Update on Photo Contest

When my March issue of Sunset arrived in my mail box sometime in late February, the first page I look at is the inside back cover revealing the "The First Glimpse of Spring" photo contest winner. With hopeful anticipation, I see that none of my photos were chosen. But the paragraph below mentions my photo at AT&T Park, "This month, we were looking for the first signs of spring, and you responded with a flood of gorgeous images: tulips, hummingbirds, snow-covered crocuses, even a hopeful shot of the empty scoreboard at San Francisco's AT&T Park." Can I say I made honorable mention?

The deadline for May's contest is March 12th, and the theme is "the highest, lowest, northernmost, southernmost, or westernmost part of the West you've been to?" At this point I don't know if I have any worthy photos for the contest. The one I am considering is the photo below at the base of Mt. Lassen. Not the best shot but it is all that I have.

This shot was taken at the base of Mt. Lassen at Helen Lake. The peak of Lassen is close to 11,000 feet above sea level and Helen Lake sits around 8,300 (to my memory that is what I recall but I could be off on both of those). For the record, I have climbed to the peak 2 times and want to do it again real soon, and I have not swam in the lake but one about 1/4 mile away when it was half covered with snow-another story for another time.

I am slightly considering this shot from San Diego but I think the photo is nothing special.

The photo and below are from my recent trip to Cambria (cute little town between LA and the Bay Area). The one highlight of either of these photos is the elephant seals that were onshore to have their pups and this happens in January so it does not really fit in with the May issue. For that matter, the picture of Lassen is not part of May either. You can not get any where near Helen Lake in May, still too much snow. The peak trial does not even open until July.

From the Inside Out and You Are God Alone

On Sunday at church the arrangement of worship songs were simply beautiful. I would like to share the lyrics of two of the songs we sang, From the Inside Out and You Are God Alone.

From the Inside Out by Joel Houston, 1996

A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Chorus
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Chorus 2x

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out


You Are God Alone by Billy Foote 2004

You are not a God created by human hands
You are not a God dependent on immortal man
You are not a God in need of anything we can give
By your plan, that's just the way it is


You're the only God whose power none can contend
You're the only God whose name and praise will never end
You're the only God whose worthy of everything we can give
You are God and that's just the way it is


chorus
You are God alone
From before time began
You are on your throne
You are God alone
And right now in the good times and bad
You're on the throne
You are God alone
You are God alone

Unchangeable
Unshakable
Unstoppable
That's what you are
Unchangeable
Unshakable
Unstoppable
That's what you are

You are God alone
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone
And right now in the good times and bad
You are on your throne
You are God alone
You are God alone
You are God alone
You are God alone
Yes You are
Yes You are

I found myself singing the chorus all morning at work. God must have been preparing my heart for the hard news that was given in a meeting with the administration and my PE department at the end of the school day. Due to decreasing enrollment and the enormous shortfall in the state budget, my department is going to lose a PE teacher and class sizes are going to increase to 55 students in one class. Absolutely this is not in the same category as someone battling cancer facing a huge surgery or a family that loses their 13 year old son, but it is still is hard and a challenge. My heart is assured that God alone is God, in the good times and the bad, He is still on His throne. He is still sovereign and has a good and perfect plan (even if I never understand).

My Days are Less Busy Now

What a relief when this week finally rolled in. My life has been seriously busy for the last month and I am more than happy that my life has calmed down significantly. The busyness came on with no warning and there was nothing I could do about it. I praise God that He allows life to have it's seasons and they will last as long as He has predetermined them to be so.

Actual Rules for Teachers (circa 1915)

1. You will not marry during the term of your contract
2. You are not to keep company with men
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 pm and 6 am unless attending a school function
4. You dresses must be not any shorter than two inches above the ankle
5. You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the (school) board
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother
7. You may not dress in bright colors
8. You may under no circumstances dye your hair
9. You must wear at least two petticoats
10. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores

The set of teacher rules crossed my desk a few weeks ago and made me chuckle and boy have the rules changed (I don't even know if we have rules for teachers now). In looking at the rules, were teachers only female and were they not allowed to marry? Being a PE teacher, I wonder how I could teach with a dress that could not be more than 2" above my ankle and wearing at least two petticoats. Demonstrating the high jump, running a 50 meter dash, spiking a volleyball, or playing a game of "Rocks" would have been interesting, to say the least.