Nature

NaPoWriMo – Day 13 – Along The River

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

NAPO 2013 BUTTON

The prompt for Day 13 was to take a walk and incorporate the elements of that walk into a poem.

Exif JPEGALONG THE RIVER

The sun is playing hide and seek with clouds
Along the river.
The clouds are gray, but friendly, soft, and free
Along the river.

I move unhampered by the flirting breeze
Along the river,
Breathing deeply of the moistened earth
Along the river.

Quiet now invades my mind and soul
Along the river.
I’m letting go of tumbling, troubled thoughts
Along the river.

My past recedes; my future quiet rests
Along the river,
And water speaks to waters deep within,
Along the river.

I sit and contemplate historic days
Along the river:
The generations served by this same stream
Along the river.

And sense that I belong to something great
Along the river:
A part of something bigger than myself
Along the river.

And far beyond my power to understand,
Along the river,
An elemental knowing I am known —
And I am loved —
By the Creator of the river.

~~~

Here’s the link to join the fun: http://www.napowrimo.net/

Jake Sprinter’s Sunday Challenge: Plains

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

A friend gave me this photo to use for Jake’s challenge this week. I thought it was an interesting way to look at “plains.”

MANY BALLOONS OVER PLAINS Join in on the fun by visiting Jake’s site and learning the rules — of which there are very few. http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/sunday-post-plains/

 

New Mercies Every Morning

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

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“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope: It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”  (Lamentations 3:21-23).

Compassion and mercy are one and the same word in the original Greek. Both words refer to feelings and actions that are prompted by love of the subject, regardless of his endeavors or lack thereof. Mercy is a gift, free and clear. When Jesus Christ of Nazareth walked the earth, bringing us the exact image of God, He was “moved with compassion” when He saw hurting people and met their needs. Whether people were sick, in need of deliverance, struggling with sin, or in need of physical sustenance, they called on Jesus for “mercy.” That mercy healed their bodies, delivered them from demonic bondage, forgave their sin, and fed them by supernatural supply.

God is called “the Father of Mercies” in scripture (2 Cor. 1:3). And He says of Himself, “I am the Lord; I change not.”  (Mal. 3:6). Jesus Christ is “the same: yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8).  And just like Jesus, those mercies are the same today as well. Moreover, they are new today — and every day.  We do not have to depend on mercy that is left over from yesterday. Nor do we have to worry about using up too much of it today in case we need help tomorrow.  His mercies — His compassions — are prepared new — for you — each and every day — with more than enough in place to meet every need.  Unfortunately, many of us just let those mercies sit there — waiting — and wasted — while we keep struggling with our own problems independently.

My friend, don’t let that happen to you. Don’t struggle to keep fighting the never-ending battles with your own feeble human knowledge and ability. Connect with God today, through Jesus Christ, and let His mercies fill your life, meet your needs, and make you whole.

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Macro Monday — My Buddy, Big Blue

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

I’ve never taken part in “Macro Monday” previously.  In fact, I just found out about it a couple weeks ago.  But I just can’t resist participating with a couple close-ups of my beautiful Blue Spruce Tree.  I do love this tree and have raised it from the time it was about 5 feet tall.  It had been stuck in an old wooden barrel beneath a large tree and was struggling to lean over sideways to get sunshine. I rescued it and gave it a home in my front yard. With a good strong metal pole to support it for the next couple of years, it straightened itself out and reached for the sun in a perfectly vertical direction. It now proudly stands somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 feet tall and 45 feet around.

Every spring I am thrilled anew at the process of brand new life that bursts forth from every branch of this beautiful masterpiece of God’s creation.This past spring, I photographed every step of it’s new growth — from first bud stage to full plumage — and created a slide show with those photos.  I’ll share a couple of those shots here for Macro Monday.

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Thanks to Lisa Chaos for offering this photo challenge. You can find out the details and take part as well by visiting her site:  http://lisaschaos.com/

 

 

Jake Sprinter’s Sunday Challenge: Peaceful

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

My tree, my yard, my snow, my favorite color.
Snow brings its own special kind of peace, doesn’t it?

BLUE TREE - EDITED FOR BLOGJoin in by visiting Jake’s site here: http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/sunday-post-peaceful/

Touched

| Sandra Pavloff Conner
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Have you ever watched sunlight caress a mountain? It moves over it slowly … steadily … possessively … eventually spreading its light and warmth into every possible crevice. It rests there as long as possible … moving away unwillingly … continuing to stretch itself … reaching out with lingering fingers of light … trying to maintain contact as long as possible. That’s the way God touches those He loves.  Let Him touch you today.

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