How Then Shall We....Smell?

The roses are out in full force here. Their brightly color hues light up yards and parks all across the city. Pinks, reds, yellows, and whites, of all different shades, can be found and in one particular park, over fifty different varieties can be found. It's the place where every citizen has to go at least once a year. After all, my city is at its best when the flowers are in bloom.

Pleasant Way To Spend A Morning

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under

the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of

water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no

means a waste of time."

--John Lubbock

I'm not the most outdoorsy girl in the world. Never have been...and never will. But I do like taking a bit of fresh air every now and then. When it is nice, that is. Today, after returning from church, I decided that the day was just the right one with which to be outside.

I armed myself with a glass of water, a blanket to lie on, and my latest Christian fiction book, Fair is the Rose (which is book 2 in a modern retelling of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob.) Let me tell you, it was a perfect way to spend three hours.

Sure, my water glass kept falling over (and thus got a little on the blanket); I had to content with a tiny spider or two. The ground was anything but comfortable (I like plush grass and my brother had just mowed a few days earlier, thus removing the soft feel =) But I took all of it in stride, finishing my book and enjoying God's creation.My favorite thing to do is lie on my back underneath the trees and look up between the leaves =)

We live in a fast paced world. Sometimes, we need to just step back and be still. It can be hard to do especially when we feel like we being a so lazy. But I don't consider it lazy to read a book that focuses on God all the while being reminded of the amazing world God made.

I would encourage you to be still today; it is so refreshing and soothing for the soul.

Pictures, Anyone?

I have wondered about what to post for a few days....and then I realized something. I haven't posted any pictures for quite a while. Now, they don't look as great on the blog as they do in my stored folders on the computer.....but you get the idea.

Probably by looking at them, you will be able to tell which ones are more "older." But if you can't, I will tell you this: the yellow leaves are more like what autumn is now....in spots.

In the meantime, enjoy!

Oh, and I apologize about the panoramas. You couldn't tell much by them, could you?

June in My Hometown

I am not in the habit of cramming so many different photos into one post. However, June has proved lovely in some respects. Slightly cooler and wetter than usual, the days that have been clear have been gorgeous. Like today--it is 70 degrees outside! And it's the end of June!!

All, pay attention, all of the photos were taken downtown. Even the doe and her fawns were captured (by Garrett) in one of our parks. I truly love our city. I would say I am countrish big city girl =)

I Saw God Today

Some days, it takes a conscious effort to find God. Circumstances around us point more to the Enemy of our souls than to the One who loves us more than life. Or there are the times when you are just bored--you want some positive excitement and adventure--and all you get is the same routine day....after day.....after day.

I am not by nature a negative person. I always try to find something positive in a situation. But it doesn't always happen. When I can't find something positive in life itself, I look to nature--and in the spring, I am always sure to find it.

Spring often comes quick as a flash. I have been waiting for my lilacs to really be in bloom for quite some time now. And today, I felt they were beginning to reach their prime. There is a spiritual lesson in there somewhere.....God's timing is always the best. Waiting is essential in order for true beauty to be revealed.

As you scroll those these photos, read the words to one of my favorite country songs by George Strait.

I've been to church

I've read the book

I know He's here but I don't look

Near as often as I should

His fingerprints are everywhere

Just slowed down to look

Opened my eyes

And man I swear

I saw God today

I encourage you to seek the Lord where He can be found. He is ALWAYS somewhere--even in the places we least expect. We are never abandoned. See Him today.

Trip to the Falls

Last weekend, our family took a car ride to the Falls about two hours away. They are the West's equivalent to Niagara Falls and indeed, they are slightly "larger" in some way.....but I can't remember what =) The run off has been fabulous this year as there was quite a bit of precipitation. Unlike Niagara, our falls cease to run in the summertime.....so we decided we should go and see them while we could.

I hope you are blown away by the Creator's majesty from these pictures. Only He could create something of this magnitude. Who could believe a big bang made all this?!

Life Keeps Rolling On

You all know how it goes. Life keeps rolling on and evidently, something gets put on the back burner. For me, blogging has taken a back seat, more or less, this month. I thought I would give you a brief update....through pictures.....of what has been going on.

The past two weeks have been "spring break" for me. So what if I am not in school anymore. Mom and Garrett have been taking it off so I am as well. I needed it; it has given me the opportunity to get caught up on some things.









ON what nice days we have had, I have been trying to get outside. Flowers and trees are slowly budding and flowering, which is such a blessing. It is still on the cold side occasionally, but I fear summer will come as quick as a flash. I think it is supposed to be 80 degrees on Tuesday....This always happens.

A big chunk of my break has been spent keeping an eye on Ginger. Our little puppy is six months old now, which means......she can be spayed! We don't want to deal with the puppy thing, so she went to the vet. She was SO lethargic the first day (as is evidenced by the picture.) She is still wearing the "cone" around her head, but her energy levels are back to where they are supposed to be.....only she is supposed to remain still and quiet as well. It has been a challenge.

Having time off has enabled me to do some crafty projects. A dear friend is getting married in August, so wedding presents are being prepared. Alas, I cannot post pictures, as she occasionally reads this blog and it is supposed to be a secret! So I keep my hands busy as I watch movies. I am currently on part 2 of Wives and Daughters. I love that movie, but at this point, Roger Hamley is definitely being idiotic =)

And last but not least, I have been getting used to my glasses. I still don't have it all figured out yet. I hate having something on my nose....but I can see better with them on. I decided, perhaps against my better judgment, to post a picture of me wearing my glasses. This is should be interesting.......

So there you have it....an update from me. I hope you all are having a wonderful April and that the Lord is revealing things to you, awesome things you couldn't have even imagine!

Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons...." and My Backyard

In order to achieve the full effect, click on this link. Hopefully, y'all have Windows Media Player on your computers, so you can minimize the song and listen to it as you read what I have to say.

Currently in my musical appreciation study, I am on the life of Antonio Vivaldi. Not much is known about the early Baroque composers, yet Vivaldi's legacy has been preserved in his well known concerto "The Four Seasons." It's familiar to all of us--albeit certain movements more so than others.Right now, the weather here is like Vivaldi's Largo Movement from "Autumn." For those of you not familiar with music terminology, largo means "slow." Even slower than andante....which is usually the slowest I play.As I listened to the recording upstairs, I thought of my backyard. I could just picture leaves falling down, the world slowly down, everything getting situated for a transition period. Photosynthesis is no longer being produced; winter is about to settle on the land.Life for me has been one of transition this year. I am thankful it doesn't happen nearly as often as it does in Creation. Some days, I can feel just like the "Largo Movement:" slowly getting ready for the changes ahead. Graduation was only one of them. They are all good, though.Yet, Vivaldi's compostion is more than just "Autumn." "Spring"is probably the most well known of the entire piece. My back yard is more than brown leaves and barren trees. My life is more than transition and waiting. But they all have their place. There is something to be loved and found in each of them.

Hopefully, you enjoy listening to the movement. Why don't you listen to the whole concerto when you get a chance?! =)