Friday, July 18, 2008 | by nathan

The Color of July

I love when these things start to bloom, even though it always signals that summer is about to get seriously brutal.

Thursday, July 17, 2008 | by nathan

Putting Jack Chick To Shame

This is a sample page from the recently-released comic book by Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart, produced for his re-election bid. Rinehart is some piece of work; this fall he’ll be tried on felony campaign fraud charges. You can read the entire comic book here (links to a .pdf) and some background over at NewsOK. (via dustbury). It’s one of the better mental illness pieces I’ve read in awhile; because, as you know, elections to county commission are actually, secretly, battles of Satan versus God.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 | by nathan

In My Mind I’m Going To Colorado

In just over a week my family and I are piling into a car - or a couple of cars, we haven’t decided - and driving to west-central Colorado for a week of relaxation. I think I speak for all of us when I say that THIS VACATION IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED HOLY GOD IT CAN’T COME FAST ENOUGH.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 | by nathan

There are these skies

I couldn’t provide adequate caption for this photo, so instead I’m going to reprint some words of Rich Mullins’ below:

"There are those skies - skies stretched so tight you just know they’re about to pop - skies in whose seamless blue reaches you hear the snap of sails full of wind, sails moving ships like these skies move you, like these skies move oceans, worlds, time… skies stretched tight like balloons at birthday parties, full of breath, light like helium, so light you have to tie them down.

There are skies like that. Skies so light they look like they could easily be lifted away, so light they seem almost to lift you, to suck you out of the grip of gravity.

But it is the sun they lift, these skies - skies into whose perfectly arched and balanced heads any sun would rise and find room therein to shine. These skies stay poised, enormously gentle, like giants across whom children and crawl and play - giants who are strong enough to feel the touch of these little ones and not move one muscle to risk unbalancing or frightening them.

There are skies like that. You have to look up to see them. You cannot find them beneath you or within you. They are "out" there… they are "up" there.

There are these skies.

Skies stretched so tight you just know you’re about to pop standing beneath them. Your lungs may burst from breathing their sizable air - air from their cool heights so tall they scrape the footings of heaven - skies so pure and strong that God built His New Jerusalem on their back. And they reach up toward that Holy City like Romeo scaling the forbidden wall beneath Juliet - skies that go endlessly, nearly forever with the beauty of her face, the quiet, unshaken gaze of her eyes, skies alive with all the virility and tenderness of young love - skies as ancient as time, as innocent as babies held in the Hands of Eternity.

And I was trying to think of how I could encourage you - of what I could say to spur you on, just trying to come up with something. And then I was overcome.

And you might say, "but it’s just a sky" - but you could say that only if you’d never seen it. And you might say, "Oh, the sky is just a metaphor and he’s really overcome by something spiritual, like, say, the love of God." But if the sky is only a metaphor, it is God’s metaphor, and if you’d look up - if you’d just look up…well, I haven’t the words, but…

There are those skies - skies stretched so tight you just know they’re about to pop…"

Monday, July 14, 2008 | by nathan

Produce

It’s really going crazy now. Does anyone want any cucumbers? The tomato, unfortunately, is mine.

Friday, July 11, 2008 | by nathan

Windmill

Thursday, July 10, 2008 | by nathan

Dinosaur Print

There wasn’t a sign or literature anywhere saying what specific kind of dinosaur left these prints. But because my inner six-year-old is basically Calvin (see above and at right re: "Currently Reading"), I spent the whole time imagining it was a one of these:

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 | by nathan

Dirt Road in Rearview

We took a lot of photos out the window of the car on this trip, but I think this one was my favorite. Snapped at sunset on our way out to the Three-State marker.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 | by nathan

Guaranty Abstract & Title Co.

This is Guaranty Abstract & Title Co., in downtown Guymon, Oklahoma. There is a lot of this kind of mid-century signage in small-town western Oklahoma, as that was a time of major growth and change in that part of the country. When I see buildings like this that are no longer occupied, or businesses that seem to be suffering, in small towns, it makes me incredibly sad. Brian and I both grew up in small-town western Oklahoma and know the personal and communal tolls that the losses of small, locally-owned businesses have. This photo is going to be framed and hung on my bedroom wall.

Monday, July 7, 2008 | by nathan

The World’s Most Awesomest Hat

While Brian filled up the car with gas in Guymon, Oklahoma, on our way out to Black Mesa, I went inside to pick up a very important item that we’d forgotten to bring along: a beer opener. While inside the Shell station, I saw this hat and immediately bought it. Guymon is nowhere near Route 66, and I’m not a big wearer of caps, but this thing was just too awesome for me not to own.