Hiking In Grace & Capturing My View

Unfolding

06.17.14

As I wander the pathways and gaze at the flowers, many of them in full bloom and many past their time.

tightwad halfopen budtoopen
But each time I see a flower just opening itself up to the world, a song comes mind. I can’t get it out of my head and it ends up on repeat all day long as I wander through gardens and conservatory rooms.

springleaves purple
Each flower blooms in their own unique way, some unroll and some break forth from a tight bud and some seem to just expand like they are being stretched. The delicate lavender center of this iris makes me thing of angel wings, each one split just part way down the feathery middle, a trio of angels with wings open and heads bowed.

The song brings a spring to my step and a smile to my face and I just can’t help but sing along right out loud.

Steven Curtis Chapman’s voice on repeat in my head emphasizes what each and every bloom represents…

A Glorious Unfolding!

If you can’t see the video, click here to view it on the blog.

Linking up with Laura, a day late but better late than never!

The Fire Is Lit

06.06.14

“Fires are lit in our lives, and they can burn to shine light or cause destruction.

We get to decide which purpose they will serve.”

~Jennie Allen, Restless

As I read this passage this morning and thought about how Joseph said to his brothers, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good, for the saving of many lives.”

Fires are lit in our lives, and they can burn to shine light; the light of Christ,

or they can cause destruction; our own or those around us.

We get to decide which purpose they will serve by how we respond to their presence in our lives.

For good? or for bad?

Healing or hurtful?

Saving or condemning?

Building up or destroying?

Edifying or tearing down?

I choose to draw nigh to God and allow him to use the fire he lit within me for his glory.

“It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all they works.” Psalm 73:28

How will you use the fire he gave you today?

A Masterpiece or a Doodle?

05.19.14

Are you a masterpiece or a doodle?

When an artist makes a masterpiece it is a work that is not done on a whim but is usually methodic and takes time and thought. They are rarely ever just thrown together.

A doodle is more of a mindless work.

We doodle when we are bored and have nothing to do. Doodling is not usually something we spend hours of labor on nor is it something we hold dear. Doodles are usually done on scraps of paper or in the margins of our papers.

A masterpiece however is almost always done using the best of what’s available. A good canvas stretched tight, a good piece of costly watercolor paper, expensive marble or precious metal, these are the things masterpieces are often made of.

God does not make doodles.

We are his masterpieces.

God has not just thrown us together or put us in the margins of his work.

We are his workmanship and the Lord does nothing on a whim.

***

My friend Danielle has recently rebranded and relaunched her blog.
A new beginning. A fresh start. A new name.
Go check out her new space on the web over at My Mess To His Masterpiece.

It has been a long time since I have given thanks here in this space.

1891. Indigo bunting birds, such a brilliant blue

1892. blue racket balls that make her so very happy

1893. flowers of spring

1894. Spring!! which has FINALLY arrived

1895. the gurgle of the creek

1896. spring rain

1897. bright red cardinals

1898. mosaic of blues on the wings of the bluejay

1899. explosion of colors along the walk at Longwood Gardens

1900. a perfect mother’s day as a family

1901. bird feeders

1902. a porch in the shade

1903. buttercups in mason jars

1904. the fragrance of stargazer lilies

1905. coffee in my mug with the little lady in green

1906. a friend open to taking a road trip

1907. Emily’s simple design course on Adobe Illustrator

1908. friends who continue to encourage me to keep writing

1909. maxi skirts, so comfy

1910. a fresh new journal

The Early Bird Gets …

03.04.14

I began my year by naming it INSPIRE and promising myself to blog more regularly.

I haven’t done very well with that so far.

My latest motivation:

On March 1, Allume tickets went on sale and the first 50 to be sold were “earlybird” and were significantly reduced.

GOD BLESSED ME WITH AN EARLY BIRD TICKET!!

So in October, I will head south again and meet up with my sweet friend Julie Nevue. I met her at the second Relevant/Allume when she accompanied her husband to the conference as he was there to perform.

One would think I would have had lots of time to blog while I have been recuperating from surgery, being that my mom has been here helping tremendously with the kids, laundry and cooking. I am being spoiled.

I have been spending time taking photos of birds and sitting and helping the kids with their school work and getting all our papers graded and in the grade book. I was really far behind and still have one kid’s work to go.

For The Birds

03.01.14

The kids and I have a new interest.

Birds.

We bought a few bird feeders for Christmas and have been enjoying the divers colors and shapes of the birds that have come to pay us a visit.

I am loving learning how to use my new dSLR with our new subject matter flittering about in our side yard.

Blue jays are the big bullies. Thankfully they don’t show up very often but when they do, let me tell you, everybody else clears the deck.

We have a small eastern North America book on birds and we have been finding out what each of our visitors names are. I need to get us a more detailed bird book but for now it will do.

As I sit here and type this there is a very loud cacophony of geese flying overhead. We have had several groups of them come over in the past hour and there are several hundred in each group. I am actually quite glad they prefer the lake at the next door neighbors house. I don’t really want all that goose poo in my yard.

So get ready for an increase in bird photos thrown in with the occasional flower.

I think of all the birds that visit our yard so far this winter the ones like the most is this Tuffed Titmouse seen above. I think he is a cheeky little fellow.

I caught him with a snow mustache.

Though I don’t like the fact that they are bullies, I do like the brilliant blue of the bluejays.

What can I say? Blue is my favorite color!

Do you ever watch the birds in your yard? What are your favorites to watch?

And those geese over head are still coming in waves…