Photography – Page 10 – B Is for Blessed!

Believe!

“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things [are] possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23 NKJV”

When Jesus was crucified and laid in the tomb, His friends and family were devastated. It looked like His ministry was over. Jesus spoke to His disciples of the very events that would take place. However, His disciples didn’t “hear” Him. His friends and family couldn’t see His death in its proper context. They only saw an ending. They had no vision for a new beginning.

How often are we guilty of that very same thing?

We often face situations in life that appear dead. Joy may be gone. There may be no light shining on a particular situation. Even though God has spoken a dream into you, you can’t see any imaginable way it can come to pass.

Abraham and Sara didn’t see how they were ever going to physically produce a child in their advanced age. They didn’t see it but, they believed.

Noah couldn’t imagine just exactly what a flood was but he obeyed and built that ark anyway.

Joseph was sold into slavery and later thrown into prison. He couldn’t from his lowest point imagine his brothers bowing down to him. Yet, Joseph held fast to his faith and his dream become reality.

There are so many more examples in God’s Word of dead situations that looked hopeless but God wasn’t done. God had a plan. God has plans for us as well!

The above photograph is of an Oak Leaf Hydrangea. I planted it years ago in remembrance of my father. It has grown beautifully over the years but now it is crisp, dry and lifeless. Or is it?

If you merely glanced over this plant you wouldn’t see the small buds of life breaking forth. I think one of the reasons I actually favor this plant is because it is resurrected year after year. In fact the more “dead” branches on the tree, the greater the potential for blooms.

Now if God will do that for a plant, how much more will He do for us!

Believe that God cares for YOU! Believe that your life does matter! Don’t give in to fear over faith!

Resurrection is available for us!

Dare to believe because…He’s… NOT… dead!

Worthy is The Lamb!

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever” Revelation 5:12-13 NKJV

Can You Stand the Rain?

“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:25 NKJV

As I type this, it is raining and has rained all day. In order that we may receive the harvest and the bounty the rains make possible, we must first be able to withstand it. Everyone loves a sunny day. I am no exception. However, rain serves a purpose. Though often wet, cold and inconvenient, it is necessary.

There is no way we can withstand the storms of life and come out better than before without the Word of God. The above passage is from the parable Jesus taught in regard to those people who hear His truths and “do them.” It is not enough that we hear, we must carry out His teachings.

God’s directives give us what is necessary to stand the storm. His teachings are often in direct contrast to our own tendencies. God teaches us to have faith, trust and even love one another as we go through storms in life not just when we enjoy the good times. Without faith in God instead of our own abilities, most of us would undoubtedly wilt under the pressure of the storm.

When the disciples faced a storm in the very presence of Jesus they were afraid and panicked. Jesus was with them and still they were afraid. Jesus silenced their storm. Yet before he silenced it, He allowed it.

The storm was an opportunity for the disciples to see the power of God at work before them. I’ve seen the greatest miracles in my darkest hours, when my personal storms raged with no relief in sight.

Our rainy days and storms will pass eventually. When we allow His presence into our lives and have faith enough to hear and obey, His Word makes our storms are bearable. We can stand the rain!

If you find yourself rained on now or even feel like you’re drowning, what are you relying on? Is it other people? Your own abilities? If you haven’t already, try God.

God puts the rain in perspective. Some people focus so intently on their storm they never get past it. Even after the rains pass, fear of another storm paralyzes them and leaves them feeling helpless, afraid and unable to move.

Yet, when we focus on our Savior instead of temporary rains, we can endure. I challenge you to turn to God and give Him whatever storms might be weighing you down. Don’t view your rainy days as if they are here to stay. Instead, view them as temporary and essential for growth and possibly a new harvest of better things to come.

The Son/sun will shine and break through the rains.

“then I will give [you] rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.” Deuteronomy 11:14 NKJV

Break Through!

“For now I will break off his yoke from you, And burst your bonds apart.” Nahum 1:13 NKJV

‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘That I will break his yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them.’ Jeremiah 30:8 NKJV

I spent a few days this week inspecting my yard and playing with my camera. Doing so, I came across my hostas! Hostas come in many varieties and return faithfully year after year. However, for this to happen, the hostas must first break through my very hard Georgia clay.

Like hostas, we have to push through some hard things as well. These things are as unique as each of us, yet if persevere, pray and stay with God; we can also find the warmth of the Son/sun and enter a season of growth and renewal. Not only does the hosta have to break through the cold hard ground to thrive in the spring, it must also shed some of its old dry and useless self. Hostas push away the old “bones” left over from last year making room for more life-sustaining leaves. There is a lesson in this for all of us.

The scriptures above speak of God’s promise to His people. Both prophets testify about how God will free His people. God’s Word speaks of delivering His people from enemies both physical and spiritual. God doesn’t want us to be in bondage to other people or sin.

For some of us to live our lives as God intended we need to

Break some bad habits

Break new ground…learn something new, meet new people, broaden our thinking, vision and aspirations

Break off the shackles that bind…fear, depression, doubt, regret, guilt or whatever holds you hostage

Dare to deviate from what is not working. What has God promised you? Have you asked Him for direction, discernment, revelation? Have you done the things He’s told you to? If you are waiting on God, He is probably waiting on YOU!

“Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For [it is] time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12 NKJV

Fallow in the above verse refers to land that is allowed to lie idle during the growing season. Many of us are waiting for a break through but do nothing during the growing season. How can we expect to reap a harvest if we don’t sow good seed? Our break through requires work on our part!

Reap in mercy. To reap mercy you have to sow it. If some of us were a bit more merciful and less judgmental it would allow more time to improving ourselves!

It is time to seek the Lord! Many of us continually look for the next best thing, big idea or solution to a problem; yet, if we would only seek Him we would find the answers we desire. Our God is more than able. He is more than willing.

For those of you waiting on the perfect time to take that leap of faith, obey God’s prodding or even courage to take that first step, do it anyway. Do it afraid.

You don’t have to be fearless. God rewards our faith in Him, not perfection.

Finally, I never know when my hostas are going to appear. Some years I find them in February. Other years not until May. I never know when they will break through. We don’t know when our big break will come either. Yet, I am always expecting them to appear. I dare you to expect God to do the miraculous with you and through you.

Break out of what was and step into what can be.

Life is waiting. Time will not.

“A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;” Ecclesiastes 3:3 NKJV

Beauty for Ashes!

“To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified,” Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

Isaiah 61 is probably one of the most comforting chapters in the Bible. The very first verse begins with good news preaching “good tidings to the poor,” speaks of “heal the broken-hearted,” and proclaims “liberty to the captives.”

We have all at one time or another been in need of good tidings, healing or freedom from bondage. This chapter provides hope of change or rather an exchange of what we have for what our God is willing to give us instead.

God’s love for us allows us the opportunity to give Him those things that are painful and receive from Him beauty, joy and relief from oppression. These things He gives to us not only for our good, but that He may be glorified in the process.

We all suffer wounds along our way. We have losses and people we mourn. There are things we’ve held dear that have been reduced to nothing. We’ve all felt overcome by fear, doubts, and even the duties of daily life. But we don’t have to stay bound by any of this!

The cherry tree pictured below has been wounded. The gouge in the trunk was not created by nature. So great a wound could have killed it. Some of the things we experience can kill us too.
But God! This damaged tree yet blooms! And we can too!

We can rise up and above our losses, regrets and missteps! God enables us through the anointing and blessing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus died for us that we may be freed from the pain and suffering sin brings. When we choose Him, He exchanges what we have for what can be.

Choosing God allows us to be planted and restored as His people; strong, beautiful and useful. We have a purpose to serve!

If you are feeling wounded, don’t give up! Instead, give yourself over to God. He can take what is left for dead and give new life! He restores us! He can even equip us to restore others! God can take our pitiful selves and through us to do the miraculous!

God’s blessings aren’t always “in your face.” His blessings often start small and grow. Like a seed, God’s blessings can evolve into more than we can even imagine. What is at first naked to the eye can develop into something so large there is no doubt God has caused it to thrive and prosper.

Isaiah preached of what was to come.

The God Isaiah spoke of is available to us now. Accessible. Ever present. Healer. Redeemer.

The key to receiving the beauty of God is having faith in not only what He has done but in what He can do for us. Now.

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalms 90:17 NKJV

Flaws and All!

“Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God,” Luke 3:5-6 NKJV

The Cherry trees pictured above are mostly recognized for their soft fragrant blooms. However, what I find most fascinating about these trees is not their short lived blooms but rather their imperfect trunks. Even the limbs that spread out into pink and white canopies grow irregular and seemingly malformed.

I think their true beauty stems from the fact that their rough and ill-shaped limbs can still produce something so delicate and beautiful. Only God can take what is rough and crooked and turn it into something magnificent and breathtaking. The transformation of these trees from something sinister looking into what they are now illustrates how our Father can do the same with us.

You see, I believe that what God does for these trees, He can do on a continual basis for you and me. Even when we have deviated from the proper path, God can still allow us to flourish, bloom and even glorify Him.

Our twists and turns often take us away from the narrow path that leads to Him. Even our best efforts to be spiritual, church going, or however you choose to commune with God ultimately fall short in developing us into the people we can be. Only God can make us righteous, a blessing to others and develop us into people who look outward instead of inward.

God uses our “detours” away from Him to define and build our character. And sometimes isn’t always about the choices we make as it is how we react to the twists and turns life throws our way.

Sometimes we do get where we want to go, just not when or how we expected to get there. Our experiences often become a reference from which we change. Hopefully, we become compassionate. Educated. Humble. Not bitter, mean or hopeless.

Recognizing our faults and weaknesses makes us wiser because we learn we can’t do it ourselves. We need Him. God is not an accessory in our lives but a vital necessity!

Only He can make our crooked places straight. Flaws and all, God can use us; we can glorify Him!

We just have to remember to not let the twists and turns obscure the bigger picture. He does love us. He wants us to flourish, blossom and grow…nearer to Him. Because our God wants the absolute best for us. And that just happens to be Him.

Though less than perfect, these trees never stop reaching up toward the Heavens.

And neither should we.

New Life!

“This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life,” Psalm 119:50 NKJV

The Word of God is essential for an abundant life. It allows us to grow and not stay where we are. You can exist without God’s Word but you won’t truly live as He intended.

God’s Word brings forth new life in us. It combats fear and despair. The Word provides a hope for tomorrow. It fuels our faith. The Word of God is our defense against the hard cruelties that we must endure in this world.

The blossoms on this pear are beautiful but short-lived. The blossoms are often celebrated, but it is actually the leaves that are vital for the growth of the tree. The leaves provide nourishment and rejuvenate the tree after the long cold winter. The leaves are the sustenance for new life just as God’s Word is for us.

Most people celebrate the beauty that comes with spring and new growth. Achievements and promotions can herald our own season of “spring.” We can make gains toward reaching a goal or realize a dream. These things are often “blossoms” in our lives adding beauty and joy. Yet, it is God’s Word that sustains us and allows us to flourish.

Promotion and blessings come with new challenges, tests and even temptations. The Word of God offers wisdom, stability and direction. The Word promotes humility, love and charity. The Word combats pride, arrogance and greed. Obedience to The Word prevents your blessings from overtaking you!

In this season of Lent, I have committed to spend more time in The Word. I am hopeful that my heightened awareness will continue far beyond the Easter season. I want to become so dependent on God’s Word that I can’t function without it. I want to read it until I breathe it. I want to be transformed into someone new.

God’s Word has the power to make that happen. He is faithful to me and I want to be faithful too!

“Then I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh,” Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV

But He said, “More than that, blessed [are] those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28 NKJV

But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Luke 4:4 NKJV

I Would Like to Thank…

Last week, my good friend Sherri Matthews over at A View From My Summerhouse was kind enough to nominate me for the Awesome Blossom Award. Sherri’s kindness reiterated the fact that last year I have some unfinished business from 2013. The end of 2013 began the American awards season of Grammys, Emmys, Golden Globes and such. Wouldn’t you know on the very last day of this awards season I’d be wrapping up this post as Oscars are being awarded in the background!

Sherri and I “connected” over my autism blog as we both have kids on the spectrum. Sherri and I also share our faith, a love for photography, and of course we both adore flowers! When she told me she nominated me for this award, I was not only flattered but delighted. I am very admittedly a flower fanatic.

The spirit behind the Awesome Blossom Award is one of community and friendship as we grow together and encourage one another in this journey called life. I’ve met some wonderful people through this blogging experience.

My nominees are:

Analytical Perspective shares so much! Her story and journey are inspiring. Her compassion for others shines through in every word. I’m so glad I “met” her here on WordPress.

This Ability Of Mine is written by a young lady who is the hope of every parent of a child with special needs. She writes about her kids who are on the spectrum and her love for them shines through. This young lady is destined to do great things in life!

Finally, Life in Portsong gives me that feeling of community with every read. The writer and I “met” over a shared love of Blue Bell Ice Cream. We both have kids looking toward college. We both share a faith, love of family and a sense of humor where we don’t take life too seriously. His tales of Virgil Creech warm the heart. If you haven’t already, this blog is definitely worth checking out!

This award is the closest I can come to giving my nominees flowers. Your kindness, selflessness, consideration and sense of community bring this nomination and much love your way. Congratulations! May you Be Blessed as you continue to bless others.

And the nominees are…

My friend Eric, at Hunt4Truth.wordpress.com, kindly nominated me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award on Wednesday. The funny thing is on Wednesday I wasn’t very inspiring. In fact, I was a mess!

Yet, Eric inspired me to get myself together and get it in gear! After a few words from him, I realized I was lacking a proper attitude. I promptly “found my mind” as my youngest child would say and was able to once again think rationally and move forward.

I often have no problem encouraging others yet my efforts to motivate myself don’t always come easy. Sometimes the encourager needs encouraging. Eric does this for me. He truly projects “love your neighbor as yourself,” as posted on his site.

In fact, one of my first “conversations” with Eric was earlier this year when I was ill and couldn’t write as regularly as I had before. He checked in with me to see if the ol’ girl was okay. He inspires me by proving kindness, thoughtfulness and consideration for others does still exist.

Eric writes on matters of the heart and mind. He challenges us to look inward at ourselves and how we interact with others. He motivates you to look outward into those things spiritual in nature. Eric prods you to check that ego and the selfish acts that often result because of it. I am truly inspired by his blog and am humbled and flattered that he nominated me. My goal is to be as inspiring to others as he has been to me.

That said, my nominees are for Very Inspiring Blogger Award are:

DEVOTIONSBYCHRIS

Heavenly Raindrops

Deeply Rooted in Him

Simply Life In Christ Blog

Stephenmustang1

This Ability Of Mine (This young lady is simply awesome)

Soul Healing Art

A View From My Summerhouse

LightWriters

Ann Kilter

Walter Bright

Roses Near Running Waters

Some of these writers inspire with their words. A few inspire by the sheer beauty of their art. And a few have inspired me with their ability to overcome adversity with a good attitude, a grateful heart and a lesson learned. All of these blogs continually inspire me. And for this, I am very grateful.

I do realize that not everyone does “awards.” And that’s okay too. This post is to thank you for your time, talents and dedication to inspiring others just like me.

Peace!

Pruning

“I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit,” John 15:1-2 NKJV

Jesus’ teaching about the vine and the branches is one of the most readily quoted. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15: 5 NKJV

Without Him we can do nothing. However, the scripture prior to that, John 15:2 is often skimmed over. It is easy to realize how dependent we are on Christ, yet most of us are remiss and become ill at the notion that to become fruitful we must be pruned.

Without pruning, even the best specimens in any garden will eventually lose the ability to bear fruit. At the very least, the output will greatly diminish. The limbs will become weak and unable to support what little fruit that is produced. Comparatively, the same tree that has been pruned will be shorter but stronger.

Trees and shrubs that have been freshly pruned usually look awful. Where I live Crepe Myrtles trees are blooming now. However, for them to bloom to the fullest, dead limbs are cut away in winter. The trees look so bad after their winter pruning the process is jokingly called “Crepe Murder.”

We often look bad and feel bad when our Father takes to pruning us as well. Sometimes it may be a stray branch here or there that is removed. But then there are times in our lives when we may feel like we’ve been taken all the way down to the roots!

Pruning is painful.

We may even feel like we’re dying all the while God is preparing us to produce more! We don’t often see it at the time or understand. We can feel bad and look worse. Yet, Jesus promises that every branch that does bear fruit God prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Sometimes the removal of things in our lives, though devastating at the moment, eventually make us stronger. Sometimes there is a reason so-called “friends” leave. It may be a job. Or even a relationship.

God cuts off what is not good for us. God often removes those things or people we would in no way leave on our own.

We can have faith knowing that He is our life source and through Him we will be fine no matter how deep the cut. Our progression in life requires some pruning. Thankfully, the potential fruit is well worth the temporary pain.

The next time you experience a hardship, disappointment or painful experience; don’t assume it is an attack from the enemy. It might be time for God’s hand on you.

It may just be time for you to produce more fruit than you thought possible!

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:7-8 NKJV