Photography through His eyes

So, I've begun my search for the perfect camera that fits my "talents" in picture taking. I've been looking for a camera that will suit my needs as an amatuer photographer. In hopes that one day I wish to go wherever I want and take pictures at no cost. I've chosen the Nikon D40 as my target purchase. I was in a couple of stores where the D40 was sold and I got a chance to play with the settings and buttons. It's such a simple camera without the bells and whistles that a hard-core professional needs to have. One day, I want to have a 1500. dollar digital camera, but that's future plans. I think the Nikon D40 will suit me.
I've been taking pictures a lot since I got my little verizon LG dare cell phone. It has a 3.2 mp quailty. When did we ever think companies could put a 3.2 mp camera in a cell phone? Most phones today have about a 1.3 or 2.0 mp. I remember when my sister, Ashley, got her very first digital camera from HP. She got it for the christmas of 2001 and the camera had a 3.2 mp quailty in it. That was just 8 years ago. Even though the process of quailty imaging is progressing slow in cell phones, I think it has the potential to get better in about 3 years or so. I know my LG dare is great. I upload a lot of photos to Facebook and sometimes twitter. It makes for a good gadget to have fun with.
I've been wondering why I've become so interested in taking pictures and spending time outside more than I have time for. The interest started over a year ago. I thought it would be fun to learn some things about photography. Well, I had my first chance to actually get involved with digital photography this summer. I took an art class online through a community college in my area and I made out well for a grade and I learned a thing or two about photography. I never understood shutter speed or aperture before this summer. It's good to know how to use your camera, whatever camera you have, because you can get the best you want out of your device. It makes for a better experience and better pictures for your memories/keep sakes.
The biggest thing I discovered about my growing interest in photography is, I can take my time and learn how to take pictures and view things through God's eyes. It's quite a beautiful world out your front door and it just needs to be appreciated and explored. I was such an adventurous girl when I was little and I loved the outdoors. I loved camping, flowers, fields, farms, climbing trees, etc. I had to grow up quick when I was a young teen and I hid that part of me away for about 7 years. I just recently rediscovered that adventurous part of me and I think photography is a good outlet for it. Also, I get a chance to spend some time with an awesome Dad. My Father from Heaven desires so much, to spend time with me. So taking pictures, which I plan to start doing this autumn season, is going to be great.
There's this song from the artist Brandon Heath called, "Give me Your eyes." He sings about looking through God's eyes at people and creation in general. I want to get to that point where I can view everyone and everything as beautiful and wonderfully made by the Creator. It's important to do so because God's creations are precious and amazing. Photography can bring that out. Whether I can snap a picture of a dog running in a field after some bug that is bothering their nose, or snap a picture of my sister baking in the kitchen or snap a self-portrait of myself, it's all about the beauty in the picture. I think I want to learn more about God through His eyes and I want to learn more about life and myself through His eyes.
In the future, I plan to post my pictures and write about them. You'll see those soon. I speak a D40 into my hands. I prophecy beauty in everything I will see and snap up in a moment of photography making.

Abandonment

I woke up the other morning with the words, "Wreckless Abandonment." This happens a lot. I wake up from a night's full of rest and sleep and I get these words or scripture verses buzzing in my spirit. Most of the time I have to run to my Bible and look up the scripture verse, right down the words given to me or just sit there in my bed smacking my pillow like, "What the heck?" I discovered over the past couple of weeks that it's been God downloading these "notes" to me. Then, therefore, I'm really, extremely prompted to jump up and go meditate on them afterward. It's great - really, but sometimes I get so wrecked over what topics or subjects God gives me I can't even say them out loud. Again, I revert back to my pillow and just smack it more. My poor pillow. I think I need to sleep with more than one pillow so I can give them some rest from the abuse I subject them to.

Anyway - I was wondering why "Wreckless Abandonment" was downloaded in my spirit. I didn't know what it meant. I've heard it plenty of times in the saying, "Go after it, the thing you want, with wreckless abandonment." What does that really mean? What was God trying to tell me? What did I need to learn and know from these two puzzling words? So, I started to break down these words for about 30 minutes and this is what I came up with. Wreckless means, without causing harm. Also, abandonment. This means leaving all behind and never looking back or terminating something you were involved with.

Again, lets go back to my poor pillow I sleep with. I wanted to annihilate the dang thing and pull its feathers out. What the heck do these words mean to me with these definitions? So - it came to me that God wants me to follow Him in wreckless abandonment. It just means, when I follow God with all of my heart, I won't be abandoned or wrecked. Nor will I cause things to be wrecked. When I follow God and lay everything down at His feet, I can do it without causing harm and terminate everything I am doing in life. I was reminded of Luke 22:23 where God said that if we want to follow Him, we need to pick up our cross daily and by loosing everything, I will gain everything in eternal life.

Man, that was a powerful lesson for me. I feel like I'm at a point in my life where I need to pick my cross daily and just follow Jesus in wreckless abandonment. The truest test of this lifestyle is if the fruit of my walk shows. I want to get to this point and I think God wants me to as well. It's a faith and trust jump. It's okay and it's all good.

Well now - I'm waiting for more knowledge from God in the morning. So I can beat my pillow again and not hurt anything too seriously. My pillow can take it (I think) - haha :]

Loved

You've strieved, worked and pushed.

You were hurt, put down, tossed aside.

You've been betrayed.

The days of wrong need to stop! - You scream.

The pain that throbs sometimes can't be handled.

But there will be a day of no more fear, tears and dismay.

Beloved,

I've been sent to save you!

Let me hold you tight as my lover of my soul.

Let me wipe those tears.

Let me pour out the oil of gladness and rise up your destiny in me.

I love You Child.

I wrote this on a plane ride... It's Jesus talking.