Popinjay--FREE

The challenge word issued last week that is "due" today is: FREE.


Again with the struggle.

Free.

As in free without paying? No cost. Without sacrifice.

Or maybe free as in no boundaries? No rules. No one and nothing holding me back. Able to do as I please.

The creek. Free flowing. But bound by its banks.

A bird. Free as a bird. Flying high, soaring. Bound by gravity.

Me. Free in Christ. My soul full of His love. Bound by spiritual laws until death sets me free.

God.

God is free. No time to reign Him in. Eternity stretched out for eternity. Everything in His hand.

And so how does one photograph God?


Please--pretty please click on the photo to enlarge it.

Phil suggested I get the camera before the icicles fell off the roof. I did. My intent was to capture their odd angles and formations. And so it was. No other objective in sight as I'd already taken a photo earlier of a rainbow on my office wall formed by the glorious sun reflecting off a CD. I was going to write about Noah and the flood and the promise of the rainbow. And stuff.

But I looked at the icicle photos as they came off the camera and I stopped on the one above and I lost my breath for a second. Those sparklies. So so so beautiful.

Did I really take a photo like that?

It's not the most amazing picture ever taken. Certainly, I'm not claiming to have photographed God.

I let go. That's what happened. I let go of words and definitions and expectations and rules and boundaries. I let go of thoughts of what FREE really means to me and let go of wanting to impress you with my interpretation of words.




Letting go.

Free.


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Next week's word is: CLUELESS

You have from now until next Monday to take your photo, post it and you'll be able to link it next Monday. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Also, since the word hope was so challenging for me, I thought I'd give you a head's up on a month's worth of words so that I you can have some more time to get just the right shot.


Week #7--Clueless
Week #8--Angry
Week #9--Perfect
Week#10--Frazzled

pop⋅in⋅jay--noun--a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter.

In other words, blogging. ;)

Isn't that what this personal blogging is all about? Me. Me. Me. For this photo challenge, that's perfect. We're going to dig inside of ourselves and do some "concept photography."

I'm going to give you a word and you're going to take a photo of something that describes the concept of the word.

• You CANNOT take pictures of your kids or your pets for this challenge. Or anyone else's kids or pets. I know they're precious, but they make your creative bone lazy. Let's get outside of the box. Let's be challenged.

Please leave the link to your post (not the link to your website or blog.) For example:

Right: http://michellependergrass.com/week1_photo

Wrong: http://michellependergrass.com



So--Let's see your photos for FREE
Link up and don't forget to visit the other participants!

Wordless Wednesday--Stone Tree

Head to Relief Journal to write a haiku inspired by this photo!
There are prizes!!

Popinjay--DORKY

The challenge word issued last week that is "due" today is: DORKY.





This picture looks fake. I promise you, it is not!

I took this photo the same morning I took this one. So I guess I cheated a little because this photo wasn't taken this week. But--I am giving a week worth's of words so maybe it's not cheating!

When I took it, I didn't know what (or if!) I'd ever use it. I was honestly just playing with the camera settings!



So. What you're looking at is what I look at from my desk in my office. That's my gorgeous view. The Army Guys? Yeah. LOVE them. Aladdin and Toy Story are my favorite Disney movies and I had to buy the set. There's an old school picture of Phil back there behind the truck. And, why yes...that is an eyeball rock in the driver's seat. Next to that is a stone that usually stands up, it has a frog etched in it, but the window was open that morning so I could practice taking pictures. Next to the frog rock are two stones one of my friends gave me (because I collect rocks. I'm a big kid. LOL)

I'm sad that you don't get to see my antique pencil sharpener. It's up there on the window sill as well.

So there you have it. Me. The definition of dorky!



* * *

Next week's word is: GUILTY

You have from now until next Monday to take your photo, post it and you'll be able to link it next Monday. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

* * *

Also, since the word hope was so challenging for me, I thought I'd give you a head's up on a month's worth of words so that I you can have some more time to get just the right shot.

Week #4--Guilty
Week #5--Bold
Week #6--Free
Week#7--Clueless

pop⋅in⋅jay--noun--a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter.

In other words, blogging. ;)

Isn't that what this personal blogging is all about? Me. Me. Me. For this photo challenge, that's perfect. We're going to dig inside of ourselves and do some "concept photography."

I'm going to give you a word and you're going to take a photo of something that describes the concept of the word.

• You CANNOT take pictures of your kids or your pets for this challenge. Or anyone else's kids or pets. I know they're precious, but they make your creative bone lazy. Let's get outside of the box. Let's be challenged.

Please leave the link to your post (not the link to your website or blog.) For example:

Right: http://michellependergrass.com/week1_photo

Wrong: http://michellependergrass.com



So--Let's see your photos for DORKY
Link up and don't forget to visit the other participants!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday--Quit Buggin' Me!

Did you hear about the new photo challenge being hosted here?

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Tackle It Tuesday--Photo Shoot

Madyson Annmarie Bishop

This week, I tackled a photo shoot of my new niece.

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You can see all of my Tackles here.

* * *

i ♥ faces--Pets Only

Freedom!!


*please click on photo to enlarge!

i ♥ faces Pets Only

Wordless Wednesday--Christmas Ornament

You Capture--Real Life

The You Capture theme for this week was Real Life.

I gotta be honest. Real life right now is a mess of blessings packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, poured into my lap.

If I had to tell of one complete good year in my life, one full year of contentment, one full year of no pain or no suffering, I'm afraid I couldn't.

Until now.

Something is different about 2009 for me, for us. I might not have dared whisper this idea, this hope, at the beginning.

It even feels different in my heart. My soul feels content.


I go to sleep every night wrapped in the arms of the most amazing man alive--and I get to wake up there, too. No more worrying about middle of the night fuel tanker explosions. Thank you God.
And my toes warmed with unconditional love.

We dared to dream the impossible dream. We fought to find a way we could all three be home with each other 24/7, because that's when we're complete-when we're together. But in the back of my mind, I didn't really believe it would ever happen. God had other plans, though. So we're here, at Inspiration Wood. We're home.


Homeschooling.

A fire on a frosty morning in an amazing house.

A beautiful view.

A storehouse of hard work flowing from summer's bounty.

A restored relationship with Phil's daughter. No more tears of pain and sadness. Only joy. Complete and total joy. And our first grandson.

There was a hint of it early on, but like most times, I didn't believe it was possible to be blessed.

You Capture: Real Life

You Capture--Photographer's Choice

You know how I love randomness, so here are my You Capture's for this week's Photographer's Choice.

Patches

Glowing Sunset in our back yard

You Capture: Photographer's Choice