And I Quote...

"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart."

- John Bunyan

Sunset

I just love

 seeing the sunset

 in a rose.

"From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy."

Psalm 65:8b

Beauty in a Mason Jar

These scraggely flowers gorw as weeds around here.

Gemma picked them, swiped them probably, from a neighbor's curb.

"They're for you, Mom."

 

 They are drinking water from a mason jar.

I'm not sure who put them in there, Matt or Gemma.

Mason jars make the best vases.

What is it about children that makes them see flowers in weeds,

beauty in what most adults would consider garbage?

 I think perhaps it's a bit like what our Savior sees in us.

We may not be much, we might even be weeds, but He sees in us potientiality.

He sees in us His children, who are far from perfect

and lavishes His love on us.

You Capture: Pink

Shhh...

I have a secret stash.

Don't tell!

Paid in Full

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe,

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

Oh, praise the One who paid my debt,

And raised this life up from the dead!

Happy Easter!

Fish Eyed

I've wanted a fish eye lens for quite a while. This is just a fish eye effect. Maybe someday I'll actually get a lens. But I'd also like to have an 85mm and a 35mm. Photography, you are such an expensive hobby!

And I Quote...

Brother Lawrence:
"Let all our employment be to know God; the more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him. And as knowledge is commonly the measure of love, the deeper and more extensive our knowledge shall be, the greater will our love be; and if our love of God were great, we should love Him equally in pains and pleasures. Let us not content ourselves with loving God for the mere sensible favors, how elevated soever, which He has none or may do us. Let us seek Him often by faith. Let us begin to be devoted to Him in good earnest. Let us cast everything besides out of our hearts."

Spring Blooms

Nothing says spring

to me

quite like

beautifully blooming

pastel colored

flowers.

Don't you agree?

"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."

Song of Solomon 2:11-12

You Capture: Spring

Sounds of Peace

I close my eyes and listen

the clock is ticking softly

a contented cat is purring

birds are trilling

a crow calls

water drips

a quiet conversation, may daughter talking to herself

the wind whips quickly against the windows

and just as quickly dies down.

Night falls, the sounds change

the pages of a book turning

crickets singing

frogs croaking in the distance

a door gently closes

a light switch flicks off

deep, rhythmic breathing

the sounds of peace.

I {Heart} Faces: Wind

I know I just posted this picture, but it fit the theme for this week's I Heart Faces photo challenge, so here it is again. When I was taking this picture (and the others in the series) I was annoyed the the wind was "messing up my shot". It wasn't until I unload the pictures at home that I realized the wind was a blessing in disguise. I love how it's blowing my daughter's long golden hair!

Wind

"Rushing wind, blow through this temple,

 blowing out the dust with in.

Come and breath Your breath upon me,

 for I've been born again." -Keith Green

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled the whole house where they were sitting." 

Acts 2:2

And I Quote...

"Remember He is the artist and you are only the picture. You can't see it. So quietly submit to be painted---i.e., keep fulfilling all the obvious duties of your station (you really know quite well enough what they are!), asking forgiveness for each failure and then leaving it alone. You are in the right way. Walk---don't keep on looking at it."  -C. S. Lewis

Smiling :)

Things that are making me smile:

 This basket of seeds, just waiting to be planted.



 My roses are starting to bloom.



Super great deals on super cute clothes at ON.

Resurrection eggs, #12 especially, because it's empty, like Jesus' tomb on Easter morning.

 The bird house Gemma painted and hung from our peach tree.

This baby picture of Gemma. Has it really been that long?

And, of course, her gap toothed grin. It makes me smile every time I see all those missing teeth. I think I'll be sad when those gaps are filled in with grown up teeth.

What are you smiling at?

You Capture: Smile

Reflecting Light

Any guesses

on what

this

is?

And I Quote...

"If  I hold on to choices of any kind,

just because they are my choice;

if I give any room to my private likes and dislikes,

then I know nothing of Calvary love."

-Amy Carmichael 

Confession:

I love farmer's markets,  

but I really hate vegetables.

That's probably why I take pictures at one

instead of buy produce there.

Fun

To me, these pictures are so fun:

the bright, happy colors,

and my silly girl's jack o' lantern grin.

We had fun taking these pictures, although taking pictures of a child isn't always fun.

It can be stressful and frustrating if the child won't cooperate, but I have a secret that can help combat that.

Want to hear it?

Make sure your camera is set to continuous mode, hold the shutter down, and have the kid make silly faces at you.

In between those crazy faces, you'll get some genuinely happy smiles because the kid is having lots of

FUN!

You Capture: Fun