Prayer - It's Now or Never

My friends, here we are in 2011 and we are seeing very hard times. 

I have friends who are experiencing hardships like I've never seen in my lifetime:  Job loss or big salary cuts, home foreclosures and business losses, deeply injured relationships or divorce, loss of faith and questioning God, and unbelievable financial hardships. 

 

I have experienced some tough times in my life, and have not always turned to prayer and God when I should have.   Yet the Lord has proven to me that He is always here for me, and loves me unconditionally when others have not. 

     "No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it" ~~Guy King.

            Well said, Guy King! 

           

     Some have been to the mountain.  I have been to my knees by the side of my bed ~~Robert Brault. 

     

     I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  ~~Abraham Lincoln

I love these three quotes. I've found myself on my knees in prayer many times in my life, despite the devil's influence.  God has answered some prayers, and he's NOT answered some (or answered my prayers in a different way).  I am sure you've experienced this same thing.

While we all pray. . . We also long to connect with someone who can identify with what we are going through in our daily life.  "Prayer is just that -- a personal experience and intimate connection with our loving Heavenly Father."

 You might be asking how all this ties together?  At the beginning I spoke of untold hardships among friends and family, and many of these friends have spoken to me about prayer.  Many have said 'Without prayer I could not make it through the day', 'We would have never survived this ordeal without prayer", and 'Prayer and God was our only hope'.

     Recently I received a daily devotion by Rick Warren and it contained the most precious prayer that touched my heart in these days of turmoil:

 

“Lord, I have so many things on my plate. They are impossible. I can’t do them all today so help me know what’s important and what’s not important.
Help me not to worry about not getting the unimportant things done.
Help me focus on what matters most.
I need your strength today to do what I need to do today.
I have some financial, physical and emotional needs and I’m depending on you to help me today.”

Recently I read in 'what order' we should pray beginning with "Thanks" to Him for the blessings He's given us and the prayers He has answered.  And thank Him for the good things in our lives.  Follow by praying for others and their healing, help, etc.  Then talk to God about ourselves -- confessing sin to him -- praying for blessings, assistance, forgiveness, guidance, etc. 

  

     "God has editing rights over our prayers.  He will . . . edit them, correct them, bring them in line with His will and then hand them back to us to be resubmitted" ~~ Stephen Crotts.  

Do you struggle with asking for what YOU want, instead of praying for God's Will to be done. . . and trusting that HE knows best?   I do.

I have struggled with this all my life many times failing and asking for certain things instead of asking to be blessed with what "God knows is best for me".   It's almost amusing to look back at some of the things I prayed for, and received, only to deeply regret it later.  

I am no better than anyone else in my faith.  I struggle daily.  But I do know that prayer has helped me through all my life, and through some of the toughest things I've ever gone through. 

I encourage you to continue to pray, and I pray He will ease the burden of many of my friends and help them find peace in these hard times.

      God Bless my Friends

A Passion . . . Photography

"Sometimes I get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter." ~Ansel Adams. Photographer/artist

            Wow, doesn't that quote by Ansel Adams say it all?  I am so blessed that I've stumbled upon several scenes when God was ready for me to click the button. 

            I am NOT a good photographer.  I struggle with composition, and all those camera settings:  aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposures, and a multitude of things my Nikon D5000 is capable of that I have yet to master.  I have the DVD, I've spent countless hours on Nikon's website, and read two photography books.  I still have so much to learn.

            But what I DO possess is a Passion for photography.  I've had a deep interest in photography since a child.  I would stare at the National Geographic in particular, marvel at the photographs, and dream of recreating those amazing photos.  Different angles, odd shots, and unusual subjects intrigued me.

I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world . . . rather than just look at it.  ~Author Unknown

            I went through all the standard 1970's cameras -- the Polaroid Swinger, the Kodak disc, and a Kodak 110.  I vividly remember my first 35 mm film camera in the late 80's which we purchased to preserve all those treasured photos of our growing children.  Canon and Fugi digital cameras followed over the next 10 years. 

            Yet, the 'delay' of the photographic moment is what frustrated and perplexed me.  I wanted a photo of that split second the baby smiles for the first time, the fish jumps from the water, the bird soars across my head, or the skier cuts precisely around the buoy on the slalom course.  Regular "point and shoot" digital cameras have a 'hesitation' while the mirrors adjust before the image can be transferred to the camera's memory.  Also, auto-focus can delay the instantaneous photo you desire.

            My dreams came true this past summer (2010).  Don and my children gave me a Nikon D5000 digital SLR camera for my birthday.  Yes, I cried. 

            I have had an incredible time with this camera and am constantly learning more and more about it.  I am partial to manual focus especially when photographing fast moving sports/objects such as water skiing. 

My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.  ~Richard Avedon 

             I can relate to this quote.  Photographs not only tell something about the subject, but about the photographer -- their interests, likes/dislikes, and even how they view the world.  Some enjoy black/white photography, some prefer sports, some prefer landscapes, and so on. 

            When I look back at photograph's I've taken, some of them clearly show my feelings, and how I viewed the subject and the world at that precise moment.

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away.  ~Eudora Welty

         I hope to take a photograph that will make you go "ahhhhhh", create a stirring in your soul, a memory, or as the quote above states, "stop a moment from running away".   THAT is what I strive for.

          In closing, let me leave you with this quote:

"There will be times when you will be in the field without a camera.  And, you will see the most glorious sunset or the most beautiful scene that you have ever witnessed.  Don't be bitter because you can't record it.  Sit down, drink it in, and enjoy it for what it is!"  ~DeGriff

{Thanks to Don, for the most wonderful gift ever !!|

A Stay at the Inn

On the way to Snowshoe, West Virginia we decided to spend a couple of days relaxing at a Bed and Breakfast -- "Inn at Mountain Quest".  What an undiscovered jewel sitting back in the West Virginia hills. 

Late on New Year's Eve after a long and tiring 14 hour drive we rounded a curve to a welcome site.  A large white farmhouse with an adjoining wing of guest rooms sitting out in the middle of a snow covered field brightly lit in the dark of the night with white fences adorned in red Christmas bows.  It was just like a real-life Christmas card.

Here is an excerpt from their website: Nestled in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, this 450 acre mountain complex offers the opportunity for individuals and groups to relax, reflect, enjoy their surroundings, learn and interact with others in exploring the most important aspect of our lives, our organizations, our world. The 150 acres in the valley is a working farm and is home to horses, llamas and Long Horn cattle.  From above, whether misty or clear, the beginnings and endings of daylight are spectacular, and the view of the valley in the quietness of the hills brings with it a sense of peace and wellbeing.

As we opened the door to our "theme" room I was amazed at the splendor and detail. 

There were two queen mahogany carved canopy beds with beautiful brocade bedding, mahogany hardwood floor, punched-tin ceiling, and antique furniture. 

The focus of the room was the huge ornate early 1900's dollhouse on display.

Each of the 10 guestrooms has it's own individual theme such as the "Hangar", "Oriental", and "Rustic Roost". 

For me there were two highlights of the Inn.  The first being the 2 story private library with over 23,000 books.  

The Library in itself is ornate and wonderfully decorated including a grand piano and big comfortable leather furniture perfect for lounging and reading. 

The second highlight of the Inn was the livestock.  There are two huge red barns on the property housing a multitude of goats, Shetland ponies, llamas and Arabian horses.  

After a delicious hot breakfast, we joined the owners in the barn to feed the horses.  It was a beautiful site to see each horse released from it's stall to run into the field of snow.

I've never been up close and personal with a llama but they are adorable creatures.  Andrea received quite a treat ~~~a llama 'kiss'.  

There is a four-story tower joining the farm house with the fourth floor being a glass-domed observatory complete with telescope to enjoy the starry nights.

We hiked to the top of a hill overlooking the farm, enjoyed a snow-ball fight, and had a fun-filled afternoon watching the Alabama game on a large screen TV.  Some played pool, some relaxed in the library, and some took advantage of the serene atmosphere and napped. 

New Year's Day 2011 ended with our entire group gathering around a beautiful formal dining table for a wonderful meal of pasta, chicken breast in wine sauce, and vegetables.  As we surrounded the table holding hands and said Grace one of the owners, Alex, a former opera star, also serenaded us with one of the most touching Blessings I've ever witnessed in my life.  

I said the Library and livestock were the highlights of the Inn, yet when I think of the days we spent there I believe all of us gathered around the dinner table that night, laughing, anticipating our snow ski trip, discussing our activities of the day. . .  THAT was the highlight of the 'stay at the Inn' for sure.  What a great group of people and I am so lucky to now call them my friends.