Friday Foto Friends: Weekly Highlights

I've been saving up pictures this week for Friday Foto Friends.  I may have shared a few on Facebook, but not too many of these. I wanted to have something different to share on Friday!!
So, how has YOUR week been going?  I hope you have had a blessed and beautiful week, and that you have many pictures in your mind of pleasant days and happy memories. Here are a few of mine:

Not that this was a particularly happy memory, but in a way it was, because I talked hubby into pulling off the side of the road so I could take these pictures of this logging operation.  Do you ever wonder where your paper comes from?  Well, it comes from these trees...lots and lots of tall, skinny, pine trees.  These trees are cut down and hauled to the paper mill in Palatka, FL. It is a Georgia Pacific plant...and they make everything from toilet paper to building materials.  Even though I hate to see so many trees cut down, I do use a lot of paper products every day, so I'm glad to know that I am helping to stimulate our economy and provide job security for so many people in our area.  Georgia Pacific is one of the leading employers in that particular area, which is about 25 miles north of us.  The only thing I don't like is the smell of the plant in operation...and glad we don't live too close...

Anyway, I thought you might be interested in seeing this beginning of what you commonly use every day...

Below is one of the many logging trucks, loaded and ready to run up the highway to deposit its load and come back for another.  I really don't like getting behind one of these big trucks on the road...I'm always afraid one of those logs might come off the back of the truck...so I pray a lot when we get behind them or when they pass us...they like to drive rather fast...

Let's see, what else did we do or did I see this past week that might be of interest?
Oh yes, this little deer family out for an evening stroll. They were originally in our front yard when we pulled in the driveway, and took off running as fast as they could down the road. Of course, I dropped everything that I had in my hands except for my camera and took off after them. They weaved in and out of several other yards trying to find a way to escape the crazy lady with the camera, but they couldn't quite outrun me! I managed to catch a few quick pics before they disappeared back into the woods...

This little deer seemed to have gotten behind, and he looks like he's saying, "Which way did they go?"

We had a huge rainfall one night this past week, and so we went over to one of the neighborhood ponds to see how high the water was:

The last time I had looked at these measurements on this dock it was way below the four foot mark...so that should tell you something!

In this photo I was trying to get a picture of that Giant Blue Heron who had just landed, and when I looked at the picture up close, I realized there were several turtles and other birds over on that little bit of sand bar in the pond. (Sand bar...mud bog, whatever...it's interesting!)

Evening Reflections on the pond...so pretty.

The Camellias are blooming...

This one is called "Pink Perfection"...can you see why?

I just had to cut it and bring it inside so I could enjoy it...

So I put it on the kitchen windowsill, right next to the little teapot my friend Sharon gave me to remind me to pray for her each day...see that verse?

"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings." 

Malachi 4:2    

That is my prayer verse for Sharon every day...and the pink perfection camellia is how I think of her.  So beautiful.

Speaking of my friend Sharon, the highlight of this past week had to be the time spent with her and her wonderful BIG family...members of which have been arriving all week from as far away as Minnesota, North Dakota, Texas, Arkansas...and more are still coming...  Sharon comes from a very large family...and they are all trying to come and spend some wonderful time together, encouraging her and enjoying the blessing of who she is.  We were privileged to be invited to join the family...Sharon calls us her "Florida Family"...and we had a great time together, eating, praying, singing...and listening as Sharon shared her life story and testimony with everyone, much of which was in song.  Such a beautiful Christian woman. I feel so humbled to be counted as her friend.

Here is a video of us singing the grace for our meal:

And here we are together:

I had some other pictures of stuff, but I think I will end this with these pictures and with a reminder to please pray for Sharon. In addition to the chemo for lung cancer, they did find a spot and some microscopic spots in her brain, and so right now she is undergoing radiation treatment for that through next week. Then they will evaluate her situation and determine what she needs next. Please pray that they are destroying this disease in her so that she can continue her beautiful life as a dear friend, sister in Christ, mother and loved one of so many.  Here is a picture of Sharon and her son Robb:

Psalm 103:1-5

1.  "Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2.  Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits;

3.  Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who HEALS all your diseases,

4.  Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

5.  Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Amen.

Thank you for your prayers. You are each a blessing to me...and to my friend Sharon.  

And now, let's glide over to Deb's place at Breathing in Grace and see what everyone else has been up to this week.  Have a blessed Friday!! 

Healing In His Wings

Malachi 4:2 "But to you who fear My name (says the Lord of Hosts), the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

 I know you are probably wondering what this little teapot and cup with a butterfly has to do with the above verse and story below.  I will tell you in a minute.

"The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings, 

and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

Interesting terminology.  I love it...and I claim it by faith on behalf of my dear friend Sharon, who has been diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, (and she has never smoked a day in her life) and she begins chemotherapy tomorrow. 

 

My hubby and I with our friend Sharon last week. 

The vision that imagery conjures up in my mind is one of complete health, mighty in strength and vitality; restored in every way to a full, long, and happy life. Wow! Thank you, Jesus, for this picture You have engraved in my heart right now! I pray that it will be true in every way for my friend Sharon. (Although I think she’d probably prefer not to “grow fat like stall-fed calves”…Ha Ha. Just injecting a little humor here, which I believe Sharon will appreciate). 

My friend Sharon is a remarkable woman in every way. I will not even begin to try and list the ways here because it would take too long.  But last week, we went to visit Sharon in her home to pray and spend a little time just trying to encourage her as she faces this battle for her life...and what does she do?  She gives me a gift.  Yes...she gives me a gift.  The little "teapot and cup for one" shown above she had found in a thrift store somewhere and thought of me, and wanted me to have it. I was speechless!  But as I looked more deeply into this lovely little teapot, I discovered another gift...the butterfly in the bottom of the cup and also on the outside with the flowers... a butterfly! To many the butterfly is a symbol of healing, of new life, of resurrection...a thing of beauty created by our Lord to brighten our days and give us hope when we feel hopeless!

And as I looked at this wonderful gift, I knew that God wanted me to have it so that I would be reminded to pray for Sharon every day...and to have hope for her healing, and to have confidence on her behalf that indeed, "The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings"....and my friend Sharon shall "go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves"!!

I know that many of you have had your own battles to win, challenges to face, and triumphs to celebrate.  There are some of you who also have family members and friends battling serious illnesses, overcoming tragedies, and who may be learning to walk by faith through treacherous terrain. Perhaps this verse and this little story will be encouraging to you today.   And possibly you may be the one who can share this hope and encouragement with others around you. Christ has come into the world with "healing in His wings"...that's what Christmas is all about...Christ came not only to save us from our sins, but also to heal us from our wounds and illnesses and broken hearts.

Luke 4:18 (and also Isaiah 61:1-2)

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me 

to preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed;

to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Be blessed today, my friends!

Christ has come with "healing in His wings".

So, What's Happening in YOUR Life These Days?

Malachi 4:2 "But to you who fear My name (says the Lord of Hosts), the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

I feel like I have been hogging the net-waves lately...mostly writing about our son Matthew and the cancer that has assaulted his body, and all of the emotions surrounding such devastating news.  It has been a roller-coaster month.  Thankfully the good news is that the doctors believe they can wipe it out in the course of about a year's worth of extremely aggressive chemotherapy...which started this past week.  The battle plan is quite rigorous and will definitely take a toll on Matthew's body...but we pray that it will do its work and bring about complete healing.  Time will tell...but we are very confident in the power of God to do the healing...as the verse says above, "The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

Interesting terminology.  I love it...and I claim it by faith on behalf of Matthew.  The vision that imagery conjures up in my mind is one of complete health, mighty in strength and vitality; restored in every way to a full, long, and happy life. Wow! Thank you, Jesus, for this picture You have engraved in my heart tonight! I love it.

So, now...back to my original question in the title of this blog!  "What's happening in YOUR life these days?"  I know that many of you have had your own battles to win, challenges to face, and triumphs to celebrate.  There are some of you who also have family members battling serious illnesses, overcoming tragedies, and who may be learning to walk by faith through treacherous terrain.  I appreciate those who, in spite of their own difficult circumstances, have taken the time to share words of encouragement, comfort, and hope for our family. Maybe it isn't in spite of, but because of these experiences you are able to share such wisdom with us.

This reminds me of a young woman whom I had never previously met, who, when she heard of our son (Matthew, again) having surgery to remove a brain tumor (many years ago now), she came to our home the day before his surgery and brought us a cooler filled with all kinds of snacks, beverages and other things that she knew would come in handy for us while we were waiting at the hospital.  I was overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness, especially when I learned that her husband had a malignant brain tumor, and he passed away shortly after that time. In the midst of her trial and tribulation, she reached out to us with the compassion of someone who truly understood what we were going through.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."  II Corinthians 1:3-4

Thank you, Lord, for friends such as these.  They are Your messengers of comfort to us during the difficult times of our lives. May we, in turn, be the same to others as You direct our paths to cross.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.