Christmas Eve Traditions

In our home we switched up traditions a few years ago to get a little peace back into our Christmas worship...and also to enjoy our Christmas Eve traditions a little more.  See we get the house ready, make our Christmas Angel Food Cake, then we have a nice dinner, light the Christ Candle and sing to our Lord and Savior.  Truthfully the house is so full of nervous energy I am amazed everything gets done and enjoyed!

After dinner we set the family gifts out under the tree, say our prayers...and the kids get off to bed so the good St. Nicholas of Myra (the good Bishop who smacked Arius) pay us a visit!  Oh I mean Santa Claus in the red suit.  Except for a last minute requirement to find eggs (thank you Bunn family for letting us share your egg coop bounty at 945PM!) everything was perfect.

More later...but all is good in the Wojtkun Home!  Our Lord is made incarnate!  He is ready to show us the word spoken and expressed in creation since before time began!  What a wonderful, wonderful blessing to the world!  I also love how my children love each other.

So enjoy a glimpse into our home, celebration of Christ's birth, and understand my poor wife only looks a little green because Baby E is doing well and will make his name known next August.

-ehw

PS  These are the very first photos from Mr Fujifilm X-T1...enjoy!

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Merry Christmas Aunt Suzi and Uncle Steve!

Set out the Cookies with care

Can you feel the excitement?

A brief timeout!

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I am so blessed my Children love each other!

Playing Tag

If you thought playing tag at DjaDja's house meant running around 14 acres of land on your feet...you'd be so last century!  Heck we give the two year old and seasoned citizen the leg up in every way.  In fact the only guy running on foot was the cameraman!

-ehw

Hand in the Candy Bucket

I'll confess this little one is a sweetheart, and I'm partial to her since her parents are good friends of ours.  However I think those eyes make the shot, and capture your heart.  Her eyes will captivate you in person, and I hope I put such a feeling in this photo.

To accomplish this little shot I was playing with my favorite little lens, the Fujinon 23mm F1.4.  In this photo I experimented with an extremely shallow depth of field, opening the aperture all the way just to see what it will do.  Because I was using a mirrorless camera, my Fuji XE-1, I was able to see the DOF in the screen as I composed the image in real time.

I know some purists out there will be screaming that professionals use a viewfinder, and that I am violating some law of photography since I did not have my eye up to the viewfinder.  Heck I might as well have used a cell phone right?  Well probably yes and definitely no.

See part of the reason I switched from traditional DSLRs to this mirrorless design was I got comfortable keeping eye contact with my subjects during composition.  An instructor told us how vital was, and at first I was like yah right...but then I tried it.  Eye contact helped me take a great group photo of 64 VIPs.   Why?  Because by looking at my subjects I kept control over them.  It then helped me take individual subjects mind off the camera and kept it focused on our conversation.  With younger kids it became much less about the camera, and more about the game we were playing.  I found more candid moments caught, and fewer cheesy smiles that look like the child in under duress.

Well...the journey is still moving forward as I learn more about my little craft...and I hope to share more of these lessons as I go forward with you!

-ehw

Giving Thanks to God

   Our first President, and the Congress of the United States, dedicated this day to praying and giving thanks to God.  In the final paragraph we see him calling all public and private people to do our duties faithfully.  He also asks us to "promote the knowledge and and practice of true religion and virtue."  As you can see there is no separation of church and state.  To George Washington our bounty comes from God, and our personal duty is to live in accordance with Nature's Law.  To Christians this means we must live inside God's design for the world in all that we do.  

    In fact, to achieve personal and national civility we must receive adhere to this guidance.  The result of  dismissing this call to Nature's Law is chaos.  

    We need to look no further than the debates on Furgeson to recognize this.  Rioters in the streets don't care that the man killed willfully beat a man to rob his store moments before his encoutner with Police.  They do not want to recognize that the man was high on illegal drugs, something that would impair his judgement even more.  Obtaining supplies for this habit was the reason he robbed the store, and was wanted by police.  The natural effect of giving into vices such as these is a bad conflict with those entrusted by the citizens to protect them from such abusive behavior.  

    The solution to this type of problem is simple.  It is to live inside natural law.  To Christians this means simply to live out the Golden Rule...and your relations with others in your community will start off on good footing.   To solve many other problems we face, there is a good book that is our family instruction manual I can recommend:  The Bible.  Start with Poverbs and Wisdom...then move up to read of the word made man in the Gospel and natural law will unfold before your eyes.

    So make today something more than turkey and football.  Make today a moment that changes your life, and that of your family.  Give thanks to God Almighty, and point your family to the eternal wisdom of his word.  The greatest thanks you can offer God, is to deliver your house to stand with him.

-ehw

Raise a Veteran

    The theme for the day is to honor veterans for their service, both those who died and those who continue to serve.  In its original form, Armistice Day recognized the War to End All Wars.  Americans and Europeans moved into isolationism, turned inward and also sowed the seeds for the next war.  Free nations cast down their arms, and allowed others to prepare the engines of war to enslave them until it was almost too late.  Today we see the same problem around the world.  Engines of tyranny now spin up and prepare to pounce when weakness reaches its most critical point.

    As a historian, and man of Christian faith, I cannot in good conscience follow that example today.  I know there are good people in this world.  I also know there are those who give into evil.  Those people seek to either turn me to sin as an accomplice or make me their slave.  The enemies of freedom will never rest.  The enemies of building the Kingdom of God will never cease adapting to our transient strengths in their attempts to tear it down.

   In a nation of almost 350 million we have only about 1.5 million under arms today.  The nation's recruiters cannot get enough young men to join the service due to lack on interest, poor fitness, and (frankly) intellectual incapacity.  Many men get rejected due to gang affiliation and drug use.  So the administration is actually trying to bring foreigners (legal and illegal) into the ranks to defend this country.  As a reminder of history....when every great nation began to commission others to defend their statehood they fell.  Just look at the history of Rome.  Republic to tyranny.  Native sons to mercenaries.  

    So today please consider something a little different for Veteran's Day.  Don't just thank a veteran, raise a veteran.

   As a parent myself I can now feel the fear and angst felt when the child raises their hands to say, "This I will defend."  Despite the angst I know my life is but a transient one.  My days of quality service as a front line fighter now extend far into my past.  If my children want to be free, and give that gift to their children, they must one day put veteran somewhere on their resume.

    It is time we all realize it is not enough to just thank someone else for the gift of freedom.  It is time for each man to serve where able.  Service in the active duty military, guard, and police, fire and rescue all keep us safe.  It does not have to be a career...just a portion of life holding the line against the terrors of the night makes you a worthy veteran in my eyes. 

    So today do more than thank a veteran.  Raise a veteran.  Your grandchildren will thank you one day for giving them the gift of liberty.

-ehw.

Stepping Outside the Norm- Blue Knights

    As a high schooler I so longed to escape the drama and pressures to simply conform to popular culture.  I had no desire to participate in underage drinking, running the edge of the law, or disrespecting my parents.  I had no real love for the show described as funniest of the times...the Simpson's.  Here we see the prototypical popular culture Hollywood wants us to accept: A dunce Dad who worships beer and donuts, the Mom who is good hearted, the girl who always knows best, and the little boy who is a bratty idiot bumbling through life.   Any number of shows continue this tradition today.  

   I thought then being an adult would allow me to just be...me!  Then came college and adulthood.  That pressure to conform to popular culture just nevers stops.  I was watching football one Sunday last year, and noticed the commercials were just a rehash of everything of those years but even worse.  Dumb men, women on display, worship of bear and stupid stunts by young boys.

    I finally realized the reason I kept being targeted like this was I refused to come inside the "normal" range of tolerance for this behavior. Where most say that this is simply harmless, silliness I could not in good conscience allow my children to see it, before they had the Armor of God to fend off the vices.

    So I've been supporting this little boys club at church, called Blue Knights ( www.beholdpublications.com). In fact a friend and I founded the parish club for our boys.  Since then the group remained small, not for lack of marketing...simply because it competes with so many other things out there.  I pulled my eldest from the last part of two baseball practices last year to attend these meetings...yep we're not the norm.  We shut off broadcast TV, and screen what we see on Netflix.  Radical?  To most yes. However only the beginning of what I must do as a parent.

    My wife in her spiritual journey learned the thing we will each be judged on by Christ will be how we did my our children in terms of bringing the faith to them.  I learned contemplative faith is a gift of God given to some, but not all.  As a result, whatever we do for our children to raise them as children of God requires us to provide each child the unique skills and rules necessary for them to traverse life's turbulent seas.  

    My Father repeatedly said the same as I grew up, "I love you the same.  I just love you differently."  As a child I did not understand it as well as I do now. Of course I also wish the English language would use the proper words for types of love more freely.  What he said really echoes the bible parable about the workers coming in at different times...or being given different amounts of talents.  To each God loved them the same (unconditionally). However God gave of himself to each differently based on the man before him.

    Some children will never pass the stage of the Fear of God (doing what is right as to not disappoint God).  This is fine, because if they keep the Fear in their hearts, they will always live inside the boundaries of natural law. This takes them towards God's Kingdom with their fellow men.  Other's given the contemplative gift, well maybe they will be quiet enough to listen and heed God's word.  From that personal message I pray they develop a Love of God, where they make God's ways their own freely without reservation.  Either way, as a Father I would be happy to one day have them beside me worshipping God in heaven for all eternity.

    Society has no interest in you making it to heaven.  The world we see on TV wants you to buy this good, pull the election lever for their candidate, or pull you from others and focus on your personal pleasure.  So to each of you out there contemplating the road you will travel with your family, don't be afraid to step outside the norm.  Homeschooling, one parent employment, staying up every night working late in charity for your public school child, finding the right worship methods for you, finding the right role models in faith....each journey is custom built for you.  

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."   

    -Robert Frost

    Happy praise God Sunday!

-ehw

P.S.  These photos are what you can do if you turn the norm on its head....Halloween should be looked at for a Christian as the eve before All Souls Day when we praise those of virtuous living!  We should pray for our family, friends and selves to be on the same road to heaven!    

The Hand in the Sand

    On this Sunday morning, with the two youngest kiddos on my lap, I read the Divine Office of Readings for today.  The reading was about Ester.  Here she was a young woman being rounded up, just because of her beauty and taken into the harem of the king.

    I cannot imagine the thoughts and fears she had on that fateful day.  She was nothing more than a pawn, in fact she was less than a pawn at that moment.  She was a grain of sand in a vast desert.  However, inside that grain of sand we know as Ester something stronger and more significant was ready to bloom through the grace of God.

   See Ester had the seeds of faith planted inside that grain of sand through the gift of faith.  Through the events unfolding around her she would receive the choice to stand fast with her faith or cover her face in fear.  Her free choice to sacrifice herself for her people is a foreshadowing (one of many) of the type of life Christ led on his way to the cross.  

    As a parent Ester's story only tells part of the story's lesson.  Her foster father Mordecai fulfilled his parental and priestly duties towards Ester by first forming her in faith, and then continually reminding her of God's covenant through to her people.  A covenant which only survives if each generation embraces it freely in their hearts and deeds.  That is why Mordecai continued to remind his adopted daughter of God's commandments and covenant until the crisis peaked.

    The challenges we face in this world today are no different than those Mordecai and Ester faced.  The way to overcome those challenges are also no different than their responses.  Parents and children must respond to the hand in the sand, the love and wisdom of the Holy Spirit in all that we do.  

    Parents and clergy must form their children with wisdom and the fear of God (that is the desire not to disappoint God) so they can evolve their faith into Love of God (where we make his will our own).   We parents can never stop living our lives calling out both ourselves and our children to holiness.  We must never stop praying the gift of faith is given to our children.

    Children must understand as early as possible, they have a great inheritance.  The covenant of God passed down and expanded from God through Abraham, through David, through Christ to each of us.  Through this covenant we bind ourselves to follow his law, and obtain the rewards of eternal unity with him in heaven.    Their basic choice in life is to chose virtue over vice each day of their lives.   Whether they choose to do it from fear or love will be their own, and a decision they must understand accountability falls on them alone.

  Have a blessed Sunday while remembering how Ester and Mordecai listened to the hand in the sand.

-ehw

Fingers in the sand

Today someone drew in the sand a little story.  The lines left behind still drew me into an enchanting world of mystery. I may understand parts of the story, but I will never grasp the whole story!  I am sure of this since it was not my hand drawing out the tale.  It immediately made me think of God's handiwork I see around me, and the mysteries of God I will never comprehend.

Did you have an adventure from fingers in the sand today yourself?  

-ehw

A Different Day

A different type of day today.  It is a Federal holiday, so I had the day off and wrote up a busy schedule for myself.  However it was a still a school day for Regina Caeli Academy so the four kiddos with the momma got up and at it in the early morning light.

Nine days out of ten...well 95 out of 100...I am the guy up first and out the door while they enjoy their warm blankets for another hour or so.  So to be roused by my wife's alarm, and the sound of lots of other feet is a game changer.

Today you can see the Silver Bullet headed out the door on its mission.  As it left I found myself reading the news alone with my coffee.  I found myself experiencing the same fears I had in my bed last night at 2 and 3 and 4....Ebola, TB outbreak, Flu type 68,  ISIS, Russia on the move worldwide, China on the move in the South China Sea, a disarming US, Bishops in the middle east and Africa reminding their people they need to defend themselves, and a blatant turning away from natural law this country was founded on on every page.  

Now fear is not a good state to live in, instead it is an emotion that should push us to new work to right the situation.  So I made my list for the day, heard the divine office, read the morning prayer, and moved out to 9Am mass.  During mass I listened and fell deep into thought.  I wanted to ask God where he was.  I wanted to ask him to do something about this madness around me, to help my family survive the coming turbulence.  In the silence of post communion I my head rang with words from so many other sources me like a piece of lead dropped from the roof.

"Son I did do something about all this.  I made you."

With that I got myself into motion working on preparation for Blue Knights tomorrow night (6 new boys coming in for the first time making their shields), meeting with a friend, and saying a few prayers along the way.  I guess the big guy reminded me, to do what I can, where I can to build his kingdom.  So I better get a little busier!

-ehw

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Morning Coffee with a few Legends

This morning, before the raindrops came falling down around us...I got to spend some time with two legendary cars (as well as two younger siblings).  Yes I visited a Shelby Cobra collector and it was fantastic.

These are a '67 Shelby (number 500) and a '68 Shelby KR.  They are wonderful automobiles.  True museum pieces if I ever saw one...except these are working samples.  Both got back inside before the rain started coming down to protect their original coats of paint.  Hearing the engines was also a wonderful experience.  I wish I could give you a sample of the sounds along with the photos.  The owners were fabulous hosts!

I'd just like to extend my thanks to the owner and his family for welcoming me into their home today.  I am excited to return soon and complete the job on a drier fall day. I'd also like to thank them for letting me add these to my public portfolio! 

Thats right, the work you shall see in coming days is now part of my portfolio, and therefore available to you through EHW Photography.

-ehw

Our old Bug

My parents were not hippies (not my Army officer Dad!), but we did have this type of camper back in the 70's.  Since the statue of limitations is over I can tell you we sat five in a car with only three seat belts for several years.  My sister and brother both slept on a hammock over the driver's seat as toddlers.  I can't remember if I was in the tent or not.  I think I did, at least once.  We also went to see the first Superman movie at the drive through in this big bug as a family.  That was a fun night.  I also remember holding the check from the back used to pay for it...and as an adult I drove past that spot and memory every day for two years 30 years later.

This automobile may not be a horse, but it does foster bonds between who we are today and our past.  Maybe it is because we associate travel with growth and freedom here in the USA.  I know this is a poor way to explain an American and their automobiles.  I just had to get those stories out.  The car made me do it!

-ehw

P.S. X-E1 with HDR Efex Pro2, Slight color treatment in Nik Color Efex 4.

Classic Lines

This car sat right next to my booth on Sunday.  It was screaming to be photographed.  This is one of my favorites from the car.  The light and reflection of trees in the chrome makes it almost magical.  Well in my opinion!  I hope you agree.  Any feedback is appreciated.

As with so many cars at the show this one brought back memories for my childhood.  This was the car of the Rich and Famous in my teen years.  I could never hope to own one (still can't) but they were very refined and lovely cars for their day.  Today they are just plain old classy.

-ehw

P.S. jpeg HDR conversion, nine shots +/-3EV.  Done in HDR Efex2 by nik.  Color Effex4 chrome correction, and finished in Perfect Effects 8.

A Shelby Day

I'm very excited.  My son and I had a great time at Caffeine and Octane on Sunday morning.  I cannot reveal the details yet, but lets just say this photo is practice for an upcoming project.

Although we had many challenges as a family this weekend, it turned out alright.  Now I'm getting ready for another good work week with great people solving problems.  I can only thank God for the opportunity to care for my family and others whenever possible.  Jesus is the greatest example of selflessness in history...and I hope I am living the calling he set before me.

-ehw

P.S. Fujifilm X-E1 post in Nik Color Effex4..and a touch of sharpening in Aperture with a brush.  As always if you want to know what I did, contact me and I'll share.  

Words and deeds

    This week's readings and homily at church brought to light a concept of our faith as Christians.  It was that God's ways rule, not ours.  Simple concept, making perfect sense, if you accept that God is perfection in every way.

     In our lives, however, the natural cycle of things is we are born narcissistic looking out for ourselves.  As such it would be only natural for us to think that whatever we need, want or think gets our desires covered is the correct course of action.  Good parenting knocks that silliness out of us young.  We can start seeing how selfishness actually causes separation from our brothers and sisters.  Only by working with others, and caring for them as much as ourselves do we build the friendships needed to survive in this world.  This basic understanding of friendship is the antidote to narcissism.  Friendships allow us to  succeed as a husband, father, coach, soldier, businessman, farmer, or priest.

    The Gospel (Matthew 21:28-32) today told us the story of the two brothers.  One brother said no to his father's commands, but went out to follow them anyway.  The other brother said yes to his father's commands, but did not heed the instruction.  One was in the right, and one was in the wrong at the end of the day.  For the man who repented and did the right thing, salvation awaited him.  For the man who talked the talk, but walked away life would end.

    Obviously we would rather say and do the right thing all the time!  This would surely be the easiest way to unity with Christ in word and deed!  We are however fallen creatures, made with weakness and stubborness.  As such we are very capable of failing in word, deed or both! 

    Thankfully our perfect God knew this, and provided us many paths towards redemption from our birth until the very end of our earthly lives.  It is truly the only way we could be saved given our original state of mind.  I guess it is just one more way to understand why God's ways rule, not ours.

-ehw

A night out in Roswell

The last week was a crushing one around the house.  Two boys in baseball (at different fields for four nights in the week), dance four nights a week for the eldest daughter, homeschool bowling league, Blue Knights for the boys, American Heritage Girls for the eldest, Lego Robotics Club for the older son....can you identify a few of these event occur simultaneously?  Oh and the two year old always has something going on!  So please forgive the slow photo blog postings.  It just will not happen when the first time I sit down at night is 9:30PM...and 5:35AM looks too close to the dial.

Friday was a treat thought.  I took the Mrs. out to dinner using a little saved up cash from the weekly allowance.  We talked about the children of course, while they made pizza at home.  Oh the joys of having a responsible teenager and eleven year old working together!  

Saturday came, and with it about five and half hours on ball fields for me.  A drizzle of rain in the morning game, and a glorious afternoon of high seventies.  Both boys had to get hit by pitches though.  For Kalen it was the fourth time this year...the boy is a ball magnet!  Since the youngest had a special trip with Dad to the park a few weeks back, the oldest daughter needed a treat.  So I took her downtown last night to Roswell, and found some relatively inexpensive food.  It is wonderful to talk with her about the book she is writing (and I'm the editor of), school, life and the scene around us.  If I don't take those minutes she'll be out the door and I won't even know who she is!

The nice part of being with her though, is that she is a budding artist.  So I was able to pull out the little camera, set it on multiple film types and show her the color of Roswell at night Fujifilm style!

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The Old porch at night...

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A reception house set up for a wedding 

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Julia's catch

If you followed me this far...enjoy this last shot.  Julia saw the moon rising over the church and asked me to see if I could capture it in the photo. 

So after a day praising God we're back into the thick of it!  Two more weeks of baseball..then it is serious Lego Robotics....then the holidays...thank God I can enjoy this life with such a wonderful family!

-ehw

Memories of Childhood

Walking through Old Car City an International Harvester pickup sat thinking of glorious days long past...and I thought of shifting my first gears at the age of 7 or so...

See we once had a 1970 Scout, made by IH.  It was the fancy model with dual gas tanks and a four speed manual transmssion.  It ran on anything according to my Dad.  It was pretty smooth going to school down Poverty Lane (yes there is such a road in West Lebanon, N.H.)  It was so smooth in fact that my Dad could drink his coffee in an open cup while changing gears!

I know you are now asking how do you drink coffee nicely when you are driving a stick shift?  Well that is of course easy when you deploy your optional automatic child transmission to shift on command.  I think my Dad was WAY ahead of his time.  I mean this transmission was voice activated!  "Second! Third! Fourth!...slowing down now Four, Three, Two.......stop...First!"  Google car eat your heart out!

I was the proudest second grader on the planet when I got to school.  Not only was my Dad the ONLY Army officer in the state, the only one to understand how to build a Army standard bunker...but I was the ONLY child shifting gears of an automobile!

-ehw

P.S. As for the image this is my first image in the Fall Collection.  After reading the HDR Book by RC (www.aboutRC.com) I went back to work on several older photos.  Using new ideas, tools and skills many images found themselves re-invented...and much improved.  That is the beauty of digital and art...it can grow with you if you challenge yourself from time to time to not live on your laurels.  This will be available for purchase on 12x12 metallic floating mount for $115 by the end of the week.  Larger sizes available on request...I promise you will not be disappointed..Why later?  I am awaiting the proof copy right now to make sure it is just the way I want it!

Travel into the wild...

Yesterday I met a young photographer and she showed me some of her urban explorations....pretty cool stuff.  Well talking to her I also made me long to get out a shoot myself.  You know work and play often don't mix it up very well...and the client projects I did make over the last month were for internal release only!

So after we got home, fed the kiddos and enjoyed a quick date night out I realized I still had some daylight left.  Instead of urban exploration I did some deep forest exploration from my backyard.  I spent the rest of the night playing with development settings, Aperture, Capture One, OnOne, Nik Suite....just to see what I could do.  This is one of the three I liked.  I wanted it to make me think I was really deep in a mysterious woods. I hope I fooled you!

So the moral of the day is..as Bob Coates would say...take some time to play and imagine.  Sometimes it unlocks doors you would not know existed.

-ehw

PS Fujifilm X-E1, 23mm, tripod mount, Capture One and Silver Effects Pro2.

The benefits of Social Media in reverse

     Oh tonight I had to laugh at irony.  See in our house we have two thoughts on social media.  I use it to connect with people, but I do try to be pretty careful with where and what I publish.  I know that it is probably not going to go away in my lifetime.  So I just try my best to deal with it.  My wife hates social media.  It can all burn in hell for all she cares.  She likes her cave, and the telephone.  Give her a call or set up a visit is her motto.

    Well tonight a family friend reconnect via some social media.  We've been out of touch, and our two families had a pretty busy couple of years.  So by luck she finds me on one of those blasted social media sites, requests to be linked up, and we share numbers.  Since this is my wife's good friend I send the number and tell her just minutes later.

    Now I sit here 70 minutes later and the two friends are still going strong on the phone.  I am sure I will go to bed and be followed when I am fast asleep.  To be honest I am happy she is on the phone.  Just a few nights ago I was enjoying a conversation that took me back to my highland home in N.Y. twenty two years ago.  So it is a good event we should be joyous for.   I just hope she remembers it resulted from that blasted social media.

    So the motto for the night is social media is ok when used in moderation.  The power of a friends voice is a timeless remedy for many of the trials we face in this journey.  So do yourself a favor, put your life in reverse and connect with an old friend.  Share your journeys, pray for them, and I am sure you will sleep with a smile on your face tonight.

-ehw

P.S. Pentax K-5 from 18 months ago.  I reprocessed this one in Capture One Pro tonight.  I really like what that program can go out of the box.

The Coming Moment

     This cruxifiction moment the world changed, but the miricle did not end with that moment.  It benefitted those who passed before it, and those who passed after.  Each of us get shot at eternal life with God because of it.  

     As we said the Rosary last night, we reflected on the Sorrowful Mysteries.  It brought me back to recently read a chapter from St Thomas Aquinas, reminding us that God exists outside time.   God can use this past moment to inspire and save us now in this moment.  To God now is no different than if we stood at the foot of the cross then.

    In the midst of our prayers, I tried to place myself at the foot of the cross.  I kept asking myself if I would be brave enough to live my faith out in the face of the threats around me.  Would I have faith looking at pagan Roman soldiers, to whom I have no value except as a slave?  Would I be cowered in fear by the vengeful crowd who reject the law of God?  Would I stay silent knowing the enemy has spies ready to bear witness to their lords about my adoration for the man on the cross?

    I found myself wanting.  Still afraid, but slowly growing in the strength of faith for the tests that lay ahead of me.  I can see in this land this land today, those same threats faced by the fathers of the faith growing in strength.   Surely you can see the new tests arising for Christians everywhere as well.

    What can you say for yourself?  Are you ready for your coming moment?

A Good Day

     This weekend my family joined a co-op hybrid school (part school, part homeschool) at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new campus.  The event was simple and awesome.  Why?  Because they opened in thanksgiving, reminded everyone that the core mission of the school is to build the Kingdom of God, and we prayed over the people and facilities for God's grace to reign down on them.  

     I worked as the "official" photographer.  I hope I did well enough that they ask me back! I told my wife that I felt great that I could be a part of the communinty by working.  She just smiled at me and whispered, "I know" as she smiled rubbed by head.  That wife of mine is a keeper.  (She's at teacher orientation today!)

     One of my favorite moments was watching the lonely playground quickly fill with over a dozen children.  Here I caught just a second of the fun, but you can clearly see my son loving the fellowship of new and old friends.  It is a moment of joy I want to hold on to for a long time in my heart.

 -ehw

P.S.  For more information on this community of faith please go to the Regina Caeli Academy homepage  http://rcahybrid.org