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		<title><![CDATA[God Thinks of You]]></title>
		<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213</link>
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		<language>en-us</language>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:09:32 -0500</pubDate>
		<ttl>60</ttl>
		
			
				
			
			<item>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota The Final Chapter - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 48</media:title>
        			</media:content>
				
				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12842</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota The Final Chapter - A Novel Husky: Chapter 48]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Epilogue
&nbsp;
Chapter 48 &ndash; To Love, Forgive and Live
&nbsp;Jesus Loves, Forgives and Lives
&nbsp;
Luke 6:35-38
&ldquo;[Jesus said] But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is Kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is Merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.&rdquo;
John 13:34-35
&ldquo;[Jesus said] A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
After our Kaiyah passed away there wasn&rsquo;t much loving consolation for Peter and me. Unfortunately, some people are rather insensitive. My bond with animals has always been quite strong and I have been ridiculed by others because of it. Including by my own Marmi especially after I had lost Fluffy, a white kitty with eyes the color of pale jade that I had rescued as a child. Fluffy was my beloved pet of fourteen years. I mourned deeply for her after she died. She was my prayer buddy and she was often present when the Lord first began to bring songs into my heart. She was my friend, a comfort during the many pains of life I was dealing with at that time; she never hurt me, patiently listened, innocently made me laugh, and never had ulterior motives. She just loved me.
She was there for me when no one else was including my own parents who often had little patience with me and were often dealing with their own difficulties. I had to be strong for them. Marmi said I mourned for animals - Fluffy in this case - stronger than I did for people including my own grandmother, my Marmi&rsquo;s momma, who had passed near the time Fluffy did. She was right but those words cut me deeply. My animals have been closer to me than people pretty much my whole life including my dear grandma, who I called Nana like she asked me to. I never got to know her. My grief for Nana was that I never knew her even though I was told we shared much in common and for my Marmi losing her momma.
I love my family very much and all the people the Lord has allowed my life to cross paths with and even those I do not know; that is just how I am. But there is something very special receiving the kind of love that animals give and the way they share the gifts God has given them. They are unique ministers from God. I will treasure them forever just as my Heavenly Father has taught me to do and Does Himself. It was no surprise that that accusation in particular would surface again during the fierce storm Peter and I were riding out together.
In fact things escalated with the tempest barreling down on us in full force. Mourning Kaiyah, or any loss at any time, was something Peter and I needed to do, all of us should do so when grieving. Everyone&rsquo;s process is different but the importance of allowing that process to occur can&rsquo;t be emphasized enough. Nevertheless the waves of attacks and disturbances that occurred within the family dynamic began to include things regarding the sale of our home. We were numbed out to the point of being distraught. Yet God&rsquo;s Merciful Love and Strength sustained us and we purposely found more reasons to thank Him for His Faithful Goodness and Plan despite what we were experiencing. Peter&rsquo;s mom was much affected by what was happening. We prayed, encouraged each other and tried to ease the strain she was going through wherever we could. It was a difficult season for all of us.
Finally, the great noise of the winds, raging waves and battering gradually came to a hush. With the dissolving of the unseen tempest came movement toward raw and open dialogue, repentance, apologies, and forgiveness. Even though trust had been thoroughly fragmented Peter and I purposed to walk in love and forgiveness. Without God&rsquo;s Love we profit absolutely nothing. The Scriptures in Ephesians 4:29-32 rose to the surface of my heart during prayer one morning; then came a gentle nudge to share, with Peter&rsquo;s support, with the family during the later leg of the storm, &ldquo;Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.&rdquo; The admonition was exact. We all have to be so careful with our words and actions; extensive damage can be done in a very short time. Most often things will never be the same afterward.
All we have to do is look at before and after pictures of tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, wildfires and floods. It takes massive amounts of clean-up. Rebuilding is monumental if it is even possible to do so. The areas are never restored the same as they were before. Thankfully, in our lives, cooperating with Jesus and walking in His Ways, they can be miraculously better. The Passage in Romans 8:26-28 fortified me in God&rsquo;s Comfort and Hope, especially when I&rsquo;ve been overwhelmed and don&rsquo;t have the words. He reminded me of Holy Spirit&rsquo;s Help to Heal, that He Searches all hearts, Intercedes for those of us who love God in ways so beyond our understanding, and His ministry is also there to help us know all things will work together for our good. &ldquo;Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.&rdquo; That is one awesome Truth and Promise.
Definitely hearts were being tested, afflictions endured, decisions made, and we were waiting for the final answer: to stay or to move back. We waited on the Lord for discernment as the battle of tug-of-war was playing out around that decision. Eventually, just as the storm started to lessen, the Lord indeed sent us back with decisive clarity. Our house had received ludicrously low-ball offers, strange comments and one legitimate offer but the demands were incredibly over the top. Our agent was unusually silent on the line and the timing expiration brought the whole process to a screeching halt. Peter, being the head of our home, was certain it was time to pack our little animals and go home. I couldn&rsquo;t have agreed more.
We were not able to see all our dear friends during that window of time for whatever reason but one, Mary Ann. I had known her for years and God Knew she was just the person to listen and share with us during that time. She also blessed us with a joyful and refreshing surprise gift, a trip to the Phoenix Zoo, one of our favorite places to visit. She had volunteered there for decades and is still going strong at the time of this writing. Plus it gave us another chance to see her again before heading home. Talk about a lady who has seen storms, loves animals, people, and the Lord who had Seen her through so much. What an amazing woman of God and testimony. She could write a few volumes. Once again in being surrounded by God&rsquo;s Creatures in beautiful settings and the kindness of a friend we found comfort&hellip; and an extra bonus, Peter had plenty of photo opportunities which is always good medicine for my husband.
The moment arrived for another bittersweet departure. We had chosen to spend a little more time with the family with, hopefully, more love and understanding between us. We even made a point to stay through Peter&rsquo;s dad&rsquo;s birthday. In the end we all worked to be a blessing to one another.
Our faith in God and His Word was more deeply rooted than before. I believe that severe storm of persecution would prove to have fashioned in Peter and me a more profound loving awareness and fortitude. It would take time to process and recover from everything. There were many important lessons to be learned, to see where Papa God knew we needed more correction in our lives and to be prepared for what was next. We were emotionally exhausted. We were still reeling but settled by the incredible reminder that The Grace of God is always sufficient. His Grace is always directly tied to humility, providing us the ability to stand against the evil one as it is clearly stated in James 4:6-7, &ldquo;But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.&rdquo; Amen and amen. We didn&rsquo;t know it yet but we were about to discover more severe storm damage from the unseen tempest.
The ride back home was quieter. Our mini-caravan minus one, our Kaiyah, travelled safely along with the emptiness left by her absence. We rested overnight before carrying on. Gideon again reminded me travel was not his favorite thing to do but only for a little bit. Cotton tweeted and took it all in stride as best he could. A relief washed over us as we crossed the state line and connected to the main freeway artery taking us home. It was an unusual disconnected feeling driving back up to our home with all our belongings in tow but it was a welcome sight. Once we got everyone settled, and the family notified, Peter and I had a time of thanks to the Lord. We tried to take in the moments with the weight of everything still aching in our hearts and minds. The memories of Kaiyah and Pumpkin were raw and plentiful.
As we reacclimated to our home I realized pretty quickly that things were not as we left them. Damage had been done; inside the home, the attic, in the garage and even outside. We discovered one thing after another. We had surveillance and were too overwhelmed to go through all that until we could manage the reality and emotion that would come with the examination of the recordings. That was almost too much for us, the grief and anger were very strong especially after what we had just been through. The costs to our lives, our work, our animals and so on were enormous. Our agent was clueless which was awful. Trust in people was in shattered pieces all over the place.
We couldn&rsquo;t fathom why anyone would have done that especially when we discovered who some of them were, not by name because we don&rsquo;t know them personally but recognized their faces, and that our own neighbors had been a few of the repeat offenders. We cried out to the Lord especially me as I am the one usually taking care of house and home and noticed the things that were out of place or had been violated. I was devastated. It made zero sense. Peter and I didn&rsquo;t even know how to work all that through but to run to Jesus, breathe, and just figure out how to start to live again. Two neighbor gentlemen were warm and kind to Peter when we returned. Those gestures were like aloe vera gel on a severe burn. We will always be grateful for them.
Peter thankfully found work after months of pounding the pavement. The Lord knew he had always wanted to learn to work with wood and his new job provided that opportunity. We thanked the Lord for everything we could to keep our heart focused on what was important.
What were we to do about the damage and the perpetrators? We decided to let it go to God for handling and to forgive every last one of them, and to keep doing so until it was full in our hearts. I will confess it was hard to want to be around anyone. Avoidance is not the same as hiding. I was avoiding almost everyone. Safety, privacy, trust, and hope had been violated and I was done. We decided after a long while to still be friendly when we could and walk in the Ways of our God. It was only something He could Help us with; it was too much for our own hearts. I am still walking out this journey and it is not easy. Peter and I are still being renewed even as we work to restore our physical home. God is Working to Renew our souls, our lives and our family.
Papa God Has a Plan and He is Faithful no matter what. Ever since I was a little girl God&rsquo;s Loving Words in Isaiah 43:1-3 helped me hear His Heart through anything and everything; His Words absolutely rang loud and true once again, &ldquo;But now thus saith the LORD that Created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.&rdquo; Thank you Lord for the Love You Are&hellip;.
As I have been remembering my Kaiyah Takota writing these chapters, it has been very important to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to me as I&rsquo;ve travelled through my memories. Recalling the many ways His Word has instructed and nourished my life, especially the ones I believe He has directed my heart to share, has been profoundly helpful for me to gain focus and find freedom from the intense grief and emotions that were part of our journey. God is our Healer. Taking time to reflect on many happy things have aided in mending from many unhappy things. Ultimately, it has shown me more of my Loving God, His Presence, Thoughtfulness, and the incredible Love He has for not only Kaiyah but all of us including me. Looking back I realize how very much Kaiyah and I shared similarities and in many ways her companionship was a prophetic preparation for what I would have to keep walking out for the remainder of my life. Gideon, Cotton, and our adorable newest cockatiel addition, Pluffy aka &ldquo;Sir Pluffs Alot&rdquo; are doing their precious part to enrich our lives as His servants and hopefully, for a long time. We are excited to see what other surprises the Lord has in store for us. Just like all my animal friends, Kaiyah&rsquo;s ministry was one of a kind, my novel husky. How much the Lord wants to show, teach and reveal to us if we but listen to Him and those servants He sends into our lives whether they have fur, feathers, scales, shells, flora, seasons, or otherwise; even people sometimes.
Kaiyah Takota was beautiful and an incredible witness to her God-given name; an ongoing reminder from my Savior to allow Him to give me the ability to forgive much and to forgive fully, to be a friend to all with His love, humility, gentle quiet spirit, being careful to trust wisely, to find my &ldquo;bark&rdquo; when absolutely necessary especially when happy, and to know God wants me to live freely, completely, and abundantly in Him all of my days&hellip;.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:06:56 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Something Beautiful, Something Good&#x3a; Promised Provision</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12875</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Something Beautiful, Something Good: Promised Provision]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Psalm 145:15-16
&nbsp;
"The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou Givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest Thine Hand, and Satisfiest the desire of every living thing."
&nbsp;
The Giant Anteater is truly a remarkable creature. Very unique&nbsp;in appearance,&nbsp;this animal is a solitary wanderer - its range can be around 1 square mile for the males and up to 1.5 for the females. They do this looking for food and safety, caring for their young pups, to find their breeding&nbsp;mate - and ultimately trusting in God to provide for their needs&nbsp;every day. Including their vittles of termites and ants.
In our travels and wanderings, are we depending on God to supply our needs, realizing our dependence on Him; doing our best within our means, but ultimately relying on Him Alone?
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:06:31 -0500</pubDate>
				<guid>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12875</guid>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 47</media:title>
        			</media:content>
				
				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12832</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 47]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 47 &ndash; We Will Run Again
God Who Loves Man and Beast
&nbsp;
Psalm 36:5-7
&ldquo;Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the Shadow of Thy Wings.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
&nbsp;
It was a big change for all of us. We were grateful, and did our best to live minimally. Living out of a few boxes in rooms filled with Peter&rsquo;s family belongings; we weren&rsquo;t sure where to put things or not put things. Peter and I aren&rsquo;t the kind of people to mess with other people&rsquo;s belongings even if they are our family. Respecting people&rsquo;s privacy and property was how I was raised and it is a way that pleases my Lord as well. Pops always said don&rsquo;t touch it if it&rsquo;s not yours. He also quite often reminded me, as I liked to use his tools, if you had permission, put things back exactly where you got them from. It was important for me to keep that wise practice as I had learned to do, and so I did.
Kaiyah had her little corner tucked in the back of the room away from the entrance. We also kept a couple of the boxes for clothes in the already furniture laden space. Her favorite blankets were made to her preference as best as could be. Her food bowl and personal watering station were also close by for ease of access. Her medicine often made her more thirsty so extra water was set-up. She could enjoy some that was available for Gideon in the kitchen tucked in a side spot by the kitchen table. Even though she had those options she preferred to drink out of a glass baking pan that Peter&rsquo;s dad kept outside for the visiting critters. I couldn&rsquo;t believe how she would drink and drink until there was nothing left; sometimes a few times a day. Unfortunately, it wasn&rsquo;t long before we would see Kaiyah further declining. It was hard on all of us to watch that happening to our beautiful Lady Kaiyah. But at least we were all together as a family.
Gideon was spunky and very talkative especially in the early morning with Peter&rsquo;s momma. He really liked being by her so much and wanted to share everything on his heart that he could. And she would talk quietly with him and give him special treats. I appreciated her kindness and patience with him. She also did her upmost to quiet him with others sleeping, and for her special morning prayers and quiet time with the Lord as she watched the day begin. I think he knew something very important and wanted to tell her. He never really was like that at any other time.
Cotton continued to be a sparkling white gem of feathers to all of us. He had his special place in the corner of the dining area. Peter and I kept our little goodnight song routine in place for him and eventually would bring him back to the room with us. It was better for him and for the family.
The continued strain and tensions increased and would reach levels of intensity that left both Peter and I reeling from the confrontations and overwhelmed with confusion and pain that resulted from the unexpected outbursts. We were clearly in a firing zone and we had only Jesus to run to. We felt overwhelmed. I clung to the Lord&rsquo;s Words in Joshua 1:9, &ldquo;Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.&rdquo; We knew the Lord brought us there and would take care of us. We chose to abide in Him and ride out the storm, He was with us. He had His Reasons.
Every fruit of Holy Spirit in our lives was put in the press of trial during that time. Some encounters left us completely shocked and in disbelief. Peter and I weren&rsquo;t perfect in reacting to the words and things said or done, or the emotions that came with them; and we were sorry for that - we could always handle things better. There also was the added collision between their faith traditions and the Biblical Truth we were obeying that simply contradicted the traditions. That is what Peter&rsquo;s dad called controversy and indeed he was absolutely correct. Our Scriptural walk of faith was an affront. The aggression was front and center and was quite particular in the timing of our observances. We all professed love for God in Christ Jesus and that is critically important. I may share more on this at another occasion because we learned a lot from that experience. But we did not do to them what was done to us however, we did try to communicate on a few occasions. We weren&rsquo;t there to attack anyone.
Although we disagreed on some things we respected their free-will choice and the liberty of their conscience to choose to do as they will. We held that line because we knew our God is this way with the whole of humanity; Peter and I want to make sure to follow His Example. Admittedly, we always want to be able to share God&rsquo;s Word and our hearts openly in discussion; how else can we learn and understand one another - but it must always be in Agape; God&rsquo;s Love, self-less and unconditional. God never forces us, love never forces&hellip; and we who love and want to obey God should want to follow Jesus our Lord in all things; that is a work only He is able to do in us so He can work through us; but it comes with my, our, submitting to Him. I&rsquo;m still learning and will be as long as I have breath in my body. Praise God as Psalm 145:8 reveals, &ldquo;The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.&rdquo; &hellip; verily, verily, Perfect in all His Ways.
The unseen tempest was gaining force. And in the midst of all that was happening with family, and the pending sale of our home and other factors, our dear precious little Kaiyah was silently weakening before our eyes. It was becoming clear Peter and I would be facing a very difficult time of decision soon but at the right time. My heart was already riddled with compounded grief including anticipatory grief, the intense sorrow felt before a loss, and we were in the thick of much disenfranchised grief - the grief that comes with disappointments and the decisions made by others and situations. It was crushing. The Wings of the Lord were Sheltering us and our little animals. I was reminded in my heart, that anything that affected us had to go through Him first and that He took the brunt of everything. We needed to remain under and close to Him and praise Him for such a Love as His.
We were in much prayer for all of us and everything, wanting only God&rsquo;s Will in all of it. It was a lot of change for everyone. We questioned everything we had been told by the family and understood and thought we were welcomed. But that isn&rsquo;t exactly what we were being told or were experiencing. Trust was being shattered. Peter and I found ourselves visiting two places of worship closer to our faith. One was on the far end of the valley and the other just outside of it to the northwest. There the Lord Provided a few precious souls who listened, encouraged and were praying for us. They even blessed us with vittles as part of the fellowship. The time we shared with them was very important and helpful through the thick of things. Some of those brothers and sisters in Christ knew what we were going through as they had been through something like it themselves or knew someone who had. Thank God for each of them.
I had already contacted Kaiyah&rsquo;s vet to let them know what was happening and to obtain additional medicine for her. They were concerned and recommended we find someone local to take her to for evaluation. I took the steps necessary to find just the right team and location. God, as always, Provided and they were open on Sundays which was an answer to prayer for us and we made the appointment for the coming Sunday morning.
Kaiyah was grateful for her mission hikes. That morning we had much on our heart regarding her. I was in tears as we walked the well trodden path. It was a beautiful morning full of sunshine, soft blue skies, a few whispy white clouds and a gentle breeze grazing across the softened rain replenished desert. We walked hand in hand as we let our Kaiyah take us where it made her happy to go. She went far that day and was stronger than we&rsquo;d seen in a while. She had her smile and curlie tailie bouncing a bit more as she made her way up and around. The sounds of birds chirping sounded like a cheering team of old friends encouraging their buddy in an important race. A few even followed us; doves, cactus wrens and a mockingbird with a full playlist of tunes and plenty of humorous antics.
At one point I was reminiscing out loud and asked Kaiyah if she wanted to try to jog a little with me as we used to do. It was an utter surprise and joyful delight that right near where we used to play tailie chase that she started picking up a faster pace with a little hop. I couldn&rsquo;t believe it and we went along for as long as she wanted. She was happy and we even played tailie chase a little and she did her happy doggy horse trot as we made our way back toward home. She seemed strong and full of life in that moment and I whistled her tune as we embraced the moment of joy together. It was a precious gift I never thought I would experience with her again in this lifetime. Tears of joy streamed and Peter and I were praising the Lord, hugging each other and loving on His sweet Kaiyah as we slowed before walking to the house. She was beautiful to see running again with her curlie tailie high and her wild quiet elegance shining forth almost making me forget her weary and aging body. It was a precious miracle.
After getting a good drink of water we carefully loaded her in the back of the SUV and headed to the vet for an evaluation. Our hearts were happy and full of praise as we got to the parking lot and found our spot. Kaiyah almost tried to hop down on her own, a big no-no, so I carefully helped her down and she slowly made her way to the waiting room. It wasn&rsquo;t long before they had us in a room waiting for the new vet. They were pleasant and professional and examined her closely. We learned that Kaiyah was even more deteriorated in her lower spine and back legs which made the morning even more special. The vet was letting us know there wasn&rsquo;t much else to do for our Lady Kaiyah but one thing, a shot that would go into her back where the greatest concern was. After the morning we had, it was hard to see she was ready to say good-bye yet we didn&rsquo;t want her hurting.
Peter and I took several minutes to prayerfully decide what to do. I was totally torn. Peter felt strongly to try the shot and if it didn&rsquo;t work quickly and do what it was hoped to do we would know clearly what the next step would be. I agreed. We had once again asked the Lord for His Wisdom and Counsel. And that was where Peace was in the decision. The caring lady vet administered the shot. Kaiyah didn&rsquo;t seem fazed at all. We took care of business and headed home with extra careful attentiveness to Kaiyah and prepared ourselves as best as we could for whatever outcome would result. As always, it was in the Lord&rsquo;s Merciful Hands.
The next few days revealed that our Kaiyah was not improving as we had hoped. She was in some ways steady but began losing her balance, seemed out of sorts more, and still our noble brave girl wanted her mission hikes as short as they were. She was hardly eating by the end of the week. She had steadily declined. I loved on her as much as I could. I knew it was time. I tried to be thoughtful to let Peter&rsquo;s family say good-byes. Not everyone deals with death and dying the same - that is a fact. And I know not everyone feels the way I do about loving and caring for animals. Thankfully Peter and I were at least on the same page. That very Friday morning we made the call.
Gideon and Cotton got to have special moments with Kaiyah as well. Gideon seemed to know already and meowed and lay nearby looking at her before a headbump to her chest was given. Cotton was quiet and looked intently. Peter&rsquo;s parents seemed relieved and saddened at the same time. We gave Kaiyah love from her Auntie Woof as we had let her know it was time and that is what she wanted us to do. We took Kaiyah out to her desert one more time and carried her back in prior to her final trip in the old SUV. Peter and I had a little more prayer along with words affirming our sweet girl just a bit more before loading our &ldquo;vertical dog&rdquo;, as Peter lovingly referred to her during the lifting process, gently onto her cozy blanket bed in the back of the SUV. Peter&rsquo;s parents said their loving good-byes. As Peter pet her I held her head in my hands and kissed her forehead. We closed the door for her one last little ridie.
Peter drove us. Even though the tears streamed and our hearts were breaking it was the right time, no doubt about it. No more pain for our little curlie tailed Alaskan husky. As we made that final ridie with our Kaiyah we sang her special song to her one more time: &ldquo;Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog is a real dog&hellip;&rdquo; In the midst of our deep sorrow that was a special joyful moment to have shared. Once we arrived, I couldn&rsquo;t believe that she again tried to stand and hop out. Furdaddy gently took her out. She couldn&rsquo;t stand very well so he carried her in, placed her softly down as the receptionist acknowledged we were there.
Before we knew it we were led to a private room with the floor made to look like a warm soft bed where the table usually extends. They had made the place very comfy for Kaiyah. A few minutes went by and in came an over-the-top kind assistant who made sure everything was in place for the doctor and said to take all the time we needed. They went out of their way to make Kaiyah happy. All the staff, including the doctor, came in and celebrated Kaiyah - petting on her, offering her goodies, which I couldn&rsquo;t believe she ate some of, it was overwhelming and fit for our Lady Kaiyah. Peter and I had plenty of time to take in as much time with her as possible. Then the moment came.
The doctor, who we discovered also believed in Jesus, came in quietly and with much caring spoke with Kaiyah and us shortly after the special assistant had prepared Kaiyah for the injections. I was on the floor by Kaiyah&rsquo;s head stroking her ears, the rough of her neck, and head down to her old worn paws to the tip of her curlie tailie. Peter was by me and took time to speak his heart and gently pet our real dog for the last time. As the final moments came we all encouraged Kaiyah to rest in Jesus. She was relaxed. As the process began I held her as I stroked her soft warm head watching and telling her how much I loved her. Once more I thanked her for her trust, her friendship and everything including the many things she helped me learn and remember from the Heart of our God and Creator. She was His husky first and foremost and His Love for her was all over.
A few seconds after the first administration Kaiyah suddenly turned to look straight into my eyes with the most intense soulful expression; it was so strong that it surprised me. It was full of meaning, gratitude and joy. It was like she looked right into me with such a deep and precious connection - one that was incredibly stronger than when we first met all those many years prior. I whispered to her I loved her for keeps, that we all loved her, and that we would play and run again. Then the final administration was delivered with prayerful soft whispers and thanks to God for our Kaiyah Takota. &ldquo;We will run again&hellip; love you Kaiyah&hellip; rest in Jesus my sweet girl,&rdquo; I said brokenly through my tears as she swiftly drifted away sweetly before our eyes in her own beautifully novel, humbly silent and graceful way. My friend Kaiyah Takota had gone to sleep. Rest peacefully sweet Kaiyah&hellip;.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:31:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Something Beautiful, Something Good&#x3a; Words of Life</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12847</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Something Beautiful, Something Good: Words of Life]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Acts 5:20
"Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the Words of this Life."
&nbsp;
John 6:68-69
"Then Simon Peter answered Him [Jesus], Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, The Son of The Living God."
&nbsp;
This striking Indian Sarus Crane is a pertinent example of how to stand and share what the Lord has put in your&nbsp;heart and to share His Words of Life. &nbsp;
Are we doing that where we are?
The Lord only has the Words of Life, The Good News of Who God Is and what He Has Done and Has Promised to Do... with everyone....everywhere.
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:30:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 46</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12822</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 46]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 46 &ndash; Kaiyah Remembers
God Our Escort
&nbsp;
Deuteronomy 31:8
&ldquo;And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.&rdquo; 
1 John 3:18
&ldquo;My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The days leading to departure came with Peter and I having to very gently lift Kaiyah up and down her outside concrete step. She was friskity at times bolting through her yard in a sudden spurt and then looking around lumbering about lazily before meeting us at the door for &ldquo;lift service&rdquo;. Gideon usually had zero interest in exploring outside in the cold and wet but he sure did before we left. Cotton was cozy as a bug in a rug and seemed to take it all in stride. The whole house looked like one big open free-fly zone. His calm and light hearted expressions were comforting, which I found to be a special ministry to my heart.
We had the home as spic and span as we could. We left a few things we needed there as we planned on coming back to tend and close things up prior to, Lord Willing, the sale and closing of the home. And it would give us one last opportunity to say good-bye. The moving truck had been loaded and almost all our furniture had been donated minus a few. Our agent had scheduled the photographer to come out that morning after we left so he could get things rolling to put our home back on the market.
We experienced more neighbor strangeness as we parked the moving truck locally overnight, with approval, at a local hardware box store. The men stood out there by their trucks talking with front lights high and watched us finalize a few items, lock up the truck and head back home. We had no idea who they were by name but we recognized them and surrendered that to the Lord. We got home and did our very best to sleep, which for me was almost impossible. We had already put out a bunch of seeds and such for our wildlife friends. We hoped that our agent would do as he promised to keep the water fresh and put out some seeds we had in stock for the critters once in a while. I had so much on my heart and just snuggled next to the Lord while praying for Peter&rsquo;s rest and for journey mercies. There was a winter storm blowing through areas we would be travelling but everything was to have passed prior to our arrival. The unseen storm in our life was already reappearing.
That early morning we got everything situated with final items in the SUV for the road trip including our little &ldquo;furtherlies&rdquo; (fur and feather babies). Warm blankets, water, food and treats. Kaiyah was given her medicine. Gideon had his kitty calm spray sprayed in and around his placement. Cotton had everything he needed including a nice tiny sprig of millet. Keeping Cotton from drafts and burst of cold was very important so I had extra covers for him. That way whenever a door was opened he was always covered and tucked in so there would be no cold shock. Gideon was cozy in his kennel but not happy with the arrangement; he has always communicated his feelings very openly. Kaiyah was quiet and warm laying on her blankets and her look of &ldquo;oh no, big ridie&rdquo; was present but she was steadily patient with the process. She was doing better than I was, bless her heart.
After we made sure everything was locked tightly and had things in place as we do when going away to ensure security, we noticed a white truck just sitting a short distance from our home with watching eyes again. We made note of it. Peter and I prayed together and said our good-byes to our humble home until we could come back.
I gave our brave animals extra sweet words and pets as I closed the door, started the engine and watched for Peter&rsquo;s lead to get things rolling. It was bittersweet to say the least.
Watching our home disappear from sight as we slowly rounded the bend heading to the main connecting street gave me a sad heavy feeling but also a sense of relief. I had to trust God with everything and to embrace the new journey of transition. I had to focus and rest in what God was doing. I soon found the morning light and passing landscapes, businesses and fellow travelers including raptors flying overheard a welcome distraction from all the emotion. The animals were quiet.
A few hours on the road we noticed a travel advisory sign over the freeway letting us know there was a road closure ahead near the border right where we were headed. Peter and I found a pull-over spot to stop and discuss the ramifications and another potential warning of the journey we were on. Peter prayerfully decided that we needed to press onward. Just as we were warned, as we approached the border there was a complete slow down that came pretty quickly to a full stop. The trip can take up to seventeen to eighteen hours sometimes traveling with animals. We usually have done that in one straight shot. This was a serious unexpected delay. When we finally were able to get moving again we could see that the winter storm had left the roads icy and bitter winds were blowing snow cross-wise making vehicles shudder especially high-profile ones. I have a lot of respect for those in the transport industry who really deal with so much and for incredibly long hours. Peter is an excellent and experienced driver so as I followed his pattern I was grateful for his gentle strength as he led our tiny caravan along the frigid roads.
The crackling ice under the tires was definitely not a welcome sound for the animals. The roads eventually cleared and the temps rose above freezing as we made our way. The snow covered landscapes were breathtaking. Before long we were cruising, Peter was moving faster than I was. The road at higher speeds rumbling under the vehicle was also not pleasant to our sweet pets. The journey was unusually long as we passed familiar places due to weather delays and the fact I couldn&rsquo;t go faster. We drove well into the night and then the wee hours of the morning. The animals were upset and so was I. I was worried for Kaiyah and Gideon. I hardly had had any sleep and the emotional strains of the whole move, the weather delays, the concerns of meeting with the movers to unload the truck, the impacts this would have on the family, etc. - plus I experienced fear in a way I had not before or since. I may share on that at another time but I quoted Scripture, prayed and yet, was feeling overwhelmed. I worshipped and praised the Lord for the last four hours of the trip, on and off, to quiet our feather and furbabies and waited for the Lord to quiet me. We had to make more stops to walk Kaiyah so she could stretch. Cotton and Gideon just needed to be still. It was the most difficult road trip of my life. We both realized we should have stopped overnight and rested a bit and rescheduled a few things. But that would not have stopped the unseen storm that was already underway.
Praise God our Escort and for His Grace! We finally made it!! We quickly unpacked necessary items only and got the animals bedded down quietly as Peter&rsquo;s parents were still fast asleep. We were running on fumes and only had a small window to get a couple hours of rest, if that, before up and at &lsquo;em.
The morning greetings occurred. It was good to see Peter&rsquo;s parents. Unfortunately within minutes we were being scolded over the long trip, the animals, and soon found that the understood arrangements for storage and unloading had changed. I quickly went to find an appropriate local storage facility and notified the folks we had hired to help us unload. Thank God that came together with no problem. The waters were already rising and we had literally just got there.
Kaiyah, Gideon and Cotton were a little out of sorts but overall relieved to be anywhere but in the SUV. The trumpeting of the meows and happy expression Gideon had seeing Peter&rsquo;s mom was precious. Kaiyah was tired and looked sore but made her way around in her usual humble stealth mode. Her medicine was given and she quickly appreciated the warmer weather. We could tell it felt good on her bones. Cotton was just fine and genuinely happy to hear the voices of his family flock and to see them again.
It was a whirlwind start. The unloading went well but we discovered the loaders had damaged a few pieces even though we had wrapped everything and told them to be careful with those particular items especially&nbsp;Marmi&rsquo;s piano. And yet unbelievably there was some damage. Thank God Peter took photos and dealt quickly with the loading movers, by God&rsquo;s Grace it worked out so we could get things taken care of when settled.
We kept our personal Bible study and prayer time going, which we absolutely needed. We also, respectfully, worked to develop a modest routine for our lives and to maintain our eating habits. We couldn&rsquo;t understand why there was already a growing strain and tension within the family setting. There was so much to do and there was much we couldn&rsquo;t do anything about. I reminded myself, God is Faithful and He has a Plan. Peter and I were holding on to Papa God and knew He was with us and we needed to &ldquo;let patience have her perfect work&rdquo; while staying surrendered.
We had high hopes getting to spend some time with Peter&rsquo;s family. It was only to be a short stay until we could hop to our new home once the other had sold. We hadn&rsquo;t seen them much over the years and wanted to make the most of being by them to enjoy the years we had remaining together; closer, and to support one another. Especially with Peter&rsquo;s momma being a bit more frail with a few health concerns and his dad not getting any younger and dealing with his own things. Peter&rsquo;s sister lived locally and was attentive to everything she could be while still working dutifully. We just wanted to be a blessing where we could, plain and simple. We wanted to not just love with our words but in deed and in truth just as 1 John encourages. I knew what it was like to have aging parents far away, it can be very difficult. I honestly didn&rsquo;t want Peter to experience that and to have as much freedom to enjoy his family as utterly possible. We truly thought that is what we all wanted. We really started to wonder&hellip;.
Returning to our old stomping grounds came with clusters of memories and emotion but it was a special deep joy being in the desert with its flora and fauna once again. It felt like seeing old friends. There was uniqueness to that time that came with prayerful reflective walks with my beloved Peter and our dear Kaiyah, as much as she could, on her old well pawed trails. It didn&rsquo;t take her long to realize she was back on the very trails I took her on so many times and years prior bond-building, to de-stress, to learn her special whistle, to see her coyote friends and all the many special times we shared. I didn&rsquo;t know how long we had left together but every moment really sunk in deep. She was determined yet unhurried in her pace and looked frailer in the desert morning sunshine. But she remembered her mission hikes; Kaiyah knew right where to go. That delighted my heart so much. As she had done multiple times before Kaiyah stood still, looked about taking in her desert, took time to lift her sweet head and muzzle to the heavens, close her soulful eyes and sniffed the air with a renewed slight curl in her tail. Those moments with Kaiyah were like crepuscular rays; sunbeams breaking through some very dark heavy-laden clouds. Our Heavenly Escort was watching over our little family and He Knew Kaiyah&rsquo;s heart as well as ours&hellip;.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:12:54 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 26&#x3a; Aren&#x27;t You Looking Sharp&#x21;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12833</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 26: Aren&apos;t You Looking Sharp!]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[And He hath Made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He Hid me, and Made me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath He Hid me;
Isaiah 49:2 KJV
&nbsp;
Photo Editing nowadays takes on so many different facets of the overall workflow of photography. Even if you take the best exposed, white balanced, well composed image with good focus, there's still a bunch of things in post editing (i.e. Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Pro, etc.) That you can (will) find you want to tinker with. One of those items we will go over today is sharpening your photos. And yes, this is helpful even if you, as mentioned above, have images with good focus. Check this out.
Above is the title image of a cliffside in downtown Sedona, Arizona. The image was already sharp, but going in closer, I found it could use a bit of tweaking to bring out more detail. The examples I will go over were done in Adobe Lightroom with their sharpening tool. (You are shooting in RAW format right? I may need to do an article on that in another one) but thankfully whether your images are saved in RAW or jpeg or what have you, any quality editing software will allow you to do this workflow, as we are going to be using our eyes for this one and not necessarily numbers and graphs. So...
I have cropped in to one of the edges of the cliffs, where I am looking for a stark contrast between two objects. One of the things that works very well for this is when you have rocks meeting the sky behind it. Depending on your picture, you can look for other areas of opposing exposure, but this s very effective. I'll show you why. Sharpening really brings out&nbsp;artifacts that can "crunch in" to form more "aggressive" pixels when you over sharpen your images. Think of this as a calibration guide, as your images can actually show you when your sharpening too much. Here's what I look for.
Below are three crops of the same area of the mountainside, zoomed in to a ludicrously tight area so we can see this better.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Ok so right off the bat, you see how soft this is? Yes it looked sharp zoomed out, but we need to tighten this up a bit.&nbsp;Now, to illustrate how this can be overdone, I crammed the sharpening lever in Lightroom all the way to the max. Now you see, as the rock meets the sky vertically, how suddenly we have this bold line (and some noise, or visual static) appear? That wasn't there before. When this "crunches in," you know this is over sharpened. What we need to do is use this bold line as a guide, and find that sweet spot where it is sharp enough, but right before that line and that noise really start to come in.&nbsp;There we go, that's much better. You can see how the line and the noise is just on the cusp of starting to show - that's our cut-off point with the sharpening tool. Don't go past that. That's where you want it!&nbsp;So that's what I recommend. This is a terrific way to "eyeball" it to taste, and get your images nice and sharp without overdoing it. You see, every image is going to be different. I can't say, sharpen it to 70 or 80 or 120 with the sharpening lever, it all varies picture to picture - no two are going to be the same; there's too many variables that make every one of them unique. Again, this will work with any quality photo editing software, so you're not limited just to the Adobe Suite&nbsp;ecosystem.
I think this topic is such an important reminder of not over sharpening something else - our words... In the Passage from the Book of Isaiah at the top of this page, the Lord reminds us (and as a Christian I definitely take note of this) that our mouth is like a sharp sword. It is meant to be used to encourage, to educate, and also -&nbsp;lovingly correct where needed - but NOT meant to be used as an abusive and heavy handed tool to speak words that actually cut and hurt the emotions and heart of a person and crushing their spirit. Jesus Showed PERFECTLY how this "sharp sword" that&nbsp;Isaiah mentions should be used. Words with love. Words with patience. Words with respect. Words with correction, even... Just don't OVER sharpen it! Thank you for reading this; I pray that you are blessed.
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:12:29 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 45</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12816</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 45]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 45 &ndash; Pressing Onward
God Girds Us
&nbsp;
Psalm 18:30-33
&ldquo;As for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.&rdquo; 
James 1:2-4
&ldquo;My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
I couldn&rsquo;t believe how fast the new year arrived. The winter was thick with snow and Kaiyah&rsquo;s raven friends had come by as they would periodically do. Hearing them boldly crying out, and seeing their shiny black feathers glistening in a spectacular way as they moved about in the stunning white of snow covering our landscape, was beautiful to me. The ravens had been known to bring lost snow geese and mallards (and other weather-worn famished birds) to our back yard as a reliable fast food stop for the journey. The ravens would announce them, disappear for a short time and then bring them to our back yard. The ravens would observe until all tummies ate enough and off they would fly together. It was an incredible blessing to have witnessed. I prayed for them as I customarily do. And like so many other moments, it really touched my heart and I was grateful to the Lord for the gift and the lessons of those precious souls. The revisiting pairs and lone stragglers of the mallards were ever so grateful to find their favorite grain scratch tucked in places easily gobbled up by hungry beaks. The various hawks and owls made an unusual joint time of year showing that stirred me that they had an awareness that we were leaving and wanted to share an unspoken moment before we departed just as the migrating hummingbirds had done in early autumn. And so did our little squirrel and critter friends.
I noticed Kaiyah was slowing down a bit more than before and occasionally a bit unsteady on her back legs. So I kept a vigilant watch as she did her outside business just in case a little help was required. She seemed to really take her time enjoying the cold and meandering about her yard. Her wildlife friends would greet her and she would look up with that wise playful look of hers and sniff the frigid air looking miles away from our humble backyard and watched them come and go. It had been a long time since I had seen that faraway look in Kaiyah&rsquo;s eyes. I knew she was heartbroken over Pumpkin and she was dealing with increasing aging complications and, on top of that, she had to have understood a major change was forthcoming. Her whole world was changing and so was ours.
We had continued to put our usual goodies out for our wild fur and feathered friends and they knew it. The buffet was often standing room only. The bird bath was full, clean and heated, and the small side bowls were also clean and would melt in the sun should someone need a sip. Everyone was in our prayers as that was to be our last winter looking after them. Peter reminded me time and time again that the Lord has always Looked after them way before we moved there and would keep right on doing it. He is Plenteous in Goodness and Deeply Loves all of His Creation. I knew that of course but my heart has always been rather tender to care that way and to carry the responsibilities that came with it. Yet the tears would still roll down my cheeks.
I had been raw for many years with grief and loss and steadily enduring the battles that wage in life while we live on this little blue planet and, most assuredly, including the recent sudden loss of our Pumpkin. To say we missed him would be an understatement. Our little Kaiyah seemed almost lost sometimes but she would find her way to her happy cozy spot and rest. I totally understood and empathized.
Peter and I had reconsidered a number of things during that small &ldquo;eye of the storm&rdquo; window. We decided we still wanted to be closer to Peter&rsquo;s family and to be free to discover our country home while cutting loose of the world we had come to reside in, including all the negatives that we had long been troubled with living there. There were many positives though, that circulated in our thoughts and conversations as well. We continued to seek the Lord and to follow, to the best of our ability, the way the Lord placed before us and for His Reasons, though we certainly had our own too. We had decided to put our house back on the market with a new agent and take the steps necessary to make the cross country move in a way that would remove us from the scene. After the incident with our neighbors, trust was hard and trusting the agent even harder. But we knew we could trust the Lord with all of it and through to whatever end He knew would be best.
We were aware a lot of work would be needed to get our items sorted, donated, and packed as quickly as possible. Thankfully it was well underway by that time. It was a lot to process but the strain had to be kept to a minimum for our aging furbabies and Cotton. The memories, emotions; the letting go process and frustrations with things that were out of our control was thicker than concrete mud and the reality of things was setting in harder than Quickcrete. We prayed, clung to the Lord and pressed onward.
Seeing Kaiyah slowing down only sped me up with an urgency to get her settled and by the family. I was all too aware that every moment counts in this life. I felt the family needed to have time with her too as well as Gideon and our feather baby Cotton. I was torn though as I also wanted Kaiyah to have the safety and comfort of the home and yard she knew and enjoyed so well, and not to go through the changes that lay ahead although it would be familiar. It was our old stomping grounds but different. I was not keen to return there but surrendered to the process and partnered with my husband.
I wrestled with concerns. We had planted new trees and shrubs to make our back yard more luscious, colorful, and private with lots of them being wildlife friendly and fruiters. I couldn&rsquo;t believe how many thoughts I had about, well, just about everything. I usually don&rsquo;t experience that but for whatever reason I was inundated with such complicated and contrasting thoughts. It was our first home we bought together and it was getting time to say good-bye. I had to turn everything over to the only one I knew who could take care of everything and that was the Lord Jesus. I was talking to the Lord all the time; poor Peter didn&rsquo;t know if I was praying or talking to him sometimes.
The difficulties surrounding that move were overridden by our strong sense of the Lord&rsquo;s Leading and love for Peter&rsquo;s family, and we had a few dear friends not far from where we were heading. We really didn&rsquo;t have much more to go on than that but it was more than enough. We had hope in The Lord and we were surrendered to what we discerned was God&rsquo;s Will. The road is not always smooth before us as we choose to follow God. Nor are we promised everything will be hunky-dory if we just trust in God and believe in Jesus. James, the apostle of Jesus said it this way, &ldquo;My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.&rdquo;
I experienced this Truth in my own life, seen it work in the life of my family and countless others. Letting patience have her perfect work, is not always easy but necessary. Sometimes the winds, waves, floods, and the noises that come with them must be endured. Anyone who has lived honestly would know the truth of it. Our Hope and Anchor, Jesus, being God Himself was more than able to Carry us through&hellip; anything. He had already Proved Himself to me umpteen times because it is Who He Is&hellip;. God never changes, never. And I reminded and still remind myself of this fact often. I contemplate on Passages such as Psalms 90:2, &ldquo;Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.&rdquo;
The imminence of the big move was just ahead and the winds and waves were surging but God&rsquo;s Peace and Strength bolstered our lives. Sometimes the Lord takes us into the storm to show us His Great Power and for the Reasons that are His and for many that He wants to Reveal in His Time. Heavenly Father only Knew what lay ahead for our sweet Kaiyah, Gideon, Cotton and all of us in the family and our home. I knew we were heading into a storm. I just didn&rsquo;t know how big and from which direction or directions the winds, waves, and rains would blow&hellip; But we needed to trust Him all the way. He was With us and that Held us steady. He Girded us as we pressed onward.
Softly down in the memories of my heart I could hear Marmi quietly building to a crescendo as she played her piano and sang through many a tear, and greatly tested faith, her beloved Psalm 46, &ldquo;God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble&hellip;.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:53:11 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 25&#x3a; Let&#x27;s Face It...</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12817</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 25: Let&apos;s Face It...]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Luke 21:28
&nbsp;
I remember back when I started this series, Simple Tips For Better Pics, that one of the main points I wanted to get&nbsp;across was that photography is a way of telling a story... There are different ways of doing that, and every photographer has their own style, but when you look at a photo, it really should have a message, a story, to it.
I have had the privilege of traveling across this beautiful country photographing a lot of nature and wildlife. I have visited National Parks, recreation stops, wildlife preserves, gardens, parks and zoos - you name it. From that has come a tremendous catalogue of different animals I have pictures of.
When I look through them to compose my images, I ask myself quietly "What is being said here. What is the message - the story - I want to convey with this picture." And more often times than not, I first crop the image to get the composition balanced. Usually though I find myself going closer in... to really get that dramatic message across. When all is said and done, I notice a trend starting. I definitely have animal pictures that are taken more at a wide angle. But you know what? There are many of them where I find the best presentation really comes across with cropping in to a dramatic head-shot of the animal. Or at least a little closer...
Back several months ago I wrote an article in this series called&nbsp;Simple Tips For Better Pics 9: The Eyes Have It&nbsp;where I went into some of the benefits of doing this, but I felt further elaboration is needed, because these shots can be expanded beyond the focus of that article, as important as it is. Reason is what happens when your subjects are not looking right at you?
That's ok! This works well even if they are looking elsewhere, focused on something else. They can even be asleep; it really doesn't matter. The point is to get close. Sometimes from the waist up. Or from the shoulders. Sometimes closer even; getting those head shots in a portrait of these magnificent creatures. The story that can be told can be much more impactful when you do this, as opposed to getting your subject all in frame.
Below are some examples I felt really benefit from this kind of photography. Try it out next time you're out and about. It really makes a difference!
&nbsp;&nbsp;You can probably tell I really like to photograph birds! As you can see, there is more impact by getting in close, sometimes up to the face of these beautiful subjects. And you're not limited to color images either. This cute lil' doggie I think finds an elegant look with a warm monochrome reduction, below.&nbsp;There's another benefit too. If you happen to get your pictures at a zoo for example, there may be structural objects in the image or even the very necessary bands the animals where for identification, that can become distractions in your photo. As a side note, I have an article on that subject here:&nbsp;Simple Tips for Better Pics 3: Don't Get Distracted!&nbsp;When you get close to their face, you don't have to address those concerns, and you don't have to mess with post editing them out or refering to (uggghh) Generative AI correction/manipulation. (Don't even get me started.)
As I reflect on that powerful verse from the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament at the top of this article,&nbsp;I think about these images and how they are, on one hand, a delightful reminder yet at the same time very serious reminder to me, of the times we are living in: so close to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. With things escalating all around us in this world, I will gladly look over my photos and see these beautiful Creations of God as&nbsp;a very quiet ministry to me, and how it is important that we lift up our heads... And also get some good photos while we can!!!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:52:46 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 44</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12785</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 44]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 44 &ndash; Pumpkinito
God My Anchor
&nbsp;
Psalm 33:22
&ldquo;Let Thy Mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee.&rdquo;
Hebrews 6:19
&ldquo;Which Hope we have as an Anchor (Jesus Christ) of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Yes, trusting in the God of my mercy was exactly what I was doing but emotions sometimes have a different story to tell. I was upset. I was working it through, we both were.
During the week after that unpleasant &ldquo;house visit&rdquo; I continued to pack a few things up in boxes setting them aside in one space of our home. I had noticed that Kaiyah and the kitties seemed a bit more to themselves during the day staying warm and quiet. Kaiyah&rsquo;s appetite was good. Gideon always was eager to have his meal, and Pumpkin&rsquo;s if he could get it.
Pumpkin was a grazer. So I regularly monitored and managed his eating habits. I made sure to put his bowl safely out of the reach of Gideon&rsquo;s kibble &ldquo;vacuum.&rdquo; Peter had come up with that reference, and rightly so, as Gideon moved in fast and furious leaving the bowls without a trace of food. Pumpkin in his gentle kitten-like manner would eat until happy, rest a while, then give me that baby face look of &ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready for more now,&rdquo; watch the incoming delivery, eat what he wanted and the cycle repeated itself throughout the day until he was done. Toward the end of that week I noticed Pumpkin had slowed down on his food requests. I made a mental note of it. He had done that on rare occasion over the years but always resumed his normal eating patterns. I wasn&rsquo;t sure if it was from the potential move - cats don&rsquo;t like change too much, or the whole ordeal that had happened at our home by the people supposedly &ldquo;looking&rdquo; at our house, or something internal, although he had been given a clean bill of health from his doctor and his damaged tooth had long healed. I didn&rsquo;t know, so I put it to prayer and gave him some extra tender loving care.
Pumpkin was younger than Gideon by a couple years but always seemed kitten-like even as he matured. Calling him a grown kitten fit him nicely. As a kitten he liked to hide in purses, bags, bowls and boxes. He would sneak outside like lightning if the door was open wide enough. He was playful and smart. He was a valiant kitty not afraid of anything and was an avid non-lethal creeping thing finder. He would signal with his sweet expression of &ldquo;I found it!&rdquo; sitting right where it was. He even pointed with his paw or bent his head toward it, or stared intently if it was beyond his reach until we could do our part. It didn&rsquo;t matter if it was a scorpion, spider, water bug, moth, gecko, or what have you, if he found it he would report it. Sometimes Gideon or Kaiyah would make additional verifications and watch as one of us cared to catch and release to safer more appropriate places for said critter.
He had such a cute mew and only on rare occasion, and I mean rare, did he ever meow like he was full grown. Ever the affectionate, attentive, cozy, sociable sweetheart he won hearts whenever someone would meet him, especially Kaiyah&rsquo;s. He liked to stand up on his back two paws and look into places or to see if he could find a place to snuggle next to you or on your lap. At times I called him &ldquo;Pumpkinito&rdquo; and sang a little Spanish heroic tune as he often reminded me of a sweet, honest, innocent version of Puss in Boots. Our Pumpkin was a long-haired ginger cat whose personality and looks just warmed the heart and brightened the day. He was Kaiyah&rsquo;s best kitty friend, Gideon&rsquo;s buddy and Cotton&rsquo;s pal. He was always such a comfort to me especially after the losses of our babies. His warmth and purrs were always welcome.
Of all the kitties I have had the privilege and pleasure to share my journey, Pumpkin was the only one who would totally snuggle down with me at night. He knew right where to park himself on the covers to not get rolled over by me during the night and still be close enough for me to hear his soft purrs and feel the warmth that his little body emanated. Having a bed cat was an adjustment for Peter and we discussed it a number of times. Thankfully we worked that out for all our sakes. Gideon rarely would bless us with his company but found he rather enjoyed his living room cozy spots, or to visit when we would have quiet time in bed talking, reading our Bibles, or when the bed was unoccupied and he could just snuggle into the comforter, but it wasn&rsquo;t often.
Pumpkin was protective and attentive. He liked to watch out the windows from his towers and alert of anything he thought might need to be addressed. Both of the fur boys were that way. I was amazed that they were better &ldquo;watch dogs&rdquo; than Kaiyah. Pumpkin was notorious for trying to sleep with family house guests even sneaking in to rooms where the door was closed or almost closed. I&rsquo;m not sure how he would open the door as I never saw him do that but he would find his way to snuggle next to a visiting family member or friend. Marmi especially loved that he did that when she visited and thought he was very smart to have figured that out. She tried to catch him doing it but she was unsuccessful. Marmi was grateful for his cozy purrs and company during her visit at my home the week Peter and I were married. I have wondered if he discerned that she was dealing with cancer and other complications before we all would come to know months later. Pumpkin had a gift from the Lord knowing who was in need of a little extra love and affection even if they didn&rsquo;t know it themselves. His ministry was quite special that way.
As that week came to a close on Saturday, I noticed he wasn&rsquo;t eating much but rather nibbled. He did only a little grooming but that was not unusual. He preferred to be groomed with his special brush and comb. If he had matted clumps develop Furdaddy would use our electric clipper to very gently, mindful of tender places and not too close to his skin, and patiently - remove them one by one. Although he was grateful afterwards he was not the biggest fan of the handling that went with the electric clipper but it was faster and better for those clumps of fur than the comb or brush. Of course treats found their way to him once all was said and done but he still let us know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that it was not a real joy for him.
I didn&rsquo;t think too much about the food nibbling as that tended to happen when a fur ball ejection time was coming. I ask the Lord to help Pumpkin with anything he might be dealing with and left it at that and kept food nearby even in our bedroom should he ask. We proceeded to take care of things that Sunday and were discussing concerns we had about the timing of the housing market and the ickies we still had from the house visit ordeal. We were both emotionally worn out and were mindful of the toll the whole thing was having on us and our animals. We finally decided to go to sleep after Bible time and prayers.
As I made my way to bed I noticed Pumpkin near the kitty box. I heard him scratch and then make his exit. I laid there quietly talking in my heart to the Lord and waiting for Pumpkin to join us as was his custom. I had put his food on the floor in the corner near my side of the bed just in case he wanted something to eat. I was used to that quiet expectation of his company, hoping that after he would come so would a good night&rsquo;s sleep.
At long last I heard him come into the room. After head nudging his way past the privacy curtain we had at our entry door I could hear his soft paw steps walking over our carpet. He found the food dish and ate a few pieces. He then hopped up with ease and curled close to me higher by my neck and head. I felt that sweet feeling that accompanied his arrival and was relieved he had a little food on his way to his cozy spot for the night. I whispered softly petting him gently, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s my Pumpkin.&rdquo; His purr was deep and steady.
It wasn&rsquo;t even five minutes before I heard him exhale in a funny way and then a faint gurgle. It was totally dark in our room so I couldn&rsquo;t see what was happening. He was perfectly still. I immediately whispered his name tenderly, &ldquo;Pumpkin&hellip; Pumpkin? Sweetheart&hellip;?&rdquo; He did not respond... I tenderly stroked him alongside his face and chest and whispered while slowly getting louder, &ldquo;Pumpkin, Pumpkin&hellip; Lord Jesus, help my Pumpkin&hellip;.&rdquo; I paused with reality hitting me hard, &ldquo;I love you Pumpkinito&hellip; oh no Papa God&hellip; Pumpkin?&rdquo; I rushed to the light switch telling Peter that I thought Pumpkin just passed away. He slowly registered what I was saying and began to get up. I looked at Pumpkin&rsquo;s peaceful very still warm body and knew he was gone but I couldn't handle it. I gently picked him up, held him close, and quickly carried him to the living room where I would not disturb Cotton any more than I had already and I had more light and space. I could hardly breathe or see through all the tears. It felt like I was taking Pumpkin to the feet of Jesus to help me and, if He was Willing, put back life in my precious Pumpkin. I was in shock. I knew how to resuscitate from training years prior but a steady unseen Hand Quieted me in the midst of my weeping and crying out to God, asking Him not to take Pumpkin and telling the Lord how much I loved him. Pumpkin was gone.
Peter joined me but I was inconsolable at that moment. He prayed and tried to quiet my breaking heart and deal with the sudden loss of our Pumpkin too. Gideon had come over to see Pumpkin, sniffed, looked at me and Peter and walked not too far and laid down with a small meow and watched as we attended to Pumpkin. Once again God&rsquo;s Mercy settled me in with the reality of the situation. And in the warm secure embrace of my husband, I knew Pumpkin was really gone and was now asleep in Jesus. After the quiet came, Kaiyah came out from her room and took a look at everything. She noticed Pumpkin laying on his ice blue blanket and had a far away deep recognition as she walked by but did not stay or linger. She walked over by Gideon, stood there by him a few moments before getting a little water and very humbly and slowly walked back toward her cozy space. I did pet her as she passed us and told her Pumpkin was gone. She already knew. I delicately hugged her and off she went with her tailie very low. There was so much emotion in that room.
After a few moments I went and found a nice box to put Pumpkin in. He loved boxes I reminded myself. His remains would need to be taken care of. I carefully placed him in with his blanket, wrapped him like I was tucking him in bed. Peter prayed for our little family and thanked the Lord for Pumpkin and how much he blessed our lives. We invited the Lord once again to have His Peace Rule our hearts and Keep us all under His Wings. Tears flowed along with Comfort from our Heavenly Father. It was a long very raw night.
Early the next morning we contacted the veterinarian&rsquo;s office and let them know about Pumpkin. They couldn&rsquo;t have been kinder. Peter and I wrote loving words all over the box prior to us taking him over to be cremated for burial.
As we headed back toward home we stopped by the post office. It was strange how that very day there was a woman in a nearby vehicle that looked just like Rachel, my once very dear friend whom I had rescued Pumpkin with and later gave me Pumpkin after my father died. She then walked away from our friendship for unknown reasons after Peter and I were married. That lady was wearing an outfit very similar to one I had seen Rachel wear many times before, and she was crying right next to me on the passenger side of the vehicle she was in but made no attempts to connect but did look over a few times and with her phone. I was pretty filled with grief and just prayed quietly as I waited for Peter to take us home. That visual encounter made that moment all the more heavy with sadness for me. Peter and I weren&rsquo;t sure what to make of that as it had been many years. She was many states away from us and there had been zero contact. Once again we surrendered that whole thing to the Lord while grieving our Pumpkin.
We weren&rsquo;t sure if something had happened to Pumpkin as he passed away just a week from that horribly unpleasant house visit. Peter confirmed with the doctor that Pumpkin had not been hurt or poisoned. The doctor was rather certain Pumpkin just had a heart attack and went swiftly and with no pain. Thank God Peter took the time to get answers to those stinging thoughts and for the comforting words from the doctor. We both were relieved to know that it must have just been little Pumpkin&rsquo;s time as unexpected as it was.
To add to the growing list of unusual things that had already occurred, we oddly enough heard from our realtor after just a few days. She wanted us to take our home off the market for the next month or so. We had already decided we needed to do just that and so we did. We needed time to heal, to regroup and to reconsider what we were trying to accomplish. We had a lot to process.
We all needed more bonding time and extra treats. Kaiyah was forlorn and lonesome but well as she could be. Gideon seemed alright but wanted to be closer and found himself often in my lap. Cotton was okay and adjusted well into more bonding and exercise time. He did look for Pumpkin down by his cage as they often sunbathed together. It was hard for all of us. Pumpkin had filled a big space in my heart. We had been through many things together and his ministry to me was one of a kind. God alone knows how special each life is and He Knew the impact that tiny little kitten would have on all our lives. There was joy and healing that he brought Kaiyah when she was brokenhearted over her puppies and everything she had been through. The way he worked together with Gideon on many an adventure and helped Gideon learn to not be so intense. The way he was gentle with new bird friends and Cotton his very own cockatiel parrot pal who free-flew and landed on him. He was the cat who taught Peter that being close to kitties is a good thing and that he was a good gentle Furdaddy even when dealing with matted fur balls.
Though grief-striken by the sudden loss of Pumpkin and the strange circumstances occurring around that time, Jesus our Hope and Anchor was Holding us, Comforting and Healing our broken hearts. There will be a day when we hear Pumpkin&rsquo;s sweet mews and purrs again and his super soft ginger and cream fur, pluff-of-a-tail, welcome home Pumpkin rolls and sweet kitten-like baby face, and that will be the day we see all our other critter friends who are resting in peace. Pumpkinito will hear me sing his special tune and snuggle with all of us again. That will be a very special day when Jesus, my Savior and the Maker of all these precious souls, and those that love and obey Him, are reunited forever and ever.&nbsp;&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2025 21:33:46 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; Ready... or Not&#x3f;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12786</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: Ready... or Not?]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:36
&nbsp;
Words below are English and Slovak
&nbsp;
Jan (John): "Zuzana, do you hear that?"
Zuzana (Susan): "Anno (yes) Jan, I sure do."
&nbsp;
Jan: "Do you know what it is?"
Zuzana: "Nea (no), but I think we best keep watch and pray."
&nbsp;
Jan: "Anno, we need to, always. And be ready to escape at any moment."
Zuzana: "Ježi&scaron; je na&scaron;a Pomoc! (Jesus is our Help!)"&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Jan:"Amen!"
Zuzana: "Amen!"
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2025 21:33:22 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 43</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12754</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 43]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 43 &ndash; New Songs
God of My Mercy
&nbsp;
Psalm 9:9-10
&ldquo;The LORD also will be a Refuge for the oppressed, a Refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.&rdquo;
Psalm 59:16-17
&ldquo;But I will sing of Thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of Thy Mercy in the morning: for Thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto Thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
It was an interesting time for us filled with multiple thoughts of this could be our last this or that in our home. Trying to embrace every memory we could while keeping our eyes focused on the Lord, and our hearts filled with trusting hope in what we believed He was leading us toward and for His reasons. Surrender to Him and His process was paramount.
It was a late season for the housing market yet our agent had encouraged us that we had a beautiful home and it should sell pretty quickly. It didn&rsquo;t take long for her tune to change about price and Peter and I were aware that she seemed to be chasing the market a bit, exactly what we didn&rsquo;t want to do and we told her. We had put a lot of prayer and research into the process but ultimately knew we had to trust the Lord, and His Timing.
We got a text from our agent in mid-December that year, saying someone wanted to visit. We had some surveillance set-up and with both of us available at the time we decided to take Kaiyah and Cotton with us and left Gideon and Pumpkin to keep watch and to stay in their cozy spots. We took a little drive and waited, and waited&hellip; and waited... It was abnormally long so we headed back and texted our agent. She was unusually casual and dismissive about the lack of communication. Kaiyah looked totally confused by the ordeal but still her usual patient husky self. Cotton thankfully enjoyed the window seat view of the world outside. We had parked under some very large trees watching and waiting.
Peter and I decided to head back. As we turned the corner heading for our home a small dark blue BMW driven by a lady we did not know (but both had seen before) roared our way from the street side of our home almost running into us and went to the house at the end of the road we had just turned. It was very odd. And dangerous. Over the years we had seen some strange behaviors in front of our home from some of the residents living at that location and from others as well, and all was duly noted.
Upon our return, our home was quiet. Both our fur boys were in our bedroom. Pumpkin met us with a very big warm Pumpkin roll at the entrance and Gideon was trumpeting meows from under our bed. Gideon was never a fan of strangers but he seemed quite agitated and gave us a piece of his mind. I gave assuring pets to both of them and apologized for the odd intrusion to their lives and our home. Peter and I brought in Kaiyah and Cotton and got them all settled before very quickly checking things in our home. We discovered small, drilled holes in our like-new wood furniture and a few on tiles and other places. They had tampered with our office cabinets which looked like an amateur detective job and had even &ldquo;dusted&rdquo; the piano. Also, there was a disgusting odor in our personal closet and bathroom. Other than that things seemed secure.
We did try to find out who had been through our home and our agent was vague at best - that was not a good situation and we did our best to stay surrendered and to forgive. We had zero reason why anyone would have done those things&nbsp;to us and our home but we did know they lived nearby. The continued irrational behaviors from people we did not know were truly unbelievable. We had already communicated concerns to our agent before our listing had become active. Her indifference really bothered us. Looking back on that situation, amongst others, we should have contacted the authorities and let them fully address what happened.
The tension around the move and other things was building in pressure. I was asking the Lord what was going on and what we were to do. Peter had left his job preparing to start his new adventure and yet there was so much &ldquo;push-back&rdquo; on our moves forward and &ldquo;pulling-out&rdquo; when we would consider just staying put. It was a tug-of-war like nothing I had experienced before. We reassured ourselves that the Lord was our Peace, our Strength and He was With us and even though this journey was very unusual, we knew we had to follow Him wherever He would go and trust Him with the consequences.
Kaiyah was doing well, holding her own and enjoying her little jaunts in the backyard and being by me playing the piano no matter what the hour; there she would be listening and resting. I had found a new way to pour out my heart to the Lord and to listen quietly to Him as I fumbled my way along the keys. New melodic tunes began to develop and ones that the animals seemed to especially enjoy too. I began working those musical tones as part of my practice time along with site-reading the old hymnals in my care. Pumpkin would lay right by me or closer to Kaiyah. Both looked so peaceful. Gideon would occasionally sing a meow and do his flop rolling on to his back, and then flip to the other side with the happiest expression tucking into a ball of shiny sleek black fur. Cotton would sing tunes from his home cage or his playstation. One tune in particular inspired me to write a little accompaniment and boy was he ever surprised and curiously engaged. I never thought I would have a musical duet with a cockatiel but sure enough, it was so! Whether he was on my head, on the piano or from wherever he was perched it would just happen. That time with all of them together will be forever in my heart and I will, by God&rsquo;s Grace, never forget those tunes or the conversation songs between Papa God and me - never.
With the storm winds picking up strength around us those moments were especially calming, healing and assuring of God&rsquo;s Presence and Love for us and our little furtherly (fur and feather family). Despite the tug-of-war and difficulties we held onto God&rsquo;s Word and Promises. We exercised our faith muscles; our believing and trusting Him no matter what and choosing to walk with Jesus, trusting in His Mercy. With purrs, tweets, husky tailie wagglies, and the love Peter and I shared; we all snuggled together under the Shadow of our Almighty God&rsquo;s Wings where we would abide and find refuge.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:46:05 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Think About It &#x23;4&#x3a; The Grand Canyon Part 2</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12755</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Think About It #4: The Grand Canyon Part 2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Fact:&nbsp;The&nbsp;Grand Canyon in Arizona has layers made up of sedimentary rocks on the top, metamorphic basement rocks at the bottom, and older Precambrian sedimentary rocks in between. What is fascinating is that chalk layers found on every continent, composed of the shells of marine organisms, are found worldwide - including in the Grand Canyon.
What is even more amazing is that these layers are found in the same order with other sediments, continent by continent. This very decisive evidence, pointing to something worldwide that would have covered the earth&nbsp;with water, only to recede and collect layer by layer, stack by layer stack,&nbsp;symmetrically, around the globe - could only be accomplished with a global flood that covered the entire surface of the earth. The water would then go back into the earth, like draining a giant aquarium with various deposits where they would all settle in the same order.
&nbsp;
What Google says:&nbsp;
No, there is no scientific evidence for a global flood that covered the entire earth, and many scientific disciplines like geology and biology contradict this idea. The story is interpreted by most scientists and many theologians as a story about a large regional flood that was devastating to the people living in the area at the time, possibly the Mesopotamian region, which may have inspired the global flood narrative found in various cultures.





What the Bible Says:
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7 : 11,12 KJV
&nbsp;
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;
And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
Genesis 8 : 1-5, 13,14 KJV
&nbsp;
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
Proverbs 8 : 25 KJV
&nbsp;
Think About it: Again,&nbsp;Science is factual. How can there be marine organisms - that only live in water - found throughout the world, and at that, found in the same deposited order throughout the world, when many&nbsp;places on earth&nbsp;are not currently covered with water. How did they get there? And in the Grand Canyon?! In the Cliffs high above?! Really! A regional flood would never get close to accomplishing anything like that.
What sounds more plausible:&nbsp;The Grand Canyon, nowhere near an ocean, somehow has fossilized shellfish embedded high in it's rocks at the same levels throughout the canyon, that matches the rest of the world in the order of deposits, because of a regional flood that was in one isolated spot on the earth - or that a Master Designer, because of the sin humanity committed, caused water both to rip out of the bottom of the earth, rolling the mountains upward, along with torrential rains that came downward, that caused&nbsp;a worldwide flood, covering the entire earth, which then eventually drained, leaving the earth exposed to dry. Including the Grand Canyon.&nbsp;You decide!
&nbsp;
Until next time...



&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:45:40 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 42</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12721</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 42]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 42 &ndash; Keeping Warm
God of Hope
&nbsp;
Psalm 42:11
&ldquo;Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the Health of my countenance, and my God.&rdquo; 
Proverbs 16:3
&ldquo;Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
So many preparations go into a move. We did the recommended depersonalizing of our walls, etc., and followed the advice provided by our agent. Thankfully, our home, especially with taking care of animals, is kept pretty tidy, well maintained, and as clean as possible which seemed to amaze our realtor. Pride of ownership was something that I was raised with and have personally found a satisfying joy in responsibly maintaining throughout my years. Taking care of the things you&rsquo;ve worked for and have been entrusted with only makes sense. Both Peter and I firmly believe when God Provides, and He without a doubt does, we are to manage and care for everything as best as we can.
The big beautiful maple tree in the front of our home has a cycle of dropping its lovely leaves and bounteous edible winged seeds called samaras - also known as &ldquo;helicopters,&rdquo; &ldquo;whirlers,&rdquo; &ldquo;twisters&rdquo; or &ldquo;whirligigs,&rdquo; throughout the autumn season. Our tree&rsquo;s contributions along with other stately neighboring trees means raking and cleaning gutters, sometimes in freezing temperatures. Gutter maintenance is very important and we often clean them multiple times through the seasons. We both do our part depending on the day and our schedules.
On one super crispy sunny morning I was cleaning the gutters on the back side of the home along the common area when a small in stature lady with shorter wavy golden blonde hair approached me rather directly. I was up on the ladder bundled from head to toe with multiple layers and of course with my dark sunglasses. I had seen her many times before and waved but she only ever stared and would keep walking. This time however she strode right over toward our fence. Being my hopeful self, I once again tried to be kindly and neighborly and said hello. She stopped and said hello. I made a comment about the nice autumn day. She stood in a rather peculiar way as she belted out a question that sounded rather muffled through all my layers like, &ldquo;Do you think it is a beautiful day?&rdquo; To which I said a resounding, &ldquo;Yes!!&rdquo; She then repeated my answer loudly over her shoulder and said, &ldquo;YES!&rdquo; as if speaking to someone nearby. Then she immediately started to walk away. I wished her a lovely day as I typically do.
As I stood there on that ladder cleaning, something felt off about that small - seemingly insignificant - interaction. Especially the approach, the yelling of my answer and the way she walked off. I had to trust it with the Lord as I felt little peace interacting with most of my neighbors. He Knew what that was all about and the intentions behind it. I shared what happened with Peter and we both discerned something was off about that but we had to trust God with another weird interaction with the folks around us. We prayed for the lady and anyone else that may have been involved and did our best to leave it all in His Hands as we were already trying to do with so many other things.
Kaiyah and I walked very little in our neighborhood at that time. She wanted to stay more cozy and restful at home. The mission hikes to the foothills soon came to a complete halt with the onset of rains mudding the trails which were not supposed to be hiked when wet anyway. Wanting to be consistent in bonding times with her I pulled out her special brush and comb. Kaiyah enjoyed being brushed so we spent more time bonding with slow gentle grooming. She never was an attention getting husky as she humbly preferred just sharing space with less hands-on affection. However, there was always a special joy for her when we would give her treats and stay by her stroking just the top of her head, ears and ruff of her neck. That seemed to be welcome anytime and I was more than delighted to oblige. The fun we used to share bonding in chase games had all but gone by that time but she still knew her whistle. And I noticed that when I would spend time in quiet worship and practicing the piano, out she would come and lay right by me along with our kitties and even Cotton when he was out and about. That was something new and to me quite special.
Gideon and Pumpkin were also sleeping more. Cozy as they could be in their favorite places. Pumpkin liked the corner of the top of the couch with a soft warm blanket folded thick for him to curl into. Gideon had his kennel on our loveseat covered with dark brown towels making it a little cave bungalow. Inside his kennel I had placed cardboard for extra warmth and a thin but very soft blanket folded thick for him to nestle in whenever he wanted. They both liked to keep warm and whenever there was a fire in the fireplace Pumpkin would be the first to lay by its warmth and to watch the dancing flames. Sometimes Gideon would join him. Kaiyah rarely joined them by the fire but she truly relished her quiet warm carpet level bed and blankets in her room or the sunshine warmed carpet by Cotton. Cotton liked to plump up in what we coined his &ldquo;twinkle bowl&rdquo;, a cotton string wound bowl attached to the upper portion of the cage, with his bird-safe electric heater right alongside it or bask in the sun&rsquo;s rays on his favorite perches. Everyone has their warm cozy spots and that filled our hearts with a relieved gladness.
Having the home on the market felt awkward but we knew it was a necessary step to get from our point A to the next point. We didn&rsquo;t want to leave our animals in the home unattended and we were frankly told to get them out, (never had to do that before), and it was cold. That was not good for the furbabies and certainly not for our feather baby, Cotton. We were experiencing a lot of concern and uncomfortableness. It was hard to discern what was normal and what was not. Putting a home on the market at anytime is not an easy process, packing up your &ldquo;whole lives&rdquo;, having people going in and out of your personal space, especially in the world and times we live in, only added to that strain. Plus we had the unpleasantness of weird encounters with our own neighbors that seemed to augment our anxiety. We pressed through praying, keeping focused on the LORD and His Word, taking care of each other, trying to be a blessing to others while doing our best to walk out the journey trajectory we were on. We held fast to Psalm 31:24, &ldquo;Be of good courage, and He shall Strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.&rdquo;
Our feather baby Cotton by his willingness to trust and to learn many new things including the joy of in-home free-flying-at-will provided me a physical example of being free, growing in new ways and finding the joy to experience everything God wants for my life. Kaiyah&rsquo;s sweet aging face and presence was a constant reminder of surrendered trust, humility and unframed faith needed to live this life. Gideon, with his larger than life meow, big sparkly expressive eyes, and bold brave manners were ever a testimony of overcoming fear and living out loud trusting God even when things seem out of whack. Pumpkin&rsquo;s quiet attentive oversized kitten-like appearance, behaviors, and mews warmed my heart and my side of our bed. He was a cozy boy. He liked to sleep right next to me as close as he could making the softest little purrs; a precious sweet ministry on many a night I was praying late into the wee hours of the morning. Pumpkin&rsquo;s fluffy witness reminding me to keep cozy trusting and hoping in God, let God Comfort me right here right now&hellip; He has a Plan and He is Faithful&hellip; rest Furmommy.
Despite my feeling cast down and disquieted I sought the Lord to help our hope in Him stay warm despite the coldness we were experiencing. Peter and I were still seeking God regularly for His Will and trusting that all would be well for our little family and for all involved. Peter was ready for a career change and was hopeful about what might develop. We would be closer to his family, find our happy country home and start a new season in our marriage and ministry. God would Provide the right new owner(s) for the home, property and wildlife we had come to love dearly where we were and He would show us what to do where we were headed.
Just like Proverbs 16:3 charges and encourages us, we committed everything to God time and time again and trusted He would direct our steps as well as establish our thoughts. And we were asking Him to do so as we both have a mind of our own and didn&rsquo;t want to go about that our own way. How often we prayed for the Peace of God to Rule and Keep our hearts and minds, and still do. There was definitely a battle going on and the storm that was brewing was making its way closer. Despite how things felt we hoped in God, praised Him for His Word, for being Who He Is, and we knew ultimately He would have to Guard everything&hellip; everything.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2025 21:04:08 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Think About It &#x23;3&#x3a; The Grand Canyon Part 1</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12722</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Think About It #3: The Grand Canyon Part 1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Fact: The&nbsp;Grand Canyon in Arizona is a scientific enigma. The Grand Canyon layers are made up of sedimentary rocks on the top, metamorphic basement rocks at the bottom, and older Precambrian sedimentary rocks in between.




The sedimentary layers include formations like Kaibab Limestone, Coconino Sandstone, and Hermit Shale, while the metamorphic layers are primarily Vishnu Schist and Zoroaster Granite.&nbsp;
&nbsp;





Here's the issue though: Even with external factors like climate, water, and sediment cover, these various rock layers eroded much (much!) faster than the science will back up with the idea of millions of years of water and wind&nbsp;carving the canyon. You see, there is a startling inconsistency&nbsp;based on the visible erosion having only taken the Grand Canyon down a little over one mile 6,093 feet (1,857 meters) at it's deepest point, when it should, according to the scientific timetable, have&nbsp;eroded several hundred miles down, and not just one. Hmmmm...
&nbsp;
What Google says:&nbsp;The modern Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River in the last 5 to 6 million years, though its formation is part of a much longer geological story that began with the uplift of the Colorado Plateau around 75 million years ago. While the river started carving the canyon relatively recently, some evidence suggests an even older, ancestral canyon was cut as far back as 70 million years ago before the region was dramatically uplifted, according to the National Park Foundation.&nbsp;




Uplift and early carving: The region was uplifted about 75 million years ago by plate tectonics, a process that also pushed up the Rocky Mountains. Some geologists suggest precursor rivers cut canyons into the landscape around 70 million years ago.&nbsp;
Modern carving: The Colorado River&nbsp;began carving the modern Grand Canyon around 5 to 6 million years ago, and erosion by tributary streams widened it to its current size.&nbsp;  Rapid erosion: The canyon's deep, narrow shape is due to the arid climate, which allows the Colorado River to cut down faster than rain can erode the sides, creating a more steep-walled canyon than a typical river valley.
What the Bible Says:&nbsp;
He Putteth forth His Hand upon the rock; He Overturneth the mountains by the roots. He Cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and His Eye Seeth every precious thing.
Job 28 : 9,10 KJV
Think About it:&nbsp;Science is factual. It has, or is supposed to have, evidence to back it up. When it doesn't have the evidence, not to mention practical explanations to support what our own eyes see, we have to ask questions. If I'm driving a car, and it's supposed to drive a distance of around 300 miles on a full tank of gas, I'm going to have concerns if the thing runs out of gas after 2 miles. Same with this enigma of the Grand Canyon. If it is said to be so many millions of years old, even with the variables of erosion concerning&nbsp;the different rock layers, why is there such a huge, (pun intended) gap in the results?
What sounds more plausible:&nbsp;The Grand Canyon was able to resist the physical requirements of layer erosion by such a large margin as to hold together through millions of years defying science and geological principles, or that a Master Designer carved out the canyon very quickly, and more specifically, intentionally?
You decide!
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;




&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2025 21:03:48 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 41</media:title>
        			</media:content>
				
				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12699</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 41]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 41 &ndash; Unframed Faith
Peace of God Rules and Keeps
&nbsp;
Philippians 4:7
&ldquo;And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.&rdquo; 
Colossians 3:15
&ldquo;And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Kathunk! A long pause and another kathunk came out from Kaiyah&rsquo;s room space. I went as quickly as I could tear away from some work I had been doing upstairs. Kaiyah was partly sitting in her Lady Kaiyah bed box looking upset and awkward as she tried to get up and out of her cozy spot. I could tell she had been trying, and for sure that was the sound I had heard. She was having a difficult time lifting her back legs high enough over the top edge of her luxury bed frame.
I spoke to her, &ldquo;Kaiyah, it&rsquo;s ok do you need a little help honey?&rdquo; She looked over at me and in one fell swoop, jumped over the bed in a very deer like bound and landed safely and soundly on the carpet without even a wobble. She made a mad dash to her backyard exit door and had her curlie tail waggling as she watched me catch up to her and open the passage door to her garden. Off she went like husky lightning, to find relief and do a few friskity laps before coming back inside. She ate a good hearty breakfast and went back to her cozy space. This time I watched to see how she moved to get back in bed. She hopped in with a flump and lay down in a curl after a twirl. She peeked up at me with ears pointed straight up and gave me her sweet faced expression of, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m ok, see?&rdquo; And then quietly put her head down drifting back to sleep.
A week or so later this happened again, and then again. I knew Kaiyah would eventually not be able to continue enjoying the Lady Kaiyah luxury bed frame; her physical needs were definitely changing. I had noticed also that she was sleeping with her body position more open instead of the cozy curl she usually liked to do, spreading herself out more and with her legs more straightened. One afternoon after taking a nap I heard that kathunk again, but much more so. She was trying to get out of the bed and totally couldn&rsquo;t. Her back legs just couldn&rsquo;t get high enough. The front of those paws landing hard against the side. I walked over very calmly and helped her out. She looked a bit sad and confused. I pet her and checked her legs and feet. All was ok but I did notice the tightness in the muscles at the back of the upper portion of the legs and in her lower back. I was praying for her and for wisdom as I knew accommodations were required.
I filled the bed with cardboard at the bottom to provide more height to the depth and added a bit of cushioning along all the sides with thick blankets to see if that would help her. That seemed to work but only for a short time. When Pumpkin came to visit her he noticed there was not much room in the bed anymore. She was sleeping more spread out and with all the extra cushioning he couldn&rsquo;t go in any more. That seemed to frustrate them both. Kaiyah almost tripped on him on one occasion and he never tried to go in that bed again with her in it. They both were clearly saddened by the situation and very naturally Kaiyah had decided, on her own, to no longer sleep in her luxury bed. She chose to lay on the floor where she didn&rsquo;t have to step in and out, or hop, and where she could be close to her buddy Pumpkin. She was able to sprawl out as was best for her without the limits of her bed frame. It made total sense that she needed to be unframed from her bed box. I knew it was time to retire the lovely bed and focus on making the carpet space as cozy as could be&hellip; for both of them.
Of course, Peter was aware of these changes as well and we both, in our own way, were dealing with the reality of what she was going through and what could be done to help her. Her community walks were shorter and shorter, and the foothills trips more seldom. She still had a lot of determination and energy to go for those out in the open land mission trips and we did so as often as she could.
On one of those excursions a few of the community neighbors were out there riding bikes along the pathway. We encouraged the thin but strong mature lady as she peddled hard to climb the steep incline going up the path winding up the hill. &ldquo;You got this!&rdquo; I shouted, encouraging her after a quick greeting in the late morning sunshine. She worked hard but she made it! Kaiyah wanted to follow right after, and I let her lead and I cheered on my old girl working just as hard to paw-peddle her way up, and she made it!!! She liked the view from that high desert hill and we took a few minutes to soak it in and for her to decide when to get going again.
She looked up at the sky and in one mini-hop lunge forward, we continued with her steady cadence. Slowly we came around the winding downturn that travelled along the narrow dirt path. She stopped after noticing a man and his son riding dirt bikes just up ahead on another trail path. She was more cautious with them, and waited to see which way they would go. They apparently went in a direction that she was good with so she moved right along winding her way down and back toward the trailhead we went. As she transitioned to a small switch-back that would curve around a very small hill that meandered toward the parking lot, the boy and his father came zooming along up ahead. She stopped, watched, and plodded her way heading right for them but we were on a different path. She was tired at that point but kept her pace steady. I had waved at them and they just stared. The boy asked his father, &ldquo;What about her&hellip;..?&rdquo; something else but I didn&rsquo;t hear. His dad answered loudly looking right at us, &ldquo;That one is already dead!&rdquo; The boy sounded sad and said something as the father scowled in our direction and they, thankfully, rode out of sight.
I don&rsquo;t know why that incident struck me so hard but I was angry, sad, frustrated, and once again disappointed in people. With unusual folks living around us I wasn&rsquo;t sure if they were talking about Kaiyah, me, or both of us but it was uncalled for and cruel and upsetting to me and the boy for sure. After they were gone we were again alone. I had Colossians 3:15 rise in my heart, &ldquo;And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.&rdquo; Deep breath and then a soft whisper, &ldquo;Please Lord let your Peace rule in our hearts&hellip;..&rdquo;
Kaiyah and I stopped; I hugged my old girl really tight, prayed for her, prayed for me and even those folks. I spoke words of life over her and even quoted a few Passages and thanked God for everything I could think of, for every day we had been given, and for our God being with us no matter what or where we were; He Sees and Knows it all. It was important to forgive and trust all with Jesus but even so it can hurt. Kaiyah and I made our way back to the old SUV and I lifted our &ldquo;vertical dog&rdquo; carefully in, gave her a treat, water - and lots of pets as we watched a few song birds hopping on the grass and tree nearby. I could tell she was tired and wanted to go home and we did.
When we came in she directly made her way across the living room to the kitchen and right to her own backyard access point and waited. I couldn&rsquo;t help but marvel at her self-control and always, if possible, preferring her own grassy &ldquo;bathroom&rdquo; to even the largest outdoor &ldquo;public spaces.&rdquo; Out she hopped slowly finding exactly where to do her business or &ldquo;make a deposit.&rdquo; When ready she stiffly strode up the one stair, in with a hop, and straight on to her warm cozy floor space after head bumps from Pumpkin and a good MEOW from Gideon. Cotton would joyfully whistle when he could see her from Home Cage especially if she got friskity. Boy, would he get happy calls going watching her sudden burst of unleashed energy with chunky cheeks!
We decided to have a follow-up visit with Kaiyah&rsquo;s vet at that time. The doctor was sure Kaiyah was dealing with accelerating normal arthritis and other old age husky conditions. Even though changes were seen, her eyes and ears, her heart and overall health was good. She was however concerned about her spine near her back legs and wondered if something had happened. I told her everything I knew that had happened about the luxury bed, the change in sleeping posture, the time she slipped in the kitchen and landed on her wee bum, I even reiterated the two falls she already knew about&hellip; everything I could think of. I didn&rsquo;t watch her every minute she was inside or outside, but we only had one area in the far corner that may have been something, but we never saw anything happen and she almost never went back there. Peter tried to think of anything as well although he was often at work and we both tried to be super careful with her. We were at a loss and terribly upset by that news.
I felt a horrible guilt for whatever had happened as I should have been there to prevent or protect her. I should have kept a better watch, put a gate or something in the back of the SUV to prevent those two falls, removed her luxury bed frame sooner, blocked off that part of the yard&hellip; oh, my mind ran with all kinds of thoughts and the emotions which only added to the complicated ones we both were already dealing with. The doctor prescribed some gentle and yet effective treat meds to help Kaiyah with pain. We already had been regularly giving her glucosamine-chondrotin with MSM. Peter&rsquo;s dad helped us get those to help her joints. Her food was supposed to help as well, along with new additional senior centered treats for our Kaiyah. We wanted her to have the best quality of life achievable and as much love and attention as she could handle.
It was evident we needed the strength of solid undergirding and forefending (shielding) Truth as in Philippians 4:7, &ldquo;And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.&rdquo; We reminded each other of the Peace we have in Jesus and we needed Him and His Guard over our minds, our hearts, our lives including our sweet fur and feather babies. Scriptures that I&rsquo;ve clung to, and still cling to, so often throughout my life - each one a life preserver just like Isaiah 26:3-4 &ldquo;Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:&rdquo;
We continued to invest quality bonding time with every one of our pets. Kaiyah had new goodies to help her feel better. We had them all on the very best quality need and age specific foods we could afford, and we had finally come to a decision about the whole move thing. Ever aware of the fact we were all aging and time being as precious as it is, and things being what they were, Peter and I decided unframed faith was needed, surrendered with no limits, spreading out our trust in Him from right where we were, and put our home on the market. We welcomed the Lord to Work in all of it. We asked Him to Show us His Will and His Timing whatever the outcome. We didn&rsquo;t want emotions driving us. A decision was made, finally, but not a totally peaceful one&hellip;. &nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 20:33:41 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; Cast All Your Cares Upon Him</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12700</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: Cast All Your Cares Upon Him]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Proverbs 3:24
&nbsp;
There sure is a lot of emotion commotion in life! Lots of hustle and bustle, and not a lot of quiet - it can be hard to find time to rest, just like this Albino Alligator is doing. Even when you do find the time though, it can be hard to have that sweet quieting sleep because of all the whirling thoughts and worries. So what to do? Best thing we could do - we should do - is ask God to Quiet us... And Fight our battles.
&nbsp;
They are not ours to fight. He wants us to get our rest. He wants us to get our sleep. He wants us to have the best... Sweet sleep!
We'll take it!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 20:33:14 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 40</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12674</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 40]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 40 &ndash; To Move or Not To Move
God Hears
&nbsp;
Psalm 37:23-24
&ldquo;The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His Hand.&rdquo;
Micah 7:7
&ldquo;Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Changes seemed to be accelerating all around us, some quite unpleasant, which caused my mind to wonder what God was asking of us or not asking of us; questions for clarity, wisdom, understanding and counsel were fast becoming dominant in my daily prayer petitions even more than usual which is saying a lot. As discernment of the times continued to become more evident so did our need for direction and God&rsquo;s Peace to steady us against growing and turning tides.
Wanting to be closer to Peter&rsquo;s family was also prominent. We had more than a few conversations with them to hear their thoughts and to share our own. It seemed everyone was supportive of such a major undertaking and so we continued our prayerful search and for timing. We knew we had our aging pet family to consider and were also pursuing what should be done for career transitions. All requests and concerns were placed before the Lord regularly. There was an unusual pressure about so many things in our life and we were doing our best to stay surrendered, walk in love and forgiveness toward people of ill will that kept popping up around us in the strangest ways, and to remain in God&rsquo;s Peace. At times this was a real struggle. We had a couple friends looped in along with family and we were grateful for the extra prayers.
Kaiyah and I went out on mini mission hikes and occasionally to her favorite local trailheads. Sweet Kaiyah preferred to sleep more and to go on shorter walks unless it was a dirt path. If it was a dirt path and didn&rsquo;t have many people on it she would go and go. As usual she set the pace and chose the direction the majority of the time. Every now and then she still wanted to jump in and out of the SUV. I was making sure to be her lift service except a couple of times when she got the better of the moment and managed to attempt it on her own. I had been attentive to her since that first incident letting me know she was slowing down and yet she still managed to surprise me. The few sneaky jumps after that original fall were relatively successful but one.
That one was in the parking lot near the foothills main trailhead. She was full of energy and couldn&rsquo;t, no - she wouldn&rsquo;t - wait for me to help her and that day she crashed down onto the asphalt. She had popped out of the SUV with a smile on her muzzle and leapt out like she was a teenage dog full of vigor and excitement. But her older legs and back weren&rsquo;t able take the brunt of the gravity of her own weight and she fell flat. She looked bewildered and I am certain it didn&rsquo;t feel very good. I prayed as I immediately went to her checking head to paw and on to the tip of her curly tail for any signs of hurt or anything that wasn&rsquo;t right. My heart was racing as I calmly and securely got her back on her paws. The minute she was standing on her own she shook off the whole thing and lunged toward the path of her choosing. I had to hold her still a few moments so I could assess everything and quiet myself. Everything looked alright. I got down on my knees and hugged her neck as she patiently waited for me to give the green light to get going.
That look she gave me was like a feisty determined older person who stumbled and fell, was disoriented, and yet eager to just move along all the while saying: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m alright. It was just a little fall, don&rsquo;t fuss. Let&rsquo;s get going.&rdquo; In that moment her desire to keep going and enjoy the day overrode my concern. And with loving encouraging pets and tears silently falling under my dark sunglasses, off we went. She chose a long but fun set of paths for us. It was a beautiful and sunny late spring day with meadowlark calling from the sage brush, doves cooing in nearby trees, and a kestrel on the hunt darting through the sky. When she had accomplished her long mission trek we slowly walked to the SUV and I lifted her most carefully into her safe space. We had a good drink of water together and just sat there for a little while enjoying each other&rsquo;s company. She had that happy but tired puppy face and so I closed up the back and we went home. She rested well after a few treats, the usual welcome home Pumpkin roll, Gideon meow n&rsquo; flop and Cotton&rsquo;s greeting of melodic whistles. She seemed ok minus a little stiffness in her back legs which the vet said would be normal.
After sharing what had happened with Peter we were both more determined than ever to keep her from any further attempts of jumping up or down from the SUV. Peter lovingly coined the term for her during our lift or lower action as &ldquo;vertical dog&rdquo; and that is exactly what she was doing, going up or down. However, we kept her physically horizontal just like when she stands. She sure kept those legs of hers straight and true ready to stick her landing as we securely and gently maneuvered her.
That late summer we had discovered a property worth investigating in an area we had been eyeing for quite a long time. That one was a dandy but didn&rsquo;t work out for us. It left us a bit confused, disappointed, sad, and relieved all at the same time. We discovered later that it had foundation issues so we knew that once again the Lord was looking out for us. The folks who bought it were able to do the work to correct it being a general contractor so it was indeed a win-win for everyone. &ldquo;A man&rsquo;s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.&rdquo; Proverbs 16:9 and Psalm 37:23-24 were just a couple of many Passages we were holding on to. We wanted God&rsquo;s Will. We didn&rsquo;t want to fall but to have our Lord Order and Direct our steps&hellip;wherever and whenever He would lead us and for whatever reasons He Knew. We knew we belonged to our Papa God and that He was upholding us with His Hand. Praying, surrendering, trusting, seeking, listening, waiting, loving and obeying Him; we determined to stay in that faith pattern no matter what. The perfect time to strengthen faith muscles... or to let go completely, that too comes with discernment and proper timing.
The resounding question &ldquo;to move or not to move&rdquo; was demanding us to decide if we should put our home on the market or not. That decision was huge. Where is the line for the &ldquo;leap of faith&rdquo;? We wrestled over timing, consequences to our small fur and feathered family, Peter&rsquo;s family, things that had happened to us or not happened, our ministry, work and lives in general. It had not been an easy road being where we were but our home and property was lovely and fruitful, a true blessing and a sanctuary. God had already brought us through so much. Yet we still had a great deal on our hearts and many contradictions that instigated feelings that were unsettled. We were in a battle, in a tug of war, from external situations which only added to what we were struggling with internally. Again we sought to recognize and be in God&rsquo;s Will, to be closer to love on family and enjoy long-time friends, to flourish in all that God would have for our lives and to be a blessing to others while finding our country home and the new missions that would come with such a move.
Our hearts and desires the Lord Knew full well and we would have to wait and see, watch and pray, and keep on asking until we knew what to do or what not to do despite all the memories and emotion commotion. Marmi, more often than Pops, would say, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a storm brewing! Batten down the hatches!&rdquo; That was always a cue for dirty weather or difficult circumstances coming and that it was time to hunker down in Jesus, cling to His Words, pray, get ready and be ready as much as one can.
Our animals seemed to know something was afoot as well. We huddled together as often as we could while sorting through what we were to do or not do as we went about our daily lives. Their companionship was a great comfort as we looked to the Lord, waited for Him and trusted that our God would hear us. Micah 7:7 &ldquo;Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2025 20:37:12 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 24&#x3a; News Flash&#x21;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12675</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 24: News Flash!]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&ldquo;And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.&rdquo;
Ezekiel 1:14
&nbsp;
This might seem kind of strange, but what if I were to tell you there is a "secret sauce" that can really add to your wildlife photography? Something that seems rather absurd but in reality can make a photo extra special when taken outdoors. (or even indoors) In broad daylight even. It's simple. When I have an opportunity to capture let's say an animal or a pet, or even that garden I talked about last time, (Simple Tips For Better Pics 23: Your Garden Variety... Everything) I prefer to use my - flash...
But wait, Aren't you supposed to only use that when it's dark? Well yes, it will help. But here's the thing. Even outside, even when the sun is out - there are going to be shadows that can be balanced out and illuminated even with a diffused flash, and it's an effect that, once you try it and compare it to not using it, you might be surprised how well it works, not only bringing out stark contrasted shadows and evening out your exposure, but also capturing&nbsp;a more punchy color with&nbsp;better tonal ranges. 
You can experiment with different flash settings, and also using a diffusor (a translucent cover that will dampen and spread out the harshness of the flash, lightening the shadows and reducing the harsh highlights, making your image softer and more gently lit) It really does work, and I've included a couple of pictures from my travels taken exclusively with this technique, below:&nbsp;That remarkable scene described in the first Chapter of Ezekiel of the cherubim passing to and fro with the appearance of lightning is such a powerful visual reminder of God's Creative Power. Everything we see, including these sweet birds in the photos above, point to His Creative Glory. It's all around us; nature and its surroundings - and it all points to the Creator God.&nbsp;The focus is on God Himself. As a matter of fact, the verse we have chosen for&nbsp;the front page of this website, Romans 1:20, speaks on this very fact.
Even thunder and lightning in a storm is under the Creative Power of God. Using a flash on my camera may pale in comparison, but it reminds me once again that my Lord is very near. When I see how these pictures come out using my camera's flash - I am also reminded of how visually stunning and beautiful His Creation is...
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2025 20:36:17 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 39</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12645</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 39]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 39 &ndash; Hopper Flights
God of Freedom
&nbsp;
Psalm 118:5
&ldquo;I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.&rdquo; 
John 8:36
&ldquo;If the Son therefore shall Make you free, ye shall be free indeed.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Whistles and tweets, cockatiel tunes and brand new calls were coming from our little white cockatiel Cotton. He was a happy fellow enjoying his days trying and learning many new things including the freedom to go about at will and watching his outside friends from his home cage. We positioned it right where he could see the whole of the yard, the sky, all the feeders including the one for the hummingbirds - and could soak up plenty of good sunshine. Of course his inside buddies enjoyed the companionship and views too!
Hearing the kitties chirping at the foraging birds and squirrels added a special sound to Cotton&rsquo;s melodic arias. Kaiyah stayed pretty much in stealth mode but she could say a lot with those eyes of hers and with her soft husky fur-coated body language. At times Kaiyah looked totally thrilled to gaze outside while listening to all the songs and sounds. Or she&rsquo;d prefer to lazily sprawl on the floor in full sun with her eyes closed with the softest hint of a smile on her muzzle. And on other occasions after a little bonding time in the sun she would politely excuse herself, silently find her way back to her room to snuggle down in her bed where it was a tad darker (and a bit quieter).
Sometimes I would see Pumpkin looking for her in the &ldquo;sun&rdquo; room as he usually liked to be as close to her as he could without being in her way. Their bond was special since the day they first met, and it only deepened through the years. When he realized she had left or didn&rsquo;t join them that day he would toddle down the hall finding his way to her space with his fluff of a tail high and happy just to check on her or to snuggle some place nearby. How often I would see the two of them making their way to the kitchen looking for treats or a joint visit at the watering bowl. When the weather was nice Pumpkin and Kaiyah made yard rounds together and sometimes Gideon would join them. Thankfully, they all got along so well and they all seem to enjoy, with sweet fur faces of wonder, their feathered friend Cotton.
When Cotton was first getting his wings strong to fly, not until we made sure to make the areas bird safe, out Cotton would come little by little, working in one area at a time and where he had plenty of places to land easily and safely as possible. Building up his courage, strength and flight control came over time and with patient encouragement. Of our furbabies, Gideon was often the first to notice and he had the biggest round eyes with his head moving in sync with Cotton&rsquo;s flight pattern and would zing in place when Cotton landed. If I was in the area Gideon would look at me right after Cotton landed with the look of, &ldquo;did you see that?!&rdquo; Gideon always had special interest in flying feathers and I will say he never once lifted a paw at Cotton and neither did Pumpkin.
On one of Cotton&rsquo;s flight training days he was gliding so beautifully and was going about landing here and there. Pumpkin was sound asleep on the back of our couch when in a flash of white lightning - and softer than a whisper - Cotton landed very gently on Pumpkin! Cotton looked ecstatic and I think he liked the feel of Pumpkin&rsquo;s warm long ultra soft fur under his feet. Cotton stood there, handsome as you please, and Pumpkin only lifted his head and looked at Cotton standing right on him. Pumpkin didn&rsquo;t flinch or anything - he just remained in his round cozy ball and let out a soft sigh putting his head back down with his eyes ever so slightly open. Pumpkin remained that way until Cotton decided to try his wings again. The minute Cotton lifted off Pumpkin lifted his baby faced head watching Cotton fly and then land on his bird PlayStation. The two of them looked amazed and happy. Pumpkin went back to sleep and Cotton ate one of his foraging treats and then rested a bit. I surely would like to know what the two of them thought of that experience!
Kaiyah often marveled at Cotton&rsquo;s flight as well. Once he got his strength and agility working smoothly Cotton proved to be one very graceful bird to watch fly. Powerful for his size but elegant and stable in flight and his maneuvers. His soaring appeared effortless. His design and wingspan would light up from cascading sunlight through the windows; absolutely beautiful. If Kaiyah was laying down where he was flying she too would lift her head and watch with big round eyes. When Cotton would be close in his diving or circling, and she was awake to see it, she looked totally amazed, wide-eyed, and excited but always remained gentle and non-threatening. There was an unusual incident one time when Cotton got tired and landed on her back as she was standing near me. She looked like, &ldquo;whoa, wow what??!!&rdquo; and turned her head toward him with her muzzle closed and those eyes were dancing with sparkles. I had Cotton step-up onto my hand and I took him to his ladder and foraging PlayStation for him to catch his breath. Kaiyah was pretty friskity after that encounter. It is the one time that happened, and she was overwhelmed, bless her heart.
It wasn&rsquo;t long before Cotton was gaining altitude and that he found himself ever so delighted to land on our heads including Peter&rsquo;s family when they would visit. I never thought I would have a bird happily riding around on my head but boy I am personally tickled when it happens. We make sure to keep ceiling fans off, stove items covered or off, toilet seats closed, and we absolutely keep doors and windows closed with no going in and out with Cotton out and about. Those are very important rules to keep for birds or any critter you don&rsquo;t want to accidentally go outside or be hurt moving around.
Something I noticed with Cotton&rsquo;s daily dose of sunshine was that his scapular or shoulder wing feathers were silvering to a lovely soft cool gray color. That was perfect for our number one flyer regularly logging air mileage and gaining more experience with every flight. He was becoming Captain before our eyes. Peter would remind me now and again that Cotton was a professional bird. I couldn&rsquo;t help but laugh and find comfort in my husband&rsquo;s wise humor. It was marvelous watching him. Getting to see our furbabies&rsquo; reactions are cherished moments for sure, and exhilarating for all of us, especially with Cotton&rsquo;s budding confidence, the awareness of his new much larger surroundings and liberty.
As the months went by we found Cotton fly-guying his way to his first stop on one of our heads, and then when the moment of departure arrived he would let out the cutest shrill - hopping along to the next landing sight, and on he would go until he found himself contentedly going back to Home Cage. Kaiyah and the furbabies were duly entertained and amazed. What conversations they must have had when they first started sharing their daily adventures together...
I was much blessed watching them all growing in companionship and displaying their personalities. I saw the freedom and confidence building in Cotton as he was coming into his own, and his ever increasing navigation of our home and its high ceilings. It was totally joyful for me to behold. I couldn&rsquo;t help but ponder the Lord and His Gift of Freedom and Liberty - Jesus. Time and time again when dealing with the weights and heaviness from difficulties, struggles, and hurts in this life, I have needed Him to help me to find courage, confidence, strength and liberty to fly again even as my songs "Broke Free" and "Cageless" testify. He Is my courage, confidence, strength and liberty: all praise to God Most High. Only Jesus makes us truly free.
I considered how much joy it must give my Heavenly Father when we let Him fill and lead our lives in Jesus, His Word and Truth, setting us free from lies, sin, the powers of darkness and their evil devices, and enlarging our lives in Him. Even though there are growing evils and apostasies, how much infinitely greater is the Power and Love of God for those that fear Him, letting God be their recompense, dealing with those that hate the lovers of God, and put their trust in Him, His Mercy and His Holy Word.
The Passage from Psalm 118 verses 4 through 8 resonate and fortify my soul walking out life in this broken sinful world: &ldquo;Let them now that fear the LORD say, that His mercy endureth for ever. I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.&rdquo;
How precious for Peter and I to have such lessons to reflect on from His humble servants Kaiyah, Gideon, Pumpkin and Captain Cotton and may we never ever forget them&hellip;. And the joy those hopper flights brought all of us.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:29:15 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 23&#x3a; Your Garden Variety... Everything</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12644</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 23: Your Garden Variety... Everything]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&ldquo;And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.&rdquo;
Genesis 2:8
&ldquo;And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and&nbsp;brought them&nbsp;unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was&nbsp;the name thereof.&rdquo;
Genesis 2:19
&nbsp;
As I was thinking back (and looking through) so many of the wildlife and scenic nature pictures in my journey as a photographer, I realized there was a rather common denominator to a lot of them. Not all mind you, but quite a few of them. It basically came down to the type of location. You see, I realized that there was an opportunity to share on something that many of us have the ability to utilize, and many of us actually have, and that would be finding&nbsp;a great variety of&nbsp;things to photograph if one simply looks - through a garden...
I can't tell you how many birds, how many insects, how many fruit trees, flowers, creeping things&nbsp;innumerable - I've photographed to great effect simply by being in a garden. Now a garden obviously is not limited to just one's front or backyard. A garden can be in a park. A zoo. A botanical preserve. A wildlife refuge. A trailhead. At a hotel. There are so many places to find one!
What is so beautiful is not only the calm and serenity to be had with a simple stroll through one - resting quietly on a bench or rock and taking in the beauty of it, but also the wildlife you will&nbsp;come across. (Not a question of if, but rather when, you will see something) There is such an exciting unpredictability&nbsp;about what you will come across, and what you will find, that for me some of my favorite moments were simply experienced by waiting... and watching... in a garden. 
Below I have included a selection of images all taken in different garden environments. If you enjoy wildlife, and want to get some great images, you likely won't find a better place than in one. Of all the ecosystems and places to take pictures, you will find a treasure trove of them in a garden.&nbsp;Perhaps the most well known garden in all the Bible, besides the Garden of Gethsemane, is the Garden of Eden. Almost every one on the planet knows what happened there, with the fall of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden by God. What is often overlooked in&nbsp;the passages above from Genesis though is&nbsp;that Adam was the one that named all these beautiful and interesting creatures that we see today. (including the ones in the pictures above!) &nbsp;I marvel at the many unique differences of all the flora and fauna around us and especially in these amazing garden settings. It truly is a rewarding experience for a wildlife photographer like myself to be able to photograph these kind of subjects. I hope you're able to take some time in the near future and see what awaits you - and your camera - the next time you step into a garden...
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:28:55 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 38</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12623</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 38]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 38 &ndash; Consistent Bonding
God Cares for Us
&nbsp;
1 Peter 4:10
&ldquo;As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.&rdquo; 
1 Peter 5:7
&ldquo;Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Everyone was loaded up into the SUV, except Cotton, for a trip to our local veterinarian for routine annual wellness exams. The kitties were communicating their usual disappointment with the whole of it and Kaiyah panted silently knowing this was not her usual run about. Having our cats with us was probably the biggest clue to that fact, and, I&rsquo;m certain she was hopeful it was not going to be a big ridie. Even after many years of travel she was still not a fan of those long vehicle rides no matter how many treats or walkie stops we took. And we were mindful that her anxiety was not good for Gideon and Pumpkin. Thankfully the vet office was practically a hop, skip, and a jump from our residence and that was good for all of us.
We were meeting with a new veterinarian at the same office location on that occasion and prayerful all would go well with the new doctor. We were delighted and relieved by her thoughtful care and knowledge concerning Kaiyah and the kitties. The tech couldn&rsquo;t have been gentler and was very sweet. And it was neat to find out that the new vet had cared for birds many decades prior although not anymore. We shared with her the changes we were seeing in Kaiyah and she assured us that was normal for her suspected age. She provided us some encouragement and suggestions for&nbsp;things to watch for and that we could do. There was the usual advisement to keep an eye on Gideon&rsquo;s weight, but he was in overall good health. Pumpkin was a little younger than Gideon but had been a bit unusual in his sleep patterns. At times going into a very deep sleep that slowed his breathing quite dramatically, Pumpkin would wake totally disoriented at times.
Not too long before that wellness exam he had woken from one of those deep sleeps and had jumped down missing the edge of the couch - landing face forward into the table we had in front of the couch area. He landed against it with a terrible thud. He looked surprised and totally out of sorts. We were right there when it happened and immediately checked him tenderly and spoke softly. We were most definitely concerned. He had damaged his upper long tooth on the right side and it was bleeding at the gum line. We ministered a lot of love, said a few prayers, and applied cat-safe medicine topically. It stopped bleeding pretty quickly but it was clearly not pleasant for our little guy. I did ring the vet and told them what happened and we resolved to take everyone in on the next trip to the clinic. After Pumpkin&rsquo;s exam we were told he may lose the tooth and to keep a close eye on him as he too was experiencing the changes that come with age. Other than what we brought to their attention, all were given a pretty clean bill of health for their respective ages.
As we made our way home it was a relief that the reports were overall positive but my heart felt a bit heavy. I quickly surrendered that to the Lord and Peter and I set out to make the arrival home extra happy with many pets and treats all around. Cotton was happy to hear us all coming through the garage door and see us as we made our way into the house. He gave his formal greeting of whistles and tweets from his home cage.
Not long after as the evening came I was stirred in my heart to consider the importance of showing attentiveness, quality time, and gentle care while communicating value to those I have known over the years whether they be people or critter. I knew the importance of love expressed through nurturing and affirming bonds, consistent bonding at every facet and stage of life especially those who have been hurt by others and that are most vulnerable. The Passage from 1 Thessalonians 5:11 rose to the surface of my heart, &ldquo;Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.&rdquo; For many years, even as a young girl, I visited nursing homes, the homeless, orphanages, shelters, and many other places where people have tried to find refuge walking through difficult states of life. Every one of them wanted to feel safe and valued even though many had difficulty accepting it because of the horrible things they had been through or had chosen.
Some were afraid, others were angry, others were distant or a mix of emotions - and still there were those who were welcoming and pouring out care right back, and even those that were&nbsp;overwhelmed and had become outwardly indifferent or numb. Of course, we are all different even in our similarities; such is the beauty of our God Given uniqueness. I found that was also the same with other living souls including animals. Love, patient steps toward trust and steady consistent bond-building at all stages of life are important... right along with respecting boundaries and protecting dignity.
I prayed to my Heavenly Father, Who is always long-suffering, always trustworthy, always steady and consistent desiring to bond-build with us at all stages of our lives, totally respecting our boundaries and free-will while wanting to protect our dignity. He is truly that way with us. Knowing that I am frail and weak, I asked Him for Help to follow Him in every way; that His Spirit would Produce fruit in me that He would be pleased with, and trusting my Master Gardener with, at times, pruning and up-rooting. I sought Him for wisdom and sensitivity to care for this new season with Kaiyah, Pumpkin, Gideon, Cotton, and those in my life who were also transitioning into new seasons of life including Peter and me. We were still healing and dealing with new things that surfaced around us. I labored to rest in the fact that my Loving Lord Cares for us and that He takes care of us. 1 Peter 5:7: &ldquo;Casting all your care upon Him; for He Careth for you.&rdquo;
We had been in much prayer about moving to a place more in the country, closer to family and for direction to know, understand and follow God&rsquo;s Will for the life we had been given and its transitioning seasons. Peter and I pressed more into our quality time and consistent bond-building with the Lord and His Word, in our marriage, and with those we could including our little pets. We prayed for God&rsquo;s Grace in everything.
Whether grooming with care, playing, softly talking, petting, cleaning, training, feeding, taking a ride with furtherly, (fur and feather family) Bible and prayer times, or simply sharing space with our animals we both purposed, in our own ways, to provide consistent bonding with love and patience every day.
Continuing to care for the life of our little animals as Proverbs 12:10 testifies, and so our journey with Kaiyah, Gideon, Pumpkin and Cotton continued on with tender intention. Peter and I walked holding hands with our Papa God as He took care of all of us knowing exactly what lay ahead, what had been, and right where we were.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 22:02:05 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; When Life Throws You a Giant Rock</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12619</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: When Life Throws You a Giant Rock]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;&ldquo;He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.&rdquo;
Job 28:9
&nbsp;
This Aldabra Tortoise has seen a lot of things in his time. And I mean a lot of things. After all, Mac here is around 102 years old, so he's probably seen it all. But what, a rock right in his&nbsp;path? Whatever shall he do, this wasn't supposed to be here!
Mac would likely say, "It will take me some time, but I think it best if I just leave this obstacle alone and find another way around it. I'm not going to let this difficulty rob me of the blessings of this day! I have better things to do than deal with this giant rock!
Do we have times in our lives where we have difficulties in our path of life, and rather than go around it and let God Deal with it, we try to confront it ourselves? And often find ourselves frustrated, tired, and in the same predicament as where we started? Or worse!?
Let the Lord take care of those rocks in your life... He's Got this!
&nbsp;
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
Matthew 17:20
&nbsp;
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:54:46 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 37</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12600</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 37]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 37 &ndash; Slowing Down
God Knows Our Times
&nbsp;
Ecclesiastes 3:1
&ldquo;To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:&rdquo; 
Psalm 90:12
&ldquo;So Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.&rdquo; 
Matthew 6:34
&ldquo;Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;
The wonderfully refreshing rains of spring had already started drying as the days marched toward summer. Mornings were still just crisp enough to warrant an extra layer to keep that little bite of cold at bay. Our little pet posse Kaiyah, Gideon, Pumpkin and Cotton were all starting to show that vigor that comes with things warming up. The bonds between them were strengthening and it was wonderful to see how Cotton&rsquo;s personality complimented our family and how big it was despite his smaller stature.
Our cockatiel Cotton was much more settled. We had been training pretty regularly building rapport, and at long last, we had begun the long awaited in home free-fly sessions. It was a slow patient process with lots of encouragement and thank yous to affirm his budding confidence, understanding and trust. Our home had plenty of room both in height and expanse for Cotton to fine tune his acrobatic and soaring skills. He is still amazing to watch take-off, land and fly&hellip; Honestly he is wonderful to observe doing just about anything just like our furbabies. And since I like to whistle a lot we had all kinds of whistling exchanges. Kaiyah and the kitties were amused by all the antics and had fun watching, respectfully from a safe distance.
As we often have to keep the sun coming in for Cotton to sunbathe from his home cage, and see outdoor friends, I soon found the morning routines of all three furbabies enjoying winter companionship laying all together in front of the double sliding door of the room where Cotton is stationed. It was so precious to see them all laying next to each other totally relaxed and rather close together taking in the warmth. The sun streaming through, down on each one and Cotton all plump and cozy standing on one leg, which is a really comfortable pose for a happy healthy bird. When I would pass by they might just lift their little sweet heads only to put them right back down with an incredibly relaxed sigh. It was good medicine for my heart to see and had a rather calming effect on me as well.
Kaiyah especially seemed to relish those moments basking in the sun with her friends plus it was good for the bones and joints. I had already noticed she was taking her time a bit more on our jaunts and needed a bit more time to hop into the SUV. When she started to turn back toward the house on our usual walk patterns around the neighborhood, I knew my sweet girl was slowing down.
On one occasion she was excited to get out on the trail in the nearby foothills. She was eager and full of energy and in a burst of happy joy she leapt into the back of our vehicle only to miss the mark. She landed haphazardly with front paws barely clinging to the edge of the floor with her back legs struggling to find a way to get in the SUV. I immediately reached for her and was careful to hold her and lift her in. She had a brief look of disorientation, but unflustered by her determination to get on that mission hike as soon as possible. I think I was more rattled than she was. Everything was fine when we got there and she chose the routes with great deliberateness. I noticed she made a point to avoid all paths that had anyone on it, at least that she could see from her vantage, especially those with bikes - smart girl. Folks on bikes were not usually patient even though walkers had the right of way. With her feeling a bit more aware of her age, she was even more sensitive to such things.
I began to offer more assistance getting her in and out of the vehicles keeping a careful eye on her expressions and movements. At that time she was still&nbsp;strong and wasn&rsquo;t keen on my overprotectiveness. My heart was already tender toward the reality of Kaiyah&rsquo;s length of days as we had no idea how old she actually was, and we knew she had been through much in her earlier years. She still was full of spunk and often as friskity as a puppy. I reminded myself, yet again, of my Lord Jesus&rsquo; Words in Matthew 6:34, &ldquo;Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.&rdquo; I needed to trust Him not just with our sweet aging Kaiyah but with everything I was still working through. For sure we all are changing and going through different things at any given point in this life. I knew resting and trusting Him without fear or anxiety was God&rsquo;s Heart for me and that He totally knows how prone I am at times to overwhelm myself with concerns. I hug verses like Psalms 62:8 &ldquo;Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a Refuge for us. Selah&rdquo; I absolutely needed that reminder and to spend time with Him doing just that every day.
It is not easy seeing the toll of life on anyone, let alone those you love; those you have spent years with and shared so many, many memories. &ldquo;With everything that will be happening, take your time and cherish every moment,&rdquo; was one of the most timely, profound, and I believe Lord Appointed, phrases ever said to me by a young lady I worked with, but hardly spoke to, named Allison just before I married Peter. She said it with a sincere knowing and maturity of understanding. I remember the words were soothing and washed over me like running water and pooled in my heart and mind. It gave me fresh perspective to slow down as well. It is so important to embrace those moments, especially of unique significance - no matter what was happening, in that case, very special good things. But it resonated much deeper than that for me. Over the years with losses, difficulties, storms, relocations, and joyful, pleasant times - and just about everything else, that little phrase had already proven invaluable especially with regard to extra special times. A prayer often in my heart, &ldquo;Teach me Lord, to number my days and that I may apply my heart to wisdom, to value each and every day and those you allow me to share them with&hellip;.&rdquo;
It wasn&rsquo;t hard to perceive that we were beginning a new season in Kaiyah&rsquo;s life. One I had already walked with many of my precious pets and several loved ones. I talked quietly to her after her miscue that day giving her a warm ruff of the neck hug. I logged the moment deep in my heart knowing our journey was becoming more treasured than ever and prayed for her and our little &ldquo;furtherly&rdquo; (my new word for our family after Cotton joined us with fur and feather combined) as we continued, for as long as God would Will and Gift, sharing this life&rsquo;s narrow road together. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:59:26 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Think About It &#x23;2&#x3a; The Unexplainable Butterfly</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12599</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Think About It #2: The Unexplainable Butterfly]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Fact: The theory of Evolution absolutely cannot explain how a caterpillar, with it's own unique DNA sequence structure, can go from an egg, to a caterpillar, then into a chrysalis state turning into a biological soup completely rearranging itself, and then re-emerge as a butterfly; all the while&nbsp;retaining&nbsp;the exact same DNA through all four stages. Evolution requires DNA mutation as well as natural selection for any type of change. This simply does not occur in any way during the metamorphosis of a butterfly/moth.

What Google says:&nbsp;A caterpillar and a butterfly have the same DNA because their genetic material, or DNA, does not change during the process of metamorphosis; instead, different genes are activated or deactivated by hormones and other regulatory factors to produce the distinct structures and functions of each life stage. The caterpillar, in a growth-focused phase, has specific genes turned on for eating and growth, while the butterfly stage activates different genes required for flight and reproduction from the same genetic code.
&nbsp;
To the question "Does the theory of Evolution require DNA mutation as well as natural selection for any type of change?,"
&nbsp;
Google's response:&nbsp;Yes, evolution fundamentally requires both&nbsp;genetic mutation, which creates new variation, and a mechanism like&nbsp;natural selection&nbsp;to act upon that variation. Mutations are the raw material providing genetic diversity within a population, while natural selection, along with other factors like genetic drift and gene flow, filters this variation, leading to changes in inherited traits over generations.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
What the Bible says:&nbsp;"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
&nbsp;
And God Made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that&nbsp;it was&nbsp;good."&nbsp;

Genesis 1 : 24, 25&nbsp;KJV
Think About it:&nbsp;Science is adamant that in order for a caterpillar to become a butterfly (or moth, depending on it's species) it must change it's DNA and also, have natural selection on top of that. In addition, there can be additional requirements as well like genetic drift&nbsp;and&nbsp;gene flow&nbsp;to cause evolutionary change by altering gene frequencies in a population. Whew!!!
On a side note, we posted an article a while back called&nbsp;Spot Focus - Destination 6: Journey of Butterflies and Dinosaurs&nbsp;where we highlighted our friends at The Incredible Journey, who released this amazing presentation on Butterflies that details in great length the topics&nbsp;discussed here:
Butterflies &ndash; Nature&rsquo;s Gift
What sounds more plausible:&nbsp;All by chance, the four stages of a butterfly occur with the exact same resulting species, despite its metamorphosis rearranging everything from the ground up and yet never a different butterfly or creature coming out of the chrysalis,&nbsp;
Or that a Master Designer and Creator Knit every DNA detail of these beautiful creatures, inside and out,&nbsp;intentionally?
You decide!
&nbsp;
Until next time...


&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 20:56:55 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 36</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12539</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 36]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 36 &ndash; Love and Meekness
God is Love and is Humble
&nbsp;
Romans 13:8-10
&ldquo;Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.&rdquo;
1 John 4:7-21
&ldquo;Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because He first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Each day moseyed along in their own unique way meandering in the blowing winds of time, much like clouds strolling while changing shapes in the sky. We had a few more pleasant neighborly experiences with folks more than willing to say hello and exchange a few personal comments as they or we were passing or driving by. We were grateful for those instances and those folks, and as is our custom we continue to pray for them and those around us. Kaiyah accompanied us on a few occasions and I noticed she had become a bit more cautious during interactions and for good reason. She hadn&rsquo;t been treated very kindly by some due to her being a husky and for whatever unknown reasons, I could relate, and like me she was polite but a wee bit guarded. Only rarely did I see her actually show a genuine carefree relaxed demeanor but she was patient and always ready to get right back to the mission hike at hand or back to our home. As usual her behavior was exemplary - I could only hope mine was as well.
As I&rsquo;ve reflected on those amiable interactions I&rsquo;ve tended to consider the differences and similarities in the many places I&rsquo;ve travelled and lived. Having spent many years in the south I was used to people saying hello and doing things to help out if they knew you were having a hard time. It wasn&rsquo;t uncommon for folks to &ldquo;check in&rdquo; on you or share their garden produce leaving them at the most used door of the home with a kind word, or leave them with a small note letting you know they dropped by. Southern hospitality came with its faults too, as gossip connections seemed to run deep or they were disingenuous. It also came with prejudices that never made any sense to me coming from people living in the &ldquo;Bible belt.&rdquo; My family also suffered from those prejudices and again they made absolutely zero sense. This was especially hard to understand coming from people who said they were true followers of God and His Word.
My family and I suffered from culture shock for years after moving there from the west. My friends and the people we knew were mainly of color, often with accents, having originated out of other countries with different religions, lifestyles, and backgrounds. We just saw people as people, and knew there were good and bad in all groups. And we also came to understand that saying or even doing some things like one was a Christian didn&rsquo;t mean you were one. That was a much harder reality to process...
Over the years I&rsquo;ve learned a lot of folks everywhere have their own meaning of things. And for some of those professing they were Christians, many were often not following the instructions that the Word of God directs us as His people to be and warns against us becoming. And even worse was that many folks didn&rsquo;t seem to personally know the God they professed. To me this only emphasizes 2 Timothy 3:16, &ldquo;All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.&rdquo;
It was a real eye opener when my friends of color, in the south, said they couldn&rsquo;t be my friend any longer - and mainly because their parents didn&rsquo;t trust people with my color, even though we believed the same way. After years of childhood friendships those good-byes were really heart breaking. Thankfully not everyone did that and as the years went by I was later welcomed to many of their churches as part of the choir. I was the only person of my color and a really tall long-haired woman at that. Those were great memories and ones I cherish along with many other special times like those. Maybe more of those stories I can share at another time.
It was and is hard to determine what people meant by identifying themselves with a particular denomination or group. That too seemed subject to change depending on the person, family or their leadership and sometimes is could change on the fly. One thing is for absolutely certain: associations and memberships on this earth have nothing to do with being a member of the Body of Christ. Being a member of His church is only in and through Jesus Himself, and it requires love and obedience to stay in Him and walking according to The Word of God. There are no grandfather clauses, no &ldquo;gmos&rdquo; (generated by man or something else), no additives to &ldquo;enhance or fortify&rdquo; His Word, no artificial flavors that change the substance to make it more palatable or like something it is not; all require testing to make sure you don&rsquo;t have counterfeits or a modified substance of His Truth. The test is the Word itself, being vigilant, sober and in much prayer, and it is a lifelong process of seeking, praying and testing.
It takes time, study, reflection, and a willingness to be corrected and humbled, and often times, to be in the minority. The enemy of God wants us to just go with the flow, to be wearied into complacency, to be overwhelmed with the process, to think we don&rsquo;t need to have checks and balances, or that we couldn&rsquo;t because of... whatever reason may be even if it is our individual vulnerability or where we think we already know enough. Dangerous whichever way, I know this from personal experience. It is also dangerous to think that because you know many things that it will make you impervious to deceit, hypocrisy, or even apostasy. It is so essential to remember the importance of loving others and to keep on the rails when it comes to knowledge. I absolutely know I need the Lord&rsquo;s assistance every step of the way!
There are many Passages in Scripture that are mainstays to convict me when I need to be kept in balance. I don&rsquo;t know about anyone else, but I necessitate Holy Spirit Ministering to me every day. These two from 1 Corinthians 8:1 &amp; 10:12 are solid admonition, &ldquo;&hellip;.Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.&rdquo; And this one is also admonitory from Philippians 2:3, &ldquo;Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.&rdquo; I believe that love and humility are vital.
While living in the south, and a few other places, I could almost say I didn&rsquo;t know what to do with being around many &ldquo;white people&rdquo;, even though I was white myself. Many folks didn&rsquo;t communicate about any background other than their families and never travelled to anywhere but what was directly within a fifty mile radius or less. Although many lovely things were learned and enjoyed in those places, it was a different world when it came to racism, hypocrisy and prejudice; one I didn&rsquo;t fit into very well. I can only hope and pray it is better in the south and other places today. Racism, elitism, and prejudices of any kind are wrong. Thank God He looks at our hearts and not on our outward appearances the same way we do with each other. God&rsquo;s Kingdom will have people from all over the world in it. There will not be one person greater or more special than another and all will be in Christ Jesus as one people. That, of course, is a free will decision for all people, tribes, tongues and nations to make individually and with their own conscience. It gives me much to pray about and be thankful for&hellip; that is for sure and for certain. Thinking about it reminds me of the instruction given by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-6, &ldquo;I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.&rdquo;
The Lord&rsquo;s Kingdom will have innumerable creatures and all kinds of different beautiful things we never knew existed. Kaiyah, and those of us who have walked a more solitary and committed journey, will have more friends than could ever be dreamed. It will be glorious and wondrous and I absolutely want to be there when He Makes all things beautiful and without a trace of evil, wickedness, pride, fear, hatred, jealousy, lust, etc., and all their consequences. Kaiyah will be one of many special canines, big and small, loud and quiet, thick furred and think coated; of all colors, shapes and sizes - every one precious and part of that beautiful promise. And when He calls us up to Heaven with Him, I can&rsquo;t wait to see the incredible array of people who have chosen my Loving God and Savior as their very own; and to at long last see The Loving Humble Savior and God who first loved us all looking at us, Face to face, up close and personal for all Eternity.
In the meantime, Kaiyah continues to be a furry reminder of love, humility and keeping on the happy trails as much as possible. And there is a time and a place for friskity behavior and quiet gentleness, and always time for treats and being cordial.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 03 Sep 2025 22:01:41 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 22&#x3a; Do You Need Some Space&#x3f;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12538</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 22: Do You Need Some Space?]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.&nbsp;And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel&nbsp;them&nbsp;to come in, that my house may be filled.
Luke 14:22,23
&nbsp;
It used to be that when you took an image, it would be best to get your shot just right. If you had a picture of an animal you photographed, and you wanted to frame it, you would be best to get as close as you could to maximize detail of your subject. But then you find out, it's not a one size fits all solution... Literally.
Have an 8x10 or 16x20 frame? Better make sure you can cut those sides. What about a background for your smartphone? Those get pretty slim and tall... How about that portrait for your social media account? Do you have enough headroom? Finally, Let's say you have a&nbsp;super widescreen monitor and want a screensaver for that? You'll need to lop the top and bottom big time.
So where am I going with this...
Well, take a look at this one I took of Courthouse Rock outside Sedona, Arizona, below:&nbsp;Ok, so that's a nice&nbsp;scenic! So what if we want to do that 8x10, for example? Let's see:&nbsp;Whoops that didn't turn out well, ugh... Well, ok what about the super widescreen pc monitor, hmm wonder how that would crop...&nbsp;Ok, so that's not working! What's the issue? Well, as I have learned the hard way, there are times where in your photography, you simply need some space. Pan out with a wide angle, or if you have a closer lens, see if you can back up a bit. Let's take a look at the same location, this time with a much wider field of view:&nbsp;Alright, let's try that again - same as last time. First the 8x10:&nbsp;Very Nice. No crop issues there. Let's see about the superwide monitor:&nbsp;There we go; see how that turned out? Having enough room around our subject lets us really take advantage of so many crop shapes, and utilize the flexibility that digital cameras offer over film. This will work really on anything, not just beautiful mountains either. Portrait sessions, pet and animal candids, outdoor wildlife, car or air shows - you name it. Give yourself&nbsp;some space, and see what options unfold!
Going back to the Gospel message at the top from Luke, we have a scene described where Jesus is telling His followers the importance of being ready when God Calls us to the Supper of the Lamb at the end of time, and that those who were supposed to be there, well, they decided not to come, so others who have been faithful to the Lord will come in droves to take their place, and yet there will be plenty of room! God Has so carefully made sure there will be plenty of room in heaven for all His people.
In a photographic sense, I keep this verse in mind. How important it is that we leave plenty of room - plenty of space - in our pictures, so we don't need to worry about them filling up!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 03 Sep 2025 22:00:02 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 35</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12522</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 35]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 35 &ndash; Fit For A Lady
God of Peaceful Sweet Sleep
&nbsp;
Psalm 3:5 
&ldquo;I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.&rdquo;
Psalm 4:8
&ldquo;I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.&rdquo; 
Proverbs 3:24
&ldquo;When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;
Kaiyah, as most living things, enjoyed having her own space just like our sweet cockatiel Cotton in his Home Cage. That space needed to be a safe zone. We designated one of the rooms not often used to be just that for her. A room she knew could be where she could go if she wanted to sleep, hide, or just hang out in. To the best of my ability I tried to make sure that space was there from the time of her rescue and it continued right along with special bedding to help comfort her. The bedding took different forms and thicknesses but she always had her favorites.
When we moved to an area with more cold and snow it was even more important to ensure warmth for our pets but without using the heater too much. One day I was thinking about it and remembered we had a huge box from the move and the custom lid seemed just right to be a &ldquo;bed frame&rdquo;. It was cardboard, which holds heat well, and it was sturdy. I decided to give it a try. I put her favorite cozies in there all fluffed, and then got a few of her favorite bonies and began the introduction. At first she thought I was totally loony. I remember her staring at me with that, &ldquo;What in the world?&rdquo; face.
All of a sudden Kaiyah ran around the room, hopped up and down like a happy calf or colt - and&nbsp;then ran friskity through the house and came back to me in her room space, and landed square in the bed - and then hopped out right next to me sitting pretty as you please. &ldquo;What a game!!&rdquo; she must have thought as she playfully looked at me waiting for the next round, and there were many. Eventually, from sheer exhaustion she plopped in, right after she heard me lively say again, &ldquo;Kaiyah&rsquo;s bed.&rdquo; The size was perfect for her. I immediately praised her and provided her the much worked for rewards. She glanced at me with that, &ldquo;I knew that was my new bed but I wanted to play&hellip; a lot!&rdquo; After I petted her for a while I got up to leave the room and she instantly followed me out. And I chased her all over the house until she ran right back to her new cozy bed set-up and flumped right in it. She looked so proud and happy; I had to give her an extra boney for good measure.
She liked her happy safe snuggle space and that made us happy. Inadvertently we discovered Pumpkin also enjoyed Kaiyah&rsquo;s snuggle space as often as he could. But that wasn&rsquo;t too big of a surprise as he loved Kaiyah and he really liked to cuddle inside of handbags and boxes. Over time I had considered the idea of making or buying one that would be more durable. Such an opportunity came when Peter&rsquo;s family had come for a visit. I knew from previous conversations that Peter&rsquo;s dad, who was in retirement, had a good way with hands-on projects and had done some wood work in times past. I knew if he chose to do it that it would be done right. I decided to ask him if he might be interested in the special little project to make a wooden frame for Kaiyah&rsquo;s bed. I gave him measurements that matched her current happy box place and provided a few necessary details and he politely said he would think about it...
As time ticked along not a word was said about it and I let it be. Kaiyah was still enjoying her box frame and although a little more age worn, it was still holding just fine. A family visit was planned and upon their arrival they announced that they had something special for Kaiyah. To our astonishment they had with them a heavy duty deluxe wooden box frame! As we brought it in you couldn&rsquo;t help but notice the weight, the sturdiness and how smoothly sanded every wooden piece was in handling it. It was solid! Kaiyah saw it and didn&rsquo;t know what to make of it at first. It had a beautiful&nbsp;pine smell and you could tell there was a lot of care put into it.&nbsp;The new, well constructed furniture piece had every seam sealed tight as a drum and every board securely fastened in place with not a prickly point or anything that would harm our little Kaiyah. The bottom was thick and tough for flumping and plopping for sure. It even had unique handmade plaques which they had used pyrography, wood burned designs and letters, to showcase who made it and to whom it was made. It was a remarkable bed frame fit for our Kaiyah Takota, a &ldquo;real&rdquo; leading lady husky dog. In fact, the carefully designed main plaque read &ldquo;Lady Kaiyah&rdquo; with accents of paws and bones just for her. They even brought a special soft &ldquo;mattress&rdquo; and specialty dog biscuits. It was a fine piece of family love and workmanship. What an exceptional gift!&nbsp;After all the ooooing and ahhhhing Kaiyah needed time to process all the attention and the new impressive bed frame. After a few pleasant but short visits to the new deluxe bed box, I realized pretty quickly that she would need more cushioning for her aging bones and joints. Our quality control specialist, Pumpkin, tested everything out fully and let me know more was needed so I added a few more layers to the bottom and sides. Finally, when Pumpkin had a good sleep in it, with Kaiyah still in her old soft bed, the moment of truth came. After Gideon gave it one last inspection providing his four paws worth by jumping in and jumping out a few times, rang out a large meow of approval. Kaiyah, on her own, at long last found her way into the new bed and in her humble ladylike way said thank you by returning to it as often as possible.
Each day that went by I considered how difficult a transition that may have been for her but she adjusted. She was relieved that Pumpkin and I paid attention to her aging needs so she would be able to enjoy that new blessing for as long as she could. I did not throw away her old one. I left it out for her so she could choose what was more comfortable for her. And after a while she only chose the one fit for a lady.
All of us wanted Kaiyah to be safe, peaceful and to sleep sweetly all of her days. How much more does our Heavenly Father want that for each of us&hellip; to be safe in Him, peaceful and to have a sweet sleep. At times that is not easily had in this world. Proverbs 3:24 &ldquo;When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.&rdquo; That is a comforting promise as we all need that greatly for our homeostasis, for balanced health and well being, all of our days.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 20:12:01 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 21&#x3a; Background Check</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12521</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 21: Background Check]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&ldquo;A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land&nbsp;is&nbsp;as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.&rdquo;
Joel 2:3
&nbsp;
When I started this series a while back, I prefaced it by saying that many of these points were items that I had learned from making mistakes in my photographic journey, learning the hard way, and wanting to share these experiences so that they could provide helpful advice for those of you either getting started in photography or maybe even those who have been doing it for a while, and might not be aware of these things. Either way, I wanted to briefly touch on another point that I feel would be very helpful.
If you read my earlier post a ways&nbsp;back,&nbsp;Simple Tips for Better Pics 3: Don't Get Distracted!&nbsp;I again build off this topic by emphasizing the importance of being aware of distractions in your image; this time however it is important to focus on one thing in particular that can be just as detracting as objects that distract from your subject... And that would be - what are you composing not for your subject, but rather for your background behind it?
You see, it is a common mistake - especially in nature photography, that we are so occupied by what we are focusing on we forget what's going to end up behind it. It can sometimes come down to just moving a foot or two, or even a few inches, to get the backdrop we desire that compliments our image and avoids any unnecessary and unappealing backgrounds.
Below are two examples of a sunflower we have growing in our backyard. I took these of the same flower, minutes apart, from slightly different angles. Take a look and see which one just looks more easy on the eyes:&nbsp;Granted, anytime there's a beautiful sunflower in a picture it can be hard to fault it, but for this example - what I specifically try to avoid is any bright sky that would contrast with the darker green foliage like the image on the left. The one on the right has a more consistent green background throughout, and that allows the viewer to focus more on the flower itself, taking in more of the details without getting distracted by the bright cloudy sky in the upper area of the other one.
Different situations will present different concerns, but this is one of the things I wish I paid much more attention to when I started my career, and the thing is it really is so easy to avoid and plan around it... Something to be mindful of is all...
The Scripture verse from Joel speaks of the Coming of The Lord at the end of time, and the gravity of that passage is definitely a very sobering one. Of course, for the sake of a photography analogy, the context is very different, yet there is an interesting comparison to be made regarding the visual details described that do line up with those images. Again, I marvel how things I learn in photography once again&nbsp;compliment Scripture in some way, shape, or form. Not a coincidence!
Thank you for joining me on this article, and I hope it was helpful!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 20:11:40 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 34</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12481</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 34]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 34 &ndash; Covert Operation
God&rsquo;s Secret Place
&nbsp;
Psalm 57:1
&ldquo;Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.&rdquo;
Psalm 61:1-4
&ldquo;Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy Tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the Covert of Thy Wings. Selah.
Psalm 63:7
&ldquo;Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy Wings will I rejoice.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;
It was a bittersweet late winter&rsquo;s day when we had gotten word that one of the two extended family cockatiels, Charlie, the handsome white faced gray cockatiel of the two, had been relocated to a new home. Both cockatiels we knew and loved. Peter was devastated, and still feels the sting of that personal loss and that he didn&rsquo;t even have the chance&nbsp;or choice to say good-bye. Thankfully there was a bright spot: we learned Charlie had already found a mate among the existing cockatiels of the proud new owner...&nbsp;We were very sad and disappointed when we learned about the relocation, as we would have gladly taken both Charlie and, his cage mate - Cotton, to join our family. Peter already had an established bond with the two tiels and I had met and enjoyed them when visiting the family. They also had a pair of adorable budgies... Kaiyah and the kitties had previously been introduced to them. As I recall Pumpkin showed a respectful curiosity standing on his back legs peeking in with no claws exposed and said hello a couple of times. When I called him on that he looked at me with that sweet kitten like innocence of his as if to say, &ldquo;I was just looking Furmommy. I won&rsquo;t hurt them.&rdquo; Which I sincerely believed and he proved it many times after. Gideon looked up at them a few times and Kaiyah more or less kept a careful watchful distance.
We weren&rsquo;t sure why these family caretakers didn&rsquo;t mention it or ask us, but when we found out Cotton was still available, a secret rendezvous was put in place and the time was set with Peter&rsquo;s sister, Nicole, to go get him! Peter and I were excited and hopeful. I had never had a pet bird so I was prayerful and cautiously optimistic. I looked forward to the new opportunity to learn and care for one so closely. They are fragile creatures and I was used to handling furbabies. I had, by the Grace of God, carefully rescued birds and small critters many times before. I had some experience handling larger birds from the times I volunteered at a raptor center many years prior, but those situations for obvious reasons were quite a bit different in a number of ways. I was keenly aware that we had two cats and a dog. I wasn&rsquo;t sure how they all would get along with Cotton becoming a permanent resident.
It was strong in my heart that Cotton should be able to fly at will and enjoy his surroundings as much as possible. All was put to prayer and we sought the Lord for wisdom, counsel and understanding. I was grateful that I had been entrusted with a lifetime of living with animals and observing their behavior. God has always been there to help with taking care of them and I knew He most certainly would again. I prayed and waited some more as the day approached. I love for keeps and was all in. Peter was thrilled and could hardly wait!
Both Nicole and Peter, having had birds since childhood, knew compassionate treatment and transport to and from the &ldquo;safehouse&rdquo; was absolutely paramount. The day arrived and off they went, deployed on their &ldquo;covert operation&rdquo; to &ldquo;rescue&rdquo; our friend Cotton and rendezvous with his sister Nicole, who was actually the first one to fall in love with and adopt Cotton at a bird show years prior. There was expanded meaning to covert for that operation it denoted secretive but also the word for a bird's most important feathers. Coverts are distinctive firm narrow feathers at the base of flight feathers that help with structure, as well as provide the unique airfoil that is needed to streamline the wings of a bird in flight.
The meeting place was Ely, Nevada, (the little train town previously mentioned with the old iron horse), the time was approximately... whenever they got there, and risk mitigation was top priority. Once visual confirmation of a safe secure arrival had been done Cotton was kept cool, quiet, and out of sight until transfer and departure. I was immensely grateful we were able to coordinate that with Nicole and for her bringing along everything Cotton had, including his wonderful home cage, as I call it, and gave them to us. Peter and Nicole had a good time and maximized the journey before each headed back to their point A. Nicole had made her travels without incident and Peter arrived safely at our home very late under the cover of night.&nbsp;It was amazing to me that Peter had such energetic stamina with all the travel he already had under his belt with his work that week. He arrived as excited as a little boy when he came to the front door to let me know he and our little Cotton were home! We went out to the car in stealth mode, as much as you can while handling a light gray metal cage and its wheeled bottom pedestal - and conscientiously brought Cotton in completely covered. We began to set things up quietly and carefully to not disturb Cotton, and as much&nbsp;as possible, the neighbors and our unsuspecting furbabies.
Once settled we checked on him and he was as sweet and cute as could be. He was sitting tall and perfectly still on one of the wooden perches with his white feathers almost glowing in the ambient lighting. He softened in his posture hearing Peter&rsquo;s voice welcoming him home. We made sure he had everything he needed: fresh water, food, and lots of sweet soft words, and gave him a little time to acclimate with the soft lights still on. He was okay but knew he wasn&rsquo;t &ldquo;in Kansas anymore.&rdquo; Kaiyah, not being a watchdog of sorts but still very much a real dog, stayed totally sound asleep. The kitties however, both definitely watch-cats, were aware something was up and attentively observed. And yes, we were greeted by the official Pumpkin Roll. Plus we were welcomed by the modest trumpeting of the meows from Gideon along with his new body flop which was so cute to see from such a big boy. Peter confirmed arrival with Nicole and then quietly let everyone in our residence know that Cotton was home. We said prayers and praises to the Lord and &ldquo;tucked&rdquo; everyone, including ourselves, in bed for some much needed sleep.
The next day would be a curious and wondrous first time together for all of us. Cotton&rsquo;s presence was already ministering to me. In the hush of the morning I quietly reconsidered many Passages found in the Word of God regarding feathers and wings, birds and things. Each one stirred my heart. I found a renewed comforting peace in the many Verses revealing and wanting us to know that God is always waiting to cover us under His Wings and care for us along life&rsquo;s road. A Message of Invitation Papa God knew I will always need and need to respond to. I was reminded of our need to go to Him and how often He, in His Great Compassion and Merciful Faithfulness, longingly desires to gather us to Himself as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. Even knowing many of us would be unwilling; He has not, does not and will not force us&hellip;.ever. Love never forces. Jesus spoke those Words with an extremely broken heart over Jerusalem, and I believe through all ages, and will continue to say to us until the very end. Matthew 23:37: &ldquo;O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!&rdquo; I believe that is a Heart Cry of God for all of humanity.
Today many still persecute those living and proclaiming the Word of God, and those that are reaching out with the message of God&rsquo;s Redeeming Salvation, the Message and Invitation that has not changed since the beginning of time. And sadly many are still rejecting the Loving God who has Made all things and choose not to come to Him. Heavenly Father doesn&rsquo;t want to lose one of us to the evil, sin, and danger that only He can deliver us from. There is no power, fallen or faithful angel, person including ourselves, government, church, organization, ritual, tradition, or work that can fill or substitute Who God IS or His Plan of Salvation, He alone is the Great I AM&hellip; there are no proxies.
To me, that Scripture is one of the most profoundly sorrowful Passages in the Word of God expressing how much love Jesus has for us and longs to Protect us, to Be our Shield from danger, and Provide us a safe place to rest and abide. Jesus wants us to know that secret, covert place, under the shadow of His Wings, will be only found in and with Him. Oh that we would go to Him and let Him be that for us&hellip;. And stay there&hellip;. Psalm 91:1-3 says this beautifully: &ldquo;He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His Feathers, and under His Wings shalt thou trust: His Truth shall be thy shield and buckler.&rdquo;
The morning sunshine filled our home. At just the right moment Peter unveiled Cotton to our small world. Peter carefully lifted his cage cover sheet, continuing Cotton&rsquo;s long established wake-up routine, for all of us to see our precious cockatiel. Our brave little Cotton had such a sleepy face and seemed to slowly take it all in as he aroused from his rest. Adorable would be an understatement to describe him... Kaiyah in her gentle demure way began with a polite silent pass by the cage with a short pause, looked up at Cotton sitting quietly on his perch looking at her. She had an expression of "how did you get here?" I&rsquo;m not sure if Cotton knew exactly how to explain it as he couldn&rsquo;t say he flew. There was recognition though... Then Kaiyah steadily found her way to the sliding door to go out and ran friskity all over the lawn. I&rsquo;m not sure what she thought but whatever it was she was pretty excited and seemed happy.
When she came in she was again quiet in her navigations of the home and Cotton&rsquo;s cage. Gideon and Pumpkin were content. They made a point to sit and look at Cotton before continuing to move about and also being respectful in their engagements. After greeting the day and officially announcing the newest family member, our adventure collectively began thanks to Our Heavenly Father&rsquo;s Covert Operation and the &ldquo;covert operation&rdquo; that brought us all together safe and sound and with much to learn of Him and each other.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 20:45:18 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Think About It &#x23;1&#x3a;  The Total Solar Eclipse</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12480</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Think About It #1:  The Total Solar Eclipse]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Fact:&nbsp;There is a tremendous difference not only in the size between Earth's Sun and Moon, but also in their distances from the Earth. Yet when there is a total Solar Eclipse, they both appear exactly the same size. Why is that?

What Google says: A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon completely blocks the face of the Sun. It is the result of a cosmic coincidence.&nbsp;(bold emphasis added) Even though the Sun is about 400 times bigger than the Moon, it is also about 400 times farther away. This makes&nbsp;the Sun and the Moon appear almost exactly the same size in our sky. (Posted Nov. 4 2024)
&nbsp;
What the Bible says:&nbsp;"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years: 
&nbsp;
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.&nbsp;
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."&nbsp;
Genesis 1 : 14 - 19 KJV
Think About it:&nbsp;Interesting to note NASA themselves cannot determine the mathematical odds for this occurrence as it's too high to quantify.
What sounds more plausible, that our solar system, let alone the Milky Way Galaxy... Actually let alone the innumerable amount of galaxies in our universe, just happened to have a custom fit for the Sun and the Moon to line up exactly&nbsp;right where they would appear the same size during a total Solar Eclipse...
Or that a Master Designer and Creator Put them in their exact spots&nbsp;intentionally?
You decide!
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 20:44:45 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 33</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12456</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 33]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 33 &ndash; Mission Tracks
Good Shepherd Leads
&nbsp;
Psalm 25:4-5
&ldquo;Shew me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.&rdquo;
Proverbs 4:25-27
&ldquo;Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.&rdquo;
Isaiah 55:8-9
&ldquo;For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Woooooooot&hellip; Wooo-whoooooot&hellip;!&rdquo; The steam locomotive whistled off in the distance as it headed in to the quaint little depot station in a town called Ely, Nevada. We had chosen to stay there on a few of our road trips because it was a little remote town tucked in between a few rolling hills and open land and nicely situated for travel; it was just the right place to snuggle in overnight.
It was a cool breezy afternoon in early autumn that we had decided to take a small tour with Kaiyah and explore some of the area. We found a few really pretty parks tucked in between homes and noted some nice little mom and pop places to eat and shop for future reference. The main attraction, for me, was the railroad station and museum. Sitting almost at the center edge of town down a small side road, one might miss it if you weren&rsquo;t looking or listening. Established in 1905, the Nevada Northern Railway was built to bolster the roaring copper mining industry in the area.
I found that station in East Ely to be the best little untouched and preserved train station I had visited. And the old steam iron horse was my favorite and a fantastically maintained piece of history and machinery. Peter and I were really excited that we were able to visit the museum on one of our trips prior. There was lot more information there than we could experience on just one visit. They even had a resident kitty who was obviously much at home with the all the goings and comings.
My Pops had loved trains. He had his own engineers cap and shared many a story about them. He had ridden on many for travel and even had a boyhood dream of working with the railroad. I learned an appreciation for them from him and personally had my own genuine enjoyment for early designs and engineering and their history. I was happy when I learned that my father-in-law also really liked them. The way they move, sound and are maintained still amaze me and that spot in Ely was an extra special discovery.
Kaiyah had taught me something about herself on a few of my travels especially when it came to finding railroad tracks. She loved them! Every time we would discover them she just had to explore, and so did I. Her gait seemed to be just right for making her way down them. I often wondered what she was thinking about while she ambled her way along. She seemed in another frame of mind looking with intense focus into the distance ahead or behind her and then continuing on with determination to reach whatever was at the end of the line.
Each time we could only go so far before having to turn around. She didn&rsquo;t like that too much for some reason. Thinking about that reminds me of the Passage from Proverbs 16:9, &ldquo;A man&rsquo;s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.&rdquo; Sometimes He will have to course correct us if we are willing to be corrected. She wanted to go forward into the direction of her nose and that was that. I don&rsquo;t know if that was her husky sled dog mindset or a genuine interest to work her way to discovering what lay ahead, but much like her mission hikes those were her mission tracks. Whatever that leading was it was strong in her.
I could empathize as I often shared the same pull to see where the tracks would lead. That interest started when I was a young girl growing up in a small town that had trains running through what was then the center of town. I was told to always be careful and to not be on or near them when the trains could be heard coming in the distance. I could spend hours waving at them going by, imagining what was just around the bend, racing them on my bike from the parallel streets, and seeing the cars sometimes waiting to be coupled to the passing freight train. It was good times.
On that particular trip we did a little walking and some drive-bys. It was on one of the drive-bys that I noticed there was an area not too far that had a short run of tracks we could reach so we made our way down the road and parked. The wind had picked up and was rather blustery. Kaiyah hopped out of the SUV and took a good look around and almost immediately noticed the tracks running parallel to where we were. It didn&rsquo;t take long for us to reach the roadbed. Once we got there Kaiyah thoroughly scanned the area. She looked up into the sky, then way to the left, shorter visual distance with the depot in sight, then turned her head and looked to the right with an end-point that was unseen as it gently curved into the horizon. She quickly got on those railroad ties, also known as sleepers, and placed herself in the middle and started chugging straight in the direction with the unseen end-point.
We went for a little while but the winds became quite cold and although Kaiyah was &ldquo;dressed&rdquo; for that I was not. In addition the trains were still running so I had to pull us off and back toward where we had parked. The timing was good as I had chilly bumps all over and I could hear the whistles getting louder. Kaiyah was disappointed with the turn around, which I knew she would be, but we had to do it. After taking in that incredible view of open land and railway one more time she shook herself off a few times and then hopped in the back of the SUV. She looked at me a bit forlorn but she was invigorated by the experience and the cold. I gave her a really big hug and thanked her once again for being such a good girl. Kaiyah watched with wonder as she stood looking out the big back window of the SUV as the great metal &ldquo;beast&rdquo; traveled along the very tracks she had desired to traverse. &nbsp;We started on our way with the cold winds blowing and the rhythmic clacking sounds of the shiny black old iron horse filling the air. With its billowing plume of smoke coming out of its pipe, it steadily crawled its way back to its whistle stop, &ldquo;woooooot-wooooooooot!&rdquo; It was a sight and sound that warmed the heart and stirred nostalgia of another time.
When considering how important timing is when wanting to do anything, especially of considerable importance, I&rsquo;ve learned I can&rsquo;t always just see where I would like to go and then just start chugging toward it even if everything in me wants to do it. There are many things that must be taken into consideration, and most importantly for me, asking The Lord if it was His Will and then waiting for His answer and His Peaceful Certainty. Waiting and listening, sometimes that takes a long time but it is far better to do so than to head down the tracks at the wrong time, in the wrong direction or even worse they are altogether the wrong ones to be on in addition to being potentially fatally dangerous. Kaiyah had a strong sense of direction and incredible determination but she didn&rsquo;t know many things about traveling along the sleepers and what may lie ahead even if the horizon seemed to bend gently.
So it is with our journey in this life. How many times has The Lord had to stop me, or would lead me for a bit to experience or be present for something at a specific time and place and then turn me right around even if I didn&rsquo;t want to go just yet. He may just want to show me something far greater outside what I could handle at the time yet allowed me to learn difficult lessons or to enjoy the adventure of knowing there was much more ahead but the greater portion of it was for another time; those usually leave me a bit overwhelmed. He has His reasons and His thoughts and ways are way beyond mine. Even with all the vast number of instructions to be learned; the bottom line for me is to know how much He loves us and wants us to trust Him and to go where and when He goes or stays.
Learning the heart and ways of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, is vital. Thank God for His Word and for Holy Spirit. That is how He leads His People if we would but listen, learn, love, obey and follow Him. It is very beautiful to me that God wants to personally lead our steps and be right by us all the way. I pray I faithfully, in every way, follow Him, wherever my Shepherd, the Lamb of God, goes. As Revelation 14:4 exhorts that is what the redeemed should do. I want my life to be filled with one large running set of mission tracks and for His Glory!
Kaiyah was a wonderful soft furry illustration with her focus, determination and love of mission hikes and mission tracks, and her willing obedience to wait, stop, and change course, even if she wasn&rsquo;t wanting too, but the rewards for her trust were many including her safety and well being!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:35:20 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 20&#x3a; A Lapse of Time</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12449</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 20: A Lapse of Time]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Though He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven."
Psalm 78:23,24
&nbsp;
Something I have really come to appreciate is the capabilities of professional DSLR and Mirrorless cameras to take incredible quality videos. It's hard to imagine when digital cameras first came on the scene that they would come so far, but here we are. Current norms are now with 4K recording at 60 Hz, or frames per second.
Put that another way, that's 60 images every second at 8.3 megapixels. If and when we get to the point of 8K resolution being more dominant, we could see maybe 30 or 60Hz with that as well, this time with a resolution of 33 megapixels, give or take.
The numbers are quite mind boggling, but just come to show that digital cameras are far more rounded and versatile than ever. Perhaps AI is not the only threat to "traditional photography" (Funny even considering digital cameras as "traditional photography") Perhaps the industry will get to the point where photography is irrelevant.
Rather than snap pictures, just point the recording camera at your subject, wait for something notable to happen, then go back and find what you want from the still images. Seems remarkable, yet rather lazy at the same time, but I digress...
What I wanted to touch on today is that still photos still have a place. A tremendous place. With a trusty tripod, and a device called an&nbsp;intervalometer, which takes timed exposures, (and is included in many cameras already) there's a kind of video that even the big boys of 4K and 8K may get stumped on. That's Time-Lapse Photography.
As I've mentioned in previous articles here on the site, photography is to tell a story, and what a way to tell a story. With timed intervals, taking individual frames multiple times over the course of an hour or more, and with patience, the photographer (that could be you) can take videos of the Milky Way Galaxy flowing through the sky, or a beautiful flower opening it's petals, or a vibrant scenic landscape coming alive with rolling clouds and bustling movement.
To illustrate, I included a very brief demo below next to a still image of the same location, Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. Simply press the play button on the embedded video.&nbsp;Needless to say, the possibilities are so many, and there is so much to explore! Have fun with different scenarios and come up with new ideas of your own. It really makes for a tremendously rewarding experience.
As you can see from the video, rolling clouds are definitely very impactful.&nbsp;As the Scripture verse above states, God definitely knows how to amaze us with His Canvas, and His Wonders go beyond any of our imaginations or abilities. I am always in awe of what He does, and Has done. Time-Lapse photography is yet another way I get to participate in the Splendor and Joy of our Creator God. This video is but one of countless examples of God's Glory that are all around us. Let's enjoy the opportunity to document them and Praise God for His Works!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:35:04 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 32</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12429</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 32]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 32 &ndash; Solo
God Deals Bountifully
&nbsp;
Psalm 139:1-4 
&ldquo;(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.&rdquo;
Psalm 143:1-7
&ldquo;(Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.) I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before Him; I shewed before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy Name: the righteous shall compass me about; for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
A strong yet gentle impression to work on my music again was softly pressing around the walls of my heart. The very thought of it felt like a burn wound that was being exposed to a heat source and sent me into a rather dizzying sense of sadness and a fatiguing pain. I had not touched my guitar in a long while and my little wind instruments only were breathed into on random moments passing by, the rest of them stayed tucked away. My Marmi&rsquo;s piano quietly waited for me to sit at the keys just like it did when I was a curious little girl wanting to learn how to make it sing. I wrestled with the memories of hearing my mom&rsquo;s impatience with my efforts. &ldquo;Your chords are upside down,&rdquo; she would say trying to correct my attempts to replicate what I would do on my guitar.
She was incredibly skilled at playing but only sat to instruct me a few times, for which I am grateful, but she didn&rsquo;t seem to have the desire or patience for me. The recollections I have of her teaching my brothers, (who were both quite talented and I was genuinely glad for them), like so many other memories left me a bit torn. Those memories along with many other things reverberated with the complete and utter lack of any actual encouragement to sing and share my own music. Not once did I hear that from my Pops although he did say he liked a few of the ones he overhead me singing. And neither did Marmi, who also would listen and even learned a few songs, seemingly touched by them. Shockingly, she said something while in the hospital and on the final course of her end of life journey. I didn&rsquo;t even know how to respond when it happened. But as the years from childhood would go by I continued enjoying many other instruments. Sometimes I would find a piano when no one was around and very simply pour my heart to the Lord and listen.
Every instrument I have played always came with the simple desire of wanting to learn about the instrument and its sound, but always to ultimately play to my Lord Jesus. Letting my heart, my soul &ldquo;sing&rdquo; with the instrument to Him was how my songs have always come&hellip;praying and worshipping Him from the depths of my soul. From a place in me where no one could meet me but Him, where I didn&rsquo;t have to have all the words or understanding, where only He Knew and could Hear and we would have communion of hearts. It was in that innocent place of Loving Jesus that my music and songs have birthed and my walk with God intensified. At that time I had multiple lingering hurts that went deeply and I didn&rsquo;t know if I could get to that treasured precious place anymore.
Kaiyah and the kitties were attentive little sweethearts seemingly aware of the vibrating pain that I was still processing from everything. They often joined me in my feeble attempts at working it through. Whether lying on the floor by me or hopping on the bed next to me listening, the kitties would purr and watch me through squinty eyes. Tears would come and I could hardly get a word out without my throat swelling with tears. It was extremely hard. My little pets knew what it had been like before the squalls and bombardments, the continuing disappointments and losses; when I could pour out my heart openly singing and playing with joy and freedom to my Lord and my God. I didn&rsquo;t feel safe anymore and I didn&rsquo;t know my purpose anymore&hellip; and that &ldquo;innocence&rdquo; between me and the Lord didn&rsquo;t seem to be there anymore&hellip;.
I communicated to a few trustworthy friends and few family members of the difficulty without much explanation. And a few became prayer partners and steady long-distance ministers of &ldquo;presence&rdquo; as I pressed on and through with Jesus Holding me all the way. I was overwhelmed in my spirit and knew that I could not do what He asked on my own and wasn&rsquo;t sure I wanted to, everything about it hurt. It took time. Eventually one dear one would fade out of my life for unknown reasons, another sweet understanding cousin went to sleep in Jesus, and the remaining ones quietly remained. Peter was a rock of patient loving kindness ever holding my heart before the Lord and in his own tender way trying to nurture those areas back to life with the Lord&rsquo;s Help. We both were trying to care for one another and to not crush or bruise and yet at times the wounds were simply too raw and sensitive. Some wounds and places of our person and memories only God can touch without adding further pain or damage.
Kaiyah walked me a lot during that process. I never really told her where to go just let her lead with her soft pull and followed. Sometimes it was a short brisk jaunt other times we would meander for about an hour or so. No matter the length or area it was just right for the day or evening. She would sometimes stop under a tree that had a critter nearby and look up at me almost as if to say, &ldquo;Look, see that little thing?&rdquo; Then at just the right moment she would start-up again with that gentle mush pull I had become quite sensitive to follow without thought. I often would be silently pouring my heart to the Lord and her little ministry was helping me slowly find my way through. It was a tangible expression of what I was walking through with the Lord. I needed Him to lead and to trust Him to choose the where, the when and all the rest so I could get to the place He was taking me. It was extremely hard, although, almost imperceptibly, He had begun a special work.
The Lord gave me everything that I was desperately in need of in order to obey Him and to do so with love. I chose to trust His Leading to bring Resplendent Love of the Creator into fruition and to let Him in to all that pain, fear, inadequacies, and everything else that came with it. That wasn&rsquo;t my first album but was my first solo album which added another depth of pain and memories to that birthing process. There was so much complicated grief. The story around my first music album I believe is best reserved for another time.
Everything about that first solo album development, including Peter&rsquo;s graphic artistry and photos, some even from our trip to Bruneau Dunes, had a directive and purpose that only Father God could have orchestrated. It was birthed totally from His Resplendent Love bringing me to Him, His Shalom, His Words Speaking over me, Him Making me Broke Free, His Resplendent Love as my Creator, Him Making me Cageless, His Ministry to my life and showing me His Transitional Elegance and that He had done all of it for me so I could choose to live all for Him. It is His Message to all of us if we are willing to listen. He Gave Himself so I could know and have the resplendent love of my Creator with new understanding and depth and to share it&hellip; unreservedly, and that was huge for me as He Knows that I am a rather very private person. He showed me that He Knew about it all way before it happened and had already prophetically given me songs, impressions, and that the sweet seeds of His Word had long been planted deep in the soil of my soul to bring new life and healing at His Appointed time. It was the Lover of my soul, Jesus, sharing His Song of Love to me while healing and delivering my life song and my voice, with more of Him and because of Him and all for Him. It was receiving His Gift so I could give Him mine.
It continues to marvel me that during my recording and editing sessions that our Kaiyah, Gideon, Pumpkin, and later in the process, our newest family member, a cockatiel named Cotton, would stay as quiet as could be. Not one sound, which is saying a lot especially for our little speaker of the house, Gideon, and the new tweeter of the house, Cotton. No one asked to go out or for treats. No one moved about. The house was stilled with a deep peace. Even the cuckoo clock was hushed. And they all seemed to enjoy the sound quality playback tests I did in a variety of ways. I have no doubt that The Lord and His faithful angels were attending to us in a special way.
That season, as one of my other songs says, was a small beginning to a brand new start for me, and as the Lord Inspires my heart it continues on as I learn, grow and live in Him. Psalm 63:3, &ldquo;Because Thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2025 20:45:33 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 19&#x3a; The Notion of Motion</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12428</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 19: The Notion of Motion]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
1 Corinthians 1:7
&nbsp;
In my last article,&nbsp;Simple Tips For Better Pics 18: Be Still...,&nbsp;I shared about the benefits of taking a really fast shot with the shutter and capturing something suspended in time, frozen in it's place to really appreciate it's beauty.
This time, we go the other way with it, as there is a tremendous story waiting to be told in pictures that convey a fluid motion to them.
The beauty of it, is that you actually have much more flexibility in this area of photography as it is a bit easier, although more time consuming, to get some great shots. So many things move around. Cars do. Birds do. So do waterfalls. Yep, even turtles (just be more patient with them). There's a lot of cool images and stories you can tell!
Below are a few examples that come to mind.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Whereas before we had to take the image with the fastest shutter speed possible on our camera, now we leave the shutter open for a bit. Can be a second. Can be much longer. Experiment with the results and find the look you want. Yet another great thing about digital cameras, we don't have to deal with the limits (and expenses) of film... Just don't forget a sturdy tripod!
Which reminds me, here's another favorite of mine that I wrote about in another article a while back. It can be seen here; same idea:&nbsp;Simple Tips For Better Pics 7: It's Like Sunglasses For Your Camera
I found the passage above from 1 Corinthians to be a great reminder of the believer's call to patience. Good things are worth the wait. When it comes to photography, in this case taking photos of moving objects, it's worth the wait. Patience is key. When it comes to Salvation that is only through&nbsp;faith in Jesus Christ, and we walk out that faith in obedience, trusting and waiting for Him to come again, how much more important is that! It's infinitely more-so... worth the wait! Patience is definitely key. Even if it takes a lifetime.&nbsp;Keep that shutter of faith in Jesus always open...
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2025 20:45:12 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 31</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12407</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 31]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 31 &ndash; Dodging Ducks
God&rsquo;s Stewards
&nbsp;
Genesis 1:28 
&ldquo;And God Blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.&rdquo;
Genesis 2:15 
&ldquo;And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.&rdquo;
Colossians 1:13-20
&ldquo;Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son (Jesus Christ): In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
When we first moved to the area there were so many open spaces for migrating water fowl and that absolutely included geese and ducks. We had so much joy spotting them by local bodies of water, flying over head or waddling around little flats of land they found in some of the most unusual places. By our local post office there&rsquo;s a meandering little creek that the ducks love. It was common to see them out taking little strolls in the residential areas that sit creek side. On rare occasion you might even find a mother duck carefully guiding her little ones across the road. Thankfully the folks in that spot were mindful of the local wildlife and these migrating Mallard duck neighbors were on top of the list. If only that was the case everywhere.
It wasn&rsquo;t hard to see that the fast and furious growth in the area was taking its toll on the local wildlife and on those migratory ones. We prayed for them and tried our best to be careful of them on the roads, and still do. If we saw one hurt or needing help we did what we could to help them. At one point in time I had asked the Lord, if it was His Will, to send them to our little property. It was my heart&rsquo;s desire to put out a bit of extra special seed to help them through winter and breeding season. And if we saw any lone ducks land; to make sure they had fresh water and a bit of food to help them on their way. We were already doing that for squirrels in our area being that they are non-natives. And folks were removing nut and seed trees everywhere mostly for development.
I didn&rsquo;t know if the Lord would entrust us with additional incomings. From the time I was a little girl I was taught and learned the importance of taking God&rsquo;s charge serious in Genesis chapters one and two to care for and tend to His precious Creation. My parents did their best in communicating that, and showing us in their own way. It should be easy for those of us with Jesus, The Creator, in our hearts who has reconciled all things unto Himself! As I grew older, I wanted to know the meaning of many of the words in Scripture including &ldquo;dominion,&rdquo; used particularly in Chapter one. I discovered it was the Hebrew word, radah, literally meaning to rule by going down and walking amongst subjects as an equal. It implies a special responsibility to govern Creation with humility and stewardship rather than exploitation. To have a benevolent relationship so that they can provide for us and we can learn from them. What a mission statement the Lord has given!
Peter and I already had multiple feeders chock full of seeds especially the all-time favorite black sunflower seeds, suet cages, a nyger/thistle feeder, and critter watering stations. We put a heater in the bird bath during the frozen months, bringing ever increasing traffic to our yard. We had also decided to add a sprinkle of dried mealworms to the mix for those who enjoy an extra protein crunch. We had our first hummingbirds visit our little sanctuary doing courtship dances around our snowball and butterfly bushes and around the apple trees. Their tiny nest and babies would eventually find home in the larger snowball bush and pay multiple visits to our fly-in nectar station.
Raptors such as Sharp-Shinned, Cooper and Red-tailed hawks along with the Northern Saw Whet, Boreal, Great Horned, and Western Screech owls had already become welcome migrating visitors. Each one an incredible surprise and joy, along with unbelievable visits from an eagle or two from time to time, enjoying our little sanctuary too. With the growth all around, it was no wonder they were looking for a peaceful place to hunt, eat and rest as well.
As the seasons changed that late summer into the cooling crispness of autumn Kaiyah and I would stop by the little creek nearby and watch as the numbers of ducks dwindled to but a small handful and then to none. Each time I see or hear them (or any creature for that matter), wherever I am, it is customary for me to immediately thank the Lord for them and pray for His Safe Guiding Hand to Lead them to where He Knows is best for them. Things were developing so rapidly that from one season to another the winged sojourners would have to reroute, but thank God they are His and He Knows how to Direct them; and we were as ready as we could be for them should they come our way.
It was a glorious spring that following year with everything surging with new life and budding. Surprisingly one afternoon a few mallards, male and female, had decided to land in our back yard. I couldn&rsquo;t believe it! Gideon and Pumpkin couldn&rsquo;t believe it either, and Kaiyah was overwhelmed looking out the sliding door seeing ducks wandering around her back yard... She stood there watching, then sat and watched but she didn&rsquo;t once ask to go out. I praised the Lord out loud and petted my furbabies as we sat together in front of the sliding glass doors observing our new friends waddling to and fro quacking and toddling. I was delighted and honored to have them come and come they did.
The first few days it was a few then it increased to over thirty at one time. Peter and I had quite a fun conversation about it and we both were thrilled. We had purchased some special grain scratch at a great local garden center that had assured us it was the &ldquo;bees knees&rdquo; of food for chickens and ducks. Although we didn&rsquo;t have chickens yet, one day Lord Willing, Peter&rsquo;s special dream of tending chickens may come true. The food came with perks as it was great for squirrels, doves and other birds as well.
Over time the large numbers dwindled and a few pairs remained. Often when Kaiyah had her yard breaks they would land for a little rest and to eat, doing what ducks enjoy doing. It was cute that the ducks would politely dodge her and she would dodge them. Although there were a few rare times when she would do an upward bounce with the front of her body in the direction of the mallards with ears straight up and forward and then watch what they would do. They in turn would pop-up into the air flying off, land on the top of the wood fence, land in one of our neighbor&rsquo;s yards or quickly waddle further away from her. She seemed rather interested in seeing what they were up to by tilting her little head back and forth with curiosity. I never saw her chase or go after them. In the years following those first visits they would respectfully dodge one another and in due course, with trust built, lay down to rest a spell a comfortable distance apart.
Gideon and Pumpkin seemed to have a good time watching the ducks too, from inside the house. If the ducks did arrive while they were out enjoying the day the two kitties would politely watch them until they wanted back in, or if they were being duck dodged or when the ducks got just a little too close for comfort, and the cats dodged the ducks; that would have them racing to the door lickity split. As an attentive furmommy I kept an eye on all the antics and investigating going on outside. Consequently, I would often have the door already open before they rushed back in, sliding on the tile.
Peter and I continue to strive to be good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us. We are humbled by God&rsquo;s Trust in us, and pray to be filled with His Spirit: faithful, loving and obedient to our Lord God with everything. And because of what He has done for us all, and for all that He has Made, we know in Jesus that we can, hallelujah!
His Kaiyah continued to amaze us with her playful yet careful way interacting with other creatures including those precious ducks visiting her own yard. I believe her furdaddy would say that was unlike typical dog-like behavior&hellip;. but it was our Kaiyah&rsquo;s way.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:01:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 18&#x3a; Be Still...</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12388</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 18: Be Still...]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10
&nbsp;
Photography uses images to tell a story. There are many ways to tell this story, one of which is to capture something that, by its very expression, causes the viewer to pause and really take in the detail of the subject.
One way to convey this is to capture an image where time seems to stand still; where something in movement or motion is completely frozen, allowing the viewer to see detail that normally the human eye would miss. This is often the way professional sports photographers will capture end zone shots of a huge catch suspended in mid-air at an NFL game or an imminent strikeout above the home base at an MLB game, and supply various&nbsp;articles (online or traditional) with said photos.
In nature photography, especially when it comes to fast birds, I have had many opportunities to get some terrific images in like manner. Most D-SLRs will allow a fast shutter speed up to 1/6000 or even 1/8000 of a second, which allows for some of the shots I've taken including the one&nbsp;below:&nbsp;The passage from Psalm 46:10 above is very personal and dear to me. I'm likely not the only one who can relate to how hectic and stressful and fast&nbsp;life can be, and to take a moment and really "be still," not always in a physical sense but even more so in an emotional or psychological sense can be very challenging, and may sometimes even feel close to impossible. Yet, I am reminded that God tells us this for a very specific reason. It's His Desire&nbsp;that we should be peaceful and still in our hearts, and that He Is the only One who can help us with that.
These moments to capture photographs where the very motion of these incredible creatures is stopped for a time, is a visual reminder of where I need to be from time to time. Being still. (Yes even if I have to force myself a bit) and knowing - not just remembering, but knowing...&nbsp;that God Is God. And allowing Him to Be so in our lives...
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 30</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12382</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 30]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 30 &ndash; Family Adventure
God Is Totally Awesome
&nbsp;
Psalm 136:1-9
"O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His Mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His Mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for His Mercy endureth for ever. To Him who alone doeth great wonders: for His Mercy endureth for ever. To Him that by wisdom made the heavens: for His Mercy endureth for ever. To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for His Mercy endureth for ever. To Him that made great lights: for His Mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: for His Mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: for His Mercy endureth for ever."
&nbsp;Psalm 145:1-21
"I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy Name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless Thee; and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His Greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible acts: and I will declare Thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. All Thy works shall praise Thee, O LORD; and Thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power; To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and Holy in all His works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love Him: but all the wicked will He destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless His Holy Name for ever and ever."
&nbsp;
Time was passing by as time does and the seasons came and went. Little random excursions were taken here and there and a couple big ridie visits to see family and friends. The furbabies had adjusted to road trips as much as I think they could. We had upgraded the travel kennel for Gideon and Pumpkin to a much bigger one and added a brand new kitty box tucked inside ready for use at will. Kaiyah had her space upgraded with additional cushioning. And although we would stop for her, it was never enough, I think she would have preferred to walk&nbsp;rather than ride even if was over 900 miles.
It was always fun hearing Peter&rsquo;s dad saying he would put out the &ldquo;special imported&rdquo; red carpet for Kaiyah&rsquo;s arrival. And yes, some treats, some sweet talk of admiration, and maybe even a photo shoot or two would ensue. The generous buffet of homemade delicious foods and desserts by Peter&rsquo;s mom and sister, along with a few very select items meticulously purchased by Peter&rsquo;s dad, were straight from the heart. Often little samples seemed to find their way to Kaiyah and the kitties. I think that helped them deal with the big ridie blues that would often linger around the first day or so.
On one big ridie we took Kaiyah and Peter&rsquo;s sister to a few landmark locations on a sightseeing tour that included an opal mine, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, and Bruneau Dunes State Park. None of us had been to any of those locations. The mine seemed like a great idea as Nicole and I are two opal loving ladies. Peter&rsquo;s sister in particularly enjoys a good rock hounding trip, and actually knows what she&rsquo;s doing, which I think is super cool. My Pops had been an international rock hound and liked to tumble rocks and collect them as well. We had decided to take Kaiyah on the trips and, of course, she was not so sure about those particular big ridies either.
I drove and Peter was poised to take photos through the less tinted front windows. Peter&rsquo;s sister was a champ and sat in the back seat with Kaiyah behind her panting and, as Peter would say, doing dog-like things to deal with her &ldquo;are we really doing this?&rdquo; stress. I knew that Kaiyah most of the time found comfort having her ears softly stroked. I suggested this to Nicole and she sure did try but Kaiyah just had to work it out.
When we arrived at the opal mine I think both Nicole and Kaiyah were super relieved to be out of the SUV and free to roam or explore. We really enjoyed that pretty spot and nugget of time. Nicole totally seemed in her element working in the quarry trying to find a treasure or two. Kaiyah was learning her Auntie Woof, as I affectionately referred to Nicole, was a patient and kind travel buddy.
After that lovely stint of time we started toward the Craters of the Moon. Much of that journey we did in the vehicle and stopped where allowed. Kaiyah had to be kept close and mostly in the SUV, as the trail was protected and we didn&rsquo;t want any cuts from those rocks on her paws. She looked around as if she was on another world. Gazing like she was light years from where we were and patiently endured the constant stop and starts that we made to observe, take photos, and to "oohh" and "aahh" at the incredible landscape we had landed on that day. She was an incredibly good girl. We left there just before dusk and watched the lighting dim over the craters as we drove carefully down and through toward home.
The evening came under a canopy of amazing stars and we could even see the Milky Way Galaxy in the beauty of that dark sky territory. Lovely rural farms patterned the landscape and we stopped under the Lord&rsquo;s evening canvas that was beautiful to behold in the night lights of stars, planets, and moonbeams. The crickets sounded like an orchestra, a really big one, and the crisp cooling air brushed swiftly through tall grasses, fur and hair. Kaiyah enjoyed that rest stop and thought a walk was due but we didn&rsquo;t have the area for that so I just walked her up and down the safe place we had parked. My heart was filled with humble praise and awe to God for the incredible beauty we had already experienced and were experiencing.
The gorgeous fiery opals hidden and discovered in the little mountain knoll of Spencer, the incredible landscape and history we were seeing and learning, the quality time we were sharing pleased the soul. I had so many Passages from God&rsquo;s Word dancing in and out of my thoughts especially Psalm 145. And the sweet quietness of Kaiyah standing under the bright moon and innumerable stars brought my heart a special joy for my little husky. When we got back out on the road the low hum of the road under tires lulled our pooped puppy and she rested pretty quietly all the way home.
Now the journey wasn&rsquo;t over just yet we still had a trip to the Bruneau Dunes. That state park also had a bonus, an Observatory for those of us who enjoy taking a look into the heavens that are filled with wonders and discoveries way beyond our grasp. Amazing to consider how much care is in its design and ordination as is in all The Lord God has Made, the One and Only Monarch of the Universe.
We arrived early as we could and I was relieved Kaiyah was not as stressed on that trip. The uniquely gray&nbsp;soft sand dunes sparkled in the sunlight and, thanks to Nicole we learned there were jaspers and all kinds of other little stones and rocks strewn about. Peter and I were tickled by the joy and knowledge Nicole was able to share with us as we navigated our way on foot and in the SUV. Kaiyah was eager to gain some mileage and so I let her mush over the sand and through the little outcroppings of flora and fauna. She gazed up at the stately sand&nbsp;dunes and we attempted a hike up but she discovered pretty quickly that was not exactly her cup of tea. Her traction was better for snow than sand! Easy to say she is more like a snow plow than a dune buggy...
She stayed down with Auntie Woof who made more brownie points with Kaiyah as I explored those dunes. When I reached the top and walked along the apex taking in the view I ascertained that there was an oasis to the one side and the vast sands went way beyond where we could see. I wanted to explore every bit of it but I knew it was not possible that day. Peter joined me with trusty camera in tow. As I looked down and waved at Nicole and Kaiyah who appeared very small from that vantage, I found myself once again having a humbling moment at the Lord&rsquo;s Awesome Greatness.
We continued enjoying the State Park and found an area to park and rest for a while near the watery oasis teaming with gnats and the songs of umpteen frogs singing. The vast choir of singing frogs really tickled Peter and Nicole. Kaiyah was restful and looked intrigued by the diverse sights, sounds and smells. We were having a pleasant time and soon realized they had an observatory as well, which we did not know going in, which provided us an exciting prospect and we decided to stay and enjoy some of the evening events they had planned. The gnats were increasing in numbers and mosquitoes were joining the party. It was a good time to head on over to the observatory.
It was an easy short drive there. I personally enjoy a good look through a telescope. That evening they had a good handful of them pointed at different planets, stars and other deep sky objects. It was so neat and Kaiyah was once again such a good girl as we quietly strolled about in the dark with the special flashlights to guide us along. We took turns watching over Kaiyah as we went in and out of the crowd peering into telescopes and then into the main observatory. I wish they would have allowed more time to really digest the moments of actually seeing them as it takes a little bit to orient yourself to what you are looking at. Peter had an especially fun time. Having had a childhood interest in space and astronomy, he knew so many things including about orientation and such which added to my experience and interests as well. As the finale of the evening came, the largest telescope revealed an amazing star cluster deep in the Milky Way Galaxy. I was again experiencing another humbling experience as to the Greatness of God and His Infinite Design and Handiwork and had verses from Psalm 136 stirring in my heart.
The timing of those big ridies shared with family and little Kaiyah proved to be good medicine for my heart. It was a fun adventure that provided me with additional visual reminders of how thoughtful and loving the Awesome God I love and serve continues to prove Himself to be.
The dark skies of life can reveal things we just can&rsquo;t see as clearly in the day or in the distractions of other lights crowding our view. And yet in the full light of day we can see things that seem almost other worldly and yet are right here on this Handmade little planet we call Earth.
I think it was and is important for me to reflect on the importance of taking time to look in every direction for things hidden or in plain sight, to look higher and farther, to explore and find testimony to the Awesomeness of God. I can&rsquo;t think of a time I don&rsquo;t need to think and consider Him and what He has Made. I never want my awe of Him to become dull or wane. Life certainly provides or even makes us look in particular directions, usually away from Him. I have to make sure my heart, my eyes and ears, are ultimately fixed upon Him whether looking down to find gems or geological treasures hidden or strewn about by my feet, or taking on vast landscapes with places to explore or climb that go higher for new vantages, or being higher to look for perspective, or to be looking up into the vastness of the heavens above, or simply looking around from right where one is at any given moment. I am learning everyday that God has so many surprises and things He wants to share with us, to know Him, and to learn what that means especially when going through difficulties. Believing and trusting Him comes with time, prayer, faith, and study in His Word to make sure I perceive accurately. Thankfully He is Great in Mercy and Compassion, Patient in His Love and Faithfulness... And He changes NOT. Ever! Yahweh alone is Totally Awesome!
It was a reflective peaceful late night ride back and the kitties were waiting to welcome all of us with the official Pumpkin Roll and Gideon&rsquo;s trumpeting of the meows. And as was the Kaiyah, Gideon and Pumpkin fur-family custom, the sniff and meet adventure debriefing commenced. What a conversation that must have been!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2025 21:05:21 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; Ears to Hear</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12383</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: Ears to Hear]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["And He Said unto them, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Mark 4:9
&nbsp;
My friend and I&nbsp;may have big ears. Very big ears! But before anyone laughs at us, just know that we use these ears to good effect... Our Creator God, Jesus Christ, Gave us these ears for a very good reason. That we listen to and hear what we need to hear! Are&nbsp;you using yours to listen to Him too?
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2025 21:04:41 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 29</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12355</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 29]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 29 &ndash; Lilies and Chimes
God Knows Our Neighbors 
&nbsp;
Proverbs 14:21
&ldquo;It is a sin to despise one&rsquo;s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.&rdquo;
Galatians 5:14
&ldquo;For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
As the days drifted past we met a few more of our nearby neighbors. Although cautious, I continued my usual friendly greetings and tried to be hospitable. Almost always this was met by a kind of &ldquo;deadness&rdquo; and lack of response or, as I previously mentioned, strange outbursts and behaviors. However, we would discover over time that there would be a few that would show themselves to be of quite a different manner.
The very first neighbor I connected to was a rather full of life, feisty, mature lady next door who would occasionally engage in conversation with me after walking Kaiyah, or when I was working in the front area of our home. Our first interaction came with a warm hello and then she asked me about Kaiyah. I was more than happy to share a little of her story and things seemed to flow naturally. She was from Pennsylvania like much of my mom&rsquo;s side of the family and had that same kind of candor. She had a great big laugh and seemed quite aware of things going on in the world and that the enemy of souls was accelerating his work.
She said they liked to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. Gardening was something we shared in common. I was grateful she shared encouragement and understanding along with some of her own testimony which had tough elements to it as well. She had been through a lot, both her and her husband, but they were holding on to the Lord and each other. It was refreshing to ever engage with either of them. She surprised me a few times after our sharing with a genuine family-in-Christ hug and we even exchanged homemade goodies. The ones they made were all so yummy. I had never had a homemade whoopie pie, they were the best ever!&nbsp;
One time she invited me in her home and proudly showed me their marriage license on the wall and the Ten Commandments right near. She pointed out and mentioned a few beautiful things that her husband had done and also made for her including a special place to work her many Thomas Kincaid puzzles. An enjoyment of puzzles was something else we shared.
She will not know in this life how much those small meaningful moments meant to me during that difficult time; I always seemed to feel out of sorts then. She was a friendly bright spot and so was her husband. It was an awful tragedy that her life was suddenly taken after being accidentally hit by a vehicle while riding her bike not too far from home. She really enjoyed riding her bike and often encouraged me to do the same. She didn&rsquo;t know that bike riding was a favorite pastime of mine and that I had been thinking about getting back to it. Her death was a terrible shock for me as she was the first real connection I had made since moving into our new home and I was looking forward to getting to know her better.
It was another grief and loss to process. Our hearts went out to her husband as we couldn&rsquo;t fathom the impact that must have had on him. She mentioned, almost every time she and I spoke, of how much he meant to her and that she was so grateful for him. He&rsquo;s a special neighbor and has been a blessing to us and we try to be to him too. It is good to comfort others with the comfort God has given and we shared those little moments when it was right. No platitudes, just gentle and from the heart.
For a long time Kaiyah and I passed by lovely pink and white Stargazer Oriental Tiger Lily bouquets set out as memorial flowers near the fatal crash site. They must have been her favorites. I didn&rsquo;t know we shared an appreciation for those lovely fragrant flowers. It was a pretty reminder of her despite that unbelievable tragedy. Kaiyah and I often paused for a moment, even on the other side of the street, and prayed for her family and thought of her. It is good to remember and good to find something beautiful &ldquo;flowering&rdquo; out of something so ugly. It is like the soft tinkling sound of chimes still dancing in the wind after life&rsquo;s storms. I needed to remember that myself. She definitely was part of what inspired the timing of our bike purchases to get us out riding in the wind again, staying aware of our surroundings and wearing a helmet (which she always wore), and to get our legs pumping. I look forward to the day I can tell her that too!
Even though Kaiyah didn&rsquo;t join us on our bike rides she still had plenty of walks and hikes near and out and about. Some dogs do excellent with that kind of training and exercise, but Kaiyah had absolutely zero interest in such a thing! And she let me know by acting like a frantic fish on the line the one time I attempted to introduce the concept. It was safer for all of us that she stayed with her fur friends and waited for outings that had all feet on the ground at the same time with no strange wheelie things.
Whenever I see those particular lilies and hear the tinkle of chimes, I thank the Lord for the special neighbors who have shown us a thoughtful kind of realness while being a testimony to trusting God&rsquo;s Sovereignty and Goodness, through their love for each other and carrying on through life&rsquo;s many shadowy valleys.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 21:37:47 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 17&#x3a; Focusing on What Matters</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12354</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 17: Focusing on What Matters]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him."
1 Samuel 20:36
&nbsp;
Recently I went on a photography excursion, bringing all my necessities with me to take advantage of any opportunities I would find. Finding a suitable place to set up shop, I went ahead and decided to do something I hadn't done for quite some time, and that was to manually recalibrate the focus on my lenses.
You see, over time (and a lot of picture taking) your D-SLR or mirrorless camera will eventually lose its precise focus spot (would that be a focal point?!) and need to be fine-tuned.
There is a tool that you can purchase that lets you&nbsp;Auto Focus Fine Tune or make Auto Focus Micro Adjustments to your lenses. They are both basically the same. Let's say you use your autofocus on an object, and instead of getting a sharp image, your focus lands either in front of your subject (front-focusing) or behind it (back-focusing)
Much like in the classic Frogger video games, just as your frog needs to land on that lily pad, so your focus needs to land on its target. Missing it by even a millimeter can completely undermine the purpose of having a high quality high resolution camera. After all, what's the point to&nbsp;having a full-frame sensor or a high megapixel count if your image isn't in focus when you're done!
Fortunately the majority of professional cameras allow you to make these refined adjustments so you get the image sharpness you are looking for.
You can purchase an Autofocus Calibration Target that will allow you to do just that. Simply by locking focus on the target, and then looking at the slanted ruler in the image it will let you know, by the numbers, where your focus is landing so you can compensate for it. They vary in price but you can find them at or under the 30 dollar range, and some even include a Gray Card for White Balancing, which I wrote a separate article about&nbsp;that here:&nbsp;Simple Tips For Better Pics 6: Balancing Act&nbsp;You can also use an object like the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of a fence post and kind of wing it by taking a picture, and then by looking at the wood grain/texture, determine if your focus falls in front or behind your targeted point moving your micro adjustments ever so slightly till you are landing right where you want to.&nbsp;It's a pretty simple process, just remember to open your aperture as wide as you can. (lowest F-stop number like f/4.5, or f/1.8 or f/2.8&nbsp;depending on your lens) This will provide the most shallow depth of field so that you can really tell when things blur out. Also remember this only applies to autofocus settings, as with manually focusing you'll have to eyeball it. And, remember to use a tripod if you can as&nbsp;it will help.
I thought the passage from 1 Samuel above was appropriate, as Jonathan and his lad we're preparing for David's departure (albeit a sorrowful one) and much like that arrow, I have had my (autofocus) shots fly beyond my target when using my camera! And sometimes they land in front of it too. This process of adjusting the focus settings on your camera lenses will really pay huge dividends for your photography - especially if you make, well, huge pictures!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 21:37:28 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 28</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12324</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 28]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 28 &ndash; Bright Spots
God Wants Us Happy
&nbsp;
Matthew 11: 27-30 
&ldquo;Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I Am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.&rdquo;
Mark 10:27
&ldquo;And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
I had been pressing beyond my heartache to meditate on God&rsquo;s Word and a favorite Passage from Psalm 16 verse eleven (11) was really popping off the page to me, &ldquo;Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy Right Hand there are pleasures for evermore.&rdquo; It was a sparkly Light of Promise. I wearily fixed my eyes on Him even though I was under the weight of dozens of sedimentary layers of heaviness.
It was high time for a little joy and happiness. Peter and I prayed for just the right places and graces to find them. The Lord&rsquo;s Kindness little by little led us along to much needed pleasurable experiences and a good water excursion with the river nearby and, a not too far away lake sure seemed like the ticket.&nbsp; Both required road trips but Kaiyah was up for the fun adventure and without any concern for being cooped up in the back of our old SUV.&nbsp;
The first river visit came on a windy day with friendly pairs of osprey working hard feeding their younglings and tending to nest cleaning duties. The tall white and black spectacular cosmopolitan raptors (and their already feathering children) were calling out to one another filling the air with high pitched cries. As the loud adult calls travelled through the air, especially from the closer parents on nest cleaning duty, the sounds were caught up in the swelling swishes of rustling tree leaves dancing around in the gusty wind blowing about - which was underscored by the accompaniment of the softer lower pitched quacking chatter of mallard ducks and their ducklings paddling about, as there was a little pond alongside the trail leading down toward the river.&nbsp;
Kaiyah was excited yet maintained her self-control and did not pull us along. She patiently waited as Peter and I took our time taking it all in and, of course, Peter took a few photos. That was commendable husky behavior! We slowly made our way to the welcome dirt path that led to the rocky embankment near the shallow of the river.&nbsp; When the woods stopped and the shoreline began, we stopped for a few minutes. In her usual way she went about closing her eyes, lifting her head high looking as if she might let out a long howl, took in multiple big sniffs - and stood nobly with the wind racing across her fur and the sun giving her just the softest little golden glow.&nbsp;
When that moment was done she started to pull toward the water. After she cast an intense, &ldquo;Furmommy mush!&rdquo; glance, she went into all-paw drive mode. I was more than delighted to let her find her way to get those paws of hers into the cold clear river, swiftly burbling over the dirt and rock. She tilted her head toward the left and then to the right taking in the expanse of the flowing path she now had her paws under, and then took a good deep drink. Lapping up that cold water set her into a friskity splish-splash free-for-all and she wanted all in! Of course I had her on the retractable leash and set her loose but still on the line. Before I knew it she was swimming and heading right toward an old downed tree that had gotten stuck alongside a rock outcropping on the other side of the river, and was clearly trying to find a way to navigate around it. You could tell she was thinking about what to do and where to go.
I was doing my best to keep her leash line from finding something to get tangled on. You just never know what might be under the water. Slowly she paddled against the flow of the river and then must have realized that she had run aground and stood up and only had water up to her dog elbows. That look of recognition on her face was so funny! I could tell she was like, &ldquo;Oh! Huh? That&rsquo;s too shallow for me,&rdquo; and she almost immediately turned right back toward the deeper area. After a bit she decided to head back our way but not without trying to get to the other side first. The leash couldn&rsquo;t go out that far. However, the shoreline on that side was much shallower so she was walking about making sure she used every millimeter of that leash as she pulled for more line.&nbsp; I think she must have realized I had no intentions of joining her on that side or that I would let her run loose.&nbsp;
While still giving that steady pull pressure she glanced back my way standing perfectly still like she was asking one more time for furmommy to mush toward her or give more line, to which I responded with, &ldquo;No Kaiyah honey, come back this way.&rdquo; When she heard that she bounced her little body around and headed back into the river and made her way slowly toward us. When she came out of course she shook herself dry and tip-toed back toward the path through the woods. And then she politely led us back toward the area with the pond, ducks and ospreys with a very satisfied &ldquo;mission accomplished&rdquo; expression. She had patiently waited as we stopped here and there, admiring the trees and the little critters we spotted along the way while making note of foraging spots. She earned lots of good girl bonus points on that road trip - and enjoyed the treats when we arrived back home after a good thorough sniff and greet by Gideon and Pumpkin. It was a delightful trip...
Another bright spot we found with Kaiyah was a nice local man-made lake about an hour or so to the south of us. It was a mix of winding country roads and freeway (if we wanted to take it) and small agricultural byways. At that time it was much less developed as was much of the area when we first arrived. Now things seemed to be growing at breakneck speed and the roadways, local farms, and country charm we had moved there to enjoy was suffering immensely from it. Not the kind of progress I was looking for, nope!
The lake area was also a little conservation for wildlife. It was a gem when we found it and the little discovery center had lots of local history and wildlife information nuggets. Kaiyah once again found herself smitten by the sun sparkled water that rhythmically lapped along the shoreline. And this time the water was much deeper and wider than I think she had ever experienced; other than a visit to the Pacific Ocean years prior that she was both in awe of, and intimidated by. A skiff or two slowly putted along trying to not &ldquo;wake&rdquo; the waves or disturb the small paddling boats more in the middle of the lake. A couple of dinghies with sails hoisted trying to catch the wind blowing swiftly along the water&rsquo;s surface. The lake had open beaches, marshes, and tree lined areas making it quite a joy to walk along and to observe and listen to the nice variety of local and migrating birds. We even spotted deer grazing!
Peter ever with his trusty camera was looking to, in particularly, capture the Red-winged Blackbird. Those birds seemed to tease Peter with their trills and whistle calls as if to signal him where to find them and then, play hide-and-seek becoming as elusive as a garden snake in tall grass when he was close.&nbsp; It was fun to hear them, to spot one and to watch Peter trying to get pictures of them. Of course, when he did it was a lovely reward for his patient persistent determined delight to have that photo.
With the population growth near our home many of the birds have moved on or come less often so we do our best to put out multiple &ldquo;welcome mats&rdquo; of feeders, suet, scatter-scratch as Peter calls it, nectar for the hummingbirds, fruit and nut baskets, (Welcome Wagon would be proud) and flora and fauna suitable for hiding, resting, nesting, and courting. Of course, the pollinators, squirrels, and other critters respectfully have their place too. This was after all their home first. This provides Kaiyah, the kitties and us much curious fun and entertainment with the goings and comings.
As we walked along the learning trails we heard raptors overhead. Red-tailed hawks soaring high and swooping low and an osprey pair that had a large lakefront condo downwind of the discovery center. The migrating waterfowl were busy about wading, waddling and wave riding while chit-chattering. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the day. We sure were! Kaiyah had a few bursts of &ldquo;scatter the bird&rdquo; energy but we didn&rsquo;t let her disturb them too much as some were nesting or had little ones. I tried to keep her occupied with tailie chases and brisk runabouts. She absolutely had to have her moments in the big water. This time she didn&rsquo;t push to go out too far, but she did want to go out as far as she could and then swam parallel to the shoreline with me in tow. It must have looked kind of funny, if only I had water skis or a surfboard, who knows where she may have ventured!
We spent hours there; enjoying strolling about, fellowshipping and even had a little prayer and Bible time on one of the benches looking out over the lake-filled landscape. It did all of us good and Kaiyah, who didn&rsquo;t mind the longer trip this time, had a good exhausted restful ride home and crashed after being warmly greeted and sniffed by the furboys. They almost always look like they are getting a debriefing on activities and such when we get home and that &ldquo;mission trip&rdquo; was no different.&nbsp;
Finding those bright spots of happiness, discovery, and joy in living were so important and we were grateful. It&rsquo;s not always an easy thing to find or want to find when you have a lost, burdened, broken or grieving heart but with God all things are possible. I had to keep choosing to trust that He really meant what He said in Matthew 11: 27-30, &ldquo;Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I Am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.&rdquo; Yes, I came to Him again, received His rest again. Took His yoke upon myself, and continued to learn of Him, indeed He is most meek and lowly in heart and I had once again found rest for my soul.&nbsp; Now to stay there and give Him my burdens and the difficulties of my labor, and of those who have labored against my soul. Walking these out is a living work in progress with the Lord but progress in this case, His Kind of Progress, is especially good.
His Sparklie Light of Promise in Psalm 16 is certain. And Kaiyah, and our little furmily knew it as He so lovingly continues to show us the path of life, which is in Him, which He is, and that in His Presence is fullness of joy. At His Right Hand are pleasures, for ever more, that&rsquo;s for real in ways we seem to only glimpse in this lifetime, and we have the trusting hope to enjoy discovering with Him for a very, very long eternity.
Kaiyah was already waiting for the next bright spot.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:36:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 16&#x3a; Capture Lightning in a Camera</media:title>
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				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 16: Capture Lightning in a Camera]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["The Voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of Glory Thundereth: the Lord is Upon many waters."
Psalm 29:3
&nbsp;
The following is a true story... (Like, what else would it be?) This is a story of a very stormy evening in Arizona. It is a story of an idea, an effort, and a lot of patience. It is a story that is a special one for my wife Alea and I, as it would be one that would lead to me getting perhaps my favorite picture of all the ones I've taken over the past two plus decades. Definitely one that has been very popular on the stock photo scene but more importantly, one that would be a very special and a signature addition to our website. This is a story of God once again Providing such amazing and spectacular results. It all starts when in the late afternoon one day, the latest clouds of the Monsoon season start to blow in...&nbsp;My wife said to me: "Honey, go get your camera!" So we decided we were&nbsp;going for a little drive! We went down the road a bit, and of course it started to rain, which was cool. We wanted to scout the area and see where there might be some opportunities to see something...&nbsp;Nothing yet... Definitely a good downpour on the horizon... Wondering if...&nbsp;Ok, yeah! There we go! We'll go that way! We drive for a bit in the general direction of the lightning strike, and come to a pullout by a wash area in the desert off the road. It has a terrific vantage point of really dynamic clouds and rain, and as we were driving to that spot Alea pointed out the lighting strikes in that direction and suggested we stop there. So glad I did!
What a great spot! Safely off the road, we go ahead and get our positions for the upcoming "fireworks" that our Lord was Providing in abundance. So far, it's quiet for a&nbsp;bit.&nbsp;It's at this point I pull out one of THE most important instruments a photographer will ever have. The tripod! There are so many advantages to having a good, sturdy tripod to mount your camera on, I could write a few articles alone on that, but for this story, I'll stay on task. The tripod is absolutely vital when it comes to getting pictures of lightning. It's a waiting game, where you have to find a spot that has a lot of activity and then, instead of a net to catch this, we open the shutter on the camera and hope that in these 30 second or so periods we catch us something spectacular. It won't take too long...&nbsp;Those were some really cool shots! Now this is where the patience comes in. Much like fishing, there are periods in between those pictures where I didn't quite get a "bite" on the line, but patience and waiting. God Will Provide. Every now and then, as you can see from those shots, the open net err, shutter, did catch a stunning lightning strike. What I didn't realize was, the best was yet to come, and it was coming fast. Shutter open, and waiting...&nbsp;Still waiting. The air was cool and there was that terrific smell of rain freshness in the air.&nbsp;Not sure what would happen next, but I was quiet, as was Alea, and we waited. Sometimes things happen when you least expect them...&nbsp;In a flash, out of nowhere, it happened. And my camera was watching and got the whole thing. A lightning strike like I had never seen, and it was an absolute beauty. What an answer to prayer! Alea and I were both amazed by the whole lightning show, but especially that one was special. I would go on to hold a special place in my heart for this image, which I decided to call "God of Glory Thunders."
At the time, I was not aware that there is a reference to that name in Scripture, from Psalm 29:3 above, which when we discovered that it was such an amazing moment! All Glory to God! We would go on to use this image on our front page of our website, Divine Compositions, as well as make it our logo. Many years have passed since then, and that evening in Arizona is still as unforgettable as that&nbsp;day my wife Alea and I decided to "go for a drive" and catch some lightning!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:35:26 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 27</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12285</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 27]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 27 &ndash; Is That A Real Dog?
God Who Knows Who We Are
&nbsp;
Psalms 71:1
&ldquo;In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.&rdquo; 
Acts 17:28
&ldquo;For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
That winter was milder than the previous ones and yet we sure did have the beauty of more than a dusting of snow a few times. The snow was about as deep as the thickness of a high quality down comforter or that of a luxurious plush duvet blanketing our little town. The foothills would glow in the moonlight.
Kaiyah was the most happy as she went out and about leaving her occasional &ldquo;poopsicles&rdquo;, as I called them, which she seemed to have a personal joy in burying them in the snow with her nose. I have to admit Kaiyah Takota was a very clean dog and, well, even in the snow she did her best to keep the yard pristine and white as long as possible and a clean track to get friskity in her snow bounding. It made me laugh out loud a number of times and I often wondered if she thought she was the only one to enjoy her hide-n-seek frozen potty placement. It did make clean up pretty easy.
As spring came along we started our treks with me carrying my big backpack full of weights to help with my muscle toning regiment and it was good for the bones as well. With all the other weights on my heart this was a welcome challenge. We enjoyed heading over to the library or the post office as that was a nice bit of productive mission minded exercise. I would carefully tie her down when we would arrive so I could quickly run in and out without too much trouble and we would head back toward home. Always keeping a watchful eye for her safety I noticed she often looked at me with that &ldquo;hurry it up Furmommy&rdquo; while lowering her head as if she didn&rsquo;t want to be noticed and then laid down. I only went in the early morning so no need to worry about heat or too much people traffic.
On one such walk Kaiyah and I had just wrapped up my drop-off at the post office. As I was heading toward her she waited patiently by my backpack, which also had her special reward treats, when I heard the voice of a little dark blonde girl about five or so saying, &ldquo;Mommy&hellip;. Is that dog there real? Is she a real dog? Is that a real dog?&rdquo; To which her Mom replied softly, &ldquo;Yes, I believe that is a real dog, I think.&rdquo; The little girl bounced with curiosity on her short little legs while she firmly held her mother&rsquo;s hand. &ldquo;A real dog, are you sure?&rdquo; she asked for more definitive clarity. The mother sighed and looked intently toward Kaiyah trying not to be noticed as we started our walk back. She answered more firmly, &ldquo;I think it is a real dog&hellip;&rdquo; The little girl still didn&rsquo;t look sure but stayed close by her mom while watching Kaiyah and me fade past their view as we crossed the street and headed down the concrete path toward home.
It was a funny moment and one I still laugh about. Kaiyah has often been mistaken for a coyote, a wolf, and a wolf-dog mix. Children are often the most vocal when they try to discern what they&rsquo;ve seen especially when they see her almost float-like walk, her unusual coat and face markings, and her absolutely noble stature of humble demure wildness. Although Kaiyah wasn&rsquo;t wild in her behavior, she did have a quiet solitary beauty that went with her rather wise and gentle soul.
Another inquisitive young girl, maybe about eleven or twelve with medium blonde hair with a tall lean figure, had asked about Kaiyah on one of the walks through the neighboring community by our home. She was hanging out with a small cluster of other children from the neighborhood. She asked bravely approaching a stranger and her dog, &ldquo;What kind of dog is that?&rdquo; I walked toward her and the cluster and answered, &ldquo;She is an Alaskan Husky.&rdquo; She quietly asked if she could pet her. I looked at the other children and could tell they were nervous and curious. I squatted down as I often do when addressing children and told them to be very gentle and that Kaiyah had been hurt by people and we should always be gentle with animals. The brave girl who had asked about petting Kaiyah was first and she smiled really big and said she would be careful. She also made the point she liked dogs. This bothered a few of the children and one boy who looked about her age, the oldest of the boys, said with frustration, &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t even like dogs!&rdquo; A few of the kids agreed but she immediately disputed with a high pitched retort, &ldquo;I do too. It just depends on the dog!&rdquo; She looked at me for understanding and I waited as the children approached to softly gently pet my humble husky.
While the children, that felt comfortable, petted Kaiyah the young girl asked a little more about her and I shared snippets of her story and thanked her for caring to ask. Kaiyah was very calm but when she gave me the, &ldquo;that&rsquo;s enough Furmommy&rdquo; look I stood up and thanked them for being gentle with her and wished them a lovely day. We began to walk off and the young lady who started the conversation was watching as we walked by. There was something in her gaze and about that young girl that moved my heart with a special compassion and, as is my custom, I prayed and continue to pray for that young lady, and for those children and their families. Children are very precious and they are not living in an easy world, none of us are, I was grateful Kaiyah and I met them and for the courage of the young lady who reached out to ask, &ldquo;What kind of dog is that?&rdquo;
That moment along with the other little girl&rsquo;s inquiry about Kaiyah Takota being a real dog inspired me to write Kaiyah a song, as I do with my critters. I had shared the funny encounters with Peter and he added his own adorable humor and said, &ldquo;Kaiyah&rsquo;s the real dog.&rdquo; When she did something right he would respond, &ldquo;Good, the dog.&rdquo; He had already pointed out years prior that she was very &ldquo;dog like&rdquo; and when she had a special moment he would say, &ldquo;It was a great day for the dog.&rdquo; She loved it! And she would toe-tap paws, do curlie tailie wagglies, and have those gentle soulful eyes sparkle when she would hear her own special tune that came with a number of spontaneous verses that would tell about her real dog like behavior, one of which goes like this:
&ldquo;Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog is a real dog!
Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog is a real dog!
And she likes to run and get fris-kity, and she likes to eat her little bone-ies.
Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog, Kaiyah the dog is a real dog!&rdquo;
We all struggle from time to time about who and what we are meant to be. It is not always necessarily out of our own confusion but the confusion of others trying to figure out who we are or who they think one should or might be. People can be confusing in the way they say things or treat us. Of course, life experiences can test our understanding and may even make us wish to be something other than who and what we are. Certainly there is an enemy who authors confusion and wants distortion, to put us to confusion, and all that comes with it. He wants us to be anything but what God has made us to be. But the Lord I serve is not that way and rather constantly is Pointing us to Him for clarity and protection in this way. I have prayed Psalm 71:1 many times, and should all of my days as the battle for our soul is fierce, &ldquo;In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.&rdquo; It is so important to hold onto God&rsquo;s Truth against the deceitful lies of this world that are designed to confuse and undermine our peace no matter what age we might be or what we may go through. As 1 Corinthians 14:33 reminds me, &ldquo;For God is not the author of confusion, but of Peace&hellip;.&rdquo; Once again, I was in need of a new understanding and clarity in my own life after the loss of our babies and the aftermath of many other complicated components that had already blown through.
Those two innocent and funny encounters caused me to reflect on a few things including the Lord always Knowing who we are and that He will Protect, Ensure and Affirm what is True and Expose and Extricate that which is not, if we ask and let Him. God Knows Who we are. Wondrously, in and through Lord Jesus we are His Children and He encompasses our very being within Himself. Acts 17:28 powerfully reveals, &ldquo;For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.&rdquo; What a peace He is! When we are hurting or feeling confused we need Him to Slow Trickle His Waters deeply and broadly penetrating the dry or damaged areas in us; and to repair our ability to see things clearly, as He does. When those areas are refreshed in Him then His Truth can bring the New Life and Affirmation we desperately need. It may take time; His Timing is best&hellip;always. Peter and I were praying for it and waiting for it.
Kaiyah may never have internally questioned the fact that she was a real dog or what kind of dog she was. But she had experienced what it was to be hurt and to be loved for being her. Her little personality blossomed and continued right along ever since her healing started years prior. Developing friendships with Gideon and Pumpkin, having her very own furmily with grandfurparents who loved her and spoiled her with food samples and photo shoots, and an Auntie Woof who always made sure she had special cookies to munch to help affirm her. She had begun to further discover more of her husky-like behavior thanks to all the cold and snow, and to be given mission trail mush opportunities all the time while finding all the many good things God had for His little husky. And He even knew she would find joy making poopsicles too.
Without a doubt Kaiyah the dog was a real dog!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:10:20 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 15&#x3a; Things are Shaping Up&#x21;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12314</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 15: Things are Shaping Up!]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."
1 Corinthians 12:4
&nbsp;
When I started out on my photography journey many (many) years ago, I knew I wanted to take a lot of scenic nature pictures. Mountains. Canyons. Trees. Flowers. Birds. Other animals. And so on... As I gathered my portfolio and developed my catalog, I seized every opportunity to grab a shot I thought would be of some use.
As would be my preference, I preferred to take my pictures horizontal, or landscape orientation. But every now and then, it just seemed appropriate, that I should also take pictures vertically. And as I would continue on this journey, I realized that there would actually be even more uses for images of various crop shapes and sizes, especially if I wanted a sweeping landscape or something tall that could be saved as a smartphone wallpaper.
And then on top of that I would market these images to be used on different gift products as I currently do. Having them go on everything from t-shirts to laptop skins to pillows to mugs to acrylic blocks to round buttons to posters to wall art, the shapes and orientation would be very important in getting the image to fit it's use, literally and figuratively.
I've included some examples below of some various images in a variety of orientations I felt were best suited for them. You'll find your own preference and style that works for you, but as you can see when you take your pictures, think outside the box, and think how you want to present your work - especially at the time you take your images. Do you want this vertical like a poster, horizontal like a panorama, or cropped into other shapes and if so, are you giving yourself enough room in there to make those crops later? A bit of careful planning can yield big results later:
&nbsp;&nbsp;I think on that passage above&nbsp;from 1 Corinthians, regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit to believers. There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. In the context of Photography, the subjects we photograph can take on many different shapes and sizes, but they all come from the same camera. To really enjoy taking pictures, try different shapes and positions for your camera - I think you'll find the results very rewarding! As always, thank you for reading...
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 22:09:13 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 26</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12265</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 26]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 26 &ndash; Withheld
God Whom I Trust
&nbsp;
Psalm 34:17-19
&ldquo;The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.&rdquo; 
Proverbs 13:12
&ldquo;Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.&rdquo;
Isaiah 41:10
&ldquo;Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
So many wonderful hopes and dreams we can have in this life and the ones that seem to be the most within reach can be the hardest to obtain. It was that way for Peter and I in regards to having children. A new year had arrived but that one would come with a double loss for us. We would both endure it differently but certainly the losses buried both of us in a very private inaccessible level of deep pain that placed an emotional chasm between Peter and I that far exceeded the span of distance and time away with his work travel. But our love did not wax cold nor did it fade. The fiery afflictions would ultimately deepen our trust in the Lord and would strengthen our marriage and personal testimony.
I had begun to feel that unusual out of sorts feeling in my body and the changes that go with them in late winter. Kaiyah once again began to show more direct attentiveness and protective behavior toward me. Pumpkin and Gideon once again wanted to be extremely close and purred all the time they were nearby. I had mixed feelings about telling Peter as we had already lost one precious baby. I proceeded to go about life quietly and prayerfully...
Kaiyah did her liftie paw gestures often during the carriage of our second baby. I began to have hope this little one would come to full term. I couldn&rsquo;t believe the baby left us just before telling Peter that June. It was the same month almost to the day that we lost our first one. I was left dizzy with sadness and the numbness set in adding to my existing complicated grief. I finally did share with Peter and he was quiet and clearly brokenhearted. He also was quite concerned for me... Neither one of us knew what to do with what we were and were not feeling at that time. Life had to go on and we had zero time to process together. My body was swirling with hormones and changes and no baby to hold.
Kaiyah and I kept our routine locked in place but life outside my soul seemed unreal, distant and uncaring. I felt alone - very alone. Kaiyah asked to walk more often and asked to play our little interactive mush games and tailie chases, but my heart wasn&rsquo;t in it... but I tried for her sake. Finally one day, she just sat down and looked at me intently waiting for a response. I went to her, squatted down and stroked her soft warm ears and told her I lost another baby. As I said it out loud the tears that came were few and I could barely breathe; it sounded far away and small. I felt faraway and small.
Peter and I kept our marriage under protective watch knowing we were unusually vulnerable. We did our best to be kindly toward one another and understanding. Words were few in our prayers but they were very deeply compressed. We assured each other that Papa God received the zip file of our hearts and would take care of everything somehow and in some way.
When autumn showed itself in full color I had all the signs that a baby was developing again but this time I chose not to say a word and my prayers were silent but long. Again I held onto hope and believed by faith the Lord had a plan. Would this plan allow us children? My Heavenly Father Knew my heart&rsquo;s desire and Peter&rsquo;s. He was there the many decades before when I was but a little girl telling Him that I wanted to be a mommy. He knew how overjoyed I was at the birth of my little brother. Marmi knew I wanted to be a mom too although I never asked for baby dolls but rather stuffed animals. And when my younger brother was born she told me he was my live baby doll and I loved him as if he was my own. The Lord had to have heard that longing in my heart. And I was again surrendering my will. Only God Truly Knows what is best&hellip;.
As I walked our lovely new home with all the potential for a growing family; I remembered the many years I would buy little olde-world toys, Jesus-centered and wholesome books and videos, and baby things for them, praying for them and also for the man the Lord would have for me to be their Daddy, if it was in His Will. It took many years for Daddy to arrive but he was worth waiting for and all those hopes for those little ones had been built over a lifetime. I was much older than I had thought I would have been but God is not limited by such things; and yet I had a fatigue inundated surrender that had set in after our recent loss. The precious third baby did not come to full term either and I was left with those terms to deal with and so was Peter. And we knew what that meant for our extended family as well. Our desires for children would not become trees of life and our hearts were sick from that deferred hope. In time we would ask the Lord for His Desires to become our new desires and for new hopes.
I never asked the Lord &ldquo;why&rdquo; about any of the things I&rsquo;ve endured as I genuinely ultimately trust His reasons for allowing what He does as He is God, all Knowing and Wise. I have walked my journey reminding myself and others that He is Faithful and He is Good. There is no evil in Him and that is the Truth. My hopes, our hopes were crushed. I had no idea how to heal from that and everything else I was dealing with, how to find my voice again, how to sing and play the hundreds of songs He had placed in my heart for years and years, how to live again knowing what my purpose was and who I was meant to be, how to be a wife to my husband who was hurting in ways that were way beyond my reach, how to keep trusting the Lord I loved and I knew Loved me and yet He let those many things happen to me and to others I loved. He allowed it all&hellip; and He allowed our babies to be withheld, to be taken&hellip;. Ultimately in His Sovereignty He took our babies&hellip; He took my babies&hellip; &ldquo;Papa God, You took my babies!!!&rdquo; that excruciating cry of my heart would take years to erupt through the surface of that pain, along with the tears, the many bitter tears that would finally fully come to shore crashing hard against the coastline of those lost hopes and dreams. My unfinished memories, griefs and losses and all the betrayals only to be washed back out in to the Peaceful seas of His Great Love and Compassionate Understanding, leaving me beached on the warm softness of His Hand. The verse in Isaiah 41:10 was never more real and true for me, &ldquo;Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.&rdquo;
The Lord would and continues to minister His love to Peter and I and comfort our hearts in the quiet tender way He does and we need Him to do. He is the One to Bind our wounds and Heal our broken hearts. His Word would be the Balm that would soothe the burns that the fiery afflictions would leave and rebuild the areas that had been breached. Holy Spirit would quench the thirsty and dry places in our souls desperate for more of Him to fill every empty place left from the bombardments rocking us to our core.
After the losses that year Pumpkin was closer to me than ever and often slept by my side especially when Peter was away. Gideon would be as close and communicative as he could be, showing empathy to my voiceless cries. It seemed he would do them for me sometimes and then put his paw on my foot or arm while giving me that intense big eye gaze of his. Kaiyah, my friend, would continue being her sweet gentle self taking me for walks, getting friskity out of the blue, going on snow bounding romps, and trying to get me to engage in play. When I would, it was good for the soul. She laid by my feet more often and those liftie paws of hers would pop up when I would sit in extended silences swimming through the troubled waters of my heart. She had known troubled waters all too well herself...
There was a new depth of painful silence in our home and yet the loving bonds in our little furmily and between Peter and I would be loud and strong as the healing would very slowly begin. Our babies will ever be in our remembrance and as they sleep awaiting the coming of the Lord. We look forward to the day He reunites our family together with Him in the air. We will tightly hold and bountifully share the beautiful promise found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
&ldquo;But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God Bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2025 21:25:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 14&#x3a; What&#x27;s New is Old Again</media:title>
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				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 14: What&apos;s New is Old Again]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did Sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire."
Daniel 7:9
&nbsp;
I remember a trip I took many years ago to Tombstone, Arizona. I had so much fun! Being a fan of the old west, it was such an experience to see so much&nbsp;incredible history wrapped around such a small famous town. One of the things that stood out as a popular souvenir for many, was getting one of those "old west style" family portraits - with that yellow sepia tone, late 1800's, wet collodion process using glass plates&nbsp;look on it to give it an authentic nod to the past - with very current people, of course.
Sepia tones are such a great touch to photographs. Just like black and white monochrome, Sepia can really add such character and class to an image, and the neat thing is, the pictures don't need to be only portraits. Chances are, many different images taken can be greatly enhanced with some of that "good-ole west lookin'" Sepia tones added. Here's a few photographs from my catalog that I think make a great case for using Sepia to add some character to your pictures. Below are the before and afters:&nbsp;Or perhaps, rather than a strong Sepia you might opt for more of a monochrome Black and White Sepia Blend like this:&nbsp;The cool thing is, pretty much all of your photo editing software out there will let you do this. I personally use Adobe Photoshop, but there are many options. On top of all that, Sepia has many color variations, so you might try for beige, yellow, white, red, etc. The bottom line is have fun with it! There really is so much you can do with it.
I really like that old look that Sepia Tones bring. It really makes your photos look like they are from another time, way back when. I decided to choose the Scripture passage from Daniel 7:9 because as much as we can make our pictures look old, there Is One who goes much much further than that - An Eternity further, for that matter, and that Is The Lord God Almighty, who Is Known as The Ancient of Days.
As a photographer, I like looking at the past, but I know that pictures are a very recent thing. But nothing goes back as far, not even close, to our Creator God - The same God Who Created all these magnificent creatures and places we now like to take pictures of today. Just Incredible!
Thank you for taking this journey with us, as we hope it was a blessing to you. We look forward to hearing what you have to say in the comments section below, and as always, stay safe and get those pictures!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2025 21:23:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 25</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12236</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 25]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 25 &ndash; What Did You See?
God Who Values Us
&nbsp;
Matthew 10:29-32
&ldquo;Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in Heaven.&rdquo; 
Ephesians 2:8-10 
&ldquo;For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The days and months passed quickly and before we knew it another spring had already sprung. Kaiyah and the kitties were elated to romp about in the backyard rolling in the fresh grass greening before our eyes. The air had that sweet fresh smell of early flowers in bloom and the slightest touch of warm sunshine drawing out the moisture and oils from the returning herbs in the garden by our kitchen. The air was also filled with the sounds of many songbirds including hopping bopping robins. It was nice to be able to leave the sliding door open. Behind that screen sat an audience of four, the furbabies and me, welcoming the day with praises to our Lord and Creator.&nbsp;
The quiet whisper of a morning breeze running along the newborn leaves played softly in the background. How much He Values everything He has made, all that is His Workmanship. I pondered that Truth as often as I could.&nbsp; It was healing to my soul and caused me to focus more on recognizing the beauty He has placed all around us especially when often confronted by the evils of sin and its consequences. That morning was a good one to do just that.
Soon we would have new fledged birds joining their parents at our awaiting feeders. Being avid birdwatchers Peter and I would keep them stocked all year round. Plus we purchased a birdbath offering refreshment for the feathered and able bodied furry friends. Squirrels were fun to watch full of personality and unlimited in spontaneous antics. On occasion we would hear their little barking sounds when they would be on alert. Our attentive watch cats would indeed engage in chitter and chatter with them from time to time.
Gideon and Pumpkin were fascinated by them whether they were inside or outside. The boys slowly moved about the yard while getting a good scolding from the big mama squirrels that were very aware of their presence and the vulnerability of their new younglings. The two of them never tried to &ldquo;hunt&rdquo; them or got close enough to even try. Kaiyah on the other hand would burst out of the house, run to the middle of the lawn, and just stand there - while the squirrels scattered in every direction and raced up tree and fence faster that you could say, &ldquo;Go!&rdquo; She never tried to catch one either. After her grand entrance she would begin her leisurely patrol sniffing and romping about her yard. If the kitties were out with her they would have meet and greets and Pumpkin would often follow Kaiyah on her rounds. It was a delight to watch from my humble vantage point.
Peter and I were a bit more settled in our routines with his work and the seasonal changes that were carving new paths in our living style. It was good for us and a definite adjustment.
On one late bright morning Kaiyah suddenly veered to the right with a hard pull on the leash as we travelled along the sidewalk heading out on one of our walks. The road on our left was already radiating some of the heat from the strong sunshine. I remember automatically responding to Kaiyah&rsquo;s pull moving myself quickly joining her as she was pretty keen on discerning things that may need to be found or avoided. In my heart I knew there was a reason she did that out of the blue. I slowed to a stop. I asked her softly, &ldquo;What did you see Kaiyah?&rdquo; and quickly scanned the ground. I focused on the area of Kaiyah&rsquo;s gaze.
Lo and behold, there was a tiny baby bird lying on the sidewalk still alive. As was my custom, I immediately asked the Lord for His Help and for that little one and its family. Canines are natural predators, so I had to thank Kaiyah for valuing that tiny frail life the way she just had chosen to do. The baby was inches from my footpath and definitely slightly older than a hatchling with just the slightest bud break of first feathers. Prettiest pink skin, big yellow beak, eyes closed and as vulnerable as could be. Kaiyah was patiently waiting and watching as I tried to figure out a potential nesting site or see if any parent bird was about. Neither was to be found and it was rather hard to figure out where the little one had fallen from. Nevertheless, Kaiyah&rsquo;s sensitivity had alerted me to the little life needing help. And help was what we were going to do!
By God&rsquo;s Grace, throughout the course of my life, I had been able to help out a number of little critters and birds so I knew what to do but I didn&rsquo;t know of any rescues and such in the area just yet. I was frustrated with myself as I should have found that information out much sooner. I usually keep those kinds of contact numbers handy. I gently picked up the little sweetheart and held it very carefully. No damage, thank God. Before I had a chance to take a step Kaiyah was already heading home. We got back pretty swiftly and I made a little safe box and began my search for a rescue. I found one at long last just outside the area we lived, called them and told them I was heading their way. Kaiyah received a couple of big reward treats and was content to have had a very successful but short mission walk that morning. She had no desire whatsoever to go on the road trip to the rescue so I left her in the care of two cat-nappers.
The folks at the rescue were surprised to hear about Kaiyah&rsquo;s discovery of the little one. And they were grateful to have the baby bird brought in to them. They said it was a baby sparrow and assured it would be just fine and released, when ready, back into the area it was found. I let them know that their lives, the self-less long hours, interrupted sleep and little to no pay, (as most are volunteers,) were incredibly valuable and a blessing and I thanked the Lord Jesus right there for them and the little lives they were taking care of. And, as we often like to put our money where our mouth is, we supported them with a financial donation to boot! Praise the Lord for folks who care and value such little lives and for the little lives themselves.&nbsp;
I praise God, my Heavenly Father, that He Values our souls the way He does! Jesus is the only Way showing us our need to be rescued from sin. Jesus is the only Truth as the one who is able to rescue us out of the bondage of sin. And Jesus is the only Life that liberates our lives from the wages of sin, which is death, giving us life in Him and the incredible promise of eternal life with Him one day.&nbsp;
All life is precious. That baby sparrow, thanks in part to the caring awareness and discovery of His exemplary gentle attentive husky, would live!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 21:18:46 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 13&#x3a; A Lot of Grey Area</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12237</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 13: A Lot of Grey Area]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black."
Mathew 5:36
&nbsp;
This is a topic I felt to go over simply because the results can be of such benefit from an artistic point of view, not to mention following my last article:&nbsp;Simple Tips For Better Pics 12: A Well Grounded Perspective&nbsp;of conveying a powerful story with your images, that it's well worth a look.
Cool thing is many different photo editing software programs - of course including Adobe Photoshop, which I use - will let you do it. That is to rely on monochrome (black and white) or color select areas on your pictures to really make them pop. There's a couple different ways to go about it, but each program should include easy step-by-step directions to get the job done. Below are some examples of what I'm talking about.&nbsp;It's rather easy to pull a few sliders in Photoshop and grey out certain colors in a picture. Or add black backgrounds. Or white ones. But that's not how real life works. As the Scripture above from Mathew makes clear: Jesus tells us that we cannot make things happen like that in real life. We are not in control. God Alone Is. God Alone Is Creator. God Alone Is Sustainer. God Alone Is the Divine Editor. We may like certain things to be a certain way in our lives. Perhaps grey out certain hurtful memories or make that blank like they never happened. But we are NOT God where we can make whatever we want just happen. Only He can. Pictures like these remind me of that. And I find great comfort in that reality. Why? Because it reminds me of my total and complete dependency on The Lord. For everything!
Thank you for reading this article. Hope it was a blessing! We look forward to hearing your comments in the comment section below.
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 21:17:31 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 24</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12216</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 24]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 24 &ndash; Rare Kindness
God Who Holds Us
&nbsp;
Luke 6:45
&ldquo;A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.&rdquo;
Romans 12:17-18
&ldquo;Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The snow was plentiful that year and the spring blossomed with all kinds of flora and fauna popping up and out seemingly everywhere. It was a time of discovery and challenge. Kaiyah and the boys were getting used to their new surrounding and enjoying the new wildlife visiting our home. Kaiyah and I were determined to get back to our mission hikes. It wasn&rsquo;t the same at all as we had lots of residential homes between us and the next set of trails; and the dirt trails were often buzzing with the whirl of dirt bikes but we found our way to get back to it. The open fields were a welcome sight as well as the Canadian geese, meadowlarks, red-winged blackbirds, red-tailed hawks and ospreys soaring in the sky above, and even a few quails would greet us as we walked along. On many a morning I would hear the cock of a rooster crowing which tickled my heart pink and perked up Kaiyah&rsquo;s ears. Kaiyah enjoyed sniffing out new areas but I could tell she would rather be on dirt and not concrete sidewalks. My husky was a trail dog for sure and for certain.
Peter diligently pursued work and finally, after several months, began his new career. He traveled often in his new position and that left me alone in our new home sorting through things and in the company of our furbabies. I had plenty to occupy my time with: house, home, pets, as well as projects I long wanted to attend to, and taking care of preps for my husband's&nbsp;deployments while doing my upmost to ensure he had no need to worry about us and to focus on the work at hand. We both had a lot to process from the aftermath produced by the difficulties prior to our move and the newness that was added to it.
As the months rolled by we found ourselves visiting some area parks, the greenbelt that travelled alongside a pleasant river but never was fully open for major walks, and raptor and wildlife preserves. Kaiyah did pretty well with those little jaunts and road trips. She was happy to effortlessly pop in and pop out of the SUV and direct us toward the best route to check things out. She was remarkably gentle and yet determined in leading our little &ldquo;pack&rdquo; trips. She was also respectfully submissive when we would prefer another route.
I began to notice on our travels and mission walks that people we saw often stayed away from us in great contrast to where we lived before. It was rather awkward at times as folks seemed almost afraid or uncomfortable, saying the craziest things. Not &ldquo;hi&rdquo;, or &ldquo;hello&rdquo; or even &ldquo;what kind of dog is that?&rdquo; Instead we would have shouts aimed at us ringing out like shots fired from random people we didn&rsquo;t know. One of the ladies living in our neighborhood suddenly announced with disgust in her voice that her dogs didn&rsquo;t like Kaiyah. We had never seen her or her dogs before so I was stunned out of my innocent happy thoughts of admiring the tall trees, deep green grass with little squirrels running about in a playful chase, and with Kaiyah trotting along next to me with her curlie tail bouncing in perfect time with her cadence. I thought to myself, &ldquo;Lord, what&rsquo;s going on here? What on earth? They don&rsquo;t even know Kaiyah or me for that matter.&rdquo; I chose to wish the lady&nbsp;and her two nice looking dogs a pleasant day. I prayed for her -&nbsp;and still do - as that wasn&rsquo;t the last time she would show irrational or mean spirited behavior.
On another occasion a neighbor, a young lady, was so loud and brassy in her walk and tone with her dog alongside her she shouted, &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t play with that one!&rdquo; &ldquo;She doesn&rsquo;t do anything all day!&rdquo; Now Kaiyah and I were the only ones around so it had to have been directed at us. It was an unreal moment for us as she stomped off quickly only to do it again in the future. I continue to pray for that young lady as well. The weird encounters continued with them and many others along with the awkward hurtful comments&hellip; to both of us. There was even another lady who approached us with crossed arms and said: &ldquo;She&rsquo;s beautiful&hellip;, not you, the dog.&rdquo; Well then...&nbsp;I thanked her quietly and added that Kaiyah was beautiful inside and out, a really good girl, and wished her a pleasant day. I am not one who fishes for compliments or even cares to be complimented, so that of course was very awkward to say the least. And yes, I pray for that lady too. My husky&rsquo;s personality included a gentle sweet spirit and never aggressively behaved despite her past abuses and griefs. My Kaiyah Takota was cautious, friendly, and with a forgiving heart and so was I. No recompense, providing things honestly and purposing to live peaceably with all just as the Scriptures instruct.
The strange comments and anger outbursts aimed at Kaiyah in our new residential area (and sometimes aimed at me as well) of her demeanor and character were flabbergasting and disappointing in ways that are hard to even express. Even when going to dog parks this strange and unusual behavior and verbal commentary continued. It was intentionally hurtful, verbal bullying that she didn&rsquo;t deserve and neither did I. We were friendly, respectful and careful for others, plain and simple. I had to invite the Lord in often to help with the conveyor belt, as Peter would say, of hurtful things. I was protective of Kaiyah and those encounters made me all the more so and wary of the continued sad and hurtful actions of others. Eventually it caused us to realize all the proud advertisements of the area we chose to live was not the &ldquo;kind and friendly&rdquo; area they said they were, at least in regard to us.
I held onto the Lord&rsquo;s Promise and Purpose for bringing us to our new area and I pressed into Him. I prayed earnestly that the Lord would Hold me, to Hold us - and to show us more of Him despite all the ickies we were continuing to walk through.
How hurtful and misjudging of appearances and cruel people can be. Peter and I have tried to be discerning, neither judgmental nor critical of others. I know what those kinds of spirits can do to others and have known for most of my life. But I&rsquo;ve always tried to believe the best of people. That was getting harder to do as the years and experiences would accumulate. Most of us have experienced this at some point and know this personally quite well. I&rsquo;ve received my share of false accusations and bitter words and actions. And at times those words and actions were released with precision to cause as much harm as possible.
Thank God He Sees and Knows it all! He Is the Only Just Judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart and everything else, so I try to leave these things with Him. Words do hurt us and so do actions. For me, forgiveness is vital but not always easy, and choosing the &ldquo;high road&rdquo; in response. I was also aware I was still raw and needing healing and wholeness.
The Words of the Lord are Powerful and True. During that time Peter and I began broadening deep rooted studies in God&rsquo;s Word. We shared our Bible times at home, on the road, over the phone, and often with all furbabies present and accounted for. This was one of the most important decisions we could have chosen to do as husband and wife, and for our sweet pets. We needed to hear from the Lord, to know what He had to Say, what was in His Heart, and for Him to Deal with us and those things, and well, everything Holy Spirit wants to Reveal. We are grateful to have the freedom to read God&rsquo;s Word anytime, hallelujah!
We did have a couple of pleasant occasions. One included a gentlemen neighbor who would often be out taking walks with his ball cap on. He was an army veteran who had also moved in from out of state. He was a soft spoken fellow who was always approachable, hospitable to Peter and I, and said hello or wave to us whenever we would be out and about. He liked Kaiyah and would often ask&nbsp;about her if she wasn&rsquo;t by my side when gardening or working on outside maintenance. He and his wife didn&rsquo;t live far from us and we were thankful they were our neighbors. We pray for them too. The rarity of kindness and care they showed was surprising in contrast to the ugliness that we &ldquo;walked into&rdquo; or would &ldquo;walk by.&rdquo;
Kaiyah and I had established a good routine and made the most of our local area as much as possible, and yet, we both seemed a bit out of place no matter where we went - except on big trails full of wildlife and few people - and that is what we set out to find and explore. That is where we would both find joy and run free.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:54:32 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 12&#x3a; A Well Grounded Perspective</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12217</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 12: A Well Grounded Perspective]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me."
Psalm 131:1
&nbsp;
Photography and the various compositions that photographers choose is all about perspective. Various angles of various things can have various results. As generic and lackluster as that may sound, what I mean by that is, a photo should always "tell a story." I can assure you any of the greatest and most well known pictures always tell a powerful story. For example, Ansel Adam's portfolio is synonymous with monochrome or "black and white" photography. But what made his images so impactful was his capturing, or story,&nbsp;of the&nbsp;American West. Yes he's known for his black and whites, but there's a story there.
For all of us less known photographers, it's important that we take advantage of any opportunities to tell our "story" in&nbsp;a picture. It's what separates a "blah" image from&nbsp;a "yeah!" image. And sometimes, the best way to convey that story is&nbsp;deciding on your perspective. Let me illustrate. Below is a picture I took of&nbsp;a trailhead I was on, and although it's a nice picture, it seems like something is not quite there:
&nbsp;&nbsp;I wanted to convey an almost curious and unknown conclusion to this image, as the trail goes off into the distance into the "seemingly" unknown. (Of course those up the trail know exactly what's there, but you get the idea) So in this case, the story I want to tell is needing a change... of perspective. Let's try something different. Let's get low... really low. To the ground. As a matter of fact, I'm not even going to use a tripod. I'm simply going to hold the camera as close to the ground as I can and get the angle, or perspective, to tell my story:&nbsp;That's more like it! Not only does the picture still get your attention with the "seemingly" unknown in the distance up the trail, but now it's much more dynamic, as it has the added benefit of focal distance blur to give it more of a dimensionality. If you read my last article about adjusting your perspective&nbsp;here:&nbsp;Simple Tips For Better Pics 11: Things are Lookin' Up!&nbsp;then this will work in similar fashion. We often tend to think as photographers on a "close or far, left or right" (x or y axis) approach, but not so much on the vertical (z axis), up or down. In this case, really down! To further illustrate, here's another example below, of one I took at my height standing, followed under it by one I took&nbsp;at ground level:&nbsp;So I think this definitely makes for a&nbsp;nicely improved photograph; not that the original was bad but rather it just needed an extra visual "shove" so to speak.
It's probably easy to guess why I used the Passage from Psalm 131:1 at the start of this article considering the context and content of the discussion. I think further on it though and realize a very important lesson inherent to that verse. I'm just going to speak for myself for a moment, but... when I think about situations I need to resolve or questions I have about certain things - I don't know if you can relate to this but - it seems like it doesn't take long before I get myself all wrapped up in something that I'm not going to be able to process; in other words, like David wrote in the Psalm above, "exercising myself in great matters, or in things too high for me." Getting all up there when I really need to be at ground level, take a moment and ask God for Help and Guidance, and get His perspective. Hard to do that when I need to be grounded, and not all up "there" somewhere... Lessons to learn...
Hope this topic was a helpful blessing! Please leave a comment below and feel free to ask any questions you may have, and of course take care - and grab those pictures!
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:54:15 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 23</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12196</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 23]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 23 &ndash; Where Are We?
God Directs Our Steps
&nbsp;
Proverbs 16:9
&ldquo;A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.&rdquo; 
Isaiah 26:4
&ldquo;Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:&rdquo;
&nbsp;
I noticed the air was cool but not cold. It had an autumn woodsy freshness to it as Kaiyah hopped out on leash. She rushed into the house looking rather out of sorts and totally relieved to be out of the SUV, and with her paws back on solid ground. As we welcomed her into our new home she seemed quite eager to find her way to her new backyard which we were more than happy to oblige. As I opened the door, after Peter made sure the gates were securely closed, she burst out the door in one lovely leap and speedily took a potty break. Once that was done she set out exploring every nook and cranny of her new territory. We observed her for a moment, took a brief look about and then went to bring in the boys.
We set Gideon and Pumpkin loose to roam about at their own pace while getting things set up ensuring food and water were ready to go, and the all important kitty box. Kaiyah had a pleasant introduction to the out (of) doors and had come back in cautiously but excited. It didn&rsquo;t take very long for her to find the water bowl. She lapped up every bit before setting out to find a place to lay herself down. She saw Pumpkin standing nearby trying to get his bearings and gave him a pleasant nose greeting. They were happy to see each other! Gideon was still hiding and was considering his kennel exit... Kaiyah looked unsure of herself so I was more than happy to point out her bed which we had temporarily placed close to the living room alongside the wall. She plopped down and was off to sleep in no time.
It was evident that this was a whole lot of change for all of us. I prayed for quietness and strength of heart for our little family and for His Guidance as we slowly acclimated to our new life and home. It was a big transition and a lot was going to need unpacking and to be gone through. And that didn&rsquo;t include all the tangible items we had sitting out in the moving truck.
After a bumpy night&rsquo;s sleep camping out on the floor with our furbabies and the unloading of our moving truck, Peter and I set out on our own little exploration the following day. We took note of the nice meadows strewn between the buildings and residential areas, the river that flowed along and in between the cities and towns, the open land all around our little city, and the little mountains and foothills easily seen with a touch of snow already. It was lovely. We grabbed some essential groceries and headed back.
Kaiyah, Pumpkin and Gideon were quietly waiting and seemed relieved when they saw and heard us. The official Pumpkin roll was delivered, the large meow from Gideon was heard, and Kaiyah was quietly standing with a look that said, &ldquo;Where were you and where are we?&rdquo; I gave a lot of assuring words and pets as Peter and I started to get our minds around the tasks ahead. We knew it would take time.
We had to stay in boxes for quite a while as we had no furniture and we had decided to get the home totally repainted inside. It left us even more out of sorts as we had limited access to many things and nothing was getting settled in at all. But thankfully we were together in our beautiful home and we knew God has a purpose and plan for everything and yep, He is Faithful. Peter and I sought Him and continued to do so all along the way and we weren&rsquo;t about to stop. The Lord would Direct our steps and Give us the strength we needed, and we wanted it for sure. We encouraged one another to keep trusting Him.
The temperatures plummeted and in came the brooding winter storms. Kaiyah showed brand new liveliness in the crispness and chill of the air. Something about her new joyful outburst inspired me to call her jovial energetic expression &ldquo;friskity&rdquo;. And boy was she ever friskity! Running about high on paws, tail curlie and ears pointed straight up with her eyes smiling, full steam ahead and then with a soft bounce she would stop only to repeat until she was done. It reminded me of a happy prancing horse that would suddenly burst into a full gallop and then abruptly stop with a tad bit of a bounce forward at the end. It was adorable and set me into a full laugh! The kitties would have to clear the area or stand totally still when she went into friskity mode and so would we.
Before we knew what hit us a huge snowstorm, one of the biggest on record, blew in overnight and continued over a few days which left several feet of snow in total. The house was hushed from the depth of it and the inside temperature actually felt warmer and close. It was dramatic&nbsp;to behold especially for Peter and for our pets. Even I was taken aback by the unexpected amount of snow. It had been decades since I had been in such a storm and we didn&rsquo;t have the tools on hand to address it. Thankfully we had what we needed and we didn&rsquo;t have to drive anywhere, but I will admit: I was a bit stressed and concerned. I know what big snow like that can do to a home. I had endured all the consequences of the storms of life that had passed the last several years, which left me wondering where I was and what on earth was the Lord doing with us. It was quite a moment for me. I was absolutely out of sorts and deeply under the weight of it all. I needed to trust the Lord pure and simple.
Kaiyah stood at the sliding door to the backyard with big eyes. Peter had big eyes too; it was his first big snow as well. She looked like she was at a loss as to what to do with all that white stuff piled all over the place. Nothing was discernible on the ground save the trees and parts of the wooden fence around the property. It was a winter wonderland. My parents would have adored it. They would have excitedly put together a big wood fire, start a huge pot of hot cocoa and get a big pot stew or soup cooking. Nothing made them more cozy and giddy than a big winter snow storm...
The raw emotions of grief surged in the midst of that quiet overwhelming heavy storm that left us tucked in our new home. I felt lost. They were sleeping in Jesus and I couldn&rsquo;t share those moments with them anymore. Bittersweet memories blew in and then quickly melted away. I worked to focus on my sweetheart Peter and our precious little pets. We were all adjusting to the new course and trying to find our way through the storms.
When Kaiyah saw me come closer, as she stood there staring out, she did her little toe tap asking if she could go out and play. When I opened the door I said, &ldquo;Mush Kaiyah mush, get friskity!&rdquo; She flew out in one huge leap and landed in the snow which was all the way up to her mid chest. She looked overwhelmed at first and then it was like her Heavenly Creator Designed snow plow genes kicked in with maximum strength torque. She began to push forward with her chest and would pop up plunging forward. She began the most beautiful husky bounding I had ever seen. Plowing with her chest and popping up on her back legs a bit and then lunging forward only to repeat until she wanted to change direction or return back on where she had just plowed. She was having a total blast and went into friskity overdrive to boot!
It was totally amazing to watch her overcome that height and weight to move that snow all the while finding new places to repeat out of sheer joy. She used her all-paw drive mode to get some serious traction going, and in that momentum just kept bounding and bounding. When she had a clearing made she would friskity run in circles and stop with front legs forward and her belly down in the snow with muzzle facing to the side a little and the rest of her body looking like she was laying down only to pop up into a full friskity run again and then she hop-bounded to the door when she was ready to come in&hellip; which took a while. Kaiyah Takota was a natural, naturally! &nbsp;
As she came back in the house she went into full friskity mode again, thankfully there wasn&rsquo;t any furniture to run into so she had a clear runway. She left Gideon and Pumpkin in awe with her wide open circles and explosion of husky energy. When she settled down a bit I toweled her down and Peter and I had a good laugh and shared our congratulations. She graduated from husky snow school with honors in just one day! We were mighty proud of our husky...
Pumpkin and Gideon were happy to observe the snow from the inside warm and cozy. They had zero interest in doing any such antics and found themselves a view to their liking and that was just fine.
That evening we all were a bit tuckered. I was internally raw but thankful to the Lord. It was good to have seen Peter and our critters experience their first big snow and for some new joys to have come out of that storm&hellip; And to have one certified friskity snow bounding husky in our midst.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jun 2025 20:50:59 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 11&#x3a; Things are Lookin&#x27; Up&#x21;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12197</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 11: Things are Lookin&apos; Up!]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
Luke 21:28
&nbsp;
I remember when I was a child, kind of around 7 or 8, how I just loved to go exploring around my neighborhood with my friend(s) and go on these unplanned and random walks around our housing complex and surrounding neighborhoods. Never knew what new adventures would await us kids just basically revisiting the same places I had seen time and time before. I mean, there's only so much you can find that's new in the same area, but sometimes, there would be a cool new dragonfly we had never seen, or someone would find some cool "thing" left in the desert. 
One of my favorites was when my buddy and I had found an old tire in said desert, and I had this bright idea (with my limited knowledge of how tires are really put on), to roll the thing a good mile or so back to my house thinking my dad could use it. He could not have been more surprised when he saw us with it (or more gracious and kind God Bless him) when we arrived. Seriously, this thing had tears and holes in it, and it was a mess. Of course at that time, I felt I had to bring it home; it had to be valuable right?! There were a lot of memories from those days growing up (sigh). Here's the thing though. Something I took for granted back then (more so I simply wasn't aware of) was just how "big" all those places were. My lil' legs could only get me so far in those vast environments.
Which is why when I would revisit those childhood places many years later having grown up, the thing that struck me about those places was... well... just how "small" all those places were lol! I mean, being tall now,&nbsp;my perspective of our old neighborhood was up nearly&nbsp;twice as high as before. Needless to say, perspective really changes how we see and remember things. So where am I going with this...
Here's some pictures I took of various flowers through the years:&nbsp;They're nice to look at, and are indeed beautiful flowers; however I'd like to point out the perspective. Camera's looking down upon them. If only there was a way to add a more dynamic "pop" to such images. Here's an idea. Take a look at these:&nbsp;These beauties have the advantage of a dramatic shift in the camera's perspective. Now the shot is taken from the vantage of being at their level. Their height.&nbsp;Looking back at how different my vantage point was when I was a child, it's no wonder things looked so different. Now, I'm not saying I was the size of a chicken, but you get the idea. Sometimes a lower vantage point looking upward or at a closer range can really change a composition and make it far more dramatic and impactful. If you come across these opportunities, try it out. It doesn't need to be just for flowers mind you. It works for pets. It works for landscapes. It actually works for a number of different situations. And the cool thing is, most tripods will get down to about a foot or so in height, so you can take advantage of these special opportunities. Worse case scenario if you don't have a tripod, rest the camera on the ground looking up, and prop a piece of wood or rock under it to get the perspective you want.
In the Gospel verse above, the Creator of those flowers tells His disciples to be of good cheer and not be dismayed. Jesus Assures His followers&nbsp;that when we see the difficulties of the times to come that can be overwhelming and unbearable, to know that we should look up. Like the camera examples mentioned in this article, our perspective needs to change. God is in Control, and we should not fear. He is Coming to take us home, and hallelujah we can rejoice!
And that wraps up this topic of discussion for today. Please feel free to leave any feedback in our comments section, and thank you for taking the time to read this; hope it was a blessing!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jun 2025 20:50:33 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 22</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12177</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 22]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 22 &ndash; The Great Migration North
God of New Beginnings
&nbsp;
Joshua 1:9
&ldquo;Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.&rdquo; 
Isaiah 43:19
&ldquo;Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Several months had passed and a few more unexpected adversities left me under the weight of additional &ldquo;snow&rdquo; and &ldquo;wave&rdquo; yet God&rsquo;s Grace was sufficient and He was taking care of us. With those added pains Peter and I knew change was needed. We were seeking the Lord for new direction and timing as we discerned a major move was a foot in our lives and we sought to be in the center of the Lord&rsquo;s Will, which was paramount to us. The Promise of the Lord doing new things, and springing them forth was encouraging to our hearts and so was knowing He will even make the way&hellip;.
Kaiyah always being the good girl continued her mission hikes with me and Peter. We went on a day trip here and there which was a happy thought to her as long as being in our SUV wasn&rsquo;t too long. Not all dogs enjoy automobile rides. Kaiyah did not like it unless it was short, with treats and to the point - let&rsquo;s go; let&rsquo;s get out and let&rsquo;s get going&hellip; she thrived on the movement of paws on trail and if water was involved so much the better.
One of the things I wanted Kaiyah to experience was snow. Big snow. Being an Alaskan husky, it seemed only natural and right for her. As part of our prayers was a request to be somewhere we could enjoy the four seasons and the transitions that came with them. I had grown up in that kind of climate but Peter hadn&rsquo;t and neither had our current furbabies.
The Pacific Northwest had a clear draw and eventually the Lord would direct our paths northward. Husky country, cozy fires, seasonal changes, mountains, meadows, high desert, roaring rapids, dunes, thick forest, lots of foraging places, and quiet waters, rural communities and abundant wildlife&hellip; and snow!
We would make the move in mid-autumn after Peter scouted out the &ldquo;landing site&rdquo; and found the new nesting location for our family. The house had come on the market and we knew it was the one for us. Although the process was not totally smooth and had some unusual aspects to it, we were surrendered and hopeful. We had high hopes for a growing family, a new career for Peter and opportunities for me, godly fellowship and the joy of a more rural friendly community while keeping our eyes peeled for one day, Lord Willing, owning some land to bless our whole family and others.
Regarding our furmaly, we had made one more visit to their lifelong veterinarian to make sure everyone was in good health and to gather all their records for their next care physician while saying good-bye. I had known them just under 20 years; that was one special little clinic.
Peter would drive the moving truck and I drove my old SUV as we prepared to set out on the great migration north. The time was at hand and I had gotten some extra goodies for the &ldquo;big ridie&rdquo;, as I called it: some kitty calm pheromone spray and treats, extra cushiony blankets for Kaiyah with no cage and certainly not a metal one if I would have gotten one, all the bowls, foods ,water, more treats and cookie bones for Kaiyah, the kitty box and carriers for Gideon and Pumpkin, all the trusty things needed to make sure they were comfy as could be and that Kaiyah would be secure and walk ready whenever possible. And I had gotten some herbal pet calm remedy to help deal with any anxiety. The classical music station was set, as I almost always prefer to have it on myself. After a family prayer, the loading began.
I have always put the cats in first to get them all situated and settled. Once in the carriers, which hadn&rsquo;t been too much of a struggle to get them into, the meows from Gideon would advise me that he was very unhappy with the arrangement&hellip; very unhappy. Pumpkin was usually very docile and would only meow after we started down the road and just long enough to let me know he was not thrilled with this arrangement either. Thankfully they both would eventually quiet down and rest. It was my custom to keep them close and facing the front for air and for me to be able to touch them for assurance if needed.
Kaiyah however, was in the back and nervously paced and panted. I had given her calm remedy but you wouldn&rsquo;t have known it. I prayed for her, talked calm, gave her a big walkie before the big ridie load up but she knew this was different and let me know she too was unhappy; very unhappy with the arrangement. It would take a while and a stop or two to de-stress but finally at long last the northern migration was finally progressing at a smoother quieter pace. The music was playing quietly, the hum of the road under the rolling tires, and everyone finally rested. I enjoyed the journey with my hubby at the head of our family caravan and the sweet presence of my furbabies with me. It was a great adventure we were on and my heart was filled with happiness and hopeful at what the Lord had in store for us.
I usually don&rsquo;t sleep well on overnight stays with pets. They are usually all out of sorts and stressed with all the new smells and wondering what in the world was happening, but it afforded me more time to pray and love on our little furballs while Peter tried to get some ZZZZs. Kaiyah was happy to get as many treats and walks as she could get away with and to be anywhere but in the SUV; poor thing just didn&rsquo;t like those long road trips. Although she was restless she never acted out, made a potty mistake, or barked in protest - but she would eventually eat and then pass out to get her night&rsquo;s sleep.
Pumpkin would be up all night exploring everywhere he could whether under the bed, behind curtains looking out compromising our privacy and setting off other traveler&rsquo;s dogs walking by, and even behind furniture if he could fit. Gideon would just hide in his carrier or under the bed which we would have to pull him out from under. I like it when hotels or motels do not have beds with spaces under them for a number of reasons but especially when travelling with pets.
Peter was so sweet to seek out morning goodies and bring them back for us to enjoy while I tended to the critters and start the repacking process. And if breakfast was provided we would take a quick jaunt to enjoy and then prepare the posse to set out again. Kaiyah was usually right by the door lying down. Thank God she wasn&rsquo;t one to run off. Peter and I had to learn a routine to go in and out and keep watchful eyes on everyone. When it came to heading out kitties first, loading suitcases and such, and then our reluctant husky - who apparently could discern between big ridies and short ones by that time (she had us doing walkie loopty loops to help her to finally realize the trip wasn&rsquo;t an option.) And if needed we would just carefully lift her right up and put her in if she didn&rsquo;t do her usual effortless joyful jump to get on board.
The scenic trip was pleasant to the eye and had plenty of critters for me to spot along the way including horses and cattle, rolling hills, snow capped mountains, long dormant meadows that stretched long into the landscape and tractor trailers moving along at record breaking speed like caterpillars in fast forward motion and even a train or two whistling their whereabouts to passersby. It was an exciting time.
We would repeat that pattern until we got to our beautiful new home, a two story sanctuary tucked in the trees, with flora, fauna and wildlife all placed nicely in a small community waiting to be explored and enjoyed.
The drive into the community was quiet and much of the greenery was already dormant which put a rather hushed ambience to our arrival. The home was there empty and waiting for us to fill it with our lives and new stories, our hopes, music, joys, laughter and tears. Plus the sounds and warmth of our furbabies who were in much need of rest and shelter for their travel weary souls. Kaiyah first!
Praise the Lord Who leads us safely and makes for us new beginnings and this time with more seasons and snow!
We were home!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 22:18:06 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 10&#x3a; Do You See a Pattern&#x3f;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12187</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 10: Do You See a Pattern?]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you."
Titus 2 : 7,8
&nbsp;
I was thinking... Nature Photography has so many potential moments to capture beautiful images - mountains, animals, flowers, sunsets - there's such an opportunity for so many things. So much so that as I look back at my 20 plus years of photography, I start to notice something... I seem to have a draw, at times, for something a bit different. Maybe something a bit more... artsy. You see, some of the best moments to photograph are actually ones that might seem a bit simple. But they're not. There may be instances where you come across a beautiful composition, and realize the reason why it stands out is because - it has a really appealing pattern.
Below are an assortment of images I've taken through the years, and each one has an elegant beauty all its own.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether it's seashells strewn on an ocean coast, or the remains of a charred old wooden stump; a quiet evening in a&nbsp;maple forest, or even a patch of painted metal siding, there is something special finding these moments where what may seem quiet or uneventful or maybe even commonplace - can really become something special. Keep an eye out on your travels for these instances. You never know when you might stumble upon something that you can use to great effect!
I reflect on the opening verse of this article from the Book of Titus. I realize from a photographic point of view how beautiful different patterns can be. How much infinitely more so does our Lord God view those patterns when he looks upon our lives? Does that pattern, in how we live and conduct ourselves, shew forth an image pleasing to God? I look at my own life and realize there have been many times where my own life "patterns" have been anything but appealing - that's for sure... How great is Our Lord's Mercy! These verses are a terrific reminder that there are good patterns, and patterns that are definitely not good... Think about it... I know I sure will...
With that, I think that wraps up this article; I really hope this has been a blessing to you and that you have found some value from it. Please let us know in the comments section below how you are doing, and any feedback will as always be appreciated. Take care, and...
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 22:17:47 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 21</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12146</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 21]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 21 &ndash; Tripped Breaker
God Repairs
&nbsp;
Psalm 23:3
&ldquo;He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.&rdquo;
Proverbs 3:5-6 
&ldquo;Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.&nbsp; In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Suddenly a sharp pain struck my face and spread like a lightning bolt over my head. It had left me so stunned that I almost passed out. By the Grace of God, I had had a strong impression to stand still just a few seconds prior and managed to stay in control of my faculties and land in the middle of the living room floor just inches from our clear glass coffee table... I quietly called upon the Lord. I knew I was on overload and overwhelmed in so many areas of my soul. My nerves were frayed and the compounded grief and other bombardments had definitely begun to take a toll on me physically.
After a few moments laying there Pumpkin came over to me and bumped my face with his soft fluffy head and then proceeded to do the famous Pumpkin roll right alongside my torso. He purred and purred; I felt like he was praying for me and comforting me with his warm sweet presence. I had a few tears roll down my cheeks. Before I knew it Kaiyah was standing over by Pumpkin. She looked at him, then at me with genuine compassion.&nbsp; I remember her looking at my feet and then all the way up to my head.&nbsp; Kaiyah was careful to not step on Pumpkin as she positioned herself by my head and then lay down with her little paws inches from my face. It was an unusual moment. All was very calm and quiet. I didn&rsquo;t want to move just yet but put my hand on my face where the &ldquo;bolt&rdquo; felt it struck. It was warm. I found my voice to whisper praises to the Lord for His Goodness, for His Comfort&hellip; for everything I could and just rested.
A few more tears left their salty trails down my cheeks. Gideon decided he had to figure out what was going on and came out of our bedroom with a huge meow. With his long sleek black tail held up high and a few more meows, he strolled to the end of the short hallway to the living room and stopped. He stood there looking at everyone including me with his alert big green eyes and thundered out a really big one that got everyone&rsquo;s attention. Kaiyah sat up. Pumpkin sat up. And there Gideon was in his big boy way coming to check things out. He marched over and sniffed my face and meowed while looking at Kaiyah and Pumpkin. I reached my arm over to pet each one and thanked them for being there for me and asked the Lord to bless them. We all seemed to get the &ldquo;all clear&rdquo; memo at the same time and began to move about. I slowly picked myself up and went to get a cup of warm water and sat down out on the patio with the sliding door open for any furbaby that wanted to join me. They all did. After a little sunshine and cool grass under bare feet and paws, we all came back in and I laid down for a short bit. Not being one to take naps it was more a health formality.
No one knew what happened that day except the Lord and my three furbabies until I shared it with Peter. It was a long time before I would tell Peter what took place but when I did he just hugged me and told me he loved me while thanking the Lord for taking care of me. I think the sensitivity of our animals blessed him too. Today, I still marvel at God&rsquo;s incredible Goodness in keeping me, and for the little furry ministers he had alongside me when my body had what felt like an electrical circuit overload. Thankfully when that &ldquo;breaker tripped&rdquo; it just needed to rest, be reset and, to God be the Glory, there was&nbsp;no damage.&nbsp;
As I reflected on some of the incredible and amazing systems God carefully Designed in what He has made, including the electrical system of my own body, I thought of my dad. Pops was pretty knowledgeable about electrical things so I worked to remember some of the many examples he shared and showed me on the subject. I began to seek the Lord for His Understanding, Wisdom, and Counsel in a new way. There is no &ldquo;electrician&rdquo; that can compare with Him, not even close. I called to mind again the Passage from Proverbs urging the importance of trusting in the Lord with all my heart, not to lean on my own understanding but in all my ways acknowledge the Lord and that He would direct my paths, (and even my internal pathways including my &ldquo;wiring&rdquo;). I asked The God of all Grace who has called me to His Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus, that even while I suffer, to please make me perfect, to stablish, to strengthen, to settle me even as 1 Peter 5:10 encourages. God is Faithful and He always has a Plan, only good ones and He can fix anything&hellip;
After that incident, the words from my previous boss came to mind and it wouldn&rsquo;t be the last time. I heard her kind caring exhortation after the loss of my Pops, and my baby, and friend, &ldquo;Be kind to yourself.&rdquo; No one ever said that to me before, ever. It would be a colossal paradigm shift, no doubt about it. I didn&rsquo;t think that way... And I wasn&rsquo;t sure how to even approach that concept so I put it to prayer. I could see merit needing to be more careful with me but as Marmi would say about things that didn&rsquo;t click with her, &ldquo;That does not compute,&rdquo; and it didn&rsquo;t.&nbsp; My &ldquo;wiring&rdquo; didn&rsquo;t run that way. It was becoming evident that I had need of &ldquo;re-wiring&rdquo; and &ldquo;load balancing&rdquo; in a few areas. And I began to ask the Lord to do just that - after all I am His, He Loves me and He made me. It would take time&hellip; and it would be extensive... and it would come at a cost&hellip;
In the meantime, Peter, Kaiyah and the kitties were doing their best to ensure I was &ldquo;grounded&rdquo; and &ldquo;insulated&rdquo; by their companionship and love.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 20:48:58 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 9&#x3a; The Eyes Have It</media:title>
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				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 9: The Eyes Have It]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light."
Mathew 6:22
&nbsp;
It is often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul... Well when it comes to portrait and wildlife photography, that is definitely where you want to put your focus - literally. Sometimes a slight shift in focus can make a huge difference in the impact of your images. If you have a face, but the eyes don't sparkle with that sharp focus, you can really lose a lot from your subject. Below are some examples to illustrate:&nbsp;It works for people portraits. It works for bird portraits. it works for turtle portraits. it even works for damselfly portraits! Focus on the eyes. It will tell much more to the "story" of your image.
The verse from Mathew above is a beautiful reminder of how important our eyes are. Not just our physical ones, which amplify the physical beauty and health of our bodies, (and make for great pictures!) but especially our spiritual&nbsp;eyes. What we behold... that is what we become. Let's focus on the Lord and things pleasing to Him&nbsp;- and we'll be seeing great things indeed...
That wraps up this article; thank you for reading and if you have any suggestions or questions, please send them our way - we appreciate you!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 20:48:30 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 20</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12114</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 20]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 20 &ndash; White Squalls
God Sustains and Comforts
&nbsp;
Psalm 55:22
&ldquo;Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.&rdquo;
Psalm 73:26 
&ldquo;My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.&rdquo;
2 Corinthians 1:2-4
&ldquo;Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
It was a beautiful morning with soft puffy white clouds strolling across the vivid blue sky and song birds were singing in the coolness of the day. I had spotted a handsome red-tailed hawk sitting high on top of a structure which brought a great smile to my heart. The air was fresh and had the lightest breeze that made the sun's warmth feel that much more welcome. We had just left an early morning service on New Year&rsquo;s Day and were making our way slowly to the car. The text came in at the same time we heard the happy sounds of a passing quail family on its ways to the open desert nearby...
It was from Jose. My Marmi had lost her footing, fallen, and he had taken her to the hospital. Peter and I hugged and immediately prayed, then headed straight home. Peter drove the car and I texted Jose that we would call as soon as we were at our house. Once I had a nose count and knew the furbabies were safe and sound, I took a prayerful deep breath and then Peter and I placed the call to Jose. Kaiyah rested&nbsp;quietly near us in the living room.
God&rsquo;s Grace. We carefully listened to the events of Marmi&rsquo;s legs giving way under her going down the exterior stairs to place some trash in the can below. She was unable to move them and notified Jose with her little red cell phone. He had rushed over, found her sitting on the stairs, tried to help her stand and when she couldn&rsquo;t he dead lifted her into his vehicle and rushed her to the emergency. They were running tests including an MRI, but she was as ok as she could be - and holding onto Jesus with all her heart.
This was serious news to process. I needed to hear my Marmi&rsquo;s voice. Jose said as soon as he had the room number and details for me he would let me know right away. I knew that I needed to fly out to be with her as quickly as possible. We were thankful Jose was there and took care of her the way he did and to watch over things until I could get out there.
I felt winded, as if Kaiyah and I had just run across broad desert and then hiked up and over a craggy faced mountain. Peter and I talked quietly, prayed some more, and went about doing what we needed to do to line things up for my trip out and to notify his family. There was a lot to work through emotionally but that would have to come later. I had to go over the details about caring for our animals and our house and everything that goes with taking care of them with Peter. Everything was still pretty new for us.
The relief I had hearing Marmi&rsquo;s voice was enormous. She shared all that had happened with us and was thankful for Jose&rsquo;s help, she marveled how he just picked her right up and got her to the hospital and without the cost of an ambulance. Her humor was still solid; that was good. She shared some of her fears and concerns and we called out to the Lord. We ended the call with her reminding me to give her love to her Kaiyah and the kitties.
Walking back into my parent&rsquo;s home and the life of my Marmi for those months ahead came with an overwhelming weight - especially when the reality began to sink in that I was literally walking the end of my precious Marmi&rsquo;s life with her... But for all the love that was in that home there was also much hurt, fears, and many tears. I had many memories awakened that were long hidden and now those too had to be sorted and the emotions to go with them. The God of All Grace never leaves or forsakes&hellip; never.
I knew my Lord Jesus is the eye of my storms and He is my Sustainer. He knew full well my life was seeing one surge after another and that time and loss would be the White Squalls that would come down on me with full weight of wind and wave and left me in a state that would take years to come out of. He did Faithfully Provide everything my Marmi and I needed to endure and persevere through that leg of our journey together. My LORD saw to it that Marmi&rsquo;s dignity and faith would be protected and that she was not alone. He was her strength and gave her courage to trust Him to be her portion even though her flesh and heart were failing from multiple health complications. Peter was taking care of our lives back home and had come out two times bringing his strength, love, and tenderness to both of us.
I am ever grateful that Peter&rsquo;s family supported with prayer and care. His mom and dad would make the personal investment and sacrifice to have his mom be at our home for a time and even have her come out to experience Marmi and Pops&rsquo; home and to travel back with me. Two friends unexpectedly reached out to me via the phone out of the blue when I needed a word of encouragement, which they never usually did.&nbsp;Papa God Provided extra attentive care through her last days in a cozy hospice home environment with 24-hour care that also allowed me to bring her kitty Buddy to visit her; and for us to share those incredibly special final moments... In His Thoughtful Kindness He even Sent Marmi... a special snow the week she passed away...
Marmi loved storms especially snow storms and the great storms over the ocean. She was born in a snow blizzard and went to sleep in Jesus, almost to the day of my Pops three years earlier, in the soft hush of falling snow&hellip; dreams of snow. And He Held me when other unexpected bombardments showed up during and after Marmi&rsquo;s passing that year. It was like no other time I&rsquo;ve experienced. The full testimony of this facet of my life and history are to be carefully shared at another time.
White squalls are sudden windstorms of great velocity, force and violence occurring over the ocean creating white caps of enormous tumultuous waves or near bodies of water with extremely heavy snow; both scenarios without warning and without dark clouds. The analogy of both of these squalls hit me square during that time...
Thankfully Peter&rsquo;s Mom and I made our special return migration back across the country safely with many new memories that I will ever hold dear. We were warmly reunited with family and by the sweet faces of Kaiyah, Pumpkin and Gideon. I felt totally lost and numb but grateful. My sweet Kaiyah looked at me very intently and waited. I went over to love on each of those precious little souls petting them and apologized for being gone so long. My heart was broken and was still breaking as I tried desperately to find the surface from under the depth of the &ldquo;waters&rdquo; that had fallen on me. It would take time&hellip;.and God would Sustain me.
My little husky seemed to know I was struggling and appeared to be pondering what to do with the &ldquo;snow storm&rdquo; I had just been through and, in her own way, started to focus on digging her furmommy out from under the aftermath of that &ldquo;snow squall&rdquo;. When we sat alone she would be right by my feet and would lower her head looking gently at me and not square in my eyes but would wait there quietly until I would acknowledge her or pet her softly on her ears. She was not one to cuddle or ask for pets so that was unusual for her to do. Of course, going on mission hikes was important and I let her wander wherever she wanted for as long as she wanted. She would often stop and look at me and wait for my recognition and then got right back to it with a &ldquo;mush&rdquo; pull here and a &ldquo;mush&rdquo; pull there.
Most of the time I could not cry - the depth of things were beyond anything I could fathom, but on rare occasions out there in the desert with the Lord and Kaiyah, I would pour out my heart and weep. She was patient and often looked rather worried. I remember realizing that Kaiyah was trying to &ldquo;pull or mush&rdquo; me out of that &ldquo;snow&rdquo; by keeping me going and getting me to interact. She was asking me to play. When that dawned on me it struck me that she was doing to me what I had done with her all those years prior when I first rescued her and she was literally ministering it back to me her way. That was an incredible realization for me and I was deeply touched by her loving work to help &ldquo;rescue&rdquo; me. It would be quite the process but it had begun...
Gideon and Pumpkin were doing their part too. There was and is always much to be thankful for and to give to others, and I still am - by God&rsquo;s Grace and hopefully according to His Will, to this day. Peter and I were also working to find our way through everything together and with the LORD being our Refuge and Strength our very present Help in trouble. It was a perfect time to remember and hold fast to the memory of the sound of Marmi&rsquo;s voice singing while playing her Wurlitzer upright piano to one of her favorite Passages from Psalm 46:1-3, &ldquo;God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.&rdquo;
No more owies, no more pain, no more hurt, no more worry-worry fret-fret, no more fear, no more sorrow, no more grief for Marmi&hellip;and my Pops&hellip;.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2025 21:09:33 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 8&#x3a; A Polarizing Topic</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12125</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 8: A Polarizing Topic]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
Mathew 13:17
&nbsp;
So I'm going to carry forward the idea from the last article a bit, regarding the sunglasses idea, and share my experience with another terrific and very useful filter I use. As is the case with a quality pair of shades, you likely have seen firsthand the benefits of wearing lenses that are polarized; benefits that not only allow you to see through haze but also be able to bring out certain details that non-polarized lenses are unable to. Yes indeed, cameras use that filter too!
When I was at Oak Creek Canyon (in&nbsp;my last article here:) I went over the advantages of using a Neutral Density (ND) Filter to darken the image and allow you to take longer exposures without blowing out the highlights. With the Polarizing Filter, however, there is a new element to your photography to be utilized.
As mentioned, glasses/sunglasses that have polarized lenses are great for seeing details better in hazy conditions, but also it really helps when you are photographing bodies of water. I will use the same creek from the last article to show how this filter can have a really cool advantage. Take a look at these two pictures, namely the water around the rocks:&nbsp;This filter has the ability to even get rid of haze and reflections in the water! Details that would be hidden from those reflections now come through, and the result is water that is much more translucent, and the overall image is much improved. The results speak for themselves:&nbsp;Like the Neutral Density and other filters, they are easy to put on the camera lens, and it makes a tremendous difference. Also like the Neutral Density Filter, the Polarizer Filter is relatively inexpensive and on top of that, it has a bonus of also darkening your image by a few stops; not as much as the ND Filter but in cases may be enough as your two-in-one Filter to get your long(er) exposures AND get that deep, clear, non-reflective water in your images - it really makes a beautiful shot even better.
Also, you will notice more vibrant reds, greens, and blues in your photos because it minimizes haze, so check it out and see the results for yourself!
I think this topic really brings a new perspective for me when I read that passage from Mathew at the start of this article. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us completely, and ask Him to remove all the sin in our lives; filtering out all that haze, and ask Him to help&nbsp;us grow in our&nbsp;Faith in Jesus, obey His Commandments, and grow in reading His Word, the Bible. We will be amazed with all the beautiful clarity our Lord Brings!
With that, I think that wraps that one up;&nbsp;please feel free to reach out in the comment section&nbsp;below as we always enjoy hearing from you, and if you would like a topic discussed that you have not seen here, please let us know!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2025 21:08:49 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 19</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12087</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 19]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 19 &ndash; Eye of the Storm
God of All Grace
&nbsp;
Romans 8:34-35 
"It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right Hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"
1 Peter 5:10
&ldquo;But the God of all Grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;
That year would go on to end with another major transition in my life. After much prayer and discussion Peter and I had decided it was time for me to have a work change. I had given the company, as I would always do when transitioning out of a workplace, a huge notice to help with replacement and the inevitable transition. I had all my ducks in a row and a well run system locked in place, including manuals to walk them through all the nooks and crannies that I had so come to enjoy navigating. To say the departure from there with my decades-long established career added to my grief was an understatement. I really cared for the folks and the work I did. I have always seen my work environment as working foremost unto the Lord. My service to Him and following His definitions of integrity and accountability carried through into my life including jobs and relationships. And I was extremely protective, I had to be. I also had a very strong impression I had to leave and I did so for many reasons, which would be better served in another story.
My emotions and all the various complications were weighing heavily and I needed time to regroup. In addition I was discerning something else, but wasn&rsquo;t sure exactly what, but I knew I had to be &ldquo;free&rdquo; in order to be prepared. His Grace would see me through. I had no idea at the time how much undealt with pain I had from my early years; the battering storms that often occur in this life especially when you really do love Jesus and want to obey Him and His Word more than going with the &ldquo;crowd&rdquo;, and the long rather lonely years of service I had been walking out through my life had been taking a toll on me. I really had no idea. And I didn&rsquo;t know exactly what lay ahead.
God has always Provided me the Joy, Strength and Grace to continue on while pouring out to others even if that meant I was most often left high and dry. He is my Source. I had gotten rather used to that being the norm. Being married to Peter seemed to expose that unknown fatigue of soul and I was clueless as to the growing intensity of undertow that was surging and pulling in addition to all the compounding grief and loss. My whole world seemed under some sort of affliction and deep pruning and I was feeling smaller and more out of sorts every day. Peter was also going through his own set of complications. Both of us were experiencing outside relationship collapses and were at a loss as to the reasons or the timing but we knew to trust God and hold on to one another.
My husband and I knew our Lord Jesus Loved us and was with us, we strove to keep our praises in Him and to Him even when words were starting to fail to be present; we would sit in His Presence and wait. &nbsp;We spent much time in prayer seeking God for Wisdom, Correction, Comfort, and everything He Knew we needed, and for sure we did not fully know exactly. We were two sheep in much need our Our Good Shepherd&rsquo;s husbandry and we let Him know&hellip; and often. I held onto the Scriptures that tell me Jesus was always interceding for us and would see us through&hellip;.and nothing would or could separate us from His Love. He is my eye in the storms of life. He could speak to those storms and they would be still, whatever He would do, I needed to trust Him. God does not and cannot lie. He is the God of all Grace. I reminded myself, and still do.
Kaiyah and the boys were constant companions of gentleness and purpose. They seemed keen to know we were walking through difficult things. I am thankful for their ministry to us as often people seem to be much more self-absorbed and busy about doing their own things - including in the church, unfortunately. But I already knew that since I was a little girl. I watched it happen to my parents, to my brothers, to many others I knew plus I had a lifetime of my own experiences for sure and for certain. Praying for the church and the people part of it has been an integral part of my intercession for as long as I can remember. It is amazing to me how often the Lord placed many little loving animals to share my journey with, even for a short time. Each would be a blessing from the Lord in their presence and personalities, being right there when I needed them even when I wasn&rsquo;t looking. Kaiyah, Gideon, and Pumpkin were no exceptions; clearly they were Heavenly Appointed unique friends to travel life together and I can&rsquo;t thank my Heavenly Father enough! My Marmi understood this very well. She had voiced a similar sentiment many times through the years and I am sure countless others would too. God has an amazing way of ministering to us and He knows who He can trust to be His minister. Kaiyah, Gideon and Pumpkin were totally ministering to us.
What the Grace and Love of God can do for us. At that time Kaiyah was much more peaceful, happy and confident and knew the trails like the back of her paw. When out wandering about she was showing leadership and persistence. And she was enjoying using her discretion in choosing paths when reaching those forks along the way. And if I was to lean toward a direction she wasn&rsquo;t going for she would gently but deliberately mush toward her desired angle and put forward pressure in her pull. It was her way of saying, &ldquo;C&rsquo;mon furmommy this way.&rdquo; She knew her personal whistle and had come to full understanding of the word "MUSH." Seeing her being herself without all that used to weigh her soul so heavily was pure delight. She was curly tailed almost regularly and attentively knew when a rattler was out and about enjoying the full sunshine on the trails. She wasn&rsquo;t as guarded for herself as I would have liked. She would just look at it, look at me, try to approach it, look at me, smell down at it from too close a distance for my liking, and then stand there giving me the green light to go around. Never barking she just offered that protective, curious watchful husky posture and &ldquo;I got it&rdquo; face. I would try to lead her strongly out of the area but most often she would not want to budge and I wanted her safe too. Those moments were something else. Both of us not wanting to go but wanting the other to go, and there was this snake just wanting to be - and for us to go or let it go about doing snake things. It is almost comical to think about now...
Kaiyah was really flourishing. She had been receiving lots of love from new furmily and her kitty friends Gideon and Pumpkin. Pumpkin had adapted to sleeping right by her or even on her bed at times, which she appeared not to mind one bit especially when she was already sound asleep. It was very cute to see to say the least. The joy of her new furmily from near and far and the tasty treats and attention they shared were definitely helpful for her and I think them too. Kaiyah had a furdaddy she was bonding with as well. He continued to respect her space and was learning every day more and more what being her furdaddy meant. &nbsp;
There was a time when Peter, Kaiyah and I were out on a hike and suddenly out of nowhere Kaiyah&rsquo;s stance became rigid and her ears went straight up. She stopped solid, tilted her head left and then right with her nose straight toward where she fixed her eyes, and with no sound or warning she popped up in to the air and forward paws and muzzle straight into a pile of softened brush that looked a bit like a composting pile that was in its early stages. We heard a little squeak-like sound... Again she zoned in and repeated and this time she caught what looked to be a small desert prairie dog! She only held it loosely looking at me with those eyes, &ldquo;I caughts it!&rdquo; She let it go immediately and then intensified in her search and seizure, but we held her back a bit to which she was not so happy but then she relaxed. Peter and I investigated the area a bit making sure no one was hurt of course, and discovered it was a home site for those little critters. Kaiyah then snuck around us and once again was on the hunt and she was very excited to be doing, as Peter calls it, dog-like behaviors. It was a proud furdaddy moment and we both were glad to see her hunting instincts were so sharp. It was totally an affirmation of her survival skills needed all those years ago caring for her puppies out on the reservation.
After telling her to &ldquo;leave it&rdquo; more than a few times she finally looked at us like &ldquo;ok&rdquo; and then back to the mission of leading the trail hike ensued. I noticed she glanced back before &ldquo;mushing&rdquo; forward toward the next destination. She remembered that spot on more than a few occasions and we both made sure no one was injured, and that we kept her focused on the trail and sometimes in a sprint as we passed that area. Seeing her so animated and sure of herself was a great sign of her healing too, and we gave thanks to the Lord and kept her moving right along.
As that year closed I meditated in my heart often on the promise in 1 Peter 5:10, &ldquo;But the God of all Grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.&rdquo; And that was only something He could do for us, in me and through all that was behind us and ahead of us. No matter what was ahead Jesus was praying to the Father for us and would be with us. That was a Passage and encouragement that I had just reminded my Marmi of too and we were all holding it fast, and we needed it!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 21:05:07 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 7&#x3a; It&#x27;s Like Sunglasses For Your Camera</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12107</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 7: It&apos;s Like Sunglasses For Your Camera]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall Consume with the Spirit of His Mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His Coming:"
2 Thessalonians 2:8
&nbsp;
For this next topic I wanted to share some experiences I had encountered on a photo-hike I did up at Oak Creek Canyon, regarding some things perhaps&nbsp;a few photographers who like to take outdoor pictures may have or will come across. What makes this rather unique is that it kind of goes against conventional camera fundamentals (i.e. plenty of light to expose your subject, adequate ISO to noise levels, and enough aperture to balance it together) as in this case, you may want to put the shades on as if you have too much light it can derail your image.
Not long ago, I did a little rundown on Deep Sky or Astrophotography, where the goal is to ensure you get as much light in as possible to get even the dimmest objects vibrant and visible. Now what if I were to tell you there are some unique cases where the opposite is better? Here's the deal...
As mentioned, I was at this&nbsp;place called Oak Creek Canyon, and as the name implies there I found a quiet, pristine creek running through the forest; trickling and gurgling and swirling along as it made it's way down&nbsp;the canyon. Really great place for pictures. So I'm thinking I would like to find a nice area maybe where I could find some waterfalls or at the very least some flows of water down the rocks. I had in my mind wanting to get that really cool effect where instead of a quick shutter snap of the water shot&nbsp;really still (with individual water drops hanging frozen in the air) I wanted to have that image where the water looks like it's flowing sugar and has a misty trail as it&nbsp;flows down the rocks - you've likely seen this used in many waterfall and ocean wave captures, especially those&nbsp;wanting to convey a certain mood...
So this is not hard at all to do. You need two things. A tripod and an open shutter for several seconds. Here's what you may end up with below:&nbsp;Ok wait, that didn't work out the way I wanted - way too bright... Now I even made sure my ISO was as low as it would go, and on top of that I closed my aperture as much as possible; everything I could do to not let the image get overexposed... Bu it still wasn't enough...
If you've been out on a bright day, like, a really&nbsp;bright day... You know what works for that. Yep, sunglasses! Interestingly enough, cameras also have their own version of that. It's called a Neutral Density (ND) Filter, and they cover the lens and darken your exposure so that you can keep the shutter open much longer and not blow out your image with a bleached look. The results below show the difference:&nbsp;As you can see, these filters make a huge difference! They are easy to place on the lens - not to mention they also protect the glass on your lens,&nbsp;much like other filters. Definitely something to consider if you are in to long-exposure photography, and you find yourself dealing with a lot of overexposed images.
So as I typically do, I look back at the Scripture Passage at the start of this article, and reflect on any lessons I can learn from or relate to the photography experience.
Now no doubt, that verse from&nbsp;2 Thessalonians 2:8 is a very strong one, but an extremely important one nonetheless... I am still amazed how many situations I can get involved in with my camera where I am somehow reminded of a particular verse from the Bible. If you've read my other articles in this series, not to mention our Focal Points in general, you know how my wife Alea and I roll, and this topic is no different - Scripture reminds us that sin is very combustable. When the Lord Jesus Christ Returns, His Brightness will literally be the brightest thing we've ever seen. We need something, or should I say, someOne to protect us...
Thankfully, Jesus&nbsp;Equips us with a filter that protects us from that burning Brightness; a filter that forever takes away that combustibility of sin - and that is His Atoning Blood Shed on the cross at Calvary, for all who believe on His Promisee of Salvation through faith in Him. He Himself shields us from the wrath to come! He alone can do that. With our own eyes He will allow us to see things we never dreamed we could. And we won't need any cameras for that; we'll be able to experience His Glory and all His Creation firsthand - for all eternity!
That is the most incredible happy thought... So that concludes this article; be sure to send us your comments and prayer requests, as we are always delighted to hear from you!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 21:04:36 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 18</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12086</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 18]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 18 &ndash; Time of Thanks and Giving
Praise and Thanks to the Lord
&nbsp;
Jeremiah 17:14
&ldquo;Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be Healed; Save me, and I shall be Saved: for Thou art my praise.&rdquo; 
1 Thessalonians 5:18
&ldquo;In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The weather was just starting to turn a notch cooler with Thanksgiving just ahead. Peter and I had planned to spend it with Marmi, as this would be our first family holiday together and we desired there would be many more in the days to come. We were optimistic at the prospect of travelling to see her more and maybe even have her and her kitties move out to be with us.
The year had been one for my personal record books; those waves were extremely high and extremely low. It is fair to say I had emotional sea sickness and my life felt out of sorts. It was hard to get my heart and mind around the incredible joy of becoming a wife, then a mom, and then devastating sorrow of unexpectedly losing our little precious baby and to losing my best friend without reason. The excitement of having new family was dulled at endless looming losses including the undealt with grief of my dad passing and mourning the estrangement of my much loved younger brother, concerns for my mom all the way across the country, letting go of my established ministry and seeking God for what on earth was happening; some things are just incomprehensible and yet life continues on. I clung to one of my favorite verses from Jeremiah, one that I truly need to hold onto every day: &ldquo;Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be Healed; Save me, and I shall be Saved: for Thou art my praise.&rdquo;
New demands were developing in my work, more potential increasing and the expectations surrounding opportunities they were trying to bless me with unfortunately felt more like being in a pressure cooker than a terrific new white water rafting adventure, which I typically enjoy immensely. At any other time in my life promotion and expansion would have been incredible but that was the wrong time for me - my heart knew it and so did my husband. I carried on as I cared very much about what I did and those around me.
Kaiyah, Gideon, and Pumpkin were always such a delight. We would have our furmily outdoor barbeques with all paws on deck out enjoying the yard and sunshine. They would roll around in the grass and layout full stretch getting warm all over. Then they toddled around gingerly stepping on the gravel hoping to find something that would get all three of them together in a huddle to investigate. Kaiyah and I would play &ldquo;chase and dodge&rdquo;. We would run fast then she would stop and just when I was about to grab her she would hop out of the way only to repeat the cycle until one of us said, &ldquo;ok, that&rsquo;s enough.&rdquo; Peter and I would take in those moments and we needed them. It is most often the little things that seem to impress gladness upon my heart more than anything especially at that time. I kept counting my blessings one by one and haven&rsquo;t ever stopped. God is Good.
The time had come for our trip to visit Marmi. Pumpkin had situated himself in the larger of the suitcases and was certain he should go with us. He was adorably disappointed that we had to gently urge him off the clothes and finish packing. Kaiyah and Gideon knew what that meant and they both watched from the hallway looking into the room. Gideon not being a fan of change wound up hiding himself under the bed. Kaiyah and I had had a nice long walk and we all had a good bonding moment. Peter wasn&rsquo;t used to the entire rig amoral I go through before travelling so it was a new experience for him to be part of. We said our prayers and off we went with suitcases and goodies in tow. Peter and I were up, up and away with Marmi monitoring our&nbsp;whereabouts through her favorite online flight tracker all the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;
What happy embraces we walked into that day. Marmi held on a bit longer and tears were streaming even with all the smiles. &ldquo;In everything giving thanks&hellip;.&rdquo; we were all doing just that and would press to keep those praises to our Lord going and showing gratitude for one another. The year looked like it had taken quite a toll on my mom too. The unspoken words were loud that day.
I was looking for Marmi&rsquo;s three amigos to greet us as well. First, was my old boy who totally loved my parents, I had rescued him almost 18 years earlier. He was a tiny kitten brought along by a feral cat family going through the area. The older cats seemed to know this was an okay spot to leave him and so they did but watched from a distance. When I realized what was happening, I of course shared with my parents and well, they knew how I was, and so I went out and kitty called him to come and he did almost straight away. The feral family moved along and he was ours to love. When I moved away he was gratefully surrounded by his furmily and my folks. He was an easy one to be around sweet, friendly and smart. He was the first Gideon in the family, with soft gray short hair and a touch of white on paws and chest with the gentlest light yellowish green eyes. I noticed he was much frailer at that time but still getting around just much slower.
I asked about Butterscotch as he would come and go. Butterscotch had disappeared. Marmi said he was older and a stubborn fellow who would do his own thing and he had been unwell. She communicated that she thought he might have just gone off to die alone and if that was the way he wanted it well that was the way it was. I could tell she missed him terrible and was still hopeful he would swagger his way back into the house. It was an unresolved loss and it was heartbreaking to hear. He was one undomesticated man cat and Marmi and Pops had had quite a time with him over the years. They had been through a lot with his wild ways and yet super affectionate personality. Butter, as Mom affectionately called him, was an old scrapper of a cat who had won both their hearts and he loved them. It was no surprise he grieved the loss of my dad, and my mom the both of them.
Little black panther Buddy, was a hide-away cat. He had also been a feral kitten that was adopted. He was much smaller than my Gideon back home but still had the same sleek shiny black fur. Buddy had big glowing yellow eyes and the kindest loving little personality you could imagine in direct contrast his fraidy-cat behavior. He made a quick showing looked me in the eyes and left in a dash.
We talked about everything we could on that trip and praised the Lord all along the way. Mom and I had some special conversations about many things: some hurtful, some helpful, but all from the heart. Marmi wanted me to cook the Thanksgiving meal and I was truly honored to do so. Preparing the meal she had taught me when I was just a little girl and had me do many times throughout my years was extra special that time. Preparing that for my husband and mom in that home was surreal. We had Jose and Isabella joining us too and it was a lovely time.
Peter and I decided to celebrate as much as we could with her as well and made all the preparations and got her gifts and decorations to make it as special as could be. We both felt such a strong desire to bless her and surround her with as much love and as many happy thoughts as possible. It was a great surprise for her and she embraced the whole of it. It is always good to give thanks for everything our Lord Jesus has done and continues to do for all&hellip;all year round.
As often happens, the unexpected information and request of my mom while we were there this time had to do with Gideon. As we were nearing our return home Mom told us that sweet old boy Gideon was dealing with serious health complications and wanted Peter and I to take her and him to the vet so he could mercifully be released from his pains. We were both stunned and saddened by the request. I spent time loving on him and tried to encourage a moment between him and Buddy as he would not be coming back home. Mom watched me a lot during that experience and encouraged me to cry which she never did at any other point in my life. We surrounded Gideon and Mom with compassion and tenderness. We stood together and wept softly as we said good-bye for now to the sweet smart friendly kitty named Gideon. There was a lot of grief in that quiet room. I was incredibly thankful for Peter&rsquo;s strength and tender prayers for us. Another happy time interrupted by grief and sadness.
Leaving my mom was once again terribly hard for obvious reasons. Plus I had noticed she was not as strong and her ability to stand was definitely affected by hurts she would not discuss beyond saying that she was getting old. Although she did share a few things she was experiencing. She was coughing and clearly having moments of pain which she was doing her best to keep off our radars. And yet she still maintained her humor and mental crossword puzzle calisthenics. My Marmi was not doing well and even with encouragement from both of us said she didn&rsquo;t need to go to the doctor and that Jesus Knew and would take care of her. We spoke of her coming out to be with us and many other suggested happy thoughts to give her opportunity to pray and consider. She had me take messages to Kaiyah and the boys and said things I will always cherish. Those hugs were long and tight accompanied by tears and tissues. The drive to the airport was a long one that day.
The flight was smooth and before we knew it we were warmly welcomed and whisked away by sis Nicole, who kindly had picked us up at the airport and delivered us safely home. It was so good to see her. The furbabies were happy and overall excited to see us. We let Mom know we were home safe and sound and that her messages and loves were delivered. Kaiyah had that concerned momma dog look and knew immediately I needed a mission hike as soon as possible and to play with the kitties, always good medicine when out of sorts and discombobulated. Her curly tail and the official Pumpkin rolls were definitely helping and my Gideon, was ME-OWy happy to see us and let us know after he finally came out and gave me the scolding &ldquo;where were you&rdquo; look. It was good to be home. Peter and I had a lot on our mind and decided we both needed Kaiyah to take us on a mission hike&hellip; well more like a few with a bonus for Peter that included a photo shoot at Pinnacle Peak.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:09:06 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 6&#x3a; Balancing Act</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12085</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 6: Balancing Act]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
Psalm 51:7
&nbsp;
In photography there are so many things to keep in mind that it can&nbsp;be easy to overlook certain things, particularly things that involve using the camera's automatic settings like exposure and focus and such. But there is something else that can be very important to consider, and it's something even the best auto settings on the newest cameras struggle with, and that would be your white balance.
The white balance is an important calibration as it will impact the overall tone of your image, as any light source can have an impact on the color temperature of your pictures if not corrected for. You may have a shady area, and find your picture has a bluish tint to it. Or perhaps you are indoors and suddenly you find your images&nbsp;taken are yellow!
Below is a Citrus Swallowtail, the one on the left has a greenish-yellow tint, the one on the right is properly white balanced.&nbsp;The easiest way to adjust for these variations is to purchase a relatively cheap grey calibration card, or white balance card (they can be found online for ten bucks) and you hold one of these cards in one of the images during your shoot in the lighting environment you are in, having a good shot of it, and then you can do one of two things.
If your camera has white balance settings, you can access the image of the card you shot and use that as the basis for the correction (on my Pentax for example, it will have you select the area on the grey card in that picture and use that to make the calibration) as you then proceed to take your pictures in those same lighting conditions (i.e. sunlight, shade, etc.) and if it doesn't change you should find your images looking spot on when it comes to color tone.
In the below example, we have a Scarlet Macaw where the image on the right is too blue; the one on the left is white balanced.&nbsp;The other way I do it is using Adobe Photoshop, and with their eyedropper tool you select any area on the&nbsp;same grey card in that same image previously mentioned and then multi-select all the images in that shoot where it had that same lighting, and it will do the same as the example above.
After a while it will become really routine, but the benefits from taking those extra few moments of preparation are really worth it. Again, your camera's auto white balance may be sufficient here and there, but much like auto exposure, it will have its hiccups - best to be prepared.&nbsp;The Scripture verse from Psalm 51 above resonates very much with me as a photographer, but even more so as a believer in Jesus Christ; His words speak of the beauty and purity He Seeks for all of us, using the example of making us: "whiter than snow."
With White Balance what we are basically doing is instructing the camera to eliminate any outside color interference - to keep the image pure in a sense, in as much as the colors are true and the way they are meant to be... In order to do this it makes sure that whites are whites, and that there is no variation in them. White as snow, if you will.
May we seek to allow the Lord to Keep our spiritual lives calibrated the way God wants it to be, as only He can. Pure and true. And we can only attain that - through the Grace of Jesus Christ and faith and obedience in Him and to Him...
That's it for this one, by God's Grace I will have another one next week to share. You all take care and stay safe in The Lord's Care...
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:08:40 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 17</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12031</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 17]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 17 &ndash; Incomprehensible
God Comprehends Everything
&nbsp;
Psalm 102:1
&ldquo;Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto Thee.&rdquo;
Psalm 121:7-8
&ldquo;The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.&rdquo;
Proverbs 3:5 
&ldquo;Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The new cadence of life routines in our home started out a bit like off-beat syncopations; we were all trying to adjust. I wasn&rsquo;t quite feeling myself a month or so after our honeymoon. I figured it was all the change and just ate more healthily and kept plugging away. I noticed the animals were sitting closer. Kaiyah wanted to be by my feet which was not her norm and would look at me much more often. Pumpkin wanted in my lap. He was always a cozy kitty but he had a new baby faced determination and made himself at home whenever I was still for more than ten minutes. Gideon would find a seat next to me on the sofa or even the arm chair if he could squeeze himself into the space. Peter and I became concerned as I was just... off - all over. I reminded myself about the Goodness of God and aimed at resting in His Protective care&hellip; in addition, Peter was a man of prayer.
Another week or so went by and I decided it was time for a routine check-up. To my astonishment I discovered that Peter and I were expecting our first little baby. It was a big moment for us to absorb as we already had a lot of new to process. When the reality settled in we were both hope-filled and joyful at that blessing so early in our marriage. Kaiyah and the kitties were unbelievably attentive.
I knew in my heart Peter would make a wonderful father. He was so excited and as helpful as he could be, knowing our little one was growing within me. I sang little songs to our new budding baby and we had so much we were looking forward to&hellip; I had always wanted to be a momma since I was a very little girl. Our families were happy for us and encouraging. Although everything was so new including that sweet gift early in our marriage we knew the Lord was with us, and trusted His Timing was perfect.
It was at that same time that my friend Rachel had begun pulling away from our friendship. Accusation ensued but it was unclear to Peter and I what had happened. That was terribly disturbing to us.
Kaiyah and I seemed to have a new momma connection and her thoughtfulness showed. Whenever we walked she would stay closer than normal. She would put herself between me and the &ldquo;dangers&rdquo; she perceived, and would look at me with an understanding gaze. And she would offer me her special liftie paw even with Pumpkin on my lap and Gideon beside me. It was precious.
As the days progressed I felt something was off and the signs were there to alarm me. Peter and I prayed and we went to the hospital. The details of that trip can only be summed up in tragic loss. &nbsp;Anyone who loses a baby knows, that no matter what the stage of development, it is shocking and can be devastating... Peter and I were both shocked and devastated. You don&rsquo;t just lose a little life you want and love, you lose all the hope that comes with it. We didn&rsquo;t even know how to begin to process what had happened. It would take time.
That grief attached itself to the grief I still had not dealt with regarding my dad and I couldn&rsquo;t handle either at that time. And it wasn&rsquo;t but a short time after that I discovered my dearest friend Rachel had officially abandoned our friendship, another devastating blow. Peter and I were at a complete loss. Our attempts to bring healing to whatever happened were returned with deafening lack of clarity... We spent a lot of time praying and attempting to sort out what we were experiencing. It was totally beyond our understanding and we knew we had to trust the Lord with all that was within us and for all that was happening to us.
Kaiyah and I often found ourselves in silent companionship. She often led the way on the trails and I poured out my heart to the Lord. She would stop on the path and look at me with those expressive eyes and I would kneel in the dust of the desert and cry on the ruff of her neck. She knew what loss and a broken heart was all about. My Lord was the Healer of broken hearts and the Binder of wounds and she was living testimony to that Truth.
Peter and I determined and strove to strengthen our walk with the Lord and in our new marriage. It was an intense time. I had a few dear friends that rose to that season of difficulty and Heavenly Father only knows what that meant to me. I didn&rsquo;t even know myself. I was on overload in so many areas - including my body, but we clung to the truth that God was with us and He would not leave us in that ever increasing storm and flood and whatever evil was behind it. He was our Safety and our Peace even though we didn&rsquo;t feel that way. This too would take time.
Peter&rsquo;s family and my mom were great comfort and support both in prayer and in as much as they could. It was hard for all of us. The furbabies were right there with purrs, mews and a curly tail. They provided joy, pleasant soothing companionship and sweet talking points in the midst of it all. We prayed together and held on as the Lord Directed us through and preserved us from the mounting swells and crashing waves. We took our incomprehension and sorrow to our God Who comprehends everything and offered a raw simple surrendered praise, &ldquo;The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the Name of the Lord&hellip;&rdquo; Job 1:21.
He makes all things beautiful in His time.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 21:43:30 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 5&#x3a; Rule of Thirds</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12062</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 5: Rule of Thirds]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
Mathew 28:19
&nbsp;
This next one is something that when I started a few decades ago I&nbsp;kind of knew about it,&nbsp;but perhaps didn't fully appreciate the impact it could have until I started collecting a rather vast portfolio of images and realizing that there was a certain "look" that indeed really grabbed my eye. Owing to a concept in that is one of the most well known in landscape and other kinds of photography, this is a way of composing an image known as&nbsp;the "Rule of Thirds."
What's neat is that using the Rule of Thirds can be used basically any time you take a picture, even when it's a group photo or of pets or as mentioned, a nice scenic view. it should be noted that the Rule of Thirds is less so a rule and more of a composition guideline. Sometimes you will find exceptions (most notably if you're doing professional portraits) and the whole point is&nbsp;to center your subject in the frame. Otherwise it will look weird like someone kicked the camera when it was taking the shot.
For this point though, the idea is to have your photo centered off a&nbsp;bit from your&nbsp;subject, either mainly to the left or to the right. Here is a grid example of how it looks when setting it up. I took this one at Spider Rock at Canyon de Chelly.&nbsp;What you have basically is the image separated into nine equal rectangles. Three on the left, top-down. Three in the middle, top-down. And three on the right... top-down. When you have your subject in the first or last third of your frame, it balances out so beautifully and is really appealing to the eyes.&nbsp;
You could just position your subject (point of interest) in the middle of your frame, but that can get old rather quickly. There's a certain level of "eye fatigue" that can develop when you're looking through a bunch of pictures and everything's centered in the middle.
You can also use this "rule" when you have an opportunity for the vertical thirds to have an impact. Here's an example of one I took at the Grand Canyon.&nbsp;As you can see, there's a balance to the images that really make a difference. This is not something new, as photographers around the world have used this guideline to great effect for almost two centuries - whether they knew it's name or not... Here's those two images again, without the gridlines...&nbsp;If you've ever looked at the shell of a snail (land or sea) especially a cross section of it, you may have noticed it's intricate chambers and curled design that seems to follow a mathematical blueprint&nbsp;of balance and structure. This actually follows the template of the Rule of Thirds. This is not a coincidence - the Bible clearly outlines in both the Old and New&nbsp;Testament that this is literally Created by God Himself this way, as is all&nbsp;His Magnificent Creation.
And speaking on the Rule of Thirds, the verse from Mathew at the top of this article ties it all together for me. After all, what better way to appreciate the beauty of God's Design in all that He Has Put around us (and above us) on this beautiful planet as a photographer, than to remember the Rule of Thirds pointing to Him: Eternal Father, Eternal Son Jesus Christ, Eternal Holy Spirit. Three Equal and Independent Persons, yet at the same time One. Almighty. Eternal. Creator. God. Hallelujah!!!
That wraps it up for this week's article. As always please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or comments. We always appreciate hearing from you!
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 21:43:04 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 16</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12030</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 16]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 16 &ndash; New &ldquo;Fur&rdquo;mily
God&rsquo;s Makes Things Beautiful 
&nbsp;
Psalm 27:14
&ldquo;Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.&rdquo; 
Proverbs 27:17
&ldquo;Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.&rdquo; 
Ecclesiastes 3:11
&ldquo;He hath made every thing beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The weather was warming up nicely and the late winter rains had left a fresh feel to the desert and new life was starting to bud wherever the eye could see. The golden yellow creosote flowers had begun to blossom. The tiny little leaves were popping out along the tall ocotillo canes. And wildlife was busy enjoying all that comes with the edge of spring time just ahead. Like the flora, fauna and desert creatures Peter and I were transitioning to the appointed time of our wedding. We had been modestly preparing and building toward the blossoming of our love as we entered into our marriage.
It was an exciting time and also one of deepening prayer and evaluation. We both earnestly desired for our Lord to be the center of our relationship and our marriage and we still do. We knew our marriage was going to bring big changes for us and it did. We both had been through much getting to that special day. I had been holding on to the Promise in the Passage that says, &ldquo;God makes everything beautiful in His Time&hellip;&rdquo; He Knew the work He was doing, He always does. Two different lives coming together as one in living, sharing, and all the amazing intimate and social ways God instituted and blessed to be in marriage. Truly marriage is designed to be a very special &ldquo;iron sharpening iron&rdquo; and nurturing environment. There is so much to our story but a comprehensive version of our journey is for another time.
One of our many new aspects included Peter having never had cats as pets and that would take time to adjust to for sure. And living with Kaiyah of course would be needing time as well. Peter only had one little dog friend, Gina, early on in his boyhood and that little friendship had ended with some heartache for him. He had many other pets to love including birds and reptiles. Thankfully the bonds with Kaiyah, Gideon and Pumpkin had already been building.
My mom and Peter&rsquo;s family would finally get to meet in person. And with that came my mom, at long last, getting to meet her dear Kaiyah for the first time. The kindness and generosity of my Mom, my new parents in law, friends, co-workers, my new sister in law Nicole who made us the most beautiful and delicious wedding cake, and my best friend, at that time, Rachel who went out of her way in so many ways even watching the furbabies during our honeymoon. Each and every one of them made the occasion as special as it could be. We could not have been more thankful and looked forward to finding ways to acknowledge and bless them in some way.
Kaiyah was subdued in her usual manner with meeting new people even if she had heard them talking on the phone like she had done with my mom. Having Marmi coming to my home for the first time was exciting and hopeful yet felt like a dream. Being concerned for my mom&rsquo;s health and continuing grief over the loss of my dad, I sure was thankful Jose&rsquo;s sister, Isabella, chose to accompany Marmi. Jose and Isabella were close family friends and they had continued to be good to her even after my dad had passed away. Kaiyah, Gideon and Pumpkin were all resting peacefully when the moment arrived for them to meet. After the incredible reunion at the airport we had a pleasant trip home sharing little things about the flight and such. As I unlocked and opened the door it was total quiet inside. We came in toting the small luggage brought for the short but much welcomed visit. Marmi looked around taking it all in and then asked where her grand cats and dog were. The first one to greet her was Pumpkin with the official Pumpkin roll and his fluffy tail swishes. She was so excited at his handsome sweet demeanor and clasped her hands with joy. Gideon who had been quite the phone communicator meowing and engaging in many long &ldquo;conversations&rdquo; with her was as shy as could be. We all laughed at his hiding and peeking and tiny mews meeting her. I had suggested we call him and see if that would help with introductions. And when it came to Kaiyah my mom almost cried at meeting her and they had a quiet gentle interaction with Kaiyah laying nearby as Marmi settled on the couch to rest a little bit. As I was preparing things and getting Isabella acclimated to my home and where she would be sleeping, Marmi and Kaiyah were taking in each other&rsquo;s presence for a short time. That was a sweet point in time for me to see my Mom in my little home with her grand furbabies laughing and just being&hellip; precious.
That week went so quickly with all the preps and goings and comings with work and meetings. Marmi and Kaiyah had a few endearing moments that week. They found themselves in the backyard sitting in the shade, walking the space with the kitties and enjoying the lovely weather and visiting backyard birds. My mom also found time to work a few of her much loved crossword puzzles and time to reflect away from the immense world she had left across the country. We spoke of my dad and brothers and so many things that week and Kaiyah was usually right there with us.
Another special occasion occurred when my in-laws came to meet my mom; what a time that was. The voices chattering, the food, the laughter, the prayers, the furbabies basking in all the attention, all the bustling, and Peter and I were happy to see and hear it all.
We had hardly caught our breath from our wedding rehearsal, wedding party dinner, wedding and reception and getting things ready for our honeymoon. Before we knew it, it was all too soon time to say good-bye to my mom and Isabella. It was a different heartache that time but one with valuable healing and many happy moments. We had already said good-bye to Peter&rsquo;s lovely family after the reception as they had to get back to their lives as well. Rachel had kindly offered to take Marmi and Isabella back to the airport with full tummies and see them off safely, and to care for our furbabies while we were away. She was an incredibly generous blessing to us. The animals loved Rachel and I knew they would be happy under her prayerful attentive care, we both knew it. My heart was so happy and yet there was deep sadness as well. It is hard to communicate how profoundly complex the emotions were in my heart that day but it was still very special.
With God&rsquo;s Grace and Courage undergirding us, we both had waited many years to discover each other. We waited to see what the Lord had in store, and then we waited to receive the gift of the marriage of promise and the intimate embrace that was reserved within that promise. The enemy of God&rsquo;s Faithful does not like those kind of choices but God Protected and Strengthened our hearts all the way. I found solace that very special day in the Truth that The Lord is Faithful and He does make everything beautiful in His time. He can be trusted with everything and He will steady us in the waiting rooms of life if we let Him. He knows what He is doing and we can rest and trust in Him. One of my favorite verses to remind myself is found in Psalm 27:14 &ldquo;Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.&rdquo;
Peter and I returned home with happy furbabies waiting to greet us officially as furmommy AND furdaddy. It was time we resumed our lives as newlyweds. Many things were different. And my daily mission hikes with Kaiyah occasionally had furdaddy Peter joining us. It was a new beginning that came with beautiful new furmily to embrace and we were on our new adventure together.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:30:10 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips For Better Pics 4&#x3a; Counting the Hours...</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12035</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips For Better Pics 4: Counting the Hours...]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work,"
Exodus 28:6
&nbsp;
You can really take pictures all day long.&nbsp;We often like to think that the bright of the day is the best time for scenics, and to a large degree, yes. But what if you want to really accent your Image with a special touch, namely to add a depth to it and make it more dynamic. It all has to do with what time you shoot. You have two opportunities in the morning and two in the evening; for both dawn and dusk. It's called the Golden hour and Blue hour. All you have to do is show up on time.
The Golden hour takes place roughly an hour after dawn and roughly an hour before sunset. The low angle of the sun gives off a really beautiful - wait for it - golden color that will really add a dramatic touch to the scenery. If we look at a lot of our favorite scenic images, we more than likely will find quite a few taken during these times. The shadows and the way the light reflects off of the landscape is truly special and well worth the effort.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Likewise the Blue hour has its own perks, as it occurs roughly 30-60 minutes after sunset and also&nbsp;30-60 minutes before dawn. As it's name implies, you can utilize the beautiful cooler&nbsp;tones of blue that occur during these times to give the scene a&nbsp;unique touch that, like the Golden hour, really adds to the overall presentation of the image. On top of that, as the sun continues to set you also have a period of twilight where the colors of the sky can take on such a magnificent range, from gold to orange to scarlet to blue to purple - really beautiful!&nbsp;God Put such incredible vibrancy in His Creation, and these colors that come out especially during these times remind me of the fitting verse from Exodus at the start of this article, regarding the ephod that The Lord's&nbsp;priests would wear (on their chest) in the service of the Sanctuary. These colors are indeed represented in various stages of sunset and sunrise, evening and morning, a reminder of the beginning and end&nbsp;of the day as God Designed it (See Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) Such a beautiful visual symmetry!
That's another one. Please feel free to leave comments and questions you may have! By God's Grace I will be back next week with another one.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:25:47 -0500</pubDate>
				<guid>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12035</guid>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 15</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11980</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 15]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 15 &ndash; You Stole My Dog
God is Slow to Anger
&nbsp;
Psalms 103:8
&ldquo;The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.&rdquo;
Proverbs 14:29 
&ldquo;He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.&rdquo;
Proverbs 15:1
&ldquo;A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
It was late afternoon as Kaiyah and I were going about our second &ldquo;mission hike&rdquo; of the day. It was still mild outside and we had ramped up our walks to include walking and jogging with occasional sprints thrown in for good measure. We both enjoyed that mix-up as it came with taking turns as to who would get things fired up or toned down. It was rewarding whistling her special tune, seeing her get ready, then I would call out &ldquo;Mush Kaiyah, mush!&rdquo; She would haul forward and start her teeter totter bounding across the soft sand. Or she would unexpectedly launch ahead and I would have to follow her. Then she would slow down, or I would say &ldquo;Easy,&rdquo; and that brought us down to whatever pace was the next least in speed. Sometimes when we would be doing the walk or jog I would chase her by excitedly crying, &ldquo;Give me that tailie&hellip; going to get that curly tailie Kaiyah!!&rdquo; After Kaiyah learned what that was all about she would kick into the funniest hop and sprint as I gently grabbed the end of her little tail&hellip; She would shoot out like she was in a race with a thoroughbred horse and would get into a full on gallop! I couldn&rsquo;t help but feel laughter and joy when we would play mush and chase games. She would totally be having a blast looking at me sometimes just waiting for another go at the &ldquo;whistle n&rsquo; mush&rdquo; or the &ldquo;tailie chase&rdquo;. It was good fun and honestly a super workout.
Our bond was much stronger by that time and so was her confidence. I was grateful that a kind and pleasant lady vet had moved in across the way. She had encouraged me to let Kaiyah choose the path as that was part of who she was. I heeded her counsel and had begun to ask Kaiyah to take the lead in choosing the path on forks of trails. At first Kaiyah didn&rsquo;t know what to make of it. She would just stand there looking back and forth, and then back at me.&nbsp; In the beginning she would often just sit down and wait for me to do what I had been doing and that was mostly leading out our treks. With patience and encouraging words, and letting the leash out with no pull, she began to realize I was asking her make the call. Once she got that in her little head, her heart and body would eventually just flow with that decision and I would be right there with her. Blossoming and blooming was happening for little Kaiyah Takota and it was beautiful to be part of!
The same routine was in play on that afternoon when on our way back to the trailhead by our home, a fair haired young boy, about eight to ten years of age, moved toward the trail with what appeared to be his mother walking beside him. I noticed them coming across from the roadside and were slowly making their way to the bend in the trail and had stopped. Kaiyah and I were always careful in our approach as you just never know what someone might be up to, so we kept our usual cadence. I waved and followed the trail around as the woman called out, &ldquo;Excuse me!&rdquo; I stopped and so did Kaiyah. We turned to face them and waited a moment. The young boy snarled out with a red face, &ldquo;You stole my dog!!!&rdquo;
I couldn&rsquo;t believe my ears! I felt dumb struck and a bit of anger rising up, so I immediately put to prayer in my heart asking the Lord for Help and Discernment; to slow me down inside, for the right heart, and how to respond to such a ridiculous and untrue accusation. I waited in silence and watched Kaiyah for any signs of recognition of them at all. I knew I had adopted her from a rescue and I knew what they had told me of her known history. I also knew of her myself but I wanted to allow truth to breathe into that moment for all our sakes. For me, stealing was against my God, and I couldn't fathom doing such a thing - ever... I asked the Lord for His Grace, and was silent. I asked the Lord for His Mercy and was silent. Kaiyah&rsquo;s posture was indifferent; she showed zero signs of interest and zero signs of recognition.
We had been routinely on those trails for a couple of years so that was, in my mind - absurd. I looked over at the two of them and asked how they knew this was their dog, and they didn&rsquo;t answer. Again the young boy cried out that I had stolen his dog. I spoke quietly and said that I had not stolen her and that she was adopted. I then felt a clear prompting to let out Kaiyah&rsquo;s leash, step back about four or so feet from where she was laying down by that time, and politely ask him to call her to him. The fair haired young boy looked up at the woman beside him and she urged him inaudibly. He called her to come&hellip; no name&hellip; just, &ldquo;come girl!&rdquo; while slapping his legs to signal her to come. Kaiyah did nothing, not one thing. I waited, I watched and prayed. I prompted him to do so again and he half-heartedly did it with a very red face... Kaiyah did nothing at all except look back at me like she was asking me what this was.&nbsp; I waited quietly and then slowly walked back to Kaiyah reeling in the loose leash and said that she was not his dog and that I was sorry for whatever happened to his dog, and that I would pray for them. Kaiyah took one look at me knowing we were done, got up and started toward our home. I said goodbye to them&hellip; They said nothing. I could tell the boy was forlorn, frustrated and the woman just put her hand on his shoulder and they walked away.&nbsp;
That was one very strange encounter, but one I am grateful I sought the Lord for His Wisdom and Counsel on right away. I needed His Help and to follow His Example to be merciful, gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. Clearly they had a problem and a big hurt and I did not want to add to that at all... Being slow to wrath and being soft in answering was the way to respond. In that incident, praise God, I did apply that correctly and yet anyone who is close to me knows (as I do), that this lesson is still a work in progress for me. Kaiyah in her own way was a good example of being still, listening carefully and waiting in that situation as well. That life lesson also pointed out to me how important it is not to come at anyone hastily, especially charging someone with something you aren&rsquo;t sure about and not to act hastily especially when hurting inside.&nbsp;
As Kaiyah and I made the rest of our way down the trail and back home we both seemed to have to shake off that awkward experience.&nbsp; Upon entry I gave her a big hug and thanked her for being so gracious in that situation and affirmed she was my Kaiyah and that I loved for keeps. I believe the feelings were mutual. I prayed for the woman, the young boy, and their missing pet again.&nbsp; I had to forgive them and then surrender it all to the Lord. As I was about to get up from that moment with Kaiyah Takota and prayer; I was tickled by greeting kitty noses wondering what took so long and where was dinner! As I got that ready, my three furbabies were having their own little meeting about things and then quietly waited with eager anticipation except Gideon; he was the chief spokesman, who had let out resounding sets of meows: letting me know they were waiting, to be plentiful in kibbles, and then, finally, to announce the entrance of the descending food bowls.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2025 21:45:10 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips for Better Pics 3&#x3a; Don&#x27;t Get Distracted&#x21;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/12020</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips for Better Pics 3: Don&apos;t Get Distracted!]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Luke 6:41
&nbsp;
And so, here I write again, this time regarding a very common situation we photographers often find ourselves in. It seems so basic. You go out and find a great place to take some pictures, and set up the tripod or whatever rig you use, and snap away some real gems. Great weather, check. It's not blowing and it's still, check. Exposure and everything on the mark, check.
You take your pictures, stop on the way home to have a bite to eat and maybe grab a coffee (or whatever beverage you prefer) and you get home. Time passes and you get to your pictures, and looking through them you start to notice things you didn't see when you were reviewing them on the camera screen.
One of them has a branch from a tree dangling in the corner of the frame. Another one has a person coming up the trail looking at you. Another one - oh how did that signpost get in the way. Yet another, and you ask, I got the telephone pole wires in there?
As you can guess, we photographers need to be aware of our surroundings. We need to pay careful attention to what is in our camera's line of sight. We need to make sure we don't have any unnecessary objects that can grab our attention from our subject being photographed. In other words, we need to avoid distractions.
One of the things I learned early on particularly when it came to building portfolios for microstock sites such as Shutterstock and Getty Images, etc., is that they are very particular and critical of submitted photos having these distractions in the image, and rightfully so.
It really does take away from&nbsp;a beautiful majestic view of something scenic&nbsp;and in the foreground you have someone walking by or a branch sticking out from the side; a glaring rusty pole sticking out like a sore thumb, or part of a bright umbrella in the corner edge, and so on.&nbsp;Thankfully, these things can often be completely avoided by waiting a moment, looking around, and timing your shot. Even if you need to move a few feet to the left or right or forward, you can often fix the issue very quickly just by being aware of your surroundings. And yes, you won't always be able to crop out the issue...
More and more popular is the idea of just "Photoshopping" out the object with the "Spot Healing Brush tool," the "Remove tool," or "editing it in post(processing)" but I can tell you it is much easier to avoid the object(s) in your image to begin with.
Don't get me wrong, there will be times where these situations are unavoidable, especially if they're further in front of you and you can only move so far, but&nbsp;Adobe Photoshop (or other editing software)&nbsp;can be very helpful with that. Often times it's best to save yourself the effort and compose your shot without them where you can. Just something to be aware of!
As I reflect on the lesson taught by the Lord Jesus in that passage from the Gospel of Luke&nbsp;that started this article, I understand He was talking about something specifically different; about judging others and yet neglecting our own faults or sins.&nbsp;
Yet interestingly, I believe there (can) be an application to this photography subject too,&nbsp;that we need to have an awareness of ourselves, our surroundings, and mindful of things we may be neglecting in our lives. And sometimes, ignoring that beam that is in front of our own eye, coming out of the foreground... In any&nbsp;case, paying attention to important&nbsp;detail and focusing on what we can do better ourselves with God's Help.&nbsp;Hope that helps, and again&nbsp;please feel free to leave comments and questions. We are always happy&nbsp;to hear from you... By God's Grace I will be back next week with yet another one.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2025 21:41:40 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 14</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11967</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 14]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 14 &ndash; Liftie Paw
God&rsquo;s Hand is There
&nbsp;
1 Thessalonians 5:11
&ldquo;Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.&rdquo;
1 Peter 3:4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
1 Peter 4:9
&ldquo;Use hospitality one to another without grudging.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Autumn had arrived and with it came Peter and my official wedding engagement. We continued our marriage preparations with Godly intentions, prayer and hopefulness as the day approached. We were excited and extended family moments had come with a lot of joy, hospitality, and sharing.&nbsp;&nbsp; Peter and I had flown out to visit my Marmi earlier that season. With the grief she still was processing that was an especially precious time. Thankfully that visit provided a time of comforting and edifying that was so needed. It was a valuable opportunity for my mom and Peter to get to know each other and share opinions on a number of issues. It also provided me the important opportunity of taking Peter around where I had spent many years presenting him a visual to go with some of my history.
We also visited his family again, after our engagement and it was also very precious. They did everything they could to open their home and family to me. I was thrilled they didn&rsquo;t mind Kaiyah coming on those trips and we had a wonderful time. She was like a celebrity dog, getting her picture taken and an endless array of yummy treats and considerate care attending her personal needs. She loved their little carpets and just found herself totally relaxed and enjoying the whole process although still reserved. Peter&rsquo;s family was warm and thoughtful and they carried that right along into having Kaiyah in their midst. She had come a long way in her progress and did really well on the drives plus her little curly tail was evident. Learning her personality took many years as the healing of her little soul needed time and patience. I know that process well. I prayed often for the Lord&rsquo;s Help and Discernment.
Kaiyah was more confident and yet never boldly went over to anyone. She would greet quietly from a distance and wait. Only with Raymundo had she shown such a boldness to approach. She also enjoyed Rachel&rsquo;s company. Peter and Kaiyah were building a respectful bond and I was grateful. Having only experienced one canine friendship in his early years with a little sweet dog named Gina, he was careful and kind. I never pushed Kaiyah outside her own boundaries in socializing. She had a huge distance and was very particular in who she wanted to be close to or not and rightfully so. She would often quietly observe someone before deciding what to do or not do. As I observed her how often I would pray for God&rsquo;s Wisdom and Guidance and that she would discover happy husky wholeness.
There came along an occasion that Kaiyah would have the chance to meet Peter&rsquo;s sister, Nicole. It was late in the afternoon and rays of golden sun were lighting up the living room. There was the soft knock on the door I went to open it and welcomed in Peter&rsquo;s sister. I could tell she was tired from her work day but her demeanor was always kindly, gentle and meek. She carefully chose her place to sit down and put her purse next to her feet on the floor. Nicole had seen Kaiyah on the way in as she was laying on the floor totally restful. She softly but happily greeted, &ldquo;Hi Kaiyah.&rdquo; I did my usual introductions. Kaiyah had lifted her head to make her observation, watched a few minutes then put her head back down quietly listening. I noticed Kaiyah was paying attention and wasn&rsquo;t sleeping so I went and pet her as I often would do. After a little bit of catching up I went into the kitchen and got busy about getting things ready and such when I noticed Kaiyah looking over at Nicole. Peter, who arrived shortly before, and his sister were softly chatting and enjoying the quiet moments to just be. My two sweet boy cats, Gideon and Pumpkin, were just as friendly as they wanted and went about doing what they did. Pumpkin made sure to personally give the lifted nose greeting and swished his fluffy tail before cascading into his Pumpkin roll on the floor by Kaiyah.
The next time I looked, Kaiyah had made her way right next to Nicole and was looking at her intently. She sat down next to her purse with her ears straight up and head slightly tilted. Kaiyah kept looking and after about a minute took her right paw and offered it to Nicole in a gentle &ldquo;handshake&rdquo;, that action would become known as the famous &ldquo;liftie paw,&rdquo; and Kaiyah leaned into Nicole. It took me a few seconds to realize that special encounter was really happening as I had never seen her do that and definitely did not teach that to her. I remember very excitedly saying to them that Kaiyah had never done that before and acknowledged immediately the special connection. Nicole was gentle and spoke soft pleasant toned kind words of acknowledgement and stroked her fur and held her paw in her hand. That preciously sweet way she said, &ldquo;Awwww honey&hellip;&rdquo; was like good medicine right back to Kaiyah&rsquo;s heart. The &ldquo;liftie paw&rdquo; session went on for several minutes. I was in silent awe of that connection and Kaiyah&rsquo;s care for reaching out in this way to Nicole and for Nicole&rsquo;s sweet response. It was wonderful to see. We all sat and took in the moment while Nicole continued to embrace the encounter with Kaiyah. And this was not the last occasion those two would have such a bonding time. It was becoming clearer to me that Kaiyah had her own ministry and her own way and mind about things, and that she was far more engaged at a depth way beyond my understanding.
The close of that lovely evening came with Kaiyah sitting by the door and watching her new buddy leave. She looked back at me and seemed to say, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s my friend.&rdquo; After Peter left shortly thereafter, I sat down on the sofa and enjoyed quietly thinking over the evening and petting my sweet furbabies. I considered the importance of pleasant words and kindly actions and the testimony of both I saw between Kaiyah and Nicole. I had a curious moment with Kaiyah asking her about the &ldquo;liftie paw&rdquo; and that special interaction.
That night, before bed time prayers, Kaiyah surprised me as she reached up and offered me her &ldquo;liftie paw&rdquo;. She put her little muzzle right on top of the paw n&rsquo; hand pile and looked up to me with the sweetest expression. It was a treasured moment. I will never forget it and the stirring it caused in my heart toward my Lord Who is the most meek, edifying, comforting, hospitable Person in the Universe and Whose Hand is reaching out to hold ours right where we are. The Passage of Psalm 63:8 &ldquo;My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right Hand upholdeth me,&rdquo; was to me a wee reminder of God&rsquo;s special Heavenly &ldquo;Liftie Paw&rdquo; that is always there for us.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2025 21:39:53 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips for Better Pics 2&#x3a; Gone With The Wind</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11998</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips for Better Pics 2: Gone With The Wind]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["And He Arose, and Rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
Mark 4:39
&nbsp;
This next one is probably going to be so obvious, that I wasn't sure if I should even write about it, but interestingly enough it can be rather&nbsp;overlooked. This can affect scenic shots, and will definitely affect any still life shots you take outdoors, especially of smaller animals and things like flowers - and that would be - wind. Yep. That's it. Wind.
Now look. I get it that obviously we can't control windy days. And also, if you are out on a trip and you see something you want to take a picture of, there's nothing you can do if there's a strong breeze. Of course.
What I'm refering to is more along the lines of a trip or drive or walk where you know ahead of time what you want to take, and you have some time to plan ahead for it with the goal of getting the best shot possible. (and can come back maybe if you need to another time) Same situation as my first article here:&nbsp;Simple Tips for Better Pics 1: Cloudy Days Can Be Good!&nbsp;What I like to do is as I'm planning the night before for the shoot I'll take a look at the weather forecast and see if they're saying it will be gusty. Then I try to adjust to a day I can manage where the conditions would &nbsp;likely be more ideal.
No need to overthink it. Just try to avoid any breezy or windy days when you can. I mean, if it's not too hectic then yes you can just increase your shutter speed and then offset it either with your ISO or aperture. Sure. But there will be some situations&nbsp;where it just get's out of hand. Namely again with those close-ups and macros of insects and flowers, etc. Just too blurry and difficult to get that TAC sharp image. Below is a comparison of a Bumblebee I took with blurry results versus the one below it, which will show where I'm going with this. It really can make that much of a difference...&nbsp;Even with landscapes it is so deflating to get a nice shot you think is spectacular, wanting to blow it up to a 20x30 wall print, and... only to find that all the foliage (and anything else not held down) is smeared from all the motion blur that occurred. It is what it is. I have had these situations, and it can be frustrating! Just saying... I go back and think about the above passage from the Gospel of Mark, where the Lord Jesus commanded the wind to be still, and the calm that ensued. Boy, photography moments like this make me appreciate a calm, non-windy day for sure!
Hope that helps, and again&nbsp;please feel free to leave comments and questions; we love to hear from you! By God's Grace I will be back next week with another one.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2025 21:38:55 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 13</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11964</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 13]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 13 &ndash; Careening Toward Joy
God&rsquo;s Presence Creates a Noise 
&nbsp;
Psalm 16:11
&ldquo;Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.&rdquo;
Psalm 98:4
&ldquo;Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Romans 12:15
&ldquo;Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Life was rolling along like a river raft working its way around rocks and bends while welcoming the occasional lull of quieter waters as it continued in the flow. A new year was a little more than half way through already, and with that came a deepening friendship with a man named Peter, the editor of this mini-novel and the one and only love of my life. I had come to know him over the years; a story for another time, and we were officially courting toward marriage with Godly intention. We didn&rsquo;t see each other all the time as some do but were often more deliberate in how we spent our time and in our discussions. Work was intense as it usually was but also rewarding. I had chosen to &ldquo;let go&rdquo; of my non-profit ministry after much prayer and deliberation. It broke my heart but I believed it was making room for the transitions that my Heavenly Father knew were up ahead. I &ldquo;let go,&rdquo; but it hurt and it left me a bit out of sorts...
Some of my friendships were also changing and that too could not be stopped. At the time I worked very hard against what I feared was ahead for them&hellip; and our friendship, but eventually I would be forced to &ldquo;let go&rdquo; and trust God and let their free-will have its way&hellip; another set of stories for another time. A profound and rather explosive lesson was coming directly my way; one that would strike soundly that no matter how much we love others we can&rsquo;t make their decisions for them even it leads to destruction. Overly protecting can be just as wrong as under protecting&hellip; to this very day I continue to earnestly pray for discernment, humility and confidence to trust my Loving Protective Sovereign God with everything. It&rsquo;s still not easy.
My Marmi and I were continuing to build stronger bonds after my Pop&rsquo;s passing. She was still devastated by the reverberating impact his death had on her and all the other grief that she was already carrying. Her faith in Jesus was strong but she was weary.&nbsp;&nbsp; She had her three kitties keeping her company and the many faces and places she had known and shared with close by; that was good. It was awful being so far away from her. Marmi would hold her own to stay there, and she would say that was her home with my dad and full of memories of their life together. Being consistent in communicating and sharing what I could of my life seemed to make her happy and bring her close that way. God is Faithful and He has a plan and a purpose for everything.
Peter and I had planned a day trip in mid-July that year to visit Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. We both wanted to have a fun day out hiking, and for him to do some photography, which he often did when we would go out and about, and for me to bring Kaiyah into a new environment. He knew she was dealing with things and so was I. It was time for a road trip.
We loaded up my old SUV with all the essentials which always included prayer, my little Bible, water for everyone and healthy snacks. We took my vehicle because it had room for everything and was a safe place for traveling with Kaiyah plus it provided air conditioning and shelter from the hot sun. She hopped in with effortless enthusiasm and then we were off and heading up that much enjoyed roadway to the red rocks of Sedona. It was a super pleasant ride and the weather was sunny with a nice smattering of puffy white clouds which gave way for a very happy photographer.
Upon reaching our destination we found ourselves in the midst of trees, a meadow and wide open skies. Kaiyah was panting. Riding in vehicles was not her all time favorite thing to do but she looked more hopeful when we finally stopped and parked under a shade tree in the gravel parking lot. I opened the hatch and we watched her pop out - landing on all fours - and looking about kind of dazed. We gathered our gear, locked up the vehicle and began to get our bearings to head toward the monument we came to see. For me that area is beautiful so I was already a happy lady from just the drive. The company was pretty special too.
As we approached the designated trail into the woods Kaiyah&rsquo;s ears perked and her &ldquo;mission hike&rdquo; posture was setting in. She looked back and forth, front and behind and seemed tentative as to who would lead our little pack into the wilderness. Stepping onto the dark brown lightly moist soil and entering into the woods immediately came with cooler air and a freshness that could only come from that earthy woodsy environment. The trail was not very wide but well beaten down and smooth. Not too many people were out that day. However there was the usual eager impatient folks who act like everyone is in their way, the happy visitors who want to talk or have children to corral as they slowly stroll along, the folks who think they have to break the rules including having their dogs mostly off leash, and then the folks like us who steadily made their way with dog on leash with the need to stop and explore once in a while. &nbsp;
Soon the path beneath our feet began to travel alongside a quiet moving creek. I think we all were excited when we saw the sunlight glistening off the surface of the water and hearing the gentle rhythm as it lapped against the edge of the forest. It was a peaceful invigorating moment and one I noticed Kaiyah was finding enticing. Having her on a retractable leash allowed me to let her move a little more freely when no one was close by and &ldquo;reel&rdquo; her in when I needed her to stay a tad closer, and she showed me she had another path in mind. She wanted to be closer to the water. Unfortunately, I couldn&rsquo;t let her do that in a few of those spots due to steep inclines and slippery areas with a bunch of dead tree debris. No way was I going to allow her to get entangled but I did let her get &ldquo;her feet wet&rdquo; a few times as we continued on.
We had a couple close encounters with a few off leash dogs who were rambunctious along with their owners who were just as much and flippant of any kind remarks to put their dogs on leash. I was used to moving out of the way and keeping her from being run over. She was a gentle and well-mannered girl and was not very social toward most dogs especially aggressive or overly friendly ones. We managed to get through those encounters without incident, praise God, and worked our way enjoying the sights and sounds of the forest and the ever widening creek moving with us.
Peter took a moment here and there looking for spots to photograph observing the lighting and composition, how many clouds were there or not, and whatever else was in his mind to consider and enjoy of God&rsquo;s Beauty out there. We noticed a widening in the path and before we knew it the creek had broadened and this amazing golden earthen rock structure had come into view and with it the forest faded behind us. Being in the fullness of the sunshine and the breeze that lightly danced over the waters brought a comforting invigoration with it. Kaiyah immediately curled her tail, ears straight up, her fur all thick and she shook herself bathing in that sun. She looked at me and then immediately went in to mush mode&hellip; this she had not done with me before. She wanted to explore the large floor of wide rocks, smell the air, and get to the water. Kaiyah was in her element and it showed. She glowed in that sun bouncing off the rocks and water. She stood with a beauty and strength I had not seen in her until that moment. It was a sight to behold and my heart rejoiced for her.
I pointed out the transformation to Peter as he was in his element scoping things out for pictures and admiring the landscape. He laughed with joy for her and we watched, Kaiyah Takota, being herself. Freedom and joy are precious to see. I was in my element seeing healing and beauty replacing despair and grief and being in such a beautiful place the Lord had provided and had brought us to together. It was a moment in time we all needed.
After a little while of just soaking in the experience, Kaiyah suddenly careened like a ship avoiding collision and purposely landed into the water that was just to her right. She had been tip-toeing her way around the area trying to figure out a way to get into the creek. I noticed and had been watching her with care so she didn&rsquo;t slip. I didn&rsquo;t know if she could swim. I didn&rsquo;t know if she would try to make a mad dash to the wide open desert if she got the chance, we were still building trust and companionship. Before I knew it she was up to her chest in the water and happy as you please. I reeled her in a little but Peter encouraged I let her enjoy herself and just stay close. I did and we watched her swim like she was born to it; I couldn&rsquo;t believe it! She swam up and down the deep water area coming to the lower flat part of the rock outcropping and then made her way to shore. She got out, shook herself really good and stared into the canyon and up at the rocks, closed her eyes and just breathed. We actually thought we heard a bark - we weren&rsquo;t sure - but there was a happy noise... It was marvelous to witness! I was praying much in my heart and the joy I felt was deep and satisfying. God is Good. He is my Faithful Rock and He is our Healing Refuge and I knew this was another appointment He had made.&nbsp;We took our sweet time there. Kaiyah took a few more swims. Peter took some incredible pictures and captured some of those special moments. We enjoyed a little snack time and continued to just embrace the gift we had been given before heading back. Kaiyah was high stepping and it appeared her little soul was full of God&rsquo;s Goodness. We all seemed to know when it was time to leave our little oasis and so we started down the beaten path once again. It was a somewhat swifter journey down the trail with Kaiyah&rsquo;s rejuvenated pace leading the way and yet a few more stops ensued as there were a couple areas Peter had spotted on the way in and wanted to further explore. The birds were singing and the warm air was breezing by. My hair was blowing in the wind, which I like, and Kaiyah was a happy wet dog and Peter was nicely tanning with his photo backpack in tow. We finally made it back to the origination of the trail or, as some call it, the trailhead. We took a little time there looking for what else we could discover and eventually made our way to my SUV. We were all content and had that good exhausted feeling. Kaiyah was still damp but she didn&rsquo;t smell like most wet dogs - she smelled like Kaiyah.&nbsp;&nbsp; We unlocked everything put in the gear and opened the hatch to air things out a bit. We walked Kaiyah a little more and she was happy and still high stepping with her curly tail. Then all of sudden, after I gave her the signal to get into the vehicle, she jumped in, twirled around, stood tall and true, and let out the most beautiful soft husky barks my ears have ever heard! Kaiyah had found her bark and it was truly a joyful noise!
We laughed and encouraged her and rejoiced in the Lord right along with her. That was a pivotal moment for Kaiyah and for us. It was a special day and one I will always remember...&nbsp;Sharing that story with my mom was also a great comfort and joy for her. It was a great reminder to all of us that God will show us the path of life, that following and being in His Presence, where He is, is fullness of joy and that He has incredible pleasures for those who abide with Him that will be forever. What a promise! In addition it reminded me that His Timing is always perfect and often times come with bonus happy thoughts that are contagious. Knowing all the many days Marmi prayed for and asked me about Kaiyah and her bark; this was especially dear to her and permitted me to see the wisdom from Proverbs 12:25 in action before my eyes. &ldquo;Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.&rdquo; We sure did praise and rejoice in the Lord together for that answer to prayer and hearts absolutely were gladdened.
Like the analogy of the river raft mentioned earlier, my life was experiencing unsteadiness and difficulty in areas, so for sure and for certain that day Kaiyah wasn&rsquo;t the only one careening for joy and, praise be to God, with Him at the helm some repairing of heart and fortifying of soul was done for me as well. I may not have barked like sweet Kaiyah but I totally made a joyful noise too!
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 22:27:02 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Milota, Jr.]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Simple Tips for Better Pics 1&#x3a; Cloudy Days Can Be Good&#x21;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11983</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simple Tips for Better Pics 1: Cloudy Days Can Be Good!]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["For Thy Mercy is great above the heavens: and Thy Truth Reacheth unto the clouds."
Psalm 108:4
&nbsp;
Hi there! After some prayer and reflection on times past I decided to share some experiences and observations from my journey through photography over the years, and thought to publish this series of articles the next several weeks that take little - but important - tips that I have learned, (many times from mistakes with pictures I took,) and put them in short - to the point - bite size (ha ha byte size?) bits of discussion that will contrast comparison pictures (taken on different days, and the compositions may be slightly different) to illustrate what and why I am talking about these things.
So for this one, this is going to be specifically for landscape photos but, can actually improve other shots as well, even outdoor portraits - more on that in a bit. It's really simple. When we want to get an attractive landscape, one of the most important things that helps is a... very dynamic sky. And the best way to do that? Hope for a cloudy day! I don't mean like totally overcast - no, but rather, take advantage of opportunities where you have a smattering of various puffy (or wispy) clouds. It makes such a difference in the overall look.&nbsp;Not only is the image filled with more to catch your eye, it also helps diffuse harsh lighting so that you have more balanced tones and contrast ends up more gentle, and highlights don't blow out as much and shadows aren't as harsh. This is what I referred to earlier about outdoor shots other than landscapes including portraits. There's simply a better visual environment when you have some clouds around to diffuse the light and fill the sky with dynamic action.&nbsp;&nbsp;Obviously, we can't custom order a cloud filled day - it is what it is, and sometimes we travel out of necessity, but with that said... I have found that if you are planning a scenic trip to take pictures, and you have a few days ahead to plan for it - take a quick look and see what the weather is forcasted to be. What I specifically look for is partly cloudy or, if there's rain, what's the first day they expect it to stop. I can't tell you what a difference it makes when you can catch a scene after a rainstorm. Not only is the ground more saturated with color, but the ionized air is cleaner&nbsp;from the storm and comes with all the benefits mentioned prior that, because of the high dew-point remaining, typically guarantees there will still be attractive clouds to fill your sky, as they slowly dissipate away over the next&nbsp;several hours.
Reflecting on the Psalm above that started this article, I realize how much more of an impact clouds can have - a depth and expanse visually that gives glory to God, and can be emotionally uplifting as well!
That wraps up that one, I hope that helps and please feel free to leave comments and questions; we love to hear from you!
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 22:25:54 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 12</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11946</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 12]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 12 &ndash; Special Delivery
God&rsquo;s Kind of Words
&nbsp;
Proverbs 15:4
&ldquo;A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.&rdquo; 
Proverbs 15:23
&ldquo;A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!&rdquo;
Proverbs 16:24 
&ldquo;Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
As the beautiful days of fall were moving along and the cooler nights had resumed, my friend and brother in the Lord, Raymundo, had decided to come out to visit some of his family as well as myself. We would have a little gathering with others for prayer and to praise the Lord on that short little trip. He had been praying for Kaiyah and knew her story and was genuinely touched by it. Having an incredible testimony of the Grace and Intervention of God in his life, he knew what it was like to need healing from the wounds in his soul on a very deep level. On that weekend Raymundo made an ardent point of making sure to visit with her too and it didn&rsquo;t take long for that to happen.
Kaiyah and the kitties were quietly resting in their happy places when Raymundo arrived. He rang the door bell and knocked on the door and all ears were turned to hear who was there. Raymundo was a man small of stature but tall and strong in character; a fiery gentleman with a great laugh and smile to go with it. He spoke with an accent and a tone that was apparently quite interesting to Kaiyah as she was fully looking his way. At that time she was usually indifferent to the comings and goings at our home but that day was special. After our greeting and saying hello to the kitties, he asked loudly, &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s Kaiyah!?&rdquo; Of course, she was right there and he knew it. With his sparkly brown eyes intently looking at her he walked right over to her and said more quietly but just as strong, &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s Kaiyah?&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp; She looked at him and sat up almost as if to say, I am right here. It was the first time I had ever seen her respond that way and her eyes had sparkled right back at him. He didn&rsquo;t pet her but spoke to her and told her she was beautiful. She seemed to soak it up like a dry sponge. Mind you I had been speaking kind and affirming words over her as well but there was something unique going on.
Raymundo and I walked over to the kitchen, and while I was getting us some water with lemon, Kaiyah had found her way to where he was sitting. I couldn&rsquo;t believe it. That was bold movement for her as she often hesitated to approach strangers or even some she knew by this time. She wanted and seemed to know that she needed to hear what he had to say. And so Raymundo&rsquo;s visit with Kaiyah began at that precise moment.
She had positioned herself right at his feet sitting tall and pretty as you please in the kitchen. Those pretty ears of hers were pointed and her tail was curled and she had given him her undivided attention. I stayed out of the area and observed as Raymundo spoke to her with joy in a higher pitched playful but sincere way, &ldquo;Kaiyah you are so beeeaautiful.&rdquo; He repeated that many times and assured her of God&rsquo;s Healing and the joy in his sharing was palpable. He told her about his little dog Roxy and many things about himself. That meeting continued for a nice length of time then Kaiyah and he just seemed to know when that special conversation was finished. She happily bounced her way back to the living room looking totally content and happy. Then she laid herself down looked over at him, put her head down and rested. That was one special ministry moment Kaiyah had received. Raymundo was also quite happy and content having had a moment to refresh and speak words of life and affirmation over her.
Once again, I was in awe how the Lord was caring for his little husky, and that blessed me. Praise God for Raymundo&rsquo;s compassionate consideration for her life and for the joyful words he spoke over her while he visited and later when we would chat on the phone. That sharing reminded me, once again, of how important our words really are like I have read many times in the Scriptures. And in this case for sure they were &ldquo;pleasant words like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.&rdquo; They were indeed spoken in due season and how good it was!
I have pondered that encounter many times with delight in my heart and a big smile on my face. I still marvel at God&rsquo;s Timing and the immense impact words can have even if the person didn&rsquo;t know, plan or intend to say or write them. &nbsp;Knowing that a &ldquo;wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit&rdquo; stirs in me a conviction of heart to be careful with my words and to encourage others to listen to God&rsquo;s Wisdom regarding words. It is still a work in progress for me. It is a fact that people don&rsquo;t weigh their words as carefully and meaningfully as they used to, and yet more words are used today than any point in our history. Like physical, mental, or emotional abuse, verbal abuse or verbal neglect has been around for a long time and is very damaging. I think we can all relate and we all need God&rsquo;s kind of words, not perverseness, to help us in gaining wholeness. I know I do.
Kaiyah was on her way into greater healing and the words and actions to validate her value and that she was loved was sinking in deeply, while at the same time undoing the damage that had been done prior to her rescue. As with people and all living things, maintaining love and consistency in everything was paramount. God is Love and He is Consistent. As Psalm 33:4 states, &ldquo;For the word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth.&rdquo; How good it is to hear His Word!
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 22:45:57 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; Lemon Aid Perch</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11966</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: Lemon Aid Perch]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13
&nbsp;
Introducing Mr. Pluffy Teetu!
This is our other little cockatiel, and he would also like to say hello... and he actually can say "hello!"
He's a friend of Mr. Cotton, and has an important message for anyone who has to deal with life's "lemons:"
If you've been given a "lemon" in life, like&nbsp;in my picture... Don't be afraid of it; I was at first. You don't have to make lemonade. You can make it a "perch!" It will certainly give you a different view, and you'll certainly look different on it... Plus, it feels good on the feet! The only hard part is landing on it - but I did!
Again, you can do all things through Christ Who Strengthens you!
So the next time you get a "lemon," don't squeeze... Just land!
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 22:45:22 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 11</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11938</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 11]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 11 &ndash; Consistency
The Lord Does Not Change
&nbsp;
Job 12:7-10
&ldquo;But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.&rdquo;
Hebrews 13:8
&ldquo;Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.&rdquo; 
Revelation 1:8
&ldquo;I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
We have all heard the clich&eacute; about the inevitable ups and downs of life, for me this was just as real and true and it is also true and real for everyone including my little kitties and with my little husky. Little ups for Kaiyah had started to appear as she had begun to ask me for the mission hikes instead of me just taking her. She was showing interest in &ldquo;treats&rdquo; which she didn&rsquo;t do at all before. She stopped chewing at things she shouldn&rsquo;t pretty quickly, thank God. She would start to come out to greet me when I would return home. She would show playful paw and muzzle activity with Gideon and Pumpkin. She would lay down wherever she felt was cozy and just stretch out in the most languid manner - and many other little signs that showed me trust and healing were happening and becoming more consistent. Sometimes it is easy for us to overlook those little improvements.
When I have been prayerful, patient, watchful and consistent I have been blessed to be able to observe the &ldquo;budding&rdquo; of wholeness rising to the surface in lives around me and I was seeing that happening in Kaiyah. I totally love that process and find a genuine joy in nurturing that where I can, yep - including God&rsquo;s Creatures. Souls are precious, including mine, and need that and it is needed consistently. No one knows and does this more perfectly than my Loving God and Creator and it is displayed all over His universe and right here on His little blue planet, and in all that He has made and does. This is not always an easy process as most living things, (particularly people), have variances and there can be extremes like fragile or hardened, frightened or angry, demanding or indifferent, narcissistic or self rejecting, aggressive or passive; we are all complex and have imbalances in a number of areas. Personally I know this to be true of myself and those I have known. Animals are not the same as us but we share similarities... Plants are not the same either and yet share similarities. Similarities seem to be found in all things made in the heavens and the earth and all that dwells in it. We are not all the same but unique as the Creator has made us so, and yet He designed us to be together and so we share similarities. How could we not? In His Consistency He is Consistent.
I remind myself how Job offered an overwhelmed painful testimony of&nbsp;Sovereign God&rsquo;s Character and Consistency being known to His Creation, and that his "friends" were missing it. Job was going through tremendous trauma of loss and suffering, while being mocked by those who were his closest friends and even his wife scoffed at him. In one part of many, Job challenged the so-called counsel of those unwise friends who thought themselves to be so wise about what was happening to him saying, beautifully raw: &ldquo;But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.&rdquo; This is one potent Passage that should really humble the attentive human soul... It does mine!
As I continue to pray, study the Word, keep on learning - and try to live out my faith in my life (though I am not doing that perfectly) I have become more and more aware of the utter importance of consistency. This is how my Good Shepherd is&hellip; the same yesterday, today and forever. I find this absolutely fortifying and comforting. In the Scripture found in Malachi 3:6 God declares that He is The Lord and He changes not. Knowing that He alone is Good and He NEVER changes...&nbsp;is wondrously and simply hope infusing to my soul especially with the tests and trials in this life. He is overwhelming infinite stability. As I reflect that God Alone is, &ldquo;I Am Who I Am&rdquo;, that He is exactly Who He says He is at all times, does perfectly what He says He will do, and precisely means what He says - period. There are many who do not like that even amongst those who say they do... Just consider the arguments and divisions in the people who say they are His own, or any people discussing the meaning of His Written Word or how it is to be lived out.
In caring for others including my little animals and myself, consistency is so important. Consistency of good things like: kindness, gentleness, patience, love, self-control and all the other fruit of Holy Spirit that should be evident in my life; fresh clean water, good healthy food, exercise, things to stimulate them to keep on learning and being engaged with what and who they are, affirmation of value and good behavior, making sure they are healthy and if not tend to it, setting clear firm boundaries for knowing what not to do, protecting them whenever possible, providing ways for social bonding, keeping them clean and cared for, keeping a routine in place, paying attention to the temperature, listening to them&hellip; and many other ways I try to show consistency. I admit I think about many things much of the time which is another major reason I have purposed to stay as close to Jesus and His Word as possible. I need Him and His Consistency.
I personally believe that those things listed are important for every living thing at any stage including babies, children, and those young and for those with more years; and color or place makes no matter. I see this in the teeny and tiny things: fish, birds, reptiles, mammals - and in life all around me. Thank God He is God, and has every living soul and breath of mankind in His Hand! I also believe the application of those things listed should be thoughtfully individual because I have not met two identical living things ever. I like tending a garden and know that even when growing flowers, tomatoes, cherry bushes or anything, some need more water and others need less, some need to be pruned more and others don&rsquo;t need any, some need more mulch and others prefer you just let them be even if they &ldquo;seem&rdquo; identical...
When I take time to consider my walk with God, my marriage, my family, my friendships, the areas my life touches; the importance of consistency always reveals itself to be essential. I believe this is by His Design. It is after all how He is, and He wants me to follow Him and I want to. His Consistency truly &ldquo;buds and blossoms&rdquo; life, healing, trust and all that He declares is good.
As time went by that year with travels to visit my mom the second time after my dad passed away, as well as taking care of things at work, with ministry, and relationships, the presence of Esther&rsquo;s sweet purr and meow no longer there and Kaiyah and Pumpkin having joined the family ranks - consistency was again proving vital and helpful for all of us especially God&rsquo;s Consistency. Kaiyah was truly showing &ldquo;budding&rdquo; signs of healing and the trust building blocks were getting bigger... but we still had a ways to go. She still had not made a sound. She kept her tail straight down except on very rare occasions like seeing her coyote visitor and meeting Pumpkin. She drooped her head forward, had a sad far-away look, made her stress laps in the backyard but less frequently and with less fervor, and genuinely still carried a tremendous weight in her soul and so did I.
I was prayerful and determined, with God&rsquo;s Help, to be consistent like my Lord and to take each and every moment to walk that out even if others didn&rsquo;t like it or were not so consistent with me. However, my pets would show themselves to be consistent humble companions providing amazing testimony to the consistent goodness of God in my life and in Whose Hand we are all in.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:22:08 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Destination 7&#x3a; Total Onslaught</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11949</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Destination 7: Total Onslaught]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."
Revelation 13:6,7
&nbsp;
"And from Jesus Christ, who Is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that Loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood. And hath made us kings&nbsp;and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
Revelation 1:5,6
&nbsp;
This Spot Focus has been a long time coming and is one that we believe will be an immense eye opener... it was for us! Destination Seven, &ldquo;Total Onslaught&rdquo;, needs very little introduction if you are truly looking for answers as to the real war that is being waged and that is very soon coming to a climax; and the Blessed Hope we have in Jesus Christ.
Please join us, once again, as we visit Clash of Minds and Walter Veith in an incredibly comprehensive expose of Bible prophecy.&nbsp; In these profound and insightful presentations that peel back the layers of the enemy&rsquo;s &ldquo;cover-up&rdquo; in the battle of the greatest controversy of all time: the battle between Jesus Christ and Satan.&nbsp;
You will discover the meaning of many profound truths and find answers to many, many questions including what secrets have been hidden in plain sight since ancient times, the understanding of Biblical symbols, the beauty of God&rsquo;s Love and Salvation, and so much more, and ultimately... why this incredible 34 episode series is titled &ldquo;Total Onslaught.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Be forewarned that this particular series has turned many &ldquo;worlds right-side up&rdquo; and that many folks have binge-watched them, so plan accordingly!
Here are just a few subjects&nbsp;covered in the episodes:
&nbsp;
Jesus Christ - Just Another Man or Son of God?
Antichrist Revealed: The TRUE Identity They Don't Want You To Know - The Man Behind the Mask
Who Really Runs the World? - The Secret Behind Secret Societies
Why So Many Bible Versions? The UNTOLD Dark History of Bible Translations - Battle of the Bibles
Who Are the REAL Forces Behind NWO? Centuries of Organized Deception - Revolutions, Tyrants &amp; Wars
America In Bible Prophecy: Who Are The Two Beasts of Revelation 13? - Two Beasts Become Friends
What Happens When You Die? Unlocking the Mystic Realm of Death
&nbsp;
Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with any particular ministry, denomination, church group, organization, charity, or "movement." We believe in the Bible and the Bible alone, and that nothing needs to be added to it. Any views expressed by this organization is theirs and theirs alone. We do not collect any funds from any represented sources on our site. We are however featuring this material because of important Biblical truth that we believe should be considered.
As always, please do show your appreciation and support for Clash of Minds and Walter Veith, as they welcome your feedback,&nbsp;so please do reach out to them should you be looking to share your testimony after watching these, as well as questions that may arise as a result.
&nbsp;
You may view through their web-site here:
https://clashofminds.com/totalonslaught
&nbsp;
Until next time&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2025 22:21:34 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 10</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11937</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 10]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 10 &ndash; A New Friend
The Goodness of God
&nbsp;
Romans 8:28
&ldquo;And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.&rdquo;
Matthew 5:4
&ldquo;Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.&rdquo;
1 Chronicles 29:11-13
&ldquo;Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of Thee, and thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious Name.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Kaiyah was making progress. I was continuing to pray for my Heavenly Father&rsquo;s Help in every way I knew and was continuing to work on trusting Him with everything. I endeavored to ponder His Goodness and rely on His tender mercies as much as possible as I personally was still waiting for answers and needed His Comfort more than ever. Kaiyah and I had begun adding local road trips and new mission hike areas to tackle the anxiety and trauma that had caused her to not be a happy husky. That also was helping me too. Her tail remained long and low although her ears began to point upward a little more often. She had no interest in playing with balls or fetching or chew toys and I observed she was still very heavy with her grief and now I was too.
Before visiting my mom a second time the year my dad passed away, and having said good-bye to my kitty Esther, we had an unexpected new addition. My good friend Rachel had let me know that she had decided to give me her cat Pumpkin, who was a joint rescue on an apple picking trip in the autumn a few years prior. I had peripherally seen that little bit of kitten trotting down the main highway in the pull-over lane. Thankfully, there was no one else driving close by because my reaction was to announce what I saw, pray, slow and pull over as urgently as possible. Rachel was more than willing to hop out since I was behind the wheel and ran down to grab the little fella. She moved like she was in the race of her life and easily whisked him up in her arms. He was so tiny and had been hurt on his little mouth and was missing the skin off the tip of his little tail. It was amazing how that little guy was so brave trying to survive after what looked to be a cruel high speed drop in the middle of the road. I still marvel how I was able to notice him as we were traveling the speed limit, which was pretty fast, and he was a tiny bit of a thing.
We took the next exit that had a little store, bought wet cat food and water and watched him enjoy. He was adorable. Rachel was smitten. After our trip we arrived back safely and she took him to a kind vet who helped get him all fixed up along with many prayers and lots of love. He grew into a gorgeous dusty ginger and cream long-haired, kitten-faced man-cat and was one of the coziest little rascals you could meet. He was Pumpkin and he knew Gideon and had known Esther. Gideon was good with him and kept the young whipper-snapper in check when he was around. Rachel had been through some changes of her own and was concerned for his safety as he liked to sneak out real fast when you least expected it. She knew my dad and Esther had both passed away very recently and felt impressed to give me little Pumpkin. I knew if she gave me Pumpkin there was no way I could let him go and I told her so. He had won my heart too and I love for keeps.&nbsp;So my friend brought him over and Pumpkin had his first meeting with Kaiyah and a reunion with Gideon. Gideon was like &ldquo;There you are, where you been buddy?&rdquo; They had a relaxed respectful brother-like connection and the reunion was much welcome. Of course, Gideon was the watchful mentoring type who wouldn&rsquo;t take any slack from the playful side of Pumpkin. Pumpkin&rsquo;s personality was good for Gideon too. Gideon was a bit anxious and intense at times and needed to &ldquo;lighten up&rdquo; and &ldquo;take it easy&rdquo; which Pumpkin was good at naturally.
Pumpkin in his usual relaxed sweet way made his way around and soon found Kaiyah. He was totally enamored by her immediately. And the feeling was absolutely mutual. Kaiyah took one look at Pumpkin and perked right up. She was totally focused on him, ears full up, she raised up to a posture that was more on her tummy with paws forward and straight body with her tail right behind on the floor with a tiny curl up at the end, and he bravely stood right in front of her while letting himself be dog-scanned. He went right up to her and gave her one big long swish of his body down to the tip of his fluffy tail; which he followed with a four-paw standing gentle roll to his side with a whoosh of his pluff of a tail curling out from him slightly, kind of dog like, that would later become known as the famous &ldquo;Pumpkin Roll&rdquo;. She was clearly happy meeting him and even had her tail waggling slightly. She looked at me with soulful happy eyes and I said, &ldquo;Kaiyah, this is Pumpkin. Pumpkin this is Kaiyah.&rdquo; That was it and the bond began right then and there. As I pondered this later I came to realize how much Pumpkin&rsquo;s markings and color was like her own puppies. And with that happy go lucky cat cadence of his to go with it is was no wonder they were instant friends. The Lord had worked another Divine Appointment with Kaiyah well in mind, and the rest of us too. &nbsp;Thank God Rachel listened to the Lord that day.
I could tell Kaiyah was a little different in a good way after Pumpkin joined our family&hellip;something deep in her heart was being healed. And I think it was a little fuller because of her new friend. We often have no idea what sweet surprises the Lord ordains in our lives especially when we are hurting in some way. I think my Great God and His Loving Attentive Care Gifts often go unnoticed and unappreciated; although many we can&rsquo;t miss. And yet He remains thoughtful of everyone&hellip; and everything He has Made and that ultimately everything belongs to Him; I think for us it is not always easy to remember or realize that when feeling overwhelmed, too at ease, lied to, or confused in some way. He is a Comfort, yes, and He knows what will be best for us, even though we haven&rsquo;t a clue what or if any good could come from what we may have gone or are currently going through. How could I not have offered Him my humble worship alongside His servant King David at such a Kindness displaying His Greatness to us, &ldquo;Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of Thee, and thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious Name.&rdquo;
There was a tangible sweet comfort in my home that night. Kaiyah, Gideon and Pumpkin were all peacefully resting as I prayed quietly and before long I had drifted to sleep with them.&nbsp;&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 22:36:28 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; Children are a Blessing</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11936</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: Children are a Blessing]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His Reward."
Psalm 127:3 KJV
&nbsp;
Praise the Lord for families including these precious Gambel's Quails... Looks like they have their wings full!!!
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 21:40:33 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 9</media:title>
        			</media:content>
				
				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11890</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 9]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 9 &ndash; It&rsquo;s Time
God is Mercifully Good to All
&nbsp;
Psalm 61:1-3
&ldquo;Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.&rdquo;
Psalms 145:9
&ldquo;The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
I woke with a startle as I heard a soft unusual meow coming from under my bed. Esther had taken to hiding under there as of late and the signs of her failing health had grown substantially since I had come back from being with my mom after my dad passed away. The toll of age and illness are not pleasant under any circumstance and not in regard to any living soul and that included my little Esther. The weight of the recent loss of my father and the many other complicated movements in my life seemed to intensify the harsh decision and loss I was about to endure again. I took one look into those pain filled loving eyes that morning and knew the time was at hand.
&ldquo;Dear God please help me with this&hellip;mercy&rdquo; I plead in my heart as I rolled out of bed and down on the floor to pet and pray over her. She pushed her sweet little warm head into my head and was gently purring but she did not come out to me as usual. I had to go under and carefully slide her out to administer some pain meds to help with her hurt. The vet had already encouraged giving as needed and it was needed.
Gideon stayed close by and watched as I held her. Esther was the closest thing to an auntie mama cat he had since he was rescued as a feral kitten. She had a little baby tiger toy that I had been given by a foreign gentleman I had met on a train while traveling in Europe. That little gift was the first real happy toy Esther had and she made the most of it. She would meow and prow carrying that little tiger all around and then lay next to it. That was one of the cutest little behaviors I ever saw her engage in and it was special to Gideon too. She gave her &ldquo;Baby&rdquo; as I called it, to him in the last month. It was like she was giving her favorite special toy as inheritance to Gideon and he took it full on. Of course, I washed it and kept it clean as mouth carriage does come with nastiness sometimes. He took to it just as she had.
Kaiyah seemed aware of everything. Her silent observations and occasional strong eye contact let me know she knew about Esther. In the short time since Kaiyah&rsquo;s adoption, they had developed quite a nice bond. They went about the backyard, rolled in the grass and dirt together - not in the same spot mind you, but nearby. Kaiyah and Esther looked like they shared stories out there bathing in the sun which seemed to do them both a lot of good. Even with the slowness and frailty that emerged in Esther&rsquo;s time outside, Kaiyah was always so good about giving her plenty of space and took her time moving about. She even made her stress laps wide and away from where Esther would be.&nbsp;I had rescued Esther almost 14 years prior after being told, by my vet at that time, there was a feral kitty living in a small housing community not too far from where I was living and it needed a home. After prayerful consideration I decided to see what I could do to help the sweet tabby with big green eyes. It was a nice little housing area and some people had set food out for her. A friend of mine came along in hopes we would be able to rescue her. We both were excited and set out calling for her. After a short time wandering up and down the sidewalks I noticed her outside of one of the homes. There she was&hellip;sweet as could be and gentle. I had no problems picking her up and we had a polite introduction and off we went. Praise God for those kind people looking after her in the cold and for my friend who helped that evening. I did make sure that I had not accidentally &ldquo;adopted&rdquo; someone else&rsquo;s kitty and indeed she was the one needing a loving home which I was more than happy to provide. It was the beginning of a new friendship: Esther was the name that rose in my heart for her humble, lady-like manners...and she was a lovely marked tabby with short fur that was grey, had black stripes, speckled with white and soft beige and those striking green eyes. Every color Placed &ldquo;purrfectly&rdquo; by our wonderful Creator. She was precious. We traveled far and wide and she was always up for the journey. She enjoyed her goodies and before long became my roly-poly tabby who I would refer to as my Estherlein, a little play on Esther with a touch of German. Boy could she move fast chasing after strings and such even with being a little more cushioned than she ought to be. She would lie beside me whenever possible although she was never a bed companion. She would however snuggle up smack dab in the middle of the bed by the pillows when she wanted and it was always a welcome sight to come home to. She was just a doll, full of life and playfulness while being demure and loving especially as she matured. She was already an adult when I took her in so knowing her age was super hard to determine. All I knew is that she was one sweet loving kitty whose story I would have to wait for Heaven to fully know. She was a stable personality with strength of presence, even in her frailty. All my other pets knew that she was the chief elder furbaby, little queen Esther.
After taking Kaiyah for our prayerful morning mission hike and getting things prepared for the day, I placed a call to the vet. I needed them to know where things were for sweet Esther and to gain some reassuring feedback for the decision at hand. They couldn&rsquo;t have been more understanding and reassuring that the hard decision had made itself plain and it was time. All I had to do was let them know and bring her in&hellip; &ldquo;Dear Lord please help me with this&hellip;&rdquo;I moaned in my heart. It was just over a week since my Pops had passed away, saying good-bye to my grieving Marmi, and all the demands of work and life, I was on overload and numb. I knew I wanted Esther&rsquo;s last day to be a peaceful joyful time before saying good-bye that very Friday afternoon.
The call to my Marmi was important as she wanted to speak to Esther before she was put to sleep. She also had words for Kaiyah and Gideon, as my Marmi would do, and we ended the call in the comfort of our Good Shepherd.&nbsp;When I got home from work I spent time with Esther outside. Letting her have as much time as she wanted to take in the sun&rsquo;s warmth and the smells of the yard she had come to so enjoy. She loved rosemary and would rub herself all over it. The three big rosemary bushes I had were all higher than she could jump anymore so I lifted her up and she went right for the one closest. Oh that sparkly look in her weary eyes and the tiny little spring it put in her feebler walk as she rubbed her rosemary for the last time, it was priceless.&nbsp;She explored every favorite place and then looked up at me with an expression that she was ready. I picked her up and watched her lumber over to Gideon and she lifted her little head to him and then she found her way to Kaiyah who laid down and put her head on her paws and closed her eyes softly as Esther gave her a gentle head butt in return. I was really trying to be strong and happy for Esther, she was going to rest and be in no more pain&hellip;but my heart hurt and tears found their way down my cheeks. It was time to go.&nbsp;Kaiyah and Gideon both stayed in the living room as I brought her carrier to the door. I turned and came back with her and we said a prayer to The Only One Who can heal the broken-hearted and bind our wounds, The One Who always has a Plan and is Faithful&hellip;, The Only One to ensure our safety and peace&hellip; The One Who is Good to all and Whose tender mercies are over all His works&hellip;The One Who hears our cries and can hide us when overwhelmed&hellip;all that we need is found in Jesus&hellip;
When I got home my mind and heart were painfully raw. On one hand I was relieved for Esther as I was for my Pops, they weren&rsquo;t in any more pain and both had gone to sleep peacefully with love and kindness around them. On the other hand I was grieving the loss of their lives. The emotional buckle regarding my Pops was coming loose and I wasn&rsquo;t ready for that yet. It was easier to allow the tears to flow for my mom and now the loss of my dear kitty Esther&hellip;there were other pains and losses that surfaced in that grief, even things that I could discern were coming but were way beyond my control and understanding. I sought the Lord for His Wisdom and Counsel as I needed to find my way through all those memories and emotion and to make right decisions regarding the trials of life I was in the process of working through. As was my custom, that also provided a lot of heart to pray for others.
Although there have been plenty of pleasant moments, pain and suffering have been pretty prominent along my life journey; my own, someone close by or something happening around me. But what had Marmi always said to me? &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s my sunshine?&rdquo; I had not yet come to fully realize that I had a lifetime of grief and hurt that I was told shouldn&rsquo;t be there&hellip;couldn&rsquo;t be there and so I had had no time to heal&hellip;no time to mourn&hellip;no time to find rest from it all, and when I did, the words of someone would find their way&hellip;. &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s my sunshine?&rdquo; &ldquo;Why are you so sad&hellip; buck up&hellip; why do you have such sad music&hellip;&rdquo; and so on&hellip; So what did I do? I buried myself in Jesus, put on a sincere smile as I had much to be thankful for, and pressed onward&hellip; it is all I knew to do&hellip;or at least try to do. It is never a good thing to dismiss or downplay the pain of others, or our own, may God help us be more tender, merciful, selfless and more loving especially those of us that say we are His; where is His Fruit in us?
I didn&rsquo;t know it at that time, but Kaiyah wasn&rsquo;t the only one dealing with feeling like she wanted to be anywhere than were she was&hellip;and hurting from the abuses of others&hellip; I didn&rsquo;t realize it then, but I was mourning with Kaiyah and not just for her&hellip;
Estherlein was my sweet roly-poly tabby who provided me her lifetime of kitty companionship. It was her time and she was ready. They are all irreplaceable. She supported many a buddy along the way including her newest one, Kaiyah Takota who was a bit more stable after knowing the little humble queen that was Esther.
&nbsp;
&hellip;.Until we meet again&hellip;.&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:48:52 -0500</pubDate>
				<guid>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11890</guid>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">God Sees... and God Knows...</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11903</link>
				<title><![CDATA[God Sees... and God Knows...]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["He Healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."
Psalm 147:3
&nbsp;
This life is full of sorrow and trial. There are times where we feel like the pain is too much to bear. There can be times where even though we try our best at things, it feels like a salmon swimming upstream and time and time again something comes our way to knock us down. Ever feel like that? Beat up... tattered... and torn?
&nbsp;&nbsp;The beautiful thing is that even in the midst of such difficulties, we are not alone. Even if we feel like we are, God assures us of His Love and Desire to want to heal us and comfort us and carry us through all of that. It's not that these trials and difficulties don't happen. There are things that God does Allow in life that may seem contrary to what we would expect, and by no means does that make light of those difficulties or pretend that everything is just fine when things can be so painful.&nbsp;But in all these situations, we have a God who DOES care about us, and Promises that in the end all things will be made right. Jesus especially more than anyone Knows what it is like to endure the horrible trials of this world, as no one went through more suffering in this world than Him. But He Overcame it. He Overcame the pain and trials of this world. He Overcame death itself. The Lord Jesus assures us in the Gospel:
"These things I have Spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." &nbsp; John 16:33
Indeed though we may go through incredible hardship, or at times feel beat up and tattered like these butterflies, we have a God who is Acquainted with all our hurts and grief.
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." &nbsp; Isaiah 53:3&nbsp;There will come a time soon when The Lord Jesus Christ&nbsp;will&nbsp;prove this to all those who believe in Him, and trust in&nbsp;Him, and it will be at that time that all the Devil has thrown at us and attacked us with and battered us with, whether physically or emotionally or mentally or spiritually - you name it... It will all be made right. And we will rejoice with The Lord, refreshed and brand new like none of this pain and hurt ever happened. Oh what a day indeed that will be...
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:48:37 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 8</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11889</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 8]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 8 &ndash; Glimmer of Hope
Under God&rsquo;s Shadow and Wings
&nbsp;
Psalm 91:1-4
&ldquo;He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.&nbsp; Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.&rdquo;
Isaiah 43:18-20
&ldquo;Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.&nbsp; Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? &nbsp;I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.&nbsp; The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
The structure and routine of my life was like a steel frame.&nbsp; Things had to be done and the deadlines kept coming.&nbsp; Kaiyah and I increased our walk time as we continued our journey of trust building and emotional processing.&nbsp; I found her gentle humble demeanor comforting as we were both, in our own way, sorting things out with the Silent Listener of our every conversation, verbally and in our hearts.&nbsp;
Kaiyah Takota and I seemed to share a genuine appreciation for the Sonoran desert. For me the desert of the southwest has been a place of solace and an exceptional testimony of absolute dependence and trust in God.&nbsp; Although it may have intense heat at times and periods of drought, when it does rain, it springs forth with extraordinary color and life. The soft breezes that come in the early morning or the cool of the evening carry earthy scents of life that is strewn about and hidden in its arid beauty.&nbsp;
Wildlife was more abundant then, though mostly unseen by the sprawl of urban and suburban expansions.&nbsp; Being an avid whistler and bird lover, both traits I shared with my dad, I often made my share of tunes and listened to the feathered responses as Kaiyah and I did our mission hikes.&nbsp; At that time it wasn&rsquo;t uncommon hearing or seeing a cardinal family, my buddy the stunning phainopepla who used to follow me, an endless delight of Gambel&rsquo;s Quail, grackles, cactus wrens, great-horned owls, roadrunners, woodpeckers, all kinds of small birds and raptors who nested nearby.&nbsp; Kaiyah seemed to like the whistles and before long I had given her her own special tune. It sounded like "hoo-hoo-whiiiiiiit." &nbsp;The whistle would perk her ears a little, being higher in tone. I recalled that huskies are canines who liked to work and so I began a little training, for both of us.&nbsp; Owners of dog sled teams often provide a specific whistle tune to signal the lead dog and rally the &ldquo;troops&rdquo;.&nbsp; That little whistle became our first signal.
It was a bit awkward at first.&nbsp; I had to find a way to tie the signal to a cue to do something.&nbsp; She was still dealing with complexities and so was I so we started very slow.&nbsp; More or less I would whistle, she would hear it, and be like, &ldquo;ok&rdquo;, and that was it.&nbsp; She still kept her ears more to the side and her tail was still tucked under but at least there was recognition.&nbsp; It was a start.
The first time I saw her really quicken in her body language with curious joy was the morning we spotted a coyote along one of the trails.&nbsp; It was quiet that morning with the sky just beginning to come into a soft gray blue when I peripherally spotted movement by a large creosote bush just at the trail bend to the south of our mission hike.&nbsp; We both stood very still. I squatted low to not intimidate the animal and then very gingerly on its paws, a gorgeous coyote stepped out of hiding onto the trail.&nbsp; I didn&rsquo;t know what to expect as some dogs are very aggressive with them. It was an unreal moment as the coyote seemed interested in Kaiyah and looked very intently at her.&nbsp; The morning rays had cast warm glows on them and our surroundings.&nbsp; I watched her body language go from sagged lowly posture to ears pointed straight up.&nbsp; Her tail curled to the loveliest &ldquo;C&rdquo; and she sat down at full attention. Not a whimper, not a bark, not one hair standing on edge, she had a quiet excitement. Her eyes were full of life and they were communicating intently.&nbsp; She was absolutely beautiful and so was the coyote.&nbsp;
It was an amazing moment.&nbsp; Before long the coyote had to keep moving and stealthily strode away looking back at her with a connection that was very real and seemed valued by both of them.&nbsp; Kaiyah watched closely as the coyote faded into the desert like a mirage and looked up at me.&nbsp; I had tears in my eyes when I softly hugged her. I told her how beautiful she and the moment we shared were.&nbsp; I thanked the Lord right then and there for the gift He had just given us in that special rendezvous and for our new friend.&nbsp; Thankfully it would be one of many to come.
Kaiyah and I were both walking a little lighter in our step as we eventually made our way back home with a new glimmer of hope in our eyes.&nbsp; And it was also an encounter that my Heavenly Father knew would touch my mom in the heaviness of her grief.
The wild was &ldquo;calling&rdquo; Kaiyah and she needed to hear it, and so did I. The coyote was apparently also on a &ldquo;mission&rdquo; that day. There is a profound healing beauty being out from under the heavy influences of man and man&rsquo;s world.&nbsp; The Monarch of the Universe is Sovereign over all His Creation and yet the taint of things contrary to Him and His Ways are all around us including suffering.&nbsp; I found consolation embracing the reminder that He had just coordinated. No matter where we are He will Help us find everything we need. When we dwell in Him we will abide under the Shadow of the Almighty.&nbsp; We can snuggle under His Wings finding safety to rest, to heal, learning to live, or to live again under His attentive and watchful care when things go off the rails; when they don&rsquo;t seem to be going anywhere or we are just chugging along. &nbsp;How glorious it is that in just a fraction of time, and often in the most unexpected ways, He can change everything or begin a new thing. He really cares for all His Creation. &nbsp;That encounter in my life was another precious keepsake that God is sincerely the One Who Knows what we need, when we need it, where we need it and how we need it&hellip;He is Most Beautiful!
&nbsp;
&hellip;.Until we meet again&hellip;.&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 19 Feb 2025 22:44:49 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Letting The Light In&#x3a; Going Deep - Part 2</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11887</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Letting The Light In: Going Deep - Part 2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth;"
Psalm 102:19 KJV
&nbsp;
In this continuation from my previous article,&nbsp;Letting The Light In: Going Deep - Part 1, I wanted to share more of my journey&nbsp;with Deep-sky Photography and the parallels I have found with The Word of God and how it has really brought a humble appreciation and awe of The Lord's Glory all around us and particularly in the experience of photographing the night sky.
Having touched on the different components of how to set-up a shoot of deep sky objects, and the workflow I have personally found of benefit to me, I wanted to spend the next few remaining sections on the process of "photo stacking" the images to bring out light and detail that simply cannot be obtained from one shot.
So a quick recap: I have finished taking&nbsp;my sequence of images of light frames, dark frames, bias/offset frames and flat&nbsp;frames - and must now upload them to my computer and process the images. To do so, there are as mentioned&nbsp;special programs/apps like Siril or DeepSkyStacker that can be used to do this. I will be using the program Siril, and with that taking all those recorded images and cramming them into one usable, editable image for my final shot.
As the stacking process can get varied and technical, I will defer a tutorial on the specifics of Siril to the many how-to videos online, but here are the basics:
The sequence of frames are in their own home directory, and in that directory is a specific order of folders, named in plural: biases, darks, flats, lights - they must be in this exact order top to bottom for the process to work correctly.
Then a click on the home button in the upper left corner of the screen to establish or change our home folder so that we are drawing from the directory we have our various folders in. (You'll see it listed at the top of the screen as well)
Then we click the "Scripts" pull-down button (to the right of the home button) to run an automatic script program called OSC_Preprocessing. (this can also be done manually for more fine tuning but definitely watch a video for&nbsp;that) Doing this, you will now see a rundown of text as all those images that night are thrown in there and compiled to produce the very image we will be using for the final edit. This may take a few minutes depending on your computer set-up.
Once it finishes, we are left with a TIF file with the name "result" that we will then use in a process&nbsp;called "stretching." For this we click the "open" button in the far upper left corner and click ok. From there, click on the "linear" pull-down button at the bottom of the screen and select the "AutoStretch" option. Then right-click on the image and select "Crop" to reframe your image. Examples of before and after crop below.&nbsp;Then we go to "Image Processing" at top left, pull down to Background Extraction, and click "Generate." if any of the little boxes show on the object, remove them, and click the "Compute Background" button then click "Apply."
Then we adjust the color, click&nbsp;"Image Processing," "Color Calibration," "Photometric Color Calibration." Then you search for the object at the top under "Image Parameters" and click on the selection, then "Get Metadata from Image." Then finally, click "Ok."
Now we go back to the "AutoStretch" button at the bottom and click back to "Linear."
At the top of the screen, click the "Image Processing" pull-down and go to "Histogram Transformation." In that box you'll see a button under the histogram at the right that looks like a gear with a wavy line through it. Click that for the "AutoStretch" Algorithm and click "Apply."
Now repeat by going to&nbsp;"Image Processing" pull-down again and go to "Histogram Transformation." Now you can fine-tune the image by moving the lever directly under the Histogram. Then click "Apply."
Finally, go to "Image Processing" like before but this time select "Color Saturation." Adjust levers to your preference, and click "Apply."&nbsp;Now I can edit this further in Adobe Photoshop, and all this work comes to my final image below.&nbsp;What a rewarding experience this was! All those hours and effort and patience, and yet all I remember looking back is the quiet solitude of being with my Lord Jesus looking at His Glorious Creation in the heavens during that night. Words cannot describe... The thing about the Photo Stacking process, and hence the very title of this series, "Letting the Light In: Going Deep," is that there is such a parallel to Deep Sky Photography and reading the Word of God; His Holy Bible, for me...
No matter how many times I may read a particular chapter or a particular verse, each time it's like something new is brought forward. Read by read, stack by stack, brighter and brighter, bringing out further and further detail. Something I didn't see or realize before. It can be a lesson I didn't catch prior to that. A reminder of God's Instruction&nbsp;I didn't grasp the last time. An encouragement from the Lord I needed right then and that could not apply the same way at another time. Absolutely Incredible The Lord God Is...&nbsp;
Thinking back to what I mentioned earlier in the previous article, this is an experience that again reminds me of how GREAT God Is. How Great His Power. How Great His Majesty. How Great His Love. And how very very small, I really am...
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 19 Feb 2025 22:34:43 -0500</pubDate>
				<guid>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11887</guid>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 7</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11833</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 7]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 7 - The Call
God is Refuge, Strength and Shepherd
&nbsp;
Psalm 46:1-3
&ldquo;God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.&rdquo;
Psalm 23
&ldquo;The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Just barely catching the call before it went to voicemail I said, &ldquo;Hello?&rdquo; The lady&rsquo;s voice sounded quiet, firm, and quick as she introduced herself as a representative of the health facility caring for my dad. She told me that she had just called the local family contact to let them know that my father had passed away. That statement went off like heavy artillery landing in my heart. I was deafened and dazed for a few moments by the weight of those words as she continued relaying her communication which had faded into a muffled murmur. As the Lord&rsquo;s Grace took over I had to ask her to repeat herself and then wanted to know how my mom was, did she know? Turns out, she did not know, as they had not called her yet. They were worried about how she would take the news with the amount of closeness between my parents and her age and had notified the local contact in order for someone to be present with her when the news came. This really surprised me as I come from strong people and Dad would have wanted her contacted directly. I took a deep breath and asked a few key questions and said I would be calling Mom shortly. Jose, an earnestly kind gentleman whose name I changed for his privacy, our local family friend and contact, was my first call though. He answered right away in his soft Columbian accent - said he was so sorry and we spoke on a few details as I needed to get out there as soon as possible. He and his sister were long time family friends of my parents and I was thankful he was nearby.
I was reeling after the two calls. I sat down, looked at my little furbabies and prayed for the Strength and Refuge of God&rsquo;s Comfort. Considered for a moment what this would mean for my mom and her whole world. With that weight on me, I placed the call to my mom. How to unpack that call and its ramifications is hard to put into words. She knew right away something was off as I didn&rsquo;t usually call at that hour especially when I had to work plus she was a bit of a night owl and was often sleeping earlier in the morning hours even with the time difference. With as much care as I could (and as directly as I could) I told her the love of her life - my Pops as I called him, had passed away that morning. There was silence and then she asked why she was not notified first. I relayed all the details I knew in the most empathetic way I could for all parties and let her know Jose was on his way. She was surprised in that Pops was doing so much better and plans were for him to be coming home to her. She laugh-cried as I told her he had eaten a huge breakfast and had even asked for seconds that very morning. He fell asleep in Jesus before the pleasant assistant could bring his second round of goodies. He had gone fast and peacefully with a smile on his face. Mom was staggering in her emotions and wanted to get over to him as soon as she could. We prayed a quick prayer and I told her I would be there as quickly as possible once I was able to book a flight. She asked for pictures of Kaiyah and the kitties of all things. She knew my job had its demands and urged me to get to the office, asked for reassurance that I was coming which I reassured, and we said a heartfelt but short good-bye. We both had to deal with shock and it would take time.
I made a quick work of things at home and scrambled to the office. It was at that time all the emotions I had were shut away and I locked the door so I could get everything completed. I needed to be strong for my mom. I got to the office and reached out to my boss to let her know what was happening. Thank God she was kind and understanding and really wanted me to get home and get things processing so I could get to my mom. By God&rsquo;s Grace and Strength, I stayed sharp and focused as I got through my work.
I had to notify my dearest friend at the time and also to request her help in watching my little animals. Of course, I was willing to pay her and she would have none of it. I didn&rsquo;t trust folks with my animals very much so I was mighty grateful that she was willing. Rachel, as she liked that name, was like a sister to me and I trusted her. She knew my family and she knew I had much complexity of my own regarding my family. Rachel was already well aware of Kaiyah&rsquo;s story and complexities, Esther&rsquo;s sweet heart and health conditions and Gideon&rsquo;s shyness, huge meow and love of all things food. She had a wonderful rapport with them already. She was kind to my animals and I knew they would be okay.
It was and is critical for me to keep calling to mind the Truths of my Precious Lord while purposing to live out my trust for every last one of the already mentioned Attributes I knew of Him: God has a Plan and He is Faithful, God&rsquo;s Peace and Security, God&rsquo;s Wisdom and Counsel, God&rsquo;s Help with Trust, God Who Heals the Wounded and Broken, God Who Teaches the Right Responses, and God is Refuge, Strength and Shepherd; plus many others that will be forthcoming, were absolutely essential. They are much clearer today than then, but they were all there waiting for me to recall of Him as He is always there and I did. I knew only my Good Shepherd could walk us through the &ldquo;geographic&rdquo; places of our life journey whether it be the mountain tops, the deep waters, the raging storms, the green pastures, the long empty desert roads, the high places of refuge, the presences of our enemies, the frozen or fiery places, or those valleys of the shadow of death. I was depending on Him. This was a complicated time in my life and I had already begun a very long and difficult set of seasons and was not yet fully discerning the storms and the white squall that would be coming. I didn&rsquo;t know it then but everything I knew about family, relationships, hopes, dreams, ministry, faith and trust, purpose, and everything connected to those aspects of my life were going to be put through an intense and certain time of testing and turmoil I never would have anticipated. That along with a lifetime of complications from things in my childhood which were back-building behind the scenes would subsequently be barreling in on my life with individually appointed fervor and timing. Alas, that is for another time of sharing.
Kaiyah was peacefully resting along with my two kitties upon my arrival home. I had thankfully found a direct flight and pretty much just needed to get ready. The time there couldn&rsquo;t be as long as I would have liked, but I took as much time as I could under the circumstances. I didn&rsquo;t forget to get Mom her requested pet photos and had everything tied up for Rachel to come in and take care of my furbabies. I was concerned for Kaiyah as she was slowly coming out of her separation anxiety and settling in with our routine&hellip;I didn&rsquo;t want the trust shaken and I wanted her not to feel abandoned. Esther, my sweet kitty was dealing with her illness and didn&rsquo;t want her special medicine anymore. She was still ok with the pain meds and seemed better with just that in her system, so I made sure the awful disgusting not so good medicine was no longer on the menu. Gideon would be fine with access to a clean cat box, lots of kibbles, quiet time to roam about and pets now and again. That was more than enough for him&hellip;and treats with kibbles, please.
Everything went well with the flight and arrival. Jose was there at the airport and we headed straight home. There was the house I spent most of my growing years in; the place of so many, many memories. Marmi was safely warm inside of the two story brick home tucked in the midst of trees. I will not forget the sea of emotion in my mom&rsquo;s eyes, that aching longing look as we embraced knowing my Pops would no longer be there filling that home with his big personality and the big German accented voice to go with it. It was bitter-sweet being surrounded by the home they had made together and filled with a lifetime of things they purchased, were given, or that had been left behind. Everything had a story and I couldn&rsquo;t tune it out. It was a lot. I was braced to be strong and had a mixture of emotions being home. Swallowing down that mixture was all I could do. We caught up on things and I listened for a long time.&nbsp;&nbsp;
I shared the pictures of Kaiyah on her cozy bed and the two kitties. Marmi was captivated by her story and seemed to find strength hearing about her progress. Asking again about her bark of which she was sure would come back. It was a hard and yet healing time of sorts during those few days. Marmi handled arrangements just as Pops and she had planned for such a time. She did not want to have a funeral, but rather wanted to have a memorial in a few months. She was really overwhelmed and took things little by little&hellip;and that is exactly what we did.
Her three attentive loving cats were all present and accounted for at the time. Even Butterscotch, who was also a rescue. He was tall, long, and had creamy white fur with butterscotch blotches strewn about his short soft coat. Being the rambling man cat he was, he did come and go at will and on his own schedule. He was a wild cat with a lot of personality and one they both respected despite his wild ways. He could purr and he could scratch. He had liked to cuddle in Pops&rsquo; lap as he sat in his arm chair. On occasion he would jump up on the table and put his arms on Marmi&rsquo;s shoulders as she sat at the table doing crossword puzzles. He was a real character.
My younger brother was estranged to me and was not around during this time for Marmi although they spoke. I did get to hear his voice and I was grateful. Marmi said he had his own things to deal with and that was that. In her grief Marmi was not just crying for Pops but also the tragic loss of my older brother years prior and the choices of her youngest. I knew this as she poured out much during those days. So many memories and emotions intertwined. We all hurt those we love even when we don&rsquo;t mean to sometimes. It is amazing what loss and grief can unbuckle from our mind and emotions. It was a very raw time of sharing and even some healing between us.
As was my custom, I did whatever she needed of me while there and, like many others in that position, I took care of her as much as she would let me&hellip;it was one of the hardest good-byes I&rsquo;ve experienced. I loved my Pops but I didn&rsquo;t know how to grieve his passing; that would have to come later, much later. I grieved more for Marmi as I knew with all the love and many joys they had, there was also a lot of pain, need of forgiveness, and struggle as well. It was a comfort we had that time together, and that Pops went peacefully and we rested knowing that he knew the Lord Jesus very personally for many years. I would be going back in a few months as promised, that journey was not over.
The Lord bolstered us in the Truth that He is our Refuge and Strength. One of Marmi&rsquo;s all time favorite verses that she would often sing with vigor with or without tears, &ldquo;God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in times of trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. We will not fear&hellip;"
When I arrived back at my humble oasis in the desert I couldn&rsquo;t wait to see my sweet little pets again. They were as cozy and peaceful as I had hoped and prayed. After a little while I notified Marmi (she loved using Flight Tracker to watch my plane fly across the country whenever I visited) that I was home safe and sound and to let her know the pets were ok. We talked for a few minutes. The swell of tears in my Marmi&rsquo;s voice was almost unbearable as we ended the call. I told the Lord I knew He was our Refuge and Strength, our Shepherd. I needed Him to take care of her. And to help my younger brother wherever he was; that was a deep pain in my heart too.
I had swallowed the mixture of emotion again as I changed clothes. I felt out of sorts and a bit lost. Kaiyah looked at me as if she totally understood what I was feeling. I needed Kaiyah to take me on a mission hike as soon as possible.
&nbsp;
&hellip;.Until we meet again&hellip;.&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 12 Feb 2025 22:18:47 -0500</pubDate>
				<guid>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11833</guid>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        			<media:content url="https://image5.photobiz.com/8905/15_20250212202901_10732044_large.jpg" medium="image">
        				<media:title type="html">Letting the Light In&#x3a; Going Deep - Part 1</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11855</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Letting the Light In: Going Deep - Part 1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?"
Job 38:31 KJV
&nbsp;
So back in July of 2022, I wrote an article here in Focal Points called&nbsp;"Letting the Light In: The Importance of Being Still..."&nbsp;with the focus being on the importance of light when it comes to getting detail in images you photograph and contrasting that with the Spiritual application of how The Lord Jesus works in our lives.
Now I'm going to go into a field of photography that is very dear to me; one that is very rewarding yet very challenging to get right. &nbsp;It requires a sincere interest in the field because of the time and patience that goes into it, and I will say for some, it will not be their "cup of tea." It's not for everyone.&nbsp;I am talking about Astrophotography, also known as "Deep-Sky Photography," or "DSP" for short.
Many photographers love the idea of taking pictures of the night sky, particularly celestial objects like planets and the moon and the Milky Way Galaxy bands. They probably however may not care for the idea of spending hours and&nbsp;hours in very cold temperatures in a very dark and secluded location taking the same picture over and over and over (and over) again 'till either:
a. Their camera battery (or batteries) are all gone.
b. Their fingers are all gone from the cold.
c. The object they are photographing is no longer visible in the sky or behind some hill&nbsp;or mountain or something.
d. The sun starts to come up and they realize they haven't&nbsp;gone - to sleep yet..... Hey wait a minute!
Ok. So let me take a moment to pause, and kind of reframe the concept... How about this: I would like to share my journey discovering and learning perhaps the most amazing and breathtaking experience in photography that I have had - Witnessing and capturing some of the amazing Works The Creator God Has Placed in the heavens above. It is challenging... but extremely rewarding. Most of all, it humbles me to the core of my person as I realize how GREAT God Is. How Great His Power. How Great His Majesty. How Great His Love. And how very very small, I really am...
There is perhaps no more extreme example in photography of "letting the light in" than Deep-Sky Photography (DSP). For starters, depending on your setup, you will have your camera shutter wide open for anywhere from a few seconds at a time to literally hours on end, depending on what you intend to photograph. I say this because this type of photography usually goes one of two ways. Either you want the object(s) to stay in focus or you want to gather the star trails that spiral through the night sky.
Either way, DSP's strength is in the long exposure. Because Deep-Sky objects like the Pleiades Star Cluster or the Andromeda Galaxy are so far away (especially the latter) and are hard to see in any detail with the naked eye, the example I used back in the 2022 article I mentioned of the camera sensor being like a "sponge" to soak in the light is taken to a whole new level here. Unlike that topic at the time, noise or "static" on the image is going to be unavoidable to some degree this time, no matter how long you keep the shutter open. In the case of DSP however, there is a workaround to that, and that is in the process called "Photo Stacking." (It may also be referred to as "Focus Stacking." Though&nbsp;similar, there are some differences.)
Because Deep Sky Objects are so faint when it comes to their brightness, or luminosity, there is only so much the camera can do in a single shot, even if it is a long exposure. You may be able to see some of it, but it will either be dull or lackluster to how it really is out there.
What if you could take more than one of the same image, and basically mash them together to bring out its strong points. Not a few images though. More like say... 50 or 100 or even 200-300 of the same shots, and cram them together. By doing so, even the faintest light is multiplied exponentially to the point where what was once a dim little fuzzy light is now - brilliant... Think of it like taking a piece of tracing paper, and adding 20 sheets on top of it with the same paper. What was barely solid is now very bright. Or another example, taking a 50 watt light bulb, and increasing&nbsp;the wattage several times over. You get the idea. That is what the process of Photo Stacking does.
Using special programs/apps like Siril or DeepSkyStacker, the Astrophotographer can take hundreds of the same images, and use specialized programs to condense all those pictures to one usable image. And the difference is astounding.
To start, preparation is key. There are&nbsp;various apps like Sky Guide from Fifth Star Labs that allow me to view the night sky and the objects I would consider to photograph ahead of time, so I know what time of the night as well as the area of the sky I should be positioning&nbsp;my camera for shooting. Also, the camera type is also important, as you will want something that has manual control over your exposure, focal length, ISO, etc. A Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) or Mirrorless camera would be the way to go. (As far as which is better between the two formats, that's a whole other discussion that has been going on for years that I won't get into here.) When the time is right for the shoot, and I am on location, I start my process.
After praying for God's Help with everything, I go ahead and start a series of multiple exposure shots that fall into four sequences. They are all important and will make a huge difference in the final quality of the image. The order you do these are not too important, but to streamline the workflow this is what I would recommend. Oh, and very important - you'll want to shoot these images in RAW format, not jpeg. Don't forget that.
1. The first sequence of images I would recommend are called light frames. What are light frames? They are actually the very images of the deep sky object you are photographing. So if it's a galaxy, a nebula, etc. - those are going to be your light frames. You'll want to optimize your settings so that your exposure, ISO, and focal length are where you want them to be, and where you have the sharpest and best quality images of this object. I've often found that you'll want to open your aperture as wide as you can to let as much light in, although I will tell you that all the images you will see on this page were actually taken at an F8.0.
On a side-note, if you are shooting with a star-tracker on your camera that follows the rotation of the earth to eliminate trailing star lines, then you can leave your shutter open quite long, even for several&nbsp;minutes at a time per shot. If you don't use a star tracker, I recommend an app called PhotoPills as it will give you an accurate exposure duration depending on your focal length and camera lens, but essentially it follows what has been called the rule of 300 (it used to be 500, but because not all digital SLR cameras have full frame sensors, 300 is safer) and what it is is this: take 300 and divide it by your focal length. Easy example: I took the Andromeda Galaxy image in this article at 300 mm. and if I divide that by 300, that means I would leave the shutter open no more than - one second. If it was 30 mm, then the shutter can stay open for up to 10 seconds... You get the idea. For the light frames, take as many shots as you can; the more the better. At a minimum though, 20 at least. 50 to 100 or more, even better!
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. The next sequence of images are called dark frames. These are identical to light frames minus one thing. Put the lens cap on and make sure NO light is getting in to the camera. Once you are sure of that, use the exact same settings you just used for the deep sky object you took. Same focal length. Same shutter speed. Same ISO. Same F number of exposure. At least 20 of these, preferably 50 if you can. These frames are important because they remove the thermal and electronic noise that appears on the light frames.&nbsp;3. Next sequence of images are called bias (or offset) frames. These are easy. Keep the lens cap on, make sure no light getting in still, and change your exposure to the shortest time possible. In other words, the fastest shutter speed possible for your camera. Keep everything else the same as the prior images. Only the shutter speed changes. Some cameras go to 1/4000 of a second, others may go to 1/8000 of a second. The fastest you can do; get at least 20, or up to 50 if possible. These frames are important because they help get rid of the fixed pattern readout noise on those light frames.&nbsp;4. Finally, the last sequence of images is called the flat frames, and these don't have to be done during your night shoot but may be best to get it done all at the same time. For these images the most popular and easiest way to take these is to carefully put a white t-shirt over the lens (lens cap off now) and keep the same focal length as you have used before for the other shots. Then, you'll need a solid light source placed right on the lens. It can be a white screen on your phone/tablet or even the pre-dawn or pre-twilight, umm, light - that is coming through the lens. (One thing though, you don't want any variances of light across the lens; it needs to be consistent) Taking it under these conditions will help give you an even exposure that illuminates the whole sensor. Unlike the other images you took prior, you don't need to use the same ISO or exposure speed though. Just the same focal length. Use your histogram to find an exposure that lands the spike as close to the middle of the graph as you can, and lock in those settings. Take 20 of those, up to 50 if you can. These frames are important because they help get rid of any unwanted brightness variations across the light frames from earlier.&nbsp;Once all this is done, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The hardest part of this photographic journey is done. Now the most rewarding part is to come. If you saw your earlier light frames, you may have wondered if they can be improved. Oh yes, using that stacking process mentioned earlier, they are going to look much much better... Time for the computer to do some work!
I personally use a program called Siril that allows me to take all those sequences of photos I took: light frames, dark frames, bias frames, and flat frames, putting them in separate folders and then letting the software do it's thing - taking all those hours of shots, stacking them together, and then reducing that all down into - one... usable... image!
We're just getting started... Stay tuned as I go into the stacking process here in:&nbsp;Letting the Light In: Going Deep - Part 2
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:59:02 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 6</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11801</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 6]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 6 &ndash; The Next Step
God Teaches The Right Responses
&nbsp;
Proverbs 12:10
&ldquo;A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.&rdquo;
Proverbs 12:25
&ldquo;Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.&rdquo;
Psalm 27:1
&ldquo;(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?&rdquo;
&nbsp;
It was a lot to take in and yet a calm, strong resolve was deep within me. And although my emotions were still settling, my Heavenly Father was at Work and had heard Kaiyah&rsquo;s cry, and I wanted to be worthy of the trust He was showing me in caring for the life of this little beast.
I realized she was dealing with many things including separation anxiety and not just any, her babies were taken from her and she was again alone and this time even more unsure of what her life would be after the suffering she had already endured. I needed to focus on helping her not be afraid of abandonment and safety as I build the trust needed to address the fears.&nbsp;&nbsp; Sometimes it may feel safer to be alone but that can also be detrimental to our well being. Who to trust? It is an answer I still ask myself as people can be deceiving, tender one minute and cruel the next. I know this all too well and have spent my lifetime trying to be like my Savior who can never ever be wicked or cruel. Again, I&rsquo;m not perfect but He is absolutely able to keep me and anyone else who asks and chooses not to be that way. Thank God for His Forgiveness and Mercy.
Fear is a big fat ugly word and it comes with big fat ugly consequences. &ldquo;How to deal with the fear and grief, Lord, show me what to do and what to say,&rdquo; I prayed as I have many times before and since. &ldquo;I need Wisdom and Counsel to build this trust and to do so with Your Fruit and not my own mess.&rdquo; And I continued with my principals in prayer for all I was walking through. I knew the heaviness needed the right words&hellip;good words to make her heart glad. Good words are essential. The God I serve does not want us to fear and Loves Rescuing us and Driving away the darkness that wants us trapped, wounded and broken.
I set out to address the abandonment and separation anxiety. Short trips and I mean a few minutes as if I am leaving for work and then return with all kinds of sweet and reassuring words for Kaiyah and the kitties upon my return. Along with giving good neck pets and maybe even a little treat or two while eventually making the intervals longer and longer over time seemed to be an effective plan and it was. Esther and Gideon were curious with that new &ldquo;come and go&rdquo; game but really were responsive to the extra TLC it gave them too. I noticed it started a family bond connection in the process. It really didn&rsquo;t take long to see results and slowly the hyper anxiety began to fade. A few good books got chewed, they were on the lower shelf of my bookcase, and one more window blind episode occurred but we were on the right path, which is always good for a husky to be on. The right responses with the consistent right words and actions began trenching in a solid foundation and we were making way for those building blocks of trust.
On our desert walks Kaiyah began to show a little more bounce. Seeing this glimmer of internal freedom was something I relished as we began a new journey out of the fear. Her tail was still drooped and she still had the heavy faraway look but it was a start.
My mom and I talked on the phone about Dad and the tone of things was positive. She was holding on. She wanted to talk about my life and work. An update on Kaiyah, whose name they both really liked and her story touched them both. Mom had a special heart for wild hurting creatures and had her very own encounter with coyotes down in Tucson. She had seen them on the outskirts of town after work and often parked to watch them. One coyote in particular seemed to be interested in her and began to linger. On one occasion Mom had decided to pick up a hamburger and share with the thin wild one. Needless to say she had a new friend and they met like that many times amongst the golden cast sunsets and army of saguaros until one day he had moved along. She reminisced about the sadness she felt but more so the awe of the quiet companionship they shared. In hopes of one more encounter she returned to the meeting spot time and again with a few burgers, fries, and one big milk shake for her. One day, at an unexpected time he reappeared, this time with a coyote companion which stayed farther back and watched as they shared their last encounter. She said it was such a special time and what a privilege to have experienced&hellip; and to meet his lady. Mom always looked a mix of emotions when remembering that and often would tear up at the impact that had on her. This gave my mom a special compassion for Kaiyah and even more so when she saw a picture of her.
Having had many special encounters with wildlife including rescues, I have to say every one of them is absolutely unique and they are incredibly special in my heart. I have a personal rule to respect their wildness and to not feed them people food but I confess I have put out critter friendly items on occasion. Mom used to say that you can learn a lot about a person by how they treat animals, this is a very true saying.
Esther appeared to be slowing down a bit more. It was time for some more advanced pain medication and her doctor was already waiting for my request. More often Esther and Kaiyah toddled around the backyard together and seemed to enjoy sharing the sunshine; it was warming to see the bond growing. I was grateful that Kaiyah was always gentle with her.
Gideon continued to provide the body bump and rub on her chest when she would walk by every now and again. My little Kaiyah Takota seemed more and more receptive and pleased with the genuine cat scan and eventually would bump him tenderly back with her nose.
The typical deadlines at the office were coming in hot as the month was flying by. I had just finished my jog with Kaiyah and was getting ready to make a mad dash to the office when I got the call.
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:43:34 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Botanical Blips - Solicitous Cinnamon</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11856</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Botanical Blips - Solicitous Cinnamon]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Solicitous Cinnamon
Solicitous Cinnamon I believe is one of the world&rsquo;s most favorite spices and for sure is Peter&rsquo;s.&nbsp; When I recently asked him what was his favorite spice he answered with a firm smiling response, &ldquo;Cinnamon.&rdquo; I expected that as he adds it to many things he enjoys especially warm drinks and requests it in various food dishes.&nbsp;
Solicitous Cinnamon is truly a blue ribbon winner in flavor and has an incredible way of adding a cozy warmth and comfort to any environment and our senses.&nbsp; It is a &ldquo;friendly hearted&rdquo; spice as it &ldquo;plays well&rdquo; with savory and sweet, helps calm bitter items due to its sweet nature, and can tame gamey flavors in meat such as lamb, all while being gentle or pungent depending on how much and what type of cinnamon used. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Grown natively in Asia, the Cinnamon tree has contributed its bark to medicinal and culinary uses for thousands of years.&nbsp; Over the years many tropical places have adopted growing these wonderful trees as well.&nbsp; For this spice its bark is as good as its bite!!&nbsp; For those that know I like to make fun puns, that&rsquo;s an original just for this blog post:)
Like all the other Botanical Blips, these do stir memories. I bet you may have many yourselves.&nbsp; Should you need, please do seek a pro for feedback if you are concerned with a health condition.&nbsp; Solicitous Cinnamon is another super healthful botanical but it can be potent and too much is not good.&nbsp; So please do take the time to consider what is beneficial but don&rsquo;t go hog wild&hellip;more is not always better.&nbsp; When you do buy Cinnamon flavored items make sure you are getting the real thing as most every spice and flavor has a counterfeit out there and it will not be good for you.
When I was in elementary school I used to make real oil Cinnamon tooth picks and found that lots of my classmates liked them.&nbsp; They were hot and spicy, tingled a bit and made everything smell like Cinnamon.&nbsp; I was generous so when it got on your fingers, well it got everywhere those fingers touched.&nbsp; Yes, my teacher at the time politely told me not to bring those anymore as they were making the school smell like a candy store and not a school.&nbsp; Can you imagine?&nbsp; And she understood better than me that they were dangerous if someone should accidentally get it in their eye.&nbsp; I felt a bit bad about that and absolutely respected her wishes and only made them for holiday class gifts for those I knew really liked them including my teacher.
I have a lifetime of enjoying Cinnamon and was so happy when I learned some of its amazing medicinal properties.&nbsp; My parents sure enjoyed it too, mostly in hot drinks and sweets especially European pastries and yep, doughnuts as well.&nbsp; We didn&rsquo;t have them too often but what a splurge treat they were!&nbsp; The rare but delicious Cinnamon Raisin Bread was one of my mom&rsquo;s favorites.&nbsp; Today I make a healthier version of the bread using hardly any sugar, plenty of Cinnamon and raisins from our grape vines seeds and all.
I could go on for a long time with stories involving today&rsquo;s Botanical Blip but how about us seeing the list of the goodness inside the versatile Solicitous Cinnamon. First, there are two types Ceylon with milder flavor, the one we prefer, and Cassia which is bolder.&nbsp; Cassia contains a strong chemical called coumarin which may not be good for the liver when used for a long time and in big doses. Always pay attention to your body&rsquo;s reaction to things.
Like Sanative Sage this is quite a strong medicine and needs to be used wisely.&nbsp; A little really does go a long way. A third to a half a teaspoon of dry powder a day is more than enough.&nbsp; Of course, it depends on your weight too.&nbsp; Be wise.&nbsp; Ceylon, a true Solicitous Cinnamon and a wee bit more expensive, is gentler yet still needs that measurement.&nbsp; I personally like to use many different spices and herbs to maximize health benefits and at the same time not unnecessarily load or tax my body with too much of any one of them.&nbsp; For me, I have found variation is better.
&nbsp;
Benefits:
Anti-inflammatory
Provides Pain Relief for Joints, Muscles and Headaches
Good for Blood Sugar
Aromatherapy
Good for the Heart
Aides Digestion
Anti-Fungal
Astringent
Anti-Bacterial
Nutrient Enhancer in Nutrient Dense Foods
Super charged with Antioxidants
Helps the Blood
Relieves Menstrual Issues
Anti-Clotting
Good for Mouth Health Including Gums
Diuretic
Respiratory Ailments like the Flu and Colds
Help Against Alzheimer&rsquo;s
Good for Brain Health and Function
Flavor Enhancer
Good for Nervous Tension
Helps the Body Process Fats which Helps the Heart
Aides the Body in Fighting Infections
Encourages Healing
Helps with Healthier Milk in Lactating Mothers
A Natural Insecticide&nbsp;And more&hellip;.&nbsp;
Cinnamon has some excellent nutrients like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, flavinoids, antioxidants, phosphorus, vitamin A, amongst others that makes this spice much more than just a likable flavor.&nbsp;
I enjoy this spice in a tea as well with just a sprinkle here and there until I taste it. This Solicitous spice is good friends with a lot of other spices so don&rsquo;t be shy pairing it up.&nbsp;
You are always welcome to make a comment or even share a story or recipe.&nbsp; You might even have a benefit to add, so please do so if you like.
Whether you prefer to use the sticks, powder, essential oil (be careful) or grow the tree, Solicitous Cinnamon is clearly another gift from God to warm and minister goodness in our lives.&nbsp;
In closing, God made the Solicitous Cinnamon to be a symbol of His Love, His Beauty, His Favor, His Healing and the Holiness of His Presence&hellip;it is a special spice to Him as He Directed Moses in using it in&nbsp; His Holy Annointing Oil as in Exodus 30 and the main component in Holy Incense.&nbsp; It was also used in the Passover meal mixed with fruits and nuts.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Solicitous Cinnamon was also known for being sniffed at the end of Sabbath for those feeling sad it was coming to a close.&nbsp; How special is Cinnamon!&nbsp; Another thought these convey to me is of the Comforting Uplifting Healing Love of our Saving God which is good for our soul.&nbsp;
Here are two Scriptures Passages to administer some of His Comfort and Healing Love right now:
Psalms 86 KJV
1 (A Prayer of David.) Bow down Thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O Thou my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily.
4 Rejoice the soul of Thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.
6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto Thy works.
9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord; and shall glorify Thy Name.
10 For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone.
11 Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy Name.
12 I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify Thy Name for evermore.
13 For great is Thy mercy toward me: and Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set Thee before them.
15 But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the son of Thine handmaid.
17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because Thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
&nbsp;
2 Corinthians 1:2-4&nbsp;
&ldquo;Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies, and the God of all Comfort; Who Comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Until next thyme&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:43:03 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 5</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11800</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 5]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 5 &ndash; Broken Heart, Wounded Soul
God Who Heals The Wounded and Broken
&nbsp;
Psalm 147:3
&ldquo;He Healeth the broken in heart, and Bindeth up their wounds.&rdquo;
Psalm 34:17
&ldquo;The righteous cry, and the LORD Heareth, and Delivereth them out of all their troubles.&rdquo; &nbsp;
A deep sigh and long silence began a short but clear picture of some of what Kaiyah&rsquo;s story was. Jodie began by telling me the puppies that I had seen at the pet store were actually her puppies. Kaiyah had been found wandering on a Native American Reservation in northern Arizona. For the rescuers she had all the signs of physical abuse and neglect. They believe she had chewed her way to freedom, which my vet later confirmed by the damage on her teeth, and had begun wandering her way to find safety and to find food. They also came to understand she must have been pregnant at the time and had the puppies out in the desert. Kaiyah had been in full survival mother mode when they had received a call telling them about her and the pups. She had been seen wandering alone with her puppies clearly hungry and suspicious of everyone. When the rescuers arrived they could not catch her but were able to get her puppies. Kaiyah in full protective panic had chosen to give up her freedom to stay with them. That is how they had rescued her. They found a foster care home for the short time that remained for her puppies to be weaned and then they took away her ability to have more babies by having her spayed. It was at that time they put the puppies up for adoption and had kept her there during the separation. That was the day I saw her for the first time, the Divine Appointment. She mentioned that while under foster care she was a good dog, very quiet and a wonderful mother and stayed mostly to herself.
I was quiet as I tried to sort through what I had just heard and how much it confirmed what I believe the Lord had been revealing to me about Kaiyah and her name. &nbsp;I prayed with new awareness for healing of Kaiyah&rsquo;s broken heart and for all the wounds to be bound by our Loving Creator. Already having been around many, many, many wounded and broken people, and one myself, and living creatures, I knew this would be a work only He could do to its fullness. I knew I needed Him to take care of everything and instruct me in the way to help her, to help me and ultimately those around me. Even though I knew this I still needed to know. There have been many times I have assumed responsibilities or carried the burdens for things way beyond me, and to this day, this is still a work in progress. Thankfully the Lord is the Fruit He Gives and is exceptionally Kind, Forgiving and Merciful, and I for sure still need all of that from Him. It was a lot to take in at that moment. &nbsp;I had many thoughts and emotions I was dealing with and glanced down at Kaiyah who was resting quietly by my little arm chair. I didn&rsquo;t know what to say so I just kept quiet.
Jodie then asked me how Kaiyah was with the two cats. Of course, she had been respectful and subdued with zero aggression toward them. She said that was wonderful and how important that is for people to know about huskies. She had shared that not every husky is good with cats but many are. I didn&rsquo;t know a thing about that as I have always tried to take animals at face value. I try to do that with people too. Every creature has its own disposition and circumstance from which stems its behavior and character even though they may have distinct patterns associated with breed or type. No need for prejudices although it is wise to be discerning and not na&iuml;ve. Having been a more trusting na&iuml;ve person for many years, and sometimes still am, I continue to learn what I had written in one of my English papers and said umpteen times ever since my teens, &ldquo;Ignorance is not bliss but a dreadful blindness.&rdquo; It is so important to find, with God&rsquo;s Counsel, that balance of rightly discerning and not being ignorantly na&iuml;ve or judgmental. I knew practically nothing about huskies other than I have always thought them to be beautiful, amazing, mysterious canines much like the wolf and coyote. Jodie asked for pictures of Kaiyah with her two new kitty friends and said that could help others be more open to adopting huskies in the future. I assured Jodie I absolutely would and sure enough did later. We ended the call with an arranged time for me to dispose of the cage to her and encouraged each other in our care for God&rsquo;s creatures.
I had solid answers and new questions. It was wind down time and I needed to be still which for me was not so easy. Esther and Gideon were resting quietly, always calming for me to be by cozy kitties, and Kaiyah was tucked in her little ball by the arm chair. It was a good moment to just be. Calling to mind that &ldquo;the righteous cry, and the LORD Heareth, and Delivereth them out of all their troubles&rdquo;, my heart poured out all the deep things that I couldn&rsquo;t put into words, all the concerns and worshipful gratitude I had for my Papa God&rsquo;s Guidance and Steadfastness&hellip; His Deliverance&hellip;and His Healing.
I sat quietly with my heart rested against His.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:12:50 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Botanical Blips - Precious Parsley</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11832</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Botanical Blips - Precious Parsley]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Precious Parsley 
Memories&hellip; Parsley is one of the most precious herbs to me because it is tied to very special occasions and people that I have known over the course of my life. A couple of those moments quick flash in my mind no matter where or when I see, smell or taste this garden gift.
My dad especially used Parsley in his cooking which is probably why it most often makes me think of him. He used in his cucumber salad, broiled flounder, rustic potatoes, egg dishes which we coined Klingon food because of their unusual ingredients sometimes, the best Bavarian Kartoffelkl&ouml;&szlig;e (potato dumplings), and so many other ways. And we even just ate it by itself stalk and all. He was never concerned with having too much and I personally didn&rsquo;t mind that one bit. He said it was good medicine and that was that. I have done my own research over the years to find out what that meant and I want to share my findings with you.
I also remember a time he grew so much of it in concrete container pots that it flowered and looked more like a shrub than Parsley and wisely spread its seeds far and wide so that the following season we had Parsley in the &ldquo;wild.&rdquo; Not sure why he stopped growing it after many years but that happy Precious Parsley maintained its presence in our home.
As a little girl I actually thought Parsley and broccoli were some kind of baby tree or bush especially after the gigantic ones I just mentioned. The tad bit bitter juicy grassy taste of Parsley makes me smile. It tastes healthy to me. Whether it is curly or flat leaf&hellip;YUM! I am thankful Peter enjoys it as well. I like using it in my cooking and in smoothies and I can always feel its goodness at work in the body afterward.
My mom used it too. She was known for sometimes grabbing a long stalk full of leafs and bite it like a fish going after a big worm and then smile with part of the stalk still hanging out between her lips. Mom would do that out of nowhere just to make us laugh. And like Dad said it was good medicine.
As a precious herb Parsley makes me also think of Passover and the Passover Seder, the very special meal Yahweh had directed His people to partake in prior to and after their deliverance from Egypt. There is so much symbolism in this that I will only touch on a few key points for this topic. Parsley along with other bitter herbs are served to call to mind the bitterness of captivity, ungodly influences, and slavery. They are to remind us of how precious God&rsquo;s Salvation really is and the importance of freedom that only He can Provide. And the importance of being where He wants us to be living life as close to Him and His Ways as possible. This was also a time to consider the promise of the Messiah who would one day deliver us from the bitterness of life, of evil, sin, and death. God had promised Salvation way back in the Garden of Eden after the fall of woman and man to the lies of Satan. It must have been more bitter for Adam and Eve than we could ever imagine since they did not know sin until they believed and chose to put faith in the lies spoken of by the Deceiver in Genesis&hellip; instead of keeping their trust in God. In my album The Resplendent Love of The Creator, this theme song and the impressions from Sacred Scripture alongside it convey this in a musical expression.
Parsley is also a natural detoxifying or cleansing herb, as most bitter herbs are, removing impurities from our body. Just like our bodies need the corrupting impurities or toxins to be removed so do our souls and for me that Hope, that Cleansing, is in Almighty God and Messiah Yeshua, Jesus, who fulfilled all the Scriptures foretold perfectly, beyond mathematical computation. He indeed bore the bitterness of evil, sin and death and conquered it in absolute victory as only God could have promised and fulfilled. He did this for us so that we could overcome this world as well. May we see our need of Him and choose to receive His &ldquo;Medicine&rdquo; for our souls. For those who put their trust in Him, He takes our bitterness and gives us Life.
Whew, that is a lot to think about. Precious Parsley inspires me to think on these things. So what about the &ldquo;good medicine&rdquo; God put in Parsley. Let me give you a little list, of course, always do your own research and if you need to, please talk to a health pro who may help you should you have a little condition or concern. I am just putting a &ldquo;blip&rdquo; on your botanical radarJ Once you read this list take time to consider what I wrote above as I believe as you study that topic in more depth it will bless you. In encourage you to pray and ask God to show you more. This herb gives a powerful testimony to the awesomeness of God in a way you may never have considered before&hellip;
&nbsp;
Benefits:
Purifies the Blood
Detoxifies the Body
It is a Diuretic which Helps Deal with Water Retention
Supports Healthy Gut, Digestion and Appetite
Been Known to Cure Cancer
Breath Freshener
Heals Anemia
Mends Arthritis
Heals and Improves Our Taste Buds
Good for Blood Pressure and Hypertension
It is a Natural Antifungal
It is a Natural Antibacterial
Good for Skin, Bones, Mouth, Liver
Supports Immune System
Helps with Urinary Tract Infections
Prevents and Helps Remove Gall and Kidney Stones
Aids Glands
Good for Diabetes
Helps Maintain Vision and Prevents Degenerative Aging Conditions of the Eyes
Anti-aging Properties
Helps Reverse Pollution Damage
Prevents Bloating
Good for Cholesterol
Aids the Eyes Dealing with Night Blindness
The Roots, Seeds, Leaves are Good for Diarrhea as well as Laxative, It Balances
Helps with Nutrient Absorption
Improves Sleep
Good for Osteoporosis
Good for Menstrual Cycles
Helpful in Pregnancy
Anti-inflammatory
Helps the Body Deal with Bad Ultra Violet Rays
&nbsp;
And the list could go on&hellip;.do you see what I mean about Precious Parsley?&nbsp;Full of essential nutrients like copper, vitamin C, vitamin A, packed with antioxidants, flavinoids (anti-inflammatory), folic acid, iron, vitamin K, vitamin B, and many others. Plus it is high in fiber, low in sodium, what a blessing!
Parsley Tea, just like Sanative Sage&nbsp;and the Lovely Linden, also can be taken in tea form. 1 teaspoon of dry herb per cup, 8 ounces of boiling water simmer for a least a few minutes and enjoy. Of course, as I shared it is so delicious in a number of dishes and just by itself. It is super easy to dry or freeze for storage so you always have some in stock. This herb is truly precious and a great reminder of the Goodness of God who Created this for us. Incredible!
This herb along with many others makes wonderful gifts. Years ago I received a real beauty from a dear friend who was originally from Japan. I still have some of the seeds to keep it going for a long time, Good Lord Willing.
Consider the Passage below, it is a personal favorite, and by all means please find a stalk and bite it like a fish going after a worm and enjoy!
Psalm 103 KJV
(A Psalm of David.) Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth His children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.
14 For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.
19 The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.
21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
&nbsp;
Until next thyme&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jan 2025 22:11:21 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 4</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11799</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 4]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 4 - The Metal Cage
God&rsquo;s Help With Trust
&nbsp;
Psalm 145:18-19
&ldquo;The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.&nbsp; He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.&rdquo;
Galatians 5:22-23
&ldquo;But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
How good it was in my heart to know her name and I think, by her response, hers too. I was still waiting for the rescue to give me a jingle back. The meanings of her name brought insight as I continued to prayerfully watch her. I did not put her back in the metal cage but it was still there. She looked at it with wary eyes and her body posture was screaming don&rsquo;t put me in there please. I didn&rsquo;t even consider it and told her no more metal cage and asked her to trust me. &ldquo;Lord please help us trust You as we build the trust we need with each other&hellip;. &rdquo;, I entreated this of The One Who is always trustworthy, along with all the other previously mentioned near to my heart principles.
We were going to have to build an expansive foundation of trust and I knew that would require time, consistency, patience, loving kindness, mercy, self-control, and basically every Fruit of my Lord&rsquo;s Spirit to work in me so I could help her. This was not new for me to desire and ask Him for at all. That started in my early childhood Bible classes with my teachers using those fuzzy grape cluster felts on the felt board. We learned Jesus was the vine and we are the branches and in Him we should bear His Fruit. One by one we learned from Scripture: The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; and I knew they were important and that I truly am His work in progress. To this day and all that will come, I pray to have His Fruit and His Word transforming and evident in my life. Like many of us, my little Kaiyah had fear, anxiety, stress, sadness, and complexities needing to be understood. I got her all &ldquo;tucked in&rdquo; said our good night prayers with the two kitties and lights out. That night we all slept a bit better.
In the morning after making sure Esther had her medicine, which she let me know was awful each time, Kaiyah Takota, came out of the room and I offered her a potty opportunity as usual. It was wonderful to see her responding to her new name. Although she still was timid and those emotional complexities weighed her down, she seemed a tad freer in her movements. We went and did our routine mission hike and after preps off to work I went.&nbsp;&nbsp; She was not in the dreaded cage and I trusted she would be ok in the room. Still no return call from the rescue. God has a plan and He is Faithful&hellip;answers would come.
That late afternoon I finally got home. Things seemed quiet.&nbsp;&nbsp; Esther and Gideon greeted me in the usual casual and firm manner. And each got pets and I got mews. I went to check on Kaiyah and there she was in her little ball with paws over muzzle even though she was not in the cage. She peeked up at me and seemed uncertain and did not move. Her eyes were miles away and the sadness was deep. I whispered her name and knelt beside her. Praying to my Heavenly Father again for His Peace and Security for all of us, I thanked Him for providing the much needed Wisdom and Counsel I was continuing to seek from Him, and for His help in building much needed trust and all that goes with it. I pet her for a few minutes and then quietly left the room, door open. I wanted her to know I was choosing to build trust with her and asking her to trust me. It seemed to me that her healing and wholeness would begin with this very important building block. And earning that comes with not being restrained all the time. As with people, relational building requires rapport and trust, especially when those souls have or are being damaged. It is always a risk building trust but control and domination are far more dangerous.
That evening I had some things to work on and just let her move about at will. It was a pleasant evening for us and everyone got along just fine. I had a little time to write my mom with updates on things and to read hers as well. Dad was getting stronger and they were talking about getting him home and considering options on how that would work with his current condition. I could tell she was feeling a bit overwhelmed at having to care for him. My dad was 6&rsquo; 4&rdquo; in his prime, and although he was leaner with age now, that was &ldquo;still a lot of man for this old lady to handle&rdquo;, as my momma would say. She was not a petite woman she was tall and pretty strong for her age. Her overall health wasn&rsquo;t great either but she wouldn&rsquo;t focus on it too much. She didn&rsquo;t like going to the doctor, neither did my dad, and would often make it clear that she put her faith in the Great Physician. I shared with her my concern and again asked her to let me know if she needed me to come.&nbsp;The morning came with our new routine feeling a little more comfortable and to work I went. In no particular order my mind was full and I wondered about the rescue, Kaiyah&rsquo;s story, things with my family, Esther&rsquo;s health, things with ministry, things with friendships, concerns and evaluating consequences, my work and on and on. I was mulling things over to the point I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Trying to keep my focus I offered it all in prayer again. The day was long and so was the drive. I was relieved to be getting home.&nbsp;Right away I could tell something wasn&rsquo;t right. The kitties did not greet me and Kaiyah was hiding. I walked into the living room and found one of the blinds had been chewed. I noticed little pieces of wood on the floor by the front door. She had tried to escape. Kaiyah had chewed the wood molding around the bottom of the door and the wood slats on the bottom of the blinds near the front door. She had left teeth marks amongst the shrapnel. My first reaction was shock, are the cats ok, is she ok. I didn&rsquo;t see any fur or blood anywhere. I urgently went to find Esther and Gideon, they were just fine under my bed. &ldquo;Thank you Lord!&rdquo; I exhaled and then I went to find her. I was immediately concerned for her mouth and tongue and her front paws. She was hiding curled in her stress ball and shivering all over. She was terrified and totally wild in her eyes. I was tired, shocked, and afraid and I had a little anger in there this time. We are building trust and this was no bueno. I had to calm myself before approaching her and prayed in my heart for all the help He could give me. My posture had to change. I had come to believe deep in my heart that she had been physically abused and with that comes a whole lot of ugly. I slowly approached, quieted my tone, and knelt down. Then I did something unexpected. I laid flat and just spoke her name and told her what she did was not good. I know readers may find my &ldquo;talking&rdquo; to animals a bit weird but it has always been my way and my mom&rsquo;s too. Body language and tone is huge, making eye contact or not is huge, and talking communicates many things as well. Looking into her eyes with kindness and not anger was critical and trying with all my heart not to break what little trust we were building. She shivered there for some time until I went to her and put my hands on her face petting very gently. It took a few minutes but she finally realized I was not going to hurt her. She stayed in the ball until I got up and offered her to go out. With that she ran out of the room right to the sliding door entry and into the back yard. She looked high and low for a place to escape. Seemingly relieved and yet visibly stressed. Reminded me of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) I&rsquo;ve seen in people and other creatures and again prayed quietly. I left her out to unwind as I changed clothes, cleaned up the debris, took care of the kitties and got dinner going. It was a long day. Still no call from the rescue so I decided to try again and had to leave a message and this time firmer and my emotions were coming through loud and clear.
The call finally came close to 8 o&rsquo;clock at night and it was Jodie. She sounded stressed herself and I shared what had happened, my concerns and wanted to know what she knew about Kaiyah. My feelings of being overwhelmed were beginning to break out and I needed answers. The metal cage had to go and I wanted to know how quickly we could set that up. I let her know it was not a safe place. It was a four sided slow death trap! I had had enough. She proceeded to ensure me that everything would be alright. I told her about the monitors, the shivering, the stress ball, the short pantings, the &ldquo;laps&rdquo;, her fear ducking and everything else I could think of including Kaiyah and Jodie&rsquo;s need to trust me&hellip;a long silence ensued. I waited quietly, and then hesitantly she told me we could meet at the store again so I could return that trap to her and began to disclose what she knew of Kaiyah&rsquo;s story at long last.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jan 2025 22:27:55 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; A Smile Can Make a Big Difference</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11805</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: A Smile Can Make a Big Difference]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat."
Proverbs 15:30
&nbsp;
We think these&nbsp;pictures say it all! 
Well done camel...&nbsp;You made us smile!
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jan 2025 22:27:26 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 3</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11751</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 3]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 3 - A New Name
God&rsquo;s Wisdom and Counsel
&nbsp;
Proverbs 2: 6-7
&ldquo;For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.&rdquo;
Psalm 16:7
&ldquo;I will bless the LORD, who hath given me Counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
In the morning following our coming home Jasmine was still unusually subdued.&nbsp; Although I could tell by the expression in her eyes she was feeling stressed but was clearly containing herself. No barking, not a whimper just silent longing.&nbsp; Purposefully I prayed for more Wisdom and Counsel. Give her time I thought and proceeded to welcome her into my life and routine.&nbsp; Having a nice piece of open desert right across from my home and a solid outdoor exercise regiment I thought would be just what was needed.&nbsp;We got out bright and early and started our first walk together.&nbsp; It was a joy seeing her dialing in the location and observing everything around us.&nbsp; The way she lifted her nose into the air closing her eyes in those first rays of the morning seemed to relax every muscle of her body and her soul.&nbsp; She was different from my other dog companions in that she was very controlled, attentive and focused.&nbsp; Like me she was a soul who was mission minded and she was clearly more in her element.&nbsp; Over time we developed a quiet harmony on our outdoor missions, in the meantime, I was leading and she was allowing it.&nbsp;My work days were sometimes long and rather deadline driven.&nbsp; Not a lot of breathing room for downtime and much of my career was autonomous and I most often worked alone.&nbsp; It was just my nature and the nature of my work and I valued and thrived in what I did.&nbsp; I had a non-profit ministry at that time as well and was seeking the Lord for Wisdom and Counsel as to what was next. At the time my father&rsquo;s health had been failing and he was currently in a care facility after a major stroke and injuries that had come with a terrible fall in conjunction with it.&nbsp; He was mending and sounded weak but steady.&nbsp; My mom was trying to deal with the love of her life going through all these things and was internally dealing with much.&nbsp; I was on the other side of the country but I always let them know I was there for them.&nbsp; I tried to keep in close communication but that is not the same as being physically there especially when things are difficult.&nbsp; My parents were getting on in years and I loved them. The situation was weighing heavy on my heart and mind.&nbsp; Along with other trials in life I now had this beautiful complex dog to care for and tried to carry on as usual.&nbsp;
After work one afternoon I came home to Jasmine having acted out some of her internal stress.&nbsp; She had clearly tried to dig her way out of the metal cage into the carpet, thankfully concrete was under it, and had chewed at the carpet she was able to loosen.&nbsp; &nbsp;She had moved the cage from the quiet corner area I had it set up.&nbsp; She looked stressed, concerned, frightened and panted in short quick breaths and was shaking.&nbsp; I was not angry but I was very concerned. &nbsp;&ldquo;Wisdom and Counsel please Lord&rdquo;, I sighed.&nbsp; Knowing we should never strike our pets I offered gentleness and calm.&nbsp; I had not experienced a dog acting out in this manner so I was determined to help and not hurt.&nbsp; She was quiet and subdued except when outside in the back yard doing her &ldquo;laps&rdquo; or we were out enjoying trail hiking.&nbsp; I knew something had to change with the cage.&nbsp; I was discerning the metal cage was not a place of safety but a second cage to the one she was clearly dealing with inside.&nbsp; I needed time to figure out what to do and to pray.&nbsp; The name thing was getting on my nerves and I had already started seeking God, as He knew everything she had been through and what was best, to get that corrected.&nbsp; A good name is important and conveys much more than something to be called.
I put her in the garage the next day as that was roomy, cool for now and safe if she needed to act out.&nbsp; I did not want the cats anywhere near as I wasn&rsquo;t sure what she would do.&nbsp; When I got home I found she had found a way to escape from the metal cage and managed to chew through the monitors on the garage door. She was panting in those short breaths and looked like she wanted to run far and fast. This was not good.&nbsp; At least she was not electrocuted and the cats were safe.&nbsp; She had not shown one bit of aggression toward them or me. &nbsp;Not one potty mistake. No barking or whimpers but silent desperate eyes becoming more demanding for help or escape.&nbsp; &nbsp;I decided it was time for a call to the rescue to see if I could get more information and to tell them what we thought of that metal cage.&nbsp; I had to leave a message and went about helping her and me unwind with a good walk, clean up everything, prepare us all a good meal, and call the garage folks to get the monitors fixed.
When I had a breather I texted my mom checking on them and to let them know how things were.&nbsp; She gave me a short positive update and said she felt for the sweet girl and said she would be praying.&nbsp; We exchanged short encouragement in Jesus and our love and I sat down on my couch.&nbsp; I was finally quiet thanking God for His Plan and that He is always Faithful for His Peace and Security for all of us and for Wisdom and Counsel. &nbsp;I know many people may find my seeking God so diligently in regards to animals and for names may be a bit unconventional but the Lord invites us to share everything with Him, He already knows everything and He is the only true source of Wisdom and Counsel.&nbsp; He also has the answers&hellip;all of them.&nbsp; He is my God and my Friend.&nbsp; He cares about everything and has no ulterior motive and will always tell me the truth, His Truth. &nbsp;
I began to think about names for her and when I was finally done trying to figure it out and was silent in my thoughts the name &ldquo;Kaiyah&rdquo; came to mind like a gentle breeze and I whispered it.&nbsp; This is her name; I knew it like I knew my own. &nbsp;I had never heard that name before, ever.&nbsp; I had to say that could have only come from the Understanding Heart of God and I even knew how to spell it.&nbsp; I went to look it up on-line and lo and behold it was Hebrew meaning, with God&rsquo;s Help &ldquo;one who has forgiven much&rdquo;. Today you may find other meanings associated but it was clear then as that was all that was revealed from my research. &nbsp;Jasmine was in the living room with me lying exhausted and still on the floor near me.&nbsp; I got down beside her looked into her soulful pained distant eyes and said softly, &ldquo;Kaiyah&rdquo;&hellip; &ldquo;Are you Kaiyah?&rdquo; She immediately looked right into my eyes full on with a connected presence I had not seen until that moment.&nbsp; She lifted her head and kept eyes locked, still whispering gently with long pauses , &ldquo;Kaiyah&hellip; &nbsp;sweet Kaiyah&rdquo;&hellip;. &ldquo;Kaiyah&hellip;Papa God&rsquo;s Kaiyah&hellip; Alea&rsquo;s Kaiyah&hellip; Esther&rsquo;s Kaiyah&hellip; Gideon&rsquo;s Kaiyah&hellip;.you are our Kaiyah&hellip;you are Kaiyah&hellip;.&rdquo; She seemed to melt with peace at this name and the recognition and went to sleep.&nbsp; I sat there petting her with many tears as I mourned for what she had been through to have such a name and thanked the Lord for His Kindness and for His Kaiyah.&nbsp; &nbsp;This name unlocked an understanding of soul and I sat there a long time in silence.&nbsp; I still felt there was more to her and to her name but I eventually got about doing what I needed to and then I heard in my heart&hellip; &ldquo;Takota&hellip;Kaiyah Takota&rdquo;.&nbsp; I had to let that sink in as I had not heard that name either. &nbsp;Having had a lifelong love and compassion for Native People I had absolutely read and heard the name Lakota with regards to the Great Indigenous People in the Great Plains but not the word &ldquo;Takota&rdquo;.&nbsp; My heart skipped a beat as this resonated with a joy deep in me and I pursued understanding of this second name. &nbsp;Yep, the spelling came with this one as well.&nbsp; &nbsp;&ldquo;Takota&rdquo; is an Indigenous name meaning, &ldquo;friend to all&rdquo;.&nbsp;
She heard me as I approached where she was resting and lifted her sweet face up to me. &nbsp;It was beyond doubt that this name was hers and it was her story, her soul, her life. &nbsp;Knowing this by faith, I knelt beside her, tears streaming again, softly stroked her head and then called to her affirming confidently and compassionately, &ldquo;Kaiyah Takota&rdquo; &hellip; &ldquo;One who has forgiven much and friend to all&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
&hellip;Until we meet again&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:14:40 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Destination 6&#x3a; Journey of Butterflies and Dinosaurs &#x28;and More&#x21;&#x29;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11755</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Destination 6: Journey of Butterflies and Dinosaurs (and More!)]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox."
Job 40:15 KJV
&nbsp;
With a title that includes butterflies and dinosaurs, I was hoping that would definitely catch the interest of those who see it, and I must say: this next installment in our Spot Focus series is one that will actually make sense of that very title.
You know, there is no shortage of things to watch on tv or online, some good, some not so good. With all that's out there,&nbsp;to find something that is entertaining,&nbsp;educational, beautifully written, has tremendous production values, and is actually something very calming and ENJOYABLE to watch is a gem to find; something that presents the facts, makes a very clear case for them, and let's you decide what to do with what you learned.&nbsp;
This is about&nbsp;a program series called "The Incredible Journey." On there you will find a plethora&nbsp;of terrific videos documenting everything from moments in history and key figures who played a role in them, incredible (pun intended) programs on various wildlife and the natural world, as well as a multitude of many other topics of interest from technology to health, history to exploring the universe to the world of insects, and the list goes on.
What makes The Incredible Journey, hosted by Gary Kent, so special is the way it takes our world and contrasts it with the truth of the Bible, but doing it in a way that makes such clear sense: putting them side by side and allowing the viewer to really think about what God's Word says, and how it is historically validated time and time again. In the case of the title used for this Spot Focus, there are specific programs including:&nbsp;the search for the rarest Butterfly in the world, as well as walking the trail of the dinosaurs to see what really happened to them. (No, what really happened to them!)
The thoughtful and clear evidence presented to the viewer really speaks for itself, in such a compelling and absolutely amazing way. This is something that really resonates with Alea and I. You see, we have this website with the purpose to point to the Creator, God Himself Jesus Christ: with His breathtaking Beauty and Glory evident all around us, for all eyes to behold it. The Incredible Journey truly does a remarkable job pointing to this as well. We hope you find them&nbsp;to be the blessing they have&nbsp;been for our family and continue to be!
You can watch their episode on the rarest Butterfly here:&nbsp;Butterflies - Nature's Gift
And the episode on the Dinosaurs and how they fit with the Bible:&nbsp;Dinosaurs and the Bible
If you would like to see the list of programs on "The Incredible Journey, you can find that here:&nbsp;Program List
Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with any particular ministry, denomination, church group, organization, charity, or "movement." We believe in the Bible and the Bible alone, and that nothing needs to be added to it. Any views expressed by this organization is theirs and theirs alone. We do not collect any funds from any represented sources on our site. We are however featuring this material because of important Biblical truth that we believe should be considered.
We wanted to focus&nbsp;on this ministry because they are so special to us and we believe they will bless those who visit them. We'd like to invite you on&nbsp;The Incredible Journey&nbsp;along with us... We sure have learned a lot from them!
&nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:13:46 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 2</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11704</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota - A Novel Husky: Chapter 2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 2 &ndash; Coming Home
God&rsquo;s Peace and Security
&nbsp;
Isaiah 26:3
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."
Psalm 16:8 
"I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."
&nbsp;
My work day was a busy one but was just fine. Got home and had a nice light meal and took good care to have everything in order under such short notice. Had a talk with Esther, my super senior tabby who was the older of the two cats, and I had recently found out she was battling cancer. She was a loving mindful kitty and you wouldn&rsquo;t know she was dealing with age and illness unless you had really known her. It was Esther who would be the first to meet the newcomer. From previous experience I have always slowly introduced the senior pet to the new comers first. They seem to know what to communicate right out of the gate and to set precedence. Gideon, my little black panther, was younger and full of personality albeit at times a bit vocal especially when on the phone and yet shy. He and Esther had been with me through many different moves and things, we were close and we all were still grieving Lady and the changes that come with living. He seemed to know something was about to change again and stayed close and wanted reassurance as we all prayed together before I left. &ldquo;God has a Plan and He is Faithful,&rdquo; I said on my way out the door.
The drive felt like I was traveling across the state but in fact it was fifteen or so real time minutes. I parked my SUV, said a prayer for God&rsquo;s Peace and Security for us, and made the call to let the lady, Jodie, know I was there. So was she. I got out and walked toward the front entrance but before I got there I saw a large black SUV with a lady waving at me. She opened the back to reveal a large metal cage with the precious cargo inside. My heart was racing. I had so many questions and hardly any answers and here was that beautiful husky still looking like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was. There was a moment of recognition from our first encounter between us, and she lay down very still. I already knew I would not be leaving without her. It was a moment that swelled in my heart with tremendous nurturing love and protectiveness for this precious life. Jodie opened her cage and I went to her with gentleness. Again, prayed for God&rsquo;s Peace and Security for us. Never want to approach any creature without proper respect to space and introduction.&nbsp;Slowly I got close and let her smell my hand, she looked very small, and again gave me that deep soul to soul gaze and waited. I spoke softly and stroked her gently on her neck and introduced myself. She was soft but so very thin. Jodie proceeded to tell me what she cost, how do you put a price on a life I wondered, that her foster name was Jasmine, and that she was a recent rescue that would need patience. Jodie said I could use the metal cage for a month and keep the collar and leash, which was a chewed metal chain. She assured me that if I had any questions to call. I wrote out the check to the rescue, received the few medical records and tags from Jodie and proceeded to load the cage into my SUV. Jodie had taken her out and I took the leash and carefully escorted her to my vehicle. I could tell she was NOT a fan of the metal cage and neither was I. Jodie did say this would be helpful for her so I took it against my better judgment.&nbsp;Jasmine and I were on the way home and we were both quiet. I reminded the Lord I was willing and I prayed for us trusting He was Listening. I was calm and carefully welcomed her down which she was more than fine with and we went in to our home. I had set up one of the bedrooms as &ldquo;her&rdquo; spot to get acclimated and proceeded to get the metal cage out of the SUV and into the bedroom. What a rig amoral that was. Esther and Gideon kept a quiet curious distance and they both went into my room under the bed after hearing and seeing the dreaded metal cage. I closed the door for them to feel safe and set things up. Jasmine looked discombobulated and seemed unusually subdued. I spent some time with her speaking softly and stroking her and then gave her some space of her own. I began to discern some serious complexities in her but things were too fresh and new yet. One thing I did know is her name wasn&rsquo;t right. It just didn&rsquo;t fit and she didn&rsquo;t respond to it at all as if she couldn&rsquo;t hear it.
Esther and Gideon had come out from under the bed and were relaxed and curious. Esther was more so and even went to the door of the bedroom she was in and meowed in her sweet soft way. As if to say I know you&rsquo;re in there and it will be ok. When Esther did that again I knew she would have me open the door and let her in and I did. Jasmine, was tucked in a ball in that metal cage and peeked at Esther from behind the paws covering her muzzle. She lifted her head and with both ears out to the side as she watched Esther carefully but deliberately made her way to the cage. Esther sniffed, purred, meowed looked very intently into her eyes and then quietly left with a gentle expression as she walked out. Jasmine put her head down. Gideon took his time but also found his courage to approach and took a good long look and sniffed many times. I often say he has a better sense of smell than most dogs. She looked softly at him more comfortably than with Esther and didn&rsquo;t make a sound. Gideon walked around the cage as if he was disgusted with it and then purred and gave a huge meow and then walked right out of the room. It was good intros. Not one bit of aggression and unbelievably submissive.
It was time for her first backyard moment and for a potty break before getting some treats and water before bedtime. I had to work in the morning and it was getting late. I opened the cage and welcomed her out. For a while she just sat there staring out the metal door. All of a sudden she got right up and timidly followed me to the sliding door in the kitchen. It was then I saw how thin and frail she was and wondered what on earth had she been through. I had pretty tall block walls surrounding the perimeter and knew she was safe to roam freely and encouraged her to go at will. When she decided to explore her new territory, she looked everywhere for a way of escape. Back and forth from one end to another, she was stressed. It was time for another prayer for God&rsquo;s Peace and Security for all of us. Not having had a husky before I did not know this was even a thing with some of them. Thankfully she realized there was no way over the walls. Jasmine showed me she had definitely had some kind of trauma in her past. When overwhelmed with her anxiety she would collapse into this little round ball and just freeze. I had to carefully pick her up that night and many nights after to bring her in. When I brought her in that first night Gideon was waiting right in the middle of the kitchen. I carefully placed her on the floor and he proceeded to go right up to her and rub her with his head and body right to the tip of his tail. She stood there and let him do it with a cautious appreciation for his expression. His display of affection surprised me as he was always the nervous of the two kitties. The fact that Jasmine allowed this not knowing him and permitted that very personal encounter after being stressed outside was amazing to me. She and I walked back to the bedroom after a few treats, a good drink of water and a few moments in the living room bonding. She did not want to be in that metal cage. They said it would be safe for her. I was beginning to wonder about that. That night she went in and we said our good night prayers together. I thanked her for being there before I closed the door.&nbsp;Praying for God&rsquo;s Peace and Security for all of us was critical as I had much to think on that night but I would have much more in the coming days. Reminding myself that God had a Plan and for sure He is Faithful and that with all the unknowns; His Peace and Security were going to have to steady our souls for the journey He was taking us on together.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;...Until we meet again...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:24:30 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Botanical Blips - Sanative Sage</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11718</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Botanical Blips - Sanative Sage]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Sanative Sage
This &ldquo;miniature medicine cabinet&rdquo; is found to be known as Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia) and (Salvia officinalis), common sage. It has a few names, but what I will call Sanative (having the power to cure or heal) Sage. The Latin word Salvia literally means "to save or heal&rdquo;. Actually to some this a sacred herb due to its incredible healing properties. God absolutely made this herb to be strong medicine. It&rsquo;s an ancient herb found all over the world: China, Europe, along the Mediterranean, Indigenous Tribes and many cultures utilize this culinary spice more often as medicine. In this Botanical Blip, I want to share why this is a favorite in our garden and some of the potent benefits this has to offer that you may wish to consider.
As I mentioned in my first Botanical Blip - Lovely Linden, these are just brief overviews from my personal experience and study. These are by no means a clinical comprehensive breakdown but I certainly encourage you to research what interests you.
For me Sanative Sage is an aromatic herb that has a strong earthy camphor smell and taste. It reminds me of special holiday memories. It is from the mint family. Sage has cousins like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Plus it is a pretty bush accent to our garden. Our Sage has a corner spot to beautify. It has soft fuzzy like leaves that are a soft blue-green hue and stands about 2 feet tall and about as wide with a natural roundness to its overall shape. I think it would be quite a bit bigger but we use it and keep it trimmed. It has soft blue flowers and the leaves tend to be bluer in autumn and greener in the summer. The bees and butterflies really enjoy buzzing and fluttering on our herbs and our Sanative Sage is no exception. After a good rain shower it smells like open forest without the pine fragrance, although we do have some fragrant evergreens nearby.
I like using Sage in some of my cuisines. It can be used in cooking or medicinally fresh, dried, or in oil. For example, it is in my veggie sausages, artesian breads, soups, sauces, dressings, wild rice and grains. It adds a punch of flavor to many other of my dishes. A little goes a long way. I bet you have some of your own favorite ways to use it.
Did you know that Sage is packed with nutrients like antioxidants and minerals? For those being careful with Vitamin K please note, 1 teaspoon of dried ground Sage has 10% of the daily recommendation. Always, do a personal check when using any herb or spice. They are wonderful gifts to add flavor and nutrients to our bodies but some bodies need a bit of caution in approaching certain compounds, all things with care and temperance. That doesn&rsquo;t mean you can&rsquo;t use them, you may just need to use less or less often. Do your research especially if you have certain conditions or are with child or nursing.
Like many of the mint family members, Sage is also antibacterial and can be used as a mouthwash to help heal the mouth and kill bacteria and fight off plaque. I don&rsquo;t mind chewing a little fresh with a touch of water until pulverized. Swish and then expectorate into the trash or out on the ground. I understand some folks use Sage to help with sore throats; I haven&rsquo;t done that but I can recognize how that could be helpful.
I understand that the Spanish sage is often recommended for medicinal use as it does not contain a certain compound called thujone. But you really would need to consume quite a bit to have adverse affects. If drinking for health reasons 3 to 6 cups of tea with 1 tsp of dried ground per cup daily is often the safe range. The measurements are for adults only, as children would be substantially less. But again use wisdom and common sense, every body is unique.
Oils are pretty potent so I personally have not used those regularly. I prefer teas, a random fresh leaf to chew and in food.
Sage contains astringent properties as well and can be helpful in even cleansing the air of impurities when used like incense.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Here are a few other benefits that I&rsquo;ve discovered and may be worth your consideration and further investigation:
Boosts Memory and Helps the Brain Be Well
Fights off Forms of Cancer
Helps Lower Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Levels
Helps the Skin Battle Aging
Helps Alleviate Menopause Symptoms&nbsp;There are other known benefits but these sure are pretty exciting to know about. The Lord has an abundance of good things He has made for our health and well-being and I do enjoy discovering them, don&rsquo;t you? He wants us well in body, mind and spirit! Hallelujah!!
With all its benefits, Sanative Sage is not even close to being as potent as God&rsquo;s Word.
The Scriptures are Wise; let&rsquo;s take a moment to reflect on this one straight from The Life Giving Creator God Himself about who herbs were made for:
Genesis 1:30
&ldquo;And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.&rdquo;
And these potent 2 telling us of the Greatest Physician Who truly Saves and Heals and a firm prescription:
Jeremiah 17:4
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou&nbsp;art&nbsp;my praise.
Colossians 2:8&nbsp;
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
&nbsp;
Until next thyme&hellip;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:23:03 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea Milota]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Kaiyah Takota The Beginning - A Novel Husky&#x3a; Chapter 1</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11695</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kaiyah Takota The Beginning - A Novel Husky: Chapter 1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Chapter 1 - The Divine Appointment
God has a Plan and He is Faithful
&nbsp;
Psalm 32:8 &ldquo;I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.&rdquo;
Lamentations 3:22-23 &ldquo;It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.&rdquo;

&nbsp;
It was a late Friday afternoon in early February of 2012 while grabbing some kitty food at a local pet store, that I had my first encounter with this incredible animal. In the autumn a couple of years prior my sweet dog Lady had to be put to sleep due to age and health complications. It was a terribly difficult decision and loss for me. She was my buddy, a rescue and friend from a decade plus of major changes in my life and hers. Lady was also a Divine Appointment as I believe all my little critters have been. I had no thoughts of getting another dog as that pain was still pretty raw and I had other life difficulties pervading. I was still a bit numb emotionally. Little did I know that the quick jaunt to the pet store that day would be another Divine Appointment and that the dear creature and I were about to need and learn from each other in ways that I would come to realize and treasure forever, and I mean forever.
As I walked up to the storefront I noticed some adorable pups on the left of the entrance with folks just enthralled by the fuzzy soft beige and white bundles of adorableness. They had curly tails and little soft triangle ears and a muzzle that could only match, yes, their adorableness. But as I tuned out all the squeaking from the puppies and onlookers my eyes fixed on a gentleman with a beautiful demure gentle-eyed adult dog far separated from the potential adoptive families. She sat quietly alone as if she did not want to be noticed and seemed to be miles from where she was. My heart immediately sympathized and connected&hellip;right there in that moment, which was further strengthened by a passing intense deep soul to soul gaze between the two of us as I determinedly went to gather the kitty food I was there to find.
As I left the scene I glanced to see her one more time&hellip;the compassion and connection was so strong I had to leave with urgency. I sat in my old SUV for a few moments quietly trying to realize what was happening. At that point I didn&rsquo;t know anything about her not even her gender or if she was adoptable or belonged to the gentleman sitting apart from her holding her leash. All I knew is that something happened in my heart and I wasn&rsquo;t ready... nope. As I drove home, I had a long prayer to the Lord about what I was feeling and felt to pray, no intercede, for this special creature&hellip;and of course, loving safe, kind homes for those puppies that were stealing hearts. I got home, fed and loved on my kitties and began to try to shake out of my mind and emotions the deep impression that had just been made. It didn&rsquo;t matter, the work the Lord had begun could not be undone. All weekend I felt to pray for this unusual canine and wondered what the story behind that dog was, and why I had been so affected by the encounter.
Monday rolled around and I finally decided to call the store and see if the manager could shed any light to help me know more. I had wrestled all weekend about the whole adoption thing and had surrendered it to the Lord, that if He had ordained this encounter with this special creature that was apparently on His Mind and now mine, I was indeed willing. The manager and I spoke, I felt stupid at first as that was really a shot in the dark, and I was going on and on about not being able to get this dog out of my mind and described in great detail what very little I did not know. But thankfully, she was understanding and said although she had no idea she would call the rescue that had been out that day and see if they knew. She was patient and encouraging as she rarely heard of such a connection and knew this was something special. She told me she would have to call me back and that was that. I prayed and waited and got back to work.
A few long hours had passed... finally the call had come. I took a deep breath and proverbially &ldquo;jumped in&rdquo; and to my overwhelming surprise, relief and wonder the rescue knew exactly who I had seen and yes SHE was adoptable. There wasn&rsquo;t much the lady from the pet store could share except that they would like to contact me and set up a time to meet and if all went well, she would come home with me. This was almost too much and happening very fast&hellip;I had kitties and I knew practically nothing about this beautiful mysterious dog. Having been raised with animals I knew some dogs and some cats are not friends and can be vicious. But God knew this and I had surrendered and said I was willing. I&rsquo;m a careful planner and not one given to impulse so to have an overwhelming Presence of the Arm of the Lord around this was undeniable and gave surety to my actions. He had a Plan! And He is Faithful! If you know me you know these are principles of God Being Love that I cling to even if just by my fingernails, and if I should not be able to hold, praise God, He&rsquo;s got me. So I awaited the call from the rescue people who were now my direct link to this possibility and another very long hour went by and then it came.
The lady on the other end of the phone sounded serious and proceeded to ask me a few questions of which I answered to confirm I was that same person she had been directed to call. Once satisfied, she began to share what little she felt comfortable to share. This felt a bit awkward as I wanted to know everything I could. For one thing, I had kitties to think about. But I found out she was of an unknown age, but an adult; she had recently been spayed and was a rescue. They knew she was a husky of some kind and that she was shy. She was pretty sure she would be okay with my cats but said if I had any concerns to let them know. Okay, that was very little information for me but it was enough. I told the Lord I was willing and my heart was truly in it for keeps. We made an appointment to meet after my work that very day at 8:00 p.m. sharp at the pet store location where I first saw her. I was excited, prayerful, needed to have serious talks with my two kitties, and had to get things ready to welcome her home!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;...Until we meet again...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jan 2025 21:59:29 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Botanical Blips - Lovely Linden</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11604</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Botanical Blips - Lovely Linden]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Lovely Linden 
My first encounter hearing about the Linden tree go back to a very early childhood memory when my Dad would bring home especially wrapped small boxes of medicinal teas from the German store.&nbsp; Couldn&rsquo;t read the labels then but I recalled they were special teas and were good medicine.&nbsp; I had seen Linden in a few homegrown shops over the years being used in soaps and linen water but had lost track of them as we can do in life.&nbsp; Until one day my Mother in law was visiting our home and pointed out that we had them growing in many places throughout our community.&nbsp; She was excited and recounted some of her childhood seeing these magnificent trees in the old country of Slovakia and wanted to collect some of their blossoms. She took a few reminiscent walks quietly collecting the blossoms and drying them on paper bags to use for tea.&nbsp; I remember the fragrance was a sweet honey citrus like floral and she was as happy as could be.&nbsp; It was a joy to see her rediscover those happy childhood memories and have something she could share with us. She didn&rsquo;t know the health properties God had put in that tree but she knew it was good.&nbsp; &nbsp;And she didn&rsquo;t know that this introduction to the Linden tree would reinvigorate my lifelong love of &nbsp;herbal and naturopathic medicine while discovering God&rsquo;s&nbsp; Healing hidden touch inside them.&nbsp; What a tree it is&hellip;plus we have a new family tradition that Peter and I get to go &ldquo;collecting&rdquo; thanks to his Mamicka.&nbsp;A tree known throughout Europe for its multiple uses and medicinal value the Linden tree holds as one of the most versatile for home and health.&nbsp; Let&rsquo;s take a look at this remarkable tree and the healing in its &ldquo;leaves&rdquo;.&nbsp; Of course, there are umpteen books written on the subject of botanicals and naturopathic medicine and for sure the internet is full of information so this will just be my humble attempt at putting a few bits of info out there for your radar to consider &ldquo;picking up&rdquo; while telling a few personal stories along the way.
This amazing cold hardy, sun loving,&nbsp; but not too hot, drought and fungus resistant Linden (Tilia sp.) tree can grow up to 40 feet and even some as much as 80 feet tall and is an excellent shade tree.&nbsp; Pollinators like bees love this tree and some countries actually have Linden honey and it is delicious.&nbsp; Many of the Lindens including the American variety are edible even in a good salad, and they also generate a sap that can be used as a sweetener.&nbsp; Incredible!&nbsp; One day Lord Willing, we will have land and can plant some of these beauties on it but for now a&rsquo;foraging we go!&nbsp;Here is a small list of health helps we&rsquo;ve experienced using the flowers and the accompanying lighter green leaves that grow where the flowers blossom.&nbsp; We just usually add this to boiling water for about 5 minutes or so and let steep for about a few minutes more.&nbsp; The water will turn a soft red and will have the gentle floral taste of the flowers.&nbsp; Classic rule of thumb is to use about one teaspoon of dried crushed herb per cup of water.&nbsp; We don&rsquo;t usually crush them but just put in boiling water whole.&nbsp; We often will reuse them a few times just because we enjoy the gentle flavor it continues to release as it steeps.&nbsp; The Lord&rsquo;s Kindness has made enjoying drinking Linden tea with great benefits and helps for us in such areas as:
Anxiety and Stress relief &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Breaks fever&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Aids kidney function&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Respiratory health&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Aids digestion including cramps and indigestion
Hypertension&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Detoxification&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Immune Booster&nbsp;I&rsquo;m sure there are others but this is a non-clinical bug in your ear on some of the goodness that God has put in Linden.
The wood of the Linden/Basswood tree is excellent for woodworking especially carving. It&rsquo;s versatile as well as great for firewood although it is considered a soft wood.
God truly Cares and Provides for all our needs and this is just a teeny one of many ways God shows us He Loves us.&nbsp; Consider the Psalm below as a way of coming to know Who He is and how much this one Psalm contains to show His Thoughtfulness for all that He has made and that of course includes you and me.&nbsp; Let this &ldquo;steep&rdquo; and soothe and refresh your soul&hellip;and maybe have a cup of Linden tea.&nbsp;Psalm 104 KJV
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
15 And wine(Hebrew Yayin) &nbsp;that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which&nbsp;strengtheneth man's heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31 The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
&nbsp;
Until next thyme&hellip;
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:48:23 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; The Owl&#x27;s Greatest Wisdom</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11346</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: The Owl&apos;s Greatest Wisdom]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Question:
"O wise owl, why are you so wise?"&nbsp;Eurasian Eagle-Owl says:
"Wise? Me? I'm asked this a lot... So do you really want to know?"&nbsp;Eurasian Eagle-Owl says:
(Sigh) "Please help me to give them the answer... I hope they listen this time..."
(Very looooong silence)&nbsp;Eurasian Eagle-Owl says:
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth forever." &nbsp;Psalms 111:10
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord Knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." &nbsp;1 Corinthians 3:19-20
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." &nbsp;Proverbs 1:7
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that Giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." &nbsp;James 1:5
"For God, Who Commanded the light to shine out of darkness, Has shined in our hearts, to Give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." &nbsp;2 Corinthians 4:6&nbsp;Eurasian Eagle-Owl says:
"Whoo - Whooo..... Whooooooooooo else can give true wisdom but God alone?! This is my owl-lelujah chorus!!!"
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 10 Aug 2024 17:16:07 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Destination 5&#x3a; Beyond Design</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/11311</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Destination 5: Beyond Design]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
Today, we want to take a deep look into the immense and complex beauty of developing life in the womb. In fact, we want to reflect on the wondrous Creator&rsquo;s Design for each of us personally as well. We are not mere accidents that randomly happen or are some kind of cosmic experiment that is justifying our existence on a little blue planet as some sort of laboratory or waste depository in the universe. You and everything on this planet have great value to the Heavenly God who put all things in its origin and is carefully and intricately designed and given purpose in this world, this life we live. This may be hard to believe and trust in a world that is ever increasing in brokenness and anger, dominating and cruel behaviors, and destructive mindsets but this is in part due to a total misuse of God&rsquo;s Gift of freewill and His many, many treasures He has bestowed upon this little blue planet Earth. There is a jealous enemy who hates everything He stands for and has created, including each one of us. And this evil one will do everything in his power, even trying to act like God, to persuade and steal you from the only Creator and God. This enemy has many names and has been trying to convince many that he is Jesus. This enemy abuses His Creation, His Scriptures and The Only Living God&rsquo;s Good News and His Character. This enemy does not want us to know the Almighty God who made the Heavens and the Earth and all..all that dwells therein.
&nbsp;
Isaiah 45:18 "For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.&rdquo; 
Isaiah 44:24 &ldquo;Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;&rdquo; 
Nehemiah 9:6 &ldquo;Thou, even Thou, art LORD alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
All babies in the womb are extremely vulnerable. All babies newly born are most vulnerable. Our elderly and disabled and wounded are vulnerable. Animals, plants, fish and all that dwells here are vulnerable. We are all vulnerable to one degree or another and there are those who want to exploit this and manipulate and crush the beauty and freedoms of everything around us. Sometimes these ones aim at denigrating the very value of something or someone else or to create a crisis to bring about &ldquo;peace&rdquo; or &ldquo;value&rdquo; as they see fit. This is not loving, this is evil. This is not the God of Heaven&rsquo;s Truth this is from the enemies of Creator God and His Truth. So why this topic? We must!
Our God and Creator is pro life, pro your life, as our Loving and Longsuffering Heavenly Creator, Jesus, has revealed throughout history and in His Word, that He is the God of Life, the Life Giver and the only Way to Life and the only One Who can Give Immortal Life. We believe and proclaim our God&rsquo;s Character and Personhood. He is not a God of destruction, death and delusion. He is not tyrannical, maniacal, and diabolical. He is not a manipulator nor is He haphazard. This God of ours is a God who Creates with Love and Design, who was willing to create us and die for us in order that we can freely choose to believe in Him or not. No other God is like Him&hellip;none!
Our Spot Focus Destination this time is a focus on humans, the process of baby development from conception to birth. How incredible the purpose and Design of woman&rsquo;s body is for this process, the baby&rsquo;s process, and the incredible miracle of it all. Of course, men have a very special role too as babies can not be without them. We introduce a fittingly named series on this topic, quoting them, to &ldquo;Discover God&rsquo;s miraculous leading in the amazing journey of childbirth&rdquo;; Divine Design was produced by Hartland Production for 3ABN with hostess Patti Barnes. This is also a great place to learn about midwives or to reach out with questions about childbirth. Please take a look at these 13 episodes, it is done in a quietly beautiful manner, and will leave you in awe and wonder of the birthing process&hellip;and hopefully inspire your heart to see the value God has for you and others in a new and deep way. Here is where you may find their website to watch directly:&nbsp;And we have also discovered another very carefully produced series we would like to add to this on Abortion. Please consider viewing this scientific and heartfelt presentation from our sister in Christ Nicolene Filmalter. She does a truly thoughtful insightful Biblically and scientifically sound teaching. This is another truly special series. We have seen much on the subject and this is exceptional. We found her following quote a tremendous truth of how the enemy has and continues to attack human life and value: &ldquo;We sometimes become so sensitive about not offending men, we become indifferent to offending God.&rdquo;
Please be careful when viewing Episode 3 in the presence of your children as some information is disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised. If you desire a deep Scriptural understanding of conception and personhood and the value of life please take the time to view this here:&nbsp;There are so many precious souls who have been devastated by the affects of abortion, and it's not just the unborn babies: There are also countless mothers (and fathers) who deeply regret ever having ended their babies lives and the pain it has caused them is indescribable. We have to remember that God Is a God of Mercy, and His Mercy certainly extends to those who grieve over having had those abortions. Jesus Alone can Heal even these wounds - and these babies will be in Heaven...
If you have chosen this path, please consider watching these following videos as we believe it will help heal these tremendous wounds and illustrate that Mercy that God Has for you who regret these decisions. Here you will find&nbsp;actual testimonies of people sharing their experiences&nbsp;on their journey through life after choice:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with any particular ministry, denomination, church group, organization, charity, or "movement." We believe in the Bible and the Bible alone, and that nothing needs to be added to it. Any views expressed by this organization is theirs and theirs alone. We do not collect any funds from any represented sources on our site. We are however featuring this material because of important Biblical truth that we believe should be considered.
We appreciate&nbsp;these special ladies and their ministries, as they are fantastic&nbsp;experts in their field of study. There are a lot of challenges in sharing on these topics. Remember there is an enemy and there are those who don&rsquo;t want us to know our value and the amazing God of Life who Made and Loves us. &nbsp;Please feel free to contact them directly if you should want to ask them any questions or support them. We truly believe these programs are absolutely worth your time and will be an incredible blessing to you.
Your life is precious. You are one of a kind and God Loves you&hellip;and everything He has made&hellip;.
Until next time&hellip;.&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jul 2024 23:36:31 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Destination 4&#x3a; Got A Minute or Two&#x3f;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/10763</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Destination 4: Got A Minute or Two?]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Matthew 4:4 KJV &nbsp; (See also Deuteronomy 8:3)&nbsp;&nbsp;
A moment&hellip;just a moment can change everything in our lives.&nbsp;
If you are alive you know that in the matter of seconds, a moment, great things can happen or very overwhelming tragedies.&nbsp; How we spend our moments also can steer us toward good things or not so good things.&nbsp; So in this Spot Focus we are going to introduce one of our favorite places to go for a 1 to 2 minute daily devotion that we believe will fill a few moments of your life with a &ldquo;spot focus&rdquo; of Heavenly Things, things that are Biblical, meaning from the Word of God, relevant, true and encouraging.&nbsp; They are also profoundly simple and well spoken, easy to listen to or watch.&nbsp; It is not uncommon for us to want to watch more than just one. Kind of like eating grapes&hellip;you start with one and the next thing you know you have eaten a whole cluster.&nbsp; If this is your first read in our blog you will discover that for us reading the Written Word of God is most important and we do so multiple times a day.&nbsp;
These are fantastic to add to our reading times randomly throughout the day, just when we have a moment, and often are just what our Heavenly Doctor, Jesus, ordered for us in a special way at a special time.&nbsp; His Word is always Good and True and we need it.&nbsp; No elaborations, no fluff, just straight forward and spot on. Maybe you already have a devotional, that's great if you do!&nbsp; These devotionals would be a great addition and are also an easy way to start to have a daily dose of the Word of God, especially if you are &ldquo;too busy&rdquo; or just starting to know who our Awesome God is and want to spend a moment with Him.&nbsp; Moments in and with Him in His Holy Word&hellip;the most important kind of moments we can spend and share&hellip;&nbsp; This is very important to know Him and to be able to recognize what is not Him or in His Character.&nbsp;&nbsp;So let's introduce this special ministry Spot Focus, It Is Written. Pastor John Bradshaw is currently carrying the leadership baton at our Destination 4.
Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with any particular ministry, denomination, church group, organization, charity, or "movement." We believe in the Bible and the Bible alone, and that nothing needs to be added to it. Any views expressed by this organization is theirs and theirs alone. We do not collect any funds from any represented sources on our site. We are however featuring this material because of important Biblical truth that we believe should be considered.
If you are blessed and would like to support them, please do so directly. The information and resources they offer are well researched, solid, and thoughtfully presented in a lovingly digestible way. Many of them are free for the asking so please do enjoy and see what God has for you in this moment.&nbsp;
The devotionals and much more can be found by clicking the button below:&nbsp;Thank you for joining us...
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2024 19:12:45 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; Resolving Differences</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/10807</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: Resolving Differences]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;"
Ecclesiastes 3:7
&nbsp;
Dueling viewpoints...
&nbsp;
Disagreements happen... Misunderstandings do occur... The silent treatment only goes so far.
Communicate. Talk it over.
Yes it is understandable if you are hurt, but God doesn't want you to keep hurting by holding it in.
Talk it through, and air it out in love.
&nbsp;
"How forcible are right words! But what doth your arguing reprove?"
Job 6:25
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 02 Mar 2024 21:25:27 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Destination 3 &#x3a; Archeology</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/10313</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Destination 3 : Archeology]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;"
Isaiah 45 : 1
&nbsp;
Hi everyone!
Long time coming, but we have returned from our visit into the cosmos from our previous adventure, and what an incredible experience that was to witness the wonders of the universe around us and the presentations of Professor Jim Burr. If you have not had a chance to see our previous outing in the series please check out Spot Focus - Destination 2&nbsp;and be sure to subscribe on this site for updates (it's free of course!) so you can be the first to receive alerts&nbsp;to all of our new posts and content.
So - Now that our class is back on the ground of earth, the next stop on our "field trip" will involve&nbsp;something much more grounded - literally... Whether you're into history or documentaries and movies, there is a particular genre of interest that has fascinated mankind for a very long time, and that is in the field of Archaeology.
Throughout history people have wanted to dig up secrets of the past that have long been buried, seeking artifacts and treasures of such significance that the very find of these discoveries can either change the course of history, or affirm it...&nbsp;One such exciting aspect of Archaeology in particular is where the excavations that are found reveal events that we read about in the Bible. In fact, the Bible is what inspires the majority of the digs. What is more amazing is when these treasures of history that are unearthed actually line up and affirm with jaw dropping detail... that the accounts of the Bible are actually - completely true.
Here are some things to consider as we make our way:


Where exactly did the Ark built by Noah end up?


Was there really a Tower of Babel?


What ever became of the treasures of Egypt?


Is there proof of the parting of the Red Sea by Moses?


Were there really Egyptian chariots found at the bottom of it?


The image that Daniel described from King Nebuchadnezzar's dream: Did those nations come to power&nbsp;as predicted?


Uriah the Hittite, what do you know of this loyal soldier?


What do findings in Israel reveal about Messiah Jesus?


To look into detail on some of these questions and others, we would like to pay a visit to an individual who not only has done such incredible work in the field of Archeology, but has incredibly blessed us personally by his many presentations and sermons: Professor and Pastor, Francois DuPlessis. &nbsp;He is a gentle kindly speaker. &nbsp;You may even learn a few ancient words to add to your vocabulary.
His findings throughout his long career span&nbsp;all over the world, and witness with astonishing clarity and certainty the Scriptures of the Bible - whether it be Noah's Ark and the people of that time or the reign of the Egyptian Pharaohs and Moses' journey into the wilderness with the Hebrews, or even the Prophetic landscape from the Book of Daniel and the fall of Babylon; these presentations bring ancient history and the Bible to life in a whole new way. &nbsp;These videos provide great educational opportunities for anyone who enjoys learning ancient archaeology and history.&nbsp;The mention of King Cyrus in the passage from Isaiah at the top is one of the many examples where not only did the Bible predict Historical fact centuries in advance, whereas Cyrus would overtake Babylon (in 539 BC) and subsequently order by decree the return of the Israelites to their homeland to rebuild the temple, but there has been found archeological proof to confirm the whole event in it's accuracy. Absolutely stunning!
&nbsp;
"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build Him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up."
2 Chronicles 36 : 23&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with any particular ministry, denomination, church group, organization, charity, or "movement." We believe in the Bible and the Bible alone, and that nothing needs to be added to it. Any views expressed by this organization is theirs and theirs alone. We do not collect any funds from any represented&nbsp;sources on our site. We are however featuring this material because of important Biblical truth that we believe should be considered.
If you're ready to go "digging" and "treasure hunting," please click the button below. Because of his work of Bible Truth Preservation, (and seeing what he's found), we had to spotlight this... Whether you're a believer or a critic, it's definitely worth a look!
&nbsp;&nbsp;Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:42:06 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter and Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Destination 2 &#x3a; Astronomy</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9516</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Destination 2 : Astronomy]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["The heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His Handywork." &nbsp; Psalm 19:1
That was really a tremendous visit we had in our last Focal Point there with Professor Walter Veith's Genesis Conflict series, (if you missed it please check out this link: Focal Point: Spot Focus - Destination 1) Now, we hop on a rocket and prepare for our next stop on our journey - and it's a stellar one... even interstellar!
...&nbsp;Blast off!!
When it comes to the subject of space and the science of astronomy, there are so many materials out there, whether articles, books, pictures, documentaries, commentaries, you name it - that especially with the internet being so accessible now, there is no shortage of resources at our disposal. And what about our own personal view of the night sky above us?
We each have our own unique vantage of what that looks like, from those in the cities getting perhaps a glimpse of the moon and a dozen stars at most, to those fortunate to be out in the country away from all the artificial light, witnessing the incredible beauty and depth of the night sky and the galactic bands of the Milky Way.
For those of us who like a closer look, the hobby itself of astronomy has even gone beyond buying a reflector or refractor telescope to where even modest stargazers admit, they have to define a budget as the cost for equipment that can be involved is another thing that can skyrocket; especially when it comes to incorporating a camera and star-tracker equipment to take pictures. This is vital to keep the view steady to prevent "star trails," as the planets and other celestial objects in the viewfinder move because of the earth's rotation.
On a personal level, Peter has had a lifelong interest in space and the planets of our solar system and beyond. Now having the ability through various tools to photograph deep sky objects like the Andromeda Galaxy, Orion Nebula, and The Pleiades, has really brought a new level of humbled wonder at what our Lord Has Created out there.
As Alea notes, her continued childhood joy in learning more of the scientific discoveries made in physics, paleontology, even archaeology and astronomy, along with the array of arguments surrounding them - has only deepened her love and awe of God: His Creation, His Order and His Design. It astounds the mind how the Biblical accounts of all things are 100% accurate time and time again. Folks we can trust God and His Word. Clearly, He has created wonders beyond our comprehension, but through faith and hearing, not beyond our reason.&nbsp; How small we may be in this vast universe but extraordinarily evident how valuable we are to Him.&nbsp;Being enthusiasts ourselves we have come across, by God's Grace, &nbsp;a rare and special inventor who has truly opened our eyes in compelling presentations that consist of: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Genetics, Geology, Paleontology, Nuclear Research, Quantum Mechanics and other controversial topics in these "worlds" of Science. He has a unique approach and although not knowing him personally, Peter describes him as a type of "scientific grandfather," and he is truly a genius.
Mr. Jim Burr is the tender and humble inventor of the Binocular Telescope, a revolution in optical design that has caught the attention of people all over the world, including NASA who has purchased some of his telescopes. For so many reasons this energetic yet elderly gentleman has given us so much in his life to learn from, including some terrific videos and presentations, which we will link below. We encourage making the time to listen and learn from this intelligent servant of God. We sure did, and enjoyed it a ton!
Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with any particular ministry, denomination, church group, organization, charity, or "movement." We believe in the Bible and the Bible alone, and that nothing needs to be added to it. Any views expressed by this organization is theirs and theirs alone. We do not collect any funds from any represented&nbsp;sources on our site. We are however featuring this material because of important Biblical truth that we believe should be considered.
If after seeing any of these videos you would like to support Mr. Burr, we encourage you to please reach out to Jim directly.
As we make our final approach on this journey, you may find the power usage and bill for the Large Hadron Collider to be shocking as scientists try to discover the "god particle" - where are we headed? Biblical proof of extraterrestrial life? This visit is sure to be provocative and revealing.
What is so incredibly presented in these documentaries and programs (including the last Focal Point stop) is how, when true science (no spin) is applied and studied, AND the words of the Bible are understood for what it ACTUALLY says - not what someone's opinion of the Bible says; that the Scriptures and science are in magnificent harmony! Not surprising since God Created true science as a way for us to better understand what we observe around us, actually affirming Scripture and not contradicting it. God Encourages true learning!&nbsp;
"The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge:&nbsp;but the mouth of fools&nbsp;feedeth on foolishness." &nbsp; Proverbs 15:14
For those who love science and learning this will be a series you may be tempted to binge watch. Not only does this stop compliment Destination 1; for those who enjoy a classroom from the "bridge of a starship" and don't mind getting some nerd cred along the way, this is sure to be a special and enjoyable experience. &nbsp;We think there is good material here for "astronauts" of all ages. So here we are... Gravity Boots on - we've now landed at our second stop. As you tour the promenade, here are a few points of interest on this space station!&nbsp;These two full length documentary presentations go in depth regarding two of the most controversial and misunderstood topics of science today: The Age of The Universe and The Earth, and Dinosaurs in The Bible.&nbsp;This next series, roughly half an hour each, cover a wide variety of topics that will truly amaze!&nbsp;If you would like to contact Mr. Burr directly, you can visit his website:&nbsp;Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2023 18:25:54 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Destination 1 &#x3a; Geology</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9491</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Destination 1 : Geology]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
&ldquo;And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jeremiah 29:13
So, we are on the road and our destination is a &lsquo;coming.&nbsp; Are we there yet?&nbsp; Not yet&hellip; but while on the way, let&rsquo;s set this up a bit.&nbsp;
The first destination is one that offers 8 episodes totaling over 10 hours of incredibly captivating and provocative, fun and well informed factual presentations. &nbsp;This collection will surprise you.&nbsp; It sure was a fantastic viewing for us when we found it.&nbsp; It was affirming and stirring and revealed some things we never knew.&nbsp; If you choose to get off the bus and explore with us, it will have you traveling through space and history, discovering all kinds of nooks and crannies to our existence, as well as our own little planet and various viewpoints.&nbsp;
Here are some questions inspired by the presentations themselves that are directly answered. Let&rsquo;s get those mental engines started!
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *If there was a universal flood, where did all the water come&nbsp; from, and where did it all go?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Could the T-Rex be getting a bad rap?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *What came first &ndash; Space, time or the earth?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Is there really such a thing as a teddy bear fossil?&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Is space a giant merry-go-round, all going in one direction?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *The vote is in and the &ldquo;eyes&rdquo; have it, critters can&rsquo;t &ldquo;see&rdquo; much living in a cave. Why?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Were there hippopotamuses in England?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *How about a &ldquo;rocking&rdquo; story time that will blow your mind?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *What kind of Genes do you wear?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *For those who like to find hidden treasures, how about a new view of geo-caching and rock hounding?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Are we there yet? No?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Are there bottles millions of years old?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *What&rsquo;s this about mutants?!
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *When Mt. St. Helens volcano blew it dusted the atmosphere and lowered the temp. by 1 degree centigrade. What did Krakatoa&rsquo;s eruption do?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Chemistry, where does it come from and where does it go?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Billions, millions, thousands, how old??&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *What really is the stinger on wasps and bees? And what was it originally designed to do?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *How long does it take for the expensive malachite to form? Can they be &ldquo;wired&rdquo;?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Are we there yet? Almost.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *How long can you keep meat in your freezer? What about those frozen pre-historic mammals?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Is life evolving into something more or devolving into something less? Hmmmm&hellip;.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *How did marine life get to the tops of mountains around the world?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Are there Piranhas that eat seeds?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Were there Parrots that attacked sheep?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *What are we here for?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Is Rest important?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Why does archaeology keep proving the Bible true and the critics false?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Why does Egyptology reveal many are in denial (not the river), to the infallibility of God&rsquo;s Word?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Is there a Pharaoh of Egypt who quoted a Psalm in his own poem?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Can the Bible be trusted?&nbsp; Are the ancient prophecies accurate, if so, what does that mean for the remaining prophecies?
So now, we would like to introduce our favorite professor! Dr. Walter Veith. &nbsp;He is from South Africa and is a retired Zoologist and has quite the resume in multiple areas. He does a phenomenal job of letting the facts and arguments speak for themselves and most importantly the Bible.&nbsp; He is directly associated with Clash of Minds in South Africa.&nbsp;
Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with any particular ministry, denomination, church group, organization, charity, or "movement." We believe in the Bible and the Bible alone, and that nothing needs to be added to it. Any views expressed by this organization is theirs and theirs alone. We do not collect any funds from any represented&nbsp;sources on our site. We are however featuring this material because of important Biblical truth that we believe should be considered. 
If after seeing any of these videos you would like to support them, we encourage you to reach out to them directly. You may see more of these folks along our route. But for starters we had to stop right here and give you a chance to take a look around and decide some things for yourself.&nbsp;
Guess what, we have arrived!&nbsp; Welcome to our first destination, Genesis Conflict:&nbsp;We hope you enjoy the presentations!&nbsp;
Until next time&hellip;&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2023 20:42:22 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Spot Focus - Getting Ready for the Trip&#x21;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9452</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Spot Focus - Getting Ready for the Trip!]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." &nbsp; Psalm 119:105 &nbsp;&nbsp;
"Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established." &nbsp; Proverbs 4:26
Hi all!
Here's a question... Do you have any favorite trips you've been on? Possibly recently or perhaps while growing up if you're a bit older? Granted it may be difficult to come up with just one, as there are so many memories that can be associated with each. Here's another question... Could maybe one of them be those (hopefully) fun field trips when going to school?&nbsp;
It may have been a trip to a local museum or a zoo. Maybe a theatrical play or something else. Possibly one of those anticipated visits to one of the most popular theme parks you've been waiting for soooo long.
The thought of those high speed rollercoasters and rides! The screaming. The excitement. The adrenaline. And the bus still hasn't left the parking lot! All kidding aside, after that chaotic parking lot you finally arrive, only to get stuck in those lines and stand there while building the courage to get on said ride. First time visits can feel overwhelming as to where to start your exploration. Good thing most places give out maps.
As with any big trip preparations are needed. &nbsp;Here's an overview of how we are going to approach this Spot Focus Tour. &nbsp;We are going to provide the map, prior to each Spot Focus Destination.
Then we will provide the Spot Focus Destination (SFD) for you to explore, presented with links to very trusted resources that allow the&nbsp;Biblical view with world views to speak for themselves while providing an understanding of how Scripture and Science, Scripture and Tradition, Scripture and History, even Scripture and the Paranormal and more, can actually be an exciting and beautiful (and quite provocative!) journey.
We have been and continue to be on this journey ourselves. Both of us have had many aspects of our faith challenged. The hardest life shaking has come from discovering that some of what we were taught as Biblical views were in fact anything but. We both were (and are) Bible readers, in prayer with fasting, longing for more of God as we were trying to be faithful to "church teachings."
As we were going through some life difficulties things began to really break away and we began to find, By God's Grace, resources to help us really connect the dots and expose and illuminate us in God's Word. &nbsp;
We believe many folks like us are sincere in their desire to walk with the Living God, and even with the best intentions we can innocently and ignorantly misunderstand and misrepresent God's Ways. Only God Knows our hearts!&nbsp;
It is important and true that the Word of God tells us to test or prove all things (1 Thessalonians 5:19-23)&nbsp;and that we truly need to study for ourselves (2 Timothy 2:15-16.)
This takes prayer, time, patience, perseverance, courage, and humility; especially when you find those discrepancies between what God says in His Word and what one has been taught and believes. &nbsp;This is not an easy process. Been there.
We know that many of those things we were taught can also be passed on over many generations, and people do get in their comfort zones (or you may have never heard of these before.) &nbsp;Still we have to choose between God and His Word or the words of others; the Biblical view or the other views.&nbsp;We hope this Spot Focus series here on Focal Points allows you the opportunity to visit "places" we wish we had found years ago. Time is precious, and things are moving very fast in this world. Urgency is paramount. You don't need to take our word for it. God wants you to think for yourself, and the evidence will be there for you to choose.
How incredible and magnificent our Lord Jesus Is! When we visit some of these "places" with you, these remarkable "stops" of truth we believe will be more captivating and thrilling than any ride you can find. And you don't even need a ticket or stand in line!
We welcome you to come along. The bus is loading. Grab your stuff, and let's get rolling!
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2023 17:19:10 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Keeping Our Eyes Locked on Target</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9358</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Keeping Our Eyes Locked on Target]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is&nbsp;that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12 : 2
So winter has officially started...
We are now at that point where the trees have gone dormant, and the visiting wildlife of various birds and squirrels are busy doing their thing; gathering food and enjoying the scattering of feed that we have in our backyard...
Of course there is the urge for me with all these little creatures to plan out best ways to get shots with the camera. As is often the case they only want to stay still for a short time before they hippity-hop around, and I have to relocate them through the lens.
The Chickadee alone is truly a test for any photographer as they are so small and spastic that to even get them in the lens can be a triumph, let alone getting the picture in focus before they fly off to another branch.
Speaking of branches... As I'm sure any of you that live in especially colder climates will know, the lush amount of leaves that once were a mainstay on those branches have since fallen, leaving those branches exposed.
Being able to capture a bird or any subject on camera may not be so much of an&nbsp;issue, but rather maneuvering through the maze of those branches so that you don't get something blocking your subject can be.
Back in my auto days (not car sales) but when I first started photography, the very first few days - I would shoot everything in automatic. I was getting to know the new camera and just take some pictures with it, and have fun with the process. Manual settings would quickly prove to be important, but before that there was something even more vital that I was neglecting at first. Focus settings.
More specifically, autofocus points, or AF points. These are your "lock-on" squares that register in your viewfinder or screen that your target has achieved autofocus, letting you know typically with a sound and/or an illuminating glow that you're camera (should) be in focus and you're ready to shoot. And yet I was getting... some blurry pictures...&nbsp;Well for one, there are different variations and amounts of those little squares being used for the focus depending on what you want the camera to do. There's the wide spread of multiple points to catch a good portion on the screen like a net, great for fast movement.
There's also a smaller cluster of maybe 9 in it's own square shape, that is more specific to a portion of the screen. And then there's also - the spot focus. A single AF point that is like a targeting reticule telling the camera that whatever the square is landing on, get that!
With the blurry pictures I mentioned, I would notice that the squares (I was using the spread setup) would pick something entirely off target from where I was aiming in the image, almost as if it was stubbornly trying to miss. But it was actually doing what I didn't know at the time I was telling it to do.
Looking at it now it would be a no-brainer but at that time I was so new at it, I thought put it on auto and shoot. But would the camera know what I was asking it to do? Not with the autofocus points set the way they were.
So where am I going with this? Am I going to land the plane? Tray tables up... Remember those branches I brought up earlier?&nbsp;They were the culprit. The camera was targeting branches either in the foreground or background of the target, and so yeah they were sharp but not the bird! Keep in mind that professional photographers prefer a good depth of field, so that you get that buttery soft background behind your favorite subject, called bokeh.
Now yes, the picture should have blurry parts... But NOT my bird!!! Because I was using the multi-point spread, it was grabbing onto so many distractions that the focus was not on the target.
Needless to say, I realized I needed to make an adjustment as I was targeting the wrong thing. I went ahead and set my AF Points to one, right in the center - and now I was able to obtain the clarity I needed, right on target.&nbsp;With that said, this is not meant to illustrate just photography related consequences... For any of you that are familiar with our articles, Alea and I are certainly going to tie this in to Scripture.
By The Grace of The Holy Spirit, we are going to publish multiple articles in this Spot Focus Series; a series that is going to (yes) focus on what the world teaches, the branches (i.e. distractions/traditions/false teachings) and what The Bible plainly says about it - the target.
Topics will cover a gamut of areas that are definitely blurry spiritual images being taught as "truth," and many of us may not even know about it; sadly causing the target to be missed.
We invite you to stay tuned as we will continue to cover these and other important (and fun) points of interest, and please let us know on our comment page your stories and input as we want to hear from you. The plane has landed. Thank you all, and stay safe... You are free to move about the cabin.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2022 00:11:48 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Reflections</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9370</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Reflections]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This was originally published in 2008 by Alea.
Holy Heavenly Father, You alone can open our hearts and minds to know You and Your ways. Help us I pray, in Jesus Name, Amen.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Have you ever walked over to a lake or smooth body of water just to look at yourself in its mirror-like reflection? Or pondered through observation the sun&rsquo;s reflection emanating off the moon at night? Or caught a glimpse of life passing by in the reflection of glass windows? Some of the greatest writers, poets and philosophers have shared a unison value on taking the time to reflect on life situations, nature&rsquo;s beauty, world events, etc. What this means is that they literally remove themselves from all distractions and find a place to be still, think, remember and react to themselves, what they&rsquo;ve seen and the world they live in, learning from life.
What we spend the most time thinking on we become. Reflection is a communication of thoughts, reasoning, and ideas whether you&rsquo;re by yourself or with others who are like-minded. It&rsquo;s also a unique process of digesting the information one is focused on. In the Bible we find examples encouraging reflection and meditation of God&rsquo;s Word in passages such as Psalm 1:1-2, &ldquo;Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD; and in His Law doth he meditate day and night.&rdquo; By reflecting on God&rsquo;s Word we&rsquo;re exposed to the very person of God. His Word helps us to know Him, His thoughts and His voice.&nbsp;&nbsp; As in any relationship the more time we spend with someone the more we learn about who they are, the things they like or don&rsquo;t like, and we easily recognize their voice as well as the little things they do that are uniquely them. Developing a relationship with God is not any different; we still need communication, communication, communication.&nbsp;
God&rsquo;s desire to be in relationship with us is pronounced clearly throughout His Word. What an incredible privilege it is that we can pray. Prayer has unfortunately come to be defined as a one-sided conversation. Many people find prayer threatening and scary. God doesn&rsquo;t want us afraid to talk with Him or to listen for what He has to say. He&rsquo;s not going to hurt us if we don&rsquo;t say the words just right&hellip; would a loving person do that with a child learning to talk? Of course not! In fact one would continue to encourage the child, correct them when they are wrong, and take joy in every success of learning; how much more the Holy God who lovingly Created us. As we grow in knowing Him through His Word and prayer (having a conversation with Him) we learn that His ways and thoughts are much greater than our own. This leads to healthy maturing and transforms us more into a reflection of Him. A reflection of Him in the way we live, communicate and interact with others and Him.&nbsp;During the process of maturing it&rsquo;s important we learn to wait on God, being still in His presence, listening for Him and quieting our soul (mind and emotions). In&nbsp;Psalm 62:1  we read, &ldquo;Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation.&rdquo; God declares, &ldquo;Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth,&rdquo; Psalm 46:10, this is a huge announcement of God revealing Himself to all of us. Yes, God wants to visit with us to minister His love and healing, wisdom and counsel, everything that we need. In our frustrated, stressed out and endlessly busy society, listening, waiting and being still are not common practices. We encourage the practice of being in God&rsquo;s presence and making Him the center of life. In Him we will find all that we need and more than we even begin to understand.
As we continue to grow in knowing Him we will discover His will is perfect, and provides an abundance of hope and blessing for us personally and for all His creation. Believing and trusting Him helps us to surrender and pray for His will to be done instead of our own. There is great wisdom in praying this way. Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught us the perfect format for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, &ldquo;After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.&rdquo; &nbsp;Jesus goes beyond just a prayer format and points out that God is not looking for ritual, structure or repetition but for our hearts to be honest and in alignment with His will. He also knows when we&rsquo;re just going through the motions or doing it to impress someone else. Jesus continues by instructing us to be a reflection of God by forgiving and loving others even as He does. God wants us to speak to Him from our hearts and to listen to His. We all want that in a healthy balanced relationship, don&rsquo;t we? God is Holy in His passions and is moved to action by the passionate prayers of the righteous. Those prayers are effective and accomplish much as is written in James 5:16, concludes: &ldquo;The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.&rdquo; 
The Father has made every provision for us. Through His whole person, God has revealed His immense longing to know and be known by us; God is our Father, our Savior Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah), and our Comforter Holy Spirit. All that He is works to help us know Him and His unconditional love and provision. Let us come to God, without fear, through Christ Jesus and in the power of His Holy Spirit. Let us come openly into an eternal conversation reflecting an intimate relationship with the Almighty God of all. Hebrews 4:16, &ldquo;Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.&rdquo;
Here&rsquo;s a list of major points made to aide us in the reflection of God through prayer and living:

We are all a reflection of something.
Meditating on God&rsquo;s Word transforms us and is important in knowing Him.
Prayer is not a one-sided conversation but an amazing relationship dialogue.
Life grows in stages, as do our relationships and spiritual journeys.
God is patient with our growth. We should be as well.
God wants us to share our hearts with Him and to Share His heart with us.
Let God love you and don&rsquo;t be afraid to love Him back.
It&rsquo;s important to learn to wait on God, to be still and to listen.
As we learn who He is we also learn who we are from His point of view.
Believing God at His Word enables us to trust and pray for His will to be done.
Even though Jesus gave us the perfect format for prayer He makes it clear that God is more interested in your heart than formality.
God is not deceived by phonies.
God is moved by the fervent prayers of those who are righteous.
God has Given all of Himself to help us to pray and know Him.
&nbsp;Let us be encouraged to come to Him as we are. We can even grab ourselves a nice cozy healthy drink, find a quiet place and have a good conversation with the Lord. It doesn&rsquo;t matter where or when He&rsquo;s always waiting to be with us. 
What A Friend We Have in Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!In His arms He&rsquo;ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bearMay we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayerRapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
Words by Jo&shy;seph M. Scriv&shy;en, 1855
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2022 23:08:37 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter, Alea & The Milota Family]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Not One of Them is Forgotten&#x3a; Not Only Sparrows...</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9286</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Not One of Them is Forgotten: Not Only Sparrows...]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
Remembering Benji and Sunny
&nbsp;
Alea: "Budgerigars, aka Budgies, are parakeets in the parrot family native to Australia. Endearing, entertaining, energetic bursts of chitter-chatter and adorable vibrant color and personality. It's on record they have the most complex vocalizations in the bird world. And yet they understand exactly who's saying what and when and to whom in their flocks. If you've heard what they sound like, that says a lot! They are also amazing acrobatic flyers and keen on being together in flocks and thrive in their social circles. &nbsp;They are incredible little souls. &nbsp;I did not have the joy of growing up with birds as pets, only rescued wild ones. But I will never forget the first time I had the amazing introduction to them by the very family, which I thankfully became a part of, of these two most recent jewels, Benji and Sunny, that have recently passed away. What an opportunity and learning delight it has facilitated in my life. &nbsp;Peter's parents, and sister were the ones who found and cared for them giving them a home and so much love. &nbsp;
For me Benji and Sunny carried on the legacy. They were exotic to look at and to listen to. Sunny was a gentle English lady bird who knew just when enough was enough. &nbsp;Little Benji was for a male quite gentle and used to love to get powdered up by his pink mineral block. Yes, on his head and cheeks... remember "Benji the Pink?!"
"And God Created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God Saw that it was good." &nbsp; Genesis 1:21
They had such a dynamic communication and incredibly special bond and were good medicine for the soul with their humorous behaviors and syrupy sweet moments that left you tickled, tender or dumbstruck as to what they were going on about. &nbsp;This tribute we are making is for us to remember and to share comfort as we look forward in hope in spending an eternity with our Savior, see a glimpse in Isaiah 11:6-9, and with these fun feathered friends and all creatures He has Created. &nbsp;We miss them and all who have already gone before them as they sleep in peace. &nbsp;I find so much comfort in knowing from God's Word that He cares for all the creatures He has made and has eternal plans for them too. &nbsp;
We have included a few family photos provided by Mamicka Agnes, sis Nicole, and my husband Peter. In addition, we've included Passages we thought were lovely and true illustrations from Scripture. What an invitation humanity has to be with God in the eternal through our Savior Jesus Christ, and in so choosing, may also be with these creatures that will be there with Him. No more pain and suffering and no more sin and dying... Why would we not want to be there?
"And God shall Wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4
Also, we wanted to share a few treasured family memories with you that are specific to these two &nbsp;"tweethearts". &nbsp;Since I was a little girl I've been a songwriter and that includes little tunes and lyrics for my pets and the little ones that touch my heart. &nbsp;The tenderness I feel for Benji and Sunny are best found in the words of the lullaby chorus I wrote for them:"
&nbsp;Spinkat(Sleep) Sunny Benji
Spinkat twee twee Sunny Benji
Spinkat twee twee Benji Sunny&nbsp;
Time to go nite-nite baby budgies
Spinkat twee twee Benji Sunny&nbsp;&nbsp;Ocko:&nbsp;Shares a special memory of Sunny making quick moves to hide in her nest box whenever he would clean out the cage. Keeping a watchful eye to see when it was safe she would sneak her little head out and pop it right back in until he was all done.
"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is Forgotten before God?" &nbsp; Luke 12:6&nbsp;Mamicka:&nbsp;Shares a cute kind of Romeo and Juliet moment between the gentleman Benji and his beautiful Sunny. &nbsp;They had purchased a special swing for them to enjoy. Sunny soon took it as her own happy "balcony" high in the cage. &nbsp;Benji would look up from below and would respectfully stay right under her chirping or just resting beneath his sweetie.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God Hath Prepared for them that love Him."&nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:9&nbsp;Sis: "When we got Benji I remember he was just so cute and young, and that beautiful blue color we were all so struck by him. And when we went looking for Miss Sunshine, I remember she was kind of on her own with her little feet spread apart but her beautiful yellow color was just stunning. I think we knew right away for both of them that they were the ones to come home with us. Most of my memories of them though is just watching them interact... From the cuddling and feeding each other, to Benji getting all excited and jumping up and down when he was telling her something very important haha. They were so close it was really unbelievable. And when you would talk to them or say their names both of them seemed to understand and respond to you. Usually you would get a little chirp back. Little sweethearts."
"The Lord is good to all; and His tender Mercies are over all His works. They shall speak of the Glory of Thy Kingdom, and talk of Thy Power;" &nbsp; Psalm 145:9,11&nbsp;Peter: "I remember when we first got parakeets back in the '80's. We had two of them, male and female. Their names were Sweetie and Tweety; another couple of strikingly beautiful yellow and blue. As many years and decades would go by, the presence of budgies in our family was almost synonymous with our daily lives, and many more members would be added, either by raising them in house, or having them purchased, and (even on one occasion) having a local rescue we named Twitchy, land on our cage outside one day. Even when Alea and I first met and then up to today, these precious little birds have had a place&nbsp;in our lives,&nbsp;if not directly in our home, at least with our parents and sister/in laws. Upon my first meeting with Benji and Sunny, I was so taken by their incredibly gentle demeanor and stunning color.
Again, I was no stranger to parakeets, and every one of them has such a unique beauty, but there was something very special about Sunny and Benji. Hearing and seeing their interactions as previously mentioned, it was such a memorable and loving experience to behold. And they had plenty to talk about... There was even a time where Cotton (our resident cockatiel) from the recent "Strange Neighbors" post had them as next door neighbors (more like adjacent Birdcage Highrise attendants), and got to develop a relationship with them along with another darling cockatiel who we love so much, Charlie. It's amazing what God Has allowed us to learn from His Creation. How greatly we can learn from these incredible creatures. Watching how they communicate and convey their various and very different personalities to us and each other. A powerful verse can be found in Scripture regarding this:
"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Who knoweth not in all these that the Hand of The Lord hath Wrought this?" &nbsp;Job 12:7
Learning and watching from them with my own eyes, acts of nurturing... acts of patience... acts of self-denial... gratitude... protection... unconditional love... Anyone who has had pets, and specifically budgies, can relate. These incredibly dynamic souls are far beyond birds of different colors in a pet store that chitter-chatter. They have been companions that have reminded us of the tender and gentle Love of our Creator... I wish we were all able to take the time and appreciate the incredible blessing of God's creatures like these budgies, and how they can affect each and every one of us in such marvelous ways.
When our Lord Jesus Returns very soon, and restores all the beauty of His Creation back to the state it was meant to be, the Bible makes it clear that:
"And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely." &nbsp; Hosea 2:18
Even in their passing, God so Lovingly conveyed a beautiful reminder of His Holy Character and Gentleness. Both these precious little souls, a couple of weeks apart, went to their sleep on a Saturday - The Lord's Seventh-day Sabbath. What better day could there be... to lay down... and rest.
To quote Luke 12:6 which we derived the title for this remembrance, "not one of them is Forgotten before God."
Indeed... Spinkat little sweethearts.&nbsp;Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2022 21:36:57 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Rule of THREE in ONE</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9148</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Rule of THREE in ONE]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen. 
Rule of Three in One
Just the Facts
Human survival priorities are found in the "Rule of Three":

Humans cannot survive more than three minutes without air (O2) 
Humans cannot survive more than three hours exposed to extreme low-temperature 
Humans cannot survive more than three days without water (H20) 
Humans cannot survive more than three weeks without food 

The Rule of Three should be viewed as a simplification of survival concerns: air, shelter, water and food. There are those individuals who&rsquo;ve been fortunate to forgo the rules. 
Revealed in the Source
It&rsquo;s true we&rsquo;re completely dependent on the resources God has created in order to survive. We don&rsquo;t want to forget His provisional light/fire, clothing and mental preparedness. The revealed truth is we&rsquo;re completely dependent on Him as the Source of all that we need. In Hebrew God is El (All Powerful) Shadaii (All-Sufficient), He who satisfies abundantly. In&nbsp;Genesis 49:24-25 we read a beautiful and tender analogy comparing God&rsquo;s provision being like that of a mother&rsquo;s breasts and womb fully supplying for her baby. What an intimate and loving picture this presents. The question that remains is whether we&rsquo;ll allow and trust Him to be all that we need. He&rsquo;s shown us His thoughtfulness and care in every detail of His creation. This little section is only a mere glimpse of the intricate reflection His love has manifested before our eyes throughout life&rsquo;s design. He&rsquo;s done all this simply because He loves and wants only the best for our lives. &nbsp;
We&rsquo;ve been learning about who God is but let&rsquo;s quickly look at a brief snapshot of who He is not. He&rsquo;s not a game player. He&rsquo;s not a dictator or a manipulator. He doesn&rsquo;t make empty promises and can&rsquo;t lie. He&rsquo;s neither evil nor diabolical. He doesn&rsquo;t dominate or force. He&rsquo;s not selfish or abusive. He doesn&rsquo;t steal or murder. He doesn&rsquo;t love based on works or merit. He doesn&rsquo;t play favorites. He&rsquo;s not destructive. He doesn&rsquo;t string us along. He&rsquo;s not co-dependent. He&rsquo;s not fickle. He&rsquo;s not cruel or mean. He&rsquo;s not arrogant. He doesn&rsquo;t hold a grudge when you ask for forgiveness. He never gives up on anyone.
In the passage below we see the heart of God through His promise of Messiah which was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. He was filled with Holy Spirit to accomplish the reconciliatory, redemptive, and restorative work of God for all our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs, Luke 1:37, &ldquo;For with God nothing shall be impossible."&nbsp;Isaiah 61 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;&nbsp;To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; &nbsp;To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for&nbsp;mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. &nbsp;And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. &nbsp;And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. &nbsp;But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. &nbsp;And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. &nbsp;I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. &nbsp;For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.&rdquo;
Our Rule of Three in One
God is everything we need: Father God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit
Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Father God, El Shadaii, You&rsquo;re everything I need.&nbsp;Lord Jesus, I believe You indeed are the promised Messiah, my Savior and Lord.&nbsp;Forgive me for the sins I&rsquo;ve committed against You. The gift of Your grace and mercy I receive. Holy Spirit be in me, teach, empower and lead me in all ways that please God. Remove all false sources and lies keeping me from knowing who You are. Help me to depend on You for all my provisions and to be wise with Your resources. Thank You for the Love and careful attention You pay to every detail of my life, in Jesus name. Amen.
This concludes the Survival Series.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Nov 2022 21:30:59 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Mental Preparedness</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9147</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Mental Preparedness]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen. 
Mental Preparedness
Just the Facts
Our will to live has a direct effect on our survivability. Even trained survival experts may feel the crushing effect of the psychological strain during duress. It serves as a measuring stick for our success, it presents us with challenges, and it&rsquo;s a good way to show us how far we can bend and not break. Stress sometimes has a nice way of pointing out that things could indeed be much worse. On the flip side of the coin too much stress can be an awful thing. The carnage that stress can breed within a human being is almost without limits. Too much stress can lead to forgetfulness, increased propensity to making mistakes, lessened energy, outbursts of rage, and carelessness. Emotions are hard wired into our brains. Survival situations are bound to invoke strong emotional reactions from anyone evolved. Below are a few common emotions that can drastically lessen our ability to combat situations. It&rsquo;s not something that initially comes to mind when thinking of surviving but they are as important as any other survival skill.
There are 7 emotions that must be overcome to allow a chance at survival:
Fear - Once placed into a survival situation one of the initial reactions for anyone is fear. It is a perfectly normal reaction however fear is the enemy. It drastically lessens our ability to make clear decisions, which ultimately will lessen the chance for survival. In an effort to minimize our fears, we can train in realistic situations to condition ourselves to have the mentality needed to increase our confidence and more effectively manage fear. 
Anxiety &ndash; Typically anxiety and fear run hand in hand with one another. It may start as an uneasy feeling in the pit of our stomach but by the time the mind is added into the situation it may quickly spiral out of control. Anxiety will often take over the mind and quickly make it difficult to make rational decisions. Anxiety must be fought through in order to focus on the tasks at hand. Typically, once some of the critical survival needs have been met, anxiety will be easier to keep at bay. 
Panic - If fear and anxiety are left unchecked, Panic will set in. Panic will lead to impulse actions and loss of self control. It could turn deadly as rationality is lost. 
Anger &ndash; It is inevitable that in a survival situation there are going to be problems. With the endless possibilities of things that can go wrong and probably will to imagine that tempers may flair should not come as a surprise. Anger can sap one&rsquo;s drive necessary to want to survive. Finding other ways to channel this emotion will prove more useful than losing one&rsquo;s temper. 
Depression &ndash; An overall sense of malaise is not uncommon. Being alone trying to survive almost certainly brings about a depressed state. Overwhelming depression can lead to the body shutting down and not unlike anxiety can also cause a human being to give up hope. Staying positive can allow one to combat this. 
Guilt &ndash; Often accompanying life situations is loss of life. The guilt may not even come from someone taking responsibility for the person&rsquo;s death, rather a sense of guilt as they are alive and the other person is dead. 
Boredom &amp; Loneliness &ndash; An often unanticipated side affect of being in a survival situation. Boredom or loneliness can both contribute to lowering morale. It&rsquo;s important to be able to keep the mind busy and spirits up. It may be one of the most critical skills to survive.
Revealed in the Source
Being mentally prepared to deal with what life brings our way is important. Keeping the right frame of mind by properly responding to our own emotions isn&rsquo;t always easy. Life often presents itself with difficulty. In fact, stress weaves in and out of our lives throughout our existence. Many of us have suffered traumatic experiences that have had a significant impact on the way we live and perceive life. One of the most incredible gifts we&rsquo;ve been given is the freedom to choose. With choice comes the ability to use our minds, emotions, hearts, wills and bodies for life or death.&nbsp;&nbsp; We all deal with the emotions listed above and can feel helpless, hopeless, overwhelmed, confused and lost. We don&rsquo;t need emergency situations to bring these emotions forward. However, we need to remember that we have a choice, are we are going to be reactive or proactive?
God doesn&rsquo;t want us bound by our emotions or not knowing what to do.&nbsp;He speaks to every stressed area we have in Scripture. For example, He speaks to fears in His Word in&nbsp;Isaiah 26:3, &ldquo;Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee.&rdquo; and in&nbsp;2 Timothy 1:7, &ldquo;For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.&rdquo; In&nbsp;Psalm 4:4 and&nbsp;Ephesians 4:26-27 we find instruction regarding anger as we read, &ldquo;Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.&rdquo; Jesus gave us comfort with His words in&nbsp;John 14:27, &ldquo;Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.&rdquo; When feeling overwhelmed a great passage is&nbsp;Psalm 61:2-3, &ldquo;From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.&rdquo;&nbsp;Many of the Psalms are filled with words expressing our human emotions and uncover the greatness and provision of God in the midst of the trials of life. God can relate to our duress and doesn&rsquo;t look down or enjoy seeing us hurting or feeling overwhelmed.&nbsp;Hebrews 4:15, &ldquo;For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points temped like as we are, yet without sin.&rdquo; Being real and honest with ourselves and God is very important. God wants to set our minds at rest. In His Word, the Bible, we see this&nbsp;reality and truth. We see real people with real life situations. God provided beyond measure for those who believed and waited on Him. Those who chose to walk away, forgetting God&rsquo;s goodness or simply rejecting Him all together, suffered terrible consequences.&nbsp;In&nbsp;Matthew 6:25-34 we find a comforting word from Jesus as He encourages us to trust God and to not worry, &ldquo;Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?&nbsp;Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?&nbsp;And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:&nbsp;And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.&nbsp;Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?&nbsp;(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.&nbsp;But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.&nbsp;Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s crystal clear that God Himself wants to care for every need and in every area without exception.&nbsp;
For those that choose to believe in God, receive Jesus as Lord and the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit are given new life and begin a transformation of thinking, as stated in&nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:16, &ldquo;For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.&rdquo; We see this explained more in terms of practical living in&nbsp;Romans 12, &nbsp;&ldquo;I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. &nbsp;And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. &nbsp;For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. &nbsp;For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:&nbsp;So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. &nbsp;Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;&nbsp;Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;&nbsp;Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.&nbsp;Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.&nbsp; Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;&nbsp;Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;&nbsp;Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;&nbsp;Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.&nbsp;Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. &nbsp;Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.&nbsp; Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. &nbsp;Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. &nbsp;If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. &nbsp;Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.&nbsp; Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. &nbsp;Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.&rdquo;&nbsp;God encourages mental preparedness. He wants us to know what to do, how to do it, when and where all while walking by faith. He encourages us to see what He&rsquo;s doing, to rest and rejoice as He lovingly works with us and on our behalf.&nbsp;Psalm 40:5, &ldquo;Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.&rdquo;&nbsp;Matthew 11:28-30. &ldquo;Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.&rdquo; In this next passage we notice that God definitely looks at what we do with or without Him and how we respond to His Light, which is Jesus in&nbsp;John 3:20-21, &ldquo;For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Finally, we come to a charge for mental preparedness as we live out our time on this earth in&nbsp;1 Peter 1:13-17, &ldquo;Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man&rsquo;s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.&rdquo; God announces this beautiful and comforting promise to all&nbsp;who choose to believe, love and obey Him in Jeremiah 29:11, &ldquo;For I know thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.&rdquo; Want to get your mind ready?
Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Great and Mighty God, I realize that without You I&rsquo;m not ready for anything. Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I surrender all I am to You; my spirit, soul, mind and body. Holy Spirit transform me and renew my mind to be like Christ. Remove all damage and trauma from my emotions, thoughts, behavioral patterns and perceptions. Touch me with Your delivering and healing power. I choose to submit my will and emotions to You. Align me in Your perfect will and plan for my life. Father help me to see what You are doing, to be ready in my mind, self-controlled keeping my hope in You. Guide me with Wisdom and common sense to know what to do and not do as well as when and where.&nbsp;&nbsp; Strengthen me to face truth and reality and to choose be holy as You are holy. &nbsp;Please help me not to worry but to rest in You knowing that as I seek You all my needs will be met. Teach me how to live my life dependent on You and to enjoy all the good things You provide. You are beyond compare and love unconditionally, how I thank and praise You Lord. I love You, in Jesus name. Amen.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Nov 2022 00:10:38 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Clothing</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9146</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Clothing]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ.&nbsp; He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them.&nbsp; In Jesus Name, Amen. 
Clothing
Just the Facts
Clothing is certainly important for survival. Whether we are in a cold or hot climate adequate protective clothing is needed against sun, weather and other environmental damage.
Many different fabrics are used in making clothing but wool is considered the preferred clothing material for any climate.&nbsp; Leather, animal skins, was used in making the first clothes.&nbsp; Leather is easy to care for and comfortable becoming more supple and lustrous with age.&nbsp; It breathes adding comfort by feeling warm in the winter and cool in the summer.&nbsp; It actually adjusts to our body&rsquo;s temperature.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s the most durable of all fabric as it resists tears, punctures, stains and abrasion as well as retains its shape not showing wear like other fabrics.&nbsp; 
In cold weather we must maximize our bodies warmth by keeping our heads covered.&nbsp; We can lose 40 percent to 45 percent of body heat from an unprotected head and even more from the unprotected neck, wrists and ankles. These areas of the body are good radiators of heat and have very little insulating fat. "If your feet are cold, put a hat on" is a very old and true statement. The body will rob peripheral blood supply to keep the brain at a constant temperature thereby allowing the hands and feet to go cold (or even freeze) and then the extremities.&nbsp; Hats, gloves, boots, bandanas, socks, pants, shorts, coats, undergarments and shirts are all important to keep the body protected.
There are four basic principles to follow to keep warm. An easy way to remember these basic principles is to use the word "COLD" &ndash; 
C - Keep clothing clean. O - Avoid overheating.  L - Wear clothes loose and in layers.  D - Keep clothing dry.&nbsp;Revealed in the Source
Clothing is considered important within the &ldquo;fabric&rdquo; of creation.&nbsp; Every creature&rsquo;s been given skin &ldquo;clothes&rdquo; for their body&rsquo;s protection against the elements.&nbsp; &nbsp;God made humanity this way as well.&nbsp; We were intended to be in a perfect climate and environment a place God created called the Garden of Eden.&nbsp; This is where God created the first man, Adam, and woman, Eve.&nbsp; They were in a perfect habitation, naked and completely innocent walking with God clothed in His Light. &nbsp;But they sinned in the Garden believing the lies of Satan and eating, against God&rsquo;s will, of the tree of good and evil.&nbsp; When they allowed themselves to sin they became aware of their nakedness and were ashamed and hid from God.&nbsp; God knew this and began to search for them.&nbsp; They had come out from under His protective covering as their provider, protector and source by believing God was not sufficient and that they didn&rsquo;t need Him.&nbsp; They were now completely exposed.&nbsp;&nbsp; For the sake of keeping this short, God had to judge the sin that was done against Him by the both of them and Satan; this can be read in&nbsp;Genesis 3.&nbsp; All of creation was going to suffer because of this.&nbsp; Being all-knowing, God knew this would happen and had already set into motion His redemptive promise for all of His creation.&nbsp; Before He drove Adam and Eve from the garden He shed the first blood making clothing from animal skins to cover them in&nbsp;Genesis 3:21,&nbsp;&ldquo;Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, &nbsp;and clothed them&rdquo;.&nbsp; In this God revealed a glimpse of His plan and exposed our need of remission and covering from sin through the shedding of blood, a price so high and pure that no creature could eternally pay.&nbsp; This price is one only He could satisfy with Himself as the sacrifice through His Son Jesus Christ.&nbsp; God made the first sacrifice and provided the Lasting Sacrifice.&nbsp; When we believe and know Him as our only source, He then lovingly covers us.&nbsp; From the beginning, the promise of the Messiah, Savior, Redeemer, Eternal Perfect Sacrifice, the One who would cover us with Himself, was etched into time.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In the next few passages we learn God&rsquo;s provision by clothing us: Physically in&nbsp;Deuteronomy 10:17-18,&nbsp;&ldquo;For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.&rdquo; &nbsp;Emotionally and mentally as written in&nbsp;Psalm 30:11-12, &ldquo;Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end&nbsp; that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent.&nbsp; O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee forever.&rdquo;&nbsp; &nbsp;Spiritually for those that believe and obey Him, the Messiah will clothe beautifully in&nbsp;Isaiah 61:10, &ldquo;I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation, He hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.&rdquo;&nbsp; Jesus, the Messiah, the Lamb of God, shed His blood redeeming us from sin and it&rsquo;s power as prophesied by the prophets and by John the Baptist in&nbsp;John 1:29 when he saw Jesus coming toward him, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the World!&rdquo;&nbsp;In Ephesians 6:10-18 , the Bible reveals protective clothing provided against the kingdom of darkness and the devil, &ldquo;Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.&nbsp;Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.&nbsp;For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. &nbsp;Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with Truth, and having on the Breastplate of Righteousness;&nbsp;And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace;&nbsp;Above all, taking the Shield of Faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.&nbsp;And take the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:&nbsp;Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.&rdquo;&nbsp; Wow, we need to notice all of the articles are attributes of God Himself.&nbsp; &nbsp;We clothe ourselves in Him and the various expressions of who He is.&nbsp; That&rsquo;s powerful.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s also vital to recognize that if we can put it on we can take it off. &nbsp;When we choose to sin we take off what He has so generously provided.&nbsp; That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s imperative that we be alert and in prayer.&nbsp; Jesus warned of this too in&nbsp;Revelation 16:15, &ldquo;Behold, I come as a thief. &nbsp;Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.&rdquo;&nbsp; It is clear that God wants us covered up and vigilant.&nbsp; Through Jesus&rsquo; sacrifice and shed blood, God provided the way for us to not just have clothes but to have completely pure and clean clothes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Isaiah 1:18, &ldquo;Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Revelation 22:14, &ldquo;Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.&rdquo; &nbsp;Would you like to be clothed by God?
Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Father God, You&rsquo;ve spared nothing to care for me. &nbsp;Jesus, You are the Messiah the Lamb of God. You shed Your blood for me.&nbsp; Please cleanse me of my sins and clothe me. &nbsp;Holy Spirit eliminate all shame and nakedness. Take the garments off me that are not in accordance with God&rsquo;s Spirit and will.&nbsp; Please redress me in every area and protect me from anyone or anything that may try to strip me of Your covering and blessings.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Teach me to walk with You, to pray and be watchful.&nbsp; Help me not remove the clothing You&rsquo;ve provided so that I may stand firm against all strategies of the devil.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m so thankful that You lovingly wrap me in You, in Jesus name.&nbsp; Amen.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 05 Nov 2022 23:36:21 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Fire</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9094</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Fire]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen.&nbsp;
Fire
Just the Facts
Fire by definition as a noun is a rapid, persistent chemical change that releases heat and light, intensity of feeling, luminosity, liveliness, a trial or test, fever or bodily inflammation, the discharge of firearms, and an intense repeated attack or criticism. As a verb, fire means to ignite, light up, add fuel, start up, to bake in a kiln, to dry by heating, to arouse the emotions of, to detonate, to propel or launch. Fire changes whatever it ignites.
Fire is considered pretty important for living. Fire provides warmth, light and comfort, purifies water, cooks food, makes a great signal, helps make tools, keeps bug and dangerous predators away, boosts morale, and can be a welcome friend and companion. A few small fires provide more heat than one large fire.
Throughout the world natural fires, those started by lightening, volcanic activity, or other natural events cleanse our environments of disease, insects, dead plants and tree overgrowth as well as put much nutrients back into the soil. Without natural fires our ecosystems become less diverse, denser with overgrowth, and littered with dead plant material thereby suppressing life.
Fire can be extremely dangerous. Fires grow very fast and gets extremely hot. Fires produce smoke and toxic gases that kill more people that the actual fire. When in a confined space the smoke is pitch black and disorienting. In this kind of condition time is the biggest enemy; acting fast could save one&rsquo;s life.&nbsp;Revealed in the Source
The ecosystem of our planet needs natural fires to be cleansed, fertilized and strengthened. Without fire there is no change and without change things become stale and weak. God knew this in the design of His creation. As another witness of who He is, we discover God Himself is a fire in&nbsp;Hebrews 12:29, &ldquo;For our God is a consuming fire.&rdquo; Like fire, God is both kind and severe. God is Love but He&rsquo;s also Holy and Righteous abhorring all that is evil and wicked. He calls people out of darkness. We hear this call in&nbsp;Isaiah 2:5, &ldquo;O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the Light of the Lord.&rdquo; He promises His light to those who will trust Him but also warns of fires and lights of those created apart from Him in&nbsp;Isaiah 50:10-12, &ldquo;Who is among you that feareth the Lord,&nbsp;and obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.&rdquo; God reveals the short wick for those who prefer false lights and fire in&nbsp;Job 18:5-6,&nbsp;&ldquo;Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.&rdquo; This is a warning for those who reject God and His Word while mocking His Holiness and Power. His Fire will one day consume those who reject Him, time is short.
However, God&rsquo;s Heart for humanity is true in the Light of His Love and the Flame of His Spirit. Let&rsquo;s remember God likes us to recognize lessons in His creation. From an earthly perspective the sun is our source of light, warmth, life and gives us the ability to discern seasons and time. In&nbsp;Genesis 1&nbsp;light and darkness were created on the first day and then the sun and the moon on the fourth; this was strategically accomplished before He created all living things. This strengthens our understanding of what Eternal Jesus said in&nbsp;John 8:12, "I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life." He desires to snatch us up and out of darkness into His Light. His Light brings life, purity which is also cleansing and judgment, warmth, and healthy growth into our existence. Jesus is Light and Life. He promised those who believe on Him comfort, enrichment, and a revelation of Himself and God&rsquo;s Word through all our seasons and times.&nbsp;John 14:26, &ldquo;But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.&rdquo; John the Baptist testified of this promise in Matthew 3:11 when he said, &ldquo;I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: But He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire: whose fan is in His Hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.&rdquo; The Holy Spirit did come as a Gift to us as seen in&nbsp;Acts 2:3-4, &ldquo;And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.&rdquo; This is another powerful work of God&rsquo;s Love. God, the all consuming Fire sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World driving away all darkness and the Holy Spirit, Fire, to convict us of sin, teaching us all things His Word says revealing Jesus Christ to us, to indwell, empower, seal and change us. May we remember that His Fire never burns contrary to His Word and Character. Do you desire for God's Holy Fire?&nbsp;Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Father God, Holy One, I desire to be holy as You are Holy. Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the world. Ignite me, Light of life, and cleanse me of all things causing death and decay. Holy Spirit come upon and fill me, purify, enrich and change me. Remove all fires, lights and flames not of Your Spirit and repair any damage they may have caused. Bring Your warmth and comfort. Dispel all darkness and propel me into all You have for my life. Help me be a true light pointing others to You. Keep me aflame with holy fear and passion for You alone, fueled only by You. Thank You for Your love burning in every area transforming and empowering me to be more like You, in Jesus name. Amen.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 29 Oct 2022 22:55:08 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Shelter</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9093</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Shelter]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen.&nbsp;
Shelter
Just the Facts
Finding shelter is considered the highest priority in survival situations by the military and most survivalists. The reason for this is because shelter provides protection from the elements and environment.&nbsp; Without shelter we are completely exposed.&nbsp; A shelter can afford comfort, a sense of center, boost morale and a feeling of having a home.&nbsp;&nbsp; Shelter offers protection against danger and safety during inclement weather, helping prevent hypothermia and assisting us in getting much needed rest.&nbsp; Examples of a shelter include caves, tents, branches, brick, stone, metal or wood structures.
Today we have many different shelters like those for the homeless, abused women, orphans, animals, weather, war, and disasters.&nbsp; We even have bus, train and plane shelters for people to be safe in during travel.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Shelter is highly desirable to every creature on the planet.&nbsp;&nbsp;Revealed in the Source
Hebrews 3:4&nbsp;&ldquo;For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;The word shelter is synonymous with sanctuary, refuge, safety, protection and a place to rest.&nbsp; When we observe life around us we see the tiniest of insects, birds, reptiles, beasts of the field, even the fish of the sea, looking for a place of safety just like we do.&nbsp;&nbsp; God shows us a bit more of Himself through these real life illustrations.&nbsp; He formed in us a desire for protection, the need for a place to call home, a place of rest.
Even as we need shelter physically, emotionally, mentally we also need it spiritually.&nbsp; Truly, Almighty God is the greatest shelter in every way fortitude, foundation, rest and defense.&nbsp;&nbsp; We may try to build or live in shelters apart from Him but none can compare to God.&nbsp; If we could choose to live in a shelter made of branches or one made of stone we would choose the more solid of the two.&nbsp; So it is with choosing the Lord as our home, our dwelling place.&nbsp; It says in&nbsp;Psalms 71:3, &ldquo;Be Thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress.&rdquo;&nbsp; There&rsquo;s no question of God&rsquo;s provisional promise to be our shelter, He will even draw us right to Himself as He says in&nbsp;Exodus 15:17, &ldquo;Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which Thou has made for Thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy Hands have established.&rdquo; His own hands have made for us a place of safety.&nbsp; God wants no one outside His shelter.&nbsp; Only those who won&rsquo;t go with Him, reject His offer of Salvation through Christ Jesus or decide to leave His Shelter and not return, will be left outside. He is also a shelter for those who are enduring difficult times and are suffering as we read in&nbsp;Psalms 9:9, &ldquo;The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.&rdquo;&nbsp; All we have to do is come to Him.&nbsp; Jesus gave us a personal invitation in&nbsp;Matthew 11:28 when He said, &ldquo;Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.&rdquo;&nbsp; When we come to Him, Jesus promises something amazing in&nbsp;John 14:23, &ldquo;If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Imagine the God of all creation making a home with us, that&rsquo;s incredible.&nbsp;&nbsp;Revelation 3:20  says, &ldquo;Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.&rdquo;&nbsp; A passage in&nbsp;Hebrews 3:6  explains that the home He is referring to is our hearts, inside us.&nbsp; Christ is over all God&rsquo;s shelters including our bodies,&nbsp;&ldquo;But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once Jesus comes in we&rsquo;re also filled with Holy Spirit because we are a house of the Lord as we learn from&nbsp;1 Corinthians 6:19, &ldquo;What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;
The Shelter of all shelters wants to cover us from the outside and from within providing salvation, eternal life, comfort, safety, protection, peace, and rest.&nbsp; By choosing Him to be our Shelter we can know that, &ldquo;For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, &lsquo;For we are also His offspring.&rdquo;,&nbsp;Acts 17:28. &nbsp;Would you like to come to The Shelter and let Him make a home with you?
Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Father God, Mighty Refuge, I choose You, I run into Your protection.&nbsp; Lord Jesus I welcome You into my person, my house, You are my Rock and Shelter. Holy Spirit come into my temple and remove all shelters and coverings not of Your Spirit.&nbsp; Help me enter into Your rest and to be obedient wholly trusting only in You. Thank You for sheltering every area of me from within and without, in Jesus name.&nbsp; Amen.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2022 19:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Food</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/9071</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Food]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen. 
Food
Just the Facts
Food is important for our survival. Even though it&rsquo;s nowhere near as critical as going without water, much like dehydration, hunger can bring on many adverse complications long before it causes death. 
In survival situations, food is everywhere if one knows where to look. The basic knowledge of animal trapping, hunting, and fishing can provide meat. It is important to be able to recognize edible plants, fungi, and lichens. Plants offer the most widespread and complete wild food source. Here are a few simple rules to help us stay safe, note there are always exceptions. Stay away from all plants with white sap, tiny hairs, umbrella shaped flowers and white or green berries. Red berries are less dangerous, but one should only eat if they&rsquo;re recognized as safe. Black or blue berries are generally safe. Aggregate berries, like raspberries, are always edible. Single fruits on a stem are usually okay. It&rsquo;s good to avoid mushrooms and fungi, plants with bulb roots and fruits from plants with shiny leaves. 
To survive for long periods of time we must maintain a balanced diet. &nbsp;A balanced diet provides sources of energy and nutrition for optimal health. We need protein sources such as beans, peas, nuts and seeds. We also need a variety of fruits and vegetables; grains like rice, pasta, whole grain breads and cereal. More than 840 million people in the world are malnourished. An unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance of body tissues, growth and development, brain and nervous system function, as well as problems with bone and muscle systems. Undernourishment also negatively affects people&rsquo;s productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being.&nbsp;Revealed in the Source
Hunger is our body&rsquo;s signal demanding to be fueled so that it can continue to operate. It&rsquo;s important to fuel our bodies with good foods. The higher the nutritional content the more nourished we are and the better we live.&nbsp;
God has provided an abundance of food sources all around us and for all living things. This is another parallel to knowing God as our source. Many foods can provide a full stomach but not all things are safe or good for us. We can eat all the right things and yet God declares to us that food for the body is not enough in&nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:3&nbsp;and again in&nbsp;Matthew 4:4&nbsp;as Jesus quoted, &ldquo;It is written: man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God&rsquo;.&rdquo; God certainly doesn&rsquo;t want us to lack for food. However, He wants more for us and invites us to partake in the wholesome goodness of Himself. In Him we&rsquo;ll receive all that we need.&nbsp;Psalms 34:8-10&nbsp;says, &ldquo;O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is not want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jesus also revealed to us God&rsquo;s personal love in&nbsp;John 6:48-51&nbsp;by saying, &ldquo;I am that Bread of Life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread that cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever: and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.&rdquo; Jesus was helping us understand that He and His Word are God&rsquo;s provision for all of our needs, true life,&nbsp;John 6:63, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the Words that I speak unto you, They are spirit, and They are life."&nbsp;John 1:14, &ldquo;And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of Grace and Truth.&rdquo; Jesus is the Word made flesh.&nbsp;
As the bread from heaven, Jesus gave His life for us, His own flesh, dying on the cross for our sins, our hunger, our sicknesses, our grief and our failures. He was placed in the tomb becoming the perfect sacrifice defeating Satan completely. On the third day, He rose from the grave, and presented Himself to the Father and now is offered to us as the Perfect Bread from Heaven. By believing Jesus Christ is the Bread from Heaven, we eat of God&rsquo;s provision and He becomes part of us and nourishes us. We are to hunger for Him and His Word as is written in&nbsp;1 Peter 2:2-3, &ldquo;As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is Gracious.&rdquo;&nbsp;Hebrews 5:14, &ldquo;But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.&rdquo; Would you like to eat God&rsquo;s Heavenly Food?&nbsp;Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Father God, Living Word, I hunger for You. Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Living Bread. I cry out for You to nourish and mature every area of my being. Holy Spirit remove all malnourishment and ungodly cravings and eating disorders from me and bring me into balance and wholeness. Help me to discern between good and evil as well as to want Provision that only comes from You. Thank You for Your loving kindness and goodness, in Jesus name. Amen.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 15 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Water</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8981</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Water]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Originally Published in 2008 by A This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen. 
Water
Just the Facts
Water is required for life. Our Earth is unique among all other known celestial bodies. Three-fourths of the earth&rsquo;s surface is covered by water constituting of 60-70% of the living world. Unbelievably, only 1% of the world&rsquo;s water is usable. About 97% is salty sea water, and 2% is frozen in polar ice caps and glaciers. This makes the 1% a very precious commodity necessary for our survival. 
Dehydration (lack of water) will kill us faster than starvation (lack of food). &nbsp;Sometimes water that looks drinkable may contain harmful elements, which could cause illness and death if ingested. 
The average adult body is 55 to 75% water. Two-thirds of your body weight is water (40 to 50 quarts). A human embryo is more than 80% water. A newborn baby is 74% water. Everyday your body must replace 2 1/2 quarts of water. The water you drink literally becomes you! We need lots of fresh water to stay healthy. Aside from aiding in digestion and absorption of food, water regulates body temperature and blood circulation, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, and removes toxins and other wastes. This "body water" also cushions joints and protects tissues and organs, including the spinal cord, from shock and damage. Water helps prevent disease, assists with weight loss, muscle tone and skin health, and is actually needed for breathing. In contrast, dehydration can be the cause of many ailments such as hypertension, asthma, allergies, migraine headaches, back pain, mental confusion, low energy, water retention, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. Currently seventy-five percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated and may apply to half of the world&rsquo;s population. 
Every process in our body occurs in a water medium. Without water we can survive for only a few days. Our body simply cannot function without it.&nbsp;Revealed in the Source
The water you drink literally becomes you! If we don&rsquo;t have water we begin to wither away, we can&rsquo;t function and eventually we cease to exist. Anyone who has ever been thirsty understands that longing, insatiable dryness that only water can quench. We do whatever we can to get our hands on it and as quickly as possible. As part of our physical life cycle we will always need water until we die.&nbsp;
Water is a tangible analogy to God being our source for true life and everlasting satisfaction. Once again God reveals His provision beyond our physical needs. Let&rsquo;s remember that there&rsquo;s a lot of water on earth but only 1% is drinkable. There are many gods (sources) that promise life but only one is the true living and life giving God. He doesn&rsquo;t want us off trying to dig our own storehouses for water because He knows apart from Him they will not hold water. God reveals in His Word that He alone is that true source as in Jeremiah 2:13 &ldquo;For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the Fountain of Living Waters,&nbsp;and&nbsp;hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.&rdquo;&nbsp;And in&nbsp;John 4:10&nbsp;Jesus answered,&nbsp;&ldquo;&hellip;If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.&rdquo;&nbsp;God understands our thirst for life but clearly wants us to realize that He is the only one who can truly pour life into us. He built the depths of our being, the very wells of our existence, to be filled with His Spirit to overflowing and thereby infusing us with Himself in every area. This is a powerful revelation of God&rsquo;s love and longing to be our life source touching every function of our person. He wants us to have His spring inside eternally as written in&nbsp;Isaiah 58:11, &ldquo;And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.&rdquo;&nbsp;John 4:14, Jesus said,&nbsp;&ldquo;But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.&rdquo;&nbsp;Do you want this Precious Water?
Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Father God, Fountain of Living water, I need you, I thirst for Your true water. Please fill and infuse me with Yourself Lord Jesus. Remove all other waters not of Your Spirit and restore me where bad waters may have contaminated me. Give me discernment to recognize and not drink from any source other than You. Holy Spirit fill me for You alone can quench all my scorched places, I invite You to revive, strengthen and bring life to me in every area of my existence. Thank You for loving me and providing Holy Spirit as my internal and eternal wellspring, in Jesus name. Amen.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Oxygen</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8980</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Oxygen]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen. 
Oxygen
Just the Facts
Oxygen is by far the most urgently needed of all resources. Oxygen is needed in every cell of our body. The brain uses the largest percentage of oxygen and begins to die somewhere between five and seven minutes without it, this is called oxygen starvation. The reasons our bodies need a proper supply of oxygen is to increase energy, maintain healthy cholesterol levels and circulation, enhance proper brain function, eliminate waste/toxins, soothe aching sore joints, reduce stress, support a strong healthy heart, look younger and overcome fatigue. The body naturally receives oxygen three ways through the lungs, the skin and the digestive system.
Scientists have recently discovered, from core ice samples and air bubbles trapped inside pieces of fossilized amber crystals, that our atmosphere once contained 30%-40% oxygen. In today&rsquo;s polluted environment, our air contains only 20%-22% oxygen. A few of our major cities have air as low as 15% making most buildings and homes a very low 10%-12% of healthy oxygen. 
All living things need oxygen including the earth itself. In fact, it&rsquo;s the second most abundant element in the earth&rsquo;s crust after silicon and is found in other molecules such as water (H2O)&nbsp;Revealed in the Source
Before life was created, God lovingly fashioned our protective atmosphere full of rich pure oxygen for breathing. In&nbsp;Genesis 1:6-8, &ldquo;And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which&nbsp;were&nbsp;under the firmament from the waters which&nbsp;were&nbsp;above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.&rdquo; Remarkably creation testifies of the immense provisional source of God in the very air we breathe. He carefully designed life to be dependent on air in order to live. God doesn&rsquo;t want us to be without air or anything else as we see written in&nbsp;Acts 17:24-25, &ldquo;God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;&rdquo;&nbsp;Job 33:4, &ldquo;The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.&rdquo; In&nbsp;Numbers 16:22, we read about Moses and Aaron seeking the Lord, &ldquo;And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?&rdquo;&nbsp;In&nbsp;Ezekiel 37:9, God shows us His heart&rsquo;s desire to restore life where there&rsquo;s been death and decay revealing that He is the only source of breath that causes us to live, &ldquo;Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.&rdquo; Not only does God provide life to our physical body but to our spirit, too.
God&rsquo;s breath, His Spirit, can fill our whole person, every part as explained in&nbsp;Romans 8:11, &ldquo;But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.&rdquo; The very words of God bring life even as He spoke creation into existence. Jesus spoke of His life producing Word in&nbsp;John 6:63, &ldquo;It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you,&nbsp;they&nbsp;are Spirit, and&nbsp;they&nbsp;are Life.&rdquo; Paul wrote of Jesus as the giving source of life in&nbsp;1 Corinthians 15:45, &ldquo;And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam&nbsp;was made&nbsp;a quickening spirit.&rdquo; We&rsquo;re as spiritually dead without His Spirit in us as we&rsquo;re dead without oxygen. In&nbsp;John 20:22, Jesus breathed on His followers and said, &ldquo;Receive ye the Holy Ghost&rdquo;. He sent this gift to all who would believe in Him and receive the wind of His Spirit that was sent from heaven in&nbsp;Acts 2:1-2, &ldquo;And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.&rdquo; Do you want to truly live and breathe?
&nbsp;&nbsp;Let&rsquo;s Ask Him
Father God, Breath of Life, I can&rsquo;t breathe without You, I need you so much. Lord Jesus, I confess You are the Spoken Word of God. I&rsquo;m unable to live without Your Life in me. Holy Spirit, permeate every cell of my being. Remove all pollutants, toxins and air not of Your Spirit and heal any injury that may have occurred as a result. Revitalize, rejuvenate and restore me into the fullness of life that You have for me. Help me to inhale Your Word receiving it as Spirit and Life. Thank You for breathing Your Love in me, in Jesus name. Amen.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 02 Oct 2022 22:52:37 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a; You&#x27;re In My Space</media:title>
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				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid: You&apos;re In My Space]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ Forgave you, so also do ye." &nbsp; 
Colossians 3:13
&nbsp;
Realizing they were in each other's space, 
the older Brown Pelican and the young Seagull say to one another:
"I'm sorry, I noticed you were on my rock..."
"Ohhh? I thought you were on my rock..."
"It's ok, as long as you stay on your side."
"Thank you... as long as you stay on your side."
"Great! We know where we stand!"
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."
Proverbs 17:22&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2022 01:01:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Survival - Intro</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8979</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Survival - Intro]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
This multi-part series was originally published in 2008 by Alea under a strong urgency to point people, even His church, to Him and Him alone in the ever increasing times that further &ldquo;fill, distort and distract&rdquo; us from the only Source of Hope, Help and Salvation, Jesus Christ. He is coming soon and we need to be ready and prepared&hellip;
Father God, please open our eyes and ears, soften our hearts and minds, change and help us to choose wisely, to know Your ways and live them. In Jesus Name, Amen. 
Intro
We&rsquo;ve all heard about the basic necessities to survive: oxygen, water, food, shelter and fire. They are necessary in every situation, location or climate, whether it&rsquo;s a natural catastrophe, desert or wilderness condition, wet or dry, high or low altitudes. These are important for our safety and continued existence. 
The first step in building up our journey supplies is to understand our basic survival needs. This is true for the physical, mental and emotional areas as well as the spiritual. We need to know God has made provision in every area for all of His creation, especially humanity. Learning the proper skills and techniques to survive are ways we become better equipped to live. Our finest soldiers learn survival skills through vigorous training and instructional materials to prepare them for the most strenuous conditions. God has done no less for us. He wants us to learn, understand and to be prepared, too. He&rsquo;s lovingly provided us with His instruction manual and compass, the Bible, and the beautiful testimony of His creation. We can learn from what He&rsquo;s given or not. 
Every day we choose to drink things other than water, which is best for us. We eat foods that are harmful and unhealthy instead of vegetables and fruits. We may even decide to stay in dangerous environments or situations. What if you don&rsquo;t know how to select good fruits, or don&rsquo;t recognize your house may be unsafe, or that the temperature is going below freezing tomorrow night? You ask, seek out the information, or find someone who can help you. We have to take the initiative. The answers are there just waiting to be found. God is longingly waiting for us to seek, ask, and pursue Him for all that we need. It is the rejection of knowledge, the knowledge of knowing Him that we, His people, perish as read in Hosea 4:6.
This section has been written to help us see not only these things in the Light of God&rsquo;s Truth but to realize He has abundantly more for us. He&rsquo;s unlike any instructor we could ever have. He not only knows all things to help us, has the power to overcome anything we may come up against, but is also with us through everything. Our survival, our life is, was and always has been on the heart of God. Your life matters to Him.
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Joshua 1:8 This Book of The Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Psalm 36:5-10&nbsp; Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy Light shall we see light.
Psalm 145:15-16 The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.
 Matthew 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Sep 2022 17:07:06 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Images in Time&#x3a; Don&#x27;t miss the moment you have...</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8956</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Images in Time: Don&apos;t miss the moment you have...]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God Requireth that which is past." Ecclesiastes 3:15
&nbsp;
You've probably heard that expression, "time flies so fast," a realization of how quickly events in life seem to whisk by. A phrase that I personally seem to resonate with more is "it seems like only yesterday..." calling to mind memories in our rear view mirror that feel like they just took place... Yet are so distant in the past we wish we took time to appreciate them more...
Around the time I was really starting to get my feet wet with photography, back many years, I visited a lake in Arizona which I now know as Kaibab Lake, just north of the town of Williams. The serenity and beauty of the surroundings quickly got me snapping the camera and setting up the tripod here and there. While being in a new place, I was really happy to see such nice composition potential and really tried to make the most of it.&nbsp;
One of my favorite pictures I ever took, and one that I was so happy to present to my future wife with on a 20 x 30 print at the time, the Blue Lake picture as I called it (blue not so much of the water but rather the sky) really captured the experience I had there conveying the quiet and lush solitude of a peaceful summer day by the water.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
As my time there came to a close, I had every intention to make a return back someday, which I eventually would...
The time did come to return. I got my stuff together and made my way. Upon getting there, I realized it just wasn't the same. Now granted, it was a different time of the year, so not only was the greenery understandably gone but more-so was the water level (not to mention that unique log in the foreground) that I felt added so much personality to the image. In actuality, it looked like that log was not anywhere near where it was when I was first there.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
I would make subsequent trips back, which included the green summer periods I had first encountered there, but you know what? It still wasn't anywhere near the same, even after all that. I came to realize (and appreciate) that very special moment in time The Lord Had Given me all those years ago... A moment that, yes... "It seems like only yesterday." Looking back on it, I wish I really took the time to recognize that incredibly unique opportunity, that gift of time... that I would never have again. Perhaps I figured it would remain the same when I came back; that there would always be "another chance, another time" to return to it, naively thinking that I could always at my convenience revisit when I wanted to and things would just be waiting for me the way I left them.
How often any of us can look back on our lives, the times in our past that we miss, whether it be moments with family or friends, even our pets; loved ones long gone. It is with sadness that we look back and wish we took that extra time to really take in the gift of those moments we had there, and took the time to make the most of it and not presume we would get back to it later because we had "something to do," or just felt "not now." When we miss those moments, they really... sting. And you know what? How about when it concerns the most important relationship we can ever have? Yes, I am speaking of when Jesus is there wanting to spend time with us. Whether we know it or not.
Looking back on my life, I am sadly reminded of how many times I had those unique special moments to really pause and embrace what was before me. The times Jesus was Allowing me to learn and grow in His Teachings, His Truth, to be in His Word The Bible. It's interesting how many distractions rear their head when we are making time to be with The Lord. When we do press in and carve out time, we can still get swayed by man-made traditions and practices that pretend to Glorify God through their dogma and doctrine, (and they might make us feel closer to God) but if they do not line up with Scripture, then in actuality they are designed only to deceive and drive a wedge between us and our relationship with God. Same end result. How important it is we are aware of our surroundings!
As I peruse through a lot of my favorite photos taken throughout the years, whether it be here, or there, or anywhere... It is a reminder that this life really is temporary and ever changing. As much as we try to either ignore it or go along with it, there is no way around that. We live in a fallen world, one that continues to decay and age due to the terrible tragedy of what happened that day in Eden over 6,000 years ago. When Eve and Adam, believing the deceiver Satan (Lucifer), both set into motion a tide of sin that would be unleashed on this world; sin that would affect not just the people in it but also the animals, the flora and fauna - all God's Creation on this earth. This is something we all will contend with until that ultimate day when The Lord Jesus Comes to put an end to this error once and for all, and Return that which is truly His back to His original Design. A Design that will be Forever and... Perfect.
We have to be very careful of our complacency and convenience, especially when it comes to our time with God in our lives. Things can seem so busy in our world we think we can just come back later. It will be there when we come back, right? Just like we left it? Much like that trip to Kaibab Lake I referenced earlier, that is not a certainty. We may not have another day. Another hour. Another time when we feel like it, to grow in our relationship with God. I don't think we've ever lived in a time where a sense of urgency regarding faith in Jesus Christ and living His Biblical Truth and obeying His Ten Commandments has ever been more important. Things are changing. Fast. Faster than they ever have. We have to be alert and aware of what is around us. Things are not always what they seem, and unfortunately not always as we hope them to be... or remember them.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
" Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13
&nbsp;
May we take seriously those gifts of time God Gives us, Glorify Him in truth and use those gifts to the fullest, and never take Him, or them for granted.
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Sep 2022 01:50:00 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea and Peter]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Let&#x27;s Be Candid&#x3a;  Strange Neighbors</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8886</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Let&apos;s Be Candid:  Strange Neighbors]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
"Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." &nbsp;
Romans 15:2
&nbsp;
Introducing Mr. Cotton Teetu!
Our little cockatiel would like to say hello,
and share that he has this tiny neighbor, who is a little cuckoo,
and lives in the house behind him.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Until next time...
&nbsp;
Proverbs 17:22 &nbsp;"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth up the bones."&nbsp;]]> (1 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2022 18:52:17 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">Stewardship&#x3f;&#x3f;</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8816</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Stewardship??]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Did you know that it was in God&rsquo;s Design for humanity to be stewards? You may ask, &ldquo;Stewards of what?&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp; Before we can answer that question let&rsquo;s consider who is a steward. After taking a look at the Scriptural and dictionary definitions, we discover that stewards are selected persons by an owner or highest ruler given personal responsibility or charge over another&rsquo;s properties, finances, or other delegations directly answering to that owner or ruling authority. God being omnipotent (limitless power, invincible), omniscient (limitless knowledge and wisdom) and omnipresent (limitless presence, everywhere), creator of the heavens and earth plus all living creatures suffices to validate that He is indeed the Owner and Highest Ruler. 
It&rsquo;s important to realize we&rsquo;ll all have to give an account to God regarding our care of His possessions, whether we believe in Him or not. We can see this revealed through Matthew 25 in the three stories told by Jesus. These parables are poignant examples of wise versus unwise stewardship, the reward for righteousness and the consequence for unrighteousness. There&rsquo;s a great deal of wisdom in this chapter but we&rsquo;ll touch on basic points. 
The first one is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In this one we see the importance of knowing God, being prepared and ready when He calls to us at His Second Coming. Truly, such great joy awaits those who are faithful to Him. But if we&rsquo;re not ready we&rsquo;ll miss Him altogether and not be allowed to enter in with Him due to unfaithfulness. We need to watch out for unfaithfulness to Him, to what we&rsquo;ve been given and making sure we aren&rsquo;t using others. Individual responsibility is critical to maintain wise stewardship as well as the pursuit of developing fellowship with God, the Owner and Highest Ruler. The only way to meet the Father is through Jesus, He said in John 14:6, &ldquo;I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one cometh to the Father, but by Me.&rdquo; 
Second is the Parable of the Talents, this one emphasizes the importance of wise handling of our gifts, skills and finances.&nbsp;&nbsp; We can ask God for wisdom to know what to do, how to do it and for wise counsel. If we&rsquo;re wise with our talents He&rsquo;ll bring abundant increase and if not we will lose all we have been given. God doesn&rsquo;t want us in debt but to be able to help others. He desires to bless the skills and works of our hand. He says in Romans 13:8 to, &ldquo;Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law.&rdquo; 
And finally, we have the Parable of the Sheep and Goats. God loves people and shows us the value He places on all life. We must also remember God hates evil and wickedness but loves all that is good, as He defines good.&nbsp;&nbsp; We can do many things but without love, Christ&rsquo;s Love, we have nothing. In this parable Jesus teaches us about the eternal rewards for those who care for their fellow man whether they are hungry, thirsty, needing clothing, sick, in prison or a stranger. Those who love righteously, following Jesus, will be blessed with an eternal life and those who don&rsquo;t will go to eternal punishment. Jesus reveals the importance of His Ten Commandments and summarized the heart of them in Mark 12:29-31, &ldquo;And Jesus answered him, The first of all the Commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first Commandment. (Thus obedience to the first four of the Ten Commandments) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Thus obedience to the remaining six of the Ten Commandments) There is none other commandment greater than these.&rdquo; (Again, the Ten Commandments summarized) By this, Jesus affirms all Ten Commandments in their entirety. It is through Jesus Christ and His Love and Grace that we are able to love and obey as God tells us and thereby fulfill the Law. This is important for discerning the &ldquo;sheep&rdquo; from the &ldquo;goats&rdquo; and being His &ldquo;sheep&rdquo; and not a &ldquo;goat&rdquo;. 
Below is a summarized list of what we are called to be responsible stewards of according to God&rsquo;s Word: 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our relationship with God (Father, Son &amp; Holy Spirit), including remembering to keep His 7th day Sabbath holy
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our relationship with one another and our self
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our relationship with all living things
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our relationship with the earth
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our relationship with finances and material possessions
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our relationship with our gifts and skills
Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. &nbsp;Deuteronomy 15:10
*Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. *Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD Thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My Commandments. *Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain. *Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. *Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. *Thou shalt not kill. *Thou shalt not commit adultery. *Thou shalt not steal. *Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. *Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Exodus 20:3-17
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the Hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose Hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10
The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24:1
LORD, how manifold are Thy Works! in Wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches. Psalm 104:24
Our help is in the Name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 150:6
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:10
The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the LORD of hosts. Haggai 2:8
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25
And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  1 Corinthians 12:7
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jul 2022 23:09:13 -0500</pubDate>
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        				<media:title type="html">Letting the Light In&#x3a; The Importance of Being Still...</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8763</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Letting the Light In: The Importance of Being Still...]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA["Be still,&nbsp;and&nbsp;know that&nbsp;I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." &nbsp; Psalms 46 : 10
As I have time to quietly look back on the many trips I've made throughout the years with my camera gear, and having the opportunity to look over collections of photos I've obtained from these beautiful excursions, I tend to look at things with a more critical eye (or two).&nbsp;
I tend to notice issues that at the time I was either too new, or too impatient to notice or rectify; things like, why didn't I make sure I properly exposed this thing, or why did I not move forward a bit to get this branch out of the way, or this and that - things that now seem much more obvious though at the time, I was more or less not aware of them. I would like to think that with time and experience, noticing these occurrences are to be expected.
Out in the field, one learns a whole lot of things... The importance of a good backpack... Setting (composing) a scene properly... Your exposure, ISO, and aperture being where it needs to be... The "on" switch... One can read all they want ahead of time, but boy it sure can be easy to forget certain details in the rush of a scene where at times you really have to act fast, lest the moment passes by, and the image doesn't turn out the way you want it.
So it's especially interesting that what could be one of the most important things to do in that moment, is something that actually requires a pause... A moment to be still... Goes against conventional thinking. I mean, the lighting is going down, and I don't know when I'll get another chance at this subject. And yet as a lot of photographers will point out, if you really want to get a terrific capture of a scene, you will want a good, sturdy... tripod.&nbsp;
But this thing has automatic! Point and shoot and move on, right? Fine, if needed, just boost the ISO (light sensitivity) of the sensor that captures the image and snap fast, and open the aperture (lens iris). Don't waste your time with it... Ah yes, in the moment it can be very tempting to take the easier route and do that. But what do you end up with?&nbsp;
Well, as an example, you'll see two pairs of images, two at the very top of this page, and two right below. The upper one of the set with a tripod, and a long, slow exposure... The lower one of the set, without the tripod, and a fast shutter speed as mentioned above. For the pictures below, I cropped the image as I wanted to allow a closer look to show that, even though at first glance they may look similar, further inspection will bring out a glaring difference between the two.
You may notice the one taken with the fast shutter has in it a lot of visual static in the image - which we call noise. Where there should be clean detail instead we have visual confusion. The reason for this is, since the camera sensor is recording the picture very fast, (with insufficient light coming through the lens I would add), the sensor has to compensate for it by boosting the light artificially... and this affects the image in a very bad way.
So instead of the lens giving the sensor enough time to let the light in as it would normally need and not rush the exposure, the camera system pushes it through at the expense of the image quality. You see, the tripod holds the image still, and allows the information to take ALL THE TIME it needs to get in there for a good clean picture. Hold on to that for a moment...
Let's be real. How often in our busy life do we make time to let God's Light in... Especially that is, His Holy Word, The Bible... The time to allow those verses and chapters to go through - get this - the lenses of our eyes (or ears), and really soak into the recording sensor of our heart, so to speak. Do we rush our exposure to His Truth? Do we decide we don't have the time, as it seems we live in a very "automatic" world and don't have the desire (or patience) to study what He's Given us?&nbsp;
Tell you what, this is an opportunity! Remember that earlier thought I asked you to hold on to? Well here's an opportunity to set up that spiritual tripod that will help us to be still (in Him). An opportunity to give the time to let God's Word in, and process the information He gives us through The Holy Spirit. For the image quality of our faith to be the best it can be, this is vital... As the opening Scripture states, we need to be still... and know that He Is God. And to cooperate with His Grace, we need time to soak in His Word, be consistent, and study His Bible.
May Jesus Give us all the Grace to choose to press in to Him... To be still in Him... and to get that proper exposure and image quality of Truth He Provides through His Scriptures of The Holy Bible...
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 2022 23:39:16 -0500</pubDate>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">God Thinks of You</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8737</link>
				<title><![CDATA[God Thinks of You]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[&ldquo;For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.&rdquo;&nbsp; Jeremiah 29:11-13
Right now, this very moment, God is aware of you and He is thinking about you.
He is sending His Love toward you. He is waiting and listening for your response.&nbsp; And He is asking for our hearts and our ways to be turned toward Him. &nbsp;He understands and knows the dangers and conflicts (and hurts) that are all around and in us&hellip; These things can distort our view of Him, ourselves, of what is truth and what are lies; of our purpose and value; to basically drive us into a place of confusion.&nbsp; As the Psalmist in Psalms 71:1 prayed and understood, &ldquo;In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.&rdquo;&nbsp; This is a really good prayer especially in our increasingly confusion putting times.&nbsp; As our main Scripture points to the breathtaking reality that God is thinking of us and wants to help us, may we also see that He has even provided instructions for us right in that Passage.
Yes His Love is UNCONDITIONAL.&nbsp; However, we need to know that as He is thinking about us in His Holiness and Goodness He also is keenly aware of violations against Him.&nbsp; In Psalms 5:4 &ldquo;For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with Thee.&rdquo; He makes an incredible plea for us to come to our senses and recognize we are not alright just going about in our own ways or following the traditions of men. In Ezekiel 18:23, &ldquo;Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?&rdquo; &nbsp;When we are stubborn in our ways and refuse to follow Him, this hurts us but it hurts the God who made us even more.&nbsp; Jesus doesn&rsquo;t want to lose a one of us.&nbsp; &nbsp;Luke 19:10 &nbsp;&ldquo;For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.&rdquo; 2 Peter 3:9 &ldquo;The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.&rdquo;
What a joy to consider that &ldquo;The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy,&rdquo; as stated in Psalms 147:11. &nbsp;Overwhelming is the generous emotion of delight God and His promise express in Psalms 149:4, &ldquo;For the LORD taketh pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation.&rdquo; To fear Him, is to know and believe that He alone is God and to realize no one and nothing else is... And then we will turn and follow Him and learn His ways and live.
Embrace how Psalms 40:5 drives home the innumerable thoughts of God toward us&hellip;consider reading slowly and receiving His Truth.&nbsp; &ldquo;Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The Word of God is absolutely full of the love and thoughts of God. We encourage you to take time with Him and let Him share His love and thoughts with you! &nbsp;
Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (0 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jun 2022 01:48:36 -0500</pubDate>
				<guid>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8737</guid>
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				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter & Alea]]></dc:creator>
				
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        				<media:title type="html">The Starting Point</media:title>
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				<link>http://ampm.divine-compositions.com/blog/?page/408213/load/blog_detail/item/8674</link>
				<title><![CDATA[The Starting Point]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[
Divine Compositions &middot; The Starting Point, by Peter and Alea Milota
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think&nbsp;on these things." &nbsp; Philippians 4 : 8 KJV
This beautiful passage from the book of Philippians is such a timely and appropriate way for us to introduce this series of ongoing topics that we call FOCAL&nbsp;Points. Everyday we encounter various things that affect our lives in one way or another. Some good, some not so good. Some are filled with laughter, some are filled with sadness. Some involve traumatic events, and even some with pleasant surprises.&nbsp;We want to share some practical life lessons we've been learning from our encounters with the Living Word as He Exposes, Strengthens, Corrects, and Helps Instruct us while putting our focus where it really needs to be. It seems like everywhere around us there is an effort to distract and pull us away from the things of God (and from that beginning verse, thinking on them). Whether through music or photography, or whatever experiences life brings our way there are lessons to be learned, joys to be had and beauty to be discovered even in the most difficult of circumstances. We understand this can be hard and may at times seem impossible especially when pain and hurt is everywhere. We know.&nbsp;Interestingly, it is moments like this where this passage from Philippians is even more applicable. It is particularly important when we are vulnerable or burdened that we need to focus on the things that bring us healing. The healing that comes from thinking on God, His Character, His Attributes, things that He put to refresh and quiet our bodies, our minds, and ultimately our souls. A healing that only He can actually exact to the deepest parts of our person... much more than what we are looking for or know is possible...&nbsp;Start little by little, and keep building. You are not alone, and yes, you are loved and a precious life. People often say, "Jesus Loves you," but we don't want to just say it but allow Him to show you Himself through the magnificence of His Word and the wondrous work of His Hands.&nbsp;In coming FOCAL&nbsp;Points we will be sharing some of our personal testimony to the Goodness and Wisdom of God at work in our lives; through the instruments of photography, music, gardening, animals, humor and much more. His Love and Beauty for us is written not only in His Word, the Bible, but all around us.
With a closing thought of the passage we chose to use, some examples of that loveliness and beauty can be found not just in our fragrant Apricot Rhododendron you saw above, but also in our FOCAL Point mascot, the Arctic Gyrfalcon. This stunning raptor is a rescue and represents the largest and one of the fastest falcons in the world, with incredibly sharp FOCAL vision. Very fitting for our blog, don't you think?&nbsp;Please stop by often, and of course feel free to share your thoughts with us!&nbsp;By the way, we choose to use the King James Version, the Received Text, of The Bible because we've discovered that not all bibles are created equally.&nbsp;Until next time...&nbsp;]]> (2 comments)</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jun 2022 01:48:00 -0500</pubDate>
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