day nine
“As bidden I waited expectant upon the hill of faithfulness, yet inhaled not from them that dwell on earth the fragrance of fidelity.”
“Verily, by His remembrance the eye is cheered and the heart is filled with light.”
bobby (los angeles, u.s.a.) left: In the last few years, my relationship with the Fast has evolved into something that I am quite surprised by. Growing up, I saw Fasting as a duty or an obligation…something I HAD to do but was never fond of. Any excuse I could think of was a legitimate reason for me to break the Fast…from headaches, to lack of energy and yes, even hunger. I remember justifying for myself that it was ok to chew gum, for the same reasons that it is to wear deodorant, so that my breath, like my body, would not smell bad. Many years are behind me now. Maybe it’s old age or the perspective that one gains from living life. Or, maybe it’s the hunger pains that have finally gotten to my head…but I’ve come to realize that what I once perceived as a thorn at my side, I now see as a loving parental figure that guides my waking moments, throughout the nineteen day period.
alison (luanda, angola) right: Dawn is my favorite time of day but during the Fast it takes on a new meaning. I wake up listening closely to its quietness while the rest of the world around me is still silent. Aware of my inner self and taking in those moments to reflect and pray, I prepare for another day of fasting.
nineteen days 
Incredible set!!
These are astonishing! I feel refreshed and renewed 🙂
wow. what beauty. both dawns are exquisite and seem to be a perfect match!
Two of my favourite photographers side by side.
Great captures! Thank you.
Thanks Manijeh jon. Looking forward to seeing Cambridge through your lens!
wow.
Gosh, these are utterly stunning! Thank you Bobby and Alison!
Agreed, the dawns are an amazing match! Great set! (Bobby, where were you at dawn that you got such a great view?)
I love storm clouds. Niiice.
Once more: the synchronicity in your dawns! Who knew LA and Luanda were so in synch? It seriously blows my mind.
Bobby, beautiful work. You make LA look powerful and dreamy. And Alison – I love the color and the Luandaness of your dusk.
The four photos are stunning together and with the quotations are a perfect combination of warning and cheer-what enables you to have strength and hope.
Bobby, your quote and photos are haunting, three-dimensional, booming, exactly what I need right now when the meeting the needs of the material fast do not scare me as much as not meeting the spiritual requirements of it.
Alison, it is amazing that the light in your am photo is an expansion of the same light in Bobby’s-again, warning, cheer, and the fabric made me smile.
Bobby, that morn pic is a great capture. You got a serious vantage point (where you shooting through the ‘O’ of the Hollywood sign?!) !
I also really liked your personal comment, which appeared frank and sincere.
Alison! Your morn pic rocks. Its like you took it off a Greenpeace boat in the Ocean. Is that a humped back whale?
Good work! I’d sum both pics up with the words ‘Epic’ and ‘Dramatic’….synergy at its best.
*were 🙂
um, i had a little heart attack over this set. amazing. BEYOND WORDS AMAZING.
I have been following along silently at the beautiful pictures, the pertinent prayers, and the creative thoughts that go with the pictures. I am glad that you artist folk have the knack for what you do. The stories are definitely relevant to my life. I can remember “cheating” like Bobby used too. Any excuse was enough to not fast when I was a youth. My parents lovingly said, “That’s fine”. But when I finally got a clue and realized what the Fast actually did for me, my parents and friends were right there supporting me.
Keep on keepin’ on. You are doing great.
Every day is simply unbelievably spectacular! The Creation is in itself magnificent and the work of man, when inspired by the Divine becomes just that; divine. thank you all for bringing your artistic gifts to this wonderful time of the year and to this extraordinary work. I look forward to receiving my Nineteen Days book and will give many as gifts to friends!
Allison, let me begin by saying how much I loved your dawn shot, which to me looks more like a painting than a photograph. It was great sharing this space with you.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and kind comments. Ronnie and Elizabeth, the Dawn photo was taken from the look out point over at Runyon Canyon. If you ever make it out this way, you definitely should go for a hike. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Ronnie, if you know of a way to get to the “O” on the Hollywood sign, I’m all ears!
Happy fasting everyone! Looking forward to the other submissions as they come!
I feel so honored to have been invited to be part of this endeavor. Thank you, Amy&Leila!
Although I have never met you in person, Bobby, it was very special to share this space and experience with you. Hope to meet you in person one day very soon!
And to all others, thank you for your kind words. Leili – the colors of Luanda were one of the themes I tried to capture in my dusk photo and how powerful they have been to me. So glad you recognized this!
I am loving every minute of nineteendays experience and eagerly look toward each day so that I may view the beautiful moments of the days of other participants around the world. What a treat!
Revisiting once more, because I love this. Still can’t get over the alignment in your horizons.
[…] year’s nineteen days project in: Windhoek, Namibia and Boston, Massachusetts on March 3, 2010, Los Angeles, California and Luanda, Angola on March 11, 2010 and Brooklyn, New York and Boulder, Colorado on March 21, […]