THE BEST PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT OF THE DAY
They were so overjoyed to get to play that I figured they would spend all the time between the swings and the other fixed equipment. After awhile, though, I noticed something odd. I looked at the swings, and there was no Joseph. I looked on the pay structures, and there, too, Joseph was nowhere to be found. Then I looked straight ahead and saw this scene.
The Playground @ Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas (03JUL2022)One of my favorite things to do is watch my children interact with the world around them, especially when I am sure they either know I am not watching them or are so absorbed by their circumstance they pay no attention to the fact I am around. Ever since we arrived at Petit Jean on Friday afternoon, he and Anna begged us for the chance to go play on the big playground, for they were quite aware from past experience there was some cool stuff on which to play. So, late this morning, off they went to this oasis.
They were so overjoyed to get to play that I figured they would spend all the time between the swings and the other fixed equipment. After awhile, though, I noticed something odd. I looked at the swings, and there was no Joseph. I looked on the pay structures, and there, too, Joseph was nowhere to be found. Then I looked straight ahead and saw this scene.
With everything there was to explore here, my son was happy as a clam just sitting there and playing with the rocks, absorbed in his own world, doing his own thing. My son reminded me of something important here, something that I believe we too often forget as we get trapped into the things of life: Joseph reminded me that joy is possible simply by engaging with that which is in front of us.
Today’s picture begs the question for all of us: What joys are there for the taking right in front of us?
After I took this picture, Joseph turned to me and invited me to “come play rocks with [him.]” I sat down across from him and he just giggled as he buried his daddy’s feet in rocks. We laughed and laughed, and it was pure joy for us both.
Yes, Joseph enjoyed his time on the swings and the other equipment. His joy, his most infectious joy, though, came from the simple rocks where he was able to get lost in his own imagination and then get to giggling with his daddy “playing rocks.”
What rocks in the playground of life are in front of you, begging you to discover joy in them?
Grace and Peace,
Lamar
P.S. Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you have found it helpful in any way, or think it might help others in your sphere of influence, please be sure to use the ‘Share’ buttons to pass it along via your online community.
WHEN A LOCKED CHAIN OPENS A DOOR
…[L]ooking at the above picture has me realizing that part of what I suspect is at the core of much of the resentment and anger that seems commonplace in our world is that we focus more on what is NOT available to us and less on what possibilities are open to us because other things are closed to us.
Fireplace in Cabin @ Petit Jean State Park, AR (02JUL2022)Every fireplace-equipped cabin in which we have stayed in Arkansas during parts of the last three summers has had us discover the fireplace locked shut for the summer. While completely understandable given that even in the mountains around here temperatures do not normally fall into the range where one might want to build a fire for comfort or ambiance, it is always a little jolt to see the doors secured with a wire or chain. As I looked at the fireplace immediately to my left from the couch tonight, my mind started to wander, and it came to me:
What if the locking of the fireplace is less about the lack of need for the warmth of the fire and more about the implied invitation to be outside exploring the natural beauty of these mountains?
Understanding that with children aged 4 and 6 there is no way I would be staying in the duplex we are sharing with my parents for the next couple of days even if the fireplace was not locked, looking at the above picture has me realizing that part of what I suspect is at the core of much of the resentment and anger that seems commonplace in our world is that we focus more on what is NOT available to us and less on what possibilities are open to us because other things are closed to us.
Now please do not misunderstand - this is not a riff on the old cliché that where a door is shut God is opening a window. (There are several major problems with that well-meaning but quite dangerous theology, none of which I will go into here.) No, indeed!
What this is, friends, is a call to a different mindset about life. We live in a society that is fueled by outrage - left, right, middle, sacred, secular, gender, sexual, and so forth and so on - where we are called to get up our dander about every possible conceived slight or denial of that to which we are entitled.
(DISCLAIMER: I am not saying it is ok to discriminate.)
I don’t know about you, but I find that kind of life exhausting. To be angry and bitter all the time, full of anger and resentment - I don’t know where you might find life when you are “always on.”
(DISCLAIMER: I understand there are marginalized and oppressed in the world, and I am NOT saying the truly marginalized should just take unjust behavior and treatment.)
I will, however, extend to you an invitation: What might be possible in your life if instead of focusing on that which is closed to you, you instead focused on what opportunities might be there for you precisely because that which you want is not available to you?
In other words, might that locked chain be opening the door to something even more majestic, grand, and transformational that you would never discover if you did not have to confront said locked chain?
Grace and Peace,
Lamar
P.S. Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you have found it helpful in any way, or think it might help others in your sphere of influence, please be sure to use the ‘Share’ buttons to pass it along via your online community.
IS IT ONE PIC OR ONE IMAGE AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
…[T]oday’s panorama got me thinking not so much about the picture but all that went into the composing and processing of this shot and how this kind of thinking can bring a healthy perspective to the entirety of our lives - the good, bad, ugly, and redeemed.
Hang Gliding Launch @ Mt. Magazine State Park, Arkansas (01JUL2022)I wouldn’t normally post another of the same genre (even from different days and places) just a few days after posting one, but today’s panorama got me thinking not so much about the picture but all that went into the composing and processing of this shot and how this kind of thinking can bring a healthy perspective to the entirety of our lives - the good, bad, ugly, and redeemed. After all, this area of The Natural State has breath-taking views seemingly one after another, and, admittedly, pics like these can all start to blend together.
Therein, friends, lies today’s reflection. The picture you are looking at is actually a stitching together of 30 separate shots. Two years ago, I was incapable of putting together this kind of image. It wasn’t until I took a class that spent some time focusing only on the art of the panorama that I realized just how wrong I was in how I was trying to make it work. Yes, Lightroom has a neat feature that helps in the composition of a panorama, but it turned out that I was off from the get-go because I was holding the camera incorrectly. Changing my grip 90° and taking more pics made for a much more useful stack from which to stitch together the final image. Learning to make sure there was enough overlap in each image for the stitching to work is something with which I still seek improvement every time I look to compose a panorama. Another key point that has gone into my composition mindset is the dimensions of the final product - 8x24. Why 8x24.5? Simple? My panoramic paper supply is 8.5x25, so a ratio of 8x24.5 allows me to have a 0.25” margin when printing.
In continuing to reflect upon what this project is all about and intentionally re-engaging in writing and photography, I am drawn to the process of stitching together the disparate images to make up a canvas that shows a much bigger perspective than any of the singular shots which make up the final product. I cannot help but wonder how much healthier any of us would/could be if we allowed ourselves to look at life through the perspective of composing a panoramic image. What if we allowed ourselves to realize a couple of essential truths:
1) No one moment in time tells the total story of our life.
2) Our life is the stitching together of literally millions of slices in time that contribute to the much broader canvas that encompasses all of our life.
Friends, I understand completely this can be quite an intimidating thought, especially because in the high and low moments, days, and seasons of our life our emotions can take us to places from which we cannot imagine escaping or even wanting to escape. Just remember, though, that your life is a panorama that is constantly being developed, and no matter the circumstances of your now or your past, there is a much bigger picture that you are composing.
What might you need to do (or not do) to give yourself permission to step away from the individual shots that make up the panorama that is your life and spend some time looking at your life in toto?
Grace and Peace,
Lamar
P.S. Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you have found it helpful in any way, or think it might help others in your sphere of influence, please be sure to use the ‘Share’ buttons to pass it along via your online community.
WHAT DOES SHE SEE?
One of the great joys of photographing your children while they are engaged in the very important work of playing is capturing moments that allow your mind to go down all sorts of rabbit trails imagining what it is they are thinking at a given moment.
Anna Catherine @ Mt. Nebo State Park Playground (30JUN2022)One of the great joys of photographing your children while they are engaged in the very important work of playing is capturing moments that allow your mind to go down all sorts of rabbit trails imagining what it is they are thinking at a given moment. What I enjoy so much about this particular shot is that I did not really notice until tonight the intensity with which she was looking through this spyglass - and it captivated me immediately.
Part of me would love to have been up there with her, asking her what she saw, what she thought, and the like…as the photographer, I enjoyed the perspective of capturing a little girl who was blocking out everything around her and focusing so intently on something.
Or was she?
Honestly, I have no idea if she was searching for something or had already locked on to a particular subject by the time I took this picture. I love the ambiguity of this situation. We could be witnessing a child who is surveying the scene, unsure as of yet what might draw her attention - OR- we could be witnessing a child locked on to a particular subject, just watching it intently and processing the scene as only a little girl would so choose.
I cannot help but wonder if in our search for certainty and certitude in a variety of our life’s myriad facets we have instead missed the boat completely on the joy of wonder in exploring the unknown of a given topic or circumstance. For me, the essence of this picture is, in fact, the concrete reality that I have no idea what is going through Anna’s mind - and that’s ok. Sometimes it is perfectly ok to simply observe, without the need to have everything tied up in a nice, neat bow.
How might your life be transformed by embracing a little more ambiguity and chasing a little less certainty?
Grace and Peace,
Lamar
NOTE: P.S. added 01JUL2022
P.S. Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you have found it helpful in any way, or think it might help others in your sphere of influence, please be sure to use the ‘Share’ buttons to pass it along via your online community.
WHAT IS THE BEST CAMERA?
As I look at today’s pic, I am reminded of one of the great truisms I learned early on in a photography class I took when starting out - the absolute best camera any photographer owns is…
Mt. Nebo State Park (29JUN2022)I must admit that one of the hardest parts of taking this time away from full-time vocational work is this will put a big crimp in feeding a chronic condition that I share with many who have a fondness for photography - GAS (a/k/a Gear Acquisition Syndrome.) Of course, GAS is a delusional little bugger, for behind every full-blown case of GAS is the cruel reality that better gear does not make you a better photographer, nor does the latest and greatest gear do you any good if it is locked away in your camera case.
One of the great things about our first (but definitely not our last) visit to Mt. Nebo State Park outside Dardanelle, AR, has been the local deer population that has no real boundary issues when it comes to us outsiders who have invaded their environment. For the times we have had to descend the mountain to get supplies, the children have insisted that we keep the windows down as we navigate the switchbacks so they can say hi to the “deers” (as Joseph calls them.) Knowing we were going to be headed to the playground when we came back up the mountain, I had my camera in the car, ready in case one of Joseph’s “deers” made themselves available for a quick pic. Before we even got out of the driveway of the cabin, this beautiful creature was giving us the once-over.
At first, I was highly annoyed, for I only had a ‘travel lens’ on the camera, not one of my professional lenses that would have been my first choice. Erin told me to relax, for the picture was going to be ‘just fine.’
As I look at today’s pic, I am reminded of one of the great truisms I learned early on in a photography class I took when starting out - the absolute best camera any photographer owns is the one they have on them at any given moment. Rather than be disappointed at what wasn’t, this pic reminds me to spend less time fretting over what is missing and more time celebrating what (or who) is present.
What is it that you might be missing out on celebrating because you are focused more on what should have been rather than what is in a given situation?
Grace and Peace,
Lamar
NOTE: P.S. added 01JUL2022
P.S. Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you have found it helpful in any way, or think it might help others in your sphere of influence, please be sure to use the ‘Share’ buttons to pass it along via your online community.
50 SHOTS A DAY? WHY?
What happens when 25 years after your first full-time ministry position and 21 years of pastoral ministry you take a leave of absence for no other reason than to “come up for air?”
Looking out from the southern rim of Mt. Nebo, AR (28JUN2022)What happens when 25 years after your first full-time ministry position and 21 years of pastoral ministry you take a leave of absence for no other reason than to “come up for air?”
Well, that’s a good question, and one I’ve been pondering since reaching the decision in late February of this year to leave a place I loved and people I loved after three years of some of the greatest joys I’ve ever known in vocational ministry. In conversations I had with trusted friends and advisors while making this decision, and many more friends and colleagues in the aftermath, one thing kept coming to the front more than anything else - I was committed to rediscovering and developing more intentionally two great passions of mine: Writing and Photography.
Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, one of the most memorable books I’ve ever consumed, made famous the idea that to achieve greatness in any field required 10,000 hours of dedicated, intentional practice. Some have asked me over the last few months if I was looking to make a career change, and if so, would it be photography. I’m loathe to take something I enjoy so much as a hobby and turn it into a job, but I have always wanted to hone further my photographical skills - so one of my goals for this leave of absence is to take at least 50 shots a day. 50 shots of what? I have no idea. My favorite subjects are my family and friends, but no matter the environment of a given day, 50 shots will allow me the opportunity to learn a great deal not only about my photography but also what it is that I see.
Along with photography, I hope and pray during this time on leave to re-discover and reconnect with my love for writing. For many years starting in 2006, in addition to weekly sermons and other addresses, I wrote columns for weekly emails and monthly newsletters. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, I turned to writing (and videoing) messages to the people of my congregation 4-5 times a week. In March of 2021, I hit a wall and did not consistently write again until starting this project. The goal is to tie together a photo from the day with some sort of meaningful reflection either on the picture of the day or something that came to mind during the day.
“OK, so why a website for this?” Well, a couple of reasons. 1) So many friends and family have encouraged me when I told them about this project that I wanted to honor their support by sharing this with them. 2) To establish an archive of this work for my own personal reflection and for my children to explore as they get older as a way to learn more about their daddy. 3) As a way to celebrate my personal growth and transformation during this time on leave.
Thank you for joining me on this journey! I hope and pray you will will be blessed by time you spend with me on this project. I would be honored if you would leave a comment so this might be a collaborative journey. I’ll be sharing each day’s entry on Facebook & Instagram with the hashtag #50ShotsADay. Also be on the lookout for a way to join the email list so you get each entry delivered to your inbox as soon as it is posted.
Grace and Peace,
Lamar
NOTE: P.S. added 01JUL2022
P.S. Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you have found it helpful in any way, or think it might help others in your sphere of influence, please be sure to use the ‘Share’ buttons to pass it along via your online community.