Warm & Sparkly ...

Christmas here in SoCal is never white.  Rarely frosty.  No sledding, snowball fights, or snowmen here.  There’s no necessity for fires in the fireplace.  In fact, our windows have been open wide during the day.  Hot chocolate and cider are enjoyed for their flavor and not primarily for their warming, restorative powers. 

Despite not looking like “real” Christmas-time, our Christmas day was nonetheless cozy, warm, sparkly, and glowing …

We're Stuck!

My brilliant bloggie friends, please help us find the last word. Here are the facts as we know them: the word we're looking for has 6 letters and starts with a "p" (and I'm sure it's probably something startlingly simple that will make us groan and say "D'oh!", or, alternatively, it's something bizarrely obscure).

God Came Near.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14



Majesty in the midst of the mundane.
Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat.
Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable,
through the womb of a teenager
and in the presence of a carpenter.
(God Came Near, Max Lucado)

Maker of the sun,
He is made under the sun.
In the Father he remains,
From his mother he goes forth.
Creator of heaven and earth,
He was born on earth under heaven.
Unspeakably wise,
He is wisely speechless.
Filling the world,
He lies in a manger.
Ruler of the stars,
He nurses at his mother's bosom.
He is both great in the nature of God,
and small in the form of a servant.
(Christmas, Saint Augustine of Hippo)

Merry Christmas!

The Word becoming flesh ...

For the sake of accuracy, a distinction should be drawn between the condescension and the humiliation of Christ, though most writers confound them. This distinction is made by the Holy Spirit (Phil. 2:7-8). First, He 'made himself of no reputation'; second, He 'humbled Himself'. The condescension of God the Son consisted in His assuming our nature, the Word becoming flesh. His humiliation lay in the consequent abasement and sufferings He endured in our nature. The assumption of human nature was not, of itself a part of Christ's humiliation, for He still retained it in His glorious exaltation. But for God the Son to take into union with Himself a created nature, animated dust, was an act of infinite condescension." (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in the Godhead)

Who, although He existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped:
but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a bond-servant,
and was made in the likeness of men;
and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted Him,
and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:6-11

Christmas Colors & Traditions in Keller-ville …

The Glorious Impossible ...

"So the Archangel Gabriel, who visited Mary, greeted her with great courtesy, and then said, 'Fear not!" And then he told her that she was going to have a baby, a remarkable baby who would be called the Son of the Highest...

What an amazing, what an impossible message the angel brought to a young girl! But Mary looked at the angel and said, 'Be it unto me according to your word.'

And so the life of Jesus began as it would end, with the impossible. When he was a grown man he would say to his disciples, "For human beings it is impossible. For God nothing is impossible.'"
(Madeleine L'Engle, The Glorious Impossible)

Friday: I'm thinkin' ...

... that this picture might give weight to the assertion that I harbor some vain impulses, especially if you couple it with my main thought as I was taking it: that the shallow depth of focus hid my bad hair day and the camera hid everything else (not limited to wrinkles, bags under eyes, lack of make-up, and sun damage).

What others are thinkin' ...

Tracey
Michelle
Andrea
Stacey
Georgia
Rose
Heather
Naomi
Liza
Barbara
Jessica
Shawntae
Ashley
Tami
and a few more "thinkers" joined the link-up. Full list at Tracey's.
It's been a fun week of linking up, visiting new friends and old, and "thinkin'".

Thursday: I'm thinkin' ...

... that this boy of mine is sweet, sarcastic, thoughtful, smart, witty, and I'd really like to trade his eyelashes for mine.

What others are thinkin' ...

Tracey
Michelle
Andrea
Stacey
Georgia
Rose
Heather
Naomi
Liza
Barbara
Ashley
Tami
and a few more "thinkers" joined the link-up. Full list at Tracey's ...

A Little Glimpse of Life Before Baby … Orange County Family Photographer

I'm always so honored and humbled when people invite me into their homes to photographically document their lives. This dear couple not only invited me in, flinging wide their darling dutch door, but also put a mug of hot coffee in my hands upon arrival. (I loved them at "hello!") Our simple goal with this session was to capture what their "now" looks like, because, as everyone knows, a baby kinda, sorta changes things a little bit. Or a lotta bit. Today's Saturday mornings look relaxed, maybe even lazy. They include hot coffee, newspaper, take-out burrito, sports on the tv, a just-moved-into home in their dream neighborhood with new furnishings like a "man-chair", cozy Christmas decorations including new stockings announcing Baby Boy's name :-), a reading routine with books of more than one language, and lovely walks in the 'hood, greeting the neighbors...

Tomorrow's Saturdays will still include many of the elements that make today's Saturdays so wonderful, but they may be a little more unpredictable, a little less lazy. They will definitely include less sleep, more milk, more diapers, ... and more joy than this delightful couple can possibly imagine today.

Wednesday: I'm thinkin' ...

... that this probably explains exactly why I'm always so sore the day after a photography session! :-}

What others are thinkin' ...

Tracey
Michelle
Andrea
Stacey
Georgia
Rose
Heather
Naomi
Liza
Barbara
Jessica
Shawntae

Oh, and because Liza queried in the comments, the resulting pictures can be found here.

Tuesday: I'm thinkin' ...

... that if there's any truth to the old wives' tale that a young man will treat his wife as well as he treats his mother, then some young lady is going to be exceedingly blessed to get this boy of mine.

What others are thinkin' ...

Tracey
Michelle
Andrea
Stacey
Georgia
Rose
Heather
Naomi
Liza
Barbara
Shawntae
Jessica

Orange County Family Photographer :: Sneak Peek ...

... of a very cute belly and super fun session. :-)

Monday: I'm thinkin' ....

I can't help but grin right back at him; a tiny, brief moment when his delight and my camera were in the same place at the same time.


"I'm thinkin' ..." is Tracey's brainchild. Easy blogging for a week: one photo, one thought. Here are some lovely places in the great, big blogosphere who are also "thinkin' " this week:

Tracey
Michelle
Andrea
Stacey
Georgia
Rose
Heather
Naomi

Simple, yet profound, Christianity

The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, come into nature, into human nature, descended into His own universe, and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away there is nothing specifically Christian left.
C.S. Lewis, essays from God on the Dock
hat tip: A Circle of Quiet

The Irony of SoCal “Seasons” …

Summers here are mostly gray.  Autumns come and go with minimal fall foliage splendor.  Winters are rarely cold.  And oftentimes, Spring Green comes early.  Like this year.  Middle Dude and I headed into the canyon to soak it all up.  With cameras in hand, of course.

Middle Dude also tried out his coyote whispering skills, not to much avail. (He's determined to bring one home for a pet. oy. I don't think Dog Dude would approve.)