Seeds of hope

What kind of seed are you planting in the lives of those around you?

Are you planting the bitter seeds of resentment and distrust, of anger and hopelessness? Or are you choosing every day to plant the seeds of love, hope, and forgiveness? Every word, every action plants a seed in the lives of those around you.

So, what kind of seed will you plant? And... what will it grow into?

Plant a seed of light in someone's life today. Make the choice to help, to show someone there is hope in the darkest parts of their life...rather than looking down on them for how they got there.

I dare you...

Hang in there...

Hey there, to all the people who have expressed concern about my lack of blogging...I'll be back! :) Right now we've gotten into the new place and are having some internet issues, as we now live in the sticks and cable doesn't reach that far. Seriously. Anyways, I will return shortly, as soon as I can. Thanks for your friendship and prayers, keep it up! :)

--Cristy

A monkeyless life

For quite a while, Junior stayed very attached to this monkey. If you tried to take his monkey, he got very upset. He couldn't concentrate on anything else until he got his monkey back. What is it in your life that you are so attached to that you can't see past it? Financial security? Having a boyfriend or girlfriend? Maybe the best thing for you would be to discover that you can stand without those things, as well. Put the monkey down.

PFP Changes!

As of this week, the Pictures for Perspective project will become a weekly (not daily) project. It is my hope that the improved quality of the postings will be a replacement for the previous quantity. Thanks!

Please note that we skipped the 17th of this month. (It no longers exists.)

My two favorite men

My husband, Andy, and my boxer, Junior.

What can I say? The two sweetest, cutest boys in my life. :)

My future home--the backyard. :)

Meet the early bird.

God's Thumbnail!

Through a dog's eyes

My dog, Katie.

To see life as simply as a dog sees it. Wouldn't that be awesome? Imagine if your thinking went like this:

Ecstasy, absolute pure bliss, came every time a person walked through the door.

Disappointment is not getting a piece of the cheese sandwich, and only lasts until the next sandwich, when hope reappears (no matter how many times you get disappointed.)

Bad things should be avoided, good things should be tackled and licked. Repeatedly.

If it's edible, or could be, eat it. Taste is really a non-issue most of the time.

Ecstasy, pure bliss, came every time a person touched you.

I wouldn't mind being a dog for a day, ya know? :)

"And his name shall be...ADOLF."

This is "Mr. Tubbs", and he is up for adoption through Suffolk Animal Control. He can be seen inside of PetSmart on Portsmouth Blvd. (Chesapeake Square.)

Okay, so c'mon. Tell me you wouldn't want to adopt this cat just for the friggin' mustache. I totally want to call him Adolf, but they won't let me. (LOL) NOW somebody tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor. Haha...

Family

Dolly, my sister in law, with her son Aiden.

Family is such a precious thing.

Vine

A beautiful piece of God's handiwork, nifty little vine.

Junior eats his foot for...um...good luck. Yeah.

(He's actually yawning, but still...pretty funny) :)

Junior is a masterpiece!

This is a pen and ink that one of my clients did for me; it's of my dog, Junior. Amazing talent. :)

Catsicle

My cat, Lacey, sitting on a six-foot post in the backyard.

It's a Catsicle! Cat on a STICK! :)

Good Boy! :)

This is Dylan, he's a Pražský Krysařík (or "Prague Ratter).

Republican Pups Rule

The display inside PetSmart on Portsmouth Blvd. for "Pawlitical Pals"

So, apparently here in Chesapeake, VA, all the dogs seem to be Republicans. There is a single shirt left for Republicans, and it seems that very few, if any Democratic shirts or bandannas have sold. Interesting... A friend and I were debating on the toys: the argument was whether to give the dog a republican elephant to snuggle with or a democratic donkey to chew on and shred. What to do, what to do... Yes, my dogs have a republican bandanna, lol. :)

Beach deprivation is bad for the soul

Boogie boarding in Oregon Inlet


I miss the smell of the sea, the feel of the sand, the sound of the ocean. I miss my beach.

I'm a bad wife

Lol, soooooo. My husband was trimming his hair and wanted me to trim up the bottom and around his ears. We had a dinner date, and I was in a hurry and not paying attention, and...well, I didn't notice there wasn't a guard on it. Until I buzzed a strip of his hair off. So now he's bald (hahaha). I know my face must've been hilarious, lol, and he just gave me this look. Then he grinned, and he's actually happy he gets to be bald (I hate it). Lol, I'm such a bad wife. Oops. :)

The love of my life

My Husband, Andy.

See this guy? I love him. I love him so much, I'd do anything for him. He is my husband. In May of 2004, we made a commitment to each other that no matter what, we would be together until we died. I was gone for a day, and when I came home, I looked for him. When I found him, he put his arms around me and we just held each other for a while. He missed me, and I him, after only a day apart. He's my rock, and I'm his. He's the guy that's snatched the rum from my hand and held me while I cried until I couldn't stand anymore. He's the guy that bought himself a Jeep, then handed me the keys and is still driving his crappy truck. He's the guy that doesn't care if I go have dinner or drinks or whatever with friends, male or female. He's the guy that leaves his clothes on the floor wherever he takes them off. He's the guy that leaves dishes in the sink, trash on the counter, empty containers in the fridge. He is my husband. I love him. I wouldn't want to live a life without him in it. No ex-boyfriend, once-love, or would-be "greener grass" is going to change that. I married him because I can't breathe when he's not around, I can't sleep without his feet touching mine, I can't think when I'm without him. I am deeply, madly, irrevocably in love with my Andy.

Why I love my dog

This is Junior, fast asleep with his tennis ball.

My girls, who deserve everything

Abby and Leanna in Onley, VA

For you, I will do whatever it takes. For you, I would walk through Hell itself. I love you.

Swirleeee!

This is an example of some of the random stuff I enjoy doing, especially with inquisitive little minds watching. :) Basically, I used food coloring to view the natural pattern of the water. It's done by finding something big and clear; the rounder the better, but cylindrical will work, too. Then you stir in a circle until you get a good little whirlpool going, and then put drops of different colored food coloring in at different intervals. The trick is not to do too much, and to do it quickly. Try it with your kids, it's fun! My niece had a blast with it. :)

Mud Bath!

Angel

Left to Right: Angel, Kalen, and Kristofer. Taken in Hobbs, New Mexico last summer.

Anytime you feel like you've forgotten how to have fun, go watch some little boys play. These guys were always thinking up something. Life's short; play hard! :)

Homemade Neon!

My newest photography adventure: aperture priority shooting.

This was done with a laser pointer on a white wall. (The darker the surroundings, the longer the shutter stays open.) On average, it takes about 4.5 seconds to create an image like these, with all the lights off at night (lol).

Jordan Loves Me!

Pictures drawn just for me by a little girl named Jordan.

These are from a little girl named Jordan, who is seriously one of the sweetest kids I've ever met. Her 3 dogs have all been through Puppy class with me, and two have been through Intermediate training, as well (the third just "graduated" puppy today). Altogether, we have spent about ten months in training, not including any time between classes. It's pretty cool to watch her grow up (as well as the puppies, lol). These are my favorite gifts. Jordan loves me! :)

Worth the Fight.

My friends, Katelyn and Danny, at their wedding last summer.

Remember what it means when you say "I do". It's not just some ritual we do. "I do" means "I love you so much I don't ever want to live without you, and I promise you and God that I will stand by you, even when it sucks." Value your spouse. Some things are worth fighting for.

Glass Coins

This is just a random bit of photography that I decided to try, and it came out really cool. Due to the movement of the coins, you can actually see through them in the photo. Nifty, huh?

OCD in action

Can we say, "Obsessive Compulsive"? (Smile, people, jeez...)

"You wanna piece of me, punk?"

Creepy bird that was following me in Hobbs, NM last summer.

Sooooooo, two cheers for God's sense of humor? Hoo-RAH! :) (Imagine a little straw hat on his head, and a piece of grass hangin' out of his beak...haha!)

January Sky

This picture was taken tonight (about ten minutes ago, actually) in my backyard in Portsmouth, VA, by me.

What does a crazy person do when it's five hundred degrees below zero out? (Okay, so really it was like 28 degrees, but still...) I'll tell you. A verifiably insane person might set up a tripod and take pictures of the (absolutely gorgeous) night sky. Said person might even hold their breath while pushing the shutter button, because the fog coming out would disrupt the picture. Thank God I'm not that much of a freak. Pffffffffff. (Dude, you should see the pics of Orion!) :D

Believe in...

B E L I E V E !

There are many religions available for your perusing, but you don't need religion. You need hope. You need something real. More than just lip service and mimes.

The thing about believing is, you can't do it without meaning it; you can't fake it. Sure, you can tell others you believe in something, but at the end of the day, when it counts, you know. Do you believe? Will you believe? No one can do it for you.

Beach Babies

Dylan and Abby at the beach last summer, in Nags Head. Pic by Amanda A., photoshopped by me.

Appreciate the moments that are simply perfect.

Hope for the morning

My friend, Jason, at a local park.

Tonight, I have faith that prayers will be answered and hope that the morning will bring something better. I am very, very tired, so good night.

To my girl ♥

Picture taken by Becky W., photoshopped by me.

To my beautiful girl, whose world is being torn apart right now.

Remember that some things have to change, and change can be good. Remember that I love you, and no matter what I'll never abandon you. Call me any time, text me a billion times a day, steal my hairbrushes, and cry on my shoulder as much as you need to. I love you, so much. I wish I could keep you from ever feeling an ounce of hurt. I can't do that, but I can help you get through it all. You're an amazing person, and I love you. God has big plans for you--you aren't just an ordinary girl. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently.

You are beautiful, inside and out, and you're going to make a big difference in every life you touch. You already have.

I love you, Becky Boo.

Love, Me

♥

Storm a' Comin'

Hobbs, NM in summer 2007

The land was so flat, we could see storms coming literally from miles away. How foolish

would it be to see the storm coming and not prepare? We cannot always be prepared for

what life throws our way, but when we can, it makes it so much easier to weather the storms.

Love you, Cynthia! :)

This is my friend Cynthia. This pic was taken a few years ago and I really couldn't tell you who took it.

Don't be afraid to laugh like nobody's watching. It's good for ya.

Take me to the beach!

This pic was taken a couple of summers ago at Oregon Inlet, in NC.

Why did I choose this photo, you ask? Because it's that time of year where I start to miss the ocean, the beach, the waves, the sea. (*sigh*) It's time to go to Nags Head, I'm missing it terribly! :( I could never live too far inland, I'd go mad...hehe.

If it's real, it doesn't have to be pretty.

From left to right: my niece, Leanna, pinching my husband Andy's nose; my sister, Candice; my dog, Junior, who is giving kisses with all his doggy heart to my brother-in-law, Bobby.
Love might hurt a little sometimes, and it's not always pretty. But if it's real, and you were a part of it, who cares?

:)

"The Old Man"

Out at Mom's, where I grew up. This will soon be part of my backyard. Suffolk, VA. Dec. 2007

Just another demonstration of nifty handiwork.

Who's cooler, Jesus or Harry Potter?

This was the scene at Barnes and Noble outside of Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake, VA, July 20, 2007. This was the day before "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" , the seventh and final book in the series, was released.

The store was to start selling the book at 12:01 a.m. It stayed at full capacity with a massive line outside the door from about 8 that evening. If you walked outside the store, you had to wait in the line. People forgot to eat, went without smoking, even let their car battery die as opposed to going to turn the lights off. Kids had school the next day, adults had work. Nobody cared. We were Harry Potter nuts. We saw people in costume, and there were people in every nook and cranny in that store, sitting on the floor or some even sprawled out reading. It was a blast. The picture at top was taken at about 1:30 a.m. as we left, book 7 in hand.

How amazing would it be if Christians, "Christ nuts", came to events in this fashion? How awesome to have churches at full capacity with lines outside the door, because there were so many Christians dancing eagerly outside the door, desperate to get inside for just a glimpse of what God had to say? Imagine, your pastor jumps up there with his Bible, yelling, "You have GOT to read Luke 24! Dude, I don't wanna spoil it, but he RAISED FROM THE DEAD! Awesome!" Or let's talk about the ultimate love story, superhero powers, eternal life, unfailing love, streets of gold. Imagine, little kids asking for camelskin clothes for their birthday, so they can pretend to be John the Baptist.

..

Some of us have just become numb to the amazing things in that classic book. The greatest story ever told. But where is the passion? Okay, I'll be the one to say it:

..

DUDE, He's the SAVIOR of the WORLD! SWEEEEEEET!

Faith Like a Child

My husband, Andy, and our nephew, Aiden. Last summer in Hobbs, NM

Aiden has no doubts. Uncle Andy won't drop him, Uncle Andy won't hurt him, Uncle Andy won't let his head hit that fan (his sister smacked the crap out of him, though...lol).

Even though Aiden has no control over his life at this moment, he trusts and is happy. No worries, Uncle Andy's got me.

.............

Enjoy the ride. He's in control, even when you aren't.

Just pretty

In New Mexico last summer

Sometimes the simplest things, when inspected more closely, are quite magnificent.

My path

Out at mom's house, New Years Day

"I'm learning the path is thin, and the grade is steep..." --The O.C. Supertones

Me? I'm learning that choosing the right path is easy if you stop trying to decide.

Have faith, trust, believe. And stop trying so hard.

Look up

Pictures taken just outside of my work a couple of months ago; it was about an hour or so before sunset.

(click on the close-up, it'll take your breath away)

..::..

Don't ever get so busy getting where you're going to look up, look down, look for miracles, beauty--look for God in all things.

This day was a very bad day for me, just an overall crappy day at work. I walked out, and happened to look up. And I stopped in the middle of the parking lot and just smiled. (Then, of course, I grabbed my camera, haha).

.......................................................................

Today's challenge: stop worrying so much about what's going on.

Look up.

.........................................................

He's there, I promise. And He's waiting for you to see him.

Hundreds of failures

This picture was taken from my mother- and father-in-laws' backyard in Hobbs, New Mexico this past summer.

The lightning was beautiful that night. I watched it dance around the field and I was in awe. I stood there with my camera for forever. Had to be a couple of hours. Everyone thought I was crazy, and I had some okay shots already. I could have quit then. I had plenty of shots of the lightning. I was freezing cold standing out there (it was nighttime and windy, and I was in shorts and a tanktop), and my arms were getting tired. I had hundreds--literally hundreds of photos that I had to manually delete that were nothing but blackness, with three little dots. (I used the three "dots", or lights, on the left hand side of the photo as a level point. I couldn't see anything in the blackness, so I had to have something to go by.) I remember the lightning hitting everywhere but where I had my camera pointed. It was frustrating, but I kept going. Snap, snap, snap. Pictures of blackness. Pictures of lightning, and they were beautiful. And then, finally, THE picture. This one. The culmination of my efforts. All the cold, the aching, the looks I was getting, the manual deleting that took forever...it was all worth it. It melted away when I saw this picture, and I was giddy. Completely nuts about it.

And when I look at this picture, I can't help but think that God put that lightning there at just the right moment, for me. He smiled and said "okay, okay, here ya go." Daddy let me win the game, and I've never forgotten the hundreds of failures that it took to get to that moment. How much more I appreciate what is given when I have to sacrifice to get there.