Morning Rain on Lilacs

With tea and toast in hand, I slipped into the living room to spend some time with my Bible and morning ritual of prayer.

The lilac bush just outside my door caught my eye. Thinking of the scent that would waft through my home, I pulled the door open. Even though it was cloudy and had been raining, the air was warm. Beauty of raindrops remaining on blossoms presented a photo opportunity. I grabbed my camera, turned it to cloudy setting on white balance (my last week in the Big Picture class has me experimenting)  macro for a few shots, and stepped outside feeling the dampness through my fleece footies.

Every spring for a few short days, I revel in this tree. Winter was cruel to her this past year, with ice breaking many of her branches. I constantly fight the sucker shoots that drain nutrients from the real thing. Pruning her in the fall, praying over her growth. God in his graciousness continues to bless me with her beauty year after year.

Toast was cold, tea still good in my triple layer cup, and I struggled through prayer. Waiting always to hear His voice. Eventually I did, but as I type I realize that I already had.

I Love You More

 

A few weeks ago when I was home, I may have written about  two annoying pennies that kept following me around. I picked them up from the floor and popped them in the pocket of my robe. Later, when carrying my robe to the next room, they fell out and I picked them up again and placed them on the table and the story goes on. At that time, God reminded me of the scripture that tells us that a sparrow worth two pennies is important to Him, and He loves me more.

My hubby has this tradition going with McKenna, our granddaughter. Before they hang up the phone or stop texting, they always say I love you more. This continues until one of them laughs and gives in. Ken and I do it sometimes too.

This morning I awoke here at home with a cloud over my head. Ever had one of those days? I couldn't shake that anxious feeling. It was cold in the house. I didn't want to start a fire because I knew the temp would change with the day, so I threw my robe in the dryer to warm it up. ( I know, for all you thrifty-I-hang-my-clothes-out-never-use-my-dryer-in-the-summer-people, there are some things worth paying for.)

I knew I'd cleaned out my pockets, so when the dryer became noisy, I was a bit nervous. I opened the door, only to find my two pennies staring back at me. How did those pennies get back in the pocket of my robe?

 I thought of the sparrow. 

I love you more.

Thank you, Lord.

P.S. I love to hang my clothes out too but my clothesline is down due to a rough winter and not back in action yet :)

Short & Sweet

There are all kinds of ideas for blogposts floating around in my head but on this beautiful sunny day, I am going to keep this short and sweet. Just want you to know I'm thinking about you.

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Home in the Cold County

Drove home today. Brrrr. The first thing I did was start the pellet stove. Too tired to write much. Have a Happy Memorial Day and remember our military today.

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Looking Through the Lens

Dandelions can be annoying. You get the lawn nicely mowed and pop! Up come the dandelions. But through the lens of a camera, when they are on the way out, they can be a thing of beauty.

I've mentioned before that over the past months, my girls and I have been looking diligently for silver linings each day. I sorta lost track of that this week. 

Today, however, I didn't have to look far for a reason to celebrate. 

A hearing test passed with flying colors, a new job, a necessary space acquired - all things we've been 

waiting and praying for. 

I guess it all depends on the lens you're looking through. On certain days I wake up with the lens of worry or doubt clouding my vision. I don't always manage to change the lens to one of faith and trust. My prayers  

seem weak or emotions too strong. I hate those days. 

My lens of gratitude is on today. Thank you Lord for answered prayer, even when I fail you.

Ebb Tide

The plan was to unpack all the totes, make up the beds, stock and clean the camper in two days. Nine totes down, two to go. The fridge is turned on and the cupboards hold enough supplies for me to eat for a few days. My bed is made but the cleaning is on hold. This is unlike me. I like to get things done and then put my feet up. Rain and cold have made it impossible to open the windows and somehow the dust just doesn't seem that urgent. 

Reluctantly I made a Walmart run for ant spray and septic chemicals. ( How can ants be out already? Its too cold!) On my way back, I noticed the fog settling in so I decided to drive down to Trenton Bridge and get some great photos of fog over the ocean. I pulled into the deserted picnic area armed with my camera. After days of being downhearted, I was buoyed by the idea of gazing out over the ocean. I ran across the grass and over a few rocks. Suddenly my foot sank into seaweed. Literally sank, like being sucked into mud. That's when I looked up and realized the tide was out, way out. I had to extend my camera lens to its full length in order to capture any sea water at all and it was too gray to get a good picture.

Deflated, I snapped a few photos anyway and turned back to the car. 

Ebb and flow. Rhythms. 

These words ran through my head,"This is a picture of where I am in my life right now- at low ebb."  

I hadn't given any thought to the tides. 

The small space heater is the only sound I hear, as I sit looking out the camper window, thinking about tides and rhythms and weather patterns and life and typing this post.

I am here. 

This is where I am tonight.

Warmth on a Cold Maine Day

There are so many stories in the news to make the heart heavy today. I know mine has been and those I've talked to say the same. I am taking a couple days rest at the camper and can't seem to get warm on this cold rainy day so I pulled out a pair of "sockfeet" from my dear friend. Feeling the warmth of her friendship as I curl up to blog and read for a bit. 
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LaCrosse Bella

 

Unexpected Beauty

Over on Wings Open you can see a blossom up close, but here is the whole tree and the photo doesnt do it justice. The girls were asking what I did to it because it hasn't bloomed like this the past two years. I cut back a few branches, but nothing serious and nothing to warrant this. Thank you, Lord for the beauty and the good news for my husband today.

iPhone Apps for Camera Fun

I have been playing with a few photography apps on my iPhone since Amber showed them to me last night. The photo above was taken with Hipstamatic.
Below I used AutoPainter3 to create a Monet from the first one. Love it! It's quick too so I had time to weed more in preparing the flower bed.

Happy Mother's Day

My very first year with tulips made it hard to leave home before they opened. A quick click with my iPhone camera and I can see it on my background. Maybe Hubby will snap one when it opens. 

Happy Mother's Day.

Afternoon Rest

Resting this afternoon so posting a favorite pic of my girl McKenna from last weekend.

Grocery Run

After living in the city for several months, it's easy to forget how small town life compares in the daily run of things. Yesterday I popped down to the local store for a few items. I wasn't even out of the car when I saw a friend I hadn't seen in ages. We stood outside in the beautiful bright sunshine and caught up with each other. She hugged me with tears in her eyes as she shared a loss she had suffered recently and I spoke a few words of understanding.

Inside the store, fruit and veggies lie hand- packaged in small amounts especially for senior customers.

Aisles seem closed in with select items packed into a small space.

As I was checking out, another friend came through the door and we caught up quickly as she told me about her plans to fly out to see  her son graduate from boot camp. This involved finding a respite place for her other adult son who is suffering with a debilitating disease. She showed me her bruised shoulder, which she fractured a few weeks ago, then quickly left to pick up the grandkids. All of this while standing in the front of the country store.

I returned home over  half an hour after leaving, having planned for a 10 minute errand, and not exactly what I wanted for groceries because they didn't have my items. But with a smile on my face.

How different from shopping in the city - nice large aisles, lots of product to choose from, busy people going to and fro,  focused on the grocery list in my iPhone. Then headed home to the smiles of my girls.

Work Done, Work To Do

One Home

My Other Home :)

Annual RCW Ladies Conference

Even though the theme this year was White Flag, we used  Angie Smith's "Mended" theme as well. Our white flags were deliberately simple with hand stitches for the purpose of symbolizing God's mending in our lives, hands on.

The tables were gorgeous Friday night with all the little candles flickering amongst the rose petals.

Nancy decorated the cross herself. Stunning.

The gift bags were tiny, but still packed with goodies - bookmark, notebook, pen (white pens that wrote red ink), magnets with the Mended picture on it, chocolate, tissues and I know I'm forgetting something. What a little treasure chest!

Nancy speaking

Fifty women showed up on a gorgeous weekend for the conference. God moved in hearts quietly and deeply. Honestly, this conference touched my heart more than any other. Perhaps because I needed it more.

 Nancy's teaching on how God calls us to walk in dark places with Him pulled pieces together for me, mending...

I spent the brunch time with God, He and I, talking things over, letting go...

I will say to Lily,"arms up" as I take off her shirt to put on her jammies. 

That morning I heard the Holy Spirit say, "Arms up. Surrender all."

Taking off to put on.

My session was last and God showed up. I was amazed at the women who came and shared their pain and their joys with me afterwards. At one point, I sat on the altar step with tears streaming down my face as I listened to a precious woman share her story. 

It was a very different conference, simple, deep, mending.

When I awoke this morning, I knew I had been touched by God. Thank you to those of you who prayed for me this weekend. 

He giveth more grace.

Lily, Settings, and Angles

Portrait

Sports

Program Auto

Beauty

I took a few minutes this morning and played with a few of the features on my camera and snapped photos from different angles. This was Week 3 assignment in my Big Picture class. I must admit that i wasn't crazy about the Indoor setting but the Beauty one is nice as well as Portrait.

My favorite is over on Wings Open.

White Flag

My focus the last couple of days has been the women's conference that I will be a part of this weekend. Right up until a couple of weeks ago, I was unsure that I could really do this. I've spent a lot of time reading through my journals chronicling the past six months. I made a list of 55 scriptures recorded on my iPad that meant a lot to me during this time, along with 44 quotes from several books I was reading. 

Today I brought up an email folder with prayers my prayer group sent me week after week. Then I read back over several blogposts since last fall. What an incredible journey when I put them all together! I often felt that God was far away but his mark is everywhere on these writings.

Our theme this year is White Flag based on the Chris Tomlin song. Check it out here:

Playing with Picasa