Empty Bench Series – Bench #1

Posted by Steven Norman on March 21, 2015
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Empty Bench at Lenora Park

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My “Empty Bench Series” is a look at nature and people from the perspective of an empty bench. Sit down a moment and view the world from each bench.

Today, I invite you to take a seat on any one of the three visible benches and enjoy early morning at Lenora Park. The fresh crisp feel of fog, the splashing sounds of the water fountain, the glow of sunrise, cheerful chirping of birds, and the peace of a moment of quiet meditation. “Ain’t God Good!”

Lenora Park
Snellville, GA

Sunset in Stockholm

Posted by Steven Norman on March 16, 2015
Posted in: Photography. 2 Comments

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Stockholm is a place with lots to see and do. On our walk from the palace area I saw this sunset over one of the many waterways in Stockholm. The golden glow around the buildings and on the water was attractive to me.

Stockholm, Sweden
 

There is sunshine . . .

Posted by Steven Norman on February 26, 2015
Posted in: Photography, Travel. Tagged: , , , , . 1 Comment

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The windows of this little house on the beach in Fort Lauderdale always offer some glimpse of life beyond the window. Sometimes it is the aqua waves of the Atlantic Ocean, sometimes people basking on the beach, or the golden glow of sunset. On overcast mornings it is simply drab and dull. But when I passed this little house a couple of weeks ago, the morning sunshine greeted me.

The view sent me on my way singing an old song by Eliza Hewitt. Eliza had a severe back injury that caused her to spend six long months at home in a cast. On her first walk in a nearby park, the sunshine inspired her to write . . .

“There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.

O there’s sunshine, blessèd sunshine,
When the peaceful, happy moments roll;
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.”

Highway A1A
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Morning Walk at Crane’s Roost Park ( A slideshow)

Posted by Steven Norman on February 22, 2015
Posted in: Photography. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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These images are from my morning walk a couple of weeks ago at Crane’s Roost Park in Altamonte Springs. Crane’s Roost is one of my favorite municipal parks for walking and photography. No matter how many times I go there, I always see some reflection, scene, angle, or quality of light that begs to be photographed. On this walk I had fun learning the settings and operation of my new Fuji X-T1 with 27mm lens attached.

Crane’s Roost Park
Altamonte Springs, FL

SpaceX Rocket Launch Spacex

Posted by Steven Norman on February 19, 2015
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Last week, I was driving from Miami to Orlando when I got sleepy and pulled over near Cape Canaveral. Before long I saw lots of cars parked beside the road and wondered what was going on. I noticed that most 0f the people were looking toward the space center, so I stopped. Before I could get ready, I saw a blaze of light, and a rocket slowly lift off.

Excited, I grabbed a brand new camera I had in the car to photograph sights along the road. However, I had not learned it well enough to capture a fast moving object. I ran to my trunk, got a camera I knew well, put on a lens, and shot image after image until the rocket faded from view.

I was thrilled! Ever since I was a boy I have wanted to be in Cape Canaveral to see to a rocket take off – especially the space shuttles. I had watched the early Gemini rockets from our porch and classroom in Orlando, but I wanted to be there to see the smoke and blaze, hear the roar of the engines, and feel the rumble. Now all unexpectedly, I was present to see the launch of a SpaceX Rocket. I was as happy as I could be. This image is what I saw.

Sunset at Crane’s Roost

Posted by Steven Norman on February 19, 2015
Posted in: Photography. 6 Comments

I went for a sunset walk at Crane’s Roost Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida. This is a wonderful little park where many people go to walk, jog, or just spend some quiet time at a park. I carried my new Fujifilm X-T1 so I could learn how it operates. These sunset images give you a glimpse of Crane’s Roost at sunset.

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Crane’s Roost Park
274 Cranes Roost Blvd
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

“They pierced My hands and My feet . . .” Psalm 22:16

Posted by Steven Norman on January 31, 2015
Posted in: Photography. Tagged: , , , . 3 Comments

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When my wife and I passed through Groom, Texas we saw a huge cross and stopped to walk through the stations around the cross. Station Eleven was particularly poignant to me. The angle of the soldier’s arm suggests the force with which he nailed our Savior to the cross. Every time I see it, it grips my stomach and then my conscience – since He suffered all this for me.

This station reminds me of the old Negro Spiritual

They crucified my Lord,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word;
they crucified my Lord,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word.
Not a word, not a word, not a word.

They nailed him to a tree,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word;
they nailed him to a tree,
and he never said a mumbalin’ word.
Not a word, not a word, not a word.

Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries
Station Eleven
Groom, Texas

My Visit to the Sea of Galilee

Posted by Steven Norman on January 24, 2015
Posted in: Travel. Tagged: , , , , . 1 Comment

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This was my view of the Sea of Galilee on my second morning in Israel. When I read my Bible that morning, I experienced something I had never experienced before. As I read the stories I could see, smell, hear, and feel what I was reading about. I no longer had to imagine what the Sea of Galilee and other places looked like. In fact, I had left the sliding door of my room open all night so I could hear the soothing lapping sound of the waves where Jesus said “Peace be still.” The peace and safety I felt while I was there made me so happy I had dismissed my fears of visiting Israel.

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Later that morning, our group rode across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. Here our guide, Tsion Ben-david, took out a map and helped us understand the geography of the area.

Rimonim Galei Kinnereth Hotel
1 Eliezer Kaplan Street
Tiberias, Tiberias 14100, Israel