Tag / sunsets

by In Light Of The Cross

Reflections on the Sea and Life in General

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Sometimes we think something is over when it hasn’t even begun yet.

Texas has some beautiful sunsets. I don’t know why I didn’t get any pictures of them while I was living there. I wasn’t really a photographer back then, and didn’t realize how few pictures I had of my life in Texas until I got ready to move. I wanted pictures to take with me, so my good friend and photographer Danielba, started taking all kinds of pictures of my friends and myself so I could take the memories of Texas with me to Florida.

As a child we often took vacations to the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida, and also the Pacific and Atlantic. However as an adult I did not have much opportunity for travel. I remember living in North Texas, and seeing a picture book someone had of ships, and thought to myself that I probably won’t ever see any ships again like I did when I was a kid. Finally in the fall of 2003 I had a weekend where I was not scheduled to preach anywhere. I decided that was my chance, to finally see the Gulf of Mexico again, so I drove down to Galveston and spent the weekend. I thought I better take advantage of this opportunity because it had been so long since I had seen the gulf I did not know when and if I would get another chance. In the fall of 2003 I had no clue that the spring of 2004 would find me living in Tampa, Florida just minutes from the Gulf of Mexico and just over a couple hours from the Atlantic Ocean.

The last few years of my life in Texas I worked in the middle of the night to early morning at UPS and then went to my day job, where I got off work just in time to go home to bed and start all over again. Often I would get home from my day job late, and would hurry from my car to my apartment just so I could go to bed and get up at 2 AM to go to work again. As I walked briskly to my apartment I would pass my neighbors sitting on their patios barbecuing, or just enjoying a lemonade (yeah I’m sure that’s what it was) and a sunset. I thought to myself, that I am so busy working all the time I will never get a chance to just relax and see another sunset. I was too caught up in my daily routine to realize it was only temporary.

 After moving to Florida, while I still work hard and long hours for God, He blesses me with moments, when He calls me to relax with Him for a while and enjoy some sunsets, that at one time my overworked and fatigued mind thought I would never see again. 

Here are some of my favorite sunset pictures I have taken over the years here in Florida.

St. Pete Beach 2007

St. Pete Beach 2007

This picture is one of the first I ever took, and hundreds of pictures later, is about my favorite. I like the way the sun and colors reflect off the clouds. I love being on the beach at sunset, as an eerie calm, seems to quiet and still everyone on the beach as they watch the sunset. A timeless feeling creeps over everyone as the same sun that set over the waters six thousand years ago completes another circuit.

Fort Desoto 2010

Fort Desoto 2010

Panama City 2013

Panama City 2013

Key West 2010

Key West 2010

Daytona Beach 2006

Daytona Beach 2006

Daytona Beach is a sunrise picture of course. A few days after buying  my brand new 2007 Hyundai Accent, I woke up one morning at 3AM. As I laid in bed wide awake, it dawned (pun intended) on me that if I left right now I could get to Daytona in time to see the sunrise. So I did. Then I had breakfast at McDonald’s and drove back home and went to work.

Clearwater 2011

Clearwater 2011

Bradenton 2010

Bradenton 2010

St. Pete 2009. My mother's love for the beach is why we went on so many Florida vacations when I was a kid.

St. Pete 2009. My mother’s love for the beach is why we went on so many Florida vacations when I was a kid.

St. Pete 2009

St. Pete 2009

Tarpon Springs 2010

Tarpon Springs 2010

Bradenton 2010

Bradenton 2010

Near Sky Way Bridge 2012

Near Sky Way Bridge 2012

Fort Desoto 2012

Fort Desoto 2012

Naples 2010

Naples 2010

St. Pete 2010

St. Pete 2010

St. Pete 2010

St. Pete 2010

Fort Desoto 2009

Fort Desoto 2009

I bet you’ve seen enough so I will stop there. Thanks for letting me share my pictures and memories with you. I know God has more wonderful memories and scenes of His majestic grandeur to come for both you and I!

So after working so many 16+ hour days, with no time to even pause to watch a sunset, God knew the desires of my heart, and has blessed me with many memorable sunsets. God knows the desires of your heart too and loves you just as much!

by In Light Of The Cross

Jesus Wept; The Bible and Human Emotions, Lesson 12

The question is asked in this week’s SS lesson, “When was the last time you communed with the Lord in nature? If possible, make an effort to do just that. You might be surprised at what a positive spiritual effect it will have.” Why thank you for asking! Let me share with some pictures!

I take advantage of the beautiful Florida nature, when it comes to my devotional time with God. This is at Ballast Point Park by Bayshore Drive in Tampa. It’s a ten minute drive from my home by car and about 45 minutes by bike. This particular morning, I rode my bike to Bayshore to watch the sun rise and then have my personal devotional time.

I also take advantage of the beautiful Florida weather and secenery when giving personal and group Bible studies. This is Ballast Point Park again. Eli was baptized after our Bible studies last Summer.

I also love spending time with God at the Pier in St. Petersburg, just across the Howard Franklin Bridge from Tampa. They have kayaks and boat rentals, dolphin sightseeing cruises, rental bikes- you name it. Of course they also have some nice places to eat. I often come here alone on my days off and spend the day, and other times I bring a friend or two to hang out. When guests come to visit from out of town I enjoy taking them here and showing them my little sanctuary. Click here for a 12second video of the dolphins on our cruise.

I enjoy kayaking in the bay where I know the alligators won’t get me. A lot of my friends enjoy kayaking in the river and have never had any problems with alligators even thought they see them all the time. I am not taking any chances! Of course the bay is full of sharks but I have never seen one, though I have learned several kinds lurk in the waters. I have seen dolphins and manatees amongst other creatures.

Its always more fun with friends, though sometimes it can be enjoyable just me and my Bible.

The Tampa Bay area has plenty of bike trials where you can spend time with God in nature. I ride my bike all over the city too. It can be dangerous but if you obey the bike safety laws and ride defensively it is a lot more safe. The city is putting in more bike lanes and trying to make Tampa a more bike friendly city. St. Petersburg is already very bike friendly. I have actually ridden by bike from the west coast of Florida to the east coast! It only took me about 11 minutes too! It was in Key West Florida. Key West is a very bike friendly city. I could easily live there without a car. With gas prices the way they are, I think I will be riding my bike more. I could also use the excersise.

I saw this dolphin on a bike ride a while back.

Davis Island is a nice place to ride your bike and enjoy the natural beauty of Florida.

Florida’s many golf courses offer wonderful opportunities to spend time in God’s nature. You would not believe all the beautiful creatures I see while I am in the woods!

We all teed off and were on our way back to the cart when I spotted the alligator who had been watching us. We then went back and staged this photo.

Even though Tropicana Field is a domed stadium where the Tampa Bay Rays play, you can find nature. Behind the center field wall they have a tank with stingrays. Here, my friends Tim, Bryan and Lynn are checking them out. This was a little while before Tim and Bryan were both baptized after we studied the Bible together. Tim is currently helping me with my new growth group.

 

I love taking pictures of the gulf and ocean for my mother, who loves the ocean, and for anyone else who will look at them. This picture was taken in Naples.

Sunsets and sunrises are my favorites. Twice I have watched the sun rise on the east coast and then saw it set on the west coast in the same day. The first time was in Daytona beach and Clearwater beach. The last time was in the keys.

Just outside my  door I can enjoy the beautiful ducks and other birds on the pond asI take a walk around the neighborhood, meditating and talking with God.

There is so much in nature to bring us closer to God, and help us learn about His love. Here is a nature video made by a friend of mine, Mike Bradenbaugh, teaching the many lessons of nature. It is very good please give it a look. I hope this has inspired you to take the time to spend time with God in nature too.

by In Light Of The Cross

A New Look at Life

Sunsets St.Pete 011

I am writing from the beautiful Tampa Bay area today.

 

After spending the weekend in the Emergency Room I am feeling much better! I was not sure what I had, but my muscles were very weak and extremely painful. It took me five minutes to get the tab off a new orange juice carton. I about never got dressed for church, but had to since I have not missed a service in 20 twenty years.

 

The ER said my CPK count got up to over 1400 and is suppose to be less than 300. CPK is a chemical your body puts out when the muscles are shutting down. Thanks to much prayer my count is down to 700 and I feel great! My hand is writing a lot better too. I have been back to work the last three days now. I see the doctor again on Monday. We are still not sure what happened but need to find out. I love mysteries but not when they involve my health!

 

I want to thank those who have brought over food, visited, called and most of all prayed for me. While this has been a very painful ordeal it has also been very eye opening to see all the love that is out there. I appreciate it very much.

 

Friday night and Saturday night were very rough nights for me. Very painful and wondering what is wrong? Times like these call for much prayer and even some deep soul searching. Here are some conclusions I have made in the middle of those painful, prayerful nights.

 

It is foolish to ask God why bad things happen to good people for the simple fact that there are no good people for bad things to happen to. Psalms 14:3 When I wake up in the morning feeling good I praise my God who makes good things happen to bad people just like me! Romans 2:4, Ephesians 2:8-9.

 

I am going to take my health much more seriously. I thought it was frustrating when my computer or cell phone was not working right. Now I could care less how those things work or don’t work. I just want my body to work right and I need to take care of it!

 

I used to think that some people thought I over did the sunset and Florida scenery pictures. I don’t think God’s beauty in nature can be over appreciated now. If someone thought I was crazy for taking so many pictures I have news for them, I think you are crazy for not being out there taking pictures with me. I may have taken a million pictures and I plan on taking millions more.

 

Again, while some wonders get old to some people they never get old to me. I used to think I was silly when the airplane would be taking off and everyone was relaxing with their head sets on and eyes closed or their nose buried in a book, while I was looking out the window thinking “This is so cool!” even though its my 50th plane ride. Well guess what? On my next plane ride I will have a window seat and will be looking out the window thinking “This is so cool!” even though it will be my 51st plane ride. Life is too wonderful and precious and I don’t think I can over appreciate it.

 

I am going to let people know I love them no matter how corny it makes me look or how awkward it makes them feel. I am not going to worry if they love me back or not. Life is short and I only have time to love!

 

Love ya!