[just because it’s been awhile]

the trees are bare … the grass is dying … the cold has set in … yet …

[still there is beauty]

[moody mums]

 

I wouldn’t typically convert an image of flowers to black and white, but these were white mums to begin with and I thought they looked a little dull.  So on a whim, I tried a black and white conversion and love the way it turned out.  To me, the image is moody, dramatic and way more interesting than it was with color.  Oh how I love playing with pictures!

[fall]

Fall is in the air around here…

[Isaiah 44:3]

 

Isaiah 44:3 … For I will give you abundant water to quench your thirst and to moisten your parched fields.  And I will pour out my Spirit and my blessings on your children.

Calendar Garden [late August]

It’s been awhile since I linked up with This or That Thursday (or anywhere, really) but I thought today was a good day to jump on board and share some pictures I took last week at the local Calendar Garden.  This particular garden is one of my favorites because it is broken up into four sections – one for each season of the year.  At any time of the year, you can go and see different plants and flowers blooming based on what’s in season.  Many of the summer blooms were already past their peak, but I was excited to find that there was still beauty to be found.  Enjoy God’s beautiful creation…

[authentic worship]

 

Not everything feels like a gift from God.  But I’m learning that if I count gifts on a daily basis, the things that don’t seem like gifts, actually are.  It’s easy to thank God for things like my family, food on our table, our home, a beautiful sunny day, words of encouragement from a friend, etc.  But what about thanking him for the two boys in my son’s gym class who think it’s fun to pick on him for being smaller?  Or the times when my life feels small and insignificant – when it seems the most important thing I did all day was start and finish the laundry?  At first glance, it’s easy to miss those circumstances as gifts.  But the bullying in gym class is a gift because it teaches my son courage in the face of adversity and reliance on God when he feels alone.  No, it’s not fun to endure the ridicule of others, but when he claims the truths of scripture – “I command you – be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) – as he walks out the door in the morning … is that not a gift?  And those times when I am lonely and I wonder if there will ever be more to my life than laundry and dishes and chores … those are gifts as well!  Because it’s in those moments that God reminds me that when I serve my family, I serve Him.  It’s when I’m feeling low because I see other people doing “big things” in the world that God whispers how important motherhood is to him.  That he sees me and knows me.  That I do not work in vain.  That I’m applauded by an audience of One.

…everything is a gift from God!

That’s authentic worship.

[only God]

 

I feel as though I’m bursting with excitement over the things God is teaching me lately and the ways he is caring for my heart.  You see, my kids go back to school next week, which is always a difficult time for this Momma who truly prefers to have her little birdies close to the nest, so to speak.  This year feels particularly hard in part because Andrew starts high school, Matthew starts middle school and it is the first year that we have three kids in three different schools.  There are days when this stage of our family feels overwhelming … when I wish I could just put the brakes on and slow life down a bit.

Through it all … the depression I’ve struggled with this summer, the anxiety about the unknown, the anticipation of a different sort of normal … God has been faithful!  He’s given me verses, songs, devotionals, books, messages at church and conversations with friends and family that have calmed my heart and fears at exactly the right moment.

And I am so grateful!

A few weeks ago, when I was in the midst of a particularly low point, he gave me Isaiah 42:16…

I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way.  I will make the darkness bright before them and smooth out the road ahead of them.  Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

What made this verse so significant to me is the fact that it specifically spoke to some of my biggest fears for sending the kids to school (specifically high school) …

newness

unfamiliarity

the darkness of a large, public high school

the possibility for trials

In the less than a minute it took for me to read those words, my fears were exposed and the truth of who God is and what he wants to do in the lives of my kids was illuminated.  I won’t say that I still don’t have moments of panic, but I feel so much more at peace (thus the verse I chose for the photo above) with our situation.

Only God…

Today’s Gift?

God’s goodness!

Celebrating Green!

A few weeks ago as I was – yet again – watering my outdoor plants, I found myself beginning to inwardly grumble and complain at how dry everything was.  After weeks and weeks with little to no rain, the grass had gone dormant and the only thing keeping many of my plants from dying were my once or twice a day waterings.  And, quite frankly, I was tired of it.  Tired of watering, tired of looking at dead grass and tired of the dryness all around me.

And then for some unknown reason, I began to really look around.  You know what I saw?  Green!  When I saw my world with different eyes, things didn’t look as bad anymore.

Once my watering was finished I grabbed my camera and went in search of as much green as I could find.  I looked for different textures and shades … different plants and trees.  If it was green, I took a picture of it.  Here is a sampling of what I found…

Growth in the midst of dryness!  Praise Jesus!

Psalm 23:2 … He lets me rest in GREEN meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

just some thoughts…

Maybe it’s because it’s summer or because we’ve only been back from vacation for a week, but either way I’ve been floundering a bit.  I can’t seem to get into a routine – which is when I flourish – and I’m struggling to find time to be still and quiet.  My devotional time is consistently being put on the back burner (i.e. quickly being done right before bed) and I’m just feeling like I’m drifting along without purpose.

When I try reading my Bible or other devotionals that I typically enjoy, the words don’t seem to penetrate my heart like usual.  I’m dry.  And thirsty.

Kind of like the world around me. 

This summer has been marked by a lot of extremely warm days (think 100+ degrees) and very little rain.  The grass has been dead for weeks now and the flowers are kept alive only by twice a day waterings from our hose.  Without that regular watering, they’d surely be dead as well.  In fact, for the past few days we’ve been struggling to revive the hanging baskets on our porch that were neglected while we were on vacation.  Without a daily watering, they quickly became dry and parched.  The flowers stopped blooming and the green vines became withered and brown.

Kind of like my heart.  If I’m not careful.  Despite the fact that I don’t feel like watering my soul with a daily dose of scripture and quiet time, I must do it anyway if I want to bloom and be healthy.

Jesus Calling:  July 6

I am your Father-God.  Listen to Me!  Learn what it means to be a child of the everlasting King.  Your richest duty is devotion to Me.  This duty is such a joyous privilege that it feels like a luxury.  You tend to feel guilty about pushing back the boundaries of your life to make space for time alone with Me.  The world is waiting to squeeze you into its mold and to crowd out time devoted to Me.   The ways of the world have also warped your conscience, which punishes you for doing the very thing that pleases Me most; seeking My Face.  Listen to Me above the clamor of voices trying to distract you.  Ask My Spirit to control your mind, for He and I work in perfect harmony.  Be still and attentive in My Presence.  You are on holy ground.

Isaiah 9:6;  Zechariah 9:9;  Romans 8:15-16;  Exodus 3:5

I belong!

I read the following quote today in a very poignant blog post by Ann Voskamp that touched my heart immensely…

“All my brokenness is a whisper that I don’t belong, and every time I don’t feel like I belong, the Scarred and Rejected God whispers, “Come here, my Beloved.”  (Ann Voskamp)

Not feeling like I belong has been a recurring theme in my life this past year and so this particular truth fell upon me like fresh, cool water on a heart in need of some refreshment.

“Come here, my beloved.”

Yes, Lord.  I’m coming!

Flower Friday

My mom has some gorgeous flowers blooming in her yard right now and last Sunday I had the opportunity to capture some of that beauty with my camera.  Lovely flowers + my camera + my macro lens = one very happy girl!

I’m dreaming of having some of these bright, orange day lilies in my flowerbeds sometime soon!

Taken with my 100mm macro … slight adjustments made in ACR & PSE9 (slight contrast boost and sharpening)

[linking up for Flower Art Friday]

Peony Love

Peonies are among my favorites so I was thrilled when the plants I put in last year actually came back this spring!  And this week, they finally started blooming!

This image is, by far, my favorite from this past week…

I used actions from Pure Photoshop Actions and textures from Love That Shot and Kim Klassen.

[linking up for This or That Thursday and Flower Art Friday]

Flower Friday

I found these petite, white flowers growing wildly next to my driveway this week.  I’m not exactly sure what they are but am thinking that maybe they’re wild roses – their branches and stems are very thorny and look just like a rose bush.  Not sure.  Regardless, though, aren’t they pretty?  As much as I love flowers that are planted with purpose, I really love the surprise and wonder of something that hasn’t been planted by human hands.  We get to enjoy a lot of wonder and surprise in our woods throughout the year, but spring is probably the best time because we never know what we’re going to see.

I edited these in Adobe Camera Raw and Elements 9 and then added a few of Kim Klassen's free weekly textures (Crackerjack, Lilly and Cherish, I think).

[linking up for the first time for Flower Art Friday]

Hibiscus

I got a Hibiscus for Mother’s Day from my parents.  It has such unique flowers and I’ve really been enjoying watching the varying stages this past week.  I think plants are about the perfect Mother’s Day gift … especially the kind the come back year after year.  The gift that keeps on giving…

Linking up with Deb for This or That Thursday

[oh, honeysuckle, how I love you!]

Our woods are full of the sweet smell of honeysuckle and apparently I’m not the only one enjoying their beauty and aroma…

All I had to do was stand there and eventually the butterflies came.  One even landed on my pants!  I had to be quick, though, because any movement at all sent the butterflies fluttering away.

I purposefully shot these a little warmer than normal and then didn’t do much with them in processing (sharpened and made a few, very slight adjustments – contrast and clarity – in ACR).  I really like the end result!

[linking up for This or That Thursday]