Not quite focused

This picture is from a few weeks ago when I went hiking with some friends down in southern Kentucky. The flower doesn't look bad, but when you zoom in you can see that the stem is in focus and the flower isn't quite. Oh well...I'm still glad I got a flower shot, with most being gone. I did get several mushrooms though...

~Matt

What about School?

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to listen to an excellent sermon at church. Right now our pastor is going through what he calls various "hot button" issues that have the potential to divide churches and believers. This past week his topic was "School Choice."

I went through public school all the way through high school and then went to a private Christian college. When at college I met many people that I now count very good friends. Quite a number of them were home-schooled. It has always been interesting to me to see the different camps. Several of my siblings home school or alternatively school their kids, for various reasons. I know what man of these are and I think they've made the right choice. Similarily I think my parents made the right choice to send me to public school. I was in a very conservative school district and had several teachers that were Christians (including my biology teacher!).

I won't ruin the message, but the main point is that Scripture isn't dogmatic on how children must be educated (i.e. Private school, public school, or home school). But don't take my word for it. Download the sermon and listen for yourself! (Let me know if the link is no longer active and I can send you an .mp3 I saved)

If you can listen please let me know what you think!

~Matt

Reds History

I like this bas relief at the Great American Ballpark. I went to a Reds game on Tuesday night (using a couple of tickets from a coworker that couldn't go) and taking my nephew Chase. I don't know that I'd ever buy season tickets...but the few games I've been to have been fun, partially because I was there with people I knew.

Anyway, I liked the lighting on this work. If you'll look in the bottom left corner you should be able to make out Union Terminal, the location of the "other museum" that I work at.

~Matt

Spot of Yellow

It isn't spring anymore, so the flowers don't look as nice as they once did, but these are still a nice spot of color. I went out to take some pictures of the Creation Museum's cross country trail and I saw several flowers at the start of the trail. Of course I had to take some pictures. I think this one turned out well, especially with the depth of field. I wish I had the time and patience to experiment more with DoF...

~Matt

Offering the ball

I took this picture on Saturday night. A staff get-together was organized at the Creation Museum. We had dinner and then played games. Well we played volleyball, with several teams rotating in and out as we won and lost. After it got dark we went back to the pavilion to clean up and discovered that we had a glow in the dark volleyball. Bryce decided to hold it up to the lights. I love the lighting in this shot, especially the shadows. I think this photo would be a great candidate to photoshop--getting rid of the table below and adding in something above--like a UFO? ;-)

~Matt

Poetry in progress..

I'd like to write more of this...but I'm not sure when I will. There are two different viewpoints in this poem alternating with the stanzas. Emotionally I want to go with the first, but logically I lean towards the second.

To see the future,

A dream so simple.

Erase uncertainty,

The end of worry.

Yet life holds more,

A greater whole.

The path uncovered,

Trust is abandoned.

Faith is not dead,

Comfort at rest.

Effort not wasted,

Anxiety in check.

Memories are fleeting,

In hindsight precious.

Even the painful,

Part of a mosaic.

I haven't written or posted poetry in a while...almost a year I think. I tend to write when I'm thinking about things quite a bit. It just doesn't flow very easily at other times.

~Matt