Thursday Blessings And Friday Fotos

 It is Thursday afternoon, and I am just feeling so blessed! Look what I saw outside my window on the porch railing yesterday afternoon: 

This just blessed my heart so much...that God would send that beautiful butterfly right here for me to enjoy from my "room with a view"...one of His special winged messengers of love and peace...

This picture doesn't do it justice, but those maple trees on the other side of Still Waters Pond are getting more and more colorful every day.  Another of God's special blessings. 

As I looked from our front porch I could see the tall magnolia tree standing across the street, and I noticed something red on it. So of course I had to go have a closer look!

These are the magnolia seeds that develop on the "cones" after the tree is finished blooming for the summer. Another of God's autumn beauties!

Oh, back across Still Waters Pond I noticed these two Sand Hill Cranes walking around one evening. I do hope they will come back and stay...and perhaps decide to build their nest here on our pond this year.

In our own yard these Holly trees are so full of berries this year...I wonder if that is a sign of a cold winter? I don't remember having so many holly berries on these trees last year.

These are getting redder every day.

People keep remarking about our cornstalks growing under the bird feeder!

This one in particular is getting taller every day.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that it is actually growing an ear of corn in the middle of the stalk! Wow! We may have our own corn crop yet, thanks to our bird seed!

Ever since we put the roof over our back deck I've been wanting to hang out this windchime that was a gift in memory of our son Matthew. I've kept it here inside beside my desk because there was no good place to hang it outside until now.

Now I can see it from my "open window" in my "room with a view", and possibly even hear it chime  when the wind blows. I'm not sure how well I will hear it with the windows closed, but it will be a delight when we are sitting out on the porch this fall.

Yesterday we went grocery shopping at Publix, and I saw this mug for sale. Since this is my birthday week I justified my buying it for myself. Hubby was there with me and said to go ahead and add it to my birthday gifts. I love these mugs that have something positive to say.

This one says:

"The whole world is a series of miracles, 

but we're so used to them we call them

ordinary things."

Hans Christian Anderson

I am grateful for the "ordinary things" that truly are God's miracles sent to bless us each day.

Like breakfast on the porch overlooking Still Waters Pond with my hubby.

And grateful for the miracle of beautiful skies, created by the Master Designer, God Himself, with such amazing strokes of His paintbrush...

This was the scene in the skies last evening when we were headed for our walk...

I wish you could have seen the actual rainbow of colors around that sun shining through the clouds.

But then, not to be outdone, this morning's sunrise was also another beauty to behold:

Photos taken from our front porch as the sun was peeking up above the trees.

And then this glorious swirl of pinks and blues in the skies overhead before the clouds moved in and covered it back up.  You had to be quick to see this masterpiece this morning! I'm so glad the Lord nudged me to take a look out the front door before it was too late! In another minute I would have missed this blessing!

Yes, like the quote on the mug said,

"The whole world is a series of miracles, 

but we're so used to them we call them

ordinary things."

Hans Christian Anderson

 

Psalm 150

1.  Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!