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allsparkledup, encouragement, light, ocean, photography, scripture, sunset
23 Friday Oct 2015
Posted All Sparkled Up, allsparkledup, encouragement, God, nature, photography, Scripture, sunset
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allsparkledup, encouragement, light, ocean, photography, scripture, sunset
14 Sunday Sep 2014
Posted All Sparkled Up, God, Inspirational, Scripture, sunlight, words
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02 Wednesday Jul 2014
Posted Inspirational, nature, photography, Scripture, words
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inspirational, nature, photography, scripture, sunset, words
The first and third photos were taken at Sunset Beach, NC. The photo in the middle was taken in my backyard. Please feel free to copy, save and print these encouraging cards if you want.
Edited to add: I just remembered when that first photo was taken. My granddaughter and husband were with me to hold my camera gear as we walked to the beach. We had been at the beach house for five days and I still had not walked down to the beach because I was in so much searing pain and seriously disabled. I suspected my back was broken but it had not yet been confirmed. I could barely walk or move. But I was determined to not miss an opportunity to photograph my granddaughter in the sunset and asked God to please help me make it down to the shore and back. During the slow and painful walk, the sun broke through the clouds. I have never seen such as spectacular sky as that evening. Instead of remembering the terrifying unstable spine, I have photos such as this to remind me… God was with me.
20 Sunday Apr 2014
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Posted by Julia Monroe | Filed under All Sparkled Up, Easter, Inspirational, photography, Scripture
22 Wednesday Jan 2014
Posted God, Inspirational, nature, Scripture, Uncategorized
inAs soon as my son and I heard the thunk, we both said “Was that a bird?”
It was. A tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet had flown into the sliding glass door and lay on the deck.
What do we do? What can we do?
While we watched, the little bird got to his feet. But he was not well.
He wobbled around a bit and panted hard.
Finally, he fluffed up all his feathers and tucked his head in and made himself into a tiny feathered ball.
His breath came in shudders and heaves. We watched in distress.
It was so cold outside. Would he be ok? We were very glad the cats were inside! Cats love birds so of course Matey purred with glee and wouldn’t take her eyes off the little bird through the glass. We finally put Matey in the basement out of annoyance of her and respect for the bird. He kept his head tucked in, shuddering and quaking and I kept expecting the little feathered ball to fall over.
We looked up info on what to do. The advice was to carefully lift the bird into a box lined with a towel and wait. So that’s what we did. My son lifted the little feathered ball and placed it in the box, then backed into the house and slid the glass door shut. The bird stood up and balanced and revived in the warm towel-lined box. Then we waited, watching his every move.
The little Kinglet looked around for a couple minutes and without even testing his wings, suddenly flew away.
We were so glad the bird was ok! There’s not much you can do for a bird that crashes into a window and sometimes the bird will be stunned for hours. The little Kinglet was on the deck for barely 20 minutes in all.
I was glad the cats were indoors and shut in the basement.
I was glad we were able to look up info online.
It was good that we had a box and a towel to help warm the stunned bird.
And though we couldn’t do much to help, we hovered over it with concern.
Then I remembered what Jesus said.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”
If God cares so much for tiny birds that he made sure we kept the cats locked up and provided a warm towel, surely he will hover over us when we are curled up and in need of care.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
I Peter 5:7
29 Tuesday Oct 2013
Posted calligraphy, family, God, home, home decor, Inspirational, projects, Scripture, words
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The easel is long gone and the drawing scroll must be somewhere in the attic. But I still have the slate chalkboard from my childhood. I’ve been wanting to put it on the wall for many years. Now that the dining room is finished there is a perfect space for it. I got the cast iron fleur-de-lis hook from Hobby Lobby. We drilled pilot holes for the wood screws and carefully screwed the brass chain to the old wood chalkboard frame.
And then came the best part – learning how to use chalk all over again. After all these years, I still love getting powdery chalk dust on my fingers and feeling the smooth cold slate against my hand as I write.
This scripture is my prayer today for one of my sons who is moving out of state today. May the Lord watch over him and direct his steps.
If you are facing something unknown, remember this verse. Fill in the blank with what you are facing, whatever it may be… The power company … The empty refrigerator… A difficult person… Illness… Impossible “To Do” lists… and trust God. He will not leave you nor forsake you. He it is that goes with you when no one else can, when no one else will. He will not forsake you.
22 Wednesday May 2013
Posted All Sparkled Up, crafts, Inspirational, Scripture, sparkling, words
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All Sparkled Up, hope, inspiration, light, Plan B, scripture, sequins, sparkling
I Figured out Plan B. Isn’t that the best feeling ever… When you come up with a plan B that will actually work? :)
Sometimes things are really mixed up and messed up. There’s no order. There is nothing to grasp. You watch Plan A fall away in little bits.
Plan B is Hope. It’s not perfect. It still has cracks around the edges. Sometimes it’s fragile and not very clear. But Plan B will work.
And Plan B is always crazy BRAVE!
Sometime Bravery is all you need to come up with Plan B.
Don’t give up! God knows exactly where you are. Ask Him to help you make it through.
Go for Brave.
Sara Bareilles sings Brave.
[A huge public Thank You to my son Ethan. Ever since I broke my back last year and had 17 vertebrae fused, I can’t get down to ground level easily. As I shared my idea for this post, Ethan became my Hope. Sometimes Hope from God arrives in the form of a person. They bring light when everything seems fractured and dark. Ethan, you’re the best!]
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
02 Thursday May 2013
Posted Inspirational, nature
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