Summer Movie Visualization- Mary Poppins [Rebekah]

Mary Poppins is a movie full of wonderful absurdities. From Mary floating in the air suspended by an umbrella, to cleaning the Banks children's rooms by snapping fingers, to jumping into a magical chalk land where Bert dances with penguins and goes on a fox hunt riding on merry-go-round horses, to an odd laughing man clinging to the top of the ceiling, to an army of dirty chimneysweeps stepping in time on rooftops- it's all absurd and awesome. And it's a classic, a movie that everybody knows. Those reasons would be why I chose it for this particular project. And it turned out beautifully.

Here's Mary Poppins, from my eyes.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this as much as I enjoyed putting this together. It was really a lot of fun, from coming up with the idea, to shooting the pictures, to editing. It was a long process- but all good and fun.

I would like to thank Stephen and Mercy Olson immensely for their time and effort put into being Bert and Mary. They did a marvelous job on their costumes and the whole photoshoot turned out wonderfully! Thanks guys! :)

Week 25 - Doubt [Jeannette]

When I found out the word for this week, I was a little doubtful.

(Sorry about that lame pun, which isn't even a pun. I couldn't not do it.)

Doubt is something that is commonly experienced in our lives. Looking at things with a skeptical eye is something one must learn around sarcastic people. Asking my little sister to look doubtful, I could get her to say nothing but she produced this look.

There is a place for healthy doubt. But in general, we think of doubt negatively. After hearing the word for this week, friend of mine mentioned the verse that comes to mind when one considers doubt, and finally I had a picture of what doubt would look like.

"Whoever lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." - James 1:5-6

I think of clouds of doubt rolling in, of waves of uncertainty washing ashore.

It's pretty cool how God gives us pictures in nature of spiritual truths.

God's Word is firm; we need not doubt, for if we stand on it, our foundation is not on shifting sand. Hmm, maybe I should have taken a picture of that.

Week 25 - Doubt [Rebekah]

Doubt. 

It's easy to be doubtful when the skies are pouring rain, your feet get all muddy, and the only thing that keeps the wetness from invading your clothes is the umbrella you hold above your head. You have that sort of doubt that makes you want to not face the world, to curl up and comfort yourself with some hot tea and a book. It's not like you exactly doubt that the sun will come out tomorrow. Well, ok, perhaps you have doubts about it coming out tomorrow, but you know that someday the sun will shine again. You know the clouds will disappear at some point.

Then why so glum, if you have that knowledge of glory ahead?

King David wondered that himself in Psalm 42.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you cast down within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,

my salvation and my God."

In reality, we have no reason to be glum or doubtful. God will provide.

Here's doubt.

Week 25 - Doubt [Aaron]

I took a little different spin on this week's word by 

taking the "impossible" version of doubt and making it a "reality."

Look at this amazing water-bottle bush! This plant has gone through lots of different tests by prestigious scientists all over the globe until the final modifications have been made to produced clean and filtered water from a simple seed. It even grows a completely recycled container for storage!
And the best part is... no watering is required! 

Now who said money can't grow on trees? Well, this picture clearly mis-proves that myth. With the perfect conditions, this money tree can most definitely yield any investor a profit. 

Week двадцать четыре - Freedom [Parker]

Cheers to those of you who have seen Braveheart.

Week 24 - Freedom [Jeannette]

Freedom. When I first considered this word, I was a bit at a loss. How do you picture freedom?

 But then I realized that the typical freedom, the patriotic sort of freedom, wasn't really what I pictured.

To me, freedom means running through the grass.

 And that in bare feet.

 Preferably in fields of daisies.

Freedom is being a child, free to play in the mud without worrying about getting dirty.

Freedom is a day on the beach, digging in the sand, with nothing better to do.

Freedom is being able to ride your bike, feeling so grown up and having the ability to quickly go wherever you want to go.

I love that feeling of freedom that I get on a wonderfully sunny day with a light breeze, when I feel compelled to run (preferably in bare feet and a long, light skirt, which add so much to that free feeling) and maybe dance and definitely sing. Singing always gives a sense of freedom.

These senses of freedom come often when I am really experiencing true freedom.

In Jesus' words, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free...Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."

It's amazing how experiencing the truth personally gives you such freedom. "If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." These pictures of freedom are just that: pictures, metaphors for the true freedom that lights up your face even in the most dire of circumstances.

Week 24 - Freedom [Aaron]

Freedom is...

a valued gift
a treasured emotion

an inward passion

It's open fields and open skies

It's a priceless liberty

It's taking that extra leap of faith and not worrying about the past, but looking to the future! 

Week 24- Freedom [Rebekah]

Freedom.

Running barefoot in sunlit fields,

adorning heads with daisies,

hair flowing in the wind.

Freedom is rest from care, rest from worry, rest from pain.

Freedom is having your chains broken.

It's smiling because you are perfectly happy,

because you have every reason to jump with joy.

Freedom is knowing your sin is forgiven,

Freedom is knowing you're going to heaven.

I had a blast taking these pictures at my church's (Christ The Word Church) annual camping trip. I think this is one of my favorite posts thus far I've done, thanks to all the small (and not so small) children who appear in this post!

What do you think? Did I capture "freedom" the way I described it?

Week 23 - Wait [Aaron]

After a long time of waiting...

...they finally hatched!

Week 23 - Wait [Jeannette]

Wait.  
To rest in expectation.

"Wait on the Lord, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord."

Week 23 - Wait [Rebekah]

Wait.

Two main things pop into my head when I think of the word wait, both of them having to do with music. First of all, the Sons of Korah have a whole album by that name (which I recommend highly, by the way). 

Secondly, this recording of Psalm 130 is the song that starts playing in my head when I think of wait. I will admit that it is not the best quality, recording-wise, amongst all the songs on the Clearnote Songbook. However, the song itself is wonderful. I love the instrumentation of it, and it's ended up being one of my favorite songs by the Good Shepherd Band. 

The song is taken almost word-for-word from Psalm 130. If you're too lazy to listen to it, or flip open a Bible to that chapter, or google "Psalm 130", here it is.

           Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

 But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

 my soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

 O Israel, hope in the Lord!

For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

and with him is plentiful redemption.

 And he will redeem Israel

from all his iniquities.

There is a wonderful assurance in this particular Psalm that made even more apparent in the recorded song. It is full of hope and faith in God. There's a great humbleness, showing that God is everything and man is nothing. There's a quiet patience and peace, waiting for God's timing while the storms of life rage on. 

Here's wait.