walking in faith

Sheep herder of God

Words spiral like the barrel of a revolver,
long shade, cold winds, flames on hot coal burning.
Gifts open doors, unlock the Spirit of Christ,
open righteousness, receive deliverance,
call others to the fold.
Sheep herders of God, gather your flock,
though the sheep are stubborn and strong,
they are your talent
and each of you my servant.

Matthew 25:13-30

Marlo is sleeping on Markus’ side of the bed and Markus is sleeping on the lounge in his office. These are the times when Markus has to wake up at 4am to leave home for work starting at 6am. The only precaution against Marlo’s need to play, play, play and keep Markus awake is to separate them. The result: I’m contentedly working and playing on my computer, trying to get as much work done while I get tired enough to sleep so that I too can wake up at 4am, and drive Markus to Katoomba station for the 4:51am train to Penrith.

It may sound quite homely and pathetic, but gee I love it! Being married has been a breath of fresh air for us. Solidifying our relationship and making us glad each day to care for someone else more than ourselves. It’s a good feeling. It’s only new, I know, but it’s nice to finally understand what self-sacrificial love is all about. Granted, it’s nothing like what Jesus did for us, but it’s very nice to be appreciated just for waking up and driving someone to the train station, cooking dinner and running a bath for someone after they’ve done a hard day of physical labour (to give you food on the table and a warm cuddle at the end of the day). It really is nice to be needed and appreciated, and so well cared for.

Work has been a blessing for both Markus and I, and we’re glad for it. We’ve been rigorously marketing Good Dog Fotos whenever possible, working on the post-shoot images and building a nice and (I have to say) professional portfolio of pet photography. Markus’ latest projects, photos from Leura Oval, have been so good, that we feel excited about our recent marketing venture, darling dog distribution, which started a few weeks ago in the Blue Mountains, and is coming to Sydney soon. We hope we’ll begin to get more and more clients and projects, and see Good Dog Fotos really take off.

We ask for your support by visiting our Good Dog Fotos Facebook Page and liking us.

And, if you have family, friends or you yourselves have pets, please tell them about us and drop us an email or phone call and we’ll be only too glad to come and photograph your pets and the people that love them. Check us out at http://gooddogfotos.com and follow our news on twitter.

While working on Good Dog Fotos, and Markus working for Day Enterprises for bread and butter – with a great team of people who Markus really enjoys working for I might add – I have been working on my new Hollywood Black website and looking for work wherever and whenever I can get it. We are now adding corporate photography to Hollywood Black’s services offered, so do let us know if your business needs professional staff portraits or product photos or interior/exterior building photography. These are all part of Markus’ photography expertise.

Building a new website takes time, and it really will be a simple design, but I’m hoping it will be pleasing to visitors when it goes live in a few week’s time. It will be live at http://hollywoodblack.com.au, and I’m open to ideas and suggestions, so please email me if you have any ideas; info@hollywoodblack.com.au.

Apart from all this work, I have been gathering thoughts about my hobby knitting goals. I’m starting a new brand of baby and toddler clothing, and pet clothing; beginning with baby and toddler socks and pet jumpers, and labelling my brand I woolly love ewe. The new label will come out in 2011 with the slogan knitting from the heart. What do you think? The blog is coming soon and I’ll be selling clothing starting at $5 for socks and $10 for jumpers.

Here’s a sneak peak of the logo and clothing tag design.

i woolly love ewe logo
I woolly love ewe Logo, designed by Gina Jaaskelainen, Hollywood Black. Copyright (C) 2010 Hollywood Black.

I woolly love ewe clothing tags
I woolly love ewe Clothing Tags, designed by Gina Jaaskelainen, Hollywood Black. Copyright (C) 2010 Hollywood Black.

You couldn’t be cuter

For all the wonderful children of God, the dogs, cats, horses, bears and other gorgeous animals so perfectly made, that couldn’t be cuter than they are!

You couldn’t be cuter
Plus that you couldn’t be smarter
Plus that intelligent face you have
A disgraceful charm for me.

You couldn’t be keener,
You look so fresh from the cleaner,
You are the little grand slam
I’ll bring to my family.

My ma will show you an album
Of me that will bore you to tears!
And you’ll attract all the relatives
We have dodged for years and years.

And what’ll they tell me?
Exactly what’ll they tell me?
They’ll say you couldn’t be nicer,
Couldn’t be sweeter, couldn’t be better,
Couldn’t be smoother, couldn’t be cuter,
Baby, than you are!

You Couldn’t Be Cuter is a 1938 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. It was written for the film Joy of Living (1938) where it was introduced by Irene Dunne.

Dog Days


Photo by Good Dog Fotos

Snippets of totalitarian brutality
Adopt a terrorist for prayer
Texan pug’s chew toys revolt
Red watercolour paint stains puppy fur

Sleep makes front page as most wanted
Naked body on my bed
Skin needs caressing

Sleep better than food
Dreams about obstacle courses make happy endings
Lace-up roller skates interdit
Speed kills

Play your guitar
Roll down hills and sing melodies
Strawberry cheesecakes reach all time high

Don’t hide behind minced words
Give generously
Receive graciously
Love makes dragons smile

Raging seas

plummeted into loneliness and despair this week
where is God
i want to climb mountains and fly on wind
touch the line of heaven and ask politely if I can come in
and stay forever

Words from a snowstorm. Feelings tonight:

Psalm 40

10I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

The curtains were pastels; sheer and translucent chiffon. They brushed my skin as I passed by, lingered, held me, then gently let me go. I was soft, they were sensual. Neither I nor they were suspended by any object; we floated. The surroundings were clean ivory marble, without sense of constraint or continuity, just doors and their frames. An illusionary hallway began to form as I turned each imaginary corner, lit by delicate-flaming candles. At each corner stood a tall marble column beside each candle; humbly designed, simply carved round, with a vase of pale yellow and peach flowers. I did not enter any door, but imagined that each led to a mansion of many rooms.

Summer blues make my
heart palpitations rapid.
Strange and tired legs.

Slippery feet, wet
nose dog, grasshopper jumps in,
two people in bed.

Tears drop, eyes close, soft
flakes on heaven’s lake. God of
winter ice blows warm.

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