Where has the time gone?

Man, I really missed a few days there... I guess I needed it though. While the husband was away over the weekend I spent probably over 6 hours at the park with the puppy. We had a great time. And, I kid you not, there was a time - after 2.5 hours walking the trails at Fort Steilacoom Park and snapping photos with my D90, that I just sat down on a log in the middle of an open field. I shut my eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on my face... I haven't been that relaxed in MONTHS... What a blissful moment that was. Then a few preteen boys rounded the corner and I heard one of them shout - "Man! This would be a great place for a zombie apocalypse!"... My kinda kids. I couldn't help but laugh.

So... I'm catching up here with what should have been up a few days ago - my project 366. One of the things I'm learning in this process is I need to take photos with a little more variety... Otherwise at the end of the year I'm pretty sure I'll just think that all I did was snap pics of the dog and stare at the cello. I'll work on that for this coming week.

Finally... Friday - February 3rd - it was desperately needed (as you can see)

All project 366 photos taken via instagram! @chrisklas or online here!

Wolf Chaser

I'm hoping this post will inspire me to practice more often...

I saw an instagram photo this lovely lady's violin and knew I needed to bring out the cello for some experimenting in macro.

Birthday Celebration!

It's time to party! A baby was born!

Most of all I want you to read this:

Today we celebrate a baby born... pooping, crying... HUMAN... born so that about 36 years later he could hang on a tree for you - for me - and be risen from the grave... holy, anointed... GOD.

He brings hope. PLEASE don't forget that.

Sometimes I get caught up in all the stuff and the celebration... Mostly because I think the Beatles wrote this song for me and Jesus.

Dear Jesus... "You say it's your birthday? It's my birthday too - yeah!"

Merry Christmas everybody! 

Instagram!

Once again... my week through an iPhone lens. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

@chrisklas

Future of Forestry

Yesterday I blogged about needing rest...  A little time to perhaps ENJOY the Christmas season... Then I took the hubs and a good friend out to the Future of Forestry Christmas Tour. (Tickets are STILL available for this Saturday's show in Seattle if you're a local. They are s.t.i.n.k.i.n. awesome...) 

At one point during the set it was said that they created this tour so that you could "be with God in the empty spaces. December is the busiest time of year and often we try and jump from one song to the next and move right along." This show was riddled with "filler music" and "space enough to feel involved"... I love that line. Sometimes we get so consumed doing, doing, doing, that we don't really feel like we've DONE anything. Often what we need is a little time and space to feel like maybe we could do something significant or HEAR something significant - but we never allow ourselves to stop and listen.

Future of Forestry's Advent Christmas tour is known for the "Little Drummer Boy"... One of my favorite moments in the show and this year I finally caught it on film. 

Who decided that the Little Drummer Boy offered a tiny little drum beat to the Lord and then that was "good enough"... If all you've got to offer is a drum - Why not give it all you've got?

God Bless the Indian Summer

I've got Pedro the Lion lyrics streaming through my head right now.... "god bless the indian summer..." But that's all I've been able to think about these last few days as we've experienced some pretty "intense" sunshine for mid to late October. I'm not complaining at all... It's still chilly enough to wrap up with a scarf and sweater in the morning and a light cardigan in the afternoon. That's just my style.

Anyhow - I walked the pup down to the local boat launch yesterday and what a beautiful evening it was! If you're getting some of this late season sun - I hope you're soaking it up for all it's worth!

Travel

Strangest post I've ever made - it's sans photo! Contradictory to the very nature of this blog. But I've just got nothin' today. Not for lack of inspiration - but for lack of time.

Thursday night Sept. 29th 11:59pm - unload the last batch of laundry into the basket to be sorted through on Monday (at least it's clean)... finish off the last bit of dirty dishes on the counter... take out the trash - one of those compulsive moments of "House needs to be [somewhat] clean before I leave for the weekend".

Friday morning, Sept. 30th 3:00am - hit the snooze alarm until I'm coherent enough at 3:30am to realize "This alarm is going off because I have a plane to catch!!"... commence running around the house like home alone. Friend is coming to pick us up at 4:00am...

Fly to San Diego. Sit in conference sessions. Worship the Lord. Learn.

Friday night Saturday morning, 1:00am Oct. 1st - hit the sack.

Saturday morning, 7:00am - Sit in conference sessions. Coffee. Worship the Lord. Coffee. Learn.

Saturday night Sunday morning, 1:30am - hit the sack... hard.

Sunday morning, 7:00am - Husband leaves earlier than me to get in line for Coffee. Sit in conference sessions. Coffee. Worship. Coffee. Learn. Coffee. Coffee.

Sunday night Monday Morning, 12:45am - wishing I could hit the sack but the plane is just now touching down in rainy (beautiful) Seattle.

Monday morning 2am - hit the sack.
Monday morning 7:30am - alarm wakes me up and beckons me to work.

I'm exhausted.

The whole time though... I've got this stuck in my head. One of the first things I heard when we arrived and it stayed circling my brain the whole weekend...

Our God is greater.

Our God is stronger.

God you are higher than any other.

Our God is healer.

Awesome in power.

Our God.

Our God...

And if our God is for us, than who could ever stop us.

And if our God is with us, than what could stand against?

To see the power of the Lord moving through a room of 2,000+ youth workers... I'd do it all over again.

Moooooooreeee FAIR!

I apologize if you get tired of seeing fair photos (I don't really)... This is only the second time I've been so far this year and I always take pictures. Me and a friend were headed to the Counting Crows concert - but before it started I asked her to be my guinea pig and walk around with me to take some fair portraits. I always have to remind myself though... While I don't mind sitting on the ground in the middle of the path to get a perfectly adorable shot... My subject might not feel the same way.

We wandered around though lugging the camera, an extra lens (which I didn't use), an external flash (which I didn't use) and my beast of a tripod (which I didn't use)... capping the night off with a fantastic show by the man in dreads.

Doesn't she have a fun personality? It's true... You should check out her blog too! 

(I never asked her if I could post these... won't that be a "fun" surprise? ;)

and finally... the less than stellar concert photo from WAY back in the grandstand.

Are you kidding me?

Caution: Soapbox ahead

There are some things that make me stop in my tracks and say.... We're worshiping the same God? How can that possibly be? For a girl who loves music (and Jesus) - it is unfathomable to me to think that you can make a difference by outwardly offending and condemning. How could that possibly lead anyone to the saving grace of Jesus Christ?

I don't care how racy or inappropriate a musician's message is: telling them God hates them won't make friends easily.

It boggles my mind.... Here's a little more background:

If you disagree, read this book:

What a beautiful story of redemption and grace. It can happen. And picketing is not the way. When Brian Welch became a Christian he flew to the Jordan River to be baptized... can you imagine?

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

I Timothy 2:4

Music

I've been busy these days... Noticeably more absent from the blog than I'd like to be because it's just the kind of outlet I need. Just too busy to focus on the things that are just for me. I headed home for the day last night around 9pm and forced myself to practice the cello. I hate the thought of knowing that when I show up to my lesson on Friday - my teacher will know that I haven't picked the instrument up in two weeks...

That all being said - I thought I'd just share some new music with you (well... definitely not new) but a few shows I'm headed to in the next few months.... Music is from the soul - I don't think you need to be a Christian musician to bring glory to God because He's created a lot of talented people out there. I can hear the hand of God even if that isn't the artist's original intention... All that being said, the hubs and I LOVE going to live shows. We live in the perfect spot to do that - not all of them are "Christian Bands" (whatever that really even means) but all of them are musically gifted. Here's what's on the docket for the next few months:

I don't actually get to go to this one... The hubs is going though. He's been wanting to see Ryan Adams forever. (side note... I miss those two buildings in the back ground)