Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
Emily Dickenson

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Baby Bumblebee On Cosmos

Quote

I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.

Henry David Thoreau

Signs Of Spring: Primrose

Winter Sunset

Isaiah 40: 28-31

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Wish I Was Here

Psalm 121

1 ¶ I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Spiders

You can see more detail if you will open these in another window. Then expand to full screen. ~Sorry, Elaine.~

God's Coloring Book

Today as I was walking
In the fields just down the way
I sat down on a fallen log
To pass the time away
And as I looked around me
The more that I did look
the more I realize that I am viewing
God's coloring book

I saw a golden ray of sunlight
A silver drop of dew
A soft, white floating cloud
Sailing cross the sky 'a blue
A yellow dandelion
Pretty evergreen
And some red and orange flowers
Growing wild along the stream

And the more I look around me
And the more that I do look
The more I realize that I am viewing
God's coloring book

The greyness in an old man's hair
The pink in baby's cheeks
The blackness in a stormy sky
The brown in fallen leaves
And the multicolored rainbow
Stretched out across the sky
And the purple haze at sunset
Just before the night

And the more I look around me
And the more that I do look
The more I realize that I am viewing
God's coloring book

Then I turn my face toward the sky
And say a silent prayer
Though God doesn't speak to me
I see him everywhere
He is all around me
He's everywhere I look
And each new day is but a new page
In God's coloring book

Each new day is but a new page
In God's coloring book

Words and music by Dolly Parton

Iris Bud

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Cades Cove

Field of Dreams has always been one of my favorite movies. There's a line in the movie spoken by Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham: This is my most special place in all the world. Once a place touches you like this, the wind never blows so cold again. You feel for it, like it was your child.

This is how I feel about the Smokies. I can't explain it and these pix do not do it justice. It's a place that makes you homesick to come back again.

Webs

Quote

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another,
"What! You too? I thought I was the only one."

CS Lewis

II Timothy 3: 14-17

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In the Garden

Strawberries



Tomato



Candy Corn



Squash



Cosmos and Zinnias

Dew on Leaf

Deuteronomy 33: 27-29

27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

Colossians 3: 12-17

12 ¶ Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The Box

There is a box on its way to my house. Just an ordinary brown cardboard box. It has made this trip before. It is like an old friend turning up for a visit. Sometimes I know it is coming and sometimes it is a surprise. Sometimes it contains books. Other times, silly fun things like a tiara and chocolate.

We have been using this same box for months now, always careful not to tear it as we remove the old tape. We have even shared this box with another dear friend in another state. The lady at the post office knows its history and when I pick up a package, she always asks, "Is this the box?"

This time it contains a diabetic necklace for my youngest son who will soon be 12 years old. It once belonged to the mother of my dear friend. My friend lost her mother to complications of diabetes three years ago. My son was diagnosed two years ago and has needed this for some time now. Actually, I bought one shortly after he was diagnosed and then I threw it in the garbage. That's what I would like to do to the disease. This time, I didn't buy the necklace. It is coming in "the box" and that will make it so much easier.