Capturing Spring . . .

I do believe I’ve been reborn from the cold, harsh winter as I snap God’s creation coming to life this spring! How can one not be awed as we watch nature come alive and see His animals on a thousand hills born.

I've enjoyed these calves and lambs:





This little lamb didnt' stop wailing the entire time I was there.



The two older calves below were mighty curious at what I was doing!



In my post of March 19 I showed the "Field of Spring", below. In that small pasture, all is right with the world . . . calm, peaceful, protected and fulfilled. It sure helped me to relax and remember that God is in control of all things--any and all of my concerns to all creation, even to a little field of spring.





Last week, my neighbor, Dorothy, called me over to snap her parrot tulips that were blooming. (Didn’t know there was such a thing as parrot tulips.) So I snapped around her yard and came up with this beautiful picture of Dorothy’s garden plot and the parrot tulips following.




And my friend, Kathy Kreyling, sent me this lovely shot of a bluebird amidst baby leaves.


My peonies are growing strong in all three locations in our yard. I can hardly wait to see what God will bring me as I wait for them to bloom. See the tiny bud?


Open your eyes and see the beauty . . . and know that heaven will be even greater for our eyes to behold!

Peonies and Baby Leaves

Last year my husband, Jerry, planted peonies for me. As a matter of fact, he plants everything for me. Green thumb I am not; admirer I am indeed!

Last June, my friend, Karla Dornacher, shared a post about how God turns our sorrows into joy when He spoke to her after a serious thunderstorm took vengeance on her peony bush. She rescued the blossoms and carefully sprayed the mud from their petals to find none were lost. God showed her we are left broken sometimes from the fury of the winds and rain of this world, but there is always hope as we call out to our Savior. He reaches down from heaven and gently, lovingly lifts up our heads, washes us with His Holy Spirit and Truth and carefully restores us.

I loved her story, and it awakened my love of peonies! The next week Jerry surprised me with five plants! He planted them in three different areas in our yard.

Last week Jerry brought me the good news that it looked like our peonies were alive. Easter weekend I snapped the evidence, below. My anticipation to see if there will be any blooms this first year is high. And that isn’t all that is alive . . .



Can it be coincidence that Easter Sunday morning my baby leaves opened on the maple tree outside my writing room window? I think not. The day in which we celebrate the greatest hope this world has ever known, God opened my baby leaves, giving new life, living hope. See that baby leaf behind the blossoms?



New life is all around me . . . What would we do without spring? Some thoughts to ponder:

“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.” Bern Williams

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.” Sarah Ban Breathnach.

“Springs is God’s way of saying hello.” Unknown

“Springtime ... invites you to try out its splendor . . . to believe anew. To realize that the same Lord who renews the trees with buds and blossoms is ready to renew your life with hope and courage.” Charles R. Swindoll

"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day." W. Earl Hall

“If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.” Terri Guillemets

"I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?" Edward Giobbi

Enjoy spring!

Peace and Joy

Pure . . . without blemish . . . Christ.

Turtle and Betty are two old saints who lived with the Araona people for 17 years in the country of Bolivia. They are dear friends to Jerry and me. I was privileged to write an article about their life with the Araona people, titled “Following the Call” and it was published in Alive! Magazine in 1997.

There is a simple description of hope in their newsletter we received this week:“As we come to the end of a very harsh winter in the North East our hearts are excited with the lovely, sunny days and the return of life. All around us we notice the birds singing and the squirrels running about. Also the grass is getting greener and buds are beginning to form.

“Exciting? Yes, but not near as exciting as the “New Life” we have in Christ along with the hope of His promised return to “take us out” to be with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) Our True Hope is in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.”
Yes, peace in our hearts and joy in our souls. Sunday is coming . . .

Happy Easter!

Digital Creative Fun!

My March 3rd post showed a picture, below, of a hand writing, with a beautiful rose and tea cup in it’s scene. It looked magical, and is a lovely picture, so I used it as my desktop to study it for a few days. The more I looked at it, the more I thought, “that’s not me.” So I’ve been working on my own “scene” to inspire me to write.



My scene, below, encompasses all the things that make me smile . . . three Longaberger baskets . . . two teddy bears . . . pink peonies . . . my writing room window . . . my hope pillow . . . a faith, hope and love pillow . . . colorful ink pens . . . my Hershey kiss basket . . . my friend, Eyore . . . and a sheet of Karla Dornacher’s writing paper proclaiming “Bless the Lord, O my soul”! Even the miniature hurricane lamp adds a special touch of illumination. This is me when I sit down to write all those encouraging notes that God lays upon my heart . . . even the hand and arm are mine (thanks to Jerry’s capable snap!).



And what does my pen find to write for this photographic assembly of inspiration? “Dear friend, How wonderful to have a friend like you. Warm and considerate, kind and caring, that’s you!”

The magic of Photoshop! What would I do without it? Each picture was individually snapped so I could place it where I wanted it to make my very own inspirational desktop. The window picture is the scene out my writing room window, and there is a bird at the birdhouse! Hope you enjoy seeing it.

Field of Spring

On my drive home Wednesday I came up over a hill and there it was . . . a field of spring! Baby lambs and a few calves too!



What a prize! I so enjoyed looking at this new life. It was siesta time in Mt. Airy and everyone looked quiet and peaceful.


Hope you enjoy the pictures!

A Stronghold for You . . .

The picture above is my birthday rose from Jerry. Thank you, honey!

Psalm 119 is a glorious psalm. Matthew Henry's Commentary opens with this sentence in regard to the psalm: "The general scope and design of this psalm is to magnify the Divine law, and make it honourable." If you are familiar with this psalm you know this to be true.

I was reading verses 161-168 this morning and my Liberty Bible Commentary had this to say: "The riches of God's word only come to those who have disciplined themselves to battle the enemies of time, apathy, and irregularity with regard to the reading of God's word. Anyone who gives himself to such a rewarding practice will be able to say with the psalmist, 'I hate and abhor lying. Not only hate lying, nor simply abhor it, but hate and abhor lying is the responsibility of one who loves the law of God."

This is indeed a stronghold to living for God. May you be strengthened this morning to stand tall in your faith and be encouraged that God's riches are within your reach.

The pictures below are from the Women's Retreat I attended last weekend at Camp Wo-Me-To. I was thrilled to see and hear my friend, Karla Dornacher, speak about "savoring the moment."



The picture below is my friend, Kathy Kreyling, and her friend Cathi, who cheered my heart with their presence as I ate not one, not two, but three "small" cups of frozen ice cream!

"Just One Letter . . . "

Have you ever received a note or letter that spoke to your heart and changed your course of action for the rest of your life? I received one some 28 years ago that so affected me that my life goal and future service were defined that day.

That’s when my note writing to encourage others began. And by God’s grace, I’ve been faithful through the years. Having firsthand experience in what a note can do in a life has kept me busy sending God’s love to those He directs me too. And He does direct me!

Consider the following excerpt from “The Fragrance of Kindness” by Cheri Fuller. One of the stories is written by Alexandra Stoddard:

“Sit by a crackling fire and read some of your favorite letters. While sitting there soaking up all the love and support, think of one person you love and write a beautiful, loving letter to that person. Let the flame in your hearth warm your heart. One letter in a lifetime . . . to a special friend could make a greater difference than you dare to believe.”

I’ve literally sat by a crackling fire and twice wrote a beautiful, loving letter to a friend. It not only inspired me and provided many memories for me to enjoy, but it gave both of my friends warm and loving thoughts to remember for a lifetime.

All it takes is just one note or letter. In these days of speed, you’d be surprised how important a note or letter is that arrives via snail mail. My baskets are full of ones I’ve received, and through the years the encouraging words keep me going.

Christmas, 2009, my friend, Kathy Kreyling, gave me a note a month for 2010. Some loving friend had gifted her the year before and she wanted to pass on that gift. It warms my heart to know I have a packet of notes just waiting to be opened each month of this year.

Why not give it a try? It certainly isn’t hard. It’s doesn’t consume a lot of time. I guarantee it will be one of the most important things you’ll ever do!

I found the picture on the blog Encouragement From The Heart. If anyone knows where it originated from please let me know so I can give proper credit.