arthur's circus

- from arthur's circus -

Sometimes i wonder why it is that i like things that are battered and broken so much. I'm drawn to them like i'm drawn to run down council estates and the kids that play there. There's something about this photo that i love. Maybe it reminds me of other places close to my heart, or maybe it just makes a good photo.

Wounded with sweet words

"Perhaps the best paragraph in the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy is when Frodo is honored with a song to celebrate his success in destroying the Ring of Doom.

And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them…until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness. (The Return of the King, 933)

Like those who listened to the minstrel’s song, we who see our Savior in the last day will also be made merry with the story of his victory. And we too will be hushed by and wounded with the sweet words that are sung of his self-sacrifice on our behalf.

We will have joy like swords—bright and piercing—and all of the pain and loss of Christ’s death (and our daily dying with him) will only mix with and enhance our bliss." 

- Tyler Kenney, Desiring God

Himalayan Children

- Himalayan Children on the border of Afghanistan. -

- From the National Geographic website, courtesy of my sister Hannah. -

"The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength." 2 Tim. 4:17

as bad as stoning...

I love the way Jesus speaks, the way He acts, it never ceases to amaze me. I was thinking again today about the woman who was caught in adultery and the scribes and pharisees who wanted her to be stoned and asked Jesus what He thought. His reply was 'let Him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' It's a famous passage in the Bible and a genius answer from Jesus. The reason it struck me more today was because i saw "The Kite runner"as a film a few weeks ago. For the first time in my life i saw a woman being stoned publicly. I know that it was just acting, but it still really disturbed me. I guess i'd never really thought deeply about being stoned and the relief the woman must have felt when she wasn't condemned and walked away free. It must have been amazing relief she felt. I guess i don't always dwell on all it is i've been saved from, it probably isn't good to dwell on it, but it would be as bad as stoning, so my relief is the same as hers, though often i forget it.  

I must just say..

I just have to say that my orchid really does make me happy. It had no flowers on it for 6 months, and i was beginning to wonder if it actually was dead, but then they started to come again and now it has 6 beautiful flowers and another 6 buds. It truly does make me smile.

Frost

Honestly and truely i've never seen anything like it. Never seen a day as strangely mysterious and beautiful as today. Never seen a sea of silver white coating the trees and hedges and plants with such exact precision as i saw today. Everything was covered in frost for the entire day. We drove through the countryside and it was like driving though another world. Like driving through a ghost town, yet seriously beautiful. Like everything had just been dipped in water and frozen instantly. It was so different to snow, which collects in lumps and goes to sludge. Here every tiny detail and shape was outlined. The air was full of mist and i was honestly stunned. Frost may sound like a normal occurance, but today was so different. My parents were shocked and have never seen it before either. It made me look at everything in a fresh way. It made me marvel at God's creation. 

Whenever there is cold weather like this my Dad says the same thing: "It's good for the ground you know. It will kill off all the bad bacteria and bugs." And it's true. Every season is useful for it's own reasons. And i know it's the same in our lives too. 

I've actually had a fresh wave of happiness hit me the last week or so. Happiness that makes me want to leap in the street and has caused me to sing outloud whilst walking my dog. Maybe the sun has made a difference, most days recently it has been so beautiful that i want to thank God for everything i can see and hear. I end up walking down the road with a big grin on my face and laughing to myself. I'm happy that spring is on it's way. But as today reminded me, i'm also happy with winter.

What has gone wrong?

I've just spent ages trying to upload a picture and it's taken so long that i've grown impatient and have decided to just write a post instead. I have nothing to say though. That's the problem. There was a time when i could have written several posts a day, alongside pages in my own journal. But these days i'm stuck for worthwhile things to write. And that bothers me greatly. Not because i want to write something for the sake of my blog, but because i consider there to be a link between what comes out of you and what is in you. If there is nothing flowing out of me, then it makes me wonder what is going on within me. Am i dead and stale and feeding on yesterday's thoughts? Where have my eyes gone - eyes that search for life and see beauty around me that i can then recall? I post pictures on here instead of things that really matter. What has gone wrong? 

today i feel...

Today i feel thankful for today. Not because i've done anything useful with it, i haven't, but simply because it existed. It's an amazing thing to wake up and find the sun still shining and life still going on around me.... the oceans still steadily throw waves upon the shore, the birds dance around looking for food and singing in the process, the hills and grass and trees and early flowers still remain, the kids across the road from me still chatter and shout, i am still alive and can breathe and talk and move and think.... why should this be so? why should today exist? why should tomorrow exist? i take it all for granted so often. I forget how intricate and wonderful God's creation is, i forget that it is He who makes hearts beat and things grow and breathes life into everything... i forget that He is life. Today i'm thankful for all that. Today i'm thankful for this day. 

Photo Booths

Enlarged photo booth pictures. Nice.

Magnolia

- Photo by Irene Suchocki. Brought to my attention by Liz. -

Inspiration

I'm inspired by the creativeness of others and aspire to create more myself. I often use this blog as a place of noting down worthwhile quotes or collecting inspiration. At the moment i have a real desire to actually produce more of my own work - not just for the sake of it, but because there is a number of specific things i would ideally like to do. However i am faced with a problem - being creative isn't always as easy as i should like it to be and i am in need of much persistence and patience. I'm not a natural writer; i find it hard to put my thoughts into sentences. I'm not a great painter; my perfectionist nature restricts my hand. I'm not a musician; my voice is out of tune & i have no patience to learn an instrument. Instead i often borrow other people's words and pictures and songs. I use their work to express my thoughts and heart. I'm not sure anymore if i know how to express those same ideas through my own tongue or hand. I can but try, but in trying i need much grace not to give up. 

more birds

Another great piece of street art (photo by Paul Green.) According to the post i read on it, the cat stickers were added later and the original artist wasn't happy. Quite understandable. Nothing like a pair of cats to ruin a perfectly good bird mural.

Early Birds

I've just been on the search for photo blogs to inspire myself. The above pictures are by Bueller at 2 and fro. I decided to post these mainly because i love birds, but his site is worth looking at too. 

Polaroids and Pinholes

I really like these prints by Rowena Dugdale from Polaroids and Pinholes. They remind me of all the times i tried to make photograms in the darkroom. I never produced anything as beautiful and artistic as her work though. 

colours

Yesterday i'm certain that everything had changed outside... all the colours were brighter... like the grass was glowing green and garages and fences all seemed newly painted in bright red or white.... in fact everywhere i looked i noticed things i'd never seen before....  maybe it was just because the sun was shining and i was feeling happy, or maybe i'd just never really looked before.... anyway, it's quite dull to write about it now, but it amused me at the time. I received 3 separate things in the post yesterday too. I hadn't had any post for what seemed like a while, and then i got three things in one day - letters from Liz and Kirsty, and a book from my sister. They all really encouraged me.

..as strong as..

"Love is as strong as death, it's jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned." - Song of Songs 8:6-7

In a Blanket

"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you." -  Isaiah 66:13

I love this drawing. It's taken from a card we received this christmas. This copy isn't as clear as the original, which is done by Tricia Gray for the The Leprosy Mission. It's so strange to think of Jesus as a tiny baby, completely vulnerable to the hands of man, completely humble and needing His every need taken care of by others. Jesus, who came to serve others, actually had to just sit there and be looked after initially. Even though He was God He had to rely upon God to outwork situations so that He would be kept safe. He entrusted His safety with the Father and in His meekness came to earth as the most helpless being. When you stop and think about it, it truely is amazing. Yet at the same time it seems strangely fitting for Him to be a young child... innocent and unpolluted by the world. This baby was Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

beyond the stars

"Is the truth beyond all truths, beyond the stars, just this: that to live without Him is the real death, that to die with Him is the only life?" - Frederick Buechner

I believe it is.

..girl of the wall..

- Banksy, via Global Graphica -

When i stand..

"There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son, Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One.... Jesus my Redeemer, Name above all names, Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, oh for sinners slain.... Thank you oh my Father, for giving us your Son, and leaving your Spirit till the work on Earth is done.... When i stand in glory,  i will see His face, and there i'll praise my King forever, in that Holy Place."

I'm not sure who wrote this song, but i like it. I remember liking it particularly this time last year.... especially the last verse.

exceedingly

"..when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." - Matt 2.10

I love this verse so much. It makes me laugh every time i read it. It's talking about the wise men when they saw the star stop above the place where Jesus was born. What makes me smile is the way it's described... "they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy".... surely whenever you rejoice it's with 'joy' and if you rejoice 'exceedingly' then it's going to be with 'great' joy... it's like they state the same thing twice for emphasis. I think i just love the word exceedingly too! I wonder what the wise men did when they 'rejoiced exceedingly with great joy'? ... did they do a little jig or sing and leap around or shout out with loud exclamations?! When you think about it, the whole of what they had been waiting for throughout generations of people was being fulfilled at that moment... no wonder they rejoiced so fervently... it makes me happy just thinking about it.... 

The Northest Pole

"Take me to the northest pole, that there my spices all might flow. I know the north wind strips me bare, but still i ask you'd take me there. Release the fragrances within, may they be to you pleasing. And blow on me that all disease may freeze and die right here."

I was reading the above quote at the exact moment that my Dad called me on Sunday evening to show me the snow outside. He then proceeded to say how it would be good for the ground as it would kill all the bacteria. It is true. Every season is useful for it's own reasons. Trees may be fruitless and bare in Winter, but it's a vital season to sustain the overall life of the tree. So in a strange way i find myself saying... "blow on me that all disease may freeze and die right here."

The man who was healed

I met a man today who was healed of epilepsy 7 months ago. He had been on medication for 9 years, but was still having some seizures. He was then prayed for and was healed, so came off his medication and hasn't had a seizure since. It's a clear cut healing too, not just luck that he hasn't had a fit. He had a serious car crash 9 years ago, which caused brain damage and consequently epilepsy. When he was monitered, his brain waves were irregular, confirming the diagnosis. Anyway, when tested now it is clear that his brain has been healed and the waves are completely normal again. Very encouraging i think. Only God can work a miracle like that.

Poppies

In remembrance of all those who died that we might live.

Jesus Himself being the ultimate expression of this.

(picture by Alicia Bock, via Poppytalk.)

two

"Here dies another day
During which i have had eyes, ears, hands
And the great world round me;
And with tomorrow begins another.
Why am i allowed two?"

-G. K. Chesterton-

...

"I am making a way in the desert, and streams in the wasteland." - Isaiah 43.19