a quick Update

So I'm home from two well spent days with Anson, visiting him in Charleston. What a wonderful time I had down there... and what incredibly warm weather too! I'm sad to see it go.
School is over for the semester... now I can relax for a few weeks and enjoy myself without projects and deadlines.
I have a song stuck in my head. It comes from these verses in Psalms...

"I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;"
Psalms 121:1-3

Naomi

Ambon Manise!

Listening to Michelle Tumes this afternoon and looking at old photos of Ambon brought back a flood of memories.

I'm so very homesick right now. I found a random family's website that have put up recent photos from January 2007. But it's been soo long and sadly I don't recognize any of the places except a few.

(The beach photo) It made me smile to find photos of this beach, Santai. We once dug a huge hole in the sand that several of us fit standing up with room to spare. The waves would crash, especially on a stormy evening, against those concrete barriers sending water high into the air over 15ft!

Browsing the internet for photos of Ambon though isn't the best place to look. For every nice, pleasant beach photo there are three of burned or bombed buildings and churches, burnt or decapitated bodies and rioting. Gives me shudders some of the stuff I accidentally ran across. Almost sick. Oh how sad it is! :`(

(Left)
One of the old ferrys, probably one that we would have used to cross the Ambon bay back in 1998. At age 11, crossing the bay by ferry was so much fun. The whole experience was exciting... waiting in your car for everyone to unload and then boarding... typical Indonesian syle, seeing how many people and vehicles could fit without falling off either end. There were stories of taxis without breaks rolling off the ferry and into the bay. I don't think anyone was in it though.

(Left) One of the new ferrys, packed as usual. (Below) Ambon city... a recent photo I think



God You keep us without failing
As You watch us from above
In our comings and our goings
Sheltered by Your precious love
In the pouring rain of mercy
Comes the grace by which we're saved
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name

You have touched our lives forever
Can we be the same again
May our hearts be ever faithful
Ever faithful as a friend
Let us live that we may serve You
Overflowing with Your praise
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name

We behold the man of sorrows
Hanging there upon a cross
Where we wounded One so holy
Yet these wounds are life to us
For the blood You shed was perfect
And Your finished work remains
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name

Now we life our eyes to heaven
See You seated on the throne
Still rejoicing in Your promise
This is where our hope is found
For we know that You are coming
Every tongue will sing Your fame
For the glory of Your Name
For the glory of Your Name
("For the Glory of Your Name" by Michelle Tumes)


Naomi

listening to "Please Come Back" by Michelle Tumes
& reading Meggs' History of Graphic Design (really boring, I don't recommend it)

So I'm loving the December weather thus far. it's 70 outside! Work on my projects is going slow but I am so very glad tomorrow is Monday.

Here are a few more pages from my book.

Slow Progress

The first page in my book. I normally don't like showing unfinished work but here it is. Proof that I've got at least something done. :)

I'm a little frustrated. As you know I love movie soundtracks. Tuck Everlasting has a simply amazing score by William Ross... but guess what! It's not sold on iTunes, and even worse the CD's on Amazon are close to $100!! That's crazy!... ok I'm done ranting for the evening :)

Naomi

December Already?

Wow I can't believe that it is December already! So where did November go? or October for that matter?

So most of my afternoon and evening today was spent drawing sketches for the book that I'm illustrating. I'm very excited about this project... though I only wish the due date wasn't so soon... or perhaps that I hadn't procrastinated so much (which is mm... normal). Other then projects that are due at the end of the semester school life is going very well... though I'm a little impatient for it to be all over and getting a real job doing what I love. This past Wednesday we had a guest speaker, Leigh Brinkley, in my History of Graphic design class (www.brinkleydesign.com). After class my teacher gave her some of my artwork to look at. I'm so excited! What an opportunity. I don't know if she could give me a job but perhaps she knows someone that can.

Tomorrow I'm going on a small trip to church in Columbia. And I get to see Anson a week earlier then I was expecting! I'm so excited.
Brian is here tonight watching Lost season 3 with Josiah. I'm listening to my "love songs" play list and slowly running out of things to say here... and illustration wise I'm feeling very uninspired. Perhaps I'll do some reading before I head to bed.

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven
and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were
created by him and for him. He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together. And he is the head
of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the
firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything
he might have the supremacy."
Colossians 1:16-18

Naomi

listening to "Yours to Hold" by Skillet
& reading... right now? nothing at the moment