Moving Forward

Next month it will be one year since I relocated back to northern Idaho. This past week I have spent some time reflecting on my emotional, and spiritual growth. God has brought me through a lot this year and I’ve grown in areas I never thought possible to grow in. In addition to this reflection, it also time for me to make other changes in my life. I have held on to my job as a blanket, something comfortable and familiar in my time of transition. It is time to let that blanket go and move on to other things. I have found a new job in an industry I never thought I’d end up working in, airplane manufacturing. God is also working with me on another endeavor that I’ll announce when it becomes more fleshed out. God is good.

Poem

Pain too much to bear

Reality comes down

Face it or leave it

Rough Day

It was just the other day when I was so grateful for getting to spend more time with the women of my life. Today I felt sad. We went to Triple Play in Hayden because Lukas wanted to take his sister. I knew going into today that it was the last day and I didn’t want to face it. After putting on my happy face all week, today I was bursting at the seams with emotion and tears. There were several times I had to fight the emotion back so I wouldn’t break down in front of anyone. It felt good to be able to talk and laugh with them this week, but at the same time it felt too good to be true. The proof of that is that they are leaving at first light. There is also proof that I still care about my marriage and relationship with Melissa because part of me is missing, there is proof that my daughter being absent in my life is painful, because I wouldn’t feel this way otherwise. I wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything though, because it’s this feeling that keeps me honest. It’s this feeling that keeps me following after Christ. I pray that those who have lost this feeling or deny this feeling within themselves, find it again.

Photo of the Day June 16, 2021

My last entry was coming from a place of pain and loss. Today I spent the day with Jenna, Lukas and Melissa at Silverwood Theme Park in Northern Idaho. There was a point when God reminded me that for now I just need to be grateful for the extra time that I get to spend with those that I love. It may not be how I want it, but it’s extra time that I didn’t think I would get. I’m very grateful for that extra time. The pictures below are images that focus on lines found throughout the park. Thank you Lord for a great day.

Photo of the Day June 4, 2021

Today's picture is of my nephew Broden. He interviewed me about the pictures I was taking..."does your camera take good pictures or do you have to apply a lot of filters and stuff?" I'm going to paraphrase my reply here, "real photographers don't use filters like glasses and bulgy eyes and such." I showed him a sample. "That camera takes GOOD pictures," was his reply. I tend to think it's the subjects of the photos that take good pictures personally.

Side note: I'm sure the question about filters has nothing to do with his moms use of social media filters.

#dailyphotography #theotherdogfilms #sonyalpha #sagleidaho #sandpointcitybeach #northidaho #nephewsarethebest #northidahophotography

Photo of the Day June 3, 2021

It has been a few days since I took a picture. It's a lot of fun going outside and hunting for new ways to view the world around me. I liked the shape of this cut off limb with the sunset kissed leaves in the background. #theotherdogfilms #thisisthelife #sagleidaho #dailyphotography #sonyalpha #northidaho #sunsetphotography #trees

Reflections June 2, 2021

I was doing a little Bible study time tonight and was reading 2 Timothy 2:3. It spoke to many things about my life right now, but ultimately it led me to a bit of revelation.

I'm a storyteller and filmmaker and all through film school, and even through virtually every course of the Master's program I'm in currently, the common thread about good storytelling is that having a protagonist make the decisions we want them to make as we watch them on the screen would lead to a very dull and quick movie. Hence the need to watch them fall over themselves in bad choices first, BEFORE making the choice we want to see them make.

Let's take a look at a man, Jesus, who did everything right and his story on Earth was filled with conflict and ended in violence. This is interesting to me and I'm going to consider how I move forward with my storytelling after school. Can a protagonist make the right decisions and how will making those choices affect the supporting characters? If we look at the stories from the Bible, doing the right thing caused a lot of anger and hatred in people which ultimately impacted the "protagonist" Jesus. It certainly hasn't made for a dull story.

Photo by Amine M'Siouri from Pexels

Photo of the Day May 29, 2021

Not only does our own sin change our individual perspective, but it alters the way we view others and their sin. Turn your light on!

#theotherdogfilms #thisisthelife #sonyalpha #SinProblem #turnyourlighton #northidaho #sagleidaho #IWouldntHaveItAnyOtherWay #checkyourselffirst #CheckYourself