Where Am I Going?

I have to admit, there are times when I have no idea!

Have you ever felt that way or am I the only one?

I mean, I do know that ultimately, I am going to go to heaven one day.

But where am I actually heading on my day to day journey?

There are days when I feel like I'm traveling in the fast lane—not by my lifestyle...

...but like life is just passing by so quickly.

Or sometimes it seems like I'm headed down a one-way street,

not being able to get to where I need to be.

What is the reason for this out-of-nowhere, random question?

I will blame it on my new phone.

Yes, my peeps...I have actually joined the ranks and gotten an iphone!

I know, I know...it's about time I got with the program, right?

My dumb little phone has done me well all these years, but it was time.

And what have I been lusting longing for most after seeing many of YOU using it?

The Waterlogue App.

So I was going through some of the many photos I've taken so far

 and decided to give this random shot that I took on my way to work one morning

the Waterlogue treatment.

Oh my...

That road seemed to take on a whole new meaning and I just couldn't stop looking at it.

I'm not really sure why, but it had a way of making me take stock of my life.

Some days I might feel like I've pretty much got it all together,

but there are just as many days I know, unequivocally, that I do NOT!

I look at that road and it reminds me that I should be farther along on my journey.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 

"This is the way; walk in it."

Isaiah 30:21

Thank you, Lord, for your holy spirit that convicts us me...not condemns me...

...but shows me what is it that I need to do—the things that I do have control over,

to make a difference in the lives of those that I come in contact with.

So...I fret a little and pray a lot.

 But here's what I do know...

...after God...

 I may not always know where I am going 

but I do recognize when I have been lagging behind.

I am thankful for the holy spirit's conviction and for the sweet grace of my Savior. 

I came across this poem that kind of puts it all into perspective, 

~

Life is a Journey

~unknown

Life is but a stopping place,
a pause in what's to be,
A resting place along the road,
to sweet eternity.

We all have different journeys,
different paths along the way,
We all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay...

Our destination is a place,
far greater than we know.
For some the journey's quicker,
for some the journey's slow.

And when the journey finally ends,
we'll claim a great reward,
And find an everlasting peace,
together with the Lord.
~
So yes, I've been having some fun playing with my new iphone...
...and isn't it just like God to use technology to get His message across?!

I follow Jesus so I shall not walk in darkness, but I have the light of life.
John 8:12

Sharing at

Spiritual Sundays

Love Thy Neighbor... and Their Fence

We are taught to love our neighbor, right?

Well, what about thy neighbor's fence?

Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side,

 and other times the leaves are prettier.

I actually really am quite fond of this fence.

I think it makes a lovely dividing line between our properties.

However, for a few weeks now, I have been experiencing leaf envy...

...their leaves were brighter and prettier than those on our side of the fence.

I snapped these today when I was home for lunch and added some effects just for fun.

The color is popping out all over...on both sides of the fence.
No more leaf envy for me :)
~
Joining the fun over at Good Fences.

Happy Friday, friends!

Donna's Personal Photo Challenge: Animals

Hello friends!
It's time once again for Donna's Personal Photo Challenge.

~

This month, our mission is to photograph animals.

Many of us pet lovers who also blog already do this on a regular basis, don't we?

 ~

I have introduced you to my babies a couple of other times and since they live with me,
I have more opportunities to take pics of them than any other animals...
...except my human animal who is my hubby...lol!
Some of these were actually taken a few years back, pre blog days.

(All photos were taken with my Sony Cybershot P&S)
  

Here is my oldest boy, Hunter, that I snapped a couple of years ago at the cabin.

This is his "mascot pose"...he no doubt is checking out the surrounding landscape for deer...
...or anything else that moves.

(brightening and and softening edits by Picasa)

 

He always has his nose to the wind to get a whiff of ...well, something.
~
Oscar, on the other hand, can be a challenge since he is a ball of energy.
Every now and again, I get a lucky shot or two...in the rare moments when he is resting.

Like most of our furry babies, Oscar loves to bask in the sun.
(photo edited in BeFunky using Chromatic 1 effect)

I love this pic of him taken when he was just a few months old back in 2009.
He looks so sweet and innocent, don't you think?
(black & white photo  edited in BeFunky, using Focus Blur effect)

~
Cheating a bit here and including these..."painted" in BeFunky's watercolor effect.

I see an oil painting rather than a watercolor...but I do like the effect.

~
Thanks for allowing me to bore you share my babies with you again :)
So...until next month....have a great weekend, everyone!

Seeing Red

Hello friends!

I hope everyone has had a great week!

From what I've been seeing on some of your blogs, 

it looks like many of you have been having some delightful weather.

Same here and summer will officially be here in a couple of weeks!

I know just about all of you enjoy watching and photographing birds like I do.

We have such an abundance of cardinals this year!

But this little red beauty has been making himself known quite a lot in my yard lately.

At first I thought it was a scarlet tanager but after doing more checking,

I found out he is actually a summer tanager.

Isn't he just the most gorgeous little guy? 

The pics are not as sharp as I would have hoped, as you loose a bit of quality when you are:
 a) shooting through a not-so-clean window
b) trying to stop a moving object
c) stretching your point & shoot to the max! :) 

We had run low on birdseed in the other feeders throughout the yard

and this suet block is the only thing the squirrels couldn't reach...

...so I think every bird within tweeting distance were fighting over this one!

Here, this molting cardinal who has lost his headpiece, couldn't wait his turn.

He came and joined Mr. Tanager and they started the feeder spinning and spinning,

as if they were on a merry-go-round!

This feeder is hanging about two feet away from my kitchen window

and I have been keeping my tripod set up to snap some shots quickly and steadily.

That close, the slightest sound or movement scares them off. 

I have been playing around with a BeFunky, a free photo editing program.

I don't have the Waterlogue app but I like the look of this program's watercolor effect.

What do you think?

I really like the way the lighting translated on these two (above and below) 

when this effect was applied.

BeFunky is really fun and very user friendly...and is a free download.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

sharing at
Amaze Me Mondays

Simplicity: a Note Card Collection

Hello everyone!

I hope your week is off to a great start.
We have been having more lovely freezing rain and sleet :(
You know, I think I need to return that calendar I purchased in January...
...I'm pretty sure it's defective!

Anyway, the bright spot will be joining in the fun over at Vee's Note Card Party!

So...when I was thinking about a theme for my note cards,

my first thought was spring...well of course!

That is what's on most our minds, isn't it?

But as I was looking through my photos, I found so many that I had taken at our cabin...

...where life is slow and simple.

What do you think of when you think of simplicity?

This is my box cover.
I wanted to give the photos some "artsy" effects so I played around a bit with them.
I love the Waterlogue app that many of you are using these days.
I don't have an iphone so I just experimented using Photoscape and Picmonkey together.



Checkers, anyone?
This is where my grandchildren learned how to play...
...on the front porch of the cabin.

And no... this is not where I sit to drink my moonshine...
...I do that inside where no one can see me.

Surely you know I'm kidding, right?

During the warmer months, the road to the cabin is lined with a variety of wildflowers.
I love picking them and placing them in simple vessels like this old wooden bucket.

The original version of this photo was in one of my first posts...
...where I took you on a little tour of Fancy Gap.

This photo in it's original form was also in that same post.
I call it serenity.

I love what The Message version of the Bible says about simplicity...

..."A simple life in the Fear-of-God
    is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches".

Proverbs 15:16 

The Message

Blessings, sweet friends!