"Way Down Upon the Suwannee River"

Sunday, we went for a ride down around the Suwannee River, near the Stephen Foster Memorial, (the one who made the Suwannee famous). I was still experimenting with my camera, but it was a beautiful day and although I have much to learn about all the setting, I captured some beautiful shots.

The river is very low right now from the lack of rain over the past six month or so.

I had to capture some of the Spanish Moss that so intrigues people who are not from the south, but it was beautiful against the sky that afternoon.

But then I was back to shooting one of my favorite subjects, my granddaughter. Is she not just precious?

Did I mention that she loves to have her picture made? She is a natural. She loves my new camera and wants to help me break it in.

I just love pictures and capturing memories that will last much longer than we do. My granddaughter is one of God's many blessings in my life...I have done nothing to deserve such a blessing but because He is good and loving and sees our hearts, he has blessed me with much more than I deserve.

Doesn't she look like a true southern girl?

Well, I shall be on the lookout for what I can photograph next? Have a wonderful week!

Restoration Begins

Have I mentioned before that I am married to a wonderful man? Have I also mentioned that I am blessed? Well, here it goes again...I am blessed and my husband is a wonderful husband...(if he served the Lord, he would be next to perfect..I am convinced).

He has known how upset I have been about losing "everything" that women carry in their purse, but he also knew, nothing had affected me quite like losing my camera.

So yesterday, he took me to Best Buy and said pick out your Christmas present early...I could've cried, however, instead I went to the camera aisle where I found a very knowledgable sales clerk who was able to give me more than enough information to purchase a camera to suit what I believe I will want. Is God faithful or what? And so the process of restoration has begun.

This is one of the first pictures I took outside today..of my husband's flagpole.

Last night we took several inside just checking different settings . This was taken in total darkness on my porch..I was impressed with the strength of the built in flash even though you can purchase an additional light for other types of settings.

This was just another garden shot I took this afternoon...it was such a beautiful day.

I didn't actually do the Faithful Fridays post today, but God is faithful, He does perfect those things that concern us and uses the ones He has placed in our life. On this Friday, I am very thankful for my new camera and look forwarding to sharing some really good shots, once I figure it all out. Have a blessed weekend.....and smile, you just might be on candid camera!!!

The Truth

I love truth. Sometimes it hurts and it usually convicts, but it accomplishes all that it was intended to do. My previous post shared the horrible experience of having my purse stolen this past weekend, and I am sure you could feel my anger.

I appreciate so much, the prayers and support I have felt from my blog friends, but I am also appreciative of truth. The truth is..God knew right where I was...and praise God, my husband and I were not personally attacked. God has promised he will perfect the things that concern me and "all things" work together for my good. Thank you all for these words of wisdom...Lisa, Angie, Marsha and yes...even as reminders because sometimes we need that. And then I had a note from Joanne and I appreciate what she said...she reminded me that since I had papers from the retreat in my purse...there was a chance whoever did this would find something in my purse that would share Jesus with them. Even thru her anger at what had happened , she realized the thief was a lost soul who desperately needed what we already have...peace, love, forgiveness.. I almost cried.... What if? Just what if, this seemingly unforgiveable sin resulted in someone finding Jesus? Now we may never know...but just the possibility is exciting. And what that did, was shift the focus of my inconvenience, my dance with the financial loss, and even my "why me, Lord" mentality...to remember that God, who created the universe, who hung the moon and sun and calls the stars by name....saved me and has given me promises...and nothing has taken Him by surprise. Because God is no respecter of persons, He can surely save him...after all....He saved me.

So, today....for my first post of "Growing Up Mondays" linked to Blessed.... this has been a lesson that needs remembering. Was I wrong to be angry? I don't think so...but it should never overshadow the TRUTH. After all, it is the "truth that sets you free".

Why Me Lord?

This is not a well planned post...it is not an encouraging post and it is not a continuation of my lessons from the retreat. This is a "why me Lord? post".

My purse was stolen today. I had agreed to help decorate and set up for a girl's very small, wedding reception being held at my daughters day care. My husband and I went there early this morning to set up tables and decorate..table cloths, greenery, etc. I sat my purse in the kitchen on the counter. While we were in another room apparently some son of the enemy decided he would enter and take my purse, along with EVERYTHING in it.

I find my feelings fluctuating greatly about what happened. Apart from the fact, that this is inconceivable to me that someone would do this.....but first there is the security issues. Someone now has my social security number, my address, my pictures and virtually everything about me. They have my credit cards, my drivers license, my voters registration and on and on.

Second, there is the financial end....my $400 camera was in my purse, along with my brand new cell phone (we visited our company today and a replacement is $167.....I had just had my license renewed, that wil be another $15 and I stopped tonight at the mall and got a new purse, wallet and makeup holder $69. That's is not to mention that I had about $75 worth of lipstick, powder, etc in my purse along with a prescription of medicine I will have to refill at $40. I had about $50 cash and actually checks totaling about $100 made out to me that I had not deposited. Something about this just isn't right....its looking a lot like $1,000 to fix all this....but I didn't do anything wrong. Just because someone wanted something that wasn't theirs.

Third there are the sentimental things...the purse was bought for me by my daughter when she was in New York........there was a key ring in there my grandson had bought for me on a field trip last year and of course all the pictures, both on my camera and in my wallet of my grandchildren. The blogger retreat pictures were still on the camera, but I had at least copied those to my computer..thank you Lord. A few pamphlets from the retreat were in my purse that I had been reading and praying over and the list goes on and on.

I find myself very angry and am trying to say Lord, help me to see this thru your Eyes..but the dollar signs are there and the injustice colors it all. I loved my camera, I love to take pictures and I use my phone, well, all the time.........but the holidays are just around the corner and $600 right now is just not something we can do.........so I need the Lord to help me let it go.

What I would say to you all.................its a new world. Guard your belongings, guard your personal information and don't leave your purse anywhere. Someone is watching to take something that isn't theirs all the time. Just be careful with what God has blessed you with. The officer who came did explain that most likely they were not after my identity, only for the cash and would probably sell the cell phone and camera for money and may even try the cards, but we put a stop on everything right away so that's a positive thing.

The checks made out to me will have to have stop payments placed on them by the women who wrote them (I sell Mary Kay) and that is $30, so that will have to be deducted...there goes that financial thing again.

On the positive side (which I keep trying to see)....I am asking Marsha at Marsha's Musings if she can send me new pamphlets and the new purse I bought is really cute. Waiting on a cell phone might not be all bad, I'll have more time to post, but the camera....well I have a lot of pictures stored on the computer.

Well..like I said this was not an encouraging post, but I hope you learn from my mistake...and from someone else's sin..................Be careful out there. Have a blessed week...I am proclaiming it...and expecting it.

What is Your Misson?

If you have been following the last few blogs, then you know I have been sharing "stuff" from the Free to Be Me Blogger Retreat.........where I learned and am learning so much.

I have had to take a long, clear look at what God purposed for me and have gone through the recommended steps. One of the challenges we had was to write a mission statement that explains our life and purpose of what we feel we should do.

Okay, the first part of the homework went pretty smooth, but a "mission Statement"? for me? I am having to think on this one. I don't want it to say simply "taking up space".

So, what is your mission statement? Did you figure out how God wants to use you? Did you see the pattern of where He has brought you? If so, do you have the words to lay out your statement?

If so, share it with me, who knows maybe it will help me develop mine.

While you are giving it some thought......be blessed!!!!!

The Purpose of You-niqueness

Have you answered the question from my last post? What is your uniqueness? Just to bring some confirmation to what you've found, or perhaps to remove the doubt, consider these 5 things from Max Lucado's book:
1) What are your strengths? (2) What is your topic? (what do you most enjoy working with, animals, people, numbers, flowers, computers.....) 3) What is your optimal motivation? (is it people in need, predictable situations, crisis situations,..... 4)What about relationships? (do you work better with a group, do you prefer to work alone, or do you just have to lead a group???? which works best for you? and 5) YES....when do you know "I was made to do this"..your fulfillment, your "sweet spot"..............................Have you found it?

God has a place to use each one of us and once we identify what our purpose is......I believe we will begin to see the formation of a plan for our life. There is a reason for God's perfect planning.

I love the paraphrase of the scripture from 1 Peter 2:9 "You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God".........or in other words "to make a big deal out of God".

We each have a way of doing this based on the giftings God has placed within US........and we don't want to waste time trying to do it like someone else. I love music, good praise and worship contemporary music........but I can most assuredly tell you God would not be glorified if I decided to be like Becky and sing His praises. True I could sing out words that were full of truth and thanks, however people could not listen long enough to get anything out of it....I do not even carry a tune in the shower...I sing alone in my vehicle ....it is my sacrifice for others. I so appreciate Mary Snyder's message at the Free to be Me Blogger Retreat as she presented her message with such humor and captured our audience, she reminded us...(forgive me Mary if I misquote you in anyway) "don't look at me and say I want to minister like she does....or at someone's blog and say I want to be like her"........God created you to be you...and you will tell about the excellent qualities of God in your own way...the way he created you to. That was such a heartfelt word for me that day, as I met and listened to all these gifted women............oh, how wonderful it would be to teach in such a way as to stir someone's heart to work for God--like Marsha........or to have such a sensitivity to every particle of life that you found a message from God in a street sign...Like Tiffany--or to have faith to move mountains and then encourage others to do the same..Like Connie...and to have a heart of love and encouragement and be able to spread it throughout blogworld and beyond...like JoAnne.....or to hear so directly from God and in obedience to plan out a God-filled retreat..like Angie.....or to bring a message of worship that brought the anointing of the Lord...like Lisa.........the list went on and on, but Mary's reminder stayed in my heart as I returned home and it is a message for all of us...Give thanks for the gifts of others...but walk in Your giftings...the ones God has Given You. You are unique and God has a purpose for YOU.

So, the journey continues... as should yours....as you zero in on your "sweet spot".....give it to God and say "Lord, Guide my steps, Light my path, Show me the way to tell about your excellent qualities".

When you pray that............get ready, get ready!!!!!!!

Using You

Some people never liked doing homework in school, but I on the otherhand loved it, (except for math). I even loved doing book reports, imagine that. An assignment came with us from the Blogger's Retreat for us to work on at home. What is your passion, your sweet spot? (first order of business). I love the way Max Lucado put the big idea..."use your uniqueness (what you do) to make a big deal out of God (why you do it) every day of your life (where you do it)."

That is our purpose really...making a big deal out of God. When you search out the things in life that you are passionate about, it actually doesn't take long to realize you should have known it all along. Its those things that have always been there in your mind, the thing you love to do and money or recognition don't matter, you just want to do it. I bet if your reading this and wondering who you are, if you think on the things you are passionate about, the things you have most enjoyed doing thru the years, the things that make you feel fulfilled and find joy.and you have probably been told as some point that you are good at it.....then you too have found your passion. Maybe you have thought at times that you knew what it was, but because opportunity or circumstances did not seem to put you in that element, you have second guessed yourself and thought you must have been wrong? Do those kind of thoughts sound familiar? Who is the author of confusion?

So..do you know now what it is? Or maybe you need to give it some thought. As you think back over the past few years, is there a place where you keep finding yourself.....remember the times when you felt good doing something, maybe organizing an event, writing, spending time helping others, visiting someone who needs encouragement, being creative or decorating your home, cooking or baking...the list goes on and on........what has given you pleasure and isn't like work at all? It comes easier for you than for most people. Another tip...also think about the things you never want to do again. You know the thing that you were miserable doing the whole time and even if the outcome was good...its just not you.

Give it some prayerful consideration and God will reveal it to you...chances are He's been trying to tell you for a long time. After all, you can use it to make a Big Deal out of Him.

What is your You-niqueness??