Take the time

We live in a very busy world.

 

We have instant everything.

 

We get impatient when we have to wait.

 

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 46:10.

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

 

Be still.

 

When was the last time that you were still?

 

The children that we sponsor through Compassion want us to be still.

 

They want us to take the time to pray for them.

 

They want us to take the time to write to them.

 

 

 

They want us to take the time to send them encouraging words.

 

They want us to take the time to share our prayer requests with them.

 

They want us to take the time to share about our daily lives with them.

 

They want us to tell them about the hope they can have in Jesus.

 

The letters we write to our Compassion kids can be the 'hope in the darkness'.

 

Please take the time to read about Marco.

 

 

Will you take the time to write to your Compassion sponsored child today?

 

 

 

 

Peru - follow along!

The Compassion Bloggers Team is in Peru!

 

Kelsey and I just looked at the pictures that have been uploaded today on Flickr.

 

Here are a couple that we really liked:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, to go on one of these trips and have the experiences that all of these bloggers are having. I am so thankful that I can follow along from my home until I have the chance, if the Lord wills, to visit one of my sponsored kids. Just today, I received a letter from Lina. She told me it would be wonderful to meet me in person and to give me a big hug.

 

Are you following the bloggers in Peru?

Window Light - Take 2 Edits

A couple of weeks ago, I took some pictures of my kids using window lighting as part of my photography class assignment. I was pretty happy with the results, but now that I have been playing around with Lightroom, I am really able to see what just a little bit of editing can do to make these pictures 'wall worthy'. And since our current class assignment is to play with our current photo editing software, this has given me a chance to learn more about this new program!

Here is the before picture of Matthew, straight out of the camera...

...and here is the after picture.

 

 

 Here is teh before picture of Kelsey, straight out of the camera...

 



...and here is the after picture.

 

Can you see a difference?

Update: 1/9/13 - I am entering the picture of Matthew in the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge!

A quick Lightroom edit

Last weekend, while we were walking out to Mirror Lake, there were so many fallen leaves all along the path. I thought it would be fun to try something, like take a picture of the kids throwing leaves up into the air...

 ISO 800, 32mm, f/4.8, 1/1250

 

We had a lot of filtered light along the path, but it was still pretty dark, even with the ISO up. I wanted the fast shutter speed to try to capture the leaves in the air after the kids had thrown them. With a little work in Lightroom, here is the after picture...

In the 'Develop' mode in Lightroom, I adjusted some of the basic settings (exposure, contrast, highlights, etc.) and was able to brighten up the photo, which is something I wasn't able to do straight out of the camera.

As much as I was dragging my feet on this photo editing stuff, I might just be a new convert!

Making time to be a blessing

Today was yet one more day that we put away the books and did some 'home ec'. This time, Kelsey and I gathered up some art projects, some reading books, and some cookie dough and headed over to the house of a young couple from our church. Right now this couple is taking care of two of their neices while their mom and dad are out of the country taking care of arrangements to adopt and bring home their new little brother. Due to some circumstances beyond everyone's control, the girls will be staying a little bit longer than anyone anticipated with aunt and uncle, who already have three young children of their own.

It is times like these that I am so thankful we have been homeschooling and I am working toward the other end of our homeschooling journey. Book work has its place, but when we can take time from that book work and bless a young family, it just warms my heart. The girls were all so excited when we arrived!

There are many things our kids can do to be a blessing in our communities: rake a neighbor's yard, help to prepare a meal for a new mom and her family, be a mommy's helper, help in the nursery at church, make cards for soldier's serving overseas, etc.

What types of service projects do you and your family do in your area?

Yosemite!

I was having Yosemite withdrawals and was trying to find a few friends to come along with me for a day trip to the park. I had no takers! So Kev suggested changing the day that I was planning on going and said we could go as a family...yay!!

So Saturday, we packed up our lunches and started the 2 1/2 hour drive to Yosemite Valley. On our last trip to the park, we spent time in the Mariposa Groves and Glacier Point. This time, I wanted to hike out to Mirror Lake and just spend some time walking around in the valley.

Bridalveil Falls is usually the first stop we make in the park when we spend time in the valley. Not a lot of water coming down this time of the year, so Matthew and I climbed up some of the rocks to get a different perspective for our pictures.

We had never stopped and walked through the church before. The original church building had been there since the 1870's. Services are still held here, might need to make a Sunday day trip for one visit.

 The first of many deer we saw.

 

 Half Dome from Sentinal Bridge with some fall color.

 

As I was looking around, I kept thinking that something was missing...and it was! There was no water coming down Yosemite Falls! Can you see where the water usually comes down?

On our walk out to Mirro lake, there were many, many leaves on the ground. I thought it would be fun to shoot a picture at a high shutter speed, have my kids throw leaves in the air, and try to catch the leaves in the air in the photo. Might need to see what I can do to brighten this one up a bit...

 My favorite of the day

 

I brought along my tri-pod with the hope that I could get a good family picture while we were there. Guess I need to inform my family that this is an expectation I have. Not everyone was prepared and I wasn't really happy with any of the pictures of the four of us. Guess we will have to go back... :o)

Mirror Lake...with no water. Last time the kids and I walked out here, there was plenty of water and I was able to get some amazing pictures with the mountain reflections in the water. I love that we can see the changes in the different seasons.

 So many beautiful fall colors!

 

 This was a group of 7 deer wandering around near one of the campgrounds.

My family had never seen the Ahwahnee Hotel. We will probably never stay there (so expensive), but it is nice to walk around this beautiful hotel.

 The dining room is amazing!

 

 But at these prices, like I said, we will probably never stay there or even eat there!

 

One last stop before heading out of the valley.

 

Until next time Yosemite! Our National Park Pass is good until May of next year, so I am sure at least I will be making another trip...soon... :o)

Peru!

 

 

The Compassion Bloggers are getting ready to head out to Peru next week!

 

Shaun Groves has all sorts of things prepared to make it easy for all of us to follow along on this trip.

 

Will you join in praying for this team?