• journal,  writing/reading

    Use Words Wisely

    Words. So powerful. They can crush a heart, or heal it. They can shame a soul, or liberate it. They can shatter dreams, or energize them. They can obstruct connection, or invite it. They can create defenses, or melt them. We have to use words wisely.

    Jeff Brown

    After years of journaling I’ve come to understand the shortcomings of words to express much of what we think and experience of life. There are thousands of books written in prose and poetry in our attempt to express thoughts, ideas, concepts, feelings, or define a single word. For thousands of years man has attempted to put into words what and who God is. Some feel they have found the answer. I don’t have that same feeling. It’s a mystery!

    Since my teenage years, and maybe earlier than that, I have asked those deep questions: how was I created and why? How did it all start and why and by whom? Who is God? Is there a God? If there is a God why would God create then punish what is created? All questions I believe we cannot define or comprehend. Nor can words define the fragrance of a rose. Words fall short.

    My journaling is a collection of letters and prayers addressing questions to my deeper self, that essence of who I really am. For me the name, definition or comprehension of the word god is not as important as experiencing the reality of something Divine through nature, my journals, my meditation, all experiences in life.

    Meister Eckhart says, “God is above all a reality to be experienced from within.” I’m well aware of the inadequacy of my words to express my experiences or fully articulate the questions. What is important is asking of questions. So, through this blog and my journaling I’m learning to use words wisely.

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  haiku,  journal,  writing/reading

    Daily Practice

    Starting my day with morning sunlight, a mocha and blank pages

    words from a deep reservoir
    fill pages in a blank journal
    a daily practice

    ms

    I have been making it a practice to open my journal after my prayer and meditation time to write from that deep reservoir. I find my days seem to move along smoother when I practice this prior to reading email or any type of social media. The journaling in this quiet time seems to nurture a rich spirituality, a solid foundation for the day, and set my attitude in a good direction for the day.

  • clouds,  landscape,  spirituality,  sunsets,  trees,  writing/reading

    An evolving practice…

    Cold Winter Sunset

    There was a time when my nightly routine would be to watch the news and then head off to bed. But, I became aware that I was filling my mind with plenty of junk prior to my time in dreamland, which was mentally unhealthy and I’m not talking about the commercials. That routine was abandoned over 25 years ago, so was the television. I now have an evolving practice that includes a quiet time where I sit in silence and then a time to reflect over the days events. I look at how I lived my day. What were the positive things I did and what were the negative things? It is through this evolving practice where I look for ways to improve in how I live this short and precious life.

  • Candid Portraits,  People/Portraits

    Practicing

    Practicing

    “I am always mentally photographing everything as practice.” – Minor White

    This image was taken at one of my favorite coffee hangouts. The young mans name is Dillon and works at the coffee shop as a barista. He is taking a break from steaming milk and pouring shots to practice for a few minutes. Now that is what we call dedication to his craft.

    And, sitting across from me is a young photographer named is Gayle who is working through the images from a photo shoot. She is a wife, a mother and a professional wedding, newborn, and children’s photographer. If we look around us we will see those who put in the time to hone their skills through dedication and practice. They’re everywhere.

  • Candid Portraits,  Photography

    Watching it snow

    Watching it snow

    It started to snow on Sunday evening around six. The wind was blowing it across the roads as I drove home. It was beginning to build up on the grass along the edges of the sidewalk. I could tell it was going to be one of those nights to sip on tea and read in my favorite chair. This morning I found 2 inches or so on my car with a layer of ice beneath the snow. With the wind blowing it is not a day for going outside unless necessary, definitely no picnic, so I’ll spend the day with laundry, reading the biography of John Muir, writing and shooting indoors. Practice is necessary for our craft whether that is outdoors or indoors or just plain doors. Hope you’re staying warm.

  • Cityscapes/Urban,  Photography

    Your Pants Will Dry

    Wet Seat

    It’s always best to check the seat before you sit down after it has rained. I say that not because I’ve heard that before but with the voice of experience and admittedly more than once. We only attain the voice experience from our trials and errors. This is so true with our photography. It reminds me of Ray Ketchams’s post where a spark of an idea and a little bit of action allowed him to light up the forest in an unusual way. He makes a couple of powerful statements in his post: “Fail, fail and fail, no one ever learned anything by only knowing success”  and “When it comes to an idea or a photograph don’t ask someone else what it will look like, go out and try it.” So go ahead and try, your pants will dry.