Friday, November 28, 2014
From October to Now....My Crazies
Anthony running track
Daniel running track
Anthony's annual pictures
Daniel's annual pictures
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Chahuli Exhibit at Denver Botanic Gardens
I won tickets to the Chahuli Exhibit at Denver Botanic Garden. While I had previously seen it about a decade ago in Atlanta, it had so many new exhibits and I was completely in love. The intricate designs and incredible colors blew my mind.
Awaiting "Baby A"
One of my closest friends, here in Colorado, is expecting her baby girl any day now and I was given the privilege of shooting her maternity shots.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Happy Colorado-versary
My Colorado-versary was two days ago. It was the day that I moved out here and embarked on the biggest adventure I'd ever been on. It was the scariest, but most wonderful time of my life and I don't think I could have been more mixed emotion through the months that followed. So here is what I've learned in the past year.....
Colorado Drivers get crazier the further away from Denver you get You'd think this would be the opposite. Not so. People are more inclined to cut you off and give you the finger in the outskirts. There are a lot more passholes out that way and there are DEFINITELY a lot more people with an inability to properly merge. Still, Colorado drivers are NOTHING compared to Georgia, Florida or California.
While we're on the topic, Denver drivers need merging lessons Maybe a lot of them are people that moved here as adults (as did I) but here's the deal: merging works like a deck of cards when you're in rush hour traffic. When you're NOT in rush hour traffic, it is NOT the responsibility of the highway drivers to speed up or slow down. The merger is responsible for getting up to pace and fitting into a properly sized gap. Period.
Eventually you start using "south" or "North" as opposed to "left" or "right." In the Midwest, when giving directions, it usually sounds like this: Go to the stop sign and turn right, then four blocks and turn left by the Safeway, three blocks down on the left is a brown building with red shutters where you'll turn left again. In the great state of Colorado, it sounds like this "Go to Vine Street and go South then turn East on Colorado." I find myself more and more using this terminology....thank God in Denver the mountains are always West. Hahahaha
The Denver Zoo is laid out perfectly I've visited the zoo a lot over the past year and I can tell you with complete and total honesty that I love the layout. The bathrooms are laid out in great locations, the animals are spread out but there is a definite easy path to follow to see them all without backtracking like crazy.
The ability to smoke marijuana here does not make everyone a stoner Okay I didn't really LEARN this but I'd like to state it. Just because we CAN smoke it here doesn't mean that we ALL do. I support the right but have no desire to do so.
You literally CAN'T go somewhere in Colorado without seeing something beautiful You could try...awfully hard....and it doesn't happen.
and finally....
This state is built to make people healthier I'm not gonna say that everyone here takes advantage of it but this state is definitely built to accommodate it. If you don't choose to hike, walk, bike, or do something else active, it's a choice. It's definitely readily available to you here.
So I guess the question is "do I love Colorado as much now as when I moved here?" The answer. NO. I love it MORE. I love living here and I feel more at home than I have in my entire life. I look forward to more adventures here. Happy Colorado-versary to me.
Colorado Drivers get crazier the further away from Denver you get You'd think this would be the opposite. Not so. People are more inclined to cut you off and give you the finger in the outskirts. There are a lot more passholes out that way and there are DEFINITELY a lot more people with an inability to properly merge. Still, Colorado drivers are NOTHING compared to Georgia, Florida or California.
While we're on the topic, Denver drivers need merging lessons Maybe a lot of them are people that moved here as adults (as did I) but here's the deal: merging works like a deck of cards when you're in rush hour traffic. When you're NOT in rush hour traffic, it is NOT the responsibility of the highway drivers to speed up or slow down. The merger is responsible for getting up to pace and fitting into a properly sized gap. Period.
Eventually you start using "south" or "North" as opposed to "left" or "right." In the Midwest, when giving directions, it usually sounds like this: Go to the stop sign and turn right, then four blocks and turn left by the Safeway, three blocks down on the left is a brown building with red shutters where you'll turn left again. In the great state of Colorado, it sounds like this "Go to Vine Street and go South then turn East on Colorado." I find myself more and more using this terminology....thank God in Denver the mountains are always West. Hahahaha
The Denver Zoo is laid out perfectly I've visited the zoo a lot over the past year and I can tell you with complete and total honesty that I love the layout. The bathrooms are laid out in great locations, the animals are spread out but there is a definite easy path to follow to see them all without backtracking like crazy.
The ability to smoke marijuana here does not make everyone a stoner Okay I didn't really LEARN this but I'd like to state it. Just because we CAN smoke it here doesn't mean that we ALL do. I support the right but have no desire to do so.
You literally CAN'T go somewhere in Colorado without seeing something beautiful You could try...awfully hard....and it doesn't happen.
and finally....
This state is built to make people healthier I'm not gonna say that everyone here takes advantage of it but this state is definitely built to accommodate it. If you don't choose to hike, walk, bike, or do something else active, it's a choice. It's definitely readily available to you here.
So I guess the question is "do I love Colorado as much now as when I moved here?" The answer. NO. I love it MORE. I love living here and I feel more at home than I have in my entire life. I look forward to more adventures here. Happy Colorado-versary to me.
Dear Matt Walsh...I Couldn't Disagree More about Joel Osteen
For a short time, I subscribed to Matt Walsh's blog on life. I didn't subscribe because I necessarily agreed or disagreed. I subscribed for a different point of view. It's nice to hear and educate yourself about other people's opinions to either strengthen your argument or strengthen your debate. It's also nice to know what other's think. I'm fascinated by people's viewpoints sometimes.
While I respect Matt Walsh's tell it like it is approach to everything, I sometimes think that he posts opinions just to cause raucous. This is both genius and idiotic. On one hand, he's dividing the crowd and causing people to read simply because he's got such a polarizing opinion. On the other hand, he's showing what a judgmental a-hole he is on certain topics. To be honest, I both respect the guy and...well think he's a judgmental a-hole. I think that he is an "arguer". He's always gonna look to be on the smaller side of the debate...and he's good at arguing his points. Still, I had to discontinue reading because I think he's small-minded and it's not worth my time.
His post that threw me over the edge was a post on how Joel Osteen is a heretic. I'm sorry. I couldn't disagree more. Heresy is defined as "belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine." There are two major issues with this. First of all, a belief is defined as "an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists". Joel Osteen (and his wife) firmly believe that they are doing Christ's work and who is to tell them that they aren't. Who is to say that anyone that is bringing salvation to lost souls is not doing Christ's work. After all, Christ commands us to do just that. The Bible can be interpreted in a million ways but it's very clear that God commands his followers to inform, save and baptize. Joel Osteen (and his wife) are doing that.
The second major issue is that heresy itself isn't distinct to Christianity. While widely associated with it, it is not the only religion that can be used in the context of this word. If this is the case, we're all heretics to some degree because very few religions believe ANY of the same things.
Walsh's blog post was designed to polarize people and make a villain out of Joel Osteen, a conspiracy theory if you will. The fact is that, in my humble opinion, Osteen is bringing people to God. He may not be doing it the way that others do it. He might make a hell of a lot of money doing it (which, by the way, he donates ALOT of...and let's not forget that Solomon was blessed by God and was filthy rich...just sayin). He might say things that can be taken out of context. The proof is in the pudding though. He is bringing people to God...and the people's bringing to God and creating more spiritual fruit and it's going on and on. You may not like his approach but he's doing it.
My final argument and disagreement on this piece is that he refers to Osteen as bringing people to "his God." Okay, big problem with that wording. Christianity is about worshiping a God that is VERY personal. God created each of us and, thus, speaks to us in very different ways. He doesn't speak to us in a way that is belittling or negative. He speaks to us in a way that is uplifting and teaching. Sometimes we don't like his approach but, the fact remains, people are different. They are going to experience God in different ways. Osteen may be bringing people to "his God" but once they accept Christ into their hearts, they experience God in their own way.
I support you, Joel Osteen. Despite the critics, I think you're a good man :)
While I respect Matt Walsh's tell it like it is approach to everything, I sometimes think that he posts opinions just to cause raucous. This is both genius and idiotic. On one hand, he's dividing the crowd and causing people to read simply because he's got such a polarizing opinion. On the other hand, he's showing what a judgmental a-hole he is on certain topics. To be honest, I both respect the guy and...well think he's a judgmental a-hole. I think that he is an "arguer". He's always gonna look to be on the smaller side of the debate...and he's good at arguing his points. Still, I had to discontinue reading because I think he's small-minded and it's not worth my time.
His post that threw me over the edge was a post on how Joel Osteen is a heretic. I'm sorry. I couldn't disagree more. Heresy is defined as "belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine." There are two major issues with this. First of all, a belief is defined as "an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists". Joel Osteen (and his wife) firmly believe that they are doing Christ's work and who is to tell them that they aren't. Who is to say that anyone that is bringing salvation to lost souls is not doing Christ's work. After all, Christ commands us to do just that. The Bible can be interpreted in a million ways but it's very clear that God commands his followers to inform, save and baptize. Joel Osteen (and his wife) are doing that.
The second major issue is that heresy itself isn't distinct to Christianity. While widely associated with it, it is not the only religion that can be used in the context of this word. If this is the case, we're all heretics to some degree because very few religions believe ANY of the same things.
Walsh's blog post was designed to polarize people and make a villain out of Joel Osteen, a conspiracy theory if you will. The fact is that, in my humble opinion, Osteen is bringing people to God. He may not be doing it the way that others do it. He might make a hell of a lot of money doing it (which, by the way, he donates ALOT of...and let's not forget that Solomon was blessed by God and was filthy rich...just sayin). He might say things that can be taken out of context. The proof is in the pudding though. He is bringing people to God...and the people's bringing to God and creating more spiritual fruit and it's going on and on. You may not like his approach but he's doing it.
My final argument and disagreement on this piece is that he refers to Osteen as bringing people to "his God." Okay, big problem with that wording. Christianity is about worshiping a God that is VERY personal. God created each of us and, thus, speaks to us in very different ways. He doesn't speak to us in a way that is belittling or negative. He speaks to us in a way that is uplifting and teaching. Sometimes we don't like his approach but, the fact remains, people are different. They are going to experience God in different ways. Osteen may be bringing people to "his God" but once they accept Christ into their hearts, they experience God in their own way.
I support you, Joel Osteen. Despite the critics, I think you're a good man :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)