Hello to you. How are you today? Todays prompt is a good one. Since I’m a Generation Xer I was born and lived much of my early life without computers or the Internet. We wrote letters and used the telephone to communicate to each other. When I was in the military I can remember computers being little bricks we sat in front of and all the data was put on cards. If you dropped the box of cards you lost a whole lot of work for that day. I remember DSN or dial up – using My Space and Newsvine for my blogs! Life before the internet was definitely different – slower I think. You could unplug more easily. Now the days and years seem to go so fast! Sometimes it’s overwhelming how much the internet puts before me.
A bunch of bees and wasps were tending to this peony bushA bunch of Victrolas My neighbors roses are starting to wake up A duck couple in the shade Some pictures from last nights walk
Proverbs 11:13New International Version
13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
Hello to you. How are you today? As I write to you it’s about 63 degrees which is cooler than it’s been the past couple of days. I like it! As a woman I have always preferred cooler weather because you can put on more clothes to get warm- you can only take off so many and be decent when it gets real warm! I used to like winter until I got older and have to drive in it! I used to like fall until I had a home and have to clean up leaves.
My neighbors peonies will bloom soon. They smell so wonderful when they are in full bloom!
I miss the Texas weather as it rarely got cold when I lived there. Living in a place that didn’t have winter really for 12 years spoiled me! I would have to say spring has been my favorite season since moving here to Idaho.
I was looking for a nice verse about the seasons and this one stood out:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).
Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing alright. Just home from a prayer meeting. I was going to stop and get a breakfast burrito but changed my mind. I am glad as I ran into three dogs on the way back. Their owner lets them out unattended.
My neighbor has his flowers out – so cheerful to seeI was surprised to see this rose already in bloom! Like I said yesterday- it’s like everything in nature is in fast forward mode
Jeremiah 17:14New International Version
14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
A lot of people around me are struggling with health issues to include myself. I think part of it is age related but I am starting to wonder if some of it is from so many having Covid. We don’t really know to what extent our health and immune systems have been compromised by having it and also side effects from the vaccines. We did become sort of Guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical industry with everything that happened!
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. My thoughts turn to being seen by God. There have been times in my life that I have felt so close to God – that we were connected. These past couple of years- since my medication change by getting off Lithium, my creativity and spirituality doors have been almost completely shut. Thank goodness for my cell phone camera! I have an eye for beauty and just because I’m no longer creative in the ways I used to be, I can capture images of God and Mother Earths creativity. I have to practice what I preach “it’s not what you can’t do in this life! What can you do – focus on that!” Seeing and being seen by God is a two way street.
A pink Columbine These little beauties remind me of pencil shavings Another Iris in the neighborhood My little reminder of Gods love for me
Genesis 16:13New International Version
13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen[a] the One who sees me.”
My neighbors yard is a constant delight as I walk by. Always something new and purple is blooming! A lovely Iris – these beautiful flowers come in as a variety of colors much like roses.
Hello to you. How are you today? I went on a walk without Link yesterday and remembered to take my phone so I could grab a couple pictures. The Iris’s are blooming and it looks like Peonies are not far behind. The flowers and trees seem to be doing their thing faster this year. Probably due to the heat and intense sunlight. This earth is the finest florist!
Matthew 6:28-29New International Version
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Hello to you. Hope this finds you well. My thoughts today are about the power of focus – keeping your eyes open for what you want to see in the world. If you were to drive into my neighborhood you probably wouldn’t notice much at a glance. It’s when you decide you want to see beauty that all the sudden an ordinary place becomes extraordinary. All around us this time of year nature is showing us the power of rebirth. There is always something new to see! What you focus your sights and energy on gains power. It’s kind of like my asking God about orange flowers and then finding them everywhere!
Philippians 4:8New International Version
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing pretty well on this sunny Thursday. I walked over to our prayer group meeting and back. We had five including Pastor Jason. I think it’s cool he joins us. Prayer is so powerful. It reminds us that even if we think we haven’t a friend in the world, that nobody cares, somebody – a complete stranger- is praying for and expressing love for us being on this earth. Imagine all the people who pray for others all over the world!
Todays prompt is a good one but hard to nail down just one incidence of taking a risk and not regretting it. I have taken many leaps of faith in my life. A big one that my second husband Kyle and I took was finding and buying a house in Texas. My father-in-law was waiting to hear if he got a job in Texas. Kyle and I took a leap of faith that he was going to get it and found a home, our first, and bought it. We didn’t know then his dad would be in a horrible car accident and end up convalescing in our home before starting work at his new job! Risk well taken. Divine timing. The most recent leap of faith (risk) was coming to live here in Idaho. I never thought I would be divorced again but it happened – so much fell apart at once for me in Texas. My family here in Idaho gave me a safe and soft place to land – lots of support and unconditional love. I don’t regret choosing to come here. It was divine timing again as I found and bought my little house just in time before it got scooped up by another buyer.
My life has been full of taking risks – leaps of faith. When I have surrendered my will to the will and care of God a path has been made clear for dramatic things to happen. Right now I’m in a in between spot in my life. I am suppose to be doing something and gradually I’m finding it.
11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
View out the back door – the fruit trees are blooming God and the Earth are the finest florist. These lovely red tulips are at Grace House. Prayers being answered right before our eyes. On the walk home I saw this. This tree may have been growing in the canal. They pulled them all out. There is water flowing in the canals again. Tiny plants are growing in place of what was there. One of my neighbors yards – Jamie. I love that she’s let the dandelions and other wildflowers grow, it helps the bees and other insects.
What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?
Hello to you. How are you? I hope your doing ok. The world is kind of crazy! Todays prompt is a good one. When the world around you is seeming kind of chaotic a good way to get grounded is to focus thoughts on what’s good in your life – gratitude. Something I’ve done ever since I was in rehab many years ago was a mental gratitude list. Rather than sit and complain pull out your gratitude list. What’s fun about doing it is how quickly you go from just one thing your grateful for to a whole bunch of things.
I have many things that make me happy and that I’m grateful for. At the top of my list is family and friends. My family and friends have gotten me to this day! True examples of unconditional love. Next is of course Link. I love waking up to his sweet smile and wagging tail. Number three is good food – I enjoy food too much lol! Number four is my connection to God – having a church home has really been helpful to keeping that connection strong. Number five is nature – seeing nature wake up this spring just really makes me happy! The best florist in theworld is momma nature!
My Uncle Bill shared a couple pictures this morning of a beautiful California poppy bloom. The rains made it happen! Something good out of something that has caused a lot of people trouble:
Poppy bloom picture from my Uncle Bill- what a beautiful sight. I can remember last year asking God about orange flowers and the first ones he showed me were these types of flowers growing here!
Hello to you. Hope this finds you well! This morning I decided to join others from church for a prayer meeting. They had only expected four people and my going made five! One of the things we prayed for I’ve had on my heart for quite some time and that’s a permanent home for our church. As it stands right now, each Saturday volunteers have to set up for Sunday at a school gym here in town. After service they have to pack everything up. It’s very labor intensive. God will make a way for us I hope.
Tree buds – love the flowers Alleluia clouds Prayer meeting at Grace House We prayed for volunteers to plant flowers – looks like nature and God already on it!The tree leaf buds in morning light
One of the unspoken obstacles we are facing as a Christian church is we are trying to operate in a predominately Mormon town. Everything will work out I hope!
Matthew 6:5-15
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.7 And when you pray, do not keep on babblinglike pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you needbefore you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing pretty good. I got Link out just enough for him to do his business and then took him home and walked on my own. Its no good trying to force him to go all the way around if he doesn’t want to go. It’s sunny and windy today. I was a bit winded after the walk but it felt good to have the sunshine on my face. I was able to capture a couple flower pictures – remembered to bring the phone:
My neighbors daffodils – such a cheerful sign of spring! My boy and some lovely little purple flowers
When I was growing up in Sioux Falls South Dakota the first flowers to bloom were tulips. I haven’t seen any of those here.
Lately I’m regretting quitting my pest control service. I have some ants that have decided to try and make a home inside mine. I have been killing them when I see them and that helps for a little while and then they come back! Ugh! Any suggestions?
What an experience this must have been:
Matthew 28:1-10New International Version
Jesus Has Risen28
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them.“Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”