ocean – Scott Fillmer

Weekly Photo Challenge: Merge

Sun Rise on St George Island, FL — Sun Rise over the Gulf of Mexico on St George Island, FL

It didn’t take me as long to come up with an image for “merge” this week as a part of the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge (Merge), but it also looks like one of the more popular posts from the traffic as well. A sunrise might be a little more cliché than my previous posts, but we just got back from the beach, and this is what you shoot at the beach. I also have an extreme fondness for sunrises and sunsets. Twice a day we get such a unique view of God’s creation, and no two are ever the same. Last year I watched two sunrises and almost three sunsets in about a 24-36 hour period when I flew from Atlanta to Africa (which I actually don’t think I have posted yet).

I love the topic of photographically showing merge. There is no better way (to me) to photographically exhibit the topic of merge than a sunrise or sunset over the ocean, except perhaps a heavy fog. The night merging into the day. All the colors merging and blending all into one. Then the horizon disappearing or reappearing, marking a change in time from one day to the next. This shot was taken yesterday looking out over the Gulf of Mexico from St. George Island, FL just about 30-45 minutes after sunrise, just about the time all the color in the sky and water faded into dull blues. It was just as peaceful in person as it looks in the photo above.

I’m going to do another post later with just photos from St. George, so for now, here is my version of “merge” for this week. Be sure to check out some of the other entries below.

Heat of Apalachicola and St George Island :: Friday Feet

Today we had a very last minute invite to St George Island, right across the bay from Apalachicola. This had to be our fastest trip ever down to the coast, no wait, second fastest… we once drove down to our Orange Beach marina for Thanksgiving in 2007 only to find out their wifi was not working and then made the 4-5 hour drive right back. We were there for about 60 minutes. This time we were down there for about 20 hours. It was plenty long enough to bake in the blasting heat, read another chapter in the Bonhoeffer biography (which is incredible), take a few pics for today’s Friday Feet, and make it back home.

Hard to believe how long it has been since Deb and I have been down to the gulf. We use to go down there about once a month but it’s been almost two years since we made the drive down there. I was instantly reminded why we use to go down there in December through February. The 100% humidity and 100*F weather going on right now was enough to make you run for cover.

August 19, 2011July 21, 2012 by Scott Fillmer Categories: FaithTags: 8mm, Apalachicola, coast, fisheye, florida, friday feet, George Island, Gulf of Mexico, heat, Holidays, humidity, miami, ocean, sand, sun, sunrise, surf, thanksgiving, united states Leave a comment

God, Wind, Surfers, and Some Photography

There is nothing quite like the power of God as seen through an incoming storm on the ocean. This week we planned on spending a few days in-between our two fall semesters down at the gulf, and of course there was a strong remnant of a hurricane from the Pacific on its way over right to our little spot. The ocean is even limited in our mind by as far as we can see, and only from the tiny little spot on the sand we can stand. But it changes every day. I have been to the Pacific, Atlantic, and of course the Gulf and it never looks the same, the ocean, even from our small perspective. The surfers were quite thrilled to see the 35-40mph winds down there today, and I took a few shots of the local surfers.

October 22, 2009July 21, 2012 by Scott Fillmer Categories: Faith, PhotographyTags: Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean, Atmospheric Sciences, beach, Earth Sciences, florida, gulf, Gulf Stream, ocean, Pacific Ocean, people, pier, surfers, Surfing, waves, weather Leave a comment

Learning to Live a Life of Discipline

We all know that living a life of discipline is important for many reasons, but this topic is not something traditionally touched on Sunday mornings, how learning to live a life of spiritual discipline is just as important in the Christian walk. Often we think we can only worship on Sunday in the church building, or only pray when we get on our knees and fold our hands. That is a slight over exaggeration but we know that scripture says in 1 Thess 5:17 to pray without ceasing, so how can we do that if we only participate in prayer or worship on Sunday mornings?

The photo I shot below was taken on a beach in Orange County California several months ago. It was almost deserted except for a few surfers and after a long day of work it was a great place to worship and pray while I watched the beauty of God’s day come to an end (other photos from that afternoon of worship are posted in Pacific Coast Sunset in OC // Friday Feet).

I just finished one of the best small books I have read recently called Spiritual Life by Westerhoff, and in his book he explains 6 different ways we go about learning to live a life of spiritual discipline. Silence and solitude, preparation, writing, reading, and several others are all ways we can experience God’s presence, and in turn grow in our spiritual relationship with Him. I for one am excited to be able to worship the God who made this sunset, it was an afternoon between me and His presence that I won’t soon forget.

If you would like to read my extended comments on this topic I have made them available in this short essay called Spiritual Formation, Learning to Live a Life of Discipline in a pdf download. I have a long way to go, but love knowing that I can worship our Lord anywhere, anytime, and he hears my prayer, and he hears yours as well.

Link to pdf Download.

August 31, 2009August 9, 2017 by Scott Fillmer Categories: FaithTags: book review, books, california, christian, discipline, god, lbts, ocean, Orange County California, pacific, pdf, review, school, seminary, spiritual, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Life, Spiritual practice, sunday 1 Comment

LOVE > KNOWLEDGE

What do we strive for that lasts? Nothing that moths and rust can destroy of course. So, taking the “treasures” out of the topic for the moment, I would personally hold knowledge and love about as high as they can go but Paul (among others) tells us of the two, love is the greater. Through several different experiences this week I have been reminded that Paul teaches us to hold love over knowledge in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3). With knowledge can come what C.S. Lewis refers to in Christian Behavior as the “the greatest sin”, pride.

the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others… and the virtue opposite to it, in Christian morals, is called Humility

To me, Pride & Humility (which seem to be interchangeable), and Love are matters of the heart, but are things to keep in the proper order of importance. How? Have no idea, but at least if I keep reminding myself, I might be able to keep them in the proper order.

The photo above was a shot I took at sunset on the beach in California a few weeks ago while I was in Orange County. At the time, nothing was more important than this.

Love caught, and frozen in time.

May 6, 2009August 9, 2017 by Scott Fillmer Categories: Faith, PhotographyTags: beach, california, christian, cs lewis, First epistle to Corinthians, god, kiss, knowledge, love, ocean, pacific, paul, potd, sunset Leave a comment

Tag: ocean