Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the totally cloudy day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! The full moon must be above the clouds, because even when I stepped outside about 5:30am, the sky was glowing.
Yesterday was a gorgeous day for a walk, so for the first time in a week and a half, off I went! My first stop was at the first covered shelter, where one of the regulars was looking over the rail into the water. A gator was almost under the shelter, and I asked what he was looking for. He said someone told him that the baby gators were there. Well, maybe, but not yesterday.
So off I went to the tower, thoroughly enjoying the cool air and the calling of the birds. I watched Mr. and Mrs. Gallinule very busily walking on all the hyacinths that had washed in from the rain, and they were eating the lavender blossoms! What a lovely breakfast!
On my way back, I was delighted to see two catbirds flitting in front of me! They landed on the rail and I stopped and watched them for a minute, then off they flew! I heard two hawks calling and looked up in time to see both of them fly over and land on a tree across the canal.
God's Creation is awesome!
From Quiet Moments with God:
When we come to the end of the day and wonder why things went wrong, we usually don't have to look very far to discover the answer. Somehow, we lost our sense of direction and couldn't seem to get back on track. To ensure this doesn't happen again, or at least not as often, we can take some advice from National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones:
1. If there's a problem at work that has you stymied, try looking at it from different points of view. Pray for the eyes of your understanding to be enlightened. (Ephesians. 1:18) Before he goes out to a shoot, Jones knows he has to have a good camera with the right lens... Jones experiments until he find the right one.
2. Another important factor is focus. A picture can be razor sharp, or if Jones prefers, just the subject in the foreground will be clearly in focus.
3. We sometimes become so focused on one aspect of a problem, we lose sight of the big picture--of other circumstances influencing the situation or how the problem is going to affect others if it isn't resolved properly. Look at the big picture, then consider all individuals involved. Jones allows his creative instincts to drive him to find more than one "right" way to shoot a photo. He uses about 400 rolls of film per article--and each published article uses approximately fifty photos.
4. Don't be afraid of experimenting with new ideas and methods. Ask God to show you great and mighty things that you haven't known before. (Jeremiah 33:3) When Dewitt Jones empties his camera at the end of a shoot, he knows he's given it his best shot. He's looked at the subject he's photographing in as many different ways as he can think of.
If we've found the right perspective; stayed focused on what's truly important; been willing to try something different; and refused to let fear of failure paralyze us; we, too, can look back at our day and say, "Print it!"
"Be very careful then how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity." Ephesians 5:15-16
No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.
Harry Emerson Fosdick
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
