Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Trains

Cee’s prompt this week is Trains. I love trains and their history amazes me. I am posting comparison picture this time with “water trains”. These are special trains that can create wake in the water. “What!, you say…trains don’t go in water!” They do here in the midwest during flood season. It’s amazing. I know their weight holds them down but…really.

This spring, the flooding was not too bad…

But it still amazes me with the track being under water not being an issue. However, last year, I had to take pictures from the bridge because you could not get to the parking lot that sat by the track.

Trains making wake during some serious flooding. Shipment must go on I guess. The flood last year lasted nearly 5 months. Some businesses went belly up. The just didn’t have the heart to start over.

We think of trains as being a powerful force to be reckoned with because of their tons of cargo…but they are no match to mother nature.

Remember as powerful as nature is, it is also very delicate…like kindness. Kindness is a mighty tool that can create enormous change but also very fragile. I challenge you today to use the fragility of kindness as the mighty tool it can be, then stand back to watch the change it creates.

kind hummer

FOTD, July 25

Thanks Cee for a fun challenge with Flower of the day. Today I am feeling a little Orange.

image000004 (8) — Calibrachoa, color Tropical

Come along and share the beauty you see. And remember as always…Be Kind!

Kind fire

A Evening with Psalms, Encouragement

Tonight I am posting an evening encouragement in the form of a reflection with a few of the Psalms written by David and others where they poured out their hearts in writings and songs with love to God. On nights when I can’t seem to sleep, I will turn to this book and just breathe in His peace and encouragement of the Psalms. This is just an example of the consistent love God has for us. In reality, this post could be really long as there are lots of good encouragement in the Psalms but I will pick out a few we don’t read as often and maybe sometime later, I will do it again. Tonight I will start at Psalm 1 and go onward. Enjoy and be encouraged. I took these pictures from christian websites.

He knows us from the inside…

We all know this next one but I had to use it. It’s a favorite.

Even though it is hard to rejoice when we are hurting, scared or overwhelmed, we know deep down we can rejoice quietly on the inside and he will hear.

Always remember he will guide you…

This next one we need to always remember and hang onto every letter of each word.

I leave you with this short bit of encouragement from Isaiah 41:10 in hopes that you do indeed sleep like a baby tonight with peaceful assurance of God’s love for you.

And as always, remember the ripple effect kindness brings as it fans out to others.

FOTD, July 23, Caladiums

Today’s Flower of the day really is no flower but its color is still bright and beautiful. Cee says leave and berries are acceptable so here we go.

Caladiums…of all the various varieties, I think this one is my favorite.

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They are beautiful by themselves or help highlight other plants….

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They help highlight the tiny flowers who fight to be noticed….

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And they hold onto raindrops to highlight their own beauty after a summer shower. All plants within the garden have their own beauty to share and highlight God’s love of creation.

As you enjoy the wonders of nature and your gardens, remember to share its kindness.

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Kind hearts are the gardens

Kind thoughts are the roots

Kind words are the flowers

Kind deeds are the fruits

Take care of your garden

and keep out the weeds

Fill it with sunshine,

kind words and great deeds.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Flower of the Day, July 22

Again we have more fun from my yard. Thanks to Cee for having such a fun prompt where we can all share the beauty of nature.

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Even on a drizzly day the sunflower smiles. Looks like one petal is trying to be a hat in keeping the rain from getting in its face.

And never under estimate the determination of nature as this sun flower, seed dropped from the feeder, grew under the fence to make sure it could show its happy face to the sun.

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Match the happiness of sunflowers where ever you go and always be kind.

kind sunflower

Flying Ace, Diminishing Poetry

A New Flying Ace

I came to the feeder but there was not even a trace

Between the bird and the chipmunks, it’s a hard race

Timing must be right, to win the fight, to be the new ace.

There’s no time for sitting in the soft lawn chair

Where you can sit, relax and grow long your hair

Time is wasted, food is gone, leaving you only air.

Donna Matthews of Go Dog Go Cafe has tossed out the challenge for diminishing poetry. Since I had never tried it before, I gave it a shot.

Today’s poetry form is called Diminishing Verse Poetry. From Brewer, “The main rule of diminishing verse poetry is to remove the first letter of end word in the previous line.”

Come join in on the fun to see what you can do. And as always in whatever you do, remember to be kind. Let others shine with you.

Kind light

Tuesday Writing Prompt, If I Never…

If I Never…

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If I never explored the garden, of it’s love and beauty that be

I would miss yellows and purples or other colors to see

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If I never felt the raindrops, as it gathered on leaves around

I would never hear the beauty in its quiet, gentle sound

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If I never saw the sunset and it breathed after the storm

I would never see the beauty in the clouds as they form

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If I never saw the snowfall as to clung to trees above

I would never hear its quietness like the cooing of a dove

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If I never loved another how profoundly sad to be

For missing all those gifts from God that He would give to me.

Anita Neal

Devereaux Frazier and Beth Amanda are currently hosting the Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge which was started by our star writer Christine Ray. The prompts are designed to be quick challenges that can be written in 10 to 15 minutes, inspire you creatively, are fun, and get everyone interacting.

Today’s prompt: Write a poem using the phrase “if we never”

Come join in and as always, remember to be kind, it shows you true heart regardless of who, or what you are kind to. Let your kindness ripples be released into the world.

kind ripples

More Yard Fun

It’s Monday and I need some cheering up so I am posting fun from my yard this week. I don’t think Heaven’s Sunshine does the Macro Monday but I am listing it that way because it is a macro, plus it can be for Cee’s Flower of the day. Flowers make me smile so here is a big ole smile courtesy of google to go with the flower…

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image000000 (29) — A red Moss Rose, appox. size is about 2 inches

I could not get a good shot of his legs to show they were covered in pollen. As you enjoy the beauty of nature, I hope you smile. When you smile, people wonder what you are thinking. Keep them guessing…and remember to be kind.

Kind breeze

What do you see #39

WHAT DO I SEE??? What do you mean!! Look at these prices! How’s a mouse gonna survive? But look… they are buying P-nut butter for the DOG! I like P-nut butter. Why can’t they buy P-nut butter for the mouse. No, no. They expect me to grovel for mere crumbs for food. I already lost my home and having to live in this open basket. What if it rains…WHAT IF THEY HAVE A CAT!??! There is just no respect I tell you, just no respect!!

What a fun picture for “What do you see #39”. Tie in with Sadje and Keep It Alive and join the fun.

And remember as always, try to be kind.

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Fragility of Life

Today I was slapped in the face by the fragility of this life and my heart was broken. I borrowed some pictures from google to help express my thoughts for tonight.

This life we have is so very precious and we tend sometimes to take it for granted. But scripture reminds us that flowers of life fade. But it is our duty to nurture every flower as long as we can, to always shower it in love and to always be kind.

The word love is mentioned over 130 times in the bible, so it is very important to God. He gave His son to us because He loved us. And we must be aware of Him as we walk beside Him because He still loves us…warts and all.

It is our hearts that show us who we are and it is through our actions that we show who God is…for God is love.

I encourage everyone to fully understand how very valuable you are to God. He created you…as you…for a reason and purpose. He was faithful in love in your creation and will remain faithful in love as you walk by his side.

So gather your beautiful flowers of loved ones around you and make sure they know how sweet their loving aroma is to God’s and you…and never ever forget how wonderful your aroma is to God and how very much He loves you. Have a blessed evening and remember to be kind.