Yeshuarr!

My little girl lost her front tooth, finally, last night. We're all excited, because it's been a daily topic at every meal you know, with what she can and can't be biting into...for the last month at least.

So this morning, Kari and I are sitting together trying to have some 'us' time, cup of joe, read a little from the bible, hash out life for a few minutes...then tummy's start to rumble. In comes Abby, short-n-to-the-point, because there's only 2 minutes and 2 seconds of commercials before the cartoons are back on (it's Saturday).
She's really wanting pancakes, but just not any old flapjack. She wants the kind that mommy tries to make with fun animal shapes and the cookie cutter thingamajigs.

Kari has a tough time with these. The animals, well, sometimes they don't resemble animals, more like the kind you see on the side of the highway, and believe it or not, it's actually a very stressful thing for moms to not be able to make these. My mom tried it months ago (after she bought them for Kari), and by the end of the fiasco, there were clumps of pancake everywhere and she was crying... they should call them joy dashers, I think. I'm a man, so I just can't understand the why, I just know the facts, these animal-shaped flapjacks are important and crucial to the stability of the family circle. :)

Back to the story. Kari gets this troubled look on her face, instant-anguish, morning 'us' time has suddenly evaporated as if it never existed in the first place...all bliss is now on the back burner...and she says, "I don't know honey, those animal pancakes really stress mommy out, I'm not very good at making those," to which my daughter, who can no longer say her S's after losing her front tooth last night, responds,
"Yeshuarr, Mom! Yesh-u-arr!" It was pure encouragement from a 6 year old, it just took some deciphering. (Yes You Are!)

In the time it took me to type this, it seems we've had some success in the pancake animal kingdom. Tummy's are hard, warm, full and happy. One child says they were great, mommy says she had to cut them all up, and the little encourager of the morning, she has one word, "Disashhter."

The kitchen tells the rest of the story... monkey heads, elephant trunks, lion noses everywhere....oh the humanity!

One Gig Down

Rough Lumber had it's first event last night. I have no idea how many people were there, I just know that we spoke the truth and it was received. It's amazing to see God's word sinking in, speaking to hearts in ways they've never felt before. So awesome to be able to witness that. I wish I could describe how it feels to ask Christ to give you the words to speak, and then to stand in front of a crowd, not knowing what you're going to say, no written or prepared speech....and yet it comes.
The word that comes to mind is purpose. That's what I feel.

We learned that cover songs are just cover songs. We played a couple of hit songs that everyone knew. While they were fun to hear, they had nowhere near the impact of the songs that we've written ourselves. Our ministry will be effective as we share Christ through our own personal experience with Him in our lives. We just need to go to Him, and let Him lead, and the rest will be taken care of. Isn't that true of life also? That's how it seems to me.
For more pictures and sounds, check out the ministry at www.roughlumberministry.com

First Gig

We've got our first gig for Rough Lumber. We'll be with for Project 52 Ministries at Living Springs Church in Brandon on Wednesday, November 18th at 7:30 pm.
We'll open with 2 or 3 songs, then break for the speaker and close.
Anyone is welcome.

Interactive Blogger Update

Some outstanding responses to this image. Here's some of my favorite responses:

*I see a mom-to-be having so many emotions at once, scared to go through the actual labor, love, for the child inside, nervous about the fact she is goingt o be a mother, excitement for the fact she is going to be a mother and peace that her dream of being a mother is about to come true.
Pregnancy is such a great gift and it is unlike anything anyone has ever felt. She looks peaceful in her thoughts and relaxed just hanging out with her baby.

*She looked like a flower, and had a glow that I don't think I've ever seen captured in a picture before - new moms and moms to be just have this amazing glow. It was serene and perfect
- everything motherhood should be. Expecting one of God's little gifts
- one of the most amazing gifts a woman can have.

*I see BEAUTY at it’s finest… I see WONDER….what will he/she look like, will he/she have my nose, my smile, will it be a boy or a girl, what will his/her cry sound like. I see excitement, the experience of all the “Firsts”, the first time she heard the heartbeat, felt the baby kick. I see ANTICPATION but in a good way, anticipation the first cry, the first tooth, the first word, the first step…
I see MIRACLE, He blessed her, He chose her to assist Him in His miracles.
I see her relax in the comfort of the big plush chair, happy that someone like yourself is ready and willing to put your heart and soul into capturing her in this very moment of emotions and physical changes.

All great thoughts.
What I envisioned in making the image: The anticipation of motherhood. I wanted to pick up that beautiful glimmer in her eyes, that hint of a smile sparkling, and it was also important to me to also light her painted nails. Something about this soon-to-be mom, with everything changing so rapidly, physically, emotionally, and yet she still pauses somewhere in the flutter of it all to paint her toes. Painting her toes. I get a sense of preparedness, of making ready. This beautiful young lady, full of dreams and aspirations, making room in her life, in her marriage, and in her heart, for this little one.

Shooting from above, I wanted to capture mom, cradling her yet unknown best friend, herself being cradled in her thoughts. What dreams may come. The possibilities as she brings this life into the world.

What do I see most when I look at this image: I see Eve, Christmas morning, and the thrill of unwrapping a gift form God. I see the cradle, the circle of life, the emotions that are dancing in her eyes, and the care, already there and ready for the dishing out, to a child that she's not yet held, but holds fervently in her love.

This was fun! Should we do it again? You tell me.

6 year old dreams

My little girl woke up and told me she had her favorite dream. She's had this dream once before, so she knew right away it was her favorite dream.
She was outside in the forest, with all the animals and she could talk to them, and they could talk to her. But only the simple ones. She could have a conversation with a horse and a duck, of course, but she tried to talk to a monkey and a tiger with no luck. So when she needed to find a way across the pond, she asked the duck to help her, so the duck went and carried a whole bunch of stepping stones for her to walk right across the pond. Some mean people came to try and cage up the animals, but she told them, "Hey! You Leave them Be!" and she rescued them:)
Who knows, maybe a future wildlife protection park ranger?

A Little Something Different. Interactive Blogger?

I had an idea this morning, can you believe it? I know, that's an accomplishment in and of itself. What if I post my favorite images as they unfold? For example, right now I'm working on an idea that I had for a maternity session. A very beautiful soon-to-be mom stopped in and we tried a few things. I think it's a very beautiful image, and for some reason it speaks to me on different levels. What do you see? What do you like? What don't you like? Would anyone care to accept the challenge? Would you prefer that I tell you what I see when I shot the image? I'd tell you but then I think I might influence what you're feeling or seeing. Let's try this. I'll keep quiet for now and maybe post what I was thinking when I shot it later on, so you can be free to think your own thoughts..
It might be a fun way to grow? Cmon, don't ya wanna grow today? Isn't today a good day for that? I mean, the sun just came up a couple of hours ago. You've got a nice warm cup of Joe...let grow. cmon...yeah you....cmon.


Click on the image to see a little more detail :)

Introducing the Guys

From Right to Left:
Jeremy-Bass man
Leo-Crazy good lead guitar
David-Drummer boy
Dan-Vocals and rhythm guitar

I read this excerpt recently from Rick Warren:
'God never wastes a hurt. He can use the painful lessons you've learned to touch the lives of others. This is called ministry.'

I don't know where God is taking us, but I can certainly tell you that His hand is on this ministry. We've come from every walk of life to this crossroads. I tried Nashville. I made that journey a long time ago, and I barely made it out of that experience with my marriage. I layed down the music and picked up photography. I thought as far as songwriting was concerned I'd moved on. But that's not what God had planned. The music that we're writing is blessed and flowing. The way these guys are picking up the rhythm is almost surreal. The words are truth and they are genuine, and the message is clear.

We're in the beginning here, but every day is marked progress. Last night we put down our first tracks and today we're mixing down. More to come...

www.roughlumberministry.com

Rough Lumber Update

Just to update, the band is going to open and close for Project 52 at Living Springs on November 18th. It's a youth event that is reaching out to kids in the area.
It's our first gig. :) doesn't that sound so odd coming from me?
For those of you who have donated already, a big Thank You from the guys. David, our drummer, says he wants to just throw his arms around you and give you a great big kiss. :)
We had them keeping the doors open for us at Guitar Center last night so we could get there and buy David's drum amp. We have the basic equipment thanks to donations to play anywhere we can plug in. The next step is to start recording and secure a site where we can post the music and ministry. We'll get some shots of the guys so you can atleast see our ugly mugs, and I figure I should know somebody around here who can take a good picture ;)

It's a start.
You can still donate by clicking the Paypal button below.