Before anything else I’m reminding myself right now to get all of my files from OneDrive saved locally because I don’t think I’m extending my 365 subscription this year.
Sure, I’m sharing that to the public. Sharing that as well as sharing that my Adobe Photography Plan has apparently ended ever since they dropped Digital River as a payment medium. I’ve been using Photopea for Photoshop functions ever since. Tried doing CaptureOne but I still prefer using Lightroom. Not sure there are any alternatives to that.
While we’re at that topic I’d also like to mention that I’m still debating with myself regarding if I should invest in that spiffy XF 70-300mm, or the Tamron 18-300mm. Buying the latter will make me feel like I used to with my D80 + 18-200mm rig. The former is also compatible with a teleconverter, so we can take even closer shots of the sun.
With that mentioned, two things come to mind – everyone’s taking the same pictures that I’ve been sharing, more now than ever… and we have AI as a challenge to our individuality and creativity as well. One thing is for sure – when I do get back into taking visuals seriously (and reviving Omniscapes), things are going to be different.
Different, in the sense that I’m needing to be deeper and more specific with who I am, what I want, and above all, what I find appealing. Keeping that in mind, it’s not like I’m not going to shoot sunsets and sunrises anymore – I suppose I’m going to be more intentional and more deliberate with it, yet still from a Christ-centered position of rest. If any of THAT makes any sense.
We’re going back to what I’ve been sharing as a tag to Omniscapes:
Perspectives from eternity – or, natural perspectives from a Christ-established everlasting covenant/relationship.
Writing without words (and, what, preaching with pictures? Ooh.)
Something else came to mind right now – do I even have to wait until I get a telephoto lens to, again, write without words, and preach with pictures (ooh)?
Probably not. I’m on my second off-day for this week, we’ve just started. Will be a little more intentional as I go about the rest of my day.
So, appreciating the past (by way of backing up memories locally instead of online and vulnerable), and being more intentional about the future. Nice.
Thank You, Lord.
5000 steps done before lunch. This used to be such a small thing before, but now with work, it’s an accomplishment.
Can I shoot for a post before 12pm, when I usually clock in for work, on a work day? Well, let’s jump in.
Praise and glory to the King of Kings and to the Lord of Lords. He is worthy of all praise, for by His obedience we have been taken away from sin and death and into His kingdom of everlasting light.
Indeed, in Christ is Life, and this Life is the Light of all men.
Christ is my Life and Light, and oh, do we need His light, more now than ever.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen.
Psalm 135
Your Name, O LORD, Endures Forever
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2 who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14 For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.
Notice how the Psalmist indicates something: He points out the goodness of the Lord, and His pleasant name; He points out the need, the natural flow of praising the Lord…
Both before, and after the Old Covenant has been established. Yep, I had to double check and make sure of it. Thank you, Olive Tree, and thank you, Google AI.
Just goes to show that even in the presence of the Law, the Israelites had all cause to sing praises to the Lord, and to remember His faithfulness.
Even in conflict, and even in flight and escape, they give praise and thanks to the name of the LORD.
What does this mean for us? Well, same as always, only now we have the Helper and the Holy Spirit to cause us to flow even more naturally, and actually, with more intention.
We praise the Lord, we rejoice in Him naturally. I suppose this is something for everyone in the body of Christ, both Jew and Gentile.
And, well, it could have been nice to get all of this done before 12, but I don’t see that happening now. No need to rush, we will continue to flow.
Praise and worship is that ingrained in us – I suppose it’s been part of us in our old flesh, as it is with us now as new creations in Christ.
The only difference is the Spirit, or the absence thereof – for without the Spirit, our default, and really our only option, was to praise everything else in Creation, most likely, ourselves.
But now that we have the Spirit that convicts us (as the world is convicted) of sin, righteousness and death, now that we have the Spirit that causes us to cry out to our Creator as our Abba and as our Father, we have been changed to the core – in fact, broken down and rebuilt – to worship the Lord, above all.
Is this brainwashing? Is this mental conditioning? No – it’s the Spirit of the Lord alive in us, reminding us that we’ve been saved and re-created for greater things.
Our eyes now fixed on all that is eternal, and our minds on all that is pleasant, trustworthy, praiseworthy; on all that is excellent, all that is of good report.
Going beyond existing, we choose life in all our decisions, from an eternal life given to us, from a position of absolute right-standing with God as our Father.
It’s not brainwashing. It’s not mental conditioning – and, really, it’s not mere conditioning in our minds, but the celebration of Truth; All of our being has been absolutely proclaimed righteous. The past is gone, behold, the new has come.
And from the new, we sing – Blessed be the name of the LORD!
19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!
Father, I speak Your blessings and Your goodness and favor upon everyone who happens to read this.
Pour out Your love upon all of us and have us continue revelling in Your everlasting glory and grace.
You are Promise Keeper, and Light in the Darkness, indeed. Thank You, Lord. Blessings and honor to Your name. Amen.
God bless you.
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