by Thursday, he had an interview with a sister company in the district, and on Friday, a week after losing his job, Jonathan was offered a position with this other company.

Now the even cooler part. This job is only a 15 minute commute (as opposed to an hour), and his work schedule will be flexible with his school schedule. Those are just a few of the cool things that have worked out so far. Oh yeah, and now the alarm usually goes off closer to 7am, pretty sweet. :-)
We are very grateful, as we really feel that God was working on our behalf to arrange this in a way that we never could have done alone.

So that's the big news. Sorry for the long post, but I hope that this story encourages you to trust God in your situations--even when they initially are shocking or look bad.

"The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout all the earth, looking to show himself strong to those whose hearts are wholly his."

vote

So my brother just sent me a link to jpeg magazine, where photographers can upload photos and people vote one which ones they want to go into print. Looks like fun. You can see my first submission on your right under the search box, click if you'd like to vote for it... let me know if you join the fun and I might vote for you too :-)

Commented by me on another blogger's page. Reposted here, cause I want to expound further... but must do it another time. It's bedtime and we both work tomorrow. :P

Understanding and repenting for sin is biblical and healthy... but getting stuck there is not. I am so into the topic of grace right now, I've seen so many Christians that live their lives deep in a sense of guilt. They become mired in it and it makes them fake to themselves and those around them. We just saw a Ravi Zacharias video that had many testimonies of people feeling alienated from the church and God, because of a guilt--either self-inflicted, or externally imposed. So they search for other community... what should be a place of healing, becomes a place of greater pain.

a few verses that help me a ton.

First, in 1 Peter 3
21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.* It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

1 Timothy 1
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith.

5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (conscience again? what?) 6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to *meaningless talk.* 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.


and lastly, Hebrews 9
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order. 11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

More to come later...

Words of Encouragement

I just read this on Mike Colón's blog tonight. Mike is an incredible wedding photographer, and in high demand. His post is a fabulous encouragement to me, and I hope to you as well (it is applicable in FAR more than photography).

Right now, there have been some developments with J and I, that have been very surprising. I'll explain more later when we have more details to share, but it has really reminded that Christ is our true provider, and that God works out everything in his perfect timing (and often so contrary than we would ever think!!)
I hope you are encouraged, with that, I'll turn it over to Mike Colón.

This post goes out to all of you wedding photographers and business owners just starting out. I'm not sure why I felt like talking about this tonight but I just want to give some words of encouragement to those of you currently struggling with where you are right now in your photo biz.

My wife and I have been through a lot these past 8 years. We've experienced probably every emotion that exists to mankind. We've cried together, danced with joy together, stressed out together, and have spent many hours on our knees praying for miracles in our business.

I remember one occasion very clearly. It was about 6 years ago when Julie and I were newlyweds. We were having an extremely rough month financially and I remember being totally stressed out because nothing seemed to be working no matter how much we tried. I was racking my brain for marketing ideas and was seriously getting to a place of desperation because we did not have nearly enough money to pay our bills which were due in a matter of days. I just remember pacing around in the bedroom of our small apartment feeling like I was going to lose it completely and have a nervous breakdown.

God must have known that I was at my wits end because all of the sudden I realized something. I was trying to do everything on my own without asking God for help. I remember grabbing Julie and telling her we need to pray. We got on our knees beside our bed (using pillows because I had a feeling we'd be there for a while) and started praying. We didn't pray for help as much as we prayed for forgiveness for forgetting who our provider is. It was like He was saying, "I am your provider, stop trying to play my role. Give me your business and I'll take care of everything. You can rest now."

Now this is the cool part... As we were praying, the phone rang. Now you'd think I wouldn't answer the phone during such an intense prayer session, but I kinda knew that I should answer it and sure enough it was a bride calling to book. This was just the first one. Over the next 48 hours we booked 4 more weddings. It was absolute craziness and I'll never forget how God intervened in our life that weekend.

It seems that every time I try to push forward on my own and forget to trust God, I get nowhere. Looking back now, it has always been those times when I give up and rely on God that stand out as times when our business grew by leaps and bounds.

The moral of this story is to simply give up and trust God. He'll take care of you!

I love this scripture in Matthew 6:19-34

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

"Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

"And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

"So don't worry about these things, saying, `What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

This weekend

If you are in Minnesota and not doing anything this weekend, check this out
http://www.aclarioncall.org/index.html
You really should go.


Unfortunately, we have another missions event that we are helping with at our church, and so we can't make it to the main event, but I will be attending a small afternoon session tomorrow, meeting with the speakers.

If you can't go--Pray for this event!

The Ordered Biz Card

After some playing around, we decided on a color image on our card.
Here's the finished product (front and back), though the edges will be cropped in a bit.
I'm very excited to get them!

looking for a dog-sitter

so we're coming up to Christmas, and realizing that while it's exciting that we get to go visit my fam in Portland, we are still in need of a dog-sitter for the two weeks we will be gone. :-(
Anyone have any ideas? We've never looked for a dog sitter before, and I hardly know where to start. I'm not super excited about kenneling him, both because of then environment and the expense...
Guess we'll add it to the prayer list.
Cool that God even cares about dog-sitting. :-)

the egg-speriment

So recently I have been musing on how wonderfully versitile eggs are--and even better--incredibly cheap. For people wanting to stay on a food budget, eggs are a great healthy option (unless of course, you are adding tons of sugar, such as in the recipe below).

With that in mind I thought it would be fun to start compiling egg recipes and ideas. I am planning on making some of them staples in our weekly menus, and thought perhaps you would like to be in on the experiment. So, in the holiday spirit, and to get us started, I am posting a recipe from the American Egg Board
www.aeb.org
So here ya go

Classic Cooked Egg Nog



(1 1/2 quarts or 12 (1/2-cup) servings)

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
• 1 quart milk* divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Garnishes or Stir-Ins, optional

In large saucepan, beat together eggs, sugar and salt, if desired. Stir in 2 cups of the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and reaches at least 160°F. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 2 cups milk and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight. Just before serving, pour into bowl or pitcher. Garnish or add stir-ins, if desired. Serve immediately

Now I know that there are better recipes for eggnog, and even for eggs... so send your ideas my way, if we get enough, I'll start a new blog just for recipes. :-)

Sushi!

Last week my lovely friend Emily invited me out for sushi.

It was a fantastic lunch, we both consider ourselves fairly adventurous, and so trying the Umi (Sea Urchin) was par for the course... However, when we asked the Sushi Chef to recommend our last dish--it tested the limits of our adventurous spirit.

He prepared Aji for us. Aji is Jack Mackerel, Raw.
You have to understand that our first sight of the fish looked like this



He then proceded to filet the Mackerel in front of us, and said that part was to be deep fried. The filet's? No not the filets... the remaining head, bones and tail. We were told when deep fried they

"Taste like a cracker"

After the carcas was done deepfrying the end presentation looked like this.



Very pretty actually.

The end result was much tastier than we originally thought it would be. We cleaned up the fish, and even tried the deep fried cracker. We couldn't quite bring ourselves to try the head or the eyes though... Here's the end result.


The moral of the story?
Trust the Sushi Chef, and don't be afraid of the Aji.

for more on sushi, check out this cool blog sushi master
(pictures taken with my camera phone... not as bad a toy as I would have thought)

street art

I am a big fan of ingenuitive and creative art... this guy really made me stop and take a look. He creates chalk drawings on the sidewalk that look like three dimensional images.
check it out

for more, go to Julian Beevers street art

entering the digital world

Our church finally has sermons up online. I'm so excited!!

I love our pastor!

Eagan Hills Podcasts

Eagan Hills Church
Last week October 22nd, 2006

the MUCH better card

so my friend Johnny saw my poor card attempt and decided to help me out.














What do you think?

cool huh?

dove

Can I just say, I really really like Dove... No, not just the chocolate (though that's very nice too) but the soap company.

Here's a video making rounds on the net. It's a nice reminder that things are not always as they appear.

dove film (full screen)

same film low res (fast download)

Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Another busy week down. Today I have a dentist appointment in an hour and a half--I think I would rather be at work. Dietrich and I are going to go play frisbee, and then I'm getting together with Emily for tea.

The big news though--the exciting news, come January, Jonathan will be heading back to school to persue his MBA. We just found out that he was accepted this week, so we're very excited at this next step towards our goals and dreams.
We're very thankful that God has given us this opportunity, and want to be good stewards of it. So I am sure that this coming year will full of adjustments, changes, and much learning.

If you think about it, pray for us that God would continue to direct our steps in this. Play for flexibilty with J's work, that they would be accomidating to his part-time school schedule. And also that we would learn the right balance between work and rest.

My young, immature motto of "Sleep is over-rated" has lately been replaced with "when can we sleep?" as it seems so easy to become involved with so many wonderful things--that ultimately create busy, hectic lives. I am really trying to learn and grow in this, seeking to find the balance in work, home business, housework, church commitments and fellowship, family, and other relationships. I have been soliciting advice on this topic, so if you have any to give, send it my way. :-)

Well that's all for now, stay tuned for the next random update.
~Christina

updates

Just updated the biz site...

It still needs work, but let me know what you think.

capturetheexperience.com

The Newest Super Hero

It's a bird, a plane, a mid-life crisis involving spandex...

nope,

it's Missions Man, making his debut at Eagan Hills Church for Mission Fest '06

Jonathan and I were asked to take pictures for a life-sized cut-out that will
bring attention to our upcoming missions festival. A few cups of tea and some photoshopping later and this was the result.... pretty fun.

Here's another we may play with... we'll have to see.

Missions Man Wants You!

Very cool

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. "No way,'' Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want To do that.''

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

For more of this story, and a cool video, visit my brother's blog Robboek.com

Fat Sheep and Dead Goats

This came in our October church newsletter at Eagan Hills.

Fat Sheep and Dead Goats
by Pastor Bruce Konold

I became a Christian in January 1984 while serving in the Navy, and had the huge advantage of being trained every day by a spiritually mature believer named Eddie. Daily we prayed together, read and studied the Word together, and witnessed to others. Only those who have served in the military, understand the pressure-cooker of living and working so closely with a group of other people. As a Christian, any slip up, even the slightest failure, was used by the unbelievers against us. In a sense, the "persecution" we Christians faced onboard ship held us extra accoutable and forced us to live for Christ. As a result, my first year and a half as a believer felt like "Believer-Boot-Camp." Not surprisingly, God used our little group that was totally devoted to Him to make a huge impact! Dozens came to faith in Jesus, and several of us are in ministry today.

In August of 1985 I recieved an honorable discharge from the Navy and moved back to Minnesota. I got invoved in a church, but the accountability to live for Christ I had experienced in the close knit environment of the Navy was gone. The result--while my Biblical and theological knowledge increased, my prayer life waned, my witnessing became less frequent, and I slowly drifted into comprimise and sin.

Eventually I went to a new church on the East Side of St. Paul where Biblical and theological knowledge was king! Our pastor (or should I say professor), had a PhD, and we called him Dr. So-and-so. Our services (or should I say classes), were all about learning more and more, and we thought we were growing in the faith. Everyone in this Church came with their Bible's (many brought their Greek NT as well), knew doctorine, were devoted Christians, and epitomized being "fat sheep."

Week after week we attended Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and midweek Bible studies. We got so fat in God's green pasture, that we became arm-chair shepherds, "experts," able to explain all things Christian. Prayer and witnessing were no longer a vital part of my life. I was a fat sheep, content to mock sinful, dying goats.

Beloved, while Eagan Hills is a church that emphasizes learning Biblical and theological truth, we must always remember that the goal of our learning is living. [emphasis mine] When the goal is learning, sheep get fat and goats die. when we learn to live the truth, we become active sheep, reaching out to goats, and heling them, well, to become sheep.

Are you a fat sheep? Then put your learning into living and love someone by sharing the gospel with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor. Share with someone you personally know, and are in relationship with now. Take the risk, move out in faith. Maybe you need to skip a class and service in a ministry. Step out of the holy sheep-pen and rub some of your precious wool on needy goats. Or will goats needlessly die because you are too fat to move?

playing with montages

Photographs by Christina Teichroew capturetheexperience.com

What if you knew?

What if you knew what was coming?
What if you knew that the person sitting on the other side of the coffee shop was going to die tomorrow?
Would it change the way you acted towards them?
Would it change your priorities?
Would it make you make a more conscious effort to reach out and share the gospel?

What if you knew?



Nickleback song: Savin' Me courtesy of my awesome sis, Larissa
Life is short and unknown. Let's break out of ourselves a bit more, and share what really matters.

New pic for Kim G.

We shot some family pics for some friends of ours this past weekend. It was a lot of fun, and I think the images are going to come out great! The style (at least on this picture) is a higher contrast and more moody image.
What do you think? do you like it?



Another week of craziness before work starts to slow down and I start updating the blog more frequently. The goal is to spend some time this winter improving my photo editing, as well as learning some graphic design skills--so if that pans out, I'll be posting more work to the blog. :-)
Then heading into next year, we're looking to move more into wedding photography. I'm very excited and think it will be a great time!

To say goodbye, I''ll leave you with the latest installment of What the Duck
Have a great day!!

Rain

The first NOOMA video with Rob Bell. Very cool.

crazy bird

What do you call it when you go to one page, that takes you to other pages and you just follow this random path till you come across something really cool? "Web Surfing" just doesn't seem to cut it

Went to LivingHope.com from my brother Rob's blog, and ended up on his pastor's blog, where I found this.

DROP THE ROCK(S)
There have been moments in the life of Living Hope where we didn't plan and couldn't possibly anticipate what God would do during the weekend services. This was defintely one of those weekends. I am speechless how much God loves and accepts me. The God that knows me the best loves me the most. That is a pretty cool thought. The one statement that was birthed during the weekend was radical acceptance leads to radical life change...always. I am a product of that statement as are hundreds of people at Living Hope. We are a collective story of grace.

Thank you to each person willing to be vulnerable to get up on the stage, walk out and sit for thousands to see and drop a rock at your feet. Thank you and God bless each of you. The healing that happened as a result of your transparency was indescribable.

...

Never give up!

John

John's blog at Living Hope Church

I really really like what I have seen coming from this church. I am becoming more and more convinced that true authenticity, partnered with the power of a Living God, is the best way to have an impact in our sceptical culture. No Rocks, No masks, just real love from a real God.

the recovering cynic,
~Christina

flamigo's and Larryboy

just messin around... shot the pic at Como zoo the other day while there with the fam. heavily edited... fun times.







btw, did you know that there's a LarryBoy cartoon on network television now?? ha! neither did I... major flash-back to highschool and good youth group times. ;-)



wikipedia on LarryBoy, for those not in the know

I love cartoons!

"When I was ten I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." ~C.S. Lewis

State of Grace

"A State of Grace" says Pierce Pettis "Is not so much a state of piety, but a state of where you're not fooling anybody."

ditto that

Today I have done almost nothing worth noting.

Wonderful!

Thought I'd post another picture of the dog, just for fun.



and a duck, who was showing off for us while we walked around the lake the other day...

Have a good wednesday peoples

That's my monkey

That's my monkey

Photography tips for everyone.... and just a fun site

Free Derek Webb

I've been sitting on this for a few days, but time to get the word out.



Derek Webb is giving away his new CD "Mockingbird"to whoever would like to download it.
For more information go to his site.

I'm downloading it right now.

As usual, I have high expectations of his stuff... this one is rumored to be a little contriversial as well... ;-)

fun.

Blessings all!

Echo's

This picture was taken last October when Jonathan and I were participating in Hurricane Katrina relief work in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Both Katrina and 9/11 were life changing events for those involved. My friend Alex was in the Towers the morning that the planes hit. While his appointments ended and he was gone by the time the planes hit the buildings, it still was a significant blow and reminder of the uncertainness of life. It's good to take time to remember that none of things we have--relationships or security--are certain or a promise. When all else fails only one things holds strong.

"On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand"

Some Sunday Humor

strongbad email #84

If you haven't checked out homestarrunner.com before, you are seriously missing out...

what the duck

The photographers comic

looking back

Being a photographer, I am always interested in learning what is new, both with style and technology. However, sometimes it is fun to take a look back and see--not only where we came from--but how things can be done without circut boards and monitors...

Check out this link for cool instructions on making your own simple "Silver based photographic emulsion suitable for coating glass or film"

Ok, so perhaps I don't have the time to perfect that skill... but it's definitely cool, the lower print was made from a glass plate negative using the above process

amazing work

check this out

This guy's gallery is pretty impressive. Check out the A4 papercuts

all from a single peice of paper!
wow.

Caught in the act

Today I decided to take the camera with me as the dog and I went to the park....

whew!

All my post-production work is done!!

I have been so behind lately (mostly due to my procrastination) with post work for my photos... and now it's done! It's such a relief--and I'm resolving to not get so far behind again.

here's one of the new ones from the shoot I did with Noah and James (a few more can be seen on the current work page).

I've been on a self and husband imposed future project freeze while I finish up these images, but now that I'm done I can get to some of the other things that have been relegated to the back burner.

Current Music: Destroying France,
by: Listing Ship.

Dinner from the Microwave?

No, it's not a tv dinner. :-)

I just got this recipe from my Aunt in Jamaica, and it comes highly recommended.
So I'll post it here for your enjoyment.

Cheryl’s Curry Chicken with peanuts

4 breast of
chicken
1 onion finally chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 T butter
¼ c
peanut butter
1/2c chicken stock
1/4c honey
2 tsp. grainy mustard
1
tsp curry powder
Dash tobasko
Pinch of
cardamom


Take onion, garlic and butter in microwave for 3
minutes.
Stir in peanut butter, chicken stock, honey, mustard and
curry.
Add chicken, and cook 6 minutes

Put this over rice with a salad on the side and wa-la!

I'm always excited about meal ideas that are tasty and quick, because as much as we like to cook, sometimes life is beyond chaotic, and the last thing we want to do is spend the evening in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.

Trading Spaces

Or making space usable...

Over the past few days, I have been working to change this boring back porch storage



into a cozy little reading room.



I'm very excited...

Dietrich approves as well...

Pierce Pettis

I just found Pierce Pettis on youTube... fun!


ok so this isn't the best advertisment... but I was just excited to find it.
Pierce is definitely one of my all time favorite song writers/singers. You should definitely check out his work
Jonathan and I saw Pierce at Ginkgo's in Saint Paul a few months ago... definitely one of the highlights of my year.




There are better Pierce Videos here--scroll halfway down the page to Pierce Pettis
Check out the "God Believes in You" video -- Pierce calls it his 'reverse psycology' song ;-) Oh heck... check out all the songs. They're totally worth it.

When you start to doubt if you exist
God believes in you
Confounded by the evidence
God believes in you
When your chances seem so slim
When your light burns so dim
And you swear you don't believe in him
God believes in you

When you rise up just to fall again
God believes in you
Deserted by your closest friends
God believes in you
When you're betrayed with a kiss
Turn your cheek to another fist
It doesn't have to end like this
God believes in you

Everything matters if anything matters at all
Everything matters
No matter how big
No matter how small

When you're so ashamed that you could die
God believes in you
And you can't do right even though you try
God believes in you
Blessed are the ones who grieve
The ones who mourn, the ones who bleed
In sorrow you sow
But in joy, you'll reap
God believes in you

Oh, God believes in you


--Pierce Pettis

"The Japanese Joseph
What the North Korean regime meant for evil, God used for good."
an article by Philip Yancey
Joseph in North Korea

A Stumbling Block

An article by Randy Alcorn that I've recently rediscovered per a conversation about meat sacrificed to idols (long story--ask if you're curious)

The article is top notch though, and I thought I'd share it. It is a frustration that some people like to claim that other Christians are being a stumbling block to them--because they are offended at an innocent choice they have made. I remember a conversation I had at a large church in Downtown Minneapolis where the Youth Minister was telling the group that if they wore jeans with holes in them to church they could be a stumbling block to the elder members of the congregation--because these people might be offended at their lack of dressing up for the Lord's day. Hence, if you make that choice, you're in sin.

Ahem...

The stumbling block of 1 Corinthians 8 (and Romans 14) is an action, taken by a biblically informed believer, that does not in itself violate any scriptural precept or principle, but which a less knowledgeable or less mature believer might imitate, in a way that violates his conscience.

get the article here

The Pineapple Story--Online!

Last night while cleaning the kitchen and the livingroom (yes I do clean now and then), I pulled out my Otto Koning tapes and listened to #11.

Otto was a missionary in Paupa New Guinea and has some of the best stories! Today I discovered that you can hear him online! The Pineapple Missionary I recommend downloading the sermon, as you should listen to it many times :-)

If you really like him, you can purchase the entire 12 tape or cd set here

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's much too dark to read." ~Groucho Marx

Current reading material

me: Moby Dick

J: GMAT Study Guides

I can't comment on the GMAT material (except that it looks VERY difficult!), but Herman Melville is genious. Great Book.

I heard on the radio the other day, that people no longer write anything substancial in corrispondance--in fact hardly communicate substantial events at all. They cited the all too common situation of inadvertantly evesdropping on someone who talks too loud on their cell phone.

"So, I'll see you at 6:15 then? Yeah, not 6:30, I'll be there earlier... yes, 6:15..."

So, alright, maybe that's an unfair example, but I got to thinking, you know--they're probably right. In our wireless generation, with some gizmo strapped to our heads at all times--be it a blue-tooth headset or ipod--there's no time to think anymore, let alone pen (or type) things of substance.

So what are you writing these days?

This month's post...

lots of news this time around.

With August well under way, Jonathan and I find ourselves with big changes, both at work and at home. First off, Jonathan's manager at work has applied for and received a new position, leaving a little uncertainty who is going to be taking his place. While J may be offered the position, there are many candidates, and so the next few weeks could be very interesting with the changes that will be taking place. This follows up a great physical inventory at their yard, which was very exciting that things turned out so well.

Right now it seems that things will be very busy as Jonathan gets ready to take the GMAT in 5 weeks and apply for grad school.

For me, I have resigned my book keeping position as it really was not a good fit for me. (I was always the kid who hated math... how did I end up in accounting? *grin*) Jonathan and I had been praying for a new job that would be in line with my interests and abilities, and I had been making a very concious effort not to be worried in the interim, but to trust that this was the direction that God was leading us and wait to see what he had in store next.
In the meantime, I had come in contact with a wonderful local photographer (check out JohnMagnoski.com) who was generous and gracious enough to let me come shoot a wedding with him at the Nicolett Island Pavillion. It was a beautiful event, and I learned alot by shadowing and watching, as well as getting the chance to put my own camera to the test in it's first wedding experience. A few days later, I received a call from John, wondering if I had a current job as he knew of a studio that was hiring.... So here I am, without actively looking for this job, I now am employed by a photography studio. Cool! Thanks God!

A few weeks ago, I also had the opportunity to do some band photo's for "Love in October" A local emerging pop-rock band. You can see samples of that and other current work at my new current work blog http://daypix.blogspot.com/ (the goal is to update it after each project with some favorites of the shoot).
This past weekend we traveled to Moline, IL where J's friend Rachel was getting married. We were asked to shoot their wedding pictures (samples to come up on the current work site) and had a blast.
Then, to top it off, yesterday we had two word-of-mouth (my preferred method of advertising) inquiries, one for a family portrait session, and another for a wedding... so in the past few weeks the photography biz has really taken off. Very exciting.

We had to leave the dog home when we went to Moline, so our friend Joel was a sweetheart and took care of him while we were gone. Random note; Dietrich is terrified of the kitchen floor (zero traction). Hopefully when we head up to Jacob's wedding at the end of September, we'll be able to take the dog along.

Well, I think that's enough for now. More to come.... :-)

adios amigo's

The Sunrise over Little Bass Lake

Jonathan and I had a wonderful time at Uncle Steve's cabin. It was so beautiful!!

Here are some more pictures from the weekend.


fishing!




Dietrich hanging out on the dock