Tag Archives: Photography

Be a Shout of Color…

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Picture Credit: Julianne Jackson

The fallen azalea flower…

far removed from its mother bush.

Bright pink, but face down in all the muck and mud that gathers before the opening of the drainage ditch.

Just the gentlest of showers could carry it into that darkest of places – forgotten.

But for now it is a shout of color within the dirty debris.

Being itself in the midst…as it is called to be…as it needs to be.

“Be who you are and be that well in order to honor the Master whose handiwork you are.” St. Francis de Sales

“When they walk through the valley of weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.”

+It has been awhile since I have posted on this blog and I hope now to return more regularly.  I have missed this place, this bit of Godly sanctuary, and each of you my readers. I see God connected in the all about me, it blesses me (and I h0pe you as well) to share those bits of light. In this crazy, mixed up world we need to remember God is with us. He is Emmanuel, and we in turn are called to be those shouts of color…that hope for the weary.

Inhale…”Oh Come Oh Come”…Exhale Slowly…”Emmanuel”

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picture credit: from the heart of j

There is an adrenalin stirring in the heart…

An advent adrenalin…an advent anticipation…

an awaiting of the light to come…the quiet, mysterious dawning of newness.

The inhaling of the mystery…”Oh Come Oh Come”…

The slow exhaling of hope…”Emmanuel”…

Inhale: “Oh Come, Oh Come”…

Exhale slowly: “Emmanuel”

“it is now the hour for you to wake from sleep for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Rom 13: 11-12

Grandmother’s Love

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image via jjackson

 

Things have been a bit quiet on the blog…but the most wonderful news to share…

I am a new, first time grandma!

No one can really put into words the indescribable joy of being a grandma.

This precious new life…in all ways a gift from God!

Ansley Grace…you make me smile from the inside out!

It’s such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother – that’s why the world calls her grandmother.  – Unknown

Grandmothers hold their grandchildren in a special place in their heart.  – Catherine Pulsifer

When a child is born, so are grandmothers.  – Judith Levy

A New Invitation…

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picture credit: J Jackson

picture credit: J Jackson

Suppose as you woke this morning, as you first opened your eyes, an image of Jesus with an outstretched hand was before you.

His outstretched hand reaching out to you in invitation…

How would this affect your day? Would you live your day differently?

Specifically, what would His hand outstretched in invitation say to you personally?

COME WITH ME…

In your fears of the day…in your worries…in your trials…in your concerns…in your difficult moments

I AM WITH YOU…

In your joys of the day…in your ponderings…in your prayers…in your conversations…in the movements of your day…in the everything of your day…

 I AM WITH YOU…

And yet, each day is a new beginning, filled with new graces, a new calling, a new invitation to take hold of His hand and walk…a new day with Him, Lord and Savior.

Yes, this day, Jesus with His hand outstretched to you in invitation is truly before you…

How will you live your day differently?

Impossibilities Turned Possibilities…

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picture credit: julianne jackson

picture credit: julianne Jackson

I always love finding signs of the impossible in my daily life…like this blooming flower, with buds mind you, bursting forth from between the cracks of concrete. It seems fitting to begin my Monday week with this image. With God truly all is possible…His grace makes it so. May this day all your impossibilities turn into possibilities in Him…He is a God of Surprises!

Walking Into the Son…

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picture credit: from the heart of j

picture credit: from the heart of j

Early morn…first day of spring…nip in the air…

I began my morning praise walk beseeching the Lord to “open my lips and let my mouth declare His glory.

The sun was bright as I walked into its warmth…

And I thought…a  perfect posture as Holy Week begins…

Walking into the “Son”.

Walking into the presence of the Son as the steps of His passion are retraced…Walking into His light…Walking into His warmth…Walking into His Love…Walking into His mercy…walking into His glory…walking ever deeper into the Heart of He who is Our Savior.

May we all walk into the radiance of the Son this Holy Week and let the glory of His love for us change us ever new.

Restful Waters or Turbulent Tides?…

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image via from the heart of j

image via from the heart of j

“Beside restful waters He leads me…” (Psalm 23)

I like to close my eyes and imagine these restful waters by which the Lord leads me. They bring me to a place of calm in my mind. However, in real life, it seems I walk beside high surf and waves. The type of water that seems to draw you into the rip tides of busy–ness and self.

Perhaps this is what you long to reveal to us, Lord. With you there ARE restful waters…the turbulence of the crashing waves we feel as we sink in the midst, is our own stirring of the waters through pride, our “my way is the best way”, our sinfulness, and the echo of accumulated evil in the world.

You long to lead us by restful waters…those streams of everlasting life that flow forth from Your side…however we often choose the rip tides. Save me Lord from my foolish following of the high surf and lead me to that place of repose…restful waters and verdant pastures…immersed deep within Your heart and in align with your most holy will for me.

Ah…restful waters…a beautiful meditation for this next week of Lent.

Put Out Into the Deep…

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image via from the heart of j

image via from the heart of j

Jesus said to Simon Peter…

“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”

Isn’t Lent about deep water…the depth of conversion?

Putting out into deep water calls for a deepening of faith…a journey into the unknown…a powerlessness that leads to a more complete dependence on God.

And when we lower ourselves in humility into the healing presence of God…

we are caught into His loving arms and are more deeply connected to Him who is our Savior.

Lord, grant us the courage to head for the deep waters, the humility to be immersed into the depth, the trust that You are with us and long for us to be more completely in union with You.

This Lent may we all hear the call to, “Put out into deep water.”

In the Reaching Out…

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image credit: from the heart of j

image credit: from the heart of j

The Parable of the Man with the Withered Hand has always intrigued me. The healing comes from Jesus’ directive, “Stretch out your hand.” How often we go through life with withered hands…hands that pull back in selfishness and self-absorption. What begins with withered hands soon affects our hearts and our minds as we shrivel into a “my way” view of life.

And yet in the reaching out there is healing. In the reaching out there is a  re-connecting…in the reaching out there is a re-attaching to the Body of Christ in which His love and strength infuses the souls of His people.

Yes, in the reaching out comes the healing from within.

We are meant to be a people connected.