Jesus has true grit.

Oh dear, I could go on and on about how much I wish I could just write blogs, read picture blogs, look at pictures, "accidentally" check out books about Ansel Adams (who is probably the coolest photographer ever... I have yet to find out), check out the aspects of a nifty lens, scope the mind of online photographers, snap pictures of loved ones day in and day out, set up entire complicated situations for the sake of capturing one good portrayal of something I love, all of the above and more.  Rather than, checking out a book titled like "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" by "His Hoooooliness!" John Paul the second or stuff such as "An Invitation to the Writings of Martin Luther" (although, that one could be actually very interesting. Ah, okay, maybe the other one too! But, still.) and trying to immerse my mind into the beginnings of The Church, when I normally end up emerging my mind from just that.  Tis all for the sake of a research paper, and I am sure that down the road (hence, two weeks or more) I will have learned a good many things from it, but what I see at this point is: perseverance (which I am still learning how to spell).
In SO many aspects of life.

Okay, so I still ended up going on and on. How about the REAL story?

Perseverance. A gift from Jesus! (just like a lot of other things)  Getting pushed to the point of overwhelmation can reeeally bring in the feeling of "throwing in the towel" or the more depressing feeling of wanting to curl up in a ball under your blankets and pretend that life is just not going on for a while.  But as my lovely mother allllways says (among a many other wise things she speaketh of) "when you feel like it the least, you need it the most!".  Getting up, doing life, moving, thinking, breathing, all of that, feels impossible when you "feel like it the least".  But! Jesus says that He is my rock, redeemer, and fortress, and that HE will let me fly like the eagles with His strength; and that is really the only way I can go on.  And then!  The fun part. Refreshment.  A beautimous friend suggested Psalm 18 to read tonight (is that challenge enough to get you to read it?) and I looove (really, really like) David's excitement that springs off the pages.  He's talking about some craaazy stuff here, with people fighting and God's awesome power "parting the heavens and coming down, dark clouds under His feet.  Mounting cherubim and flying, soaring on the wings of the wind!".  And you kind of wonder if David is a little overwhelmed at some points, but then he starts to get a little excited about God "delivering him from the attacks of the people, making him the head of nations; foreigners cringing and such" and then he jumps out "The LORD lives!! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!!".  It just makes me pretty sure that his heart danced when he wrote that.  I know mine sure did when God gave refreshment from overwhelmation and reminder of the Truth of Him LIVING! And living IN me!  That, my friend, is like nothing else. 

So here's some Light (like the kind that never dies) that Jesus shines when the feeling of "falling to the pits of despair" comes along.  And even completely and entirely that He shines when it does feel like your flying on an eagle's wings.

Plus, I think there's a loooot more pictures I want to post.  Let's see what happens here.

Samore light.

Look at this beautiful person!

My very own winter model:

My very own Russian warrior:

Some of the best people ever. And they are ninjas; they are cool.

The state of my heart a lot of the time:

Also, so, I thiiiiink (from the stats I get) that someone in Alaska looked at this stuffs from picture lady.  THAT is cool!