Limitless Love

It has been a while since I posted an encouragement, but when I read this morning devotion with Billy Graham, I felt I needed to share his thoughts. There are a lot of storms we face in this life, some weather related and some within our hearts and sometimes they are both. In late September, Hurricane Ian demolished the west coast of Ft. Myers, Florida. Being raised in south Georgia, I fully understood that the late storms of hurricane season were usually the meanest. Now the east coast of Florida braces for a November storm, a rarity.

Storms of the heart are no less powerful. They can come from misunderstandings between people to down right meanness and we have all faced them, maybe even caused a few of them – whether we meant to or not. The problem is, we are all imperfect. We are all sinners. BUT all of us are still loved. God’s love for us reaches beyond anything we could ever imagine, even to those who do not love Him. But to those of us who do love Him, we feel that love. It holds us on course until the storms are over. He stands right beside us fighting the battle for us when we no longer can. He is our warrior.

Billy Graham’s message this morning reminds us of the limitless power of God for all of us.

God can be everywhere at once, heeding the prayers of all who call out in the name of Christ; performing mighty miracles. There is no limit to God. There is no limit to His wisdom. There is no limit to His power. There is no limit to His love. There is no limit to His mercy. Billy Graham

As you fight today’s battles or this weeks battles, always remember there is simply no limit to God’s love for you. As you stand tall in your battle, remember to be kind. Kindness during battle has an extra power of God with it that has the opportunity to open the eyes of the storm and help it resolve.

Weekend Sky #77

Its Sunday so technically, in my mind, it is still the weekend. I wanted to share this beautiful sunset. That is one thing I really love about fall and winter – the evening skies. Their colors are so rich and beautiful.

Hope you all have a good week ahead. I myself will be glad when this week is done and the political adds will stop. Take care everyone and remember to be kind.

SOCS, Nov 5

I fully realize today, in my time zone, is Friday morning BUT I loved the idea of tomorrows SOCS prompt. My Saturday is going to be out of control busy so I are doing it today.

My favorite word is a word of action or an expansive adjective, and sometimes it can be an adverb. Its a word that is uses in every language on earth. Its an action that is used by every creature ever made that shows our inner hearts. It is a characteristic of one of the nine fruits of the spirit mentioned in the book of Galatians. It is the forerunner of all things beautiful. I close every post I create with it in some form. That word is….Kindness.

Kindness in any of its many forms, like kind, kindly, kinder… etc. is a base word for growing beauty. Think of all the actions you do on a daily basis but kindness is where you start from…like love, sharing, gentleness. It is a word we should always have in our pockets to use at any given moment. The dictionary has 197 synonyms and antonyms for the word kind proving the power of this one tiny word. Animals use it within their family units but how often do you hear about an animal reaching out to a different specie with an act of kindness and even protection of the other specie. I could tell you countless stories I have read, the most recent from National Geographic about a diver and a whale. It happens more than we know.

Kindness can be as simple as sharing a smile, a soft hello to someone scared, or a much needed hug from which you also benefit. It is a word we ALL benefit from so let’s use it often and help the world become a better place.

Always Be Kind

FOTD, Maybe Weeks

WHEW!!! It has been a crazy busy few weeks. I have not had time to even think about anything to share much less actually sit down if front of my computer for a few minutes. But that is how fall is for me. The community garden needed shutting down and cleaning, my yard needed cleaning out the old and planting the bulbs for next spring and then…there is Christmas prep with crafts that needed to be done while inventory in stores was still available. And if any of you follow me regularly you know Christmas is HUGE for me – 5 trees, Christmas village(50 piece hand painted plaster houses) and yard stuff so a lot of prep the first week of November. So before we get that going, lets play with Cee‘s Flower of the Day.

These are pictures from my yard this morning with those who precious flowers who refuse to give up even though we have had a few freezes. So we will share a few week’s worth of FOTD for the last of my holdouts. Enjoy.

This lovely mum type flower came from that mystery seed imbedded cloth I put down early summer.

This one also came from that cloth. I have posted these beauties some this summer. They are quite striking.

This is the last one of those from the mystery cloth. This cluster is tiny being about two inches across with the individual blooms about 1/8-1/4 inch in sized.

This one I planted but can not remember its name. You can see the leaves and majority of the plant has died but the bloom refuse to quit. Nature is a powerful reminder to never quit.

This last one is my daisy. It keeps on blooming as it is somewhat sheltered by the edge of the roof so it remains beautiful, even though the leaves are turning yellow. Its that time of year.

As the season change, let us never change in being kind as the colder winds start to blow.

Always share a kind smile, a gentle word or even a loving hug. Kindness can melt even the coldest wind or comfort a hurting heart. Always be Kind.

A Rainbow

Spring is usually the time to catch a rainbow so it is with wonderous awe that we see them in the fall. This one was on my way to work Wednesday and I felt it needed sharing, the picture at least.

Beauty of the Rainbow

The beauty of the rainbow, hanging in the sky

Ignored by many as they hurriedly zoom by

Its colors so radiant for only a short time

But a reminder still relevant made for all time

It was a promise for Noah and all of mankind

Proving God’s love, even though we seem blind

The rainbow is beautiful but not really a gift

It’s a reminder to God, for our spirits to lift

Anita☺

As we go through our zooming day, remember to glance around at the beauty surrounding you, even if it seems a gray day. Then let that beauty bring on a smile for you to share with others to maybe lighten their day. And as always, Be Kind.

Tuesday Writing Challenge

Devereaux Frazier and Beth Amanda are currently hosting the Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge which was started by our star writer Christine Ray. We hope to offer all of you something that will spark your creativity and willingness to participate.

Todays prompt: Write a poem using the words “crescent”, “timeless”, and “sliver”

Crescent Light

Crescent moon rising over the Tokyo bay area by Kyoshino

I stare above at the crescent of light

Beauty so timeless if gives me freight

It reflects on the water as a silver light

With stars of heaven that seem so bright

Shining like diamonds on the darkest of night

I relax in peace at this magnificent sight.

Anita Neal

There are many things we see in the journey of life that makes us pause, staring at the beauty arounds us and make us grateful for where we are at that one moment. May we never get bored of the beauty we see. And as always, remember to always be kind. It has a beauty all its own.

FOTD, October 10, ?

This spring I planted one of those little foam strips embedded with flower seeds. Don’t know what most of them were but I enjoyed their flowers. I think this is in the mum or daisy family and its quite striking.

It has double layered petals that unfold as it opens. Maybe its in the coreopsis family as its center looks similar. Regardless its lovely.

Enjoy your flowers for just a few more weeks here in the midwest. Forecast say two more weeks of 60 to 70 and them it will drop to 40 or lower at nights. Time for them all to sleep and we will see them next year.

Here in the midwest, late fall and winter can really be dreary and gray, so try to be someone’s sunshine in being kind to them. We could all use a little extra sunshine.

The Colors Begin

There seems to be a peacefulness to fall when the leaves begin to turn. Another year of plant life now getting ready for sleep. I am enclosing the beginnings of the beautiful color I am seeing and hope you enjoy.

This tree was centered in a daycare playground. At first they were upset I was taking pictures but then they saw I only wanted the tree and the sky. the children were cute but not for this. So from there to the post office where the front and the back were full of color.

Then we head for home on a photo journey.

Since we opened with red, we will close with a huge red tree.

Fall is a good lesson taught by the trees to let go and let God. As they drop their beauty for a season of rest, we too should show how lovely it can be to let bygones be gone.

As as always, remember when we are kind, it helps others to be kind. It creates a wonderful effect proving that kindness can be contagious.

Wordle 573, October 9

The Sunday Whirl by bwarren throws us a hand full of interesting words together which bring to mind snow and forest.

Focus on the light of the shed, its close. Think of it’s warmth. Don’t think of the miracle if they let you in. They will. Tell them what happened. Pull your thread bare jacket close to you. Don’t start thinking of your car sliding on the ice. You were clear of the bridge. No one was with you to get hurt. Your wrist is in pain but you didn’t break it. Your fingers move and that should be enough to prove that. That sound you hear is just the howling of the wind through the trees, no wolves here, right?

FOTD- October 6, Marigolds

Cee has a wonderful challenge where we share the beauty of the flowers around us. This spring I was told that if you plant marigolds it will help deter the moles you have. Well, I have never cared much for marigolds for their smell is not pleasant but if that smell gets rid of moles…I am there. Flowers with a purpose…other than being beautiful.

This is my favorite of the four varieties I planted. The leaves are red but outlined with the same yellow as the center.

These are opposite in color with a red center inside petal but yellow petals and center.

These are an orange with a wider spaced petal and some blooms only have 5 petals.

The yellow ones seem to be the most popular. They are slightly larger and have eight petals to the 6 petals on the other varieties. All in all they are quite lovely and all of them stink. But they are effective in reducing the amount of moles. The dog even stinks because she gets in them barking at the cat next door. If your dog eats plants, don t plant these. They can be poisonous to dogs. Maybe that is why the moles don’t like them.

In closing I remind you again of the beauty and power of kindness. It reflects the power and beauty of you as well as making a difference in the world. And it is a gift, given from above.