the illusion of distance.

Have you ever looked at the moon as it’s climbing over the horizon? Not only is the colour often a darker orange, but the size of the moon appears to be enormous! Later, once the moon has risen into the vastness of the sky above, it doesn’t appear so monumental. There are plenty of theories on why this illusion occurs, but… for the sake of time, I’m not going to delve deep into them.

Does the moon really draw closer to the earth at certain times of day? Or is Ponzo onto something, and it is a matter of relative size comparisons? To be honest, all the theories sound convincing, but the thought led me to another thought…

Doesn’t God seem closer sometimes more than others? Sometimes he feels like he’s distantly watching from the heavens, and yet other times he’s so close you could touch him.

In Colossians 3:1 Paul says “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

Sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day issues and struggles, and we neglect to recognize the greatness of our God. We miss that conversation, prayer, song, scripture, thought about him, only to focus on the very thing that’s distancing us from his presence. We can distance the reality of his existence, power and rulership from the often confronting realities of ‘life’.

Let’s say Ponzo is correct. It isn’t the distance of the moon to earth, but the moon simply appears larger when in direct size comparison to earthly and familiar surrounds.  What mountains or towers (worldly trials) stand on your horizon? Maybe it’s time to snap back into reality. However large that thing may look, when compared to his glory, it falls short.

God never leaves us nor forsakes us, if he’s feeling far away today, who moved? He’s just as close as ever. So draw near and spend some time and magnify him above your circumstance. Focus on his greatness, not the greatness of your surroundings and ‘the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.’

Think of what Jesus saved you from. He’s faithful. He’s not just with you, his spirit lives within you!

Truth be told the moon is almost 400,000 km’s from earth, but…
“Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” Colossians 3:11 NLT

Psalm 73:23-26 “Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever”

free animation software.

Are you sick of trials and cheap software? If you’re after some free 2D animation software, then look no further. Great for students, and studios with a tight budget who still wish to produce high quality animation.

Check, Plastic Animation Paper

behind the clouds.

I recently paid a visit to see our family who live on the bay. It was a bleak day, however that afternoon we witnessed a brilliant sunset. So we decided we’d go down to the jetty to take photos. The black clouds loomed overhead, whilst a radiant blood orange sun beamed from behind the clouds on the horizon.

Unfortunately, we were 10 minutes too late for the award winning snap. The brief burst of sunlight was soon lowered behind a thick layer of low cloud. Even so, what we saw was a beautiful thing. There, amidst a darkened sky, was the hope of a perfect morning ahead.

It’s impossible to do life, without dark days. Sometimes those dark days feel like weeks, months or years. Whether it’s a storm in your marriage, workplace or family, know that God hears every cry. Psalm 18 is a powerful chapter which portraits a loving, protective Father. A Father who stoops down and picks us up in times where we don’t feel we have the strength to stand. A Father who is just, and defends His children. A father who’s affirmation is enough to empower us to take on circumstances larger than ourselves. A father who is always present, even when we temporarily can’t see Him…

I’m reminded of a father , watching his daughter play in the park. The father watches as his daughter plays, delighting in her, but allows her just enough room to play her way. Before long, she screams, as she falls and grazes her knee. Her immediate response is the appeal of her Father, to wait for his presence, but her eyes focus is distracted by the passers by. In what feels like minutes, the panic consumes her, as she desperately looks for her fathers red jumper. Her cry sounds louder as she waits on the concrete. Before a moment has passed, she is scooped up and finds herself gazing into her fathers eyes. Her momentary troubles are forgotten, as she rests in her fathers warm embrace. His gaze never left her, not for a moment, and through the commotion of the surroundings, he knew the sound of her cry.

Psalm 18:17- 19

“He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes,

who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the LORD was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

Sometimes our views of God can become skewed due to our past, upbringing or our circumstances. In Psalm 18, David share’s his first hand experience of a loving Father who would do anything for his children.

Anyway, the next morning I awoke to a cloudless sky… He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, that joy will come with the morning. Like a clear morning, sometimes he’s easy to see, if only we’d learn to look for Him in the storm.

Take some time out today and read Psalm 18.

Tags: clouds, photography, storm, sunset

toy story 3- character concepts by nate wragg

With the release of Toy Story 3 I thought I’d post some of the character concepts, as I love to see the initial workings of Pixar’s art direction. Nate Wragg worked on the characters early on the piece, and his design skills are amazing. Nate is a well known designer and illustrator for animation and children’s books. This is worth a look…

Check out his latest post here.

the impossible.

I just watched ‘Alice In Wonderland’ for the first time. Tim Burton’s style was as clever as ever, and the animation wasn’t too bad either. Now, for all of you who haven’t seen this film, I’m just about to spoil it for you…

The film is about a girl called Alice, who has come back to ‘visit’ a land she dreamed of as a child. This land seemed so real, and offered her an escape from the pressures that weighed her down. Her father was a man of vision, however when he died she seemed to lose hers… until she found herself back in Wonderland, a land where the impossible becomes possible.

Alice soon realised this land was not a dream, and the time came for Alice to face her ultimate opposition, the feared jabberwocky. If you’re not clear on who this is, maybe Google it, it’s a fierce looking dragon who appears to be the Red Queens final draw card.

Her father once said that he believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast. As Alice came face to face with the most feared beast in all of Wonderland, she began to recall 6 impossibilities that had taken place for her to reach her current position, and that if those became reality, why not slay a 10 tonne dragon? The victories of the past, brought courage for her future.

This week I got the chance to teach the kids about Joshua, and how God allowed the Israelite’s to cross the Jordan on dry ground. God didn’t stop there, He commanded them to collect 12 large stones from the deepest part of the river. These were to be assembled at the campsite, and were to be a powerful reminder to future generations that He was with them, as He was when Moses led the Isrealite’s across the Red Sea. It made me realise, some of the most powerful vehicles for propelling us into our promised land, are those impossible victories of the past.

Maybe you’re up against something big this week. Why not begin speaking out 6 impossible victories that have led you to where you are now… if you’re really good, try and list them before you bite into your toast!

Tags: Alice in Wonderland, believe, dreaming, faith, impossible

kickstarter.

Ever had a golden idea, but lacked the funds to kickstart it into being? Now you can raise funds online simply by signing up to Kickstarter.com.

The way this works is pretty simple. Funding is all or nothing. You start a fund-raising project, set a goal for the amount you want to raise and set a time the funds must be raised by. If the goal is not met by the due date, no money changes hands.

If you want to give to a project, you pledge an amount with your credit card but your card isn’t charged until the project is fully funded. This way you don’t get stuck offering money to something that won’t happen.

In order to entice pledges, you should offer something to people like products, benefits or experiences. Pledges can start from as low as $5.

Visit Kickstarter.com to read more…

Tags: creative projects, kickstarter

the fun theory.

When we discipline kids, there’s often a reward to be won or lost. Why do rewards go out the window once we reach adulthood? Are we too serious?

Have you ever wished that there was a fun way to climb stairs, wipe your feet, or clean your room? These guys have! Amazing.

the fun theory

Tags: discipline, rewards, speed camera, the fun theory

‘take it as done.’

I love lego...

This morning, as I set off for work I began to calculate which lane is the quickest, which trucks I should avoid, and at the same time, work out which shortcut will get me there on time. Who said men can’t multitask? (Honey, that’s a cracker of an example…)

Now what I didn’t tell you was on this particular trip I was asking God for some pretty large favours, you know, when you just need Him to come through.. there’s no plan B.

I was approaching a red light. There were three lanes and everyone made a dash for lanes 1 and 3, as in lane no. 2 (my lane) was a large van. It was a Toll delivery van. After my frustration subsided, I noticed a slogan on the back of the van. It was written in bold black text,  ‘Take it as done.’

Wow! If this delivery truck is promising to give me what I ask, how much more will God deliver exactly what I ask?

John 14:13-14 “…You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”

This was a time for taking. A time to claim what He has already done on the Cross.

I work in a studio, and we are constantly asking for materials and receiving deliveries. The first thing the delivery man requires is a signature, he needs the recipient to sign off, to claim what’s rightfully their’s. When we make an order, there’s an expectation that without a doubt, we will receive that package.

“Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”

Why do we sometimes ask the same thing, with a heart void of expectation, and then become disappointed when the package is withheld? The Bible says we are ‘heirs’, that we are His children. Not only does He receive our requests, He’s excited about seeing us receive the answer.

God loves the impossible, as through the impossible miracles become possible. This challenged me, am I expecting what I am asking out of my lips? It’s time to ‘take it as done’. Whatever that looks like for you this week, ‘take it as done’.

Tags: expectation, faith, lego, take it as done, toll delivery

not my own.

Welcome to my new blog. If you’re here, most likely you’ve got some spare time. So while you’re here, why not grab a hot beverage,  recline in your favourite chair, and adjust your glasses.

Here’s a collection of  some of my passing thoughts, experiences and illustrations.

Tags: experiences, illustrations, passing thoughts