20100227

Avaliable

What are you trying to tell me
Can you show me your way today
I am left wide open for you
I am in need of you

Today


Today I felt alone
My soul is tired
Empty
oh well

20100226

Losing it

I’m losing all motivation to continue my 365
4 Days away from day 200, and I don’t even feel like posting them. efff
Probably a bad idea to shot some of those shots on film that I still need to go process by myself, ugggg.
Not looking forward to that or figuring out the dates of them either.
Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.

Life Lesson


When your happy
Smile with your heart

20100225

The goal by the end of the summer

Hasselblad 501cm + Carl Zeiss 80mm Planer 2.8
+
 Phase One  P21 Digital Back
It will probably take off almost 1/2 of my entire summer earnings (weddings that I'm shooting are not included in that amount yet, although it will still take a huge chunk) and you know what? It'll be worth every penny. Neither of these models are set in stone in my mind, and by the time I actually order both of them, I'll be constantly checking ebay for used ones for cheaper prices. I'll basically be ok with anything used that is 16 megapixels and under $5000. Also I have to be super careful about buying the Hasselblad first (since I plan on doing that once I get a check for a wedding I'm doing in September) since Digital backs fit on only a few or 1 model of Hasselblad.  For the people that actually buy these new, take amazing care of them, since it is quite a large investment. Breaking one of these is the equivalent of smashing your car. Also spending $2000-$3000 is always better then spending $4000-$5000 on the same item (while in the P21's case $5000 on an items that cost $11000 new)!

20100223

He found me today, when I needed him most.

Listening to: Resurrect Me - Jon Foreman
Feeling: Tired beyond belief/Wishing you lived much closer

Well over the the last 4 days, I have maybe had free time for approximately 3 hours. All the rest have been me working my ass off for school midterms and deadlines. In the last 2 nights I have had 4 hours of sleep, I have had no free time at all and because of that I have been getting super stressed, tired and angry. Not just grumpiness that people experience when they don't get enough sleep, I get mad.

If you know me, you know I don't get angry, like at all. For the people that have seen me angry or have been on the other end of it while I am angry, they can usual say that I am definitely over reacting. It's true, I do over react, that because I don't get angry over things that other people do. I keep it all inside, too worried about me bothering other people with my anger. So when I do get that anger out, the thing that gets me angry is never what I am actually angry about. It is anger spread across so much of my life, so many things, building up for so long, too long. I don't even need all the fingers on my hand to count how many times I was really angry last year, two times to be exact. That's just how often my kettle boils over.

In this year already though, in fact in these last 7 days I have been really mad twice. I can already tell this year will be an angrier year for me than last year.

Today was one of those days.

In fact I was so angry I was just going to post a blog that's title was just going to say "Fuck this shit" as a title and then "I'm going to bed" and that's all I was going to say.

I have left school really late both days this week (9 yesterday and 8 today), I've literally spent over a day at school, inside, no breaks (worked over both lunch hours), in the last 2 days. I finished my work for the next couple days today though, thankfully. To most people, happiness is the feeling that would come over them and for the first glorious 15 minutes, that's all I felt. The stress had totally faded, a smile was on my face again.

Things started going down hill fast from there. As I was walking onto the c-train platform, I thought about a friend and how happy they were right now. For some reason, maybe some amount of jealousy came out of it, because I know that I can't be that same way right now, but I got like really mad. Just walking down the platform, just this rage filled my body (although I did see some guy with his pants down in the parking area right beside the northbound track, wanking off, just in the middle of that little road, like what the fuck buddy, get a room. There was like 30 people on the platform other than me as well, it was just weird. ok side note over now), it came out of no where. About something I would never get angry about, maybe sad at some points in life, but never, ever angry.

On the train I was just listening to my top rate playlist and some of my top top favorites came on, but not even a smirk broke onto my face. It felt like nothing was going to get this feeling out of my body. All of a sudden, while changing songs, a song came on. A song normally I would just skip, and have been skipping for the last 7 months, it's the song Ocean by the John Butler Trio. A song I had listened to almost everyday of the last 3 summers (which is probably why I skip it, it's not a top favorite either), in the morning at the leaders meetings at the camp I worked at (or on my ipod this last summer since we didn't go to the regular leaders meetings). It was like our daily devotional song, our boss would read us a posting from some Jeszuate (probably crapped on the spelling of that word lol) monks that would post some deep things on their internet site daily.

The weirdest thing happened as soon as he started playing his guitar, the angry just left, all of a sudden. It was as it just evaporated from my being and had moved on. I wanted to start crying (but being on the train and all, well we can say that would of been weird for the least), this sense of peace had just come over me, as if my soul was cleansed of all the junk I've been putting up with lately.

I finished listening to the song and right away started to watch the number 16 Nooma Video, Store (this is exactly why they will be always be on my ipod, for times like this). I have seen it many times, but when I can directly relate to what Rob Bell is talking about it hits me that much more. That's what we need to learn the most, a spiritual reference, something we can relate too. In this video (other than the happy music) Rob is talking about anger, bottlers, and essentially just getting mad at things. I won't get really into what he talks about (this blog post is turning out to be really long already and I need sleep), but he references a place in the bible where Jesus get's angry at some religious leaders because they do not want Jesus to help an injured man because it would break one of their religious laws.  Jesus' response to them is 'Well which is better, to do good, or to do evil. To safe life, or to destroy it" to which leaves them speechless. He called out the hardness of their hearts and that leaves them with no answer. He then looked around at them with anger and then told the injured man to raise his hand and Jesus heals it. The cool thing about this, is that in the original language this story was told in is the Greek language and when it talks about Jesus' anger it talks about it in the Aorist tense. It talks about his anger is a temporary feeling, it comes and then it just leaves. Everyone gets angry, even God. Bell brings up a cool point, "would you rather follow a god that gets angry, or follow one that see's all the injustice in the world and doesn't get angry". It's a cool thought huh.

I guess it was like what had just happened to me, my anger came and then I was reminded of him and it left. I wasn't distracted from it (otherwise I would still be mad), it completely left my body. Its weird though, that our of a song used for devotionals that I never got much out of, hit me during a time when I needed to be reminded of whats worth getting angry about.

I then proceeded onto watching number 20, Shells. Which talks about business of our life's when we don't need to be, but do because we are addicted to it. I feel that sometimes I choose to be really busy sometimes, and mostly I am. This does not always mean with school, but also hanging out with friends or gaming for me. We push God aside, saying we'll get to him later, I want to do sometime for me right now. That has mostly been the story of my life, pushing him aside. I have gotten exponentially better as of late thanks to a few inspiring friends and have been setting time aside everyday for the last couple weeks for him. A cute story in this Nooma film is when he is talking about a time when he and his family are walking along some beach and his boys are collecting sea shells. They spot a starfish floating not that far out and one of his sons just gets a look on his face that say 'IT'S MINE!' His son runs out to get it, but then stops, while his family are yelling out at him to go get it. He goes further and stops and Rob asks him why he doesn't go get the starfish. To which his sun replies, "But my hands are full of shells".

I just love hearing this story over and over again. Also the message behind this is so important, we are so busy that we say no to things, but first we must say yes to something else. In the last couple days I have had my hands filled with shells and have been putting everything aside to do work. He found me today when I didn't try to find him because I had said yes to something else already.

How many shells do you carry, or more importantly, how many shells do you to put back in the ocean so have room for that starfish?

PS. If any of you are interested in seeing any of the Nooma videos just ask me sometime and I'll hook you up.

20100220

These Marks

These marks on my back
They remind me of all I have done
The faults in my life
Past mistakes
The things that define who I am

I am not proud of them
Most of the time I would wish they went away
As if they would just rinse away in the shower
Never to be seen from again
Forget them but never deny them
For I do not deny who I am

I am so blessed
That god cares too much about me
To know to not care about these marks
Because he knows me inside and out
He does not need any physical reminders of my faults

He loves me and you unconditionally
He cleanses me
Making me pure when I ask him to
It is like the marks are none exsistant
We don't deserve it at all
We are so unworthy
Yet he agape's us anyway

I hope I can love my wife and children even 10% of how much he loves each and everyone of us.
Remember that Agape needs no reason. If someone confronts you about you loving them, you don't need to make a list of things you like, nothing physical can ever describe exactly why you do. 'I just do', if they can't accept that then they just don't understand.
Don't question the feeling, just embrace it. You can never fake it or push it, it is always genuine. If you have to question it then it isn't genuine, it is a feeling you just know, you don't have to question it. Ever.

20100215

love is

Knocked Down

Listening to: Chicago - Sufjan Stevens 
Feeling: Around friends but feeling lonely

Well that wall is gone now, maybe I'll act but I don't want to push.
I just don't want to mess it up. I just wish there was an easier way.

It wouldn't be nearly as worth it if it wasn't so hard to start in the first place.

20100213

see

Listening to: Awake my Soul - Mumford and Sons
Feeling: Awake, but bored

"look
see
there is beauty in everything
in the dead branches of this tree
in you
in me

open your eyes
open your soul
the loveliness of life
and truly living
will make you whole

beauty comes
unexpectedly
abandon all you know
you will be free
to see


to live


to be."

From one of my flickr friends, chanelle

20100212

Little Lion Man

Listening to: This lovely piece
Feeling: Tired but really happy

20100209

Almost There

Listening to: Almost There - The Album Leaf (From their new album suckas!)
Feeling: Zombie-like, but really happy and looking forward
(Yes I know, I'm totally stealing your idea celine, it happens)

Today was the very first day that I was able to have a conversation, a normal one, with my old girlfriend without having one of us start an argument. It took 4 months for it to finally happen and you know what? It was actually quite lovely. It was great to be laughing again with her, while sharing some really funny stories. I'm glad I can still call you my friend.

It feels so fulfilling to live for today, not living in the past, and not too worried about the future.

I'm alive because you allow God to use you

http://support.flannel.org/category/noomastories/
If you watch only 1 of these videos, make sure you watch the first one.

The title was a quote from the film at 3:43, and it's one of my favorites. Not that I can relate entirely to all the text before it, but I can relate to this line. There are only a handful of people in my life as of recently, who I can say this to and if I sent you here then give yourself a pat on the back, your one of them, because of you, I can truly say I am alive. You have done either something small or big that made me change the way I am living, from my life that I thought was spiritually fulfilling, but was more dead than alive, into a torrent of grace that has been let upon me. Thanks so much, you are such a blessing and I wouldn't trade any of you for the world.

20100208

untitle until i can describe my view on my life

http://hutzon.tumblr.com/
check it, wreck it

my new tumblr (well i've had it for a long time but never posted anything)
I love this jazz, I feel like I can say stuff there were i can't anywhere else

Ok this made me laugh

i hope it did for you hp lovers as well

20100207

I'm glad I can now say "You really have"

I just was questioning a friend who I had cut out of my life for the last 3 months, if she had friends who held her accountable, who challenged her in ways she needed to be challenged in because she had totally lost hope.

I just remembered a conversation I had last year with one of my closest friends, well actually it was more a text fight (didn't live in the same city at the time). My friend raised the question during the fight, "How have I affected your life, you have never listened to any advice I have given you". It was true, and the fight ended with that comment.  It didn't really hit home with me back then because all the advice she had given was through text messages over miss-communications (which is the only reason why those fights started and I'm really glad we don't fight anymore). I'm glad that if she ever asked me that same question I would be easily able to respond "You sure have, and your advice has hit home with me more then any other person in my life".

With that said, if you need to give advice to a friend, try your best to take your friend out for coffee or something that makes it face to face (I know you can't always sometimes you can't because of distance, but for every other time). Make the advice personal, and not from some cellphone LCD screen.

20100204

The Little Things


We need to slow down, to embrace the little things. Blur your vision while you enjoy the small things, the fine details. I been slowing down lately, after having experienced the 4x5 camera, I've been taking my time on everything now, even my eating! The digital age has made us selfish to get results of everything, faster and better. It is slowly killing us faster than we normally kill ourselves. We think we can survive on less sleep so we can work for longer hours. I've been trying my best to go to bed at an actual reasonable hour lately, midnight is reasonable for me. It might not be for you, but I'm used to 4-5 hours of sleep a night, so 7 hours is a good start to a better life.

I challenge you all to take your time with everything. To just slow down, it was hard to do it originally but now my body's gotten much more used to it. This does not mean to be lazy, but to recognize god's beauty all around. Me and my friend celine took a few pictures of a bush yesterday for over 15 minutes. It was a bush like any other bush around there, but we just slowed ourselves down (I slowed her down without telling her, complete success, she didn't have a clue, although she probably just thought I do this all the time although I don't) and saw things we would of never noticed otherwise. Like a single strand of some stranger's hair which was intertwined in the bush and covered with frost, it camouflaged almost perfectly within the branches although it blew in the small breezes.

(This next part does apply mostly to myself and the lesson's i've learned but it's good to just try these things out)

So slow down, embrace time, the little things. Really taste food that than gobble it down, if that means you can't talk with the person your eating with than so be it. Silence is golden, take it when you can because we don't get nearly enough in our lives. Enjoy music for the suttleness of the lyrics and sounds rather than just having it on in the background. Pray more, but also listen more, to God and your friends, because it's not always about you. Explore new places and stumble upon little city getaway's, but never run away from reality. Never hide (unless your playing hide and seek) who you are, but believe in yourself and who you are. Don't let the worry of people judging you determine who you are because it will control who you will be, your real friends will and always will love and accept you for who you are, not someone your not. Don't live your life in a lie, you are only lying to yourself. Learn how to say no and if friends offer to go out of the way for you to learn to accept their gratitude. Never make assumptions about friends if the info isn't from the source. Always be open to new ideas, change happens and you can do nothing to stop it, accept it. Never play with another person's heart, but also don't let someone play with your heart, if you are having that happen to you, get out now. If it's not going to work now don't let it go on for any longer, you'll only get hurt more. Don't be afraid to try new things, you may find a new love. Love the unloved and love unconditionally. Remember that God and your parents will (or at least should) love you no matter what and most importantly that agape needs no reason. No matter what you do you can be forgiven and be cleansed of all your shame.

20100202

The Further I am, the closer I get

As of lately I have been more in touch with god I have found. I have never prayed so often in my entire life, and not just the lame meal pray, but about my friends and things I can't do on my own. I find it ironic that when I'm not involved in anything at camp or my church that I am actually closer to god (not jumping to any conclusions though).

My mom told me a while ago that one of her friends told her that Satan go for the people that are having the most success with their spirituality.  So the closer you are to god the more vulnerable you really are.
I've been searching for him lately and I think I've found him, in my friends. I've still got much to learn and my friends are teaching me (if they know it or not).

Love you guys lots.

20100201

No When, No Wants, No Worries

Stumbled across this while being bored in my photoshop class, I found this really cool.
"Q. What is the meaning of "no when, no want , no worry"?
A. I was watching 60 Minutes
and they were visiting
a tribe of gypsies
who live in the
Andaman Sea in
Southeast Asia.

They are called
The Moken
and they spend 70% of their time
on the ocean.

They all survived the tsunami.

They saw it coming cuz
they are super in touch
with the ocean.

The interviewer asked
one of them how old he was.
He didn't know.

He asked why none of the gypsies
knew their ages.
The interpreter said it's cuz
when you live on the water
all day
everyday
fishing,
eating,
swimming
time does not exist.
There is only now.
The moken don't have
a word for "when".

They also don't have
a word for "want".

They either *have* or *need*.
but they don't know what it is to 'want'.

No when. No want.... No.... ?

That's right.
No word for "worry".

No when.
No want.
No worry. "

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