#100happydays Day 42

“There is a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious. It is too good to waste on jokes.”  ― C.S. Lewis

Me and the Chimes

As soon as I read this quote I knew I would be choosing this picture taken at the Chimes Tower in Longwood. Life is seriously good these days. A time is come of great accomplishment. Whether the world ever sees what I do or not hardly matters. I am where God has ordained me to be and that is my first and greatest joy! I feel like I am somehow escaping the snare of fear of man and approval addiction I have long struggled with!

Have you ever struggled with approval addiction? What helps you overcome it?

Will The Circle be Unbroken!

This post is written in response to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Circles & Curves

The challenge reminded me of that old Johnny Cash  song  “Will the Circle be Unbroken”

Entrance to the Collegeville Diner

Entrance to the Collegeville Diner

“Will The Circle Be Unbroken”

I was standing by the window
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw the hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away

Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. MA. 5:14-15

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. MA. 5:14-15

I said to the undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord I hate to see her go

Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky

The Great Eye, Keukenhof

The Great Eye, Keukenhof

Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave

Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky

The Water Dandelion, Keukenhof

The Water Dandelion, Keukenhof

I went back home, the home was lonesome
Since my mother, she was gone
All my brothers and sisters crying
What a home so sad and alone

Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky

Enkhuisen The Netherlands

Enkhuisen The Netherlands

We sang songs of childhood
Hymns of faith that made us strong
Ones that mother maybelle taught us
Hear the angels sing along

Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky

Beneath the clock

Beneath the clock

Check out what Cee’s other contributors have come up with at

http://ceenphotography.com/2014/07/08/cees-fun-foto-challenge-circles-and-curves/

 

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#100happydays Day 41

“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, 
Whispering ‘it will be happier’…” 
― Alfred Tennyson

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I have shared this picture before but I have to share it again because this is my milestone celebration picture. I have reached another milestone. Today wordpress informed me I have 500 followers! Thank you readers! You are very dear to me!

#100happydays Day 40

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We may live in a dark world but the light is constantly working to infiltrate that darkness. I am happy about that truth, even though light is no gentle rain falling across the meadow of our lives; Most times light comes as a fire ball surprising us with its sudden appearance in the sky over our heads. It can be disconcerting even a bit frightening in its scope and challenge. We can rejoice or mourn over its coming. If you are like me you have done both depending on the situation you find yourself in at the given moment of the light’s appearance.

Light is glorious!

Light is filled with hope!

Light is challenging to our personal darkness!

Light is almost always inconvenient!

Light calls us to be better than we are!

Light leaves no room for shadows!

I am glad God has come with His light to infiltrate my life.

I am challenged by that.

I am happy about that.

How is the light challenging you today?

What emotions is that light stirring inside of you today?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:16-20 NIV

#100happydays Day 39

 

Happiness is mostly a by-product of doing what makes us feel fulfilled.

Benjamin Spock Concert

I think the problem is that most of us end up pursuing things we think will pursue us only to find in the end they could never truly fill the gap. I think it was Spurgeon who said “Inside of every man is a God-sized hole.”. Only in the pursuit of God will we find our true fulfillment and happness.

Thisis my friend Brian Dickens. He is one of our town’s summer musicians doing concerts in the park.

Cee’s Oddball Photo Challenge Week 19

022714 Odd Ball

This post was created for Cee’s Oddball Photo Challenge. Pop on over to Cee’s place to see what Cee’s other contributors have seen at Ceen photography.

http://ceenphotography.com/cees-odd-ball-photo-challenge/

These are some odd balls from my latest vacation in PA.

#100happydays Day 38

Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them.
                                                                     – Lucy Maud Montgomery
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Honeysuckle

I transplanted this  honeysuckle vine three years ago and have been waiting for it to establish itself ever since. At moments I felt sure it was about to give up the ghost, but it lived! It went into full bloom on July 4th!

Longwood Liasion

Water Gardens

The Walk to the Water Gardens

A few times a year I try to break away for a time of solitude and prayer. Such times help me to refocus and gain some much-needed perspective on life. Sort of like climbing to the top of a high hill and being able to see the lay of the land below.

Rose Wall

The Rose Wall

A few weeks ago I had the chance to break away for a day a prayer at Longwood Gardens just outside of Chadds Ford PA.

My son and I arrived at Longwood after a late breakfast.  We walked the gardens together through lunch time and then he headed off to work leaving me with a six-hour block of time to read the Bible and pray.

Joe at the waterfall

Joe at the waterfall

Lately I have felt a bit overwhelmed by the scope of work I see God opening up before me. I brought many of my concerns about my own ability to Him that day. In response He took me to the words of Hebrews Chapter 11

” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”Heb. 11:1

 

 

The Webb House in the Meadow Garden

The Webb House in the Meadow Garden

As I pondered how I should address my current responsibilities in faith I took a long walk through the meadow garden.  During the course of that walk I stumbled upon this sign.

New Image

I realized then, that every time I begin to get a handle on the pace of life the pace of life seems to quicken. The answer I was left with was to rest in the flow.  God also reminded that I am not alone in the boat. If the work is increasing then the labor force has to increase as well.

Eye Of Water Brook

The night is coming on fast and there is still much to do. God showed me that while I might see a corner piece of some of that work even that much is not mine to do. I don’t have to do everything I see, only those things I see my Father doing.

Evening At Longwood

When my son met me at 9 that evening I felt ready to take on these new challenges facing me in ministry.

When was the last time you took a day to pray and get your bearings? What has the Lord been telling you in your prayer time??

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#100happydays Day 35

The more we express our gratitude to God for our blessings,
the more he will bring to our mind other blessings. The more
we are aware of to be grateful for, the happier we become.
                                                                            – Ezra Taft Benson

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I promised I would keep you updated on the state of my very first pears from my baby pear trees. Well here they are and I bless God that these little guys are still growing!

#100happydays Day 34

 

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Helen Keller

Wonky Garden

Life is never perfect. We have all said that before, but maybe that’s not the best way to put the condition of life into words. Perhaps a better way to say it is that life is not perfectly what we expect. It could be that life is perfectly what we need in order to become perfect. If so, while everything in life may not be good we can still receive it with joy knowing that somehow God will use it for our good.

In that way then the words of the old hymn are true,

“It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.”  Bill Gaither