Metal Tree

The tree is metal but the bird is not. I wonder what the bird must have be thinking. Was he fooled into thinking he was in a real tree? Maybe he was hoping to find some insects. Or maybe he just didn't care, and was just looking for a place to rest his feet.

Sometime we are fooled into thinking something is real when in fact it is not. We believe in the lies that someone feeds us and we walk down the wrong path. We need to pay careful attention to our surroundings. We need to seek the councils of someone wise and who will put our best interest out there. Of course that someone is God.

When I allow God to show the way I can be sure I am not fooled. I can perched myself on a metal tree and know that it is fake.

A Snail Pace

I didn't have to rush to get this picture. Not when the subject is going at a snail pace. Of course it helps that the subject is a snail.

There are days that I feel like I am moving at a snail pace. Age is not on my side and my joints feel the pain. Trying to keep up with the younger set has me moving so slow that I think a snail might be able to beat me in a race.

All joking aside. Sometime we need to slow down and take in the wonders of God's works. When we slow down we are able to hear God calling us. It might be just to spend time in His presence. Maybe we can hear Him telling us to spend time with a sick friend or give of ourselves to a new direction in our mission fields. What ever it is we can only know when we slow down enough to listen.

What is God calling you to do today? Are you willing to slow down to a snail pace to hear? I know I am willing to try.

Blooming Spring

In just a matter of days every tree has started to bloom. Spring has come early this year due to a non-existing winter. Of course other signs of spring is watery eyes, stuffy noses and uncontrollable sneezes. Along with the beauty of season comes the misery of this time of the year. Allergies.

As I get older my allergies grew worse. I long for summer to hurry up and get here. This year it seems I have a long wait. So off to the stores I go to get whatever pills I can get my hands on. I want to continue walking and taking pictures. Like this one here.

I know that I am not alone in this misery. So I shall pray for you and welcome your prayers for me. We will make it through this blooming spring.

In a Nut Shell.

Is this what it means when we say " in a nut shell"? It took many shots to finally get the bird coming out of the birdhouse. I just love the fact that it looks like a nut.

I always wonder where the expression come from. Where do any of the saying we hear comes from? How many can you think of?

We can remember them because they provoke a memory. How many scriptures can you remember? I will be honest. I have a hard time remembering scriptures. It is only when I apply them to my life that I can retain them at all. But I am working on that.

Today is a good day to start. You can take that to the bank and put it in a nut shell.

Drumstick?

Is it a drumstick with legs? Maybe it is a bowling pin. No it is a blue heron. A funny looking one at that. Every once in a while I get a shot off with an animal doing funny things.

It has become a game for me. Everyday during my walks I look for anything that catches my eyes. I don't care what it is. It might be a shape, a color or a movement that causes me to stop and look.

Sometime I get a shot off and get a silly picture like this blue heron. Sometime I don't get a clear shot and I have to delete it. But whatever happens I enjoy the game.

Maybe tomorrow I will get another silly picture. I hope so.

God's Eraser

This eraser is as big as the trees. It was part of an art exhibit in Washington DC. It got me to thinking. This eraser is not big enough to erase all my mistakes in life. I think God needs a much bigger eraser.

I am so glad that when God does erase my sins and mistakes that it becomes as far from His memories as the east is from the west. Because there are days that when I can't forget them. They haunt me and cause me to stumble. They take away my peace of mine. I need to learn to forgive myself. That is one of the hardest thing for me to do.

Maybe tomorrow with God help I can start.

Pillow Pet

When Precious our cat had kittens it was fun watching their first few weeks of life. One day while I went to check on them I notice one was missing. At first I thought it was until I realized that Smokey had become the other kittens pillow pet.

There are times in our life when others may use us as a pillow pet. We may feel we are being used and unappreciated. That others just walk all over us when we are down. But take courage. We have a mighty Lord who lifts us up and puts us back on our feet again. We can rest on Him. He is strong enough to be our pillow pet and more.

Super Saturday

Today six of the MCC Writer's Group went up to Lancaster, Pa for a writer's seminar that was titled Super Saturday. And it was a super Saturday. I pitched my book ideas and it was well received. So now I have to get my book proposals typed and mailed out to publishers.

The rest of the group seem to fair well also. We all left there with positive feedback and plans for our next moves. Our group is growing in size and purpose. I believe you will see great things come out of this group for the Lord.

Now back to the job of honoring the Lord. It is all I seek to do with my pictures, my stories and my life. How am I doing so far?

Strike a Pose

You have heard the term "strike a pose." Well this duck sure must of heard it. She spread her wing out for me to see her best quality. It seemed she wanted me to take her picture. Actually she was spreading her wing to dry it out. I have seen this practice often in fowls who are grooming themselves.

We sometime strike a pose to show off our best quality. We want others to notice the good we can do. It helps to boost our self esteem.

We do not need to strike a pose with God. He sees our best quality and our short coming. Yet He loves us no matter what pose we may make. Thank God.

Spider Web

The best time to take a picture of a spider web is early in the morning when the fog has started to lift. The little droplet of water brings out the pattern so that the camera can focus on it. It is like several stands of pearl necklaces are all strung out in a row. You can appreciate all the work that the spider has put into constructing the web.

Sometime there are things we put a lot of our time in but no one notices. It is not until after the fog had lifted that other can see the detail of our efforts.

I will do my best each day to see what my family, friends and others has done. I know that a kind word can make their day.

Ma and Pa Trail

I decided to walk part of the Ma and Pa trail. I have always heard about it but never had the time to investigate it. It is a lot harder than I imagine. The little bit that I did manage to walk got my heart a pumping.

Now that the weather seems to be warming up I find myself drawn to the outdoors looking for a new place to explore. I love the boardwalk in Harve De Grace and the path at the Mariner. I go to the Bel Air pond weekly and visit the Edgewood marsh daily. Yet I know there is more to Harford County than these places.

So if anyone reading this knows of some good places to go, give me a howler. My camera is waiting to capture some new and wonderful treasures. Tomorrow I will visit the Ma and Pa trail again. It is a good place to start.

Rock Rabbit

On our many vacation we came across this mountain of a rock that looks like a rabbit. Now tell me you can see it. It is almost as if God carves this just for me to get this picture.

Once again I am at awe at the work of God's hands when I come across His creations in nature.

When I see how well He has created this bunny I can only imagine what He had to do to create someone like me. I know He had to put in a lot thought in each part of me even to the numbering of each hair. What an awesome God we have.

Too Cute Bunny

Isn't he just the cutest bunny that you ever did see? You just want to pick it up and smother is with hugs and kisses. Of course that is only if you can catch it in the first place.

With Easter around the corner I can't help but think about cute little bunnies. Chocolate one are the best.

A friend of mine once had a nest of them in her front yard. Talk about being too cute. They had not even had their eyes open yet. (If I can find the pictures I took I will post it to this blog later.)

Bunnies are just one of those animal that gives you that fussy feeling inside. Unless you find them eating in your flowerbed or garden. Than they just make you feel all angry inside.

Today I will just go with the fussy feelings that this bunny made me feel. Because he is just a too cute bunny.

Embryo Rock

Doesn't this rock look like an embryo? Now I know you have to use your imagination a little. Okay! Maybe a lot. But can you see it?

Every time I take my walks I am on the look out for anything that might look like an animal. This rock caught my eyes. So of course you know I had to pick it up.

I just wish I could draw or paint the things I see in nature. No matter how hard I try to explain what I see I know that not everyone can see it.

This is the same way when I try to explain the love of Jesus to anyone. No matter how hard I try I can't make them understand His love. But I will keep trying, taking pictures and telling my stories to anyone who will listen. Maybe you will see more than just a rock in my hand.

Green Thumb

Today is Saint Patrick's Day. It is a day we see everyone wearing green. I wore a green shirt under my work shirt to partake of this tradition. Today makes me think about a different kind of green. The green thumb.

I envy anyone who has a green thumb. It amazes me when I see lush green lawns, beautiful flower gardens and over flowing vegetable gardens. My lawn has more brown spots than green. I have never succeeded in keeping any flowers alive. Don't even ask me to try my hand growing any vegetable. We would all starve.

It is good to know that God has given these talents to others. I rely on the farmers, planters and florist folks to provide me with all I need. I ask God to bless those who serve Him with a bountiful harvest. And I thank them all for their hard works. God bless you all.

Deer Crossing

As I made it to the end of the walkway at Otter Point I notice something swimming in the water. At first I thought it was a flock of geese. When the eagle flew over them I was expecting it dive down on them. So I took pictures.

It was not until I was able to get a close up of the picture that I realized that it was in fact a group of deer crossing the Bush River. How cool was that?

I always go out in search of something new to take a picture of and God seems to bless me with exciting things sometime. I never know what to expect but I always look forward to the search.

When I get into the word of God I never know what to expect there either. But I know that I always look forward to the treasures that I find.

The Eye of the Camera.

What the eye sees and the camera sees can be worlds apart. This blue flower caught my eyes and I had to get a picture of it. But when I had it developed the flower came out purple. Some how something got lost in the translation from the camera to the printer. Yet even when I compare what I see in the camera to the real flower the colors are all wrong.

I have learned that I can't always count on the eye of the camera. I do know that I can count on the eyes of God to show his wonders. With my own eyes I can take pleasure in His creations even if I can't get it out on paper in the right colors.

Gray Catbird

I finally figure out what this Gray Catbird was doing when I took this picture. She was trying to get me away from her nest. This is a maneuver that several small birds display when anything or anyone gets to close. I have seen this display from Mockingbirds and Killdeers.

This year my mission is to try and get some pictures of nest with eggs and babies. So I expect to see a lot more action when I get too close to a nest. This Spring should be interesting.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

No matter how far I stretched out my camera I cannot get a good clear picture of this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Believe me when I tell you that I tried and took at least 100 pictures. My camera even though it is a good one just can't focus on anything that is too far away. The picture may turn out okay, but it is not the best it could be.

Sometime we stretch ourselves too thin. We get so involved in many projects that we end up not doing one as well as if we could focus all our attention on just one or two projects at a time. I am so guilty of this very thing. It wears me out and I know I am not giving my best.

I need to know my limits. When I can work on one thing at a time I find that the job gets done in a timely manner with great results. I need to prioritize my activities and learn to do things that are pleasing to God. It is only when I give my best and not stretch myself to thin that this can happen.

One Man's Good Deed

Today I met a young man while taking pictures. He was picking up the trash that was laying around. So I asked if he worked for the park. He replied that he did not. That he was just doing his good deed for the day by cleaning up other people messes. He felt this was kind of his back yard and he wanted to make it better for others who uses it. He was nice enough to let me take his picture for this blog. Another good deed on his part.

So my question for this day is "What good deed can we do to make other lives better"? Do we go around cleaning parks? How about calling a friend or family member you haven't talked to in a while just to say hi? Maybe we can go to a homeless center and volunteer some of our time.

Whatever it is we can take our example for one man's good deed.

Mount Rushmore

I have had the privilege to visit Mount Rushmore several times. I marveled at the workmanship of each president's head. At one of the visit we were able to see just how big each of these heads were. Several man were working on them cleaning and doing some minor repairs and I was able to take this picture. They sure are larger than life.

There are many things in life that are larger than what we are able to handle. But we have a God that is larger than life. He is able to give us the tools to clean and make repairs to our mistakes and mishaps. When we face adversities He gives us the strength to defeat or overcome them.

I marvel at the workmanship at the hands of God. I would trust my life to no one else. I know that I am in good hands.

Canada Geese

Do Canada Geese come from Canada? They breed from Alaska on throughout the United States. I read somewhere that the name comes from a man who last name was Canada not because they came from Canada. I am not sure how true that is.

The one thing I do know is that where ever you go they are there. I got pictures from every vacation of Canada Geese in any types of water. It may be in lakes, ponds or rivers that these fowls are found. But I still like to take their pictures. Especially when they are in flight.

They each have their own personality and displays unique traits.

They are a little bit like us. We are everywhere. We each have our own personality and unique traits. We are special. Thank God.

Ancient Elephant

When we went up to Niagara Falls after our vacation last summer I spied this tree stump in the water. It look like some kind of ancient elephant. Who know it might be.

I love how God is always showing elephants in nature. He knows that I relate to them in many ways. We stay at a place called Elephant Lodge. Love it there. If you look around my place it is full of elephants.

What is something that you are collecting? Does it bring you pleasure? My elephants bring me pleasure. Some more than others because of who or why they were given to me. If you see an elephant around think of me and send a little prayer my way. I could away use prayers. Thanks.

Can a Spider spell?

Can a spider spell? Well if you look at the web in the upper right hand corner you will see the word BAT. So did the spider spell it or was it just a quark? Of course a spider can't spell, unless it is the spider in Charlotte's Web.

I am always looking for the unusual things in nature. So when I saw this web full of bugs I couldn't pass up the chance to get a good picture of the pattern. It wasn't until I put it in the computer that I notice the word BAT.

Sometime that is the way we view others. We see what is on the outside with no problem. It is not until we take a closer look at the inside that we find that special trait.

Today who can we find that needs to know that they are special? When you find them tell them just how special they are to you.

Nutty Nuthatch

Every time I go to the marina I bring a bag of peanuts. I want to see what birds I can get to go after the ones that I place on the fence post or picnic table. I was surprise to see the nuthatch go after one break it open and pull out the nut inside. He was a nutty nuthatch.

So far I have gotten pictures of a Cardinal, Blue Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Grackle, Titmouse and of course squirrels with peanuts in their mouths.

It is a wonder how many different creatures enjoy peanuts. Now I need to get a picture of an elephant with one. The mission for you. Go out and see what you can get with a peanut in their mouth. Most of all have fun and get a little exercise as well.

Golden Dragonfly

This has to be one of my best shot of a dragonfly. I love the golden color of its body. When I put it in a frame made of gold it made the dragonfly stand out more. It almost look like it is a jewel.

I sometime wonder what God sees when He looks at us. Does He see us shine like the golden dragonfly? Our we reflecting the jewel nature of our lives? I like to think we are.

Today was another day to shine for God. I woke up seeking to serve. I don't always get it right, but I give it my best. I want to shine like the precious jewel that God created me to be.

Pucker-up

Pucker-up and get ready for the kiss of a life time. Well that depends on who you are puckering up to.

A kiss is a kiss. It is a form of affection. I love giving my grandson his kisses and hugs goodnight. I wish I could give my granddaughters the same.

Lovers gives long passionate kisses. Sometime too long. you wonder if they will ever come up for air. Friends give pecks on the checks.

You can give a wet kiss, a french kiss or a long embrace kiss. What ever the kiss may be it is an act of showing the other how you feel.

I long sometime to give God a kiss. The kind that shows my undying love for Him. But alas I cannot. I can however show Him my affection through my actions. By being the best I can be for Him is a way to show that I care.

So God here is my kiss to you. I will each day give you the best me that I can be.

Paused to hear God.

This weekend we all took the time to paused and hear the words of God speak to the heart. Whether is was through the pains, the dreams and our hope for a better future we got to be real with what was going on in our lives. Some of us made new friends or got reacquainted with old ones. We learn things about each other we did not know and laughed at some of the things we already knew. All in all we learned a little more about the will of God in our own lives.

Did I paused long enough to hear God. I think I did. I know a little more in what direction God wants me to go. It will take a lot of faith on my part to take the steps needed to start the journey.

But I know I cannot turn back. One step at a time.

Foggy Start

What started off as a foggy dreary weekend ended with a beautiful sunset evening. God knows how to make your heart sing His praises. What a fun active let yourself be real day. Wonderful speakers and friendly competitive games made for an eventful evening. Tomorrow will come too soon.

Ceciltucky

Here I am in Ceciltucky, rooming with Pepper and Mrs Dash. Beat the rain coming up. Looking forward to some relaxations. But only if Pepper and Mrs Dash will stop partying. When you are rooming with a clown and a social butterfly that is not happening.

On a serious note. I am already feeling some of the pressures of life leaving my body. Tracy Tiernan was great tonight and has us rearing to face the weekend in the presence of God. Talked about having our own personal name for God. One that we can relate to the love and grace of His mercy. Not sure what name I will pick, but I know it is one that relates to His heart toward me.

Good Food

Tomorrow I will on my way to the annual Women's Retreat at Sandy Cove. I am looking forward to good times and good food. Here's some good food I will be eating.

I know we have many new women coming for the first time. So I look for some great stories throughout the weekend. I know lives will be changed.

My life always grows a little closer to the Lord each time I go. I love getting pictures of new things that shows me the wonders of God's creations. So for all those who are going I will see you there. It is going to be exciting to see what God has planned for us.