Photography – Page 4 – B Is for Blessed!

The Holly…

As a kid, one of my favorite Christmas carols was The Holly and the Ivy. I’m sure I had no idea how both related to Christmas back then. When I finally recognized and understood the words I was curious why this carol called the holly and the ivy. There is very little mention of the ivy!

Holly has roots deeply embedded into the pagan solstice celebration. Its evergreen qualities nod to a promise of better times to come and were absorbed by Christians. Holly and other evergreen plants later became part of traditional Christmas celebrations.

The consensus from various sources is that the white lily flower alludes to the purity of Jesus Christ. The red holly berry is symbolic of His blood. The prickle of the holly represents the crown of thorns our Savior wore. And finally the bitter bark may reference the drink offered to Christ upon crucifixion.

I’m grateful I can find God not only in His Word but in His world…

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown.

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour.

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown.

I pray we all seek more of Christ this Christmas Season as we give of ourselves and receive more of Him.

Be Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Wise Guys!

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2 NKJV

A few years ago, I passed a Nativity scene near my home. The simple structures were at least forty years old. The faded plastic stood proudly without touchup or fanfare as a testament to tradition.

The Joseph, Mary and baby were placed prominently in a simple display. Yet, it was the Wise Men that caught my attention.

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalms 9:10

The Wise Men actively sought The Messiah. The Bible is full of verses about seeking God. These men were wise enough to seek, recognize and worship giving the very best that they had. They did not despise their journey. Why do we despise our hard roads that bring us to God?

Is there a lesson in that?

My curiosity piqued, I read those first chapters of Matthew again. “Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” Matthew 2:12

King Herod never indicated to these men he was threatened by the birth of Jesus. Herod lied and told them to return so he could also worship him. However, these Wise Men heeded the warning not to return the way they had come.

I can think of a few instances I would have benefited by heeding the warnings God gave me not to go a way that looked harmless. I didn’t recognize my “warnings.”

The Wise Men did.

I wonder if their zeal to seek God made it easier for the Wise Men to hear from God? Not only did they recognize their “warning,” they obeyed it.

I can’t say that I’ve always done the same. Still, I’m hoping to end this year wiser than I began.

Presents under the tree are nice, but the best gifts can’t be purchased…

“For wisdom [is] better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” Proverbs 8:11

“The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge; [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7

“Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.” Proverbs 3:13

Restoration!

^{A few weeks ago, in my mother’s house, I found a Christmas ornament from 1996 that was lost in her office. Unlike the others, this one was never wrapped up and put away each year to annually find its way on the Christmas tree. Two decades of neglect left it looking more like a relic instead of something to ring in great tidings of joy!}^{Still, that not so shiny silver bell somehow managed to minister to me.}

^{As we come to the end of this year, many of us are at a loss trying to figure out what happened to 2017?}^{I’m confident that I am not alone with “to dos” left undone and more than a few things that fell by the wayside.}

^{As I polished the “lost” ornament, I was reminded that God restores us as well. Through Christ, we can not only renew our minds, but God can restore whatever we may lack including the time lost for those things He purposed for our lives.}^{The sin that continually tarnishes us and would keep us from our destiny, our Savior’s blood wipes away.}

^{It may have taken twenty years, but “Christmas 1996” is finally on a tree.}

^{Never give up on your goals and aspirations that seem long-lost. Whatever we lose (or was stolen) our Father’s love can surely restore!}

^{Our faith.}

^{Our family.}

^{Our finances.}

^{Our hope!}

^{If you feel like you’ve lost more than can ever be found, I challenge you to trust God.}^{Our Savior descended from Heaven not only for an eternal promise, but that we can live fruitful and meaningful lives now.}

^{Amazing Grace!}^{How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.

John Newton 1779}

^{My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,

And from those who persecute me.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant;

Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

Psalm 31: 15-16 NKJV}

^{He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake

Psalm 23:3 NKJV}

Merry Christmas?

Although Christmas is my favorite time of year, Christmas is not “merry” for many.

The holiday season can become a catalyst that accentuates grief, sparks depression and brings about a range of emotions, some of which we would rather not face. Not everyone has a legacy of Christmas memories that leave them feeling warm and cozy.

This Christmas will be one for many who are struggling with loss, and a great number of them may be relieved when the holidays are over.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Some people may very well need to tend their wounds instead of catering to the expectations of other people.

Insisting those who are hurting be joyful is unrealistic. We can’t always understand someone’s pain, but we can certainly respect it.

By faith, I am trusting God that much joy and laughter awaits us this Christmas.

One reason we celebrate the birth of Christ is the promise of a new life that doesn’t suffer the ills and pains of this earthly world. Those who trust Him have a promise of something better for eternity.

Through faith, we win the mental battle that allows us to see the light that eventually breaks after every storm. Jesus is the Light of the world elevating us above despair and defeat. If you are feeling overcome, look to the Light!

Call on Him.

If you are hurting this Christmas season, my prayer is that you receive His peace on earth and goodwill from men!

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NKJV

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Traveling over the river and through the woods or staying close to home, give thanks for blessings large and small; with God we are never alone.

B Blessed!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! 1 Chronicles 16:8 NKJV

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV

Great and Grateful…

Living in the “Bible Belt,” I read many a church sign. Some of them are witty, and others are downright weird.

I did come across one that I did like. It read “A GRATEFUL MIND IS A GREAT MIND.”

As I reflected on that particular sign, I thought about my various “states of mind” on any given day.

Some days I am focused.

On others not so much.

On occasion, I can keep a clear train of thought and accomplish much in record time. Then there are days I’m left looking around having nothing substantial to show for my efforts.

Yet, when I focus on counting my blessings, I gain the clarity that at other times alludes me.

When I am grateful, it puts into perspective all the minor and petty things that don’t matter. Annoyances, headaches and temporary trials don’t compare to God’s great grace, mercy and favor.

If I did not continually count my blessings, I would become bogged down in nonsense, drama and mired in things that bear no fruit!

We must renew our minds daily to magnify our God instead of our problems.

When we make a habit to appreciate how good God is to us, we are compelled to offer mercy, compassion, and kindness as we have received it. The knowledge of what we have received from the Father should compel us to love our neighbor/brother enough to not just pray for him but actually “do” for him.

In this season of thanks, don’t settle for being grateful, do something great!

Allow gratitude to manage your attitude.

Be kind.

Be generous.

Be a blessing!

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:11-12 NKJV

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4 NKJV

Burning Bush!

God and The Garden

And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush [was] not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Exodus 3:2-4 NKJV

“Here I am.”

God called Moses by name and revealed Himself.

God does the same for us. We may not experience anything as spectacular as a burning bush yet God calls us just the same.

God knows our names. We were born for a purpose. We can choose to obey the call He places on us or we can…

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Family Reunion!

This weekend, I was blessed to return to my hometown of Tallahassee and catch up with family.

Now, this isn’t “family” in the traditional sense of the word. Some families you are born into. Others you acquire through marriage. And then, if you are very fortunate, some family is chosen for you.

I graduated high-school in a tiny class. Instead of hundreds of students, there were only forty-eight of us. A dozen of those I met in kindergarten.

Our school was small. It was the kind of school where everyone literally knew everyone else. You knew them, their siblings and probably their parents as well.

It was a simple time when the jocks were jocks without the nerds walking in fear of them.

It was an era where the “board of education” hung on a wall. Some may scoff, but the kids that came out of “The High” had a credible respect for authority and grew up to be respectable adults.

Our teachers were more like mothers. There was always the fear they would see your real mother and tell them everything you were up to.

In a school that didn’t have the latest and greatest equipment, we learned to make the best of what we had and didn’t allow what we didn’t have to stand as an excuse between where we were and where we wanted to be. Truth be told, I don’t think we were aware we were lacking anything!

Those halls were filled with love and laughter. Fights were physical but quickly resolved.

No guns, no knives.

Our cafeteria’s food was cooked with love. Homemade cinnamon rolls, pot pies, and peach cobbler. The smells of which I’ll never forget.

We learned to sit still during assemblies where we would pray. We said the pledge of allegiance every morning.

May Days and Maypoles.

Life was simple then. We didn’t know how good we had it.

But now we do.

Thirty years later we look back at those times and laugh. We laugh at how blissfully unaware we were, oblivious to how rare it was to have classmates that were like sisters and brothers.

Those same “siblings” were there for me when I buried my parents. We pray for one another. I’m confident my classmates would tend to my kids in an emergency and welcome them with open arms if for some reason I couldn’t reach them.

This weekend, I was blessed to reminisce about old times and share some new. There was laughter. Yet, there were also tears for the classmates no longer with us. Still, through the process of coming together, many of us were able to “reconnect, release and rebuild.”

And, most importantly, there was love.

Love for one another and love for the institution that brought us together and keeps us together as friends and family, brothers and sisters.

That is something to be grateful for.

Florida A & M University Developmental Research School Class of 87.

FAMULY!

I thank God, I was blessed to be one of you.

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 NKJV

Hopeful!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NIV

“Overflow with hope.”

I’ll admit I haven’t been overflowing with hope lately. Part of this is due to lingering details concerning my mother’s death. Her birthday is tomorrow and I’ve been missing Mommy.

Recently, I was talking to my sister-in-law and she asked me what was I hoping for?

I didn’t have an answer.

There was a time I would have quickly rattled off a dozen or more things. Instead, it took me a few minutes to come up with an answer. Instead of being hopeful, I’ve been numb.

In Romans 15:12, Paul implores us to be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, the events of life leave us less than optimistic so it is only through the “God of hope” that we can have joy and peace as we trust in Him.

Trusting God, it isn’t always joyful or peaceful. It doesn’t necessarily “feel” good. But we must trust anyway. The Holy Spirt can allow us to be hopeful once more when we allow His presence to overtake us. I want to once again be that “crazy lady” always expecting the best.

A few weeks ago, I had to deal with one of those “lingering details” by registering my mother’s car before the tag expired. As I’m down at the county tag office, I fill out the paperwork to get the vanity tag GRCNMRC. I figure grace and mercy held me together this year so it was more than appropriate.

When you fill out the form, you must make three selections in case the first one is taken. I wasn’t worried because I have always received the vanity plates I requested. Well, apparently there is another person of the same mind as myself because GRCNMRC was already taken.

Really?!

On to my second choice, the clerk quickly shook her head “no.”

“BBLESSED” was also registered. It would have been nice, still I can imagine someone having selected that one.

Frustrated, I held my breath as the clerk typed in my last choice. At this point, she surely thought I was wasting her time. I figured I would have to come back. The odds were slim.

Surprisingly, they were in my favor. I was filled with hope with I received this in the mail this week.

I see “signs and wonders” all the time but I took this as a definitive message to get my hopes up!

And Mommy would surely want me to.

I am now hopeful once more that my writing endeavors go well. I am hopeful both boys exceed their expectations in college. I am hopeful about this new phase of my life. I am even hopeful that my alma mater defeats North Carolina A & T this weekend for Homecoming.

Go Rattlers!!!

What are you hoping for?

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

For Better or For Worse…

By the time you read this, I should be well on my way to celebrate my twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. My “ride or die” and I are off to spend some quality time together as we reminisce upon our better and our worse, the rich and the poor and appreciate the fact we are in relatively good health.

We are no longer the wide-eyed twenty somethings who were engaged in just six weeks. Twenty-five years later, we have been through some things.

Births and deaths.

Gains and losses.

More grey hairs.

Still, I can thankfully say the “worse” made us better instead of bitter.

We learned to compromise and admit our faults. We can now balance our strengths and tolerate our weaknesses. Most importantly, we learned to rely on God instead of ourselves.

Through two kids, five homes, six cities, eleven pets and too many career choices to mention (both his and mine) we managed to keep it together.

And sometimes “together” is more than enough.

We now find ourselves back where we began, just the two of us.

Another cycle of life. Sunrise, sunset.

Happy Anniversary Rod Raphael!

Our “better” has far exceeded our “worse.”

We truly are blessed.

And now, we are off on another adventure. Hubby and I are headed to view some amazing sunrises that we may cherish them later in our sunset.

God willing, together.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 NIV