Embrace Life

I needed an image for my most recent blog post, so I searched my archives for a cross.  This was taken in February during my visit to NC on a photo safari with an online photographer friend.  I edited it using some of Michelle Kane's HeARTy Actions and one of my own texture images.

Chicory Revisited

While taking a walk with 'Sally' the other day, I took my camera along just in case. I took pictures of some dried flowers in the morning sun, and since I had already taken some of chicory days earlier and because the wind was blowing intermittently, I almost dismissed chicory as a subject. I'm so glad I didn't, because this is one of the best shots I've ever taken. Although it looks similar to an HDR, it isn't. The lighting, settings, and timing were just perfect despite the breeze.  I love my son's 60mm macro!

Soft Batch Cookies

My daughter made a batch of her own soft batch chocolate chip cookies... lightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Yum!

Chicory

“Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?”  --James Montgomery

Oregano in Bloom

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers...  --Song of Solomon 5:13a

I Heart You

My oldest son, Chris, came across this heart in a piece of lumber as he was working today. As I came out of my room after taking a nap, he said, "Mom, I have a present for you," and he proceeded to pull it out of his pocket.

Awww... wasn't it sweet of him to think of me?  I heart you, too, Chris.  :)

Wedding: Ethan & Laura

I just did a wedding shoot for a young couple from church. They both went to school for dairy farming, so they wanted a simple, country wedding. A call was put out to the groom's small community, and many friends and neighbors contributed beautiful flowers from their own gardens for the wedding and reception. Everything looked wonderful and had the fresh, beautiful scent of nature's bloom!





The groom's mother prepared small bouquets to adorn the ends of the church pews.









The wedding rings were forged by the groom's aunt, herself a goldsmith; made from his father's broken wedding band.



A glass commemorating the occasion was given to each guest attending the reception; the antique, glass milk bottles once belonged to the groom's great-grandfather.









The church's neighbor was kind enough to allow us the use of his barn as a backdrop.



The groom's mother loves taking photos and had many wonderful suggestions regarding both location and pose; such as this field with mountains along the horizon as well as having the bride hold out her skirt. It made my job easier. :)

Happy All the Time?

There's a children's church song that is high energy and fun to sing because of the hand motions and increasing speed, but it hit me one day that it can also be very confusing and deceiving.   Why?  Well, it goes like this:

I'm inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time.
I'm inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time.
Since Jesus Christ came in and cleansed my heart from sin,
I'm inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time!

Are Christians happy all the time?  We might pretend to be, but no, we're not. We have some of the same struggles as everyone else.  I recently read an article by Russell Moore entitled Why Facebook (and Your Church) Might Be Making You Sad.  One of the things he says is, "By not speaking, where the Bible speaks, to the full range of human emotion—including loneliness, guilt, desolation, anger, fear, desperation—we only leave our people there, wondering why they just can’t be “Christian” enough to smile through it all."  Have you ever felt that way?  I have.

I think there are at least two reasons we tend to put on a façade:  1) It makes us feel more religious/spiritual, and/or  2) We sincerely have a desire to glorify God and show that He is real and trustworthy.  But can we truly reflect what's real, if we ourselves are not?

I confess I am really struggling with something right now... and I am very discouraged... but it doesn't make me any less a Christian, and it doesn't make God any less real, powerful, or trustworthy.

If you happen to think of it when you go before the throne of God, would you mind saying a little prayer for me, too?  Thanks...

Beautiful Gift

My daughter blessed me by taking the time to make origami lilies to decorate a birthday gift to me... a beautiful compact mirror.   She's so creative and such a blessing!  She even made an asparagus, tomato omelet for breakfast and cake balls for a treat.  Tonight's dessert is going to be Curtis Stone's Cider Poached Pears with Yogurt and Toasted Almonds.  Thank you, Tiffany!

Chris gave me a 7-port USB extension, which I needed, as well as some very cool magnetic 'push pins' for our refrigerator.  They have earth magnets that can hold several sheets of paper!  Not only that, but he also bought birthday candles that glow with color.  Thank you, Chris!

And I've already received several birthday greetings from wonderful friends and family. Thank you so much!

What a nice way to begin a day.  :)

Winter Fruit

I was soooo excited to see a ripened cherry tomato in the middle of winter, from a tomato plant hanging under the skylight of our balcony! God is good!

I Don't Wanna Be An Egg

My daughter made these cute little carrot cake cupcakes with maple frosting and white chocolate carrots for a ladies’ church fellowship a couple of weeks ago. They were a perfect part of the goodies, because our pastor’s wife gave a devotional using a carrot, an egg, and a tea bag as an object lesson on how to face adversity.



The original story by an unknown author uses a coffee bean in place of the tea bag, but the result is still the same. It goes like this:

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life, and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it, and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first pot, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft. She then asked her to take the egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to smell and sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she smelled and tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What's the point, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity- boiling water-but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When trials and adversity knock on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Hmm... if I had to answer that question, I would ask, “Is it possible to be all three?” I mean, we all face some amount of adversity at one time or another. I know it may not seem like it at times, but I do, too, and I am now. And at times I find myself weak, limp, and feeling hopeless like the carrot. At other times I would like to think I’m like the tea bag or coffee bean and changing ‘the water’. And yet at other times I find myself feeling hardened and even somewhat bitter. Hebrews 12:14, 15 say, “ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” I don’t wanna be an egg...

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." --Psalm 19:1

Have you ever noticed when you wear sunglasses you can sometimes see luminous colors in the clouds?  While running errands a few days ago, I noticed the iridescent colors.  I had my sunglasses on.  If only I could capture what I was seeing!  I then decided to do an experiment and put my sunglasses 'on' my camera's lens.  The shots using the sunglasses were pinkish and somewhat blown-out and not what I expected, but I did take one shot without using the sunglasses.  After all, it was an experiment, right?  I was amazed at what the camera itself was able to capture and reveal beyond what the naked eye could see, even beyond what I was seeing through my sunglasses.  Wow...

Y’know, life is kind of like that, too, isn’t it?   I mean, depending on how we view things, our worldview or political persuasion for example, the ‘lens’ we use will determine what we see.  A meteorologist might look at this picture and simply see what types of clouds they are and foretell the weather, while an artist or photographer might look at it and notice the composition, colors, and ‘movement’.   A creationist might look at this picture and see the intelligence, creativity and handiwork of God, while an evolutionist might see only a natural phenomenon and perhaps even global warming.  1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  What do you see?

On the flip side, have you ever seen something that wasn’t there?  Have you seen togetherness and perceived rejection?  Have you ever seen laughter and thought people were laughing at you?  Or how about conspiracy?  What do you see?  Which lens are you using?  The lens of insecurity and self-focus or of wisdom, discernment, and love?

Then, there are those things that are beyond our scope of vision... invisible, unseen things.  1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "But as it is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."  Wow!  Considering all the beautiful, amazing, magnificent things we have seen, whether through God’s creation or even through man’s imagination like in the movie Avatar, God is basically saying, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Snow Dog

We received a lot of snow today, and Sally was sooo cute romping through it.  She loves it!  She bounds and pounces as if she was a cat or a fox.  Must be the beagle and sheltie in her, because I just can't picture a pug doing that.  (^_~)

Everlasting...

A bouquet of dried flowers carefully arranged by my sister-in-law with flowers from her wonderful gardens.  Isn't it neat how God designed some things to retain their beauty long after their season has passed?

"Doriath" texture by Max F. Williams