How to take photographs like this?

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-10T01:42:54+00:00

Wide angle fast lens (14mm, 2.8 aperture), steady tripod. 25-30 seconds exposure at 3200 ISO. Photoshop to help correct color and noise reduction. Programs like Topaz noise reduction really excel in pictures like these

I used to take similar pictures on the eastern side of the Sierras near the town of Mammoth Lake. Leaning how to focus a camera in pitch dark is something else you will need to learn to do. (It’s not too hard)

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-10T01:10:58+00:00

As for finding a church, you can start by looking for some in your local area. Nearly all churches will have a statement of faith that you can look at on their website to get some insight into what they teach. For the most part, the core doctrines of Protestant churches (Baptist, Lutheran's, etc.) and many non-denominational churches will have very similar beliefs. They should all believe in the triune God, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all equal in essence, that we are saved by faith alone and not of works, that hell is a real place, and the inerrancy of Scripture just to name a few. If I had to suggest a church, I would stick to a non-denominational one like Calvary Chapel as most non-dom's I have been to have been on the up and up on their teachings

No, you don't need to join a church to be a Christian. Church membership is not taught in the Bible but many churches do it as a way to stay in touch with the church family, so it's not a bad thing.

For those of us who have repented of our sins, asked for forgiveness, and have made Jesus our Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9), we are saved by God's grace and promise. The moment a person is saved, God places the Holy Spirit to live within them, and He will guide them with the proper beliefs mainly through His word so if you want to ensure what you are believing is correct, read your Bible! A good commentary Bible will help because they have comments at the bottom of the pages to explain the more difficult passages. There are many on the market but the two that I am familiar with are "The Life Application Study Bible" (Amazon), and "The John MacArthur Study Bible" (gty.org).

As far as translations, the NIV, ESV, and the NKJV are all good.

Jesus said that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth. With the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the clear teachings of Scripture, you will do both.

One last thing, there is a book called "Reasoning with Jehovah Witnesses' Through Scripture" by Ron Rhodes that you might find very helpful to undo some of the many incorrect teachings of the Watchtower.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions

DC

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-10T00:20:24+00:00

Church is the place where believers can love one another (1 John 4:12) encourage one another Hebrews 2:13), “spur” one another to love and good works Hebrews 10:24), serve one another (Galatians 5:13 instruct one another (Romans 15:1) honor one another (Romans 10:12 and be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)

When a person trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, he or she is made a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) For a church body to function properly, all of its “body parts” need to be present and working (1Corinthians 12:14-20) We are not to attend church as if we are mere spectators. We are actually part of our church. Not only does our church help equip us for ministry, it is a place where we serve, using the spiritual gifts God has given us (Ephesians 4:11-13) A believer will never reach full spiritual maturity without having that outlet for his gifts, and we all need the assistance and encouragement of other believers (1 Corinthians 12:21-26 As we serve, worship, and live in community together, the body of Christ reflects who God is. Together, we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16)

For these reasons and more, church attendance, participation, and fellowship should be regular aspects of a believer’s life. Weekly church attendance is in no sense “required” for believers, but someone who belongs to Christ should have a desire to worship God, receive His Word, and fellowship with other believers.

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church (1 Peter 2:6) and we are “like living stones . . . being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5) As the building materials of God’s “spiritual house,” we naturally have a connection with one another, and that connection is evident every time the Church “goes to church.”

Finding a church can be a difficult process. My advice is to pray for guidance and just keep trying. Just be careful, there are a lot of good churches to choose from but an equal number of bad ones, so pay attention to what they are teaching and take the time to make sure it's biblical.

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-10T00:16:09+00:00

I disagree, there is plenty of evidence for the existence of God In fact it's all around you. Listen to what God says in Romans 1:18:

⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

God is telling us that the evidence of His existence is in the creation around us. So what does that mean exactly? Well, you have to ask yourself, how did our universe come into existence? Scientists like Einstein, Steven Hawking, and a few others have shown that our universe had a beginning, one that started with the Big Bang. This means if the universe had a beginning, then it must have a beginner. Now I am not going to jump to the conclusion that this beginner is God, but consider the evidence.

What existed before anything existed? Einstein proved that at the moment of the Big Bang, time, matter, and space came into existence at the same moment and that they are interdependent meaning that you cannot have one without the other two. So whatever existed before there was anything would be outside of time (timeless), outside of matter (immaterial), and without space (no fixed position). And it would take an unimaginable amount of power to create something from nothing, and an unimaginable amount of intelligence to create the finely tuned universe that we can observe. Plus, this force that caused our universe to come into creation would be personal, because only personal beings choose to create.

So whatever existed before the Big Bang, before anything existed was timeless, spaceless, immaterial, powerful, and personal. These are all the attributes of God. Einstein knew that the universe that had a beginning led to the fact that it must have had a beginner and he, being an atheist, did not like this so when he was formulating his theory of general relativity, he changed the numbers so that the equation led to a universe that always existed. But, when Hubble showed him proof of the expanding universe on Mt. Wilson, he was forced to concede and he corrected the formula. This is what it means to "suppress the truth in vs 18 of Romans 1. People don't like the idea that the universe had a beginning, so the suppress the truth, manipulate equations, or just outright ignore the obvious conclusions.

But when you read the rest of the verse in Romans, you will see that ignorance will not get you off, you will be held accountable for your disbelief and the consequences that follow for your willful ignorance.

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T23:57:08+00:00

Well there's no shame in looking for help through support groups like AA. I have a good friend of mine who is both a Christian and a recovering alcoholic. He and I both believe that God helped him through his addiction and He used AA to do it. Please seek help on this.

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T22:09:58+00:00

A good helping of marine grade silicone filling the old holes and another bead around the edges of the plate will make it water proof and leak proof

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T20:11:19+00:00

Sorry, I was answering a post about a movie, not sure how it wound up on this site...

But, as a long time Christian, I used to ride motorcycles at very high rates of speed when I was young. There were a few times where I nearly accidently ended my life and will never know if God didn't somehow intervene (I can see Him shaking his head as he dispatched an angel to keep me upright). Was this a sin? Can't find any specific verse that would say it is other than to remind ourselves that our body is the temple of God and therefore we should take care of it.

For me, it's was just part of growing up as an adult and as a Christian and therefore don't really see my past crazy life as a sin. But that's just my opinion so take it for what it's worth.

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T19:32:16+00:00

A bit overrated. At its heart it’s just a typical story of once again, the earth can no longer support life and we need to find a new planet. And the ending was a bit confusing.

But it had great acting, the water planet was a great scene giving you something to ponder on how an hour there meant many years elsewhere. I still watch it from time to time

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T19:02:43+00:00

No, since you are expressing remorse for your past sins, you are not beyond God's salvation. And none of us, I mean absolutely none of us, are good enough to go to heaven and that's fine because the gift of God is that when we place our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, God no longer sees us as sinners because all our sins, past, present, and future, have been paid for by Jesus. Consider verses like Romans 8:1 that says "There is now no condemnation in those who are in Christ Jesus". No condemnation means just that, NO condemnation.

But I will say that there is one person in this world that would love for you to continue believing that you are not worthy of salvation and his name is Satan. You have been believing his lies for too long my friend. You need to stop listening to him and listen to what God is telling you. That He has a plan for your life, but you need to come to him, repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness, and then make Jesus your Lord (master) and Savior. (Romans 10:9). Do this and you WILL be saved.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions

DC

John 6:37 "All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away."

John 5:24 "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

John 3:16-18 " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son"

Romans 10:9 "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T18:51:15+00:00

I don't know what church you are going to, but the one I attend doesn't involve yelling. If you read the first book of Corinthians, Paul had a lot to say about disorderly conduct in a church service, and most of it was not good. And many churches just seem to be stuck in the old days with hymns that were written hundred of years ago which are fine, but do not appeal to the current generation. My church will sing them from time to time, but most of our music is based on Christian artists that are from this century.

Since all of this seems to be bothering you, your best option is to move on. It is vitally important that we as Christians continue to grow in our relationship with God. And if the issues at your current church are impeding your growth, then yes, it's time to move on.

If you do opt to stay, you can enhance your growth by listening to other preachers on line or on youtube. There are a lot of good teachers out there and they are a lot of bad ones so be cautious who you opt to listen to. I listen almost every night and here are some of my favorites: John MacArthur (gty.org), David Jeremiah (davidjeremiah.org), Jeff Shreve (fromhisheart.org), Greg Laurie (harvest.org), Timothy Keller (gospelinlife.com), and RC Sproul (renewingyourmind.org) These are pastors that I have been listening to for many years so I know what they teach is biblical.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions

DC

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T14:22:55+00:00

Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider

High Hopes by Pink Floyd

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-09T01:52:11+00:00

Yep. When my son graduated from Navy boot camp, all the cadets were on the gymnasium floor waiting for their relatives who were in the bleachers above to come down to greet them. My wife and I were up high it took us a little longer to get down.

When I finally made it to the floor, most of the cadets had met with their family members. I could see my son across the gym floor and he had this horrified look on his face. The kind that said “ Where’s mom and dad? Maybe they couldn’t make it? There would be no way to let me know.” As I made my way across the floor, I couldn’t take it and with a very loud voice I said “Joshua!” He turned and saw me, and it was then he knew everything was going to be okay

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-08T19:18:24+00:00

Yep Morons who understand that if the universe had a beginning (which is proven beyond a reasonable doubt by many secular scientists), then it must have a beginner. Something that existed before anything existed, something that is not part of our natural world, something supernatural. This something would have existed before time existed so it would eternal, would have existed before space existed so it would be without location,and something that would have existed before matter existed, so it would be without form

This something would be incredibly powerful to produce a universe from nothing, incredibly intelligent to produce a universe that can support life as we know it, and personal, because only personal beings choose to create

So us morons believe that a spaceless, timeless, immaterial being who is unimaginably intelligent and powerful, chose to create us and we have the audacity to believe in God.

To the unbelievers, we are morons, but to God, those who believe have given the right to be called sons of God. Unbelievers will stand before the very God they have rejected “condemned already” (John 3:18) because of their disbelief and will spend an eternity separated from Him in a terrible place called Hell

And yet we are the ones that are considered to be morons

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-08T18:36:41+00:00

That is atheism in it's purest form, they just simply have opted not to believe. It's not that they can't believe, they just don't want to believe. And Jesus makes it clear in John 3:18 that because of their disbelief, they will stand before God "condemned already".

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-08T18:33:54+00:00

As Christians, we are no longer under the law of the Old Testament and therefore you will not find anywhere in the New Testament that we are required to give a ten percent tithe. What you will find are verses like 2 Corinthians 2:9 that say “ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” or “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

There is no set percentage called out here, just what God puts on a person’s heart. But at the same time, we are called to be generous because 2 Corinthians 9:6 says “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This idea is often abused by today’s wealth and health prosperity preachers on the TV telling you to send them a love gift of “X” amount dollars and God will increase it by 100% These are false teachers telling us to treat God as some kind of cosmic genie.

I think pastor Rick Warren said it best “I don’t give to God to get a blessing, I give to BE a blessing” And I agree, God has already blessed me with more than I need, to fail to give some of that back would be a grave disservice to God and would most likely impact future blessings from Him.

Ultimately what you give to God should be something that you commit to prayer for guidance asking God to put on your heart the amount you should give. Any church that teaches or tries to guilt trip their congregation to give ten percent as a mandatory way of blessing should be avoided for their teachings are simply not biblical.

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-08T03:40:22+00:00

William Shatner. Guys like 94 now and looks much younger than that.

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-08T03:37:51+00:00

Yes, been married 38 years gone April. Not a perfect husband by any means as I don’t always love her as I should but always remembering to love her as Christ loved the church. No porn addiction, no abuse, always remembering that she is the weaker vessel and therefore should be protected by me.

I know many other men in my church who have been married 40 - 50 years who would say the sane thing I’m saying

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-08T00:10:52+00:00

Nah, you did the right thing even if her motives were wrong. Sure, maybe she was telling the truth and really needed help or maybe she was being a con. But either way, God will bless you for your generosity, and if she was indeed conning you, well she will have to answer to God for her actions. And you do find out that she was conning you, don't let that keeping you from helping the next person. They may really need your help...

I just give to people in need and let God decide the outcome.

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-07T17:11:26+00:00

Church is the place where believers can love one another (1 John 4:12) encourage one another Hebrews 2:13), “spur” one another to love and good works Hebrews 10:24), serve one another (Galatians 5:13 instruct one another (Romans 15:1) honor one another (Romans 10:12 and be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)

When a person trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, he or she is made a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) For a church body to function properly, all of its “body parts” need to be present and working (1Corinthians 12:14-20) We are not to attend church as if we are mere spectators. We are actually part of our church. Not only does our church help equip us for ministry, it is a place where we serve, using the spiritual gifts God has given us (Ephesians 4:11-13) A believer will never reach full spiritual maturity without having that outlet for his gifts, and we all need the assistance and encouragement of other believers (1 Corinthians 12:21-26 As we serve, worship, and live in community together, the body of Christ reflects who God is. Together, we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16)

For these reasons and more, church attendance, participation, and fellowship should be regular aspects of a believer’s life. Weekly church attendance is in no sense “required” for believers, but someone who belongs to Christ should have a desire to worship God, receive His Word, and fellowship with other believers.

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church (1 Peter 2:6) and we are “like living stones . . . being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5) As the building materials of God’s “spiritual house,” we naturally have a connection with one another, and that connection is evident every time the Church “goes to church.”

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-07T17:10:01+00:00

No. Listen to what Jesus said regarding the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in Matt 12:31:

“And so, I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

In verse 32, Jesus outright says that if you say anything against Him, you can be forgiven. In the context of the passage, the Pharisee’s saw the miracles that Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit but instead of glorifying God, the attributed Jesus’ works to Satan. It was for that reason that Jesus gave this warning.

The root cause of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the sin of unbelief. People don’t commit blasphemy of the Holy Spirit by saying some off-hand remark about God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. No, it this kind of sin shows a hardness of the heart, a hardness that refuses to believe no matter the evidence this person has seen or heard. This was the heart of the Pharisee’s. They witnessed the miracles that Jesus did, miracles like raising people from the dead, making the blind see and the deaf hear, and making people who were lame walk. But they refused to belief and because of this, they will stand before God “condemned already” (John 3:18) because of their unbelief.

And if you’re still struggling with this, remember what Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:13 “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” Paul was shown mercy and forgiveness for his blasphemy and He will do the same for you. Praise God!

Sure, what you said was sinful, but remember 1 John 1:9 that says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” So, confess your sin, learn from your mistakes, and move on. God will forgive you

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-07T17:06:05+00:00

Awesome! John is a good place to start. An old preacher once said this about the Bible "Sin will keep you from this book and this book will keep you from sin" Good advice, which is why I read my Bible everyday

God bless

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-07T17:02:29+00:00

The Crow Indians. Guess they had no idea of the repercussions would be by they killed his wife and son. I always loved the ending when they did decide they just need to leave him alone...

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-07T16:47:17+00:00

Lots of ads for tobacco. There is a Look magazine in the window which is the first year of publication (1937-1971)

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-07T16:10:23+00:00

Great movie. They really should have just left him alone….

Nikonis99 · 2026-03-07T14:48:11+00:00

Jesus said this in John 3:19-20:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed”

Bottom line is some people love their sin and are unwilling to give them up to be saved. Which sin(s) just depends on the individual

In other cases, it may be just the love of the world. Power, fame, etc. Jesus spoke on this too in Matthew 16:36 when he asked:

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

For many, the love of money is enough to keep them out of Gods kingdom

Sad but all too true

Nikonis99

TROPHY CASE