"Where Eagles Soar" UPDATED on Saturday, 7-25-2026

Yes, an American Bald Eagle in flight. Nov., 2016.  Read on for more information.

As most of you are aware by now, I've been participating in the July "Photo-a-day Challenge" this month, which was started by our blogging friend Chrissy T., at One Season to the Next.  It has been a fun way to zero in on special photos, kind of like a scavenger hunt.  Well, today's challenge is for something 'far away'.  I have lots of far away pictures that, with thanks to my handy dandy digital camera with a zoom lens, I can bring things up close.  

Today I decided, since it is  extremely hot outside and we are under a heat advisory, that I don't want to go outside searching for the best far away photo. Therefore, it's a good excuse to go back in time and find something extra special that was worth revisiting.  This post goes back almost 10 years, to November of 2016, when we were in the middle of a very important Presidential election.  Don't worry, this is not going to be a political post, but there are references to that event in the original post, and they tie in very well with the subject of the far away photos you will see.  So once again, I ask for your indulgence as we travel back in time to see something "far away".  It's interesting that this original post was also a part of a weekly photo "challenge" of sorts, our "Friday Foto Friends". We are no longer organized as a weekly meme, but many of us still do this on Fridays.  

Original Post written 11/4/2016:

Today our Friday Foto Friends, via our friend Deb at Breathing in Grace, is celebrating a one year anniversary of this weekly gathering of "photo-genic" friends, sharing our favorite photos of the week with you and the world.  Click on the link above to see what others are sharing today.

I only recently joined this pictorial group...and was so happy to become a part of a lovely new family of friends who share more than just pictures.  We've become friends who share our lives with each other with words of faith and encouragement along with our photos...giving each a glimpse into our personal lives and the world as we see it.  With my love of photography, and my desire to make new friends as well, it was a win-win blessing!!

The other day I wrote about our visit with some new friends on Lake George, Florida...and "Walking in the Light of His Countenance". (Click here for that story).  The views from our friends' pier and yard were amazing, and I was so excited to share them with you.  However, those weren't the only pictures I was able to capture that day.   I hope you will be blessed by these additional views God provided for me to share with you.

When we first stepped out of our vehicle at our friends' lovely lakefront home, I couldn't help but notice a large bird in the tall pine tree just above us. At first, we couldn't tell exactly what it was, and some thought it was perhaps a buzzard.  How surprised we were when I zoomed in on him with my camera and discovered that this was actually a juvenile American Bald Eagle!  He just hasn't developed his white head feathers yet!!! What an amazing sight!  I was excited to see this beautiful young eagle, because I knew that he was just the beginning of even more interesting sights yet to see!!  And also, because I had never had the privilege of getting a picture of a juvenile eagle before...so this was another marvelous gift from God!

Well, after our long walk on the pier out to the fishing dock...(yes, it was a very long walk out over the water with no hand rails...but that's another story!)

our friends started fishing...and actually catching fish:

Hubby and I sat and mostly watched them fishing , because we are not experienced fishermen, and hubby was suffering from some inner ear issues (which almost kept him onshore...but he made it out on the pier in spite of the feeling of being unbalanced).

I did try to fish, but I was too interested in watching all the activity around us and just couldn't concentrate on sitting still with a fishing pole...


So, while they were catching fish, I was hearing the eagles calling each other in the sky...

and then I noticed that the two eagles landed in a large pine tree back on shore:

Can you see them up there?  No?  Well, let me zoom in on the tree with my camera...and here is what I saw...

Oh Wow!!!! Isn't that marvelous??? And so, I just had to stand there on the pier and continue taking their pictures 

Oh, look at this one!  They moved closer to one another, and seem to be having a conversation.  Probably talking about the crazy lady standing way down there on the pier watching them...

Then they moved together on the branch and seemed to enjoy being close together...perhaps this is their mating season?

Isn't that sweet????

And then they took off and soared above the lake, back and forth, calling each other and watching us...probably hoping we would give them some of our fish...

In seeking a scripture verse about eagles for this post, of course there was the most well known and beloved verse from Isaiah 40:31

"But those who wait on the Lord 

shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

During these hectic and stressful days preceding the presidential election...those of us praying for our nation need to remember and heed the promises of this wonderfully encouraging message.  If we wait on the Lord...and put our trust in Him...He will renew our strength...give us the wings of eagles to soar above the cares of this old world. 

But I found another, perhaps less known set of verses that I found interesting and maybe even more pertinent to our current situation:

"And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying,

'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, 

and tell the children of Israel: (and perhaps the children of America?)

'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians,

and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to Myself.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice 

and keep My covenant,

then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people;

for all the earth is Mine."

Exodus 19:3-5

Wow!...What a message to America indeed! Oh, how I pray that our people will truly obey the voice of God...and keep His covenant...and remember that we are a special treasure to God. I wonder if this is why the Bald Eagle is our National Bird?  Something to think about...

One more set of verses I found that spoke to me about how special the eagle must be to God. In the book of Revelation, chapter four, and particularly verses six through eight, we see a vision of the four living creatures who worship our Creator Who is sitting upon the throne.  Verse seven tells us

"The first living creature was like a lion, 

the second living creature like a calf,

the third living creature had a face like a man,

and fourth living creature was like a flying eagle."

Verse eight tells us that these four living creatures do not rest day or night, saying:

"Holy, Holy, Holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!"

The Eagle is actually going to be represented in heaven in such a marvelous way...one of the four living creatures chosen by God to be encircling His throne night and day, calling out His praises and worshiping Him without hesitation or rest.  

Awesome! Now I really feel blessed by this special visit with the eagles! To think, these magnificent creatures are a part of God's eternal home...calling out day and night

"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty, Who WAS, and IS, and Is to come!"  

I wonder if that is what these eagles were calling to each other as they flew around...and if they were sharing words of encouragement to us to keep looking up to God...don't lose hope...don't grow weary...God is bearing us up on Eagle's Wings...right up to the throne of God!!!

Whoa! How can we be discouraged, when God sends us such powerful messages each day through so many special messengers?  I wonder what God might be using to send you words of comfort and hope today?  Are you listening and watching for His messengers?  They could be soaring right above you right now! Keep your eyes on Him, and He will not fail you.

Do you know this little hymn?

ON EAGLE'S WINGS

by Michael Joncas

1. You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in his shadow for life, say to the Lord: "My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

REFRAIN: 

And he will raise you up on eagle's wings, 

bear you on the breath of dawn, 

make you to shine like the sun, 

and hold you in the palm of his hand.

2. The snare of the fowler will never capture you, and famine will bring you no fear: under his wings your refuge, his faithfulness your shield. (REFRAIN)

3. For to his angels he's given a command to guard you in all of your ways; upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. (REFRAIN)

For previous posts regarding eagles: Click HERE,  And HERE

Friday Foto Friends: "Just Grin and BEAR it!"

 Good Morning and Happy Friday!  I've been promising you a special blessing and so I hope you will just "BEAR with me" today and let us enjoy this together.  First off, I've been doing this Photo-a-Day Challenge every day for July, and it's been a lot of fun. Chrissy T. from "One Season to the Next" got me started on this.  I know some others of you have joined in the fun, and it's really been neat to see what each of you has come up with for your photo challenges.  Most people are more disciplined than I am and they only show one picture a day. I've never claimed to be very self-disciplined when it comes to taking pictures, and especially when it comes to sharing them! It's just something I love to do, ever since the day my brother gave me my first digital camera...and then when I got a cell phone that actually takes pretty good pictures...there's just no stopping me!.  So today I'm asking you to not only "BEAR with Me, but to "Grin and BEAR it" as we go along, okay?

Today (24th) the challenge is for a "close-up".  That should be easy...

LAST week (HERE) I mentioned that " I did do something interesting and special this morning, but I've promised not to share it until after the person for whom it is intended has been properly notified and surprised, so you will have to wait a week for that.",  and so you all have been patiently waiting for me to explain what that something interesting was, and who it was for.  Well, yesterday was the day for the 'big reveal'.  I had mentioned yesterday that I was having a special guest over for lunch, and so I did...

Well, let me explain a little further. We will have to go back in time a few weeks to THIS STORY to explain.  Many of you will recall that my dear friend Maura had passed away just a few months after her sweet hubby Woody.  And so their granddaughter was working hard at trying to settle their estate and clean up their house, and they had a LOT of clothes that needed to go somewhere. I suggested to Katheryn (the granddaughter) that our church's "Sew & Sew" Quilting group was going to be having a yard sale to raise funds for their quilting projects  that they do for the Ronald McDonald house and Hospice, etc., and that they could probably sell a lot of those clothes. So Katheryn donated a literal truck load of clothes to the cause and we went and picked them up.  

Also Katheryn asked me if I knew anyone who could make a Memorial Teddy Bear from the clothes of a loved one, and so I asked the ladies in the quilting group if anyone could do that, and one of the ladies volunteered to do so.  So Katheryn gathered up some favorite clothes from both her grandparents, along with one article from her father who had passed away a couple of years ago.  What she wanted to have made was two bears, each made with clothes from both grandparents and a piece from the one article of her father's.   Well, last Thursday I picked up the completed bears from the lady at the Quilt House at our church. (They meet in what used to be the OLD parsonage, which is a little house next door to the church. They have turned that into their own Quilt House and they meet there every week to work on the hundreds of lap quilts that they make.)

So, much to my surprise, when I got to the Quilt House, the dear lady (her name is Deni), had made not just two, but three bears from the clothes. She said she had been confused and thought she was supposed to make one female bear and one male bear, but then realized the bears were supposed to have something from each, and so the one female bear was a bonus bear!  So here she is with the three bears. (Please excuse the extra lady in the background working on their quilting materials. This was their usual work day and there were about 10 ladies there all working very hard!)

Here's a better "close-up" of the three bears.  They each have a blue heart on them, which was the one piece of fabric from Katheryn's father's clothes.  

And the bear sitting up above (below) is turned backwards to show you the butterflies that were applique'd on the back of the bears, which came from one of Maura's blouses. The flannel plaid bow ties came from one of Woody's favorite flannel shirts. And all of the material to make the bears came from each of the shirts that Katheryn had chosen from their clothes, ones that were special to her.

Aren't they all adorable????

Katheryn lives about 30 minutes away, and she was busy last week, so she couldn't come herself to pick up the bears that day. So I invited her to lunch at our house for yesterday so she could pick up the bears. I asked her if she wanted me to send her pictures of the bears beforehand, but she said, "NO! I want to see them in person and be surprised."  So that is why I couldn't share any pictures of them last week, even though I was sorely tempted to do so. I'm proud of myself for having that much restraint! LOL.

And so this close-up below is a very smiling Katheryn, holding the three bears...and yes, she was very surprised and pleased.  The only thing we both agreed on was that she's going to try to figure out a way to change those staring eyes...at first they were cute, but after they stare at you for a while with that surprised look, well...we both decided that maybe some plain button style eyes might be easier to look at in the long run, so she will figure that out and use some buttons from her grandmother's button stash.

Thank you for "BEARING" with me for this little story!!...oh, but there's more...

Many of you will remember when I told you about this book HERE, The Little Sand Hill Crane, 

The book on the left is actually a journal, and she gave me this yesterday!

and that my friend Katheryn had written this book and it is for sale on Amazon. Well, yes, this is the same Katheryn!

And now my copy of the book is signed by the author!!!

She also has written a coloring book to go along with the book, in addition to the journal!

Click this link to more information about Katheryn's books

And this is her latest book!

I am SO excited for the work that Katheryn is doing with these little books. They are really well written and so very special! If you have grandchildren or great grandchildren they would make wonderful gifts!

Okay folks, that's all for today. I have to go as we have some tree work to be done on the property today,  and I have to get a move on.

God bless you all, and thank you for "BEARING with me today!!"  

Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Wednesday Treasures and the Photo Challenge a day late

 

I am a day late, and most always always a dollar short! LOL.  I started writing this yesterday, and then we made a trip to Walmart, came home, had lunch, took a brief power nap, took hubby to the PCP for his pre-op appointment for the upcoming cataract surgery. We were blessed to be able to get in on such short notice, because the pre-op needs to be done no later than one week prior to the surgery, and his surgery is set for August 6th, which we only found out about on Tuesday! So, with a quick call to our PCP Tuesday afternoon, they had him in on Wednesday afternoon! One of the "perks" of small town living and having a doctor's office that always tries to take care of its patients in a timely manner.

So now it is Thursday morning, and I am in a bit of a rush this morning as well. We are having someone come over for lunch today, and I've been cleaning house and making preparations for that. I will share more about this special day in a later post, because it is something special that I hinted at last week.  So stay tuned!

Meanwhile, yesterday's Photo-a-day challenge was a "TREE".  So here is my favorite tree at the Kenwood Boat Ramp where we like to go take walks...

Psalm 1:1-3

"1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper."

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

And whose hope is the Lord.

8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

These are the trees around our "Still Waters Pond".  Even though the pond is still very dry, the trees continue to grow and flourish.  They have not "been anxious in the year of drought", and their leaves are still green.

Matthew 7:17-18: "So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit." 

This is the bottlebrush bush/tree that I planted several years ago, and it has grown beautifully this year in spite of the drought. The birds and bees and hummingbirds all love to come and delight in the nectar of the beautiful red flowers that have bloomed better this year than ever!

Here's a picture of that bush during one of the few rainstorms we had this past week:

Well, duty calls. I have a lot to get done before noon today, so I will leave this for now. I don't have a picture to share, but Blackie either brought in or one came in with him this morning, a little salamander type lizard. He chased it around the house for a few minutes until finally the lizard had to give up.  I shooed both Blackie and the poor lifeless lizard out the door, and that's where Blackie is staying for now. LOL. 

So with that I will bid your adieu.  Perhaps that picture could be my "Ordinary Moment" for today's photo challenge.  Although Blackie is anything but "ordinary"! LOL.  Have a blessed day everyone. 

Tuesday 4~Toiletries and Cosmetics, and The Photo A Day Challenge

 

Happy Tuesday!  Before we get into the subjects of the day, I wanted to share this picture from our ride up to the Eye Surgeon's appointments this morning. Hubby and I both had appointments to discuss whether or not we were ready for cataract surgery.  As it turns out, thankfully my doctor said I could still wait awhile and he doesn't need to see me again for a year, unless I develop more symptoms.  However, hubby is scheduled to have his right eye done the first week in August. He's already had the left eye done.  So we will be making that hour's trip again in August.   That picture is of where the Black Creek comes across from the St. John's River, and I always love to take a picture when we pass by there. As you can see, it was a beautiful morning, and we are thankful for a safe ride up and back. Also, we had lunch at Ruby Tuesday's after our appointment.  I especially wanted to go there to have their honey glazed salmon on a salad.  And since hubby had his eyes dilated and couldn't drive, I got to choose where to go! LOL.  It was so good!

Okay, let's get on with the program for today!

Toiletries and Cosmetics

Welcome to Tuesday 4 which was started by Toni Taddeo and kept up in memory and honor of her.
How about talking about cosmetics and toiletries this week?

Let's jump right in, shall we?

1. What brand of shampoo do you think works best for you and what does it do for you?

2. Do you use cosmetics and if so what do you use?

Here's my stash of cosmetics...Covergirl Clean Makeup, Avon Tawny Eyebrow pencil, Avon black wash off/waterproof mascara (although I rarely use it anymore), "Believe" Eye Shadow,  (bought at Dollar General), Avon Glimmer Lipstick, and Avon Glimmer Blush Stick. 

Oh, and Aveeno Fragrance Free Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion for my face and hands and anywhere else that needs it.

I also use some Beef Tallow Balm/Cream...These are locally created. I love the "Fat Mama's Tallow" Lavender Balm, but "Fat Mama" has stopped making it as they are not processing as much beef tallow as they once were. So I have just discovered this "Hippie Dippie Florida Beef Tallow Whipped Frankincense Cream" at the Deep Creek Trading Post.  I use these products primarily on my heels and toes and elbows, or other rough dry patches on my skin.   I would like to ask the Hippie Dippie people if they could make some with the Lavender scent instead of the Frankinsense, because I love lavender fragrance so much better. We shall see what develops.

3. Do you use a washcloth on your face?

Yes, I believe using a washcloth is very healthy for your skin, to help fully cleanse, exfoliate, open your pores and give your face a healthy glow. At least that's what my mama taught me, so that is what I do!

4. Do you have an all time favorite perfume or scent that you wear? If you don't wear perfumes, is there a scent that you love in general?  

I do NOT wear any kind of perfume as perfumes are just too strong for me and they give me a serious sick headache. I honestly don't know how people can stand to wear that stuff all the time! LOL.   But if they do, I much prefer that they don't give me any hugs because it literally makes me ill. I love hugs...just can't tolerate the strong scents, even in the same room. Sorry. Same with candles and air fresheners, and especially Bath and Body Works soaps, etc. They are WAY too strong for me!

However, I do love the lavender essential oil fragrance in my soap and lotions, as long as it isn't too strong. The bar of soap below is a Lavender scented Goats Milk Soap, and it is locally made. We used to sell this at our family owned Dixie Cottage store. The lady who makes it lives in Salt Springs, and she doesn't make it much anymore, but she will make up a batch for Rose and me and we buy a few month's supply at a time. She makes some other fragrances also, but lavender is my favorite. The Goats Milk Soap is so good for our skin. 

Now, let's move on to the July Photo a Day Challenge for today, shall we?  

Today's challenge (21), is "RED".  Well, I had to think about that because I don't have a lot of red in my house, but I remembered something special that I had tucked away for MANY years in a dresser drawer (about 58 years to be exact).

Yes, ladies, this is MY Letterman's Jacket from high school!  Our school colors were Red and White, and I lettered in Cheerleading:

Oh, this picture could have been for the day 19th Black and White photo challenge:

Yes, that's "me", from my senior yearbook. The cheerleading uniform is also red and white. We had to wear sweaters, which, as you can imagine, here in Florida could be quite 'warm" to say the least! Although we may have had a few chilly fall nights during our football season, after spending a couple of hours at a football game jumping up and down and cheering and doing our little cheer routines (NO GYMNASTICS back when I was a cheerleader, thank goodness! I would never have qualified for that! LOL) the sweaters could get quite hot and miserable! Especially in this very humid climate. But somehow we survived and we were very proud to wear our uniforms.  And I was very honored to be inducted into the "sacred" Letterman's Club, which was primarily made up of football, basketball, and baseball players, with the exception of the cheerleaders! I honestly don't remember that we ever did anything all that special, except for have a banquet at the end of the school year to hand out the awards to all of the athletes. But it was a fun time.  I sure couldn't do any of that cheerleading stuff today!!  My body just doesn't have the strength anymore for that kind of activity.

However, this is the kind of strength I do have..."The Joy of the Lord is My Strength"...Nehemiah 8:10

When we walk with the Lord, He gives us the strength to accomplish everything we need to do...and gives us the joy that the world can't take away!  

Praise the Lord!

Okay, That's All folks!

Have a blessed rest of your day!