I have spent a lot of time thinking mostly about the future. For a long time I have had a plan in my mind about how my future was going to work out. As you who are older and/or wiser than me know, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.†This has been a hard experience but it has also been a very healthy one. It was good to step back and take a look at life after the future I thought was so certain, vanished. I realized that God was simply a part of my plan and that ultimately I was still living life for myself. I wanted to live out my life how I had planned it and I essentially told God that He could come along for the ride, because I wanted some of Him in my life. I realized though that it’s… read more
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I am in Vienna-Austria, waiting for my dad and sister to arrive, so I have some time to myself. I was thinking about life these last few days and I have really been bored with life. To be honest, if I had the choice of being here or back at school I would choose the little, dinky town of Schladming (where school was). Here I have been living the “good life,†I have a hotel room all to myself with a nice view and I have a public transit pass to get me anywhere in this beautiful city. Yet compared to experiencing God, it does not even come close. I say this because I feel that too few Christians truly experience Christ. They go to Church on Sunday, going through the motions, and then live life pretty normally throughout the week. Life with Christ is an adventure and… read more
The past few days, something keeps coming to me. Eyes being opened, I thought of the eagle, the eagle has much wisdom. Much discernment and sees things other animals cannot see. The Eagle can see from great heights and depths below. So too can we, when the Lord reveals the spiritual things to His people. Something with the eyes being opened for those who wish to see, they shall see even more. Those who see more, shall receive the greater. For he who is faithful with the little, the Lord shall indeed bless with the much, because His word speaks divine truth. The Lord has been laying or placing deeply upon my heart the book of Daniel and the 70th week. I don’t watch tv/news, but I heard about the cyclone in England-level 5. I am again reminded of eyes being opened in these last days, to those whom are… read more
We have a great line-up of tutorials this month, that will satisfy your artistic thirst! These tutorials range from cool photo manipulations, abstract illustrations, cool typography effects and much more. Check them out, you may find something that you like! Extremely Glossy and Shiny Text Effect In this Photoshop tutorial, we’re going to see how to create extremely glossy and shiny text effect with glitter texture. We will use simple techniques blending and layer style effects.. View Tutorial Undress a Giraffe in Photoshop Have you ever wanted to know what a Giraffe looks like without its spots? If so, this tutorial is for you. This tut we will demonstrate how to undress a giraffe by removing its spots. View Tutorial Honey Bubbles Text Effect In this very easy Photoshop tutorial, we’re going to see how to create warm honey text effect with bubbles texture. We will use simple techniques such… read more
Today I wish to talk to you about something that I think that we all struggle with in life, and that is being content. I am going to start out by saying that I have been a horrible example as one who is content in my past. I have been driving for 5 years and I have had 5 different vehicles, none of them have been totaled. Arguable, my first few cars were not so great, but my fourth was a ’99 Honda Civic with relatively low kilometers. It was a great car that would have lasted me a long time but I had always wanted a Honda Prelude. So I sold my Civic and went a few months without a car so that I could save to get a Prelude. I ended up with exactly what I was looking for, a well-maintained, low kilometer, eucalyptus green pearl Prelude. So… read more
HDR Image from One Photo in Photoshop: Last month we learned how to create a High Dynamic Range Image (HDR) from three different exposures ranging from light to dark, this tutorial will bring us through the steps in creating the HDR look from a single image in Photoshop, it takes just a few minutes to complete. Lets get started! [sociallocker] Resource: Homeless Portraiture by Stock.xchng Final Image Step 1 You should start out with a high quality photo that has good lighting and obvious highlights. I choose the following photo because it has a lot of details I wanted to bring out in the face. Step 2 Open the Homeless Portraiture by Stock.sxchng. Make sure the levels and colors are fixed on the original before you start. Duplicate the Layer, then go Filter > Other > High Pass. Set the Radius to 4.0 and then set the Blending Mode… read more
Xara 3D Type in a Wallpaper Project: Photo manipulation is always fun, it opens the spectrum of what we can create in Photoshop and allow our imagination to run wild! Today we will be re-creating a wallpaper called “Life”. In this wallpaper, I used some simple techniques to pull all my elements together, like 3D typography from Xara3D, and a few images. The inspiration for this image came from a reflection on how we can see the majesty of God in creation. Every living thing has a purpose in the circle of life, and we can’t help, but give God the glory and honor! Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created. Revelation 4:11 Final Image Skill Level Intermediate Resources Xara3DMushroom Image From Stock.xchngRobin Image From From… read more
In my previous post A Dreamer – Escaping The Brokenness of Life, I shared with you a little of my life leading up to me being saved and being blessed with a spirit filled husband, today I will share how The Holy Spirit has blessed me with different gifts in order to share the Gospel. I’m a dreamer. I also am given many visions from the Lord. These are gifts from the Holy Spirit, yes. Joel speaks of this [ Joel 2:28 ] and again in Acts. [ Acts 2:17 ] The journey in Jesus and this walk, is painful and joyous. That is truth. Persecution has come in all different, shapes and sizes. but the outcome of these trials and tribulations is this. Jesus is LORD and He is KING! I become stronger in Christ. To press toward the higher calling in Christ Jesus. To persevere in Him. I… read more
It’s that time of the year again when we celebrate our fathers. The first observance of Father’s Day is believed to have been held on July 5, 1908 in a church located in Fairmont, West Virginia, by Dr. Robert Webb. Our fathers are given the special responsibility of leadership in the home. What a joy it is to interact and learn from our fathers! The most important role of our father is to lead us to the truths of God; his love is a representation of God’s love for us. As you look at these amazing photos, be reminded of God’s everlasting love for you and be inspired to do something special for your dad today, let him know how much you love him! Happy Father,s Day! Want photos you can use in your personal or commercial work? Download our “40 Free Photos of Fathers Bundle”. “As a father has compassion… read more
Clouds are always interesting to look at, most times we can see different shapes in them that captures our imaginations, but what exactly are clouds?, how are they made?. On Earth the condensing substance that form clouds is typically water vapor, which forms small droplets or ice crystals. When surrounded by billions of other droplets or crystals they become visible as clouds. Dense deep clouds exhibit a high reflectance throughout the visible range of wavelengths; they therefore appear white, at least from the top. Cloud droplets tend to scatter light efficiently, so that the intensity of the solar radiation decreases with depth into the gases, hence the gray or even sometimes dark appearance at the cloud base. Thin clouds may appear to have acquired the color of their environment or background and clouds illuminated by non-white light, such as during sunrise or sunset, may appear colored accordingly. Clouds look darker… read more
Cutting Out Hair in Photoshop CS5: Photoshop CS5 comes with some exciting tools for designers, one of them that stand out is the new Refine Edge tool. It really helps when cutting out an object from a background especially when it involves human hair or any type of fur that is troublesome and can be tricky to achieve a realistic look. With Photoshop CS5 it is now possible to achieve the task very easily. Here are a couple techniques you can use on images especially those those with varied background tones, the results takes just a few mouse clicks. In this tutorial we will be replacing a dull background with a very cool sunset, Check it out! Final Image Resource sunbathing 2 from Stock.xchng Sunset from Astoria, Queens from Stock.xchng [sociallocker] Step 1 Open the sunbathing 2 from Stock.xchng, then crop it down to about 24×24 inches, removing the… read more
If you use Photoshop extensively, you should be familiar with Channels. Channels are used to masks areas of an image, cut specific areas from an image or apply adjustment or effects to specific areas of an image. Channels are one of the most powerful tools used to achieve simple or complex results in our work. We will use this tutorial to show how to apply two spot channels to a poster design. One spot channel will be used to print a 5th color to the piece, a spot color (pre-mixed ink) and the other will be used to apply a spot UV Coating to the statue on the finished printed work. What is Spot UV Coating? If you want to achieve a glossy coat on a certain image on the page, but don’t need or want the entire page to be coated, then you should use spot UV coating…. read more
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a Realistic 3D Typography Photoshop, you will learn how to create a really smooth looking 3D text in any version of Photoshop. This tutorial will create the illusion of 3D without the use of any 3D programs, we will only use the raw power of Photoshop. Not only will we create it. you will also learn some simple technique to decorate the type to make it pop! Although this technique is limited, it can be very useful for someone who cannot afford to buy a 3D program. [sociallocker] Final Image Skill Level Intermediate Resources Hansen Font From FontStock Floral Brush by jaaaiiro From Brusheezy! Step 1: Create a new document in Photoshop, 1600×1200 pixels, 300dpi (for printing), RGB color. We begin with a radial gradient, by double clicking the layer to activate the Layer Styles menu, then apply… read more
Churches are so fascinating to look at and can be a tremendous source of design inspiration. A critical part of Christianity has been the gathering of people worshiping together. By virtue of this activity, the “place†where they worship has become endowed with a symbolic form. To the early Christians the word “church†referred to the act of assembling together rather than to the building itself. Christians met where they could, usually they would meet in each others houses, Congregations soon outgrew the meeting halls of the House-Churches and so they began to create buildings specifically suited to house their worship. Below are some brilliant photographs of churches, taken by talented photographers. I hope you enjoy them. House of God by abcdz2000 St. Bridget’s Church by mudpig Saint Francis Church by janusz l Saint Mary’s Church – Studley Royal by nick.garrod Sunset Church by cmiper Church by Nasos3… read more
A first glance this colorful paper strip looks just like a normal two sided band of paper, but at a closer look it becomes obvious that this strip of paper is by no means normal in the sense it has only one side—this is called a Mobius strip. A regular paper band has two sides: an outer side and an inner one which you can trace separately. A Mobius strip however has only one side: if you point your finger tip at any point of its surface and move it in any direction you will realize that your finger tip is covering all of its side. Unlike a two sided band you don’t need to take your finger tip off of one side to trace the other. The reason I made this colorful Mobius strip and photographed it, is that recently I’ve been thinking about who God is. Not that… read more
Amazing Images Depicting Christian Worship: The photos displayed here, show various forms of Christian worship. Worship is an activity that is personal, yet at the same time very communal. An expression of worship may be performed individually, or corporately within informal groups, or a formal meetings. In Christianity, worship is not characterized only by praying, reading God’s Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others, it is reflected more in the life of the believer. A life dedicated to Christ.. It’s not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person is in the right place. “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” John 4:23 “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship… read more
Ever wondered how some of the Bible stories you learned in Sunday School would look like from a satellite view? The Glue Society has re-created scenes from the Bible as if captured by Google Earth’s satellites and they are truly stunning. The Glue Society is a creative collective based in Sydney and New York comprising of writers, designers, art directors and film directors. “We like to disorientate audiences a little with all our work. And with this piece we felt technology now allows events which may or may not have happened to be visualized and made to appear dramatically real. As a method of representation satellite photography is so trusted, it has been interesting to mess with that trust.†James Dive – Glue Society’s The images known collectively as God’s Eye View, were commissioned by Eric Romano of NY’s Pulse Art for their Miami art fair, and use real satellite… read more
Photographs Celebrating The Rainbow: The rainbow is one of the most spectacular natural display of beauty, it can be seen everywhere in the world. A rainbow is an optical phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the sun shines onto droplets of moisture. After Noah’s Flood, the rainbow was the sign of God’s promise that all life on earth would never again be destroyed by flood. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the… read more
Beatitudes Christian Wallpapers – The word Beatitude comes from the Latin beatus, meaning blessed. The beatitudes are profound teachings from Jesus found in the Bible. These teachings were very counter-cultural in the days of Jesus and are the same to this day, but in the economy of God, the characteristics shown by the people he described are beneficiaries of God’s richest blessings. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for… read more
Another Gospel Wallpaper. Never before has there been such a spread of apostasy in the Christian Church, such a gross turning away from the true Gospel of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Some televangelist spread the word in such a sweet fashion, but if you are not rooted in the Gospel, you may be lead astray by comforting words or led to believe that Christ is there just to provide your every “want” in life or he is even here just to make you… Rich!! I heard a guy speaking on the radio a few days ago, he said “every time we sin we must go back, repent and be baptized, so that we can have a fresh start”..uh!?! I guess we would need to have a baptism pool installed in our back yards, because we sin every day sometimes without knowing. The simplicity of the Gospel is… read more
Unbridled Power Wallpaper. In times of distress we can soon forget the power of the God we serve, but if we take time to read His words we are easily reminded of His awesome power! Job was reminded about the power of the horse. This reminder came in the form of simple rhetorical questions, that made Job think. If we look at God’s creation we see the almighty power of God on display and the only thing we can do in return is praise Him and be uplifted in our hearts. This powerful God we serve promises to never leave us or forsake us, He is greater than any trial that may come our way, so keep on holding on and place your trust in Him. Did you give the horse its strength? and clothed his neck with thunder? Can thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory… read more
One day I was speeding, I was driving 90 mph in a 60 mph zone! Yes, I was going pretty fast!! Well the State Trooper saw me, pulled me over and slapped me with a ticket! The incident spoiled my whole evening. I had to go home and explain to my wife what had happened and just thinking about it made me feel sick to my stomach, I could have killed someone or myself. I paid the ticket but a couple weeks after later I was driving on the I-95, this was going the speed limit, my car spun out in a light rain, that made the road slippery. My car was totaled!. This was a miracle in itself, because I was not hurt, not even a scratch. About two months later after a long search for a new car, with a few dollars to spare, the Lord blessed me… read more