Fish...Big Fish...Smelly Fish and Happy Anglers.

Even though I worked all day today, it was a fantastic day at the paper! Today, in Henderson was the Cabela's King Kat Tournament on the mighty Ohio. They even had a kids fishing tournament at Audubon Park. Here are some pics from today.

The biggest catfish caught, weighing in at 48 lbs!!

I love days like today, and love even more getting to experience events like this. When else would I have had a day I got paid to hang out with anglers. Of course I paid my dues with fish water getting flung in my face several, several times.

And just so you'll know, all of these catfish were put back into the river after they were weighed.

Oh How Far I Still Have To Go!

Life seems to be so insanely busy right now with the end of the semester and finals looming overhead and deadlines with the newspaper and the business magazine quickly approaching that I've just needed some time to work in the yard and get a few projects accomplished.

Now for me, "working" in the yard doesn't really seem like work. It's more play. I love being outside, feeling the sun on my face (or back) and getting my hands dirty transplanting flowers or just moving things around. And since I can only do a few things at a time, major progress rarely happens! But Oh! the sense of accomplishment when it does occur!

So Thursday, I was really needing to take a break. So I went outside to start raking out the flower beds and to clear my mind.

Now, it is common knowledge to those who know me and my yardwork mentality that I loathe and despise the helicopters (or whirlygigs, as they are called in some regions) that fall this time of year from Maple trees. They're everywhere!! And in everything!! And I can get the ponds cleaned out and ready to go for the season only to have to scoop and skim hundreds of those pesky, dreaded spring-time invaders again!

I had just cleaned off the porch only for a strong gust of wind to come along and deposit more of those wretched seed bombs right on my clean porch. It's almost as if they get their target in sight, wait for the signal from their commander and FIRE just as the wind is right. If you can't tell, I was at the point of nearly cursing the things. (Horrible...I know!)

BUT! God had a lesson planned for 'ole Amber.



I was taking a load of leaves and sticks to the back through the field, and it was just as the sun was beginning to set. The light sifting through the maple tree was amazing, beautiful, golden light! A photographer's dream! But another thing caught my eye and stopped me right where I was. Thousands of those little helicopters, the very things I was on the verge of cursing, lit up like tiny little gold beacons in the tall green grass! And I was suddenly struck by God's amazing design! As I scanned the field and all those future maple trees, the Lord gave me a realization! I noticed that almost every one of those things had landed seed down. Heavy side down. And as I continued walking to the back of the field, I realized that they HAD to land that way to take root! The light, feather-like top helped the seed drift in the wind and the pointed heavy end helped to plant the seed within the grass where it could eventually take root and grow!

How amazing is God's design! How intricate - even with something that would seem so simple as a seed! Now this realization goes right along with everything God is showing me about His amazing design during my Anatomy & Physiology class.

Everything points back to a masterful and purposeful Creator!

And there, in that golden sunlight, on the grass next to those very things I was so angry at only moments before, suddenly held such beauty as I was reminded on my Creator! My Father who meticulously designed those seeds so that trees would grow to give the birds of the air a place to nest, oxygen for us to breathe and a place to put my hammock beneath.

Oh how wonderful it is when the Lord transforms my perspective and yet shows me even more of my sin and how much farther my heart still has yet to go.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy our Lord's wonderful creation this weekend!

Bizkit

Okay, for a silly video, I just HAD to share this!!! It makes me laugh and smile every time!! I used this video in my psych class to discuss sleep cycles. Anyway...enjoy!! I'm off to shoot my last two photo assignments for the day and then hopefully I get to post something new....God has given me much to write about lately!!

Life Together

“If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there or us all in Jesus Christ.”

Life Together p. 29
Dietrich Bonhoffer

Laminin - God's Amazing Creation.

I was working a Chrysalis weekend not long ago and this video was shown during one of the talks. I found it amazing -- and timely as I'm studying cells and molecular make-up of the body in my Anatomy & Physiology class. I have been in awe of God's wonderful design and in awe of how he fashioned even the tiniest organisms to work together and come together to create and sustain life.



I don't know much about Louie Giglio or his ministries, but I like this video and thought I would share it.

Spring is in the air!

I felt compelled to write since tomorrow is the first day of Spring. (!!!) I adore this time of year, nothing energizes me more to clean and "play" (which really means work to some) in the yard than warmer temperatures, singing birds, flowers peeping through the mulch and leaves and the smell of freshly cut grass! I think I love being outside, immersed in nature because that is when I feel the closest to God. Seeing, smelling, touching, moving, and playing in His creation. It makes me long to go camping, and wish that I was brave enough to go by myself, but that will never happen! I adore Winter, everything about it, the snow, being bundled up, winter sports and snuggly nights with cocoa, but I'm ready for Spring. I can't wait to have cookouts again, to have my nieces over and cook hotdogs over a campfire in the field, and have a yard brimming over with beautiful flowers!

So this week has been my spring break week, and it has been a wonderful one! I've gotten to visit several friends, and grew closer to some new friends that I just adore! Today, coming near the end of the week I find that my spirit is very quiet. I feel the Lord is drawing me near to Him so that I can rest in just who He is. I have been overwhelmed, very overwhelmed with His goodness and provision not just in the past few days but over this past year. I guess that's why I'm in a quiet place right now, just reflecting on His goodness. I'm thankful for times like this - and especially today because for so long after I moved back to Henderson my life felt so chaotic. Running, running, running. This year I've been more intentional in slowing down and I wish I would have done that long ago!

Well, so I've been rambling. Just a few of my thoughts from today, a quiet, introspective, reflective and beautiful day filled with nothing but thoughts of the Lord and quiet intercession.

I'm thankful for such days! And even more thankful for the renewing of life that is taking place as the temperatures warm and the trees, flowers, grass and wildlife come back to life.

God is so good!

There will be showers of blessings

John 1:16

¹⁶And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

I have to confess, I am utterly overwhelmed right now. These past five days especially have been blessing upon blessing, grace upon grace. I had an amazing weekend with my family, it was beautiful chaos of laughter, talking, music, games, late nights, food, birthday candles and smiles upon smiles as we gathered together to celebrate Madison's 11th year with us. On the heels of that, I went home Sunday afternoon after an amazingly wonderful Lord's day - filled with worship, spiritual food, fellowship and renewal - to find that someone or a group of someones came to my house while I was gone, and labored for who knows how long clearing away the last of the tree limbs I could not physically move.

I cannot convey in any amount of words my complete shock when I realized that there was no longer fallen debris all over the deck. I think I stood there for a good solid minute with my mouth gaping open, my eyes scanning the scene before me and then seeing the sawdust from the chainsaw, the freshly cut limbs piled with the other large pile in the field and Kevin's lawnmower that was now free from it's former trapped state. I immiately went and got my phone to see who was responsible and who I am eternally indebted to. But to no avail, I cannot track down those who are responsible. I have my ideas, but have been told to let it go.

I am overwhelmed because I know it seems so silly that tree limbs in the yard would burden my soul so much, but it was the sheer fact and reminder of my own limitations. Living alone I am forced to take care, handle, repair and move many things on my own. I don't mind, in most cases the Lord equips me to take care of things just fine. But these limbs were beyond me. I gathered what I could, but needed help for the rest. And yet again, the Lord has proven Himself my provider. Oh, that He loves me so much to do this for me. Grace upon grace. If I can trust Him to clean up my yard - how much more can I give over to Him!?! If He loves me this much, can I not give every single worry, every single care, no matter how silly it may seem?

The timing of the Lord's provision is wonderful because I just finished a study on Ruth and Oh! How God provided for not only Ruth but Naomi also! From the beginning of time God ordained the events that would prove to Ruth just how Mighty He is!! And oh so worthy to be praised!!

So, yes. I am overwhelmed. If you are responsible, and you are reading this, please, you will never know what you have done for me! Thank you for being a willing vessel for the truth of Christ and ministering to me in such a huge way! I love you and am blessed upon blessed by you! May the Lord this very moment shower you with even more kindness, love and grace than what you have shown towards me.

For the glory of Christ.