March Photo Challenge Finally!!!

                                                           

 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Ok, it is not as creative as I wanted it to be, but I am spending way to much time on it and some kinks I can't work out for some reason. UGGGG.  But here is what I saw in the month of March.
March Photo Challenge
#1 Green,  #2 Letter "C", #3 "3", #4 Favorite woman, #5 water, #6 Lines, #7 awesome, #8 Candid,
#9 Irish, #10 blessing, #11 Work, #12 Clovers, #13 March Madness, #14 Shape, #15 You on 15, #16 a jig, #17 lucky, #18 Letter "D", #19 hobby, #20 Snack, #21 pattern, #22 Night Lights, #23 Games, #24 Paperback, #25 motion, #26 gadget, #27 transportation, #28 My weakness, #29 eye, #30 texture,
#31 song!

Blessings, Connie

Word Filled Wednesday

                                       "But you, man of God, FLEE from all this, and pursuerighteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith.

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called

when you made your confession in the presence of many witnesses."

1 Timothy 6:11-12

The Florida Keys!  I had only heard about them and now I can say I have been there.  It is a LONG drive!  All I ever remember hearing about the Keys is fun, sun, and more fun.  As we drove the excitement began to mount.  We made it, Key Largo.  I was thrilled as we browsed the local tourist information hot spot.  We grabbed brochures after brochures that promised all different sorts of fun.  Our expectations were high to say the least.  Snorkeling sounded fun and the price seemed to be reasonable, so off we went.  Who would of thought that it would cost $9 just to enter the State Park to get to the spot you needed to register for the trip.  Then as we entered the building, with everyone else, mind you, I remembered we didn't have any towels.  No big deal, the day was real warm, and we could always buy one that cried out to us while we stood in line.  Our turn!  2 for the snorkeling trip, please.  Then reality set in with her response....."Do you have reservations?"  What?  Reservations?  Were on vacation, who was thinking we needed reservations?  Nope, no reservations for us, so they put us on a waiting list and we were to check back in 1 hour.  Mind you we were about 10th on the waiting list.  No worries, lets just spend some time strolling around the park and check out the beach here.  Needless to say the paths were surrounded by bushy tree like foliage so we couldn't really see the ocean and as you can see from the photo above, you could only go so far.  The beach was in an inlet area, so it wasn't as blue as we had seen during our drive.  I could go on, but I won't.  We had expectations that were not met and I felt myself fighting the urge to complain and become discouraged.  At that moment I needed to flee from my desire to pout and carry on because I am a follower of Christ and even in this small thing God put up the signs to not go there. (Literally)  After a few more hours of driving, you will see below that we did make it all the way to Key West and it was gorgeous. 

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, 

will award me on the day---and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Blessings, Connie

Word-Filled Wednesday

Before

?

After!

 As you can tell there is a missing picture.  Uggg.

The story of my blogging life.

The before was the most adorable snowman made by my girl with things found outside.

Today, this is what is left.

Here is the word that I think is very fitting.

Both for the snowman and the lesson God has taught me through his silence on my front lawn.

"Behold!  I tell you a mystery.  

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, 

then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 

"Death is swallowed up in victory."  

"O death, where is your victory? 

O death, where is your sting?"

1 Corinthians 15:51-55

        Blessings, Connie .                                                    

                                      

Word-filled Wednesday

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance; 

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there were none of them."

Psalm 139:16

What I would have said.

She was a woman who was fearfully and wonderfully made.  Her Creator knew every hair on her head.

He has loved her with a love that goes beyond all measures.  

He had a plan for her life and so many times when we face loss of someone young, we struggle to understand all the, "whys".  I don't have all the answers, but I do know that as we wrestle to understand and make our way through this life, the same Creator that had a plan for her has one for us.  We are put together by no mistake.  We are divinely set in families and friend relationships with great care.  Becki's life has left fingerprints all over each of our lives.

It's likely we will continue to wrestle with the whys, but I know that with each turn of restlessness and each tear that falls we can trust the one who sees it all.  

"When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:16-17

"You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your book?"

Psalm 56:8

Blessings, Connie

Word-filled Wednesday

"He disarmed the rulers and authorities and 

put them to open shame by triumphing over them in Him."

Colossians 2:13-15

This was the work on a building we saw in Brussels, Belgium.

We stood in the middle of the city center and it was overwhelming

how small I felt.  I thought this verse fit appropriately and 

today I am needing this reminder.

Word Filled Wednesday

"Love is patient, Love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast,

it is not proud.  It is not rude,

it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but, 

rejoices with truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,

always preservers."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I was reading in my study this week that, the word patient, 

can actually translate to mean a great suffering, or enduring suffering.

That is exactly what being patient is for me most of the time; suffering.

Might I remember that the next time I have to, 

wait for someone I love, love is patient

travel behind a slow driver, love is patient, 

wait for a treadmill to open love is patient, 

listen to teens argue, love is patient,  

submit to my husbands leading, love is patient.

Being patient is showing love, and the suffering I am enduring is 

making me look more like Christ himself.  Simply said, 

"True Love is a servant, who thinks of others and their needs before their own."

Blessings, Connie

Word Filled Wednesday

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."

Psalm 127:3-5

As I sought out a photo to use today, I am overwhelmed by the blessing to be a mother.

No longer do my kiddos look so small, but oh how I remember, as if it were yesterday.

I tend to romanticize those tough years, but I wouldn't trade a minute of them.

They have truly been our reward and will be our legacy and I couldn't be more proud.

Word filled Wednesday

"Really?"

"even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,

and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:28

Thank you Lord for the sweet reminder of servant-hood.

I almost started a hunt for the responsible party until, 

I heard your whisper.

 Blessings, Connie

Word Filled Wednesday

Acts 9:6

"The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias."  

And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

And the Lord said to him, "Go......"

Acts 9:14-15

Lord, you have plans that are being unfolded.

Your plans are always good.

You chose the least of these to carry them out.

"Here I am, Lord.  I will go."

Might I be like a sheep who knows her shepherds voice.

"Rise and you will be told what to do."

(paraphrased Acts 9:6)

Blessings, Connie

Word filled Wednesday

"It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates.  

On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.  

There were three gates on the east, three on the north, 

three on the south and three on the west.  

The wall of the city had twelve foundations, 

and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the lamb."

Revelation 21:12-14

My thoughts have been filled with how fleeting this life is.  With the new year and a funeral to start it out, it can't be helped.   I am finding myself both looking forward and reflecting.  I wonder for what and how I will be remembered.  As I ponder my life, it has become my prayer to not waste my precious time on the things that are foolishly fleeting.  In my wrestling with one minute your here, then your gone, and my time here is finished, I have been brought to these precious truths.  I will not be robbed of even one breath or be able to sneak in one extra one.  My days are planned and they have been written for me.  My Lord holds each one in his care.  With each circumstance I face He has overseen it and ordained it for my good and His glory.  This life I live now, I plan to live in a way that Glorifies God alone and that I will be loving Him more in each moment.  My photo is from the Netherlands.  When I approached this gate, I was tantalized by it's beauty and found myself wondering who reigned inside.  There is another gate that one day I will approach, and I am so thankful that I won't have to stand on the outside wondering who reigns inside, because I already get to know.  Praising God I get to know Him now and looking forward to the grand entrance on the very day and time He has picked out for me.                      

Blessings, Connie   

Word filled Wednesday: only a day late! Better late than never.

1 Chronicles 29:15

We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.