Category Archives: Religion

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE REMINDER – SIGNS

A friendly reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is SIGNS:


WEEK 135 - SIGNS
SIGNS!

Earlier in the week I described two hypothetical situations and gave an interpretation of what those SIGNS were saying. I want to backtrack on those. I believe these to be the correct interpretations of the hypothetical SIGNS.

Bro, if she has posted on 3 different social media platforms since you texted her and she still hasn’t texted you back, that is a SIGN(S) that she is SO into you that she needs time to craft the perfect response to your text message.

Girl, if he acts like he doesn’t know you when he is around his friends, but is constantly trying to slide into your DMs at 2 in the morning, that is a SIGN(S) that he thinks you are so special that he doesn’t want to share you with anybody else in the world.

Of course, you could also take a picture of real SIGNS, but I will warn you on this front, Tamara Peterson has already set the bar pretty high on this front.

Happy photo harvesting!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 134 – ROAD TRIP

A healthy amount of people hit the open road for a ROAD TRIP photo. I think this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE EMPIRE extends as far north as Randall, Iowa. As far south as Arkansas. As far west as West Wendover, Nevada. As far east as Virginia, I’m guessing.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about geography and participation rates. You came to see the submissions:


WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - MICHAEL AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

WEEK 134 - KIM BARKER - ROAD TRIP
Kim Barker

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 134 - ROAD TRIP - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 135 - SIGNS
SIGNS!

SIGNS! What a great theme! But what is a SIGNS photo? The obvious answer is any picture of a SIGN(S) is a SIGNS photo. But there are more than just the SIGNS that tell you to stop, yield, sit down, and shut up. If she hasn’t responded to your text message, but she has posted on Facebook twice, added to her Snapchat Story and tweeted 3 times… those are SIGNS that bro, she just isn’t in to you. If he doesn’t acknowledge your existence around his friends, but at 2 AM he is always sliding into your DMs, that is a SIGN(S) that grilfriend, you can do better!

As always, I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

1. The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

2. Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date. It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

The latest person to show taste, class, and sophistication and sign on for a Photography 139 Email Subscription is Linda Clark. I honestly don’t know much about her, other than she is a relative of Andy Sharp and he says she has an interest in photography. Welcome aboard Linda! If you see her, feel free to give her a knowing glance and teach her the super-secret Photography 139 Handshake.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very signed Monday!

200 Dollars Inside of My Bank Account, Woo, I Was Living on That!

The world wasn’t ready for these BLACK & WHITE pictures on Monday. It wasn’t ready on Tuesday. It wasn’t ready on Wednesday. It wasn’t ready on Thursday. I don’t think the world is ready for them now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:


Black & White - Alternate

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Some of the pictures were taken downtown Des Moines. Others were taken at Ledges. Some at the First United Methodist Church in Boone. The pictures with Naima were taken at Dickcissel Park.

Just one small batch of BLACK & WHITE alternates left. You’re welcome world!

Thanks a Thousand And Some Change!

Thanks to everybody that came out to Pizza Ranch last night and supported the Boone First United Methodist Church Youth Group! The event was a smashing success and we broke the previous record (which we also held) for most scratch raised at a Boone Pizza Ranch Fundraiser!

My phone was almost dead, but I managed to take a few cruddy cell phone pictures of the night:


Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser - Spring 2018

Thanks once again, to anybody that has helped support the Youth Group last night or in the past. I’ll even give a thank you as a down payment, to anybody that is willing to help again in the future.!

Final Reminder: Pizza Ranch Fundraiser Tonight!

This is your last reminder. There is a fundraiser for First United Methodist Church Youth Group tonight at Pizza Ranch from 5-9. Bring a copy of this voucher:




And Pizza Ranch will give us $2. There will also be tip jars on the tables so that you can donate additional scratch!

I mean, check out these kids:


Photo Scavenger Hunt

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

Spaghetti Fundraiser

Spaghetti Fundraiser

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Misc.



Mission Trip  - Day 0

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 1

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 1

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 1

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 2

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 2

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 3

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 3

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 3

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 3

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 4

I can’t think of a better use of your Wednesday night than coming out and supporting these kids!

I’m a Mean Photog, Better Feed Me Fauxtogs or Feed Me Picts, Ah, Feed Me Both of ‘Em

As you may have guessed, I have a ton of alternative BLACK & WHITE images for the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. The world wasn’t ready for them on Monday. I’m not sure the world can handle them now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:


BLACK & WHITE - ALTERNATE

BLACK & WHITE - ALTERNATE

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BLACK & WHITE - ALTERNATE

Some of these pictures were taken on the north side of Boone. Some in my coop in the cube farm at the Computer Mine. Some on the way to Dickcissel Park. Some at the sculpture garden down in Des Moines. The picture of me blocking Jesse’s shot was originally taken by Bill. Shortly afterwards, a defeated and downtrodden Jesse retired from basketball.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that I have added an additional photo from Linda Bennett to the original post on the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE on Monday. It somehow ended up in my spam folder. You can see the additional photo by clicking on the link below:

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 133 – BLACK & WHITE

There are plenty more BLACK & WHITE alternates coming your way in the coming days.

But, don’t forget to come out to the Boone Pizza Ranch tomorrow night between 5-9 to support the Boone First United Methodist Youth Group. Just bring one of these flyers:


For everyone of these we get with a paid meal, Pizza Ranch gives us $2. American. There will also be tip jars available for you to throw some additional scratch in.

I hope you’re as excited to see me there and I am excited to see you there!

Happy Easter!


Happy Easter - 2018

Happy Easter! Today we celebrate the good news of an empty grave. I’ve always kind of favored Luke’s version of the Resurrection. Here it is from The Voice:

24 Early on Sunday morning, even before the sun had fully risen, these women made their way back to the tomb with the spices and ointments they had prepared. 2 When they arrived, they found the stone was rolled away from the tomb entrance, 3 and when they looked inside, the body of the Lord Jesus was nowhere to be seen. 4 They didn’t know what to think. As they stood there in confusion, two men suddenly appeared standing beside them. These men seemed to glow with light. 5 The women were so terrified that they fell to the ground facedown.

NOTES:(This phrase, “Son of Man,” is very important in Luke’s story and may have many layers of meaning. It may mean “epitome of humanity” or “prime example of what a human can be.” But it also evokes a specific passage of Scripture that is very important to Jewish people, Daniel 7:13-27. There the phrase “Son of Man” refers to a king who receives an eternal and universal kingdom, and it also represents “the saints of the Most High”—the people of God. In light of Jesus’ central message about the kingdom of God, it is likely that the phrase suggests Jesus is the long-awaited Anointed One who launches a new era in human history and who creates a community of people who represent the eternal and universal kingdom of God. In this way, “Son of” suggests “new generation of,” and “Man” suggests “humanity.” Jesus is Himself the new generation of humanity (a second Adam, a new beginning), and the community He creates shares this identity (a new creation, a new humanity in Jesus). The two messengers here use this pregnant phrase in a way that shocks everyone: The way this long-awaited Anointed One receives His kingdom is not through conventional military victory where enemies are defeated and killed. No, this King receives His kingdom by suffering, dying, and rising again Himself. Amazing news—good news!)

Two Men: Why are you seeking the living One in the place of the dead? 6 He is not here. He has risen from the dead. Don’t you remember what He told you way back in Galilee? 7 He told you that the Son of Man must be handed over to wicked men, He must be crucified, and then on the third day He must rise.

8 The women did remember Jesus’ words about this, 9 so they returned from the tomb and found the eleven and recounted for them—and others with them—everything they had experienced. 10-11 The Lord’s emissaries[a] heard their stories as fiction, a lie; they didn’t believe a word of it. (By the way, this group of women included Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, along with a number of others.) 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he reached the opening, he bent down, looked inside, and saw the linen burial cloths lying there. But the body was gone. He walked away, full of wonder about what had happened.

Men. Am I right?

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser – Next Wednesday

What are you doing next Wednesday night?

I bet you’re going to eat! Why not go to Pizza Ranch and support the Boone First United Methodist Church Youth Group?

From 5-9 PM next Wednesday night, if you eat at the Boone Pizza Ranch and give them one of the vouchers below:




They will give us a $2 bill. We will also have tip jars on the tables with the picture below:




Where you can throw some extra scratch in that will also help support our Youth Group. It is a great cause and these are great kids:


Photo Scavenger Hunt

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

Pizza Ranch Fundraiser

Spaghetti Fundraiser

Spaghetti Fundraiser

2017 Boone FUMC Christmas Play

Soup Supper Fundraiser

Soup Supper Fundraiser

Mission Trip  - Day 0

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 2

Saint Paul Mission Trip - Day 3

Come out next Wednesday and support the cause!

Father Forgive Me, For I Am A Sinner; But You Gave Me Photography As Medicine

The world wasn’t ready for these JOY pictures on Monday. I’m not sure the world is ready for them now, but I can’t hold them back any longer:


JOY - ALTERNATE

JOY - ALTERNATE

JOY - ALTERNATE

JOY - ALTERNATE

JOY - ALTERNATE

JOY - ALTERNATE

JOY - ALTERNATE

The pictures of Naima or not processed in Photoshop. That is an in-camera special effect. The dog I’m eating is a world famous Bob’s Dog.

You’re welcome world.