10/31/11

 

Night pictures at the fair.

I didn't get a chance to work on them until this past weekend. 

I hope you don't mind a few more times of the fair.

I just love the lights.... nothing like the beauty of the color against a backdrop of black.

I realize the next few are basically the "same."  However, I took them at different shutter speeds to get different effects.  :)

The Yo-Yo was my new favorite thing to photograph this year.

I surely wouldn't ride this ride, but I do love to photograph it!

10/30/11

 

Psalm 33:8

Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

Do you stand in awe of our great Creator?

What gives you a sense of awe?

The teachers were asked this last week during a teacher's meeting. 

There are so many things that give me awe for my Creator.  

frost/dew

seasons changing

colors of those seasons

blue skies

a baby

details of Creation.... things we sometimes pass by

my children

His mercy and grace

white puffy clouds

rain droplets

storms

snow

waves of the ocean

sand on the beach - He knows the number of them all

I believe I could go on and on....  

This afternoon Steve, the kids and I are going to a park to enjoy the fall beauty.  I know I will be able to see more instances of "awe" for my Creator.  I plan on capturing them through my lens.

So... I ask YOU.

What gives YOU a sense of awe from our Creator?

10/29/11

Love the purple and green with this flower!

 

My last thought on prayer for this week.  I hope these posts have given you fuel or much to think on with your walk with Christ.  I have needed them greatly.  This one seemed to hit home for me especially because I have been so busy lately.  I can't be too busy for the Lord.

Alone in Prayer

Have you hurriedly rushed through your prayers?  Have you prayed on the run, hoping God would understand?

We all know we can pray anywhere, at any time, but Matthew 5:6 tells us that we actually need to get apart, enter our prayer room, or closet, and pray in secret.  This isn't some mythical place for personal devotions, but it is a place where you can go to meet God.  It is a place of secret prayer, a time to meet with God alone.

What is your secret prayer life like?  Do you have a place set apart to pray to the Lord?

Meeting with God on a daily basis to pray will require discipline on your part.  It might mean getting up a little earlier than the rest of your family.  Or it might mean getting to the office a bit earlier so that you can take the time to pray in secret to your heavenly Father.  Whatever the case, locate a place where you can pray to God.  If Jesus Christ thought it was necessary for us to have a private place to pray, then we should follow His teaching.

God sees what is done in secret; He hears your prayers and promises to reward you.  Yes, you can pray in the car as you drive, or pray while waiting in the doctor's office, or while rocking your baby in the middle of the night.  But God tells us that we all need to have a place where we shut the door, get away from everything and everyone and commune with him alone.

God specifically tells you not to be like the hypocrites because they love their self-righteous "worship" to be seen by men.  Their reward is that they were seen by men, nothing more.  Jesus tells you to establish a private prayer room, but that is only a step to answered prayer and a growing relationship with the Lord.  You must also be sure to come before the throne with a pure heart and untainted motives.  Then God, who sees you in secret, can openly reward you.

~ Dwell Devotional

10/28/11

More interesting things from the Vietnamese garden... this is a type of gourd.. or is it a melon?  Oh, goodness... I didn't write it down when my brother told me so that is why I can't remember. lol

 

More on prayer today.  Just know these are as much for me as to those of you reading!  The Lord knew I needed this!

".... be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer" (I Peter 4:7)

Have you made it a priority to have a flourishing prayer life?  Maintaining a powerful prayer life is a lifelong process that can only become richer and more meaningful as the years pass.  The development of a pattern of prayer is perhaps the most vital element of your communication with God.  Yes, we are to pray continually (I Thess. 5:17).  But we must also make every effort to reach for certain disciplines in our lives which will enable us to pray without ceasing.

• We must seek God (Matt. 6:33)
• We must worship God (Psalm 57:11)
• We must desire His Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
• We must devour His Word (II Tim. 2:15)
• We must bask in His salvation (Psalm 1:2)
• We must pray (I Thess. 5:17)

Does your prayer invite God's Spirit?  Does it require an answer?  Does it honor God?  Does it praise God?

You won't always come to God as a soldier, combating the powers of evil.  You will have times when you will be broken, with a regretful, remorseful spirit.  God hears when you have those times of prayer, and He will honor your prayer.  The point is, no matter what condition you're in, you must make the time to pray.

The great prayer warrior, E. M. Bounds (1835-1913) wrote,  "We can curtail our praying and not realize the peril until the foundations are gone.  Hurried devotions make weak faith, feeble convictions, questionable piety.  To be little with God is to do little for God."

E. M. Bounds was known to spend three to four hours a day in fervent prayer.  David Smithers, an author who wrote about E. M. Bounds penned these words:  "Sometimes the venerable mystic would lie flat on his back and talk to God; but many hours were spent on his knees or lying face down where he could be heard weeping...."

While most of us cannot pray for three or four hours, we can at least set aside some time to pray.  This will give us the strength we need to accomplish all that God would have us to do.

10/27/11

Once again, these beautiful fruits are from the Vietnamese garden I showed yesterday.  I can't remember what my brother told me these were, but I know they look like a tomato and pumpkin mixed together!

 

Let's continue with that theme on prayer, shall we?

I had to smile the other night when I opened my devotional for this week and saw it was going to be on prayer.  Then, this morning I opened up my "little" devotional and saw the title "Unceasing Prayer!"  Don't be surprised if you see more of those nuggets from God's Word from me in the next couple of days.  I love how the Lord places things on our hearts and then gives us more "ammo" to use in our daily lives.

Here is the devotion I read for Monday.  It is from my Dwell Devotional.

"But prayer....."  (Acts 12:5)

But prayer is the link that connects us with God.  This is the bridge that spans every gulf and bears us over every abyss of danger or of need.

How significant the picture of the Apostolic Church:  Peter in prison, the Jews triumphant, Herod supreme, the arena of martyrdom awaiting the dawning of the morning to drink up the apostle's blood, and everything else against it.  "But prayer was made unto God without ceasing."  And what was the sequel?  The prison open, the apostle free, the Jews baffled, the wicked king eaten of worms, a spectacle of hidden retribution, and the Word of God rolling on in greater victory.

Do we know the power of our supernatural weapon?  Do we dare to use it with the authority of a faith that commands as well as asks?  God baptize us with holy audacity and Divine confidence!  He is not wanting great men, but He is wanting  men who will dare to prove the greatness of their God.  But God!  But prayer! - A. B. Simpson

You might have an urgent need in your life right now.  Never forget the words, "But prayer...."!  God can take your situation and turn it around.  Do you have faith enough to believe this?  Watch out for a spirit of unbelief; realize that your prayers are God's opportunities. ....

Have an attitude of anticipation along with a worshipful mind-set as you pray.  Agree that God's will in this matter is most important.  Willingly surrender to God's purposes and plans, depending on Him to see you through your dilemma.

Write down your situation and pray for it every single day this week.  Don't give up on your prayer - trust God.

10/26/11

 

This is a Vietnamese garden that we saw at the fair.  They had some unusual things growing in this garden.  It made me want to climb over the wall and get up close to them, but I refrained.  I didn't want "Sacurity" to get me.

My brother thinks this is a type of eggplant and I agree.  It is a lovely color.

I don't know what this is but it was lovely.

 

Yesterday I gave you a "teaser" about what I was going to share today. 

It is something I have been thinking on for over a week and then, after my Bible lesson to my children yesterday, I began to continue in the thought.

I am going to chat about prayer.

A little over a week ago we saw on the TV that the Indy race car driver, Dan Wheldon, passed away during a wreck during a race.

My heart was saddened with this news, but it also got me thinking.

The man who announced his death spoke to the public that he had passed and that "our thoughts and prayers were with the family."

I totally get that.

What I find interesting, and even spoke about this with Steve, is the fact that the during hard times like this tragic event, people want the prayers coming in and rightly so.  However, when times are good... are there prayers going up?  Are there prayers needed?

I also find it interesting that our society as a whole doesn't want to hear about God because He shows all that is wrong in our nation, but let something bad happen and all of a sudden the liberal news media is talking about prayers, our president is saying "God bless America" and we are hearing "Amazing Grace" all over the place.

Where are these things in the easy times?  The times when life seems to be going well?  God is there then, too, but we seem to put Him "on a shelf" because, well... things are going great and we don't really need Him.  Or so we think.

Is the only time you talk to God when things are going bad and you need some help?

Don't get me wrong, God wants to hear from us during those times.  My Bible lesson yesterday showed my kids this fact.  I was teaching on Jacob returning to meet Esau and he found out Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men with him.  He was scared and rightly so.  However, he took that fear to the Lord and prayed specifically what he was feeling.

Genesis 32:11

Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

God delivered Jacob just as He had prayed.

Is it only appropriate to pray during times of trouble?  

NO.  God wants to hear from us every day.

I will be honest... voicing prayers is a hard thing for me at times.  I find that I "picture" the people in my brain and that is how I pray. (I did find out from a class at teacher's convention one year that visualizing prayers is typical of a visual learner of which I am definitely that!)  

But God wants us to talk to Him.

He wants us to voice our every day, trivial, small, happy or sad thoughts.

He wants to show us that He is there for it all.

This quote I put on yesterday's post was so true of what I was thinking so I am going to post it again:

"Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble: prayer is a life attitude." - Walter Mueller

Let's remember I Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing.

Not only when times are bad... but throughout your day in every way. 

God wants to hear from you.

Make it your life attitude.

10/25/11

This is a Pitcher Plant I was able to see at the fair.  I thought it was so lovely.... it is an unusual plant!

 

Today I am going to share a few quotes to get ready for a post I am "chewing" on in the next day or so.

"Prayer is conversation with God." - Clement of Alexandria

"Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble: prayer is a life attitude." - Walter Mueller

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak." - Allen E. Bartlett

10/24/11

Ornamental pepper plants.... who knew peppers could be so pretty.  Love all the colors!

 

Let's recap the NC State Fair, shall we?  Another year has come and gone.

Funnel cakes - had many this year.  Yummy, but the last one was the best.

Footlong hotdog - yep... have to have one the first week at least.  Don't really know why except it is tradition.

Scrambler - we love that ride.

Cobra - Oh. My. Word.  Rode that with Wesley and Mikayla for the first time this year.  I have never really gotten sick on rides before.  I must be showing my age because while my daughter was screaming how much she loved it, I couldn't wait to get off.  I also had trouble walking after the ride.  Let's just say the equilibrium was OFF.

Bloomin' Onion - We had two this year because Mom was determined she was going to have them. The second one was the best.

Ribbons - we were very blessed and quite tickled.  They came home today.  I found out why they didn't like some of my other stuff.  Hmmm......

Fried Cheese - we tried this for the first time this year.  WOW.  That will now be a new tradition.

Lights at night - I can't get enough of them.  I just wish I could capture what I see with my eyes with my camera.  It is just quite never the same.

Cows - I just love them.

Bunnies - I really wanted one.  Shhh... don't tell the kids.

Village of Yesteryear - love seeing all of the "old" ways.  Too many of those things are becoming a lost art.  Candlemaking anyone?

People Watching - you begin to realize you are pretty normal looking when you observe fair goers.  What some people choose to wear to the fair amazes me.  I saw one lady in heels.  My legs and feet hurt just watching her.

Ice Cream - we get the square kind dipped in chocolate every year.  We have gotten one of those with Daddy for as long as I can remember. 

I had someone tell me the other day that I was the only person they knew that went to the fair more than once.  Unfortunately, she hasn't met the other parts of my family because I have aunts, uncles and cousins that go more than we do.  lol  

We love the fair.

We love the craziness.

We love the food.

We love the experiences of entering items.

But, most of all, we love the memories we share. 

10/23/11

 

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

10/22/11

Off to the fair again today!  Enjoy some of these fair shots I captured last week.  :)

10/21/11

 

Funny from my day:

One of my little girls came up to me at the end of the day all concerned.  She said her stomach hurt when she bent backwards in her desk.  I questioned her about what she did at recess and how long it hurt.  I told her I thought she'd be alright and if it kept hurting to let her Mom know because she may have turned wrong in her desk or something.  

Then, she looks at me realllly concerned and said

"Do you think I need my appendix out?"

I assured her that what I faced several months back when I needed mine out was not the same as her pain... and smiled on the inside.

I needed that chuckle today.

Maybe you did too.  :)

10/20/11

Here are a few shots from the fair that I thought were pretty.  I love the garden areas that are decorated.  This year this one had a theme of purple and had this glass ball.  Do you see me?  Do you see my wonderful brother standing by me patiently waiting?  :)

 

Here is a tree that has old lamps that are being used as bird feeders.  So cute!

 

This garden was called "The Color Purple" and I loved it!

 

Flowers were in abundance.  I was enjoying my moments of photographing these lovely blooms.

 

I was reminded this morning of counting my blessings.

I have had a few weeks of craziness... trying to teach, work on wedding pictures, being a Mom, grading papers, helping my students, clean a house... well, you get the idea.

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed again and when I get overwhelmed, my fuse gets short.  

I hate being that way... but let's be real.  I think we all know what I mean.

Back to counting my blessings.

I think I have been so consumed in what I have to get done, that I have forgotten to take the time to count the blessings God has given me.  I am not talking only about the "big" ones... I am thinking also of the small ones.

SO, I am going to share some of the small or big things in life for which I should count my blessings.  This is not an exhaustive list.

1.  I have a healthy husband and children.  I have read about or heard of so many people who are facing health trials this week.  I read of one child who is near the end after battling cancerous tumors.. she is younger than Wesley and Mikayla. 

2.  I got to sleep with Wesley the other night when he had a bad earache from an ear infection.  He came down with it after Urgent Cares were closed.  I got to be Mom and comfort my little guy when he was in pain.  

3.  I am thankful for antibiotics that helped his pain to go away.  It isn't a permanent sickness.

4.  Happy to have Facebook to be able to check up on a guy I graduated with from highschool who had brain surgery yesterday.  His wife updated his condition every few hours during the surgery.  It helped us know how to pray.  

5.  My van, the "Golden Chariot" is still running and gets us to and from school each day.  My daughter may not be especially fond of her because she isn't the most up-to-date vehicle, but I love that van just the same.

6.  Being able to talk with a 6 year old at church last night about the greatness of God and have him show me trust in childlike faith.  Sometimes a child has great wisdom in their simple faith in the Lord.

7.  Having friends who understand when I need to vent some frustrations.

8.  Teachable moments - for me and for my students

9.  Strength to handle my day

10.  Chocolate and peanut butter

11.  Last but not least today... I am counting the blessings of our two "babies" who have worked hard and, for the first time ever, made straight A's on their report cards.  This is huge... we have made A's and B's before but never straight A's.  Steve and I are tickled pink, green and purple.  :) 

Tell me... what things in life today are helping you realize to "count your blessings?"

10/19/11

 

We'll take a little break from my fair pics to get back to the 10 day challenge that has now gone on for 2 weeks.  :)

Six Places are today...

1.  HOME - this is the place I love the most.  At the end of the day, I am happiest to be at home surrounded by my family.

2.  Bar Harbor, Maine - specifically, Acadia National Park - I could have posted pics of all these pics, but didn't have enough time.  However, you can look back on my blog from last year after July and you could probably see the posts from there.  We went there last summer and it has stayed in my heart ever since.  There are no words to describe the beauty.  Steve and I would go back in a heartbeat.. but next time we think we want to fly instead of drive.  :)

3.  Niagara Falls - Steve, Kevin and I went there in 2004.  I can't believe it has been 7 years.  We stayed on the Canadian side and I loved every minute of that place.  For entertainment when we were in our room, we looked out of our hotel window at the falls instead of the TV.  It was humbling to walk beside something so powerful and view God's creation in such a way.  I was more in awe of our great God.

4.  Europe - one day... one day.  I long to go to many places in Europe.  My ancestors were from Germany so it would be neat to spend time there, specifically, but if I could travel in all of the countries there it would be awesome.  Can you just imagine how many photographs I would take?  

5.  Yellowstone National Park/Glacier National Park/Yosemite National Park - need I say more?  I have had several friends who have visited a lot of these in the past year.  I am jealous in a happy way.  :)  I just live vicariously through them until I get to go myself.

6.  The Grand Canyon - I want to experience the awesomeness of God's Creation here, too.  I teach this to my children as I help them understand how God destroyed the earth with The Great Flood.  Evolutionists would like to believe it took millions of years to form that canyon, but my Bible tells me otherwise!  

There are so many other places I long to visit in this world that I know will never happen.  That is OK.. I am just thankful that now we can view pictures of them at the click of a mouse.  That is more than some people have.  Just know, I have lots more than 6 places on a dream list. :)

10/18/11

Let's view some more Fair pics.  You know I took a zillion.

Since I didn't get the 40 Flamingos in my yard on my birthday this year, I decided I needed to photograph these to help me feel that I had them.  Not sure what they were for, but they made realllly nice reflections in the pond area at the "back" of the fairgrounds.

 

While I was photographing various vegetation, Steve, the kids and Mom stayed behind listening to the Bluegrass Band called "The Grass Cats."  They had a toe-tappin' good time.

Our first ride was the Scrambler.  This is the ride Kevin and I have loved since childhood and that is now passed down to Wesley and Mikayla.  Steve can't handle going in circles so this is not the ride for him.  

 

Steve caught some pretty good action shots.  Not bad for my Sweet Man who was told by me to make sure he captured us.  Enjoy the next couple or three action shots. 

Wesley and Mikayla wanted to ride the huge slide... and they climbed all the way to the top....

 

.... and slid all the way to the bottom...

 

they had a lot of fun

 

There was also the Himalaya and the roller coaster but I didn't expect Mom to try to take pictures.  She was doing good to keep up with all of our stuff.  :)