He is Risen! (Matthew 28:1-20)

Photo by FlyButtafly.

Just wanted to wish a Happy Easter to everyone. :) I hope you all had a blessed day. I know it's a day late for this post (and a while since my last posting) but when your hope is in the Lord, you celebrate Easter every day! :D

I've yet to upload the pics from yesterday; we went to my mom's house for lunch, and the kids did little Easter egg hunts around her house. It was a lot of fun. And no arguments! (a minor miracle) ;)

Anyway, we (husband and I) have been planning on watching The Passion since Saturday night, in remembrance of the crucifixion/celebration of Easter, and we've yet to do it; tonight finally I think we will. It's a hard thing to watch - I always end up soaked with tears at the end... but that's not a bad thing. For me, having grown up in the faith and knowing the story since I can remember, watching that movie has brought the pain and reality of His sacrifice home to me more than anything else. Seeing it reenacted like it is in the movie is just so incredibly powerful... and I sit there thinking, He did this for me?!? That's how much *I* mean to Him??? How is that possible? I know I'm not worthy of that kind of Love... and yet He gives it freely! Isn't that amazing?? And it's for everyone! The parts that strike me the most in the deepest part of my heart (and what makes it *so* painful especially) are the parts where He interacts with His mother - and when she sees Him stumble as He carries the cross, and remembers Him falling as a child... I'm tearing up now, thinking about it. I can't imagine a more horrible thing to go through as a mother, than seeing your child in pain... and when there's nothing you can do it's even worse. How did she stand it? My heart is ripped out just thinking of it. And His pain... not just the unbearable physical pain, but the emotional pain He must have been going through as well. Seeing His mother, His friends, everyone who was mourning - He must have hurt for their pain as well. And the pain of knowing that their hope was fading; that they didn't understand that this wasn't the end... but merely the Beginning! Their blindness to the reality of what had to happen and the joy that was to come... and then the ultimate suffering - when the full weight of Sin came to bear upon His shoulders, and with that, the breaking of communion with God - the separation, the abandonment of His Father... being made desolate, completely forsaken - in that instant, He took *my* place and stood in for *me* so that I would no longer be separated from that relationship with God. When Jesus died, He took the weight of the world's sin with Him... and when He was laid in the tomb, it was also buried - for good.

Of course, none of this would mean anything if Jesus had not gloriously arisen those 3 days later! But He did - and He left the sin and separation and pain behind in the earth. Which means we don't have to carry it with us anymore! It's already been paid for. We've been redeemed from death!! We will never be forsaken, because Jesus already was *for* us. Now we can have the same relationship with God that Jesus does, because we come to Him in Jesus' name. Isn't that amazing?? We can be called the children of GOD!! Not acquaintances, or even friends - but children. That means we are part of His family. We get all the benefits that comes with being an heir - to His Kingdom! I know phrases can get tired, after being used so often - but if you just stop and think what significance that phrase really holds... being "joint heirs" with Christ... it's mind-blowing. We get the same priveleges - we can talk directly to God - we don't have to go through ceremonies or cleansings or through other people. We don't have to chant or do any sort of ritual, we don't have to be perfect or sinless or even "good" - we can come to God, and speak directly to Him *as we are, right now* - and the best part is, He loves us *as we are, right now* - we don't have to do anything to earn that. He already loves us. No matter what. How can you refuse a Love like that? People let you down all the time. They're unfaithful, changeable, liars, cheaters, deceivers, gossipers, backstabbers... and even your closest friends hurt you and disappoint you and don't always understand or can be there for you. But that's not true with God. He is *always* there, He understands, and He will never let you down. He is faithful and trustworthy and He is the only being that is capable of (and offers freely) true unconditional love. All He asks is that you accept His Love. It says in the Bible, that He stands at the door and knocks. All you do is let Him in. Sometimes it seems hard to open that door; there might be things you don't want Him to see... but you know, He already sees it; and He loves you anyway. He's still there, waiting to be asked in. He didn't come to condemn you, (John 3:17) but to save you from unnecessary suffering - He already went through the pain and separation and abandonment so you don't ever have to be alone again!! Won't you take His offer? He loves each of us more than we could even fathom. I know how much I love my children... and He loves us like that; only inconceivably more so! Incredible, isn't it?

Camera-Tossing for the (TV) Camera

Photo by FlyButtafly (formerly TaGurit).

So if you're thinking what I think you might be thinking ;) - yeah, that's Jim Dever from Evening Magazine. Ok, well you're probably only thinking it if you happen to live in WA (western Washington at that) and tune in to channel 5 at 7pm on weeknights.
Edit: I just realized it also airs on NW Cable News at 9pm on weeknights - I don't have cable, so I didn't know. I apologize. :)

Anyway, it's a great show, and Jim usually does the more entertaining bits - whether it's breakdancing or bobsledding or anything in between. Well, he contacted me recently to help with a story on camera tossing. (Ok, well - an interview anyway, and to throw the cameras around.) We met up the 14th (of this month) in Evergreen Park in Bremerton, and he did a filmed interview with me and then we did some tossing.

How'd the interview go? Well, I'll just say I do much better when I'm scripted and on-stage. *Acting* as someone else in front of people is so much easier than just being myself and thinking on my feet. ;) I'll never be one of those impromptu actors who ad lib all over the place and are complete geniuses when they do so (not to imply I was acting... but it's just to illustrate the fact that I have to sit and think to come up with *good* stuff usually). I can write stuff, and I can recite stuff, and I can come up with sarcastic one-liners and stuff like that... but when it comes to just being me in front of a camera, I geek it all up. I just know when this airs I'm going to be just shaking my head at myself, going - did I have to say it that way? Oh it would've been so much better if I'd done/said this rather than that... and on and on. We're always our own worst critics though, aren't we? ;)

Jim was really cool though, and I never felt ill at ease. He seems like a regular guy (albeit one on TV every weeknight ;) who just has a really fun job and a hilarious sense of humor (and of course, he is one of those who can just come up with stuff right off the top of his head. Gosh I hope I didn't screw any footage up for him...)

As far as the tossing goes - we had a lot of fun with that. :) I tossed it for a while, while they shot from all different angles (well, Jim didn't shoot it obviously - Tim, the camera-man did all of that) and I tossed a couple different cameras. Got my first-ever injury (minus the bumps on the head from my little dearly-deceased P&S that I used to bounce around in the van while we were on the road) that day:

A camera that I was borrowing has little metal triangle-ish shaped loops on the sides for a strap. Well, I never toss with a strap (it gets in the way) and anyway, I somehow got sliced with one of the loops when I caught it. I hadn't even noticed until I was picking up my stuff so they could shoot in a different part of the park - I looked down and saw blood on my hand, and it was all over the pocket of my jeans too. Ouch! It's still there (on my hand, that is) and still sore, too. *Recommendation: Don't toss cameras that have little metal protruding things.*

Jim did great for a first-time tosser (I already know about the whole British slang term, so don't even go there ;) and only dropped it, um... a *few* times.

I even dropped mine (oops!) once... but only in the tanbark, so it was all good.*Recommendation: Until you're used to the way your camera handles in the air, practice tossing over soft surfaces!*


I had my new camera with me, and used it for the first tosses, but unfortunately I only have a 32mb memory card, so I wasn't able to get many images (I used to have a 512mb card... Goshdurnit, I just can't find it anywhere!) Here's a few I got:




Not spectacular, but the lighting conditions were unfortunately not the best for tossing that day. And I still hadn't gotten used to my camera, (I hadn't even read the manual yet!) so, well... And no, I'm not just making excuses! ;) (Seriously, lighting has a big role in how tosses come out. Too much light, and the shutter shuts too fast, or the image picks up too much light and it's all washed out.) Oh well. :) I did recently upload some tosses from my archives (I've got over 600 on my hard drive) that were from my old P&S though. Here's a sampling:



(click on any photo to see it in larger size)

I'll be posting a tutorial later, for those interested in trying themselves, along with a review for each of the cameras I've used so far. (Just so you know, I've only used Olympus - I just love their usability, versatility, ergonomics and - heck, everything!) :)

disclaimer: Please don't think I'm overstating my importance. I know it's just going to be a short piece, and everything - but heck, I'm still excited. :) And I know I'll enjoy it, however they put it together.
Thanks Jim, for the fun time and the opportunity to spread the word in WA about camera tossing. ;)

Alive

Photo by wrhowell (cc)BY-SA.

You know how you see those "Click-it or Ticket" signs everywhere, or the "Buckle up. It could save your life" slogans... and you kind of roll your eyes going Yeah yeah, I know...

And you still drive on, seatbelt hanging loosely beside you. It won't happen to me you think. I'm a safe driver, or whatever other excuse you use not to buckle up. C'mon, I know you're out there; I've seen you! Driving around while your kids are climbing all over the backseat... the baby sitting on someone's lap... the dog sitting with his paws on the steering wheel... Seriously - what are you thinking???

Well thankfully, the people who were in the car above weren't like that. They played it safe - and because of it, they're alive today to tell about it. (click on the photo to read their story) You know, wrecks do happen to good drivers through no fault of their own. You never know when someone's going to swerve into oncoming traffic right in front of you... or when something's going to fall off a truck and slam into your windshield... or any number of other scenarios. But when it happens, will you be ready? Will your children be secured? Or will everybody be thrown around the inside of the car like a bunch of rag dolls, possibly even ejected through a solid glass window to land on the median or even be crushed by the car as it rolls over on top of them? It's not inconceivable you know. It happens every day. According to CarAccidents.net, "Car accidents are currently the number one killer of people ages 1 to 37. About 1 in 30 young drivers will be injured in an accident each year. Young drivers are four times more likely to die in car accidents and are much more prone to speed, drive recklessly, not wear their seat belts and drink and drive than middle-aged drivers." And when they're speeding and drinking and driving, don't think they won't encounter you on the road minding your own business, driving along to your mother-in-laws house for dinner... or as you go to work in the morning, you won't meet the exhausted night-shift worker on his way home, who just happened to nod off for a brief moment before drifting directly into your path of travel...

Some more info. from CarAccidents.net:

-About 26% of drivers have been involved in a car crash in the last five years.

-There were 17,419 alcohol-related fatalities in 2002.

-More than half the fatalities reported --59%--were not wearing seatbelts.

-Deaths from rollover crashes totaled 82%.


Meet Shannon's Jeep. Or what's left of it I should say. Looks pretty bad, doesn't it. Wanna know what caused something so horrific-looking? It was this:


A sofa. Not much left of it is there? Fell off the back of a truck... and caused the accident you see above. But guess what? She was wearing her seatbelt. And she's still alive. You can bet those photos wouldn't be telling the same story if she'd not decided to buckle up, like so many other people...

Why all of a sudden did I decide to write about wearing your seatbelt? Did I know any of the people involved in the accidents above? Do I ever *not* buckle my seatbelt? Nope... none of those. Actually, what got me thinking was an email my husband got from the Executive Officer (XO) of his command (SWFPAC). It's being passed around the Naval community and beyond - but it was written by the Commanding Officer of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, GA. Because, lo and behold, he got into an accident recently. And his car flipped. And he was wearing his seatbelt... and it saved his life. Here's the email (I've left the forwards intact so you can see how it's making its way around the Navy (additional messages in italics, original message in bold):

"-----Original Message-----
From: Armstrong, Thomas CDR
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 7:23 AM
To: SPB All Civilians; SPB All Military
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

Pls take a moment and read Captain McKinnon's (CO Subase Kings Bay) email below. It can happen anytime, be safe.

r/

CDR Tom Armstrong
SWFPAC Executive Officer
INVICTUS MANEO

-----Original Message-----
From: Tomlinson, David L CW04 NAVSAFECEN, 41
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 6:58 AM
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

FWDing... Happens everyday! Keep alert!

-----Original Message-----
From: Mayer, George E RADM NAVSAFECEN, 00
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 8:31
To: NRFK_SAFE_All_Hands
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

All,
Take a couple of minutes to read the email below. Feel free to fwd to your families, friends, and contacts.
R,
RADM Mayer

-----Original Message-----
From: Boensel, Mark S RDML CNRSE
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 16:38
To: Mayer, George E RADM NAVSAFECEN, 00
Cc: Conway, Bob T VADM CNIC; Cohoon, John CAPT CNI HQ
Subject: FW: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES

Admiral,
Below just came in from CAPT Mike Mckinnon, CO of NSB Kings Bay - an incredible but true story of part of his day today. Thankfully, he
practiced what we all preach about using our seat belts. Great object lesson on being ready, because you never know what's going to happen.
I'm pretty certain that he doesn't mind me sharing his experience.
V/R, Benz

-----Original Message-----
From: Mckinnon, Mike Capt SUBASE CM
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 15:53
Subject: SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES


All,

Just want to pass this along. If you think nothing will ever happen to you, think again.

At 12:06 this afternoon I was driving down GA state highway 15 returning from my trip in Athens, GA. What a beautiful day, perfect visibility, perfect road conditions. At this point, the road is two lane (one lane north, one lane south) with the speed limit 55 mph.

I'm minding my own business, driving south about 60 mph, traveling in my Saturn. A white truck, 80s model, is heading north. Less than a tenth of a mile away, the truck runs into his shoulder and overcorrects. He is now in the southbound lane. I'm braking hard (fortunately, the brakesI didn't lock). I'm certainly not moving into his lane because I know that is where he will be trying to go, so I go into the shoulder on my side of the road. Fortunately we pass, but just as that happens, my
car starts spinning in the grass as I was continuing to brake. At this point the cars gets sideways and re-enters the road. Tires just don't work well when the car is traveling perpendicular to the way a tire is
supposed to roll! As a result, the car flips over one to two times and settles on the driver's side over in the northbound shoulder.

I'm alive (getting very sore now) because I had my seat belt on. Remember the video I sent to all of you about the guy who fell asleep and then lost control of the car. As the car rolled he ended in the
back seat partially out of the window....crushed from the car. You've seen it during our safety stand-downs. Everything in my front seat was
in the back seat except me!

Some people say you see your life flash before your eyes when stuff like this happens. I'm confident of what will happen in my afterlife so I didn't see my life play over in fast forward. I just saw that video
being played over in my mind and simply thought, "Lord, I hope the seat belt does the trick!" I'll let you decide if it was answered prayer, the seatbelt or both!

Well, I'm looking at my totaled car at the body shop while my wonderful wife is on the way to pick me up. I know one reason that I'm alive is because I had my seatbelt on. There were no increased risk factors that led to this accident (alcohol, late at night, tired, excessive speed, car in poor condition, etc.). It just happened.....sometimes bad things
happen without explanation. I'd like to think that because I walk the talk with what we've preached to you day-in, day-out, about driving safety, I'm walking away from this accident today.

Folks that stopped thought this was going to be real ugly....they were amazed....no cuts, no problem walking.....many told me that they thought I'd be dead....that I was lucky to be alive.

I have much to be thankful for!

Skipper

PS - the guy in the truck who ran me off the road didn't stop....the two folks behind me who saw it happen did and helped me out of the passenger
side window. Fortunately the car didn't go up in flames...it was still running when it stopped rolling and I realized I was OK!

BUCKLE UP!!!!! It really makes a difference!
Mike McKinnon
CAPT, USN
Commanding Officer
SUBASE Kings Bay

-------

Reading that email really hit me. I've always been an advocate of seat belt use, and been amazed when I see people so blatantly ignoring one of the easiest ways to prevent/minimize injury in an accident. You are not invincible! You can get hurt! And so can your kids/friends/coworkers... even your pets! Forget whether it's the law or not. Forget whether it's inconvenient, or uncomfortable (and if it's uncomfortable, you're probably wearing it wrong anyway!) or you're just in too much of a hurry. Do you think any of that is going to matter when you're in a halo, with screws in your head to keep you from moving? Or when your kids are in a coma with wires and tubes sticking out of their bodies and a machine keeping them alive? Or when you're at your friend's funeral, or they're at yours? It happens people!!! Wake up - and Buckle up! It could be you, next!

Jeep and sofa photos: ©happysq (used with permission)

Craziness

Photo by FlyButtafly (formerly TaGurit).

I loved going to the destruction derby last year. We only made it to the finale (one of those things where you keep saying you'll make it to one, and before you know it, there's only one left...) but man was it awesome. My kids loved it, and so did I.

This was a shot from one of the Rollovers. I uploaded a set specifically meant to be viewed as a slideshow - so you can get kind of an idea of what it was like. (Set it to 1 second - that's the fastest it can go - and a tip, it works better the second time through, due to caching. Also, I haven't uploaded - as of this post - all the rollovers yet, but I'm in the process of adding to the set. So check back in periodically.)

My son absolutely loved everything about the "redneck rodeo" - from the rollovers (he screamed and laughed every time one of the cars flipped) to the races themselves:



It's definitely an experience if you've never been to one before. The adrenaline starts flowing as soon as you hear the engines roaring, and doesn't stop till hours after you've left and gone home. I was a bit unprepared for the dirt clods that came flying up at us during various parts; that mesh fence all the photos are taken through was supposed to protect you from that... but some made it over anyhow; and some big ones at that! By the time we left, we had dirt clumps in our hair, on our clothes, and the grandstands were covered too. We didn't get to stay for the entire thing; we had our girls with us too, and they were getting tired. I can't wait until the next season starts in May!