Baby Macros Close-ups

The gorgeous child Jake is the first of many for my friends Dave and Christina..

I took the chance sitting next to him feeding for some extreme closeups..

Click on image to enlarge

I finally asked..She said yes!!!

June 12 2010, 13 of us meet in Taupo to celebrate my 25th Birthday. However there was something else on the agenda, an elaborate suprise proposal for Jasmine my girlfriend of 14 months!!!

It had been in planning for months..saving for the ring coming from London, which had to be ordered 6 weeks in advance. I had organised a friend to "courier" it back on the sneaky and the timing was pretty tight.. the ring got to her hotel 30mins before she left for NZ..and I picked it up on the day we left for taupo.

The best part was that Jasmine knew nothing about the events that were about to unfold. Thanks to my good freinds Toby and Olivia who played along beautifully.

Jasmine actually thought she was part of a plan to take me on my "birthday" experience tricking me into having my first ever flight on a plane. Trouble is this had all been planned ahead of time by me and they were in on the whole deal.. ahahah

Via email I hired a Float/Sea Plane from Lake Taupo which flew over Huka Falls and then over the Lake to where we were staying at Five Mile Bay.. which the crew(Ange, Logan, Sharon, Luke, Kev, Jordan, Phoebe and Mel..you guys rock!!!!) made a huge sign about 5mtrs high and 30 long on the beach with rolls of paper and sand, saying "Marry me Jas".

Not really a question..more a statement. I wanted our mates involved, the jumped and waved as we flew over head like true Flight controllers..

Not only that but I had organised the Pilot to land the plane on the water right by the sign in front of the bach where, after carrying jasmine onto the beach (like a princess,in my good shoes, because she had her nice boots on..)we had a picnic of delicous treats put together by Chef Luke and sous chefs Mel and Kev.

All and all it was a fantastic day, I was just glad that the weather held out, and that I could relax finally after so much sneaking around and plotting. AND SHE SAID YES!!!!

As a reward for your awesomeness you get to watch it all unfold.. enjoy.. but please don't put the link up on facebook as we want to try and keep it private as possible. Feel free to forward people the link to this blog.. www.kenrickrhys.blogspot.com

Husky Puppy

I went to Piha Beach the other day and on the way back went to a little waterfall. It was awesome and freezing. As we were leaving a little Husky Puppy came along with its owner.. took two frames and this is one of them..




F.stop : f/7.1
Exposure Time : 1/500 sec
ISO speed : ISO-800
Exposure bias : -1.3 step
Focal Length : 210mm

Click on image to enlarge

Hibiscus Flower Macro

On the way home from work I am always drawn to a particular Hibiscus bush. So the other day I popped in and ask the lady if I could grab a couple to photograph...

The Isaac Challenge Day 8

It seems that Blogger is messing with the post dates and so they are a bit out of order..apoligies...


So its day 8.

This is the second time I have sat down in the 8 days since starting the challenge.

The 2nd day i just couldnt be bothered.. i thought i'll just watch tv with breakfast and then stayed there watching tv as usual for a long time until i had to get ready for work. Then was tired after work.

The other days were similar. something came up, lunch with jas, had a really busy day thursday last week and then went away to the beach, got sick and just couldnt be bothered to make time.


However I am back at it again today..

I know I have a need for God in my life. I have very low motivation and goals and am wasting alot of my time. I hope that reading these books and my bible and cultivating a relationship with God throught prayer and reading the bible will help.



So day The 'Isaac Challenge' Day 8.

Got up today and watched tv with breakfast as I hurt my back when I was at the beach.. and i just really wanted to watch tv and take it easy. After a movie and a couple of discovery shows it came down stairs and read the Dick Eastman book which from now on i'll just call the 'prayer book'.

So todays thoughts and snippets..

Chapter 1
Praise The Act of Divine Adoration

• Praise is:
  The vocal adoration of God. Adoration is the act of rendering divine honour, esteem and love.

• Praise is more than a single aspect of prayer. Praise is a way of life..
  An old Presbyterian catechism explains, " The Chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." Praise helps the believer achieve this 'chief end'. In fact, Praise might well be the 'chief end'.
  
  
• "Here is one of the greatest values of praise: it decentralises self. The worship and praise of God demands a shift of center from self to God. One cannot praise God without relinquishing occupation with self. Praise produces forgetfulness of self-and forgetfulness of self is health."
  
  Paul Billheimer
  

• “Satan is allergic to praise, so when there is massive triumphant praise, Satan is paralyzed, bound and banished."
  
  Paul Billheimer

Some scriptural suggestions for your moments of praise..

1. Praise God for His name.
   "Not to us, O LORD. not to us but your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1
   ..the actual name is not specifically revealed until the pages of the New Testament (NT). His name is the Lord Jesus Christ."
   When praising the name of Jesus is prayer we may use expressions from scripture, such as those used by Isaiah: " And the name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
   
2. Praise God for his Righteousness.
   All that God is deserves our praise.
   " My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long." Psalm 35:28 Righteousness means "meeting the standard of what is just and right". God does more than meet certain standards; God is the standard. All that we can imagine concerning God's faithfulness, justice and mercy may become a theme for these moments of praise.
3. Praise God for His infinite creation.
   "Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing greatness" Psalm 150:2 Because we are challenged to praise god for his "mighty acts" there is no limit to praise.. All of creation is a treasure house of Praise.
4. Praise God for His word.
   "In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise." Psalm 56:10 How do we praise the Word of God? The answer is in Psalm 19:7-10.
   The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
   The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
   The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
   The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
   The ordinances of the LORD are sure and all together righteous.
   

Praise
Step One

1. Set aside, a period of time specifically to praise God at the beginning of your prayer.
2. Select a specific theme for praise, such as God's righteousness, His Word, or His creation.
3. Drawing on your selective theme, declare vocally all this is God.
4. Expand your theme as much as possible. Allow god to reveal new themes for worship as your time of praise develops.

I'm really excited about practising this. ive gotta get ready for work but i have some time to try this now. This totally makes sense to me what this book is saying. Totally practical and worth it.

Water Fallin Edits

Went to a Water Fall just out of Puanui at Easter...

The Issac Challenge Day 9- Waiting

So i'm a bit behind in writing up what I read..

Chapter 3
Waiting
The Act of Soul Surrender

"A young woman by the name of Madame Guyon had grown weak in her desire for God. She inlisted the help of a Old Franciscan Monk. After some time he commented to the woman.." Your efforts have be unsuccessfull, becuase you have sought without only what you can find within. Accustom yourself to seek God in your heart, and you will not fail to find him. This was Madame Guyon's introduction to the most vital element of prayer, that of silently waiting in the presence of God. All who would be used of God must learn the secret of silence."

"If we read the biographies of the great and wise, we shall find they were people of long silences and deep ponderings. Whatever the vision, of power, of genius there was in their work, was wrought in silence. And when we turn to the inner circle of the spiritual masters-the men and woman, not necessarily gifted or distinguished, to whom God was a living, bright reality which supernaturalized their everyday life and transmuted their homeliest actions into sublime worship-we find that their roots struck deep into the soil of spiritual silence"

Bridgid E. Herman

"We cannot be made a blessing to others without perceiving that virtue has gone out of us, and unless this is constantly renewed with loving communion with Heaven, our service becomes little more than dead works, and out message loses the ring which bespeaks its divine origin."

Unknown

"Work is not food for the spirit any more than for the body. Amidst a multitude of works the worker's soul my wither, and his activities will prove this in due time"

J. Gregory Mantle

Scriptural insights into the ministry of waiting..

• "I will wait upon your name" Psalm 52:9
• "My soul finds rest in God alone" Psalm 62:1
• "My souls waits for the Lord more than watchman wait for the morning" Psalm 130:6

The Isaac Challenge Day 10

"Praise is a life long love affair .."

Steven Jamison

So on Wednesday(day 8) I wrote this in my journal..

..."I wonder God if I really have to do this praise stuff outloud.. I guess the meaning of the word praise is aloud.. I feel a bit silly to be honest..

David wrote his thoughts down.. I feel like they can be more concrete if I write them down.. hmm..."

As it turns out I didn't have much of a problem praising outloud. I have always felt a bit silly praying outloud and so I told god that. But as I read the steps for praise I had a few ideas..

Praise
Step One

1. Set aside, a period of time specifically to praise God at the beginning of your prayer.
2. Select a specific theme for praise, such as God's righteousness, His Word, or His creation.
3. Drawing on your selective theme, declare vocally all this is God.
4. Expand your theme as much as possible. Allow god to reveal new themes for worship as your time of praise develops.

One was the way that I can just sit and stare at my girlfreind jasmine and tell her how amazing she is, how beautiful she is, how talented and go on for ever about silly little things she does. All of this comes with ease and yet it is from the heart and is I think a part of love. So I tried that with God.
I began just stoking on God, telling him as things came to my head why I love him and how stoked I am to be one of his children.

The second thing came to my mind after reading step 4.. Allow god to reveal new themes for worship.. so I asked God to help me and then into my head pops the idea to focus very closely on some part of creation. I love creation and so it wasn't hard. I used a Husky Puppy that I had photographed the day before and began to describe and thank God for all the minute tiny details, its fur, its eyes, its feet, the pads on its feet, their colour and texture and the amazing creation that such a small dog is..

This really helped me in my quest to try and praise God vocally. Praise is endless. The possibilitys for praise and ways to praise God are countless. If you get stuck you can always ask God for ideas.. or ask a freind how they praise God.. indeed

"Praise is a life long love affair .."

The Husky Puppy

I went to Piha Beach the other day and on the way back went to a little waterfall. It was awesome and freezing. As we were leaving a little Husky Puppy came along with its owner.. took two frames and this is one of them..

(Click on image to enlarge)

F.stop : f/7.1
Exposure Time : 1/500 sec
ISO speed : ISO-800
Exposure bias : -1.3 step
Focal Length : 210mm
Editing : Noise painted out, eyes slightly brightened and canvas made larger.

The 'Isaac Challenge' Day 1

Today was the first day of a two week challenge to read my bible and pray that i have decided to journey into. I serious need this. For a good while now 6months I havn't really regularily read much of the bible and havn't had had a regular prayer life. To help me achieve this I am reading a couple of books and have a general plan to try and help me out.

THE HOUR THAT CHANGES THE WORLD- A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer

Dick Eastman
1978
Baker Book House, Grand Rapids Michigan.

In this classic Dick Eastman talks about the power of prayer and the need for prayer and reccomends that you give an hour to God in prayer. And breaks this hour into 12 parts..5 mins each. These "points of focus" help you to be intentional in what you are doing. These parts are

• Praise
  
• Waiting
• Confession
• Scripture Praying
• Watching
• Intercession
• Petition
• Thanksgiving
• Singing
• Meditation
• Listening
• Praise

The other book I am reading is

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE
Rick Warren
2002
Zondervan, Grand Rapids Michigan

The most basic question everyone faces in life is Why am I here? What is my purpose? Self-help books suggest that people should look within, at their own desires and dreams, but Rick Warren says the starting place must be with God and his eternal purposes for each life. Real meaning and significance comes from understanding and fulfilling God’s purposes for putting us on earth... Warren enables them to see the big picture of what life is all about and begin to live the life God created them to live.

Using biblical stories and letting the Bible speak for itself, Warren clearly explains God’s five purposes for each of us:

• We were planned for God’s pleasure, so your first purpose is to offer real worship.
• We were formed for God’s family, so your second purpose is to enjoy real fellowship.
• We were created to become like Christ, so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship.
• We were shaped for serving God, so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry.
• We were made for a mission, so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism.
  
  above From Purpose Driven Life Website.

Apart from those books I plan to read the Bible and blog about what I read...

The Isaac Challenge

Today I embark on another 'Isaac Challenge'...

Isaac Bent was my youth leader when I was 12-13. Me and one other guy and Isaac would go and have 'sunday school' which usually included some extreme challenge on the playground at Vardon Rd School in Hamilton and then would be followed by sitting on the steps talking about girls, and jesus and the bible and Issac trying to help us be awesome.

He once gave me a challenge.. he said
"read your bible for two weeks and let me know how it goes, let me know if anything bad happens during that time".

I have done this a couple of times before and so today I start again. At a time in my life where I am in a new city, and asking myself and God some big questions, I know I really need to be reading the Bible and praying.

So this is now public so I can't not do it. For the next two weeks I am gonna try my hardest to have a 'quiet time' with God. Time set aside to focus on God, to read the bible and to talk to God about whats going on, to journal. If possible before anything else in my day.

I'll try and blog about it and let you know my thoughts and developments. It's gonna be good.

Smoke Photography..

Lately iv'e been experimenting with Smoke Photography. NZ Photographer a online Photography magazine which is subsribe to in the latest issue published a 'how to' section abotu Smoke Photography. I'm looking at entering into a competition they are holding.

I'll be posting and adding more photos as I get better at it. Let me know what you think and which one I should enter in for the competition.

Click on the images to enlarge

How much is one man of God be worth?

At work on friday morning I hear from my work mate that Bishop Brian Tamaki of Destiny church is rumoured to be getting a salary of 1.1 million dollars. I have done some research this morning and found the following article..

"Cash for preaching lifts Tamaki's pay to $1m"

How much is one man of God worth? I wonder, I really wonder just how much should one brain, one mouth, one man be worth.

Obviously in our modern age many public servants are earning a million plus a year, so why is there a problem with a church Pastor earning the same.

I personally have little problem with public servants such as politions and large corporate CEO's earning a million plus a year, as they live to a different standard. The real problem for me is when you say you are a Christian, you say you believe in the God of the Bible, you say you worship Jesus Christ and yet take home a million plus a year.

Why would this be a problem? Shouldn't someone committed and working for such a great cause be able to be rewarded for their efforts?

Recently coming out of Christian minstry I know how hard you work and how much effort goes into the running of a small ministry, let alone a church the size of Destiny. But at what stage does reward drift into excess and really how much is one person worth?

What are your thoughts?

Isn't there something wrong when young children are leaving there delapidated homes with empty stomachs to attend school while Men of "God" are living in millon dollar mansions and playing on half million dollar boats.

As Christian are we not called to help the needy.. to clothe the naked.. the feed the hungry?

Problems with problems?

"It is much easier to point out problems than to offer solutions."

Steven James

I was thinking and journalling today about my last church and how it was lead and the style of church it was, and the problems in which that organisation had. I found myself naming problems and analising them in great detail. Then I thought how would I lead it.

If I had the opportunity what would I change? How would I do it? And I had no idea. This quote by Steven James is so true, and so challenging.

Underoath- Some will seek forgivness, others escape

A freind showed this video at church in 2009 and only recently did I read the lyrics and really think about what it is saying.


Underoath- Some will seek forgivness, others escape


I heard a voice through the discord
A deluge of passersby
I saw one gaze frozen in time
Watching me passing by

And I swear I'll know your face in the crowd
And I'll hear your voice so loud
When you're whispering

Hey unfaithful I will teach you
To be stronger, to be stronger
Hey ungraceful I will teach you
To forgive one another.

Here's my kiss to betray (Kiss to betray)
Desperate to brush the lips of grace (Brush the lips of grace)
Do you feel hollow when you think of how I lied?

Oh sweet angel of mercy
With your grace like the morning
Wrap your loving arms around me
Oh sweet angel of mercy
With your grace like the morning
Wrap your loving arms around me

Hey unfaithful I will teach you
To be stronger, to be stronger
Hey ungraceful I will teach you
To forgive one another

Hey unfaithful I will teach you
To be stronger, to be stronger
Hey unloving
I will love you
I will love you
I will love you

And Jesus I'm ready to come home
Jesus, I'm ready to come home(home)
home (home)
I'm ready to come (home)
Hey Unfaithful
Hey Ungraceful
Hey Unloving
I will love you
Hey Unloving (Hey Unloving)
I will love you

A New Era

In Janurary 2010 I moved from Hamilton to Auckland to be closer to my girlfriend who lives here. After 4 months of long distance dating we had had enough and I decided to move.

I work as a Restaurant Manager for The Beach House Restaurant, in Bucklands Beach in Eastern Suburbs of Auckland. I have been at this job for only 3 weeks and it is proving to be quite challenging. The restaurant is great, with a solid reputaion and excellent food. The owners are passionate about food and great service and the other staff are all very good at what they do.


This week has be quite hard. I have just had a week off for a friends wedding in Napier. But i found it very interesting how when I come back I can forget so much. Tuesday, my first day back wasn't that fun.

For starters I was late as I forgot that I needed to shave for work..dawk. and then just little things which I had forgotten to do or how to do.

The night started out quite horribly as we were out of one type of champagne and so they requested a bottle of moet which we also didn't have that evening, so I then offered the table a different bottle of champagne only to find out they couldn't have that brand because of allergies. This little fiasco ended with the table decided upon a bottle of top shelf champagne for $20 less than normal as we didn't have what they wanted originally.

This lead to the whole night being a bit of a shambles and didn't make me very happy. I am finding it hard to remember and do everything as it needs to be done and when it needs to be done. I'm hoping that it is just new job jitters and that all will be well in a few weeks once I learn more and it all becomes easier.

About this Blog

I guess my first post should be about why I have decided to start a blog. I have blogged in the past when at Bible College as a place to practice what I was learning as I studied, but stopped as my work load grew and my free time seemed to be stretched more and more. However in a new chapter of my life, i find myself with more time once again and thoughts which need sharing.

This blog is a place for me to write and express my thoughts and musings of life and its complexities, trials, struggles, and joy. A home for thoughts on marriage, love and romance. A bounching board for my own personal soul searching questions of God and religion, jesus and mankind. Dotted with photography, adventure and travel ideas and future plans.

I make no apologises for my poor grammar or formatting. This blog is personal, it is me.

This blog is about my life, your life. Life.
This is life