My First Wedding

I took pictures of my first wedding. Let me know what you all think!

Art

"...The paradox of being a professional artist. How we spend our lives trying to express ourselves well, but we have nothing to tell. We want creativity to be a system of cause and effect. Results." - Chuck Palaniuk (Diary)

It's amazing how with just a little bit of effort and passion, you can create just about anything. You don't need a college degree, you don't need referrals, you don't need verification, you don't need approval. All you need is your creative mind and an instrument to express yourself.

Where to begin...

Okay, I'm finally going to comment on the whole political crap that's been going on. Congratulation is due to Barack Obama for winning the presidency. It is a huge accomplishment for America to nominate a non-white president after 220 years. I believe America is ready for a big change and I certainly hope he is up for the challenge. I absolutely and whole-heartedly wish him the very best and will support him as my new president. I’m not going to go as far as to say I that I like him, (remember, I hate politicians), but I hope that he will change my opinion. After a small conversation with a dear friend of mine who voted for him, I heard he is very good at creating unity and abolishing differences between people. I’m curious to see how he’s going to manifest his diplomacy since America is kind of sick right now. Of course, there are those who think he is the Anti-Christ which I think is a little callous and dim-witted, but hey…to each his own. As my wife so wisely says, “That’s what makes America great!”

What do I believe?

There are many things that I’m on the fence about or that I just don’t have an opinion on. Basically, I don’t know what I believe sometimes. Is that bad? I don’t know, you be the judge…which I’m sure you will be. For instance, I’m on the fence when it comes to politics. I don’t know if I’m a Democrat or Republican or if I even care at all. I don’t like any of the candidates or politicians for that matter. I think they all talk a lot and do very little since it’s really not up to them individually. I also tend to sway a lot on issues due to people creating a powerful case. When it comes to the whole ‘global warming’ crap, it varies from day to day. A part of me thinks that we are in a seasonal change which can be historically proven; however, another part of me thinks that humans screwed the earth up due to our insatiable appetite to consume and destroy. With all of that said, there are things that I absolutely believe in and cannot be swayed on. They are the following:

1. I believe God exists but not the way churches teach. I don’t believe there is a ‘physical’ throne up on top of a big cloud floating somewhere in space. I believe that God is a spirit (John 1:18) and our small human minds could never comprehend what or who God looks like because there is not a standard comparison to associate God with. I’m not refuting Revelation or other parts of scripture where it describes God. I do believe that when God chose to be shown to man, appearances were in the form of items or bodies that the mind could recognize and comprehend (e.g. burning bush- Exodus 3:2). However, the true appearance of God could never be determined in our current and present state.

2. The Bible is the Word of God but is NOT confined to one particular language or translation. I believe that God ‘breathed’ his word into humans to inspire them to write the passages, however, it would be very condescending to assume that the Holy Words of the Blessed God is only preserved in one language and one translation. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “…ALL scripture is ‘inspired.’” Notice it doesn’t say ‘…all scriptures is inspired.’ Romans 8:26 states that the Spirit intercedes with ‘groans’ that words cannot express. The moment humans start to make bold proclamations that only one version is the only Word of God, we take the authority away from God and place it upon ourselves stating “God cannot spread his word any other way except through our preserved translation and language.” This also applies to denominations and music.

3. Abortion and Gay marriages should NOT be issues under a political platform. Before I go any further I want to set a couple things straight. I disagree with abortion, I believe it is murder. For instance, if a pregnant woman was a victim of a homicide, the killer is tried on TWO counts of murder instead of one. Also, a human breeds another human, not an animal or just tissue until lungs are filled with air. It is ridiculous to say that a woman who is carrying another human life has the right to decide if that life is going to live. I also do not agree with homosexuality. Basic human anatomy proves my point and I don’t think I need to elaborate on that. So, now that I’ve established my ‘ultra-conservative’ viewpoint on the issues I believe that the government should NOT get involved. Why should the government make a law based on opinions? Yep, I said it, OPINIONS. Let’s face it, the two items above are my opinions even though I fully believe them and have facts to back it up. There will always be homosexuality and abortions, why try to fight it. It’ll make those who agree with the issues want to do them even more. I believe laws are created to protect the citizens, not force opinions.

Now that I have these things off my chest, I feel better. These are all I can think of right now so there might or might not be more in later blogs. If you feel so inclined to respond, feel free. Let me warn you that if you try to force your opinion on me, I’ll probably call you an idiot because I just don’t care what you think. As stated above, these are what I believe and nobody can change that.

Been another while

Man it's been a long time. Nothing really new to write about. Just checkin' in.

Across the Universe

I just finished watching 'Across the Universe' for the 11th time and I never get tired of it. There is just something about the Beatles music that just doesn't get old. John, Ringo, Paul, and George were true geniuses.

Everything I Hate

After much deliberation and compiling, I finally have a complete list of things I hate. Enjoy:

1. Those who try to force their own opinions or beliefs on others
2. People that tailgate when you’re driving.
3. Driving somewhere and having the sun in my eyes.
4. People that do not flush the toilet in public.
5. Slow drivers who will not get out of your way
6. Going to the post office for any reason.
7. Going to the bank for any reason.
8. People talking loud on their cell phone
9. Tangled wires or cords
10. People who chew with their mouths open
11. Kids, that don’t listen to there parents.
12. Parents, that don’t listen to there kids.
13. Kids that do not listen to adults, and parents that condone it.
14. Teenagers who try to act older then they really are
15. Holding the door for someone and they don't say thank you
16. Having to talk to customer service people over the phone.
17. Having to talk to customer service people over the phone who cannot speak very good english
18. Democrats
19. Republicans
20. When something breaks, and you try and replace it...but a new version is out, and you DONT WANT IT!
21. People coughing
22. Rude people who have no reason being rude
23. People that interfere in other peoples lives.
24. Persistent cranky people who expect more then what they pay for
25. Phantom smells that you don't know where they come from
26. Puking
27. Those that are only out there whose purpose is to make my life harder.
28. People that test other peoples skills "just to make sure you know what your doing"
29. The way I mispronounce or misinterpret words
30. Clutter
31. Forgetting something at the store, and remembering when we get home.
32. Not calling up my parents more often.
33. When I’m trying to talk and my mind goes blank
34. Loud talkers
35. People that capitalize on others inexperience.
36. Dead links on the internet.
37. Slow walkers
38. Those who gawk at an accident slowing the flow of traffic
39. People who invade my personal space
40. Being lazy when having to work on a project.
41. Scuff marks anywhere
42. Being fat
43. Being embarrassed
44. People who interrupt me when I’m trying to talk
45. Putting something away, and not being able to find it later.
46. Dirt from the wood floors that sticks to the bottom of your feet
47. Holy Rollers
48. When someone is trying to talk to you when you're clearly not in the mood
49. Cell phone connectivity problems in remote areas.
50. One-uppers
51. People that don’t list prices on websites or stores
52. People who mumble on and on about nothing
53. When people don't know the difference between there, they're or their (can also be used for your and you're)
54. People who always have to be right…ALWAYS
55. Junk mail
56. Hardware failure of any kind.
57. Bugs, what is their purpose?
58. When you have a group of people set for lunch or dinner and more show up after the table has already been set
59. Grocery carts with one bad wheel
60. Being corrected
61. Someone saying "Let there be light" every time any light switch is flipped
62. Sticky salt or pepper shakers at a restaurant
63. Greeting cards that throw sparkles, sequins or confetti on the hapless recipient
64. Old lady perfume
65. Installing a toilet paper roll so that the tissue unwraps from the under side
66. Tangled hangers in the closet
67. Someone standing in my line of sight to the TV during the last 30 seconds of any show
68. TV shows or ads with doorbells, ringing phones, or alarm clocks.
69. Someone talking while I am clearly watching a program intently
70. ACLU
71. Car passengers that throw their doors wide open without first checking for obstacles
72. Anything experiencing technical difficulties
73. Braille signs at drive through windows
74. Taking forever to leave a parking space while others are clearly waiting for it
75. Standing in the way of folks wishing to use an escalator, moving sidewalk, or doorway
76. Someone leaving a voicemail to call them back but not telling you what it’s about
77. Spills of any kind
78. People talking on their phone in line
79. Fingerprints left on chrome or other shiny surfaces
80. Imperfect paperclips
81. Eaves droppers
82. People who reek of body odor
83. People who try to act more intelligent then what they really are
84. News reporters
85. When people slurp their coffee loudly
86. Any movie with Julia Roberts
87. Extremist groups
88. Arguing just for the sake of arguing
89. Questioning the crap out of everything
90. High maintenance people
91. Getting stuck behind a minivan or big rig truck
92. People who interrupt me when I'm trying to talk
93. People who give advice when I didn't ask for it
94. Used car dealers
95. Irrational people
96. Overly analytical people
97. Fish symbols on cars
98. People who overstay their welcome
99. People who linger or hover over you
100. The sound leaf blowers make

Been a while

It's been a while since I've had a chance to add stuff. Sorry, if anybody reads this. I'll try to be more frequent. This is just to touch base.

Pure in heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8)

How can I be 'pure in heart?' This is the beginning of a long turmoil that I'm dealing with right now. Yes, on the outside, I can look "pure" or like a great Christian but I know that the outside doesn't matter. I yearn to have a pure heart that rediates throughout every aspect of my life. I want to be able to not look upon another woman lustfully. I want to be able to have compassion as my first reaction. I want to be able to forgive instead of retaliate. Is there anyone out there reading this that can explain and show me how to be pure in heart? I don't want cookie cutter christian answers.

Where are we going?

Most people seem to think that the more they have, the better off they are. That new car, the latest fashion, the biggest house, the darkest tan... what I am beginning to see are people being 'enslaved' by products. To quote a line from one of my favorite books / movies, Fight Club, "The things you own, end up owning you." When did we become a society that translates our obsession of wants into needs? If I was to walk down the street with a walkman, people would look at me funny because I don't have an MP3 player! We all go crazy if our electricity goes out for a couple hours. I think we are becoming a spoiled generation.

History Repeats Itself

I went to see M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Happening' today and the funny thing is, I kept thinking of all the other natural disaster movies where nature decides to kick man's ass. If you haven't seen the movie then don't read any further. Basically, Nature gets pissed with the way humans rape it and decide to communicate through wind to have plants release neurotoxins. It causes a person to loose all sense of emotions, walk backwards, and find the closest means of committing suicide. Some of the scenes were pretty gruesome (except for a cheesy part where a man feeds himself to some lions at the zoo...it looked really fake). Overall, I thought it was a pretty good movie but I just couldn't help myself think about the past "nature revenge" movies. Alfred Hitchcock made 'The Birds' and Steven King made 'Maximum Overdrive.' Okay Maximum Overdrive was not nature causing problems per say but you get the picture. Now we finally have a movie for the 21st century to cause large mass histeria of disillusioned "what ifs!!!" What if nature decides to tell plants via w-mail (wind mail) to release toxins to specifically tell our brain through extremely complex ion channels interacting with membrane proteins to make us lose control of our emotions, motor skills, and rational making us shove a twig in our jugular...scary!!!

Time = Fate

I was thinking this morning about time. Time is deciphered by the rotation of the earth around the sun, we all know this but who invented ‘time’? Every single human being lives by this code. We form societies and place emphasis on the importance of understanding this principle. It becomes the god of our lives because we relentlessly need to know it, see it, and live by it. You age a person by this code, we age our days by this code. What if we decided to just do away with time? We don’t pay attention to our schedules, show up whenever we feel like it. Radio/T.V. stations, movie theaters, sports, churches, workplaces, schools, etc. do and play whatever, whenever. People come and go at will, absolute chaos…or is it? Maybe we need this to show that we do not control the world- we are just spectators. The moment we feel disorder is brewing we do anything and everything we can to bring ‘order.’ We want to know that time is on our side and we control our providence. It needs to said that time is our enemy. It is the silent killer that will eventually drive us to extinction. Anxiety, knowledge, and faith all has its roots in time and all three tend to drive a man to death. Freedom awaits us only if we decide to give up our regiments and realize that time is only an invention, not a way of life. Will this ever happen? Probably not. The paradox of the whole thing is I’m limited by TIME and I have to finish this blog or I’ll get in trouble at work. I guess that makes me a charlatan.

New Website

Today, I finally launched my first business website. It feels great! I just got an email letting me know that the business cards I ordered are on their way. I feel like I'm taking the right steps to make my dream of being a professional photographer a reality!

www.freewebs.com/cmoreno

Last Day

Today is April 30th, the last day of the month. I think I had a pretty good month. I became more organized by prioritizing my daily tasks. I became more focused by setting small goals each week such as "I'm going to lose three pounds this week," or "I'm going to learn the A scale on my guitar." I had a few clients for my photography business that I'm trying to get off the ground and I was able to help three people in need this month. On the downside, contracted what I thought was pink eye but turned out to be a 'corneal laceration.' The doctor told me on April 25th that he is not sure that my eyesight in my left eye will be restored 100%. That is not something I was wanting to hear but, as with everything else, I have to remain positive!

"I'm learning, little by little, that I decide what my life if going to be. Things happen to me, but it's my reaction that matters." -Anonymous

What (Who) am (I)

What makes me- 'Me?' Is it my talents? My thoughts? My politics? My viewpoints? My faith? My religion? My love? My hate? My size? My friends? My enemies? My family? My successes? My failures? My clothes? My job? My possessions? My money?

Who am I? What am I? If I was to meet myself in some obscure situation, would I even be recognized?

Every person I meet think they know me. They see me and say "Ah, that's Chris, he's a(n)." The funny thing is, I see too many people base their lives on other people's 'perception.' "I'm cool because they said I was." "I'm attractive because they think I am." What if you lived without human contact? What if we all became 'Helen Keller's' and no one could see or hear others? Would we die?

Would I die?

Life without electricity

There was a storm Wednesday night and it took out all of our electricity. We just got it back tonight (Friday) but the funny thing is it didn't really bother me. I was thinking earlier today, "how did we survive so long without it, but now, we can't do anything without it." It caused me to sit and think for a long time (in the dark) and I really enjoyed it. It was peaceful, humbling, and quiet. Don't get me wrong, I like having it but I think we get too comfortable and we tend to just take it for granted.

Christian 'formulas'

When did Christianity become so formula based? Everything in the church has gotten so "modus operandi" minded. I think many churches should change their names to "The Church of Christian Geometry." All you have to do is follow a set of proofs or formulas and you’ll have a prosperous Christian life. Such as: ‘IF you put your trust in Jesus by repeating this little prayer, THEN you’ll have eternal life.’ Or ‘IF you don’t drink, smoke, or cuss, THEN your testimony will not be marred.’ Formulas, formulas, formulas! It also extends to the Christians personal life. ‘IF I tithe regularly, THEN God will bless ME!’ or ‘IF I volunteer MY time to help with a community service, THEN I’LL get a free lunch out of it!’ Where is the heart of the servant that Christ is looking for? We get so wrapped up in working for some type of compensation that we tend to loose sight of the whole purpose of Christ’s point in Matthew 22:39- "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you were to show as much commitment to others as much as you do your own needs, you wouldn’t expect anything in return! You wouldn’t want anything in return, your compensation IS the act of service.