The Recital

    Something happened on the way to her fourteenth birthday...see found grace, beauty, poise and calm.  You see here a little lady making her Daddy proud for her dedication to rehearsal, and making the most of every opportunity she gets to dance.  It is with gladness I see a strong Catholic woman growing before me, and sadness when I realize how fast my time with her is drawing to a close.  I also find touch of humor when I find a grey hair or two popping out after a night like tonight.  I just hope it means I will get a crown of glory like proverbs promises!

-ehw

P.S.  Yes this was done on my Fujifilm X-T1.  Mirrorless has come a long way with autofocus and sensor tech.  It is still one of the few nights a year when I long for a 35mm sensor DSLR on a tripod with a good F2.8 lens....But after looking at this I really cannot complain...I got a few great shots and that is all I need.

Our Father...

    The "Our Father" is the perfect prayer since Christ himself taught it to us.  It is therefore so fitting we say it just before we approach the altar to receive communion.  I reminds us of the awesomeness of God, the reverence for his name, the greatness of his kingdom, the submission to his will required to be part of the kingdom on earth and in heaven.  The prayer then foreshadows the transubstantiation of Christ in the Eucharist by asking for our daily bread!  Finally it asks for forgiveness of our sins, and the openness we must have to forgive others who also come home to the Lord.  Why?  We are all sinners in a fallen world where temptation lurks everywhere.  We will all fall from time to time, and have a need to come back into the good graces of God.

-ehw

PS  Sorry my thoughts are so jumbled this week.  I feel like I have a huge case of writers block!

Faces of Joy

    Seeing the joy on so many young faces this weekend at first communion was a great experience.  This is actually one of the best parts of parenthood.  Helping your child experience these good steps towards adulthood should fill you with joy as well.  Helping our children to know and love the Lord is a challenge, and of the greatest importance to parents for our own eternal salvation.  So let us pray we do our evangelization joyfully, and the children respond in kind as they continue their rites of initiation!

   -ehw 

First Communion and a Special Priest

    This weekend we celebrated another wonderful family milestone.  Our third child received the Most Holy Eucharist for the first time.  With family, friends and a wonderful priest around us; we had a weekend to remember for a lifetime.  On a weekend where I had tears fill my eyes as Kevin approached our priest, I just wanted to share one thought with you right now.

   Father Mario, of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Alpharetta, is a very special priest.  Last year it was this priest who rearranged his calendar to help my wife through the miscarriage with sacraments, and me with prayer.  Father Mario, and several deacons, constantly encourages the altar service of my oldest son...and made a call for my second son to join him on the altar at the First Communion Mass.  This wonderful priest also quietly will touch my arm every time I pass him, and asks how the new baby and my wife are doing.  His homilies always have humor, yet never shy away from calling us out to increased holiness.  He also does not shy away from answering tough questions on the homily from my three oldest children...and this happened twice this school year already!

    I ask for each of you to pray for the ministry of this special man.  He is doing God's work, and not shying away from the challenge of calling men out to join him on the journey.  

    God Bless you Father Mario!

-ehw

P.S. With so much craziness around us, I wanted to let you my friends know people do exist in this world who are making a difference to add souls to God's Kingdom.  For so many of them, raising them up in prayer is the only thing we can do to help sustain them.  While some may think this a trite thing to do, it actually can mean the difference in their sustaining their strength in their difficult job!  If you agree share the sentiment along the way!

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Father visited each First Communicant at the sign of peace

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Father Mario takes a moment to bring God's grace at every opportunity

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Father Mario's standing order to altar servers...if you are here for daily mass suit up!

Prettiest Time of the Year

    The last few weeks are the prettiest of the year in Atlanta.  Flowers and blossoms exploding with wonderful color all over town.  Our metro area is the most forested in the United States, and we have lots of blooming trees and bushes! It is also the only time my eyes want to be closed shut to fight off the pollen!  I am doing a little better this year thanks to my doc...but it is really tough!

-ehw

The balloon

   For the record: If Napoleon thought he could inspire Grand Armies with little ribbons I think I may be able to solve the problems of children everywhere with enough balloons.  Just one ballon for each child can solve childhood obesity, cooperation, sleep deprivation and getting behind in physics!

-ehw

Boxing

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Cooperation

Magical Moment

    Last night we attended a birthday party for one of the teachers at our school.  It was a wonderful night.  What struck me the most about the evening was how deceivingly simple it was.   The teacher's family organized an iPad based karaoke machine, a sign, dessert, music, balloons, the teacher's brother said mass (yes he is a priest), and each family brought food for themselves plus some.  Children vastly outnumbered adults, and even managed the entertainment all night long.  Many teens also assisted us parents by holding (and chasing) infants and toddlers efficiently across the school gymnasium for an hour or two.  

    Above you see my seven year old swing dancing with a wonderful spirited four year old.  Later he was swing dancing with a lovely fifth grader!     I am glad my children will have these memories, and lessons on good social graces.  I will never be able to take them to fancy amusement parks, exotic locations, and even movies are a strain on the budget.  But this type of night was both precious and priceless.  You could even say it was magical.

-ehw

P.S.  Yes the lights were out in the gym.  You can really say it was one of the few times I really wished I had a costly full frame DSLR rig with see in the night capability!

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The simple things...like a sweet dance

-ehw

Minor miracle of Divine Mercy

Stained glass window above the altar of St Pope St John XIII in Miramar, Florida

    As I continue to grow in my faith I strive for constant learning of new devotions and receiving apologetics.  Just before Easter, Catholic Digest arrived at the House. I read it on Palm Sunday.  During my readings I saw a few in depth articles about the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena.  I found myself impressed, and desired to say the novena starting on Holy Thursday.  I was doing other missions over the Tridium and started late...so instead of culminating my novena sunday I finished my novena yesterday.

    Yesterday I left on a trip.  I was not enthused about this trip, too much to do both at home and the office.  As is my custom, I took my camera to see what I could capture for his glory.  As my stomach growled, and light started to wane I quickly searched the map for the keyword Catholic.  Right down the street was St. John XIII Catholic Church.  I set off to visit.  I asked the office if I could take some pictures of the church, and they said yes but to please not bother people in the Adoration Chapel...of course I agreed.  I am sure the lady thought I was crazy, but most people do!

     The photo above was what I first saw when I entered the church.  It is a stained glass version of the Divine Mercy image commissioned by St. Faustina.  I went into the Adoration Chapel to complete my novena for the day.  Around the chapel I found great comfort.  I saw images and traditions from Mexico, Poland, Italy, and Western Europe.  I was at home away from home in the arms of my Catholic faith.

     I know many may not think much of my little reported miracle.  I recently read a set of comments by people about how they could never give themselves over to belief in God.  They said the science just was not there.   I will pray for them to receive the grace of Divine Mercy, so they too can see the little gifts of God's love all around them .  The hug of a child, the kindness of a passer by, the sacrifice needed to preserve true freedom in this world all are things I want and will capture here on this blog. I hope through these little miracles I see and record using the science of light others may come to accept the Grace of God and live in his glory.

-ehw

The stories a tricycle could tell...

    I took a trip down memory lane yesterday.  it all started with taking this photo last week on Holy Saturday.  Here is my youngest riding a tricycle with a long history in the family.  This was is the second tricycle we owned, but all four children rode it.   I got to thinking about all the stories it could tell.  Right now the tricycle is in fear as the current driver (child #4) threatens to run down the driveway into the street...just because she is a cute red headed dare devil.

Owner #3 circa 2010

    Just a few years ago the child #3 furiously tried keeping up with big brother's two wheeler.   This little guy does not like loosing, and it took a lot of learning to understand one day he would have his own two wheeler.  (Oh did I mention tears as well when the fatigue set in?)  Until he got his own big bike, he made use of the bucket for hauling everything!  He showed people he was Virginia tough.

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Owner #1 circa 2005 

    A few years earlier we had the original owner get his new bike...and found he only had eyes for his sister's bike!  That is exactly what you see here.  The little guy is not looking for ways to pedal...no he was watching for a hijack opportunity of his sister's older tricycle.  He never rode it after this! 

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What happens when you get hijacked and the thief leaves his car with keys?

    Well this was the first time my big girl took over driving the tricycle...it was just minutes after the photo above.  See her brother came over, traded, and never came back.  A few weeks later I finally gave up trying to get my son on this one.  I reset it for her to ride for about a year when she got her first two wheeler.  Then it got handed on to the rest of the family.

    Well...the moral of this post is to remind you to capture memories with what ever you have.  These photos come from a 2 Megapixel point and shoot camera circa 2001, a 10 Megapixel 2009 Pentax DSLR, and a 2014 Fuji with a cool X-Trans sensor!  Do you really care?  No!  What matters are the memories and emotion attached to the photo.  If the photo tells a story you'll want to relieve, it will stay in your collection forever.

    So when child #5 rides this little bike, I will be ready camera in hand to record another story and chapter of my family life.  It will be something I want to remember many years from now.

    What stories will you treasure?  What photos will you hold on to?  In the end it is all that will matter.

-ehw

He is Risen!

    The title of this post comes from an ancient Christian tradition that during the Easter season you should greet on another with the words: "He is Risen!" and the receiver will reply: "He is Risen Indeed!"

    So with that simple, glorious thought I leave you to enjoy your day with family and fellow Christians around the world!  

    HE IS RISEN!

-ehw

Good Friday- The Quest!

   Good Friday was a day for set up as a quest for three young Blue Knights, an aspiring squire, and two dads!  We accepted a challenge to travel vast distances to visit three churches, attend stations of the cross, and locate our dear Jesus, St. Joseph and Holy Mother Mary at each stop.   We did all our good prayers at each stop! We were lucky on this journey to also encounter friends from Regina Caeli at two stops!

    On a Daddy note, it was wonderful to see some full churches and services.  It is always painful to dwell on what the Lord did for each of us.  Yet, when I saw brothers and sisters filling the pews I knew the message still carries the day in more hearts than the devil cares hear of.  So in the midst of the tragedy unfolding then, and now, I still could feel the victory of Christ on the Cross alive in my heart.

  Next up?  Big Kids and Dad attend veneration this evening!

-EHW

PS Rare photo of the author and his boys at the end!

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Kevin reads the stations...

All the boys participated!  Wonderful!

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St Brendan in Cumming, GA

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St Bridget in John's Creek

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Ok enjoy it while you can...A proud Dad with his boys.

Holy Thursday- Institution of the Eucharist

Wonderful night at Holy Thursday Mass!  Institution of the Holy Eucharist and Priesthood!  

The only thing missing was my wonderful wife, Kellie Marie and Baby Echo...staying up until 1030 was not really a good option for those three.  We had a great mass, Kalen served, Kevin and Julia sang up a storm in the pews, and then we participated in the procession around the church with the eucharist to the chapel of repose.  Me...well I helped with some of the parish photos for the night from my seat!

This is a quick post as I have some quick planning to do for a little quest to see three churches this afternoon during the passion of Christ with some Blue Knights in tow!

-ehw

PS A little experiment with a choma chrome setting on my camera indoors and outside with a straight raw file for you geeks that care!

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The hour is almost here!

The hour is almost here! 

Are you ready?  Easter is. Day on the calendar, but the challenge to your faith in the one true God could come at any time.  Are you ready to carry your cross? 

I can only hope and pray I will not fail my Lord when my time comes.  That cross looks heavy to me!

-ehw

You know you lost...

    As we move into Holy Week, I want to note how you can spot someone who knows they cannot not win a logical argument.   It is really quite simple.  As you listen to a debate, if one of debate participants suggests changing the definition of a known word the debate is lost to them.  This is when the only hope to win is to make a word change its meaning, or attach an emotion to a word which will overshadow the logical reality presented in the judges's presence.

    So with this in mind you should now be able to clearly see what "progressive" really means in debate terms.  Progressives will change a word like a chameleon changes colors.  It explains why words which mean one thing for all of history, must now change and bow to "modernity."  It explains why some people are so hostile to classical homeschooling education.  If one is to know the truth as revealed throughout the ages past, it does not allow you to willingly follow an illogical tyrant to your death.

    This week as you pray and reflect on what the Lord did for us, put his life into its original context.  If you do this I believe you will find the salvation story did not change from Genesis to the Cross or the Acts of the Apostles.  Salvation's themes did not change with the shape of the sand dunes, or the empires in charge of the world since the Apostles either.

    Salvation history and natural law only change if you personally think you know more than God.  It also assumes you can rewrite the laws of nature itself to suite your world view.  Thankfully for those times when we all let our selfishness out of the box, we can turn to God for mercy.  After paying the piper for our sins, we certainly can get back on the proper path to communion in heaven with the Lord.

-ehw

Sense from Tragedy

    This week two sisters lost their babies in child birth on the same day in childbirth just hours apart.  One of the sisters, and her children, are friends of our family.  The loss struck home after our two miscarriages last year, and with our anticipation of Baby Echo's arrival in August.  We know of their pain, and pray for their families to weather the storm of emotion which comes with it.   The event brought back common question from a few people I talked to: "How can God let such pain enter the world if he is so great?"

    Maybe this can help explain a little bit...

    A little over a week ago some criminals broke into my car, and emptied it out of everything they could make money from.  I was mad, scared, embarrassed, the whole range of emotion.  I of course went to mall security, called the cops, and asked if they had anything which could help my situation.  As I walked with the security manager to my car we started talking.

   As we approached my car he identified how they crooks got in from previous robberies.  Then we waited for the patrol unit to arrive with a detective.  As we waited I popped the trunk and in it only three items remained.  One of them was a 14 year old army camouflage folding chair issued at only one place in the Army.

  He looked at it and said, "Were you an OC in the desert?"  Well yes I was...  Soon I found out he was Sidewinder 39 Ancient, and he found out I was a Cobra 13 Ancient at the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.  He threw artillery fire, and I chased armored companies across the desert floor.  We roamed the desert  for two years together, possibly only meeting at a dinner or two for mere minutes...but we effected each other's work and knew the call signs. 

   I asked him how he liked the tour, and he responded it was a tough tour.  During their tour out in the desert he had a stillborn baby in 2001.  It was then my heart sank, and I knew the other side of a story.

  Almost 14 years ago in a desert far far away in 2001:

   When my wife had our first pregnancy her blood pressure spiked greatly.  The doctor scheduled extra checks, and on her week 38 visit the blood pressure was still at the same spot...high...as the week before.  The doctor then said abruptly, "One way or another this pregnancy ends today."  Just the tone of her voice put chills in our hearts, and the words sunk into our heads like lead weights in water.  After a quick trip home to get our hospital bag we had our baby girl in our arms just four hours later.  My wife's blood pressure ended up causing no problems, and quick action by the doc kept the cord around my girl's neck from causing lasting harm.

   As we held our baby a few hours later I asked the nurse if the doctor was always that curt in her bedside manner.  The nurse said no.  My wife however matched the profile of a women who lost her child in the clinic earlier in the year.  The doctor would take no chances with this pregnancy, and wanted to protect the baby at all costs.  This was why the doctor was so focused during our delivery day.

Ten days ago...

   I put my hand on that Security Chief's arm, and told him his baby saved my baby's life.   I know my words can do nothing to ease the pain of such a loss, but I had to say them.  I was happy to then hear his other children are now strong adults.  He is proud of them, as he should be.  I did however remember him and his family in my prayers at some point in the days since that moment.

    So here is the answer to the question about pain and suffering in this world right under the nose of an all powerful God.  We live in a fallen world feeling the effects of original sin.  Fallen worlds have sickness, death and people doing their selfish will rather than working for unity in God's will.  Through all of this God, still gets the last laugh.

    I know babies born without the breath of life go straight to the embrace of God.  Then you have incidents like the losses of these three families.  I know the crooks got away with my stuff, but in their evil I met a man thousands of miles and years later who's family's sacrifice saved the life of my lovely oldest daughter...my Desert Rose.  What will come out of the losses of these sisters today?  I do not know yet, but I know there is seed sown for great and redeeming works of grace which may not bloom for decades.  When it blooms the name of two cousins will be on it, and they two will rejoice in its bloom as they dance with the Lord.

    Until the day this new grace blossoms, I will enjoy the dancing of my blooming Desert Rose as I reminisce on this chance to see how God works his will through both the good and the bad.

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Transfigure Us O Lord!

    Today's reading was about the Transfiguration of our Lord.  The great foreshadowing for heaven's glories!  

    The thought of that reminded me of this photo I took a few weeks ago.  A nice statue of Mary  backlit and a little flash up front...Well illuminated just like she was in life as she fully accepted and lived the life of love Christ called us to lead.  

     Well here is to praying we all have a good week dreaming of God's glory!

-ehw  

Leading us to the Cross

    Walking by this statue of Mary, something told me to stop and look again.  So I did look again.  Suddenly a message screamed out at me, "FRAME A GOOD SHOT!"  I am not going to call it divine revelation by any means, but my inner artist saw something it just needed to capture.

    Take it for what you want.  See what you want.  I just saw Mary reminding me her Rosary leads us to study her Son, Jesus Christ.  When our moment comes we'll choose which sinner to imitate.   By studying Christ's mysteries though meditation during the Rosary, we will find ourselves better prepared for that moment.

-ehw

P.S.  Fujifilm X-T1 with a little fill flash to even up the scene a tinny bit.  Processed RAW in Capture One 8.  So far it all just works and is a lot of fun!

A Day of Ashes

    Today starts the longest 40 days of the year: Lent.  I kept up a small tradition of getting a photograph on the way to work at the church I attend for Ash Wednesday mass.  Today it was All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody, Georgia.

    One thing struck me in the morning mass, and it was the fact that Catholics on this day are called to put a sign of repentance on our foreheads.  A mark that we have sinned and now must begin to the repentance and change needed to draw closer to God.  God's mercy is boundless, but it is not available unless we make the internal and external corrections changing our live's to match God's law.  

    This evening (I unexpectedly had to take the big kids since the pregnant momma was feeling ill at noon) the priest specifically cited challenges of our times.  He reminded us of how easy the internet puts threats to marriage, sanctity, chastity, integrity and life in God in front of us.  In many ways, instead of making our lives easier it makes resisting the challenges of evil harder.  He reminded all of us, our guard cannot drop.  The reality is though, we are human and our guard will drop.  

    As a result, this season of reflection and penance is more necessary than ever for us.  It is our chance to refocus our lives towards God.  It is our chance to review where new threats from evil enter our lives, how they hurt our community here on earth.

    I think most people know this.  My wife reminded me tonight Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States.  Despite this fact, she said more people will attend service today on any Holy Day of Obligation on the calendar outside of Easter and Christmas! 

     So in a world which filled the headlines with wicked spiritual warfare from ISIS, a mayor fired a respected and honorable fire chief for the sin of speaking his faith like Pilgrims did, and people steal identities like a monsoon brings rain...we have a sign of hope from the Holy Spirit.  Today more Catholics (and the Anglicans I saw waving on the street for people to come in and visit) went to church to start righting themselves with God's law just because they KNOW THEY NEED GOD to achieve the potential greatness he laid in their souls at conception.  

    Pretty nice thought if you ask me.

-ehw

P.S.  Fujifilm XT-1 with 35mm.  Liking the camera more everyday.  It just works without getting in my way.

My Valentine Loves

    Somehow Valentine's day came and provided us a good bit of time together, while we all worked a number of projects simultaneously.  Of course the Daddy was able to distract a few with donuts for a while!  While three kids got a donut with Daddio (who only drank a cup of decaf)...the big girl enjoyed some peace and quiet with her mother for two hours.  

    I know some may say we're crazy for having all these kids, and I have to admit when I look at the daily calendar I almost think they are right.  When you have children you know who runs the house calendar most days of the week.

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Kevin full of heart

   Then I look at these photos.  I remember the smiles, heartaches, experienced frustrations, lessons going both ways, and the love spelled agape.  The moment I work through the memories and reach the agape though I must pause in awe.

    See the agape moment is the connection I have now with my parents and in-laws.  My Mom just sent me a note telling me she made my Dad's favorite dinner...meatloaf...and I remembered meatloaf dinners she made for my birthdays.  I know the stories of my in-laws scrapping pennies to save up for a nice trailer, and camping trips with their family they never forget.  Those are moments of selflessness we are meant to live for.  Those selfless acts are what connects us from one generation to the next with fondness.   I have yet to see a selfish act do the same.  

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The boy with a golden touch with children..and their greatest defender

    In that agape moment His Glory shines through...and I must capture it with a click of the shutter.  I hope you can see His Glory in these captures of time as well.

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The oldest soul amongst us...with a gift of kindness in all things

-ehw

P.S.  Fujifilm XT-1 with electronic shutter enabled...and a whole lot of experimentation going on!  Processed in Capture One Pro 8

Revisiting a shot...and Christ's example today

    Two nights ago I read a very short essay on photography.  The author (Scott Bourne) exhorted readers to revisit a site time and time again.  To shoot the scene from above, below, left, right, with new settings and depth....all because in photography we try to capture three dimensions in a two dimensional frame.  When you also consider we artists may try to communicate a sense of the environment and emotion in those same two dimensions I think you can agree the task of making art communicate is actually harder than it looks.

    So that is why I again visited a familiar subject.  The cross in our sanctuary at St. Thomas Aquinas Church here in Alpharetta, Georgia.  I've heard a few sermons about Christ's victory on the cross recently, and it made me think in new ways about those hours when he sacrificed himself for us.   Then last week I read about using flash with grid to isolate a subject in broad daylight.  Well I had no flash, but I could play with my exposure meter just enough to get me on my way to the same effect.  So in the silence of the church I was able conceive in my mind a vision of a piece of art I wanted to share.

    I wanted to convey the feeling the devil wanted Christ, and you and I, to feel when crucified or targeted by his dark friends.  I wanted to convey the sense of darkness surrounding Christ on the cross.  While I conveyed that, I also wanted to give us viewers a sense of hope.  I did that by making sure the inner light of the word made flesh shone out above the darkness.  I thought this might show how he gives hope to the world in our darkest moments.

    See I could also see, in the back of my mind, the terrible atrocities being committed against Christians in the Middle East.  Boys and girls my son' Kevin's s age are being tortured, and murdered, under the crucifixes of their churches because their hearts stand with God.  As a father and shepherd, my heart and gut is wrenched thinking of what happened to them.  I fear what could happen to my sweet children, if spiritual and martial defenses weaken in the slightest degree. The darkness is my fear revealed.

     I can also see the light.  Those young innocents and martyrs also demonstrate complete faith in Christ's word.  They literally display the faith of a child in the face of men with weapons and fully developed strength.  Those children are the light of Christ on the cross, hands outspread, using their final acts of faith to call me to greater unity with God in my daily lives.

     I have so much more I need to learn and do to live the life God intended for me.  It makes me wonder who and where my next lesson will arise from.

-ehw