Laughter ~

What

do 

you

suppose

God

was thinking

the day

He created

the tails

of

squirrels

~ ~ ~ 

whatever

it was

I

suspect

He

was laughing
~ ~ ~
I like that thought
of
God laughing
laughing
with us
in us
through us
for us
I think today
I will
watch and listen
for His laughter

Looking for Words ~

words

don't spring

from the pen

but

from the heart

Morning is Broken ~

sometimes

when

I

awake

in the morning

and

see this

I feel

broken

inadequate

flawed

~ ~ ~
then

I remember

His mercies are new every morning

and

His grace is sufficient

and

in Him I live and move and have my being

~ ~ ~

sometimes

I need faster recall
~ ~ ~ 

“it always takes him a little while

to get used

to being in this body

after he's been sleeping”

story people

Provision ~

this

lone

little chickadee

came

looking

for seed

earlier

this

week

during

a 

winter storm

~ ~ ~ 

he

found

what

he 

was searching

for

~ ~ ~  

never give up

A Most Unlikely Meeting ~

It was there
amidst
 the flying dirt
and rubble
amidst
the shattered glass
 and pain
where anguish kissed
 the sound
 of metal
 meeting metal
it was there
He came
it was there
amidst
the fear
 the distant cries
the
stunned
confusion
it was there
the
Prince of Peace
{ His name is Jesus}
it was there
a
 most unlikely place
 Peace came

This is part of the blog carnival hosted
by
Bridget Chumbley and Peter Pollock

Little Ones ~

the

hands

of

the future

let's

hold them

gently

and

responsibly

Blessing ~

How very much

we have

to be

thankful

for

Out of the Hole ~

Coming

up

for air

the

dental appointment

is

over

the tooth was cracked

they did what they could

but 

I'll

need to go back

for a crown

I am SO glad the hard part is done!

in the meantime

giving thanks

have you ever

noticed

how

the fear 

is usually worse

than

the reality?

Patience ~

Tuesday began 

all

gray and white

then the sun

peeked

through

what a delight

Question ~

What

kinds of things

make

you

want

to run and hide

an

upcoming

dentist appointment

does it

for

me!

There was no time ~

There

was

no time

to

say good-bye

There

was

no time

for

love's last thought

There

was

no time

to 

ease the shock

There

was

no time

~ ~ ~ 

please

take time

to remember

all those who have suffered loss

Consider the Whole ~

There are always

two sides

to the story

~ ~ ~ 

Daily Bread ~

why

settle

for

crumbs

 when

there

is

so much more

available

The Seed ~

awaiting
a birth
place
this tree
in
the making

Kreativ Blogger Award

Catherine from Corner of Cat's Mind pretty much knocked my socks off the other day when she passed along the Kreativ blogger's award. She lives in Canada, posts some amazing photos and has a cat that has elegant blue eyes. The requirements of the award are these:

1] Thank the person giving the award ... I do thank you so very much, Catherine!
2] Copy award to this blog ... hoping I can figure out how to do that ... I'm a bit challenged when it comes to computers

3] Place a link to their blog ... well, that was easy I think
4] Name 7 things people don't know about you ... Oh, no!
5] Nominate 7 bloggers ... it was difficult to nominate only 7 ... there are so many quality ones.
6] Place a link to these bloggers ... think that went okay.
7] Leave a comment on their blog notifying them of the award ... in process on that one.

The first blog I would like to mention is a new photo blog by Hope’s mom. You may remember that Hope is the 14 year old who was diagnosed with cancer shortly after her birthday in November. She is a brave young woman with an attitude that is both honest and inspiring. She really needs your encouragement and prayers right now as she recovers from a very recent surgery.
The second new blog is a young couple, Joseph and Michelle, from England with an adorable little girl, Aleena, who is not quite two and will most likely steal your heart. Their blog is a combination of photos and words and is entitled Growing up with Christ.
And, the third new blog entitled caryjo-roadrunner is by my dear friend, Joanne, from high school days. Her motto is, “Go new places, see new things, meet new people.” She does that well and does a great job capturing those times with words.
The next three bloggers were instrumental in my entry into the blogging world in September.
 Georgia was a source of encouragement and helpful hints when I was setting up my site. She has taken a bit of time off lately but her posts are a combination of photos and words that provide a unique perspective that challenges and inspires.
Elk has also been a major source of encouragement. Her photo style and use of few, but meaningful, words bring calm and gentle beauty to our days.
One of the very first blogs I discovered was Claudia’s Eternal Rewards. She is a home schooling mom. I never fail to be amazed at her photography and the ideas bubbling around in her head.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Deb … her writing will keep you coming back to soak a bit and ponder the richness in her words.
It’s very difficult to stop with seven. All of you who visit here are such a blessing to me and your comments add much interest and blessing to my days.
Oh! And I did want to mention Suzy Q’s blog. She is about 15 and already shows signs of being a very gifted photographer and user of words. But it’s her attitude that I appreciate even more. She has such a high regard and respect for her family. With young people like Hope and Suzy Q, the future seems bright.
See … it’s very difficult to stop … there are so many quality blogs out there.

Now comes the really hard part … listing seven things about me you don’t know. I live a very quiet life so this will be pretty mundane!

#1 - would be that I really don’t care to talk about myself. Hmmm. And there are still six to go. Well ...
#2 - I would love to visit a castle like the one Dagmar mentioned on her blog not too long ago. I’m a bit of a romantic and am sure the handsome prince would appear at any moment.
#3 - I tasted pizza for the first time at the ripe old age of 20 and have considered it a major food group ever since … along with chocolate of course but most of you already know that.
#4 - I enjoy reading and whenever I visit Glynn’s blog I come away with a new book to add to the list, inspired by the meaningful poetry he writes, and encouraged by the fact that he seems so very genuine.
#5 - The times I take my ’95 Buick Regal out for a drive {love those hand controls} are the most freeing times I experience.
#6 - Pen and ink sketches fascinate me.
#7 - I am intrigued by the images Steve posts of the area around South Hampton New York and wish that it were physically possible for me to travel not only in this country but overseas.

Well, there you go ... if you are still reading at this point, you deserve a reward!

Dreaming ~

Dreams

can seem impossible

at times 

be encouraged

there

will be

a new season

Being ~

in the stillness

  quiet

in the beauty

  joy

in the light

  strength

Focus ~

Sometimes

the camera

focuses

on

its own reflection

and

almost

misses

the big picture

sometimes

I

make

the

same

mistake
~ ~ ~
"make love your aim"
1 Corinthians 14:1

Window Gazing ~

Arrested

by imagery

as I gaze

through

the windows

Missing ~

an empty chair
your shadow's gone
memory stirs
with
breaking
song
~ ~ ~ 
absent ... but present

2 Corinthians 5:8

Puffed ~

It was minus 33 degrees F this morning

the little birds

had their feathers

all

puffed out

in an effort

to

keep warm

I'd

like to turn

my back

on

winter

sometimes

too

Broken ~

The first day

of

the new year

wasn't

even

twelve hours old

and

I had

broken

my one resolve

no more

coke {Coca Cola}

for

breakfast

{sigh}

might as well

add

a

little

chocolate

~~~

tomorrow

I'll

try

again

~~~