thankful for bouquets of flowers...

The last couple of weeks have been filled with flowers, due to my mom's recent surgery.

I am not complaining, because I am a lover of flowers!

I know they only last for a little while, but during their time they sure do bring joy!

It amazes me that the vast variety of flowers, in all of their different colors, can come together and make such beautiful bouquets. It is a magical thing. It shows how much God loves us. There is something special we can learn from these bouquets of flowers...

Through my mom receiving these flowers (& many, many cards), I personally have felt so overwhelmed by the kindness of so many sweet people in our lives. So many people have thought of her & prayed for her through this. People that truly care for her. These flowers represent that love. By now, these beautiful flowers have mostly died, but the love they represent has not.

And being able to capture even just a little bit of their beauty, with a camera, is a gift from God that I am so thankful for! These particular flower photos are just a few of several other flower photos that I have taken over the years... BUT these mean something extra special to me!

FYI... My mom is recovering very well from her surgery & I am so thankful that God has taken care of her (& us) through this! She still has a process ahead of her & the recovery time is a bit long, but I know God will see her through. He has done so much for us already! I am blessed & so incredibly thankful!

in all things GIVE THANKS!

 << a little doodle I worked on this week >>

what i am most thankful for...

(big things & little things)

Jesus. My Savior. All that I have to be thankful for is from Him! All glory is His!

His love, grace & forgiveness are the best gifts I have!

God's Word. I have been so blessed by all that I have learned from the Bible, especially in the last

few years! Just last night, I finished an 11-week Bible study about the Patriarchs, with ladies at my church. 

It opened my eyes to so many things that I didn't know. I love that there is always more to learn from God!

Studying the Bible is journey that never ends!! I am so thankful for opportunities to study the Bible with 

people in my church, because I learn so much more that way! AND I am so thankful that I have the freedom

to study God's Word!

My family. Because they are truly my most favorite people ever!!

And my doggie... she is a part of my family too, of course!

My house. Honestly, I feel the most joy when I am at home! I am thankful for a place that I

 can feel happy, cozy & safe. I have all that I need + so much more...

My health. I never want to take my health for granted. In the last few weeks, I have gotten my 

exercise routine going pretty strong again & even though I am sore, I am thankful that I am healthy!

My hobbies. Photography, knitting, blogging, baking, reading. There are so many wonderful things 

that fill my spare time with so much joy! I have always had the means to support my hobbies & I am so 

thankful for that!

and a little more...

Hot chamomile tea & a warm bed. A brand new journal to write in. 

Christmas music & movies. Flowers. Clean water to drink.

Nice clothes to wear. Quiet time. Chocolate. Laughter. 

Sunshine. Memories. Seeing, Smelling, Feeling.

The list could go on & on... I guess the whole point is that, I have SO MUCH to be thankful for!!

We all do. Yet we often forget to be thankful on a daily basis.

I saw this quote & it really got me thinking...

"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"

EVERYDAY, I need to be more thankful to God for the many ways He has blessed me!

And even when life is not perfect, I need to trust God 

& still be thankful!!

{photography} autumn beauty

I took these shots last week, when I went on an evening walk.

There was so much beauty to be seen & felt...

Red & yellow leaves. Golden sunset. Crisp evening air. 

I am enchanted by the beauty of autumn!

To God be the glory for His amazing creation!

I am ever thankful.

{heart of thanks challenge} day eleven...

{ a November challenge from Jen at She Collects }

Thank You, Jesus for Your love! There is no love on this earth that is like Yours. You gave Your life, so that I could be forgiven & saved for eternity. There is nothing bigger than that! Your love gives me hope & joy, every day, no matter what I am facing. Your love is always with me, infinite & unconditional. I am so thankful, because I know how undeserving I am. 

This song says it so beautifully...

{heart of thanks challenge} day eight...

{ a November challenge from Jen at She Collects }

Lord, today I am so thankful for Your Word... 

It encourages me every time I read it! It reveals your love for me! It is full of the kind of hope that only You can give! I am so thankful that I can freely read Your Word every day & that I can believe all of Your Words with confidence! I pray that You will help me to hide Your Words in my heart, so that they will always be there.

{heart of thanks challenge} day two...

   a November Challenge from Jen at She Collects

LORD, today I am smiling as I think about all of the sweet memories that I have of my family, especially of those who are with You now. I was reminded today what it is like to lose someone you love... & our memories really are such a beautiful gift from You, to help get us through our loss. Thank You, Jesus, for the memories that You have given me! They will always bring a smile to my face!

{PHOTO}  My brother & I, with our grandparents, who are both in heaven right now! :)

have a heart of thanksgiving...

It is November... & Thanksgiving will be here soon!!

a day for family, a big turkey dinner & of course, the macy's thanksgiving day parade!! BUT it really is so much more than that... It is a great reminder of how we are to be thankful for all that God blesses us with & it is something we have to make a choice to do daily! 

Jen at She Collects has inspired me to be more intentional about being thankful this month!

she came up with this daily challenge for the whole month of November...

Day One: Thank God for something beautiful...

Thank You LORD for the comfort & peace that is found in your Word & for special times of Bible study with friends! I am so thankful that I have a Bible & the freedom to read it, anytime i want! I am so thankful that You are using Your Word to teaching me to trust You more, even when there is so much that I don't know or understand! & mostly, I am so thankful for the promise that I am Yours, forever & always! 

There is nothing more beautiful than that!!

Thanks Jen! :) 

i am definitely going to print a copy of this & try to be more thankful everyday!!!

america!!

i am so thankful for all of the freedoms that we have in America!

i can believe in God freely, because of how this country was founded

& because of so many people who have stood up for freedom!

i am thankful & proud to be an American!

but my true & everlasting freedom is in Christ alone!!

all that i have been given is a gift from Him...

i am mostly thankful for that today!

i hope you all have a happy & safe 4th of july!

{see my photos from last year...}

saturday snapshot...

{linking up with yellow songbird for saturday snapshot}

because tomorrow is father's day, i wanted to share an old photo of me & my dad...

i love looking at old family photos... there is something so special about the look of them. they just makes me happy! & this one is definitely one of my favorites! as i think back on the years gone by, i am so thankful for the memories i had with my dad growing up... my parents are divorced, so things weren't always perfect, but i have always known he loved my brother, sister & i. ♥

thank you!!!

i can't even express how special it is that someone (i have never even met) would buy something that i created to hang on their wall... it really means so much to me, as an artist!! it is the kind of thing inspires me to create & because of that, i had to share these photos... they made me so happy today!!

dacia of the ruffy owl bought the "you are my sunshine" print a while back & she just posted photos of how she used it in her photo wall...

oh my goodness, i love it... the frames go together so beautifully! photo walls like this are one of my favorite ways to decorate a room!!

thank you to dacia & everyone else who has supported my shop & my blog! it means more to me than you know! :)

so... now you should head over to dacia's etsy shop, because she has the cutest handmade paper goods for sale!!! (i just bought some of her butterfly cut-outs... yay!)

here are a few more items from her shop that i love...

easter weekend!!

what a lovely Easter, celebrating the Risen Lord...

i feel so blessed today!!!

i had a great time with family... eating lots of yummy food & sweets!!

we got a soft spring rain, which was much needed!

& the lilac bushes have just begun to bloom...

what a beautiful, perfect gift... thank you Jesus!!!

 i hope you all had a very special Easter too!!

:)

be thankful.

>>  i am thankful because pretty new green grass is popping up in the backyard & the days are starting to get noticeably longer... oh, i love that... spring is coming!!!

>>  i am so thankful because last night i ordered a new lens for my camera!!!! yay!! God really blessed me with the extra money, so that i could buy it! i got the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens... it's a very affordable lens & i have heard good things about it, so i really can't wait to start using it! & because it was so affordable, i might even be able to get another one sometime soon... thank you Jesus!

>>  i am thankful because this weekend, my cousin (from california) is coming to visit!! back in november, her little baby girl was born & this weekend we will finally get to meet her!!! i will definitely be taking lots of photos... can't wait! :)

>>  i am thankful for chai green tea & soft molasses cookies for breakfast!! yumm...

>>  i am thankful for this quote: "all i have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for what i have not seen." we have so much to be thankful for, even when life is tough... & honestly, when we look deeper & meditate more on the things that we have to be thankful for, we start to realize how much God really has blessed us!! & then we realize that we have every reason to trust Him right now, no matter what! (this was a little part of my Bible study from this week!) & the quote is from a devotional book called, "Springs in the Valley", it a wonderful book!

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)