I’m a hypocrite

A while back I wrote about the intense imagery of song lyrics I heard in church one particular Sunday. I called the post, “A crimson flood, huh? A story of bad song lyrics.” The specific line in the song where I took notice was the phrase, “crimson flood,” as in, the blood of Jesus which covers our sin. While I love the reminder that none of us are worthy or able to save ourselves, it was that phrase that took me right out of worship. That happens to me sometimes when I don’t like the lyrics or, like many modern worship songs, we sing the same 5 words 27 times.

I’ll put my foot in my mouth on this one because the lyrics are actually not THAT bad. They’re somewhat poetic and vivid, like the songs in old baptist hymnals. Perhaps the melody is a bit bland but who am I to judge? But I’m the worst hypocrite because just the other day I had one of those old hymns repeating in my mind…

“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins…” as the song goes. Welp, if crimson flood is a bit too graphic, where does that put a fountain of blood? Yeah, I’m a hypocrite. But I’ll keep on being a hypocrite because “There Is A Fountain,” just reading the lyrics again warms my heart so much. Most hymns blow modern worship songs out of the water! Or should I say, out of the crimson fountain?

Here’s one of the best versions of the hymn, performed by Selah.

See you tomorrow…

-Out of the Wilderness

I’ve never been ghosted so hard

She must be floating on a raft in the Gulf of Mexico. Stuck in a snowbound Texas airport. Got bit by a rattlesnake. Hit by a greyhound bus. Lost in one of those mirror rooms. Stuck on top of a ferris wheel. Watching all of Lord of the Rings back to back to back. Said something at the same time as someone else and hasn’t been unjinxed. Waiting for her EV to be fully charged. She’s waiting in line to show her receipt on the way out of Sam’s Club. On stage in Branson, Missouri. Dangling from a ski lift in Colorado. Wrestling a wolf. Playing “whoever talks first loses.” She got a new phone and lost my number. Fell through the ice while she was ice fishing. She time travelled back to the future. She started dating Leonardo DiCaprio. Donated her phone to Ukraine. The cocaine bear ate her. She’s running across the country. She stared at the sun for too long and now she’s in the hospital for an indefinite amount of time. She can’t text because she lost her arms and legs swimming with piranhas. She became a nun. She’s having a Hallmark month-long movie marathon. She choked on a whole bunch of lady bugs. She got hit in the head with a garbage can lid by a WWE wrestler.

In other words, I’m out of ways to say this woman is gone. In song form…

-Out of the Wilderness

Is it time to give up on America?

I almost called this post “Is America doomed?” but whatever the title is, I think the answer is… maybe. Maybe I’m just watching too many YouTube videos but, unlike what the President said in the State of the Union Address, this country is not OK. OK, I kind of half-way retract that. That’s the problem, though… politicians. Politicians in Washington, for example. Example after example is even on the television, like those shows about people that are 600 lbs, they just need to find the button called ‘reset’.

They’re too far gone to come back, you know? We need a reset button because I believe there might be no coming back from where we are now. We’ve given the wrong people way too much power and I can’t think of a story (whether real or just in the movies) where any person or group has voluntarily given up power they gained.

Somehow it’s gone from the government being “of the people, by the people, for the people,” to a government formed of people who think the rest of us civilians work for them. Love or hate him, Donald Trump was right that the swamp needed to be drained. That’s another way of saying we need a reset button.

But back to those YouTube videos I watch. There are some absolutely crazy, childish, mentally ill people out there and if we’re not careful, they’re going to keep our country on a downward spiral to complete chaos. I was going to say complete anarchy but those people, for the most part, don’t want to do away with government, they want MORE government control.

I’m encouraged by a few things. Walking around in the woods. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful. The animal kingdom doesn’t have a problem with science and the natural order of things. This is where humans keep getting it wrong. Up is down. Left is right. Good is bad. It’s nonsense. The other encouragement lately is the news out of Asbury, Kentucky.

“Can you see God? You haven’t seen him? I’ve never seen the wind. I see the effects of the wind, but I’ve never seen the wind. There’s a mystery to it.”

billy graham

America could use a nice breeze right about now, don’t you think?

-Out of the Wilderness

Visit California? This commercial says yes!

The state of California wants us to come visit unless, of course, you already live there. Then I guess they want you to stay.

“Please, for the love of God, stay!”

california

California has more people leaving than any other state, so I’m not surprised this commercial keeps reappearing (March 2023 update: they have a new commercial asking for visitors). Ironically, I saw the ad in Florida, which is where many of those Californians are going. So basically, California is great to visit and horrible to live in. Got it.

For production value, I give this commercial a 10 out of 10. The song is “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. The imagery and editing are both fantastic, showing that geologically (and geographically?), California is beautiful. Beaches, mountains, wildlife, forests, cliffs, so much natural beauty. There are a few celebrities in the ad, too, like Mario Lopez (in the Corvette), baseball player Brandon Crawford, and at the end appears Anthony Anderson.

The lead in the ad is actress Austin Boyce. Check out her website for a few of her impressive credits and follow her on Instagram @mavoflav where you can see a behind the scenes clip of her commercial performance and more!

For sensitivity, I give the ad a 4 out of 10 because there are a handful of distasteful moments. Namely, showing someone jumping out of a high-rise building, Alex just wearing a towel (for no apparent reason), and being chummy with a grizzly bear. I understand the draw of random clips that might help the ad be memorable for viewers, but definitely don’t talk to big bears. Also, why is she wrapped in a towel on a talk show? That was more out of left field than any other clip.

It’s California. Most of us know, as a nod to the commercial, that “dream big” also means bring a “big wallet” because everything is twice as expensive as anywhere else. Go visit, I know I’d love to sometime soon! But buy a two-way ticket so you can get outta there before your reality is less dreamy and more of a living nightmare.

See you tomorrow!

-Out of the Wilderness

New Must-See Photos in My Gallery…

This week I’ve been taking new photos. While driving around Tallahassee, Florida, I got some shots of buildings, birds, and can I just say this: there are so many trees in this city! Most of my favorite photos are organized into galleries which you can access here. Once you’re there, look for galleries like BW Wildlife, BW Structures, BW Sunsets, etc, which are home to photos from around the southeast. I’d be tickled to death if you can comment on which your favorites are and if you want to take it a step further, imagine which ones could hang on the walls of your living or workspace! Feel free to ask me any questions about the photos or pricing. OK, all that business stuff aside, here are a few photos along with other recent edits…

Thank you for looking at my work. I have a lot of joy in taking photos and hope to continue doing so throughout 2023, so check my SmugMug galleries when you need a break from real life… new photos are added often!

See you tomorrow…

-Out of the Wilderness