Hildegarde, H Swift.  The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

McCully, Emily.  Mirette on the High Wire

Matsuno, Masako.  A Pair of Red Clogs

Mills, Lauren.  The Rag Coat

Provensen, Alice.  The Glorius Flight

Priceman, Marjorie.  How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

Rylant, Cynthia.  When I was Young in the Mountains

Yolen, Jane.  Owl Moon 

Notes:

Our favorite from this month’s stack was Priceman’s How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, which makes me want to check out How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. next.  And since we were still getting snow in March, we really enjoyed Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, a beautifully illustrated poem by Robert Frost.

“…I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”

-John 10: 17-18

“…The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

-2 Corinthians 5:17

“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.”

-Psalm 16:10

“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.’

- 1 Corinthians 2:9

“…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter.

…he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

- from Isaiah 53

Filed under: made by hand, our traditions ]]> http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/the-good-shepherd/feed/ 1 therigneys 3 4 http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/book-club-selections-2013-2014/ http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/book-club-selections-2013-2014/#comments Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:25:43 +0000 therigneys http://therigneys.wordpress.com/?p=14275 ]]> Last night, my book group met for the fourth year in a row to select our reads for the 2013-2014 season.  It looked like a small library exploded in my living room.

One friend recorded our suggestions and sent me the list afterwards.  Together, ten women brought over 50 fifty titles to choose from. And if I didn’t read at the pace of a preschooler, I might actually try to read all of them over the next couple of years.  I’m setting reasonable expectations for myself though, and that is to read and enjoy the twelve books listed below.

I’m really excited about the mix of books this year.  They will all be new to me except for The Count of Monte Cristo  (which I read in highschool and loved) and For the Family’s Sake (which I’ve read often over the years and always found it worth my time).

I leave these nights with my book group feeling really thankful.  Thankful for years worth of books stored away in my memory, books that I may never have read.  Thankful for wonderful, accessible, and cheap books (thank you, Kindle).  And most importantly, I’m thankful for bookish friends to read alongside.  Friends who are different in various ways, but can come together once a month and prove that Edmund Wilson was right when he said, “No two persons ever read the same book.”

Book Club Selections 2013-2014

June: The Exact Place, by Margie L. Haack

July: Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand

August: Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

September: Evangellyfish, by Douglas Wilson

October: For the Family’s Sake, by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

November: From Fear to Freedom, by Rose Marie Miller

December: The Double Bind, by Chris Bohjalian

January: A Praying Life, by Paul Miller

February: The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

March: Home, by Marilynne Robinson

April: At Home, by Bill Bryson

May: The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford

If you are interested to see what we’ve read in years past…

Book Club Selections :: 2012-2013

Book Club Selections :: 2011-2012

Book Club Selections :: 2010-2011

Your life enriches ours in more ways than you know, Little One. Here’s twenty to name a few…

1. You give the best hugs. You wrap your arms completely around our neck and squeeze us as if your life depended on it.
2. You give others the best hugs. You love our friends and we love that.
3. You want to ensure that we know the names of those in our family. We hear “Mommy, Daddy, Sammy, Peter…Mommy, Daddy, Sammy, Peter…” as we load everyone in the car (as if to remind us not to forget anyone).
4. You love to stand in front of the giant photo collage on our living room wall and name off every person in the pictures.
5. You eat like a Hobbit. Full meals, numerous times a day.
6. You love to race your brother throughout our house, squealing all the way.
7. You make sure we see every truck, dog, bear, and cow in every book we read. Those are your favorites.
8. How you give it your best shot at praying with your hands folded and eyes closed. You try so hard to keep both eyes closed while still keeping an eye on the one praying.
9. The way you say “Yes Ma’am.” Kills me every time.
10. How you cling to our necks when being dropped off at the nursery.
11. The way you sprint to the bathroom while ripping off your clothes when it’s time to go in the tub. It’s always been your favorite.
12. The way you insist on potty training yourself.
13. How you have to sleep with your “Bear-Bear.”
14. How I find you all over the house reading to yourself while tucked in corners, on couches, in closets, and in little forts you’ve made.
15. The way you say “No.”
16. The way you stand by the front door every day waiting for your Daddy to come home (and how you scream his name from the time he pulls up in the car until he walks inside the house).
17. How you want to do everything your big brother does (See #12).
18. How even at your age, we share our own little inside jokes.
19. The way you love to be active. Running, dancing, climbing, jumping, being tossed up in the air. Active.
20. How you tromp through the house with your wooden sword, off to fight dragons with your big brother.

Yep, you make our life richer!

Beskow, Elsa. Pelle’s New Suit

Billingsley, Franny. Big Bad Bunny

Birdsall, Jeanne. Flora’s Very Windy Day

Dunklee, Annika.  My Name is Elizabeth

Fleming, Candace. Boxes for Katje

Fox, Mem. Koala Lou

Freedman, Deborah. Blue Chicken

Fucile, Tony. Let’s Do Nothing

Graham, Bob. How to Heal a Broken Wing

Notes: 

Our favorite reads from this month were: Boxes for Katje, My Name is Elizabeth, Pelle’s New Suit, and Let’s Do Nothing.  My Name is Elizabeth made Sam belly laugh just about every time we read it.  It’s my new go-to gift for all the little Elizabeths in our life.  And Boxes for Katje is now on my personal list of kid lit favorites, it was too long for Peter but Sam really enjoyed it.  Such a beautiful story of gratitude and generosity for little ones.  And both boys loved Pelle’s New Suit, reminding me much of Charlie Needs a Cloak in how the author shares the step by step process of making new clothes from sheep’s wool.

Over the past few years, I’ve been asked from time to time if I would share some thoughts on how one could develop their photography skills. Well, this is my attempt to do just that. In all honesty, I hesitate in offering these tips. Not because I don’t think they’d be helpful to some, but because I very much consider myself a fellow learner- not an expert- and would not want you to think otherwise.

However, I’ve benefited from some great advice throughout the years and am happy to pass it along. If I could encourage any aspiring photographers out there, then by all means, here are my top ten tips for you (from the cheap seats, of course) that I come back to again and again.

1. Look at Great Photography

If you want to be a great writer, you should read really great writing. Same with photography. If you want to take really great pictures, spend a lot of time looking at beautiful photography. This is not wasted time, I promise. This is far and away one of the best bits of advice I received when I first got started.

Of course a caution is in order here. When you begin to immerse yourself in the work of those who are in the “Big Leagues” so to say, you can feel incredibly tempted to throw in the towel and call it a day. About six years ago, I began following a number of photographers whose talent (to this day) stops me in my tracks. There were moments when I thought to myself, “Forget it. I’m done. I’m not even going to try. There is no way I will ever get there! [tossing camera into trash can]” But truth be told, after six years, I’m still not there. Not even close. But I’ve grown. And that is what’s important.

So my advice? Fight envy and despair with gratitude. This changed everything for me [digging camera out of trash can]. Be grateful for the gifts God has given to others. Be grateful that you can learn from people who are further along than you. And be grateful that you can use your gifts unto the Lord regardless of how advanced you might be.

And one more thing: Let yourself be helped and influenced and inspired by the gifts and creativity of others. Don’t try to be different for the sake of being different. What’s the point of that anyways? This really can be pride pulling one over on you. A very wise man once said, ‘there is nothing new under the sun.’ Not a recipe, not a baby’s name, not a handmade craft, and not a photography shoot that is entirely original and uninfluenced by the world and people around you. In other words, it’s okay (good, even!) to emulate others and to be emulated yourself.

2. Learn How You Learn

Maybe you learn best by taking a class? Maybe you learn best by reading a manual? Or maybe you are a hands-on learner (like me) and learn best by trial and error. Over and over and over again. Fifteen minutes behind the camera does more for me than an hour of reading about photography. Learn how you learn best and dive in!

3. Shoot What You Love

I know myself well enough to know that I would have given up photography long ago if all I had to shoot were trees and buildings. Don’t get me wrong, I love nature and architecture, but those aren’t the things that keep me clicking my camera every day.

Put a newborn baby, an adorable set of twins, a happily engaged couple, or a fun-loving family in front of me and I could snap pictures all day long. Photographing people and their unique personalities and style is so fun for me. It never feels unenjoyable. I think that’s why after so many years of taking pictures, it has yet to get old.

4. Practice all the Time

I’ve written before on the importance of having your camera out and ready to shoot whatever comes your way, but this is doubly important because it reminds you to practice. I have never taken a photography class and I’ve yet to read my camera manual all the way through, but I have put in countless hours practicing. This is the wonderful thing about digital photography, you can shoot as much as you want and delete what you don’t want to keep. In other words, you can practice all the time with little or no cost to yourself (yes, there is wear and tear on your equipment, but you are honing your skills which, in my opinion, is invaluable).

5. Shoot in Every Setting

I lived in a basement for five years before we bought our first home. You can imagine all of the natural light I had to work with underground during the winter. This forced me to learn my camera and the settings I needed to use in order to make the best of my situation. So, my advice? Practice in all kinds of settings (indoor, outdoor, overcast, sunny, etc.) during all different times of day.

6. Ask for Feedback

My former boss at Desiring God, Bill Walsh, is an incredible photographer. He played a big role in helping Joe pick out my first Digital SLR Camera. I’ve always considered him my photography mentor and welcome his feedback and critique any time he will offer it. I also have other photographer friends that I will seek out for feedback. Find some people in your life that are further along than you and ask them if they wouldn’t mind taking a look at your work. It’s so helpful.

7. Invest in Good Equipment

One helpful bit of advice I received early on was this: Invest in new equipment, once you’ve outgrown your old. This means, if you are no longer being challenged by your point and shoot camera, it might be time to upgrade to an SLR. If you are frustrated that your lens can’t do what you want it to do, it might be time to invest in a better lens.

I don’t say this flippantly. I am keenly aware of how much photography equipment costs. I shot with a simple Sony point and shoot camera for over ten years before I got my first DSLR. I then shot for another three years before investing in an expensive lens. So yes, make sure you really do love photography before making such a hefty investment, but if you’re sure, know that it’s an investment worth making!

8. Rent Lenses

This bit of advice is for those of you with an SLR camera. If you can’t afford to purchase a nice lens but still desire to gain experience (and some nice shots!), I would definitely recommend renting lenses (or other photography equipment). I rented lenses for over a year before we bought an additional lens. I rent from a place in Minneapolis that allows me to keep the lens(es) from Friday until Monday and only charges me for one day! Renting is also a great way to settle on a piece of equipment before making a big purchase.

Fun fact: I was nine months pregnant with Peter (dilated to 3 cm) and having painful contractions in the car on the way to the hospital. On our way, we stopped at the lens shop where I waddled my larger-than-life self inside to pick out the lens I wanted to rent for our son’s birth. The pictures we took of our sweet boy in those early days will forever be family favorites.

9. Volunteer to Shoot for Free

Offering to take pictures for others (for free) is one of the best ways to gain some great experience. They get free pictures and you get the training (And you get the training without the pressure or expectations that come along with a paid shoot)! When I first got my camera, I began asking family and close friends if I could take pictures of them- just to practice. They happily obliged and what I learned during those shoots really helped me to improve.

Photography is now a wonderful side job for me, but it took a long time before I felt confident enough to charge for my work. The income is a blessing and it helps to cover the costs of the equipment I need in order to grow as a photographer.

10. Take a Break

Every winter I go into a bit of a photography hibernation. We are inside most of the time and it gets dark very early leaving me little time to shoot. I still try to take pictures at least weekly, but nothing like the three other seasons of the year. I find that this break is so refreshing and it makes me even more excited to start shooting again in the spring. So, take a break from time to time for the sake of developing your skills and preventing burnout.

Alright fellow photographers, anything you would add to this list?

I’ll never forget the day your mom called to tell us that the ultrasound predicted a little girl.  Today you turn three years old, and again, we are celebrating your life many miles away.

You are a sweet gift to our family, Rylee Jordan, and it has been a joy to watch you grow from the teensy-tiny baby that you were into a beautiful young girl.

You’ve wrapped your Daddy around your finger and are ever the Mommy’s Girl.  You are the constant side-kick to your big brother and the sweetest little friend to your two boy cousins.  You bring laughter and silliness and pink and personality to our lives and we are so grateful for you.

Today, on your third birthday, our prayer for you remains the same.  That you will belong wholly to the Lord and love Him with all of your heart all of your days.

Happy Birthday, sweet niece of ours.  We love you through and through.