Fifth out of Ten (this blog has moved): January 2013

Hi guys! The other day I took a photo of a red rose we have in our garden. Anyway, I want to show you the before and after... This is the before.

When I opened it in Adobe I knew what I wanted for this picture. Watercolour textures.

(I use a lot of textures for my photos, but watercolour is one of my favourites) Also, I'm sure you can notice the blurry leaf that is sticking out behind the rose on the right side, plus the other two peeking out from behind the rose on the left. Well, usually that would be called 'distracting' - and I agree. It annoys me. But, I can easily fix it with the amazing program; Adobe Photoshop. Have a look at the after image.

Look at the difference! First of all, it has been sharpened and I got rid of all the noise (noise will make it look like a bad quality photo). Then I made the blurry leaves disappear. How did I do that? I used the 'Clone Stamp Tool' in Photoshop. Then I added the textures...lots and lots of watercolour textures, so that it looks like the rose is in a watercolor sea, lol.

What do you guys think? Are any of you interested in photography and digital art?

This is something I read today. And I managed to grip the seriousness of it.

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion-
A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I want to know wisdom so badly. In another part of the bible, God says we do not have because we do not ask. Recently, it occurred to me that I haven't been asking for wisdom. If I really yearn for it, I should be praying constantly, asking Jesus for that particular gift.
I want to understand and increase my learning. I want to know what the words of the wise and their riddles mean. And fearing the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. He showed me when I read that...if someone asked me if I fear God, I would say yes. But when I ask myself, I realize and don't take it that seriously. So now I see what a dangerous place I'm in. Please pray that I will fear the Lord and have wisdom for the rest of my life. Please.

My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

Think about that. If we obey our parents we will have a graceful ornament on our heads, and chains about our necks. Basically, honor your mother and father, and it will bring blessings upon you.

My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
If they say, "Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have on purse"-
My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

God tells us very clearly here that we must not join the sinners, no matter how big the temptation is. For they are only setting traps for themselves.

Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

That's very scary. Wisdom calls but no one answers her. I know sometimes I am a fool, and I hate knowledge. But I don't want to be someone who ignores Wisdom. I want her to pour out her spirit on me. And if I don't listen, terror and destruction will come upon me. It's something to worry about, all right.

"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil."

I do not want to be one of those who Wisdom doesn't answer. I do want to choose the fear of the Lord, and I do want to to be secure, without fear of evil. My eyes were really opened by this chapter.

I hope that this proverb also helped you and spoke to you. It certainly has for me.

Watercolour Textures - One of My Favourites

Proverbs Chapter One

Back From My Holiday Break!