Tag Archives: photography

Christmas Woosh!

Posted on by under For Family & Fun, Photography

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Dear Readers,

I am sorry I have been so long away from the writing desk. The Christmas Holidays have turned into a Christmas Woosh.

It has been such an enjoyable. powerful, difficult week of ministry. The experiences  have left me  little time for putting fingers to keyboard. I just checked my dashboard and I have logged a little more than a thousand miles of driving since last Sunday!

On Sunday I led worship as Pastor Risto gave his last sermon before leaving for Canada for his Christmas holiday. You can find that sermon here

http://cornerstoneag.net/2013/12/22/the-invitation-to-and-from-the-manger/

 

After service and  Cornerstone’s  cookie fellowship my sister and I drove through a light snow to pick up my daughter Melanie and her fiance James at their pastor’s home in Cambridge.

James Franklin and Melanie Lillie

James Franklin and Melanie Lillie

We dropped the kids off at Melanie’s mother’s home for their family Christmas which was scheduled for the 23rd. That gave me the time I needed to finish up my shopping and wrapping ( yep I had last-minute stuff to buy).

On the 23rd Brenda and I drove to Lynnfield MA to visit with Brenda’s boss who is in the U.S.  for her year of itinieration.

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Judy  gave us a tour of her home, Beth Shan, and took us to lunch at Kouzinas Kitchen in Saugus.

On the 24th I was privileged to preach the Christmas Eve service and then we all (that is Me, Mom, Brenda, Amanda, Melanie and James) nestled in for a long winter’s nap after nachos , Christmas Stolenn and eggnog of course.

Christmas was as Christmas always is a day of celebrating and eating. I made pumpkin pancakes and cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lasagna for lunch and leftovers followed up with pumpkin pie and berry pie for supper.

Yesterday I drove James and Melanie to James’ home in Oakdale CT  so they could be with his family for a few days.

Today I have just come from officiating the funeral of a distant cousin. This last event sort of puts all the running of the season in perspective. The holiday is wonderful in and of itself but all the traditional celebration means nothing if we lose the reason for the season. When all the veneer of frivolity is stripped away and we are left facing life as it really is, full not just of life but of death, what truth do we have to speak into that dark night of the soul?

The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
    a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
    and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest
    and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
    and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
    just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior
    and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
    They will be fuel for the fire.

6 For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen! Isaiah 9:1-7

 

 

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Alone

Posted on by under Photography

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Cee has given us a great photo challenge this week with the word alone!

http://ceenphotography.com/2013/12/10/cees-fun-foto-challenge-alone/

My blogging time over the last two months  has been extremely limited and I have had to curtail my writing to about 10 minutes daily (it’s good  I had a bunch of material written ahead).  That said this topic was so good I just couldn’t pass it up; So I have managed to carve out a few spare minutes to create a new picture post from the topic.

"Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been, Lives in a dream Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door Who is it for? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Father Mckenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear No one comes near. Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there What does he care? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name Nobody came Father Mckenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave No one was saved All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people) Where do they all come from? All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people) Where do they all belong?" John Lennon, Paul MCCartney

“Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been,
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?…
 John Lennon, Paul MCCartney

Father Mckenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear No one comes near. Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there What does he care? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people John Lennon, Paul MCCartney

Father Mckenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people…
John Lennon, Paul MCCartney

The idea of  being alone communicates sadness and even fear to many people. Yet in a certain sense we are never alone. Jesus said, ” I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Ma 28:20 KJV

So if we choose to acknowledge Christ’s presence being alone transforms itself from a lack to an advantage…the power of one, if you will.

“I learned that in each of us there burns a flame of independence that must never be allowed to go out. That as long as it exists within us we cannot be destroyed.” ― Bryce Courtenay, The Power of One

“I learned that in each of us there burns a flame of independence that must never be allowed to go out. That as long as it exists within us we cannot be destroyed.”
― Bryce Courtenay, The Power of One

That stubborn streak many of us call independence (which I really think is best displayed as a cooperative dependence on God) is what makes aloneness a power rather than a weakness.
Don’t get me wrong. You won’t find a bigger advocate for the necessity of community but when it comes right down to it there are certain places you can only go alone.
Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying. Martin Luther

Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.
Martin Luther

Ultimately it is in these alone places, where we discover ourselves separated from all other human comapnionship, that we find out just how much we have come to rely on the One solitary life that was given so we might never truly walk alone.

One Solitary Life He was born in an obscure village The child of a peasant woman He grew up in another obscure village Where he worked in a carpenter shop Until he was thirty He never wrote a book He never held an office He never went to college He never visited a big city He never travelled more than two hundred miles From the place where he was born He did none of the things Usually associated with greatness He had no credentials but himself He was only thirty three His friends ran away One of them denied him He was turned over to his enemies And went through the mockery of a trial He was nailed to a cross between two thieves While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing The only property he had on earth When he was dead He was laid in a borrowed grave Through the pity of a friend Nineteen centuries have come and gone And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race And the leader of mankind's progress All the armies that have ever marched All the navies that have ever sailed All the parliaments that have ever sat All the kings that ever reigned put together Have not affected the life of mankind on earth As powerfully as that one solitary life Dr James Allan © 1926.

One Solitary Life
He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty
He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself
He was only thirty three
His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth
When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend
Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind’s progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life
Dr James Allan © 1926.

Weekly Travel Theme: Symbol

Posted on by under Photography

I am glad to have some time to work on  a photographic post this week, FINALLY!

The travel theme we have been asked to photograph is: Symbol.

When you are done with my symbols  go on over to Ailsa’s place and find out what her other subscribers are putting forth.

http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/12/06/travel-theme-symbol/

Here are some symbols I found:

Peacock Design at Delft Factory

Peacock Design at Delft Factory

The peacock is a symbol of immortality because the ancients believed that the peacock had flesh that did not decay after death. As such, early Christian paintings and mosaics use peacock imagery, and peacock feathers can be used during the Easter season as church decorations. This symbol of immortality is also directly linked to Christ.-The meaningsof symbols.blogspot.com

Windmills at Zaanseschans

Windmills at Zaanseschans

When I think windmills I think Holland (or  Don Quixote but let’s stay away from the crazy shall we). Windmills are a symbol of industry and ingenuity overcoming obstacles. A truly worthy symbol if ever there was one!

The Cross Cut Out at St. Bavo's

The Cross Cut Out at St. Bavo’s

No post on symbols by me would be complete without the symbol of the cross. Immortality is awesome! Ingenuity and Industry are great! But none of these are truly possible without the cross! Paul said… “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Col. 2:13-15

Without the cross immortality is impossible. Without the cross ingenuity falls short of eternal accomplishment. And without the cross industry is just so much wasted energy. For the cross is what reconciles us to God and fills the need of true purpose that dwells within the heart of every man.

Weekly Travel Theme: Short

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff
Alkmaar, The Netherlands

Alkmaar, The Netherlands

 

Well my sister may not enjoy being lumped in with all things short, but she is the one who chose to stand next to a leprechaun! This week’s travel theme from Ailsa  is “SHORT”. Now while I have not posted on the site for many weeks, I thought this theme would probably be of a size that I could tackle ! If you would like to take a little peek at Ailsa’s other contributors you can find them at  http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/11/15/travel-theme-short/.

Short:

Mushrooms in MA

Mushrooms in MA

 

 

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.

Walter Elliot

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

Michelangelo

Rising up!

Rising up!

Cee’s Which Way Challenge: No 13

Posted on by under Photography

 

 

Y’know I haven’t done a photography post in a while. I am beginning to miss the art form. I thought I would give Cee’s Which Way Challenge a try. To see other ways people have expressed themselves for this challenge please go to   http://ceenphotography.com/2013/11/13/cees-which-way-challenge-no-13/

Here are my thoughts on the subject:

The Way of the Lorax

The Way of the Lorax

The Lorax said nothing. Just gave me a glance…
just gave me a very sad, sad backward glance…
as he lifted himself by the seat of his pants.
And I’ll never forget the grim look on his face
when he heisted himself and took leave of this place,
through a hole in the smog, without leaving a trace.
And all that the Lorax left here in this mess
was a smal pile of rocks, with one word…
UNLESS.”
Whatever that meant, well, I couldn’t guess. 
That was long, long ago.
But each day since that day
I’ve sat here and worried
and worried away.
Through the years, while my buildings 
have fallen apart,
I’ve worried about it
with all of my heart. 
“But now,” says the Once-ler,
“Now that you’re here,
the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It’s not. 
“SO…
Catch!” calls the Once-ler.
He lets something fall.
“Its a Truffula Seed.
It’s the last one of all!
You’re in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back.” 

The Lorax- Dr. Seuss

If you  never have read this you  should give it a try. If you never do do it you will never know why! 🙂

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The Way to the Sea

The Way to the Sea

“Voyage upon life’s sea, To yourself be true, And, whatever your lot may be, Paddle your own canoe” Sarah Bolton
 

Apparently I am following in the way Seuss-ish poetry today. I hope you enjoyed the photos!

C.cada Art Show Oct. 2013

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff

As many of you have asked for a peek at what happened during our art show last weekend I thought I would bring you a post displaying some of the music and moments of the show:

Clayton Phelps is a brother in the Lord who helps me out with a monthly communion service I do for the disabled community. He opened our show musically on Friday night.

The Lingala Landscape

The Lingala Landscape

This acrylic painting created in a two hour session by Pastor Don Evans from Trumbull CT was part of an auction geared to raise $45,000.00 for the translation of the Lingala Fire Bible. It was auctioned to me as part of the display for our Arts In Action segment. And yes the $45,000.00 was raised (though my bid was one very small part of it).

The following pieces were part of our main gallery. Many of the 150 pieces which hung in our main gallery can be seen at http://www.artistdayapart.com

 

Here are some candids of people caught during the show

Charlotte Dorais, painter and worshipper

Charlotte Dorais, painter and worshipper

Our Cafe

Our Cafe

Chris Muzzey was a guest soloist on Saturday afternoon.

Doug Stevens led a wood carving demonstration for us on Saturday

Doug Stevens led a wood carving demonstration for us on Saturday

 

C.cada Weekend 10-18-13

Posted on by under C.cada: Arts and Stuff

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Dear Readers,

I am writing you from the quiet of the church sanctuary where I am sipping the first of what I expect will be many cups of Hawaiian coffee. The weekend of our annual C.cada art show has finally arrived. This is the first year we have done a full weekend of display. The show has also doubled in size since last year. Hanging and setting up displays for over 150 works of art is a larger undertaking than I expected. I am so glad I opted to start setting up after service on Wednesday night!

The work you see above is a multimedia wax and wood piece entitled “The C.cada Cross”. The cross is the collaborative effort of 13 artists from C.cada and has been donated by our group to the Christian Healing Center of New England. It will hang in the center’s  guest hall for their open house scheduled  next week. We presented “The C.cada Cross” to the Christian Healing Center’s board of directors last night in a public prayer segment of the show.

If you are in the area today, stop by. The show is on until 6 P.M. and if you miss that come to church for a visit tomorrow! The artwork will still be on display through our morning and evening services.

Cornerstone Church

Rt. 140

Winchendon MA

For a schedule of events go to     http://www.artistdayapart.com

Weekly Travel Theme Through

Posted on by under Photography

This week’s travel theme given to us by Ailsa at “Where’s My Backpack” is the word THROUGH.  She has put together a really creative montage of photographs for us this week. Pop over and view her work as well as the work of her contributors at http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/09/20/travel-theme-through/

I gathered these thoughts and photos on the word “Through” during my travels this summer to the transcendentalist commune at Fruitlands and also during my time leading worship In Connecticut at the New England Special Touch getaway.

Through

by JE Lillie

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Ann Landers

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.
Ann Landers

We glimpse our best selves through the eyes of others.

Our vision seeming masks

Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. Elvis Presley

Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.
Elvis Presley

Soul light asking purchase through the  shade as

Sun in the deeping wood.

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Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
Helen Keller

We blinded stood through shadows. Friends enemies

All grasp our Ever task.

A Word A Week: Arch

Posted on by under Photography

This week’s word  from http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/ is ARCH! Take a moment and pop on over to see her other contributors.

Here are some awesome arches from my archive!

100_1750This is the Oude Kerk in Delft, The Netherlands. My sister and I made a trip to this city of the Royal House of Orange in April of 2013.

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This is the entrance to Old Murdock High School in Winchendon MA. My father and mother matriculated her.

100_0339The arch of the Christmas chapel in St. Bavo’s in Haarlem, The Netherlands.