Beginning to thaw

For the first time in over 1 month I was able to walk the whole perimeter of the lower half of the golf course. The snow has melted enough to see grass in some areas making it possible to walk without difficulty. As I walked just before sunset it was so beautiful to see the trees silhouetted against the colorful sky. I love winter and all the snow has been beautiful but just seeing the grass peak out and the beautiful sunset did make me long for the coming buds on the trees and early spring flowers to poke their heads out. I'm not letting winter go yet. It is only early March in Ohio so anything is possible!

Today was a better day and a good walk with God in nature always help!

Lost Soul

I feel as cold and barren as these winter tree branches.

When I started my blog a year ago I wanted it to be a place where I could share my images and give people a place to visit that was uplifting.

The last 8 months have been difficult but my faith in God had kept me strong.

I have enjoyed quiet moments with Him and found beauty in the small things.

I have attempted to pass this on here.

Lately my spirits are lagging

I have become depressed

I don't have anything positive to pass on

so

I just don't come here.

I feel like this lonely tree

alone

waiting

wondering

when is God going to move?

I have been here before, I know He always comes through. Actually I have always been blessed beyond what I have hoped for. But for now my human brain just can't take this waiting.

The fear (that I thought I had dealt with) won't let me go right now. I am afraid my husband will not get a job. That we are going to loose our house (this, we are pretty sure of) so I will loose my studio. Will I find a job? How do I look for one? What can I do? I have never filled out a resume. 27 years working for myself. How will this affect my daughter who is a junior in high school? On one hand I want to start a new life, in a different place. An adventure! I want to be used by God, to do what ever He wants us to do. I get my hopes up, get used to the idea if moving, but then my husband finds out he didn't get the job. A job I thought would be a dream job for him. Finally, his turn to have his dream. God wants us to have our hearts desires, right?

I know all the answers to these questions. I know God is faithful. I know things will turn out for the best.

But right now,

In this time

I'm afraid to hope.

I feel like this old shoe I found in my woods. A Lost Soul.

I know things will happen in His time and I should be expectantly waiting but for now I just need to be quiet and listen. Please pray my for peace of mind.

Thank you!

After The Storm

After our snow storm last night our trees are covered with a layer of freezing sleet then a couple of inches of snow. Of course I had to take some images to share.

As I walked into the woods the sounds began to change.
A few months ago I went to see The Road. I was immediately reminded of the sounds in that movie. A low, deep, unending roar. Then the trees began to creak and moan under the weight of the snow.

It was so eerie, I felt the desolation I felt during that movie. I really had to keep my mind on how beautiful the contrast of the snow in the trees was. Everything was so strange because there was no color. Everything was black and white.

It was truly amazing.
As I walked home, I came into a thicket and life came alive again.
Several sparrows and 2 red birds were playing among the tightly woven branches of the bushes and trees.

To hear their song was a welcome sound!

Ah, back to the living!

Isn't the contrast and textures of the snow and branches interesting?
Hope you enjoyed the photos, especially if you live where you don't get snow.

Images of Frost

I am playing with the idea of adding some quotes with my images on my etsy shop. Wanted to put something fun on here. Hope you enjoy it. I'll be sharing some good quotes with you for the next few post. These embellishments are from Sunshine Studio Scraps. artist - craft-tastrophic

Uncertain Future

Tonight it is late. I should be in bed. I am sleepy but the house is so quiet and peaceful I just want to enjoy this moment.
Like my photo I feel like I am living in a fog with no way of seeing what is up ahead. At times it is exciting to think of starting over and beginning again but the unknown sometimes seems just to hard to bear. I know God has a plan and I have peace most days. Actually almost all days but for some reason tonight I just wish I could have a small glimpse of hope. I small taste of what He has waiting for us. I so desperately want to do something new, I am tired of what I have been doing and I just want to follow my heart...

but,
it is scary.

How will we pay the bills?
What about my daughters last year of high school?
How will our family feel if we up and move away?
Why should I be allowed to just take time off to try art?
What about being responsible?
Doing what will make everyone happy?

What about me?

I'm tired of doing what everyone else wants me to do. Doing what is expected. I'm tired of having so much responsibility. Is this bad? Sometimes I just want to run away.
For tonight I guess I'll just go to sleep and think about it tomorrow.
Tomorrow is another day!

Things That Go Bump In The Night

On my walk today, Cooper decided to go into the woods. Since all the foliage is gone, I can see to follow the deer paths through the inner part of the woods and follow him. I get to see areas I normally can't see in the summer.

The weather has been a bit gloomy lately and today was drizzly and dark.

The twisted grapevines and gnarly bushes made for an eerie site.

I was beginning to feel how eerie the woods seemed when a hawk cried out as it flew out of a tree above me. Warning the animals of my arrival.

But

as he continued to circle I wondered if he was warning me of something

lurking in there.

As I wound myself around the path to get out into the meadow

I heard a strange sound.

not quite an animal sound

not quite human either.

Then I heard it again

a

screeching

sound

still not sure what it was.

I

stopped,

looked

up,

the bare trees were swaying against the dark foreboding clouds

and they were moaning with the wind.

There really wasn't anything scary there. It was all in my imagination. It was just nature making winter sounds. I am thankful for my imagination, it made my normal walk a little bit more interesting today.

My word for 2010!

After visiting some of the blogs I like to follow, I wanted to do a blog entry about my word for 2010.

I really wanted it to be a positive word.

A good word.

I wanted it to be one to encourage you as well as me.

I really wanted it to be Peace. Then I thought about it some more and what is happening in our lives and I came up with Perseverance.

This wasn't real up lifting but a more positive take on the difficulties we have been encountering lately and it described how we have been living.

But...

on a walk with Cooper the other day as I was praying I just kept thinking, wait, wait, wait.

Why are we always having to be in a state of waiting? I thought I had learned this one already! I actually thought I had mastered the art of waiting pretty patiently. I left that with God and decided I didn't want wait or waiting to be my word.

I'd just have to give it more thought.

Tonight my pastor made a statement that was very inspiring for me and I saw how I was looking at things in a negative light. [again :( ].

Instead of waiting I am now Anticipating what God has in store for our family

and

Expecting His promise to not forsake us and to deliver us from our affliction to be fufilled.

so

I am now Anticipating!

I can't wait to see what He does!