Category: Beauty

A Steady and Perpetual Serenity

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Cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity.

Joseph Addison

I have no major updates yet on John’s health as we are waiting for a follow-up appointment with the spine specialist. John had an MRI and a few x-rays done and we will know soon what the new doctor can do to help with John’s back pain. Also, a consult with a neurologist concerning John’s migraines is coming up in June, I believe. In the meantime, we try to stay cheerful and hopeful and not let dark thoughts crowd in and take over. Serenity lies in keeping faith steady and alive trusting that God cares and sees and has help on the way for the pain issues.

Here are the latest stray gifts!

I received a few birthday gifts in the mail, a few Happy Birthday texts, and some cards (even a few handmade ones)! A friend of mine in Georgia sent me a four leaf clover she found during one of her hikes. Another friend bought and decorated a nice cup for me! Both gifts were such a nice surprise.

Jonathan graduated from college this past week with high honors! The commencement was held outside in the football stadium. We were able to see him standing and waving on the end of his row. It was a miracle we were able to see him at all with the hundreds of graduates and families present. It was sunny and 91 degrees in the shade when we arrived, so we took a photo of Jonathan before we became all hot and wilted. As the night went on, that dark cloud came around the mountain bringing with it wind, sand, and rain. The night cooled off quickly and the rain was just a drizzle. The cool air was sure nice for the rest of the evening. At the end of the ceremony, we all enjoyed the fireworks. It was an exciting night!!

Last week, he had an interview with the local Historical Society for a volunteer position as a curator. He has to get experience somewhere, and the people he would be potentially working with are seasoned historians and it would a great place to ‘get his feet wet’ in this type of work. He was able to take a little tour of one of the grand old homes that had been donated which is in the process of being restored. Jonathan said he was in awe. The details! The craftsmanship! The architecture! He was thrilled to have seen a bit of the house and what the owners had left behind. I will have an update on how that’s going soon.

It is still a special time of year in our yard. The honeysuckles are gone for now, but the roses keep blooming. The roses on the left are right in front of our house below the living room window. Sometimes, when I look out, I can see the small finches hanging out on the rose branches when the birds come to the feeder that is close. (I throw a little birdseed near the window, too, hoping they will come up to the house so we can watch them up close.) The rose in the middle and on the end is from the backyard and is the same exact rose, one day apart. The roses look different day to day and it motivates me to get outside to see the fascinating changes.

Until next time, this is my newest Record of Graces and growing list of of “stray gifts”. Keep looking, keep noticing, and keep sending me your very own stray gifts! I love to see them!

Give Me April and May

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You can have all the rest of the year if you will give me April and May.

Spanish Proverb

We’ve had beautiful weather here lately – except for a few very windy days. I would be quite content to have this spring weather all year ’round. Right now, our honeysuckle vines are full of flowers and the roses are blooming. The backyard smells heavenly. We love going outside after dinner to enjoy the space and all the hard work we have put in the last few years. It has been a calming place as we live in a busy city. It’s our own ‘secret garden’.

I have mentioned here and there about John’s health. Not much has changed in pain and mobility level. He did have an appointment with a spine specialist who ordered an MRI to be done. The doctor visit was short as there is not much he can do until he sees the results from the MRI. Physical therapy starts this week and we hope it will help.

Our Jonathan will be graduating college in a few weeks. He has his cap and gown, the tassel, and has ordered a class ring. We are glad the school is having an official ceremony this year. More than being an honor student, I am proud of his grace, kindness, and humility he gifts us with every day.

Here is the latest record of graces in stray gifts:

From left to right: Yellow Lady Bank Roses have made their appearance. These tiny roses are so cute! We have been mulching our rose bush clippings and such from when we pruned in February. The mulch makes a huge difference in the yard as it covers the sand and rocks we have. Honeysuckles have bloomed once again and their sweet scent fills the air.

The yard is coming along this spring. I always look forward to roses coming back around every year. We still have a lot of mulching to do in the backyard. Once Jonathan is done with classes, we will finish working on cleaning up after winter. I have mint growing this year and Jonathan and I like to put it in water, lemonade, or tea. Very refreshing! The last photo is of more Lady Banks Roses. I first saw this kind of bush at our city’s Rose Garden a few years ago and just had to have a few in our yard. I love how they climb!

(Left) I had heard about a nursery on the other side of town that we hadn’t checked out yet. John and I were in this area one day while waiting for Jonathan who had class on campus. This nursery is not one you just happen to find as it is tucked away on an average street. When we arrived, we were surprised at how full it was of all sorts of life. It had two greenhouses on site filled with plants. There were huge, old trees on the property covered in ivy and Virginia Creepers. We liked it so much, we brought Jonathan back another day because we knew he would enjoy it. (Top Right) I was able to make it to the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden last week. Every rose bush was full of roses! Red, orange, pink, purple, white, yellow…and more colors of roses were just breathtaking. Several people were out wandering around the roses, some were sitting on benches reading or studying, and some were taking photos. I could smell the roses even through the mask I had to wear. (Bottom Right) John and I met Jonathan for lunch one day in between his classes. The sandwich shop we chose did not have indoor seating available, so we took our lunch to a nearby park. It was a beautiful day to be outside as we sat under a big elm tree.

I hope you are finding stray gifts in your area. I sure do appreciate friends and family who text me photos of interesting things they find. One friend in Pennsylvania has gorgeous peacocks from a neighboring farm roaming around on their property. A friend in the Dallas, Texas area likes to visit the arboretum often and she will text me colorful photos of her day. A friend in Georgia enjoys long hikes in the woods and takes pictures of twigs, branches, and leaves that have landed on the ground forming a cross. Other objects she discovers along the way as well which make a cross remind her of Christ’s sacrifice for us all. God has a way of drawing us to Him, don’t you think? Another friend sends me photos of the beautiful quilts she makes for veterans or of days out of the house doing something special. Recently, she and her husband visited the zoo and she shared a photo of an adorable penguin they saw. “It was a fabulous day”, she said. I love it! Jonathan and John always text me memes found on Facebook they find funny or inspirational. Stray gifts are all around! Thank you, Lord, for Your kindness and mercy.

Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -William Wordsworth, 1806

Make Christmas a Verb

Published on by arecordofgraces

Poem by Mark F. Stone

For many, the gifts are the be-all and end-all:
the big screen, the tablet, the Barbie and Ken doll.
For me, gifts I get are like ice in the sun.
I cannot recall them. No, not even one.

How did I find a true way to remember
the import of each twenty-fifth of December?
The quest to acquire is an urge one can curb.
The lesson I learned was: make Christmas a verb.

Knock on the door of your neighbors who deal
with aging and loneliness. Bring them a meal.
If you have means and you live in fine fettle,
drop off some greens in that little red kettle.

Visit our vets who are hurt and express
your thanks for their service as they convalesce.
Deliver to others a luminous glow.
The gifts you will cherish are those you bestow.

The Gift of 86,400 Seconds

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God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say “thank you”?

William Ward

It is quite challenging to have a theme each month – for study, for photo opportunities/stray gifts – and it’s only February! I have followed other challenges in the past, but felt God was leading me to create my own based on where He was guiding my studies and blog writing. For this month’s stray gifts theme, the words which came to mind were: admirable, kind, lovely, and sweet. For anyone who may be reading the term ‘stray gifts’ in my writing for the first time, it is based on a quote by William Wadsworth who wrote, “Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find”. I have been taking notes, snapping photos, and writing about noticing these ‘stray gifts’, but with the take on that God has His hand in everything. These gifts really are not strays, but handfuls of purpose in my path that He put there to bring my attention to Him. Here is what I have so far for February: (photos first this time, explanations below)

#1) “Lovely” – From our kitchen window this week, we watched this bird (I think a finch) eating away at the feeder. He had beautiful red and brown feathers.

#2) “Admirable” – Jonathan (my son) is a junior at UTEP and it is his first semester attending. In between classes or while waiting for my husband to be done with work, he has been walking all over campus to see what’s what. The theater, science buildings, the basketball stadium that was used in the 60’s. Track and field, football stadium, Geology building, Fine Arts building where he found himself beneath the stage…I say “admirable” because he was curious about something and went to explore. He could have looked at photos online and it would have been much easier. But he has been walking all around the campus lately because he was interested. He walked in cowboy boots, by the way. Because ..well…we’re in Texas. That’s what we do.

#3) “Sweet” – TWO lovely cards last week. What a fun surprise! The handmade card and envelope from my 11 yr old niece. I love it! The other card from a long time friend which made it all the more special.

#4) “Lovely” – Don Juan climbing red rose bush with baby leaves. I read that climbing roses need not be pruned right away, to wait until after the first bloom. I only planted this last year so I am looking forward to seeing how they do this year. #straygifts in lovely red roses wanting to wake up already.

#5) “Sweet” – My husband brought home these cookies for me knowing I love a chocolate and mint combination. Coincidentally, I was drinking mint tea that day because I was in the mood for it. (He didn’t know that.)

#6) “Kind” – My husband isn’t really known for being a “kid person”, yet somehow he has managed to have a collection of buddies in our church in Mexico. We are not sure when this game started of him getting their shoes and putting them just out of reach, but they are highly entertained by it. They pretty much hand him a shoe for him to toss. Sometimes, my tall son comes to the rescue with a ladder to get shoes off the roof. Stray gifts in surprising entertainment, kind adults who play with kids, and sweet play, too.

The Day’s Resolutions

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I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the year’s.

H. Moore

For me, it is difficult to resolve to do something for a whole year. I make plans to lose weight, but life gets busy and rough and sometimes, eating out is the simplest. I do not always make the wisest choices when eating out and on busy days, I tend to forget making time to exercise. My husband and I make plans to save money, but the truck breaks down, prescriptions need to be filled, shoes wear out, a loved one needs help, and the list could go on. A few months pass by in the new year and discouragement sets in.

What if I think in terms of the day’s resolutions instead? Thinking about maintaining a new habit for a whole year tends to feel overwhelming, but I believe I can manage one day at a time.

Today I will resolve to:

  • Summon the courage to face a problem so I won’t have to deal with it tomorrow.
  • Dedicate my thoughts to making one right decision at a time.
  • Live in grace when ‘productivity’ may be resting and not accomplishing tasks on a to-do list.
  • Look for the gifts in life and not focus on the grief.

Last year, I started looking more for the gifts in life. This treasure hunt every day helps me remember God’s involvement in even the smallest of details. I am continuing this search for the gifts because I believe it has helped me to notice His hand in my life more than ever. For January, I have a had a focus to look for four types of gifts: white, inspirational, heartfelt, and brand new.

Here are the latest photos in stray gifts.

Top Row: (Left) White alyssums still alive during the cold weather. (Right) Beautiful pine cones noticed on one of our walks. I love the contrast of white and brown.

Middle Row: (Left) I am not sure where this inspirational book of prayers came from, but I love a lot of the poems in here and share them on social media often. (Right) While out watering and checking on my plants, I was struck by the new growth of mum leaves.

Bottom Row: (Left) On a walk last week, we saw bare trees, palm trees, and birds in trees. Art in nature is always inspirational. (Right) A brand new scent to the earth and all that is in it after a good rain.

Not pictured: Stray gifts “heartfelt” showed up in thanks around the table last week from my husband, my son, and my dad over mashed potatoes -which I don’t make too often. I think my dad had potatoes with a side of rotisserie chicken and broccoli! (Maybe I need to make mashed potatoes more often?) ‘Grateful for thankful hearts and food on the table. And for the aforementioned men who help clear the table and wash the dishes!


Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
-William Wordsworth, 1806

Everything a Miracle

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“It was Einstein who said

either nothing is a miracle,

or everything is –

a jagged mountain range,

lilacs in bloom,

a peacock unfurled,

sun on your arm,

the touch of a stranger.

Take your pick: be surprised

by nothing at all,

or by everything that is.”

-Poem “Epiphany” by Maryanne Hannan

We were surprised by the beautiful snow falling last night and again this morning – a definite ‘stray gifts’ moment since snow is so rare in these parts. Here is a collage of photos I took in my backyard this morning.

And Happy New Year to you! May you find your very own stray gifts, miracles, and surprises in each new day of 2019.

Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -William Wordsworth, 1806

Distracted Living Is Dangerous Living

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We have a schedule for nearly everything in this day and age. We set alarms and reminders for when to wake up, when to start making dinner, when to take medicine, when we have appointments. But seeing the hand of God work in healing, in miracles, in faith coming to light is something that cannot be scheduled. We have to show up every day willing to be observant. “The masses will follow the leader who is the loudest”, I read once. God leads with a still small voice and the followers are few. We live in a distracted society and the rush of time dominates. Distracted living is dangerous living, I think, for when we are distracted, it is easy to miss the “God-moments” in a day and His prompting in the right direction. We want the big moments for the big testimony, yet the big moments are made up from a collection of all the beautiful things, the noble acts, and the sacred connections. If we miss the small moments every day, we will miss a lifetime. Every gift matters as it is God’s reminder that He is mindful of us. He visits us in the messy daily life loving us, teaching us, showing us how to live. To change from the hurry and worry mindset to halt and worship can take mere seconds if we choose. We are not forced to live open to grace. He gives us each the liberty to decide. Help me, Lord, to choose You.
*****
#straygifts update: Here is an all Chrysanthemum collage. I really did buy this many colors when they were on sale last month! That is, all except the top left corner. The red mums were the very first ones I bought a few years ago. I did not know much about perennials versus annuals, so when I noticed leaves coming back in the spring, it was quite a surprise for me. I have learned a few things since then and know that I love to see last year’s plants come back to life after a cold season.
*****
Pleasure is spread through the earth
in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. ~William Wordsworth, 1806

 

A Different Sort of Kingdom

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A while back, I read a thought-provoking web post on the topic, Consider the Lilies. In it, the author Jill Carattini wrote,  “..Beauty can offer healing; that paying attention, even to fleeting glimpses of the mere suggestion of new creation, is deeply restorative…It is quite possible to see and not really see, to hear and not really hear…When Jesus asks the world to consider the lilies, to consider beauty in the midst of all the ashes around us, his request is full of promise, for he is both the Source of beauty and its Subject.”

Luke 12:27, “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” I cannot even imagine the opulence of King Solomon “in all his glory” – Our minds probably could not even comprehend what he possessed in his palace or storehouses. Yet, the lily is much more exquisite than anything Solomon owned. Jesus wants us to be aware of how the ravens are fed with very little effort on their part. And He wants us to examine the beauty of the lily and its Source.

“Paying attention to the ephemeral [or short-lived] is in and of itself restorative because it is paying attention to him. Here, both the anxiety-addicted and the attention-overloaded can find solace in a different sort of kingdom: one in which there is room for the paradox of a fleeting world with eternity in its heart.” (J. Carattini)

Ah, the world is filled with the anxiety addicted and the attention-overloaded, Christians not excluded. The remedy is finding solace in a different sort of kingdom, keeping in mind the Source of beauty around us, with eternity in our sites. Here is the latest in my little kingdom/#straygifts photos: (no pictures of ravens or lilies, I’m afraid, but still some of God’s wonders.)

Top Row (left to right):
-$4.00 Mums on the Clearance shelves. These yellow ones look a bit frazzled, but the leaves look healthy. The brightest and best were near $15.00, but I knew this one would be o.k. after some trimming. (For the record, I also bought white, purple, orange, and red Mums as well on the Clearance shelves!)
-Yellow roses on the rose bushes out front.
-Tiny little Red Salvia blooms…a new plant for me this year. I didn’t know if they would bloom again.
-For weekends, for rest, I’m thankful. For a bird feeder- a gift from a young friend years ago, for yellow trumpet flowers, and southwestern sunsets, thank you, Lord.

Bottom Row:
-Most of my roses are all withering at the moment, but the honeysuckle blooms have decided to make an appearance.
-Regularly $20.00, I bought these packs of Fall paper for $6.00 each. I have been trying to get back into card making/sending notes lately.
-Gentle rain on roses
-I was pruning the front yard roses one morning as my husband was pulling out of the driveway. He stopped to show me the reflection of the sunrise in the front windows.

 

 

Even A Blade of Grass

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“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself”. -H. Miller

This is the whole point of A Record of Graces; paying close attention to and appreciating what has been given.  This #straygifts journey keeps me looking for the good in the day and seeing the mystery in an object, or the magnificence of simple ordinary everyday life. Here is my mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world; the latest in “stray gifts” photos:

  1. Roses blooming nearly every day now.
  2. Brunch in a time warp restaurant with a favorite aunt who was visiting, oldies music filtered through loudspeakers, steaming cups of coffee.
  3. Pink Oleander in the yard. My son and I have cut this bush down several times over the last few years because it wasn’t looking very healthy. This year, it has shot up and out! And the blooms are amazing.
  4. The scent of freshly cut grass…in our own backyard!!
  5.  Stray gifts found in toothless smiles of little ones, in birthday celebrations with the young and the well-aged around the table, in a church family who cares about you, and in a ministry made up of a few people with big hearts. God is working, He is blessing, and is ever present.
  6. Pink paper, hearts, and a smiley face. A note from a niece in the mail today.

Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -W. Wordsworth

 

 

The Goal of the Photographer

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The goal of the photographer is not to change their subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer.

Taking photos of “stray gifts” has a way of changing people, or rather, the act of noticing and giving thanks for these gifts makes a difference. Documenting them through photos is a creative outlet for me.  Several friends have shared with me their own stray gifts and it means so much that they have been encouraged to stop and take note of something beautiful in the day. I do not know if any of the photos I post change the mass of people who look at my page  or if they help them see things differently, but I know that in noticing the details of a flower, a note from a friend, a kind act from a family member, it has a way of melting away sadness, doubt, and fear of the unknown in myself. In the details of the things I notice, God shows me that He is there and that His gifts come by the handfuls. Here is the latest in my photography subjects:

  1.  All the hard work in the yard is paying off. Stray gifts are spotted in a yellow butterfly, bees hanging around our yellow bells, and now hummingbirds stopping by in the morning. The photo is a tad blurry because it was taken through a kitchen window.
  2.  The red roses that my dad picked out for the yard are blooming again.
  3.  I never know which way the vines will grow. It’s always fun to watch the way the Morning Glories intertwine and stretch around this lattice.
  4. The “mystery flower” which turned out to be a sunflower died a few weeks ago and I popped it off. All that was left was the stalk and the leaves. The day I took this photo, I noticed this new growth!
  5. I am catching up from stray gift photos from August. We have had company and now are getting back to normal around the house. This is a photo taken a few weeks ago of a new rose on the bush.  It was just a bud the day before and already looked wilted. It is still pretty hot here this time of year, but I was glad to see that the roses will be blooming again on this bush.
  6. Quiet nooks, the scent of books. This was the day we took my aunt who was visiting to the historic town of Old Mesilla, New Mexico. There are lots of shops selling native New Mexican jewelry, gifts, food items, and more. In this shopping area, there is one bookstore that my son and I love to go in to explore.

Pleasure is spread through the earth In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -W. Wordsworth