Drivethru Life

Because 100% of Americans spend 90% of their lives in the drivethru. Or at least, that's what I feel suspicious about nowadays. I find myself parking and going inside just to defy the lifestyle. Or maybe it was being stuck in line for 45 minutes one horrible mistake of a day. I learned my lesson after listening to 6 songs on the radio and getting a luke-warm cinnamin dolce latte. Yupp, I'll just go inside next time! But while I was waiting, I had the thrill of seeing this little sparrow peeping around in some pretty little wildflowers. Just thinking about how God cares for me and that little sparrow changed the whole experience. In fact, it made my day.

A Glimpse of Autumn Glory

Most of Oklahoma City is still green and defiant of the upcoming cold, but this particular road is lined with trees who have taken a bold approach to the holiday air. I was stunned by their brilliant scarlet beauty beginning to appear. What perfection! If only the trees could speak, what would these say of the chilly nights and frosty mornings?

Sunsets on the Heartland

These are real photographs from different nights that I've taken with my camera while driving around the countryside southwest of Oklahoma City. I've been singing to the bedridden at a nursing home there all summer long, and I love that ministry. It does my soul good to see their smiles and the joy in their precious, feeble eyes. While I drive back and forth, I have been captivated by the beautiful countryside. The vast fields of corn and wheat are landmarked by silent giants, the oil rigs moving up and down in timeless rhythm. Almost every week, I pull the car off the busy 70-mile-and-hour highway and turn into a random field where I can sit among the thistles and wild black-eyed susan flowers and watch the fiery sun kiss the fearless horizon. It's breathtaking. The peace in the air, silent and still, far from the pressure of every day life in the city, is such a wonder for me, a girl who was raised in the heart of a teeming multi-million person metropolis. I hope these pictures help convey the beauty that graces Oklahoma just before twilight wraps it into slumber.  What an unprecedented artist is the Creator of this world, to effortlessly spread his masterpiece across the wide western sky with such ease and splendor.

Snapshots

I've been taking pictures of the pretty countryside here in Oklahoma but haven't had the time to sit down and upload them to my computer and go find internet to upload them to my blog! But I am excited to share some lovely photos I've been able to capture since returning here. The weather has been so nice. Most of the time, I spend life on the go and a lot of time in traffic. So I decided I'm just going to carry my camera around in the empty passenger street and find the opportunities to practice my skills! I am blessed to have two crazy amazing photographers in my family, Molly Wood and Steven O'Brien. My photos don't compare but it is still a blissful pastime for me. =) Be expecting random posts as I practice my skills starting each weekend, but they will probably be on the weekends when I take a break and can find the time to download/edit/upload/publish.... yeah. It's more work than you might think.
Speaking of. I learned photoshop is going out. WHAT?! Someone send me donations so I can buy the software before it's no longer on the market!!!! lol

Dynamic Duo

Here's a shout out to another fantastic blog, Working in Faith! This blog covers the quiet labors of Steven and Nina O'Brien in Kharkov, Ukraine, in Faith Baptist Church under the ministries of my parents, John & Cathy O'Brien. They help with everything from interior renovations on the new building to exterior landscaping projects, run the youth group, head up activities, and actively evangelize that dark city for Christ. They have been working since their wedding last year and I've never heard them complain once! What a blessing and inspiration for so many young couple who are complete, 100% focused on themselves and their new lives together. I am so proud of my brother and sister-in-law and miss them very much! They were a big spiritual encouragement to me while I was home this summer. Check out their blog here. Their biggest need right now is PRAYER and SUPPORT. They need funds to eat, prepare for winter, and continue to serve overseas without a normal income. Please follow the blog and give! This is definitely a ministry to get behind!