Write 31 Days {week 3}

14 | ask

41 years ago today, the minister asked and we said “I Do” 

15 | When

“Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it. ” – Ray Bradbury 

When? Now

16 | Pray

Some of our family live in Panama City, Florida. Hurricane Michael has devastated that community. It will be months before any kind of normal will resume. My brother-in-law made the decision to stay in their home. It was a category 2 storm when they went to bed Tuesday night. No one was forecasting it would be a strong cat 4 when the country woke up Wednesday morning. This photo is of one of the rooms in their house. He and his wife stood where they thought it was safest as the winds snapped a big pine tree in their yard that fell on their roof and rolled on to the back of his truck. They are thankful to have survived along with their sons and families there. But as the needs of this community fade from the headlines (as they are) please don’t forget to pray for them. Pray for electricity and clean water to be restored. For hospitals and schools to be able to reopen. For needs to be met and strangers to come together as neighbors.  Pray for each other.

17 | Pause

This beach is where we go to pause. Lucky for us it’s only a 20 minute drive and worth the congested traffic. The limitless horizon, the sky that is never the same, the palm trees waving their crowns, the ebb and flow of the tide…all of this part of creation is like breathing. It’s where I can finally exhale and inhale God’s grace.

 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28 the Message

18 | Search

I search books and music for meaning, for rest, for encouragement and self-improvement. Sometimes in my quieter, darker moments I’ve even searched for God. I’ve found he’s never far. He’s in the words, the melodies, the smiles and tears. He’s in each life-giving breath.

“His purpose in all this was that people of every culture and religion would search for this ultimate God, grope for Him in the darkness, as it were, hoping to find Him. Yet, in truth, God is not far from any of us.” Acts 17:27 the VOICE

19 | who

The song sticks in my head, unwanted and uninvited. While the WHO were a band of my generation they weren’t a band I followed but that song…….’who are you, who, who, who, who?’ Now it’s on a loop in your head. You’re welcome 😉 

Who is the word prompt for today.  So, who are you? We use descriptors on our tag lines and about pages like mom of two, wife of one…..writer, artist, believer, sister, friend..”  But who are you? If you’re like me it might depend on the day or even the time of the day. I’m not the same at 7 am that I am at 10 am. But those are external things. 

Who I am behind the externals is a deep feeler, an over thinker and someone who desperately wants to give grace to others to the great extent it’s been give me.

So, who are you?

20 | audience

Our great-nephew turned 1 this week. No doubt he is surrounded by an audience of family and friends coming to celebrate his life. He’s my brother’s first grandchild and the delight of his Jefe and Honey (the names are really getting creative!), his aunts of multiple generations and cousins. All of us not living close enough to gobble up baby hugs but we remain his biggest fans.

Write 31 Days – week 1

Every October writers are invited to join the write31days challenge. Most choose a theme to focus on for the month and post daily on their blogs. I’ve participated in this a few times. It’s a challenging exercise.

I wasn’t going to participate this year until….

A friend was putting a twist on it. She decided to post a photo to go with a word prompt on Instagram for the month. That sparked my creativity. Photography is something that helps me explore the unforced rhythms of grace.

I thought I’d expand on that by sharing my Instagram posts for the week in Saturday blog posts for the month.

It’s interesting to put a visual expression to words. They’re sometimes abstract in thought and other times intimately personal. Choosing an image to go with the word forces me to dig deeper and look at the word from new perspectives. This is particularly a good practice when creativity feels absent.

What I see may not be what you envision which makes the process more interesting. I’d enjoy you sharing your thoughts in the comment section. What do you see? What doe these words and/or photos say to you? Let’s explore together.

Day 1 | Story

“Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.” Melody Beattie

Day 2 | Afraid

“We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Day 3 | Believe

This beautiful beach in Haiti was a harsh contrast to the garbage in the canals of Port au Prince. It was more reflective of the joyful hearts found in the people there because in the midst of their hard lives they believe in Jesus and have his joy.

“We believe in God And we all need Jesus
‘Cause life is hard
And it might not get easier
But don’t be afraid
To know who you are
Don’t be afraid to show it
If you believe in God
If you say you need Jesus
He’ll be where you are
And he never will leave you” – Amy Grant

Day 4 | Why

“We all face storms in life. Some are more difficult than others, but we all go through trials and tribulation. That’s why we have the gift of faith.” Joyce Meyer

Jesus: 3 “This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 The Voice

Day 5 | Share

Share a laugh
Share a hug
Share a coke a song a smile
Share a tear
Share love

“We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing.” Billy Graham 

Day 6 | Belong

My family circa 1970. We have so few pics of us together. This one always makes me laugh seeing daddy trying to suck his belly in.

“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong.” Brene Brown

All photographs were taken by me or property of mine, not for reuse without permission.

Sunflowers

It wasn’t a garden but a patch of dirt beside the asphalt parking lot. There they were, taller than my 5’4″ and showing off their beauty, reflecting the glory of their Maker. These yellow beauties seem rather ordinary in these parts.

 

They were mixed with other flowers but the sunflower commands attention. It’s boldness of color and height all seems to scream “look at ME!”

An introduction

It was my husbands good looks that first turned my head. On the volleyball court at camp and a couple of years later as I drove by the church offices where he was mowing the lawn.

We’ve both changed a lot in the years we’ve been together. As it says in the bible, “beauty fades like the wildflowers in the field” (Isaiah 40:6b) and we’ve changed inside and out.

I like pretty things. But there is a more ordinary beauty I overlook: my grandmother’s tattered bible or the granddaughter with a pile of colored chalk drawing her masterpiece on the porch. This is the beauty that surrounds us but gets pushed aside by the headlines of the day. This is the beauty that requires intention on our part.

I’m participating in write31days this month and I’ve chosen Ordinary Beauty as the topic. I want to notice what I’ve stopped seeing because it’s always there. I want to slow down to see what I rush past. I want to listen for beauty and capture all its forms. I want to share that beauty with you because we all could use a little more pretty in our day.

What’s your ordinary beauty today?

Let Your work of love be on display for all Your servants;

    let Your children see Your majesty. And then

let the beauty and grace of the Lord—our God—rest upon us

    and bring success to all we do; yes, bring success to all we do!

Psalm 90:16-17 the Voice

What We Learned {August}

I nearly let this link-up go by as it’s just a busy week. But I was diligent in jotting down things I learned and it looks like August was a good month for boosting knowledge.

Basics that I probably should have known but, you know, now I do!

Who doesn’t use Google image to find pictures of anything but I never realized there was a way to pinpoint my searches. Once you’re in Google Image, look for the button that says “more tools” and click that. There you will be able to refine your search to file size, type and the best part, images that don’t have use restrictions. BONUS!

Periscope

I’ve read about a lot of folks using Periscope so I had to take a look. It’s easy as it’s a free app to download, follow whoever you want and when they go live you’ll get a sound notification. You can watch it live or anytime within 24 hours. Most segments are 15 minutes or less which is perfect. You can even watch Emily Freeman on Periscope 😉

If you like photography and using filters, etc. I have found Rhonna Farrer tutorials on Periscope to be especially helpful.

                                               edited with rdmagic and rhonnadesigns apps

Words

Here’s something else I’ve been seeing in print more and more: the word bespoke. I had no idea the meaning and the context wasn’t helping me so to the dictionary app I went to discover it means “made to order”. Huh, who knew? 😉

Swag – I think we all know the current meaning has been associated with swag bags as in the goodies you get at a conference, etc. At our nieces wedding the photographer was doing pics of the groomsmen when she said, “Show me your swag.” The men were a bit restrained but the two little boys quickly threw their arms crossed over their chest to their shoulders. So now I’m learning from a 5 and 7-year-old. Sounds about right.

                             My favorite of the day: my brother walking his middle daughter down the aisle.

Speaking of weddings, and photography, said niece asked if I’d take pictures at the wedding too. Since I wasn’t the primary photographer (we’re all friends so there was no threat) there was no pressure and it enabled me to focus on the candid and do what I love most: capturing the mood of the moment. What a delight.

August was the time for my husband and I to get our personnel review with the organization we’re with. That hour conversation about goals taught me I wasn’t prepared and needed to put more intentional direction in my life. I wrote about the results of that meeting here.

Linking up with Emily Freeman over at Chatting at the Sky for a monthly link-up of What We Learned.

Details, details

I took the full view of her in, barely seeing the wedding dress as her radiant smile stole the show.

Yes, it was lovely, white, some kind of satiny material, but it was my niece I was seeing, not the details.

That’s me. For an artist, I miss a lot of the fine points. Instead, I take in the nuance of the moment, the atmosphere of the room.

Don’t ask me the color of someone’s eyes, even a good friend, because unless they’re brilliant blue or magical brown I won’t have any idea. But ask me if they have a smile that makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room or if they find laughter as easily as some see a speck of lint on a sweater and I’ll know that.

When I hold the camera to my eye, that’s what I’m hoping to find, to capture, are those details.

The niece sad, somewhat casually in that expected tone, “aunt Debby, you always have your camera so you’ll be taking pictures too.” She had a photographer for her wedding, a family friend who wouldn’t feel the least bit threatened or put upon with me off to the side snapping away. And I wouldn’t feel pressure being the primary photographer which gave me greater access.

I stood at the side and didn’t have to give directions. As family, I walked in the room where the bride and her attendants were getting ready with barely a notice of my presence. That’s the best.

parents of the bride

This is what I would photograph always: smiles and laughter, expressions of newlyweds and little boys invited to dance with the grownups.

There is One who knows the details. How could he not, he created our very being. Like I know our daughters crooked pinky fingers and our sons toes are long like mine, God know the external and internal of our lives. The miracle is, He loves us anyway.

“Not one sparrow (What do they cost? Two for a penny?) can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t worry! You are more valuable to him than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 Living Bible

 

Linking up in a discussion group ‘On Being a Writer’ over at Kate Motaung’s place. Stop by.

The ones that didn’t make the cut

I have a terrible time throwing out pictures. Especially travel pictures when I’m sure every photo is part of the story.

Rather than scrapbooking albums I prefer photo books. Unless I want to make a huge book and pay the huge price that goes with extra pages, not all the photos will make the cut. However, I think they’ll do make a nice little weekend blog post with some narrative about our week in London.

How can you not get shots of some of the icons like the red phone booths, double-decker buses and royal guard? They also make a nice red collection.

And then there were the street performers and architecture everywhere. The USA is such a baby in age compared to most other countries.

I had to take a photo of Selfridge as I’ve watched the show and who can resist snapping a shot of a wedding couple posing in front of said red phone booth? My sister-in-law jumped in to help straighten the brides dress.

Funny signs, people on the street and shots for “atmosphere”? Of course!

My brother’s name is Paul Joe

No idea the occasion but something special was going on.

Sometimes these photos tell the day to day story. The soaking in of another culture and the sounds these photo’s bring to mind. I’m still savoring a time well spent.

What I Learned {May}

This month felt a little harder to find things learned more than reminded. A symptom of getting old? Of course not! 😉

Here goes:

I love photo apps and have far too many which may be why I tend to circulate them when my memory gets too full. This month I discovered three new ones:

Project Life: this is for all of you scrapbookers. Scrapbooking got too time and cost intensive for me and I didn’t have a place to leave the mess spread out while I worked on pages so I gave that up for my preferred, photo books. This app is the one I’ve used least but offers a mobile version of scrapbooking. FREE

Little Moments: if you like photo challenges on Instagram this one is perfect. It’s put out by the popular fatmumslim and includes a calendar with photo prompts listed and will automatically add that hashtag to your photo. It also includes filters, fun symbol and text overlays and is just fun to use. FREE

Little Moments app for photo prompt “starts with S”

RD Magic: by Rhonna Designs this includes a good variety of filters, bokeh, light leaks, edges, blur, textures and more. It isn’t free but for all in can do it’s worth its $1.99

RDmagic app

New Etsy shop: Joyful Papery The link will take you to their website to get a look at their lovely hand lettering and watercolor illustrations. Just lovely!

We took my favorite kind of vacation – a STAYcation! Aren’t they just the best? The bed and bath are the most comfortable anywhere and you can’t beat the privacy 😉 We took the week to visit new and favorite places in our area. We learned more about a fascinating place in the middle of Key Biscayne called Stiltsville when we discovered Bill Baggs Cape Florida. This is a beautiful state park with free tours in the lighthouse. You can find more photo’s and information on this post.

Stiltsville

Mother’s Day comes right behind my birthday which found me missing my kids and family. The collision of emotions culminated on Mother’s Day when I felt lonely with kids who live away and a mama who is far away in miles and further away in her dementia. I was reminded of how others step in and call us family and how it can come from the most unlikely when I was showered with cards and hugs from the men in the residential program where we minister. They are teachers of great grace.

calligraphy

I have finally learned that not feeling inspired to write is okay. And when you aren’t inspired, you shouldn’t write. Giving yourself grace can be the hardest lesson to learn.

Link up with Emily over at Chatting at the Sky and share what you learned in May.

 

My week of beaches

There are times when you don’t know what you need. When you don’t know you need to step back and breathe in the kind of air not thick with politics and business, with wheels spinning without traction.

It’s that time when God steps in because he knows your soul needs a different view. A view of His creation you forget to step out and see. So we did.

Four beaches in three counties is the best kind of stay-cation (what a perfect word).

We explored Bill Baggs Cape Florida with its views of Key Biscayne and the Atlantic Ocean. I pushed through my fear of heights to climb the historic lighthouse for a view like none other.

beach view from lighthouse

The history of Stiltsville has always interested me and this offered the perfect view of these house built on stilts in the middle of Key Biscayne.

Our bonus was seeing this manatee swimming near the seawall.

We spent a morning at our local beach where we spend as many Saturday mornings as possible. We ventured a little south in our county to Hollywood Beach where the boardwalk is expansive and the white sand stretches farther than most down here.

Our last day took us north to Palm Beach County to a little area we called our beach when we lived in this county for six years. It remains quieter than the more discovered beaches so we’ll keep this one our secret 😉

None of these places were more than an hour from home. But the change they brought were night to day for me. A reminder of God’s grace as he cares for a wanderer like me.

 

 

Spring Makeover…sort of

It would seem the transition from the livingingraceland URL to my name has been seamless. At least on this end. Please leave a comment if you’ve experienced any issues on your end.

Now I’m looking for a fresh look for the home page so I’ll be trying out some different themes. Your feedback is most welcome as your view is the one I’m most interested in. With comments running rather low, let me emphasis this, please share some feedback if you find something particularly nice and especially if one is not it at all.

In some ways it feels like I’m learning this blog thing all over again but there is plenty to learn. My mind is rather full from a week of meetings and the upcoming Holy Week so let’s get to some fun stuff. It is the weekend.

Last week was spent in August, Georgia, a place we’ve bypassed in our travels.

It’s a small town and after visiting I think I can say with certainty it would be a blip on the Georgia map were it not for the Masters Golf Tournament held there.

The weather was sunny and pleasant and rainy and cold and then indifferent so we had a mixture.

Our hotel was along the river with South Carolina on the other side. Our room overlooked this river giving us a nice view of spring in this southern town.

Enough words, see for yourself.

the view from our hotel room

sunrise over the river