Thanking God for Groundhogs....

The grey and gloomy day gave way to gratiude and these snowy scenes by merely facing and then climbing the obstacles on the horizon. May I become a follower of Him who calls me to the heights instead of one who would sit and bemoan seeming obstacles in my path. May I not only learn to be grateful for every circumstance in my life, but also one who chooses to live and relish every moment.....

Springs of Ice

He "is the Monarch of the Mountains. They crowned him long ago. On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, With a diadem of snow." Lord Byron's words from so long ago seemed so fitting for these scenes from the winding trails of the mountains. God indeed has treasures of the snow to share with any who would stop long enough and search His winter bounty. Living waters.....waiting for the coming of Spring....

Three Mornings from My Window

Snow Bound

God's blessings sometimes take the shape of snowflakes. What a blessed time being snowbound can become. The total quiet of my little hilltop home. Life's "usual" becomes instead a forced stillness. Such is God's gift of solitude..... a time for reflection and checking life's compass.

Hours of Gold...

It was as though the mountain wanted to hold on to the last rays of the sun this evening..... And what a difference those golden hues made to the icy blue of the landscape. Their light and warmth and color inspired me to cherish every moment that is given to me....

Ending Well

The gnarled oaks and the ice laden evergreens around the pond served served to remind me of the season of my life now. Winter can be such a barren time without Your touch and Your grace, Lord....but oh, it can be the most beautiful of times when enveloped in Your presence and Your purpose. May You cover my life with true meaning and grace from your Heaven as Your snow covers these scenes, Lord. May You enable me to end this race well.......

Winter Wonderland

White feathers on a lake of glass, frosty clouds from my own breath, the stinging cold of icy fingers and face, the crunching and sloshing of wet snow giving way under my feet into the carpet of fallen leaves underneath, the clean smells of mountain air laced with evergreen, the perfect lighting of a late winter afternoon......all heavenly gifts in a time of solitude. The stillness was broken only by the creaking and crashing of limbs baring themselves of their beautiful burdens of ice..... "Be still and know that I am God"

The Remedy for Cabin Fever

After being snowbound since Friday afternoon, I was so thankful to be out and about this afternoon. The roads had thawed so that we felt safe to drive down our little mountain once again. (It had taken Becca almost three hours to get home Friday afternoon because the roads were so icy. We had also cancelled our trip to Macon for Dad's birthday because it was just too dangerous to get out....) We noticed a dusting of snow still remaining on Fort Mountain, and it seemed to call us to explore it a little closer. This was the beginning of such a beautiful afternoon...... We had just started our drive to Ft. Mountain State Park.

Snowfall in the Foothills

View from my back window.....
We've snowbound for two days. Nothing better than to look out upon this view while sipping a cup of coffee and reading a good book ( in this case Chuck Colson's "The Good Life"....).
I'm realizing more and more that Dalton has become my home. What a gift from God Himself....

Winter Sunrise from My Terrace

How I look forward to the dawning of each new day. God's faithfulness surrounds me in this little corner of His world. Simple and uncluttered, the beauty of the place where I have been planted supplies a backdrop for humble worship and true appreciation of His creation.

Dear Old Friends

Time it was and what a time it was

A time of innocence, a time of confidences

Long ago it must be, I have a photograph

Preserve your memories. They're all that's left you

Old friends, old friends sat on the park bench like bookends

Old friends, winter companions

Can you imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly

How terribly strange to be sixty......

(A loose adaption from two Simon and Garfunkle songs. Both kept ringing in my ears on my return trip from Atlanta, where I was blessed to spend the afternoon with college friends from long ago. Judy and Johnny now living almost half a world away.....And Lynn now living within driving distance from my new home.....)

Today was a priceless gift from my God..... Forty plus years have passed since I've been together with them.

Forty years of life-building for all of us. Lives filled with love, laughter, tears, hard work...and great pain. But, oh, the lessons God has been imparting to us all. And how priceless to share stories of His, oh so sufficient, grace.....

Lynn, Judy, and Johnny, how much I respect each of you. I come away a better person by simply being in your presence. It's always been this way. Your deep and unfaltering faith, your simple way of living, your steadfast character, and your true humility have not changed except to have grown even richer and deeper. Your lives speak so gently and clearly of God's love and acceptance and grace.

I love you all so very much.