Thru My Daddy's Eyes

THE Valentine's Day: The Real Valentines Celebrate 50 Years!

2011-02-14T14:19:00.003-06:00

THE Valentine's Day: The Real Valentines Celebrate 50 Years!
Originally uploaded by DebbiRobertson

50 Years Ago Today!

2011-02-14T14:19:00.001-06:00

50 Years Ago
Originally uploaded by DebbiRobertson

The Difference a Translation Makes!

2011-01-18T10:52:00.001-06:00

Here are 2 different translations of the same scripture! We get used to reading our 'favorite' translation and it becomes a habit and we don't even take the time to stop and meditate on what God is saying to us in that scripture! Get in the habit of using different translations and see the difference it makes in what God is saying to you!

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1&2 NKJ

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you. Take your everyday, ordinary life - sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1&2 The Message Bible

Have You Ever Wandered Why?

2011-01-04T16:05:00.001-06:00

Have you ever wondered why and how one woman is responsible for taking God and prayer out of our school systems? How could one, single ungodly woman do that? When did our officials...schools, state governments and federal governments become so spineless and so 'afraid of offending someone' who not only doesn't believe in God, but certainly doesn't know Him? Excuse me...I AM A BORN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, RAISED IN CHURCH BELIEVING, KNOWING, LOVING, TRUSTING AND HAVING FAITH IN GOD CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! I AM OFFENDED!!! My ancestors fought for this country so that we could be free to worship, speak and live in the greatest nation in the world! I am tired and disgusted with people 'not wanting to offend' illegals, Muslims, atheists and anyone else who doesn't know what and who this country was founded on!

I don't understand how any non Christian suddenly has rights to try to take God out of the business, schools and homes of American Christians! When are we going to take our country, government, businesses and schools back? It has been decades that we have sat back and watched satan steal from us! Look at our schools today where God is not welcome. Can't we see what has happened? I am one person, but I will stand and stand strong for my God, how about you?

I am a born again, spirit filled, God loving, God believing, God trusting Child of God and I don't care (and to quote Kenneth Copeland, I can't tell you how much I DON'T care) whether you are offended or not! I don't intentionally go around trying to offend anyone, but I certainly am not going to walk on egg shells when it comes to my faith, relationship or love for my Daddy...my God! Now I will be happy to share Him with you and introduce you to Him! He is the greatest, most loving, most generous Daddy of them all! There is nothing He won't do for His children and you, whether you know it or not are one of them! :)

if you don't know Him personally but would like to, you are welcome to contact me and I will show you how to reach Him! It's really very easy and He is always available! Thanks for letting me sound off! You see, I am not ashamed of who my Daddy is or who I am either, but I do get disgusted with people who are! Hey, that's my right! Hehehe!

Have a great 'first week' of 2011! Remember, Jesus loves you and so do I! ♡

Love and Blessings,
Judy ♡

Decisions of the New Year!

2011-01-01T16:33:00.002-06:00

No, I don't make New Year's Resolutions! But I am making some decisions for the new year of 2011! After all if there was so much speculation, instilling of fear, rumors of great, not so good happenings, with the approaching of the year 2000, the Millennium, then I can make decisions for my life in the year 2011!

My decisions concern my family; my relationship with my Daddy; my friends; my passion for photography and my life in general! We all recognize that time is passing very quickly and it has nothing to do with our getting older, it has to do with end times! Now don't panic like so many people do that don't know the Word of God and don't really have a personal relationship with Him! This is an exciting time! A glorious time! Just think...we were created to live in this time and to experience it! Oh, there was a time several years ago when I was leery of the end times and didn't want it to happen just yet! Why, you ask? Because I didn't have that close, personal relationship with my Daddy and I was really dreading reading and studying Revelations! I also didn't want to be without my family and watch them grow up! Well, you know what...we are all going to have Eternity together without sickness, pain, financial concerns, material needs, taxes and even dust! Hallelujah!

In the year 2011 I am going to draw even closer to my Daddy, my family and my friends. I am going to be more attentive to God's telling and leading through the Holy Spirit and more obedient to follow that leading and instruction! He gave me the gift of photography and my business/ministry, The Father's Creations, so this year through the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit I am excited to see what is ahead! I am going to learn to be obedient even when it is hard, challenging and unsettling to do so, because I KNOW that whatever He tells me to do, in the long run are abundant blessings!

I am also going to keep up with my blogging more...at least once a month if not more! Sometimes it may not be much, but I do want to be consistent, so I may even make it once a week! :) Oh, I have so much to accomplish in this year and I know that I can do it all with the help of my Daddy, my God!

You are invited to take this journey with me if you would like to! You are welcome to follow my progress, celebrate with me my accomplishments and share my picking myself up if I stumble! I will share it all with you! I may even ask for your opinions some times! So...here we go...this is the first Blog of 2011! We are on our way! :)

HAPPY 2011...NEW BEGIINNG FOR NEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

2010-12-31T16:31:00.001-06:00

This scripture says it all! When we follow these words and make them an every day action in our lives we not only will succeed, but also live with peace, love, joy, all of our needs met and a life fulfilled beyond measure!

Happy New Year to all of my family and friends every where! My hope (earnest expectation) for each of you is a year that is daily filled with love, laughter, Sonshine, peace, health and God's blessings flowing abundantly in your lives! Don't ever take your Daddy and His promises, His blessings or His Word for granted! He is the Alpha and Omega...the Beginning and the End! Hallelujah! He is my EVERYTHING and I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SHARE HIM, HIS LOVE AND HIS WORD WITH EVERYONE I COME IN CONTACT WITH! Love and Blessings to all of you! ♡

THANKSGIVING!

2010-11-19T17:20:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving was a holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. This holiday has since moved away from its religious roots.^[1]
In the United States, Thanksgiving Day falls on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday in October.

This is the definition of Thanksgiving according to Wikipedia. What is your definition of Thanksgiving, what does it mean to you? Is it a day to get together with family and friends for a big Thanksgiving dinner? Is it the day Macy's Parade is on TV preparing for Christmas? Just what is it?

Well, once it was getting together with family and friends to share the bountiful feast that was prepared and put together by several of us! It was fun to invite friends that had no family or were a long way from 'home'! Over the years my Nana and my mother left us for a better place where there is always celebration and thanksgiving going on and our children grew up and have families of their own and spouses' families to celebrate with. So what is Thanksgiving to me? Well, I am about to tell you!

To me it is cooking a turkey for me and a roast for Paul. I will make my cornbread dressing and have mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, corn, 'green stuff' and maybe some sweet potatoes! But that is not really what Thanksgiving is! I don't celebrate Thanksgiving one day out of the year...I celebrate it every day of the year! Thanksgiving was originally a holiday to give thanks to our Heavenly Father, God, our Daddy for what He had blessed everyone with in their crops, their home, their family, their friends. It was a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest! Well, I give thanks to Him every day for my daily blessings and harvest!

Too many times people get so busy with their 'busy' lives that they forget who is providing their home, their income, their food, their necessities! No, it is not their job or their employer! It is not some corporation or company! It is their DADDY! He is our provider...our Source! He is patient; He is generous; He is merciful: He is definitely loving...unconditionally; He is always there waiting for you to say, 'thank you, Daddy!" So this 4th Thursday of November, the holiday called Thanksgiving Day when you are celebrating, be sure to thank Your Daddy, but from that day forward make sure that you make EVERY DAY Thanksgiving Day! He loves you so much and His blessings are more than you can ever imagine! He wants to bless you abundantly to overflowing not just once a year but every day!

Love and Blessings and...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ♡

DON'T EVER TAKE GOD'S WORD FOR GRANTED!

2010-09-28T13:25:00.004-05:00

My oldest Grandson goes to UT Austin and this morning there was a shooter firing shots and then shot himself in the library there. My grandson's residence is across and down the street from the library! My grandson had decided last night not to go to his first class this morning! Coincidence??? Definitely NOT!

He has learned that on the way to the library the shooter began shooting his automatic at 7:50! If Christopher had gone to his 8:00 class he would have been at the same place at the same time as the shooter firing his gun! This is God's protective power! When you are running late for something and come to a signal light that turns red just as you get there, don't fuss or cuss, be thankful! You may never know what might have happened to you if the light had been green!

Pray and confess Psalm 91 over you, your children, your church, your pastors, all you loved ones and your friends daily!

Psalm 91 (New King James Version)

Psalm 91
Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
         Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
         My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a]
         And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
         And under His wings you shall take refuge;
         His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
         Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
         Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
         And ten thousand at your right hand;
         But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
         And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
         Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
         Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
         To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
         Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
         The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
         I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
         I will be with him in trouble;
         I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
         And show him My salvation.”

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for watching over, guiding and protecting all of those students, teachers, professors and workers that were on the campus of UT Austin this day! I give you all the praise, glory, honor and thanksgiving for covering my Grandson with your shadow this day! I love You, Daddy! ♡

Love and Blessings,
Judy ♡ Child of God! :)

SHINE YOUR LIGHT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE!

2010-09-17T10:39:00.002-05:00

Shine Your Light For The World To See

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Isaiah 60:1

We are at a place today in which the Holy Spirit is opening our eyes to the reality of many truths in the Word of God. He is delivering us from the traditions of men and doctrines of demons. He is helping us to refine our prayer lives and become accurate in the Scriptures. Most of these things have to do with the authority that God gave to man in the Garden of Eden and especially now, the authority that has been given to the body of Christ. One of the major areas that we are seeing and that we will see more clearly as time goes on has to do with the areas of revival and outpourings of the Holy Spirit. For so many years and for so many people the thought has been that revival and outpourings will come as we pray for God to release something that He “seemingly” is holding back until we get enough prayer mustered up to where He says, “Ok, I’m releasing My Spirit.” We must realize that His Spirit has already been poured out into the earth and the responsibility for manifestations of His Spirit is now in the hands of the Church, the body of Christ. This Scripture tells us that we are to rise up and shine because our light has already come. Other Scriptures also bear this out. We are to pray in the Spirit, pray the prayer of intercession for others, binding the spirits of darkness and releasing the light of God into the lives of others, and then let our lights shine so that others will see and experience through us the glory of God. We all are a vital part of this and the time has come for us to renew our minds to these things and become accurate so that we can properly function in the light of the Bible.

Scripture reading: Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 3:8-11; Philippians 2:13-16

I borrowed this from my Pastor's Daily Devotional! It is not only to enjoy, but to put into action in our lives! It's definitely time to stop 'talking the talk' and start daily 'walking the walk'!

People, God loves us so much and He is so merciful, but He has put everything in His Book...The Bible...telling us what He has already given and done for us and how to live our lives in obedience! We are to share with others what we know through study and experience! He doesn't want anyone to go to Hell, but it is up to us, His Children, to share and minister His unconditional love and grace. We are all called to minister (to share)! We are not all called to the Five Fold Ministry, but we are called to minister, share and teach His Word to our brothers and sisters who may have never set foot in a church! It is our responsibility to let our light shine; to let Jesus be seen through our actions, countenance and our lives! Introduce everyone who comes across your path to Jesus, to God the Father and to The Holy Spirit, not by 'preaching' at them, but by the fruit of your life! LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE!

Love and Blessings,
Judy ♡

HOW ARE YOU?

2010-09-02T16:15:00.006-05:00

How are you? Have you ever thought about that question? We are so accustomed to using that as a greeting when we see or talk to someone! Why? When you see Mary and you say, "Hi, Mary! How are you?" Are you really asking her how she is? Do you want to hear all about everything that has been going through her life since you last saw her? Or are you just using that as a greeting? Have you ever had anyone ask you that and then before you could answer they either go on to someone else or start talking about something else?

There is so much negativeness in this world and I am one who is very big on the power of our words, so I got to thinking about this general question we all ask so casually! The words that come out of our mouth are responsible for what goes on in our lives. They really do have power! The Word of God says, 'out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks' and 'you shall have whatsoever you say'!

Mark 11:22-24 (King James Version)

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Whatsoever things you say, what are the words that are coming out your mouth are they words of faith or are they tainted with fear and unbelief? Because if they are negative words you will have a harvest of whatever you are saying.

Proverbs 18:21 (Amplified Bible)
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].(A)

I enjoy observing people and listening to what they say to each other! Have you ever noticed or been around someone who is always talking sickness, aches, pains, etc.? Well, what do they have a lot of in their lives? Or how about someone who is always talking lack or 'nothing good ever happens to me'! What do they have a lot of in their lives? I remember once when I was about 12 years old and I had been sick with the flu for about a week when I had to call my mother at work. Her boss answered the phone and said, 'how are you doing?'. Well, I replied I am fine! Boy, did my mother have a fit...'how could you tell her you were fine when you had been throwing up all night???' Well, that moment I was fine and I didn't like to go around whining or complaining! I didn't know then about the power in your words, I just didn't like whining and complaining! That's what my parents taught me! Yet, my mother in her later years was always taking about her illnesses. She wasn't whining, she was just talking about them! And you know what, instead of living to be 95 like my Nana, who never talked illness, pain or 'not feeling good' even though she had a deteriorating spine, my mother died 2 weeks after her 83rd birthday! Years before her time!

It doesn't matter how loving, kind, generous, giving you are if you don't have the right words coming out of your mouth! Words of faith in what God's Word says! God doesn't talk words of you never having enough food; living in lack in any way; being poor or suffering with pain, allergies or any sickness of any kind! In fact, Jesus went to the cross for you and me and carried sin, sickness, disease, lack, poverty, and every thing that is contrary to what God says about us in His Word on His body so that we can live free of all that! Then someone comes along and says, 'Hi! How are you?' and we open our mouths and out pours all the 'woe is me'!

I have decided that from now on I am going to get in the habit instead of saying 'how are you' I am going to say 'it is good to see you!' I am not going to contribute to any chance of negativeness to come from someone or bring it into their lives!

We all slip up sometimes, but when that happens all we have to do is repent and go on! Life is too short and too important to be a complainer and whiner! Why waste precious time being negative and generating negativity around you? God created us to enjoy all of His goodness! We are children of the King of Kings! He only wants us to love Him; love each other and receive all the blessings and promises He has for us in this life and eternity! So smile, look at the glass 1/2 full and start saying, "Hi, Mary! It sure is good to see you!" :)

Love and Blessings,

Judy ♡

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN FAITH AND TRUST?

2010-08-31T12:36:00.000-05:00

Do you know the difference in Faith and Trust? Do you have faith in God and what He will, can and has done? Do you trust Him to do what His Word says? Well, let me draw you a picture...

There is a man walking a tightrope that is stretched across the Grand Canyon with no net underneath! Now, you know that he can carry you on his shoulders while he is walking that tightrope. but are you willing to climb upon his shoulders and let him do it? FAITH IS KNOWING AND TRUST IS DOING!

It is easy to trust God when things are going well, but when they aren't too many times we let doubt, worry and fear take over. We try to take care of it ourselves! It's hard to not be in control of every situation in our lives! Trust Him no matter what you see with your natural eyes...He never leaves you nor forsakes you. Don't try to analyze things or figure them out on your own! Turn it over to your Daddy, let go of it and trust Him with all your being! God is smarter, wiser, and all knowing! He has plans for your life to only bless,prosper and fill your life with divine health, happiness and good things. No matter what you see or feel in the natural, KNOW that your Daddy loves you unconditionally and He is your only source for everything in your life! Your job is not your source, no one else is your source...God, your Father is your source for finances, food, family, health...EVERYTHING and He will always be there for you! Think back over your life. Has He ever left you stranded or has He always taken care of you? It is up to us to BELIEVE IT, STAND ON IT and TRUST HIM! He will never let you fall without picking you up! His ways are higher than our ways...in other words He knows what is best for us and sometimes if we don't see exactly what we think should happen, we let doubt come in. If that has ever happened to you, go back and go over how that situation was taken care of and the results from it! :)

There is a peace that comes over you when you put your total trust in your Daddy. You are His child and He will always be there for you. All you have to do is love and TRUST Him! Daddy does know best! :))

Love and Blessings,
Judy ♡

Do You Talk the Talk or Walk the Walk?

2010-08-24T15:22:00.000-05:00

Are you one of those people who talks the talk when around 'spiritual' people or are you one of those who actually walks the walk? Now, let me start out by telling you that I am not a preacher nor do I preach! I am a child of my Daddy and I share! I don't share what I have heard or read only...I share what I have found out the hard way by living it!

Now with that said, let's get back to my question! :) Do you know people that are good at talking about how you should live, what you should or should not be doing, etc.? Do you know people that tell you they are going to do something and a time they are going to do it, but either change their minds or just never get around to it? It doesn't matter how wealthy you are in money or material possessions, if you aren't good at your word, you are a very poor person. You can find someone who has nothing materially...no money, no home, no car, etc. and if they are good at their word they are a very wealthy person...richer than the Rockefellers! You see, talk is cheap and you can talk a good game, but talk without walking the walk or keeping your word shows the true character of a person!

I don't want to be known as one of those people that never follows through with what they say they are going or not going to do! This is the reason that rather than going by what a person says I go by the fruit of their lives! Take politicians for example! When someone comes along running for an office...any office...I don't pay attention to 'what they are 'going to do', I look at that they have 'done' or are 'doing' now! I research their records, their history, their FRUIT! For instance, why would I vote for someone who hasn't paid their taxes to tell me what I should do and is in the position to raise MY taxes??? Are you getting the point?

This applies to every aspect of life! It's easier to 'talk the talk' than it is to 'walk the walk'! But the rewards are so much greater when you do the walking! :) Let's take TRUSTING God! Oh, it so easy to tell people how they should trust God in every situation...rent due, no food in the house, bills are due, etc, etc! Now, it is easy to trust Him when things are going good, but at those times we usually forget to thank Him that things are going good! When you can put ALL of your faith and trust in Him at those hard, seemingly terrifying times, then you are walking the walk and you know what??? Your Daddy will take care of you. You will have a peace that surpasses all understanding and He never leaves you, so you are never alone! He knows that you are putting your trust in Him and He is not going to leave you stranded! He is the most loving, giving, patient, understanding, compassionate, forgiving Father there is! He loves you UNCONDITIONALLY! You are His child and everything He has is yours! Hallelujah!

When you start walking the walk you will be amazed at the indescribable peace and joy you have! You will have such an inner joy that it will radiate from you for others to see! Haven't you known people that acted like they didn't have a care in this world? Well, guess what they didn't! They were walking the walk with their Daddy! Material things will come and go... the Bible tells us in 2Corinthians 4:18, "...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." This is what it is all about!

When you are walking the walk instead of talking the talk, people won't have any doubts of where you stand! It shows in everything you do, it shows in your attitude and outlook on life! It shows in how you treat others, your speech, your actions and deeds! It shows in who you are! People that go around telling everyone they are a 'Christian', how good they are, how much they love others, how much they love the Lord, etc, aren't walking the walk! :) Because when you are walking THE walk there is no need to tell anyone! It shows in you sweet, ripe, overflowing fruit...your abundant harvest! So start your walk today! Take it step by step! If you stumble, simply pick yourself up and start again. It gets easier and easier with each step and soon you will be running the race! Have a wonderfully blessed day today and every day and remember...Jesus loves you and so do I! ♡

Love and Blessings,
Judy ♡

It's MY Blog!!!

2010-08-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would do a Blog, much less keep doing it! I am a photographer, but this is not a photography Blog. It is not any particular type of Blog...it's MY Blog! :)

Here I can share my love for God. Here I can get off my chest what is bothering me in the way people in general behave! Here I can share the Word of God and here I can display my photographs too! If anyone drops by and is offended by something I said...well, I won't apologize for it because some people will take anything you say, turn it around, take it personally and become offended! Here I can let the Holy Spirit guide me and give me the words to put down. If it is something someone needs then I will rely on the Holy Spirit to direct them here! My Daddy is so good!

You know we all need a way to get our thoughts, concerns, dreams out whether it is through blogging or being blessed with someone we can talk to without being concerned that they are going to judge us or not like us anymore! Blogging is a great way to take care of all these needs!

I named my Blog "Thru My Daddy's Eyes" for a reason. I want to see the beauty around me through my Daddy's eyes and that is my prayer every day! Oh, I don't want to see everything through my Daddy's eyes because He sees everything...the good and the bad; the beautiful and the ugly! He sees our hearts and He knows our every action and every thought. So therefore, I don't want to see everything through my Daddy's eyes! Would you?

There is beauty all around us all the time. There is beauty in Nature, there is beauty in people, beauty in architecture...beauty all around us! Have you ever taken a close look at a leaf, blade of grass or the petals of a flower? Sometime take a close look. You will see intricate veins, tiny details running through them. Look into a child's face and you will see beauty there. Look at an old building and you will see beauty there! You can find beauty in the face of an elderly person behind the sadness. When we take the time we can find beauty in everything around us and when we see the beauty rather than the ugliness we have a much better world. God didn't create any thing ugly! People can make it ugly!

God is so good and His word is true! We all have our own faults, things about us that others do not like, but God created each of us in His own image and He is constantly teaching, leading and instructing us on how to change to be more like Him and to love others in spite of their faults and things we don't like! I am a clay vessel who is working with my Daddy to become a vessel of gold!

Today this 'Golden Vessel in Progress' chooses to be happy with a smile on her face, peace and joy in her heart and loving things coming from her mouth! So have an abundantly blessed, prosperous day and remember to thank your Daddy for it!

Love and Blessings,
Judy ♡

What is Your Passion in Life?

2010-07-23T22:02:00.002-05:00

Have you ever thought of what your passion in life is? Do you have something you are passionate about? You know, God gave each of us a gift, a talent! Now it may be a gift or talent someone else has but each one is unique to the individual! No two people are exactly alike, not even identical twins! There is something, maybe small and not noticeable to anyone else, but uniquely different in each one! Sometimes it is only something the mother can see but she can tell the difference in her two children!

This is the same with the gifts God gives us! I am a photographer. My husband and my daughter are photographers, but each one of us is different in how we see things, therefore our photographs are different even if we should take them of the same subject! That is the way with all gifts from God! He made each of us unique and He gave us each gifts/talents that are unique to us! He is so awesome!

This is the reason that no matter what our gift is we should never compare ourselves to someone else and their gift! To work with our gift and to utilize it to it's fullest is a constant learning and growing process! We take the gift/talent that has been given us, add our passion and love for it, work with it to refine the art work we are creating...whether painting, photography, singing, writing, music composing or playing...whatever it is!

Look at the master artists in history whether painting, sculpturing, composing, etc. No two were alike but they all had their place and created great works! They had a passion, a love for what they were doing and they used that passion to bring forth the work that they are still famous for today! Be thankful for what God has placed in your hands. He knows what He is doing and if you let Him, He will instruct, guide, lead, direct and teach you how to be the best He created you to be! You see...He not only blessed you with a gift/talent, He also blessed you with the passion it takes to perfect that gift or talent! Take your potential, work it and don't let any one or thing stop you! You were created to share your gift or talent with others and to bring some joy, happiness, peace and love into their lives through your work! You may not be remembered but your gift will be!

Love and Blessings,
Judy ♡

Just a sampling of my gift from my Daddy!

Are You a Professional......?

2010-07-04T18:35:00.003-05:00

I am a photographer and I have people ask me if I consider myself a professional or an amateur photographer! Well, the answer to that is neither! I consider myself an artist who is continually growing, learning and refining my work!

What is a professional? First it is a title and a professional photographer is generally considered one who makes his/her full income through photography. There is no license or degree for professional photography and actually anyone who wants to can call himself a professional photographer!

The quality of your work has nothing to do with being 'professional'! As with any art...painting, sculpture, drawing, etc, it is unique to the artist and what he or she sees, captures and creates! No two artist look at the same subject and see it the same way! Look at some of the greatest artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Picasso, Dali, Di Vinci and many, many others! Each had his own unique way of conveying what he saw around him and yet each is a great artist recognized around the world!

You don't need a title to be great in what you do. All you need is to take the gift that God has blessed you with, the love and passion He has placed inside of you for that gift and use it. Let Him lead you in what to do and how to do it! You should use your gift, your art, the way you see it in the way you want to. Don't compare your art with someone else's. Remember, each artist is unique with a unique gift to create what they see around then through their eyes. Enjoy what you do, appreciate the work of others, and be thankful that God chose you to bless with your particular gift.

No, I am not a 'professional', I am a very blessed woman who God chose to fill with the of love of Nature and Beauty all around her and then give her the gift of seeing and capturing that beauty with a camera. My prayer each day is, "Father, please let me see Your beauty all around me through Your eyes and be able to capture it for others to enjoy through my photography," I'm not a Professional Photographer! I am an artist capturing memories to last a lifetime with my camera!

Love and Blessings,
~Judy~

What is Love? 5 Different Types of Love!

2010-05-27T14:06:00.002-05:00

What is love? Well, love is a 4 lettered word that is simple but very intricate! There are so many parts to love and so many different types of love! Let's start with the true, supreme love...the love of God! God's love is unconditional! Do you know what that means? It means that He loves us without any conditions whatsoever! There is nothing we can or have to do to have Him love us! He created us and He loves us UNCONDITIONALLY! Unfortunately we have to learn to love like that, but we can when we learn to develop that beautiful close relationship with our Daddy!

Next is love between a husband and wife! Now this is a love that can and should be strong and continually grow and mature throughout the years. The butterflies in your stomach and the fireworks going off when you kiss or are with that someone is not love! It is the idea of being in love; the excitement of finding that someone 'special'! The marriages that last through whatever life has to offer; the trials, the sorrows, the hardships are the marriages built on love, friendship, laughter and trust! If you don't have a friendship with the one you are married to, you don't have a lasting marriage. Your spouse, the person you vowed to love and let no one or nothing come between you, should be your best friend, the one you love and who loves you with God's love...unconditionally! 'Marriage love' takes sharing, laughter, a sense of humor, support, faith and patience! The one you married is not perfect, but neither are you! Together you work to build a beautiful, happy marriage!

Next is love for your child or children! Oh, when that first child is born, you think that it is impossible to love anyone or anything more! You have this small, precious, most beautiful, innocent little angel that is the product of your and your other half's love for each other! Your heart feels like it could burst! God has blessed you with a very, very special gift! Now what you have to realize is that God has not given this precious child to you as a possession! He has placed him/her in your hands to teach, guide, feed, clothe, train up to maturity into a wonderful Child of God! Parents' love takes on several different aspects! It is not meant to be a smothering, controlling or over indulging love. You can have a friendship/parent love with your child as long as the child knows where the friend stops and the parent takes over ("children should be seen and not heard")! This is the type of love I worked to have with my children. They knew that I was their friend and they could tell me anything without condemnation from me, but they also knew where the friend stopped and the mother took over...a very fine line that was seldom crossed! So many people look at a baby and think, 'Oh, it is so cute and doesn't know what is going on!' WRONG!!! Babies are born knowing how to manipulate and so many are smarter than their parents! :) When you truly love your child, you learn to practice 'tough love' when necessary! 'Tough Love' is learning to say no; to discipline when necessary; to even spank their little bottoms when necessary! It is also learning not to give in when you have said no! It is learning to let go of them to experience growing up. It is teaching them to do things for themselves! It is teaching them responsibility and independence! Have you ever watched a bird's nest...first the eggs, then the babies, the feeding and caring for the babies and then the actual pushing them out of the nest to learn to fly! One day your child/children will grow up and be ready to go out on their own and build their own lives. If you haven't used 'tough love' and taught them to be independent, they will have a hard time learning to build relationships and the life that God intended for them!

Next is love for your Granddarlings! Oh, this is the most wonderful love of all! Not only can you love that little 'continuation' of your and your husband/wife's love with all your heart, but you have had the wonderful experience of training, teaching, praying and learning patience with their mommy or daddy! Now you can love, play with and 100% enjoy your Granddarling and not have the responsibility that goes along with it! You also get the enjoyment of seeing your little Granddarlings pull or try to, the same things that their parent pulled or tried to on you when they were little! Oh, those 'paybacks' are wonderful! Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor???

The last love we are going to go over is the love for and from a true friend! This is another extremely special love! The Word of God says that in order to have a friend you have to be a friend and that a friend is closer than a brother! (Judy's paraphrase!) If you in your lifetime are blessed with one or more true friends, then you are a very wealthy person! What is a true friend? Well, a true friend is one who loves you for who you are and who you can talk to about anything and they will understand. They are like an extension of you! You all think alike, finish each other's sentences, you put each other first over yourselves. There is no jealousy, selfishness or envy! You can discuss anything without feelings being hurt, but with pure love, understanding, and support. A true friend is the 2nd opinion you need and the one you will take because you have each other's backs! There is nothing on earth that can become true friends...that is the main difference in friends and true friends! True friends share things with each other that they can't share with anyone else! I have been blessed with 3 true friends in my lifetime and the most important one of them is my daughter! I am a very blessed child of God!

All love is special because it comes from our Daddy and He IS love! When you truly love no matter if it's for God, your spouse, child/children, granddarlings or a true friend there is happiness, laughter, fulfillment and there is no controlling, envy, jealousy or selfishness! Oh, we being human will have times of differences and 'hurt feelings', but in truly loving someone there is also forgiveness. Just as our Daddy forgives us! And believe me...the fun, laughter, peace, companionship, enjoyment and total happiness totally outweigh the other! Always remember...in order to be loved you first have to love! ♡

Love and Blessings
Judy ♡

"Seek and Ye Shall Find"

2010-05-24T10:13:00.001-05:00

We all know that the Word of God says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7:7&8.

Now too many of us look at that and think, "Oh, all I have to do ask for......; seek for....., etc. Well, that is true because Jesus said so, but...We also have to find out how Jesus said to pray and to whom! He said that we are to pray to the Father in His Name(Jesus' Name). The only one we are to pray to is God Almighty and the only way to get to Him is through the Name Of Jesus. We are also to pray according to the Word of God. Instead of praying, "God if it's Your will", look up in the Bible the scriptures dealing with your need! That is what and how you pray and what you stand on! That is His will!

Now look at this...Seek and you will find...How many of you know someone or someone(s) who are always looking at the bad and gloomy side of life? Who are always down, always complaining, always talking the negative, 'poor me', etc, etc? Well, what they are 'seeking' they are finding! What they are sowing they are reaping! There are some people who are great at quoting scriptures, talking 'spiritual' when around people they know love the Lord, but talking negatively all other times. They don't realize that the words they are speaking are bringing those things to pass in their lives! We all need to watch our words and thoughts. We want our fruit to be sweet, ripe and delicious...not rotten! It is the fruit of our lives that people see and it is the fruit that brings others to want to know our God and find what we have! God is love, not misery! We were created in His image! Wow, just think about that for a moment and no matter what we are going through will not seem so bad! God love us unconditionally and He is always there to help us..,All we have to do is ask Him in the Name of Jesus; believe that He is giving it to us or doing it for us, and not doubting! He loves to give us what we ask for as long as it is in accordance with His Word! This is exciting! My Daddy loves me and loves to give to me! Do you know of anyone else who is as generous, giving and loves you UNCONDITIONALLY like your Daddy and mine? I don't.

Pray for those who don't know better and help them to learn. We are all God's children and one big family!

"Ask and you will receive; Seek and you will find; Knock and it will be opened to you."

Love and Blessings,
Judy

Examination Time

2010-05-02T12:43:00.007-05:00

Have you noticed how materialistic everything and everyone has become? When I was growing up, (yes that was a long time ago in some eyes), we didn't have to have 'brand name' clothes or toys; we didn't have to have the most expensive either! I remember my first bike, which I was thrilled with, was a secondhand one, but I didn't care! It was beautiful and it was mine! When our children came along, we splurged at Christmas on gifts for them but they didn't expect to constantly be getting something every time they turned around. Even when they were older there were expensive things they wanted but they didn't expect us to rush out and immediately get it for them.

Today children, even young children, feel they 'have to have' the latest and best electronic item that has come out! They no longer know how to play and use their imaginations! Everything is either on the computer, the Wii or TV! There are other things that our children are missing out on too!

There are 2 things that I cannot tolerate, well, actually 3! The first is to be lied to. That I will not tolerate under any circumstances! The other 2 are snobs (A snob is someone who adopts the world's view of snobbery — that some people are inherently inferior to him or her for any one of a variety of reasons, including real or supposed intellect, wealth, education, ancestry, beauty, etc.) and hypocrites (a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.)! Even as a child I didn't like snobs and people that were hypocrites, even though I didn't know that was what they were! You know how they say that children and animals are good judges of people? Well, that is a discernment that has continued and grown stronger to this day with me!

I was raised by loving parents who loved God and shared that love with others including my brother and me, by how they lived their lives, especially my mother. My mother was the most generous, giving, serving person I have ever known. She had a true servant's heart because what she did for others she did without expecting or wanting anything in return! She put other's needs before her own! She never was wealthy in material things but she was one of the richest people I have ever known because she was rich in love and friends! I am so thankful for God giving me the mother He did because of the lessons she taught me by not just instruction but more importantly by action...by doing and living it!

We were taught not to judge others by what they wore, what they drove, where they lived or how much money they did or did not have! We were taught to look at the person themselves and how they treated others. We were taught to look at their heart!

Now, don't get me wrong...I like fine things too and I have some fine material things, but that is just what they are...THINGS! I have not made an idol out of them and I know where they came from. They were a blessing from my Daddy! He is my Source and Provider, and my Daddy! I believe in prosperity...I walk and live in prosperity! My EVERY need is met and so are my desires. Prosperity is not solely financial, it is in every aspect of your life...health, family, friends, love, mentally, emotionally and finances. Not just material things!

The Word of God says "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24

The point of all this is to say, we have become so materialistic and lovers of money and things, that too many have lost sight of the true meaning of life! It's not about what you do or do not have, the title or name that you have, it is about the person you are, your priorities, how you treat others, what is important to you!

In order to teach our children to become loving, caring, respectful, serving adults, we first have to lead by example. We have to be sincerely loving, caring, respectful and serving. You know God does not have favorites, He does not place one person above the other! He does not care (and I can't tell you how much He doesn't care!!!) about your material, temporal things! What He cares about is how obedient you are to His Word; how you treat your brothers and sisters; how you treat strangers; what your priorities are in life; what you do with your money, which He provided for you; how you love Him; how you trust Him; how humble you are! You see God doesn't like snobs or hypocrites either and He knows you inside and out! If you find yourself always talking about "me" or "I", stop, ask your Daddy to help you and change the "me" and "I" to "You". Put other's needs first and you will find yours being met abundantly! You too will be rich like 'the richest person I have ever known'...my mother!
Love and Blessings,
Judy

What's Important?

2010-04-20T11:09:00.001-05:00

Is your life rushing by? Are you so caught up in the “have to do’s; have to have’s:” that you forget the important things? It doesn’t matter how big your home is or how much money you have. It doesn’t matter what car you drive or what brand of clothes you wear. These are all material things. Material things are just that…MATERIAL! They are not eternal, they don’t last forever…they are only temporary.

What are the truly important things? Love, laughter, peace, joy, happiness, closeness, family, friends….this list is endless! Yesterday is gone, never to come back again. You can’t take it back or change anything that happened. Don’t waste today. Today make sure that you say, “I love you”, to those you love. Today, hug somebody who needs a hug, smile at strangers, at the end of the day take time to notice the masterpiece that God paints in the Western sky called a sunset. Teach your children about God and His love. Teach them that Jesus loves them and died for them and rose again.

So many of us get so busy seeing to it that our children “don’t miss” out on the things we did that they don’t have time to be children! Teach them to enjoy simple things such as making pictures out of clouds; making mud pies; climbing trees; jumping rope, playing everyday kid games.

We all need to take the time each day to stop…look around…and notice the good and the beauty around us. And above all we need to see each and every blessing from God that He has sent to us that day! Don’t forget to say “I love you”; Smile; give God all the Praise and Glory for another day and make the most out of that day!

Love and Blessings,

Judy ♥

Just like this dandelion, with one strong blow is scattered in the wind, so are our days. Enjoy the beauty and love of each day as I have enjoyed this dandelion!

How Do You Influence Others?

2010-04-13T12:34:00.008-05:00

What kind of effect do you have on other people? What kind of influence are you? You may say, "Oh, I don't have any kind of influence on others!" Well, we ALL influence people around us every day, every where we go! Have you ever noticed what happens to your attitude when you are around someone who is always talking negative or has a scowl on their face? How do you feel when a stranger smiles at you and says, "Hi!"?

One thing that I refuse to have around me or to allow to influence me is NEGATIVENESS! I HATE it! Oh, we all have 'bad' days or things going on in our lives that are serious and not pleasant, but there is first and foremost someone who loves us unconditionally and who is always there for us to see us through whatever we are going through and who never leaves us alone. His name is Jesus! He loves us so much that He carried our sins to the cross and died for us and then rose again so that we may live and be forgiven! And the thing is that if you or I had been the only person ever born, He would have still gone to the cross and given His life for you or me! When we can grasp that kind of love, then there is nothing going on in this world that can destroy what we have. When we KNOW personally our Father, our Daddy, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ the Anointed One, then we KNOW that there is nothing man or satan can do to us because we are children of the Almighty God! We are the highly favored, blessed beyond measure, created in His image, crucified with Christ children of our Daddy and our brother, Jesus, sits at His right hand and is the advocate for us with our Father.

When we KNOW this, then how and why do we complain about any and every thing such as the rain, the heat, the cold, the drought and the list goes on and on...! How and why do we look at the negative side of things, talk ugly about our brothers and sisters and look down on others? God has no favorites. We are all Special to Him! He loves each of us as much as He loves Jesus! Think about that! Wow! No matter what you do or do not have; no matter what you look like; no matter the color of your skin or you nationality...He loves you and me as much as He loves JESUS!

So the next time you are having a 'bad' day, stop and think about how much your Daddy loves you; what He wants to do for you and how much He has already done for you! All we have to do is ask Him to guide us, help us, lead us and then TRUST Him! Learn to look at the glass 1/2 FULL not 1/2 empty; put a smile on your face and in your heart and let the love of Jesus shine through you! You will be amazed then what kind of influence you will have on others!

God loves you and so do I! Have a great day and be a great influence!

Love and Blessings,
Judy

It's All About Choice!

2010-04-03T16:26:00.005-05:00

Too many times we ask God to do this or that for us or to give us this or that! I know that sometimes He must say,"What about you?" God gave each of us our own will and being God, He won't go against our will! Have you ever thought about that? Yes, God can do anything! There is nothing He can't do! He created everything and everyone, so why doesn't He just snap His fingers and bring about world peace, give us everything we want, heal everyone in the blink of any eye, and the list goes on and on!

First of all, why did God create man? He created man to fellowship, walk, talk and be a companion to Him! He gave man dominion over every living creature and He set down some rules! Man had everything he could ever want or need...he even was given the privilege of naming every creature! God also gave man his own will! God wanted someone made in His own image to fellowship with; to be able to talk to; to live in harmony with! There was no want, there was no sin! But man was tempted and he fell into that temptation and disobeyed God...man sinned! Man used his own will instead of listening to, trusting and obeying God, His Father!

This all leads up to CHOICE! With our own wills we have the choice to have faith in God, to trust God, to love God, to lean on God, to obey God! It is our choice to what kind of an attitude we are going to go through life with. Our choice how we are going to look and see things. Our choice how we are going to treat others. The list can go on forever. The main thing is that it is OUR CHOICE! Do you choose to have a smile on your face or a pouty look? Do you want to spread love and joy or have people feel sorry for you? Your attitude and expression have an effect on the people you come in contact with personally or who just see you in passing! I choose to see the world as God had intended it to be, I choose to see the glass 1/2 full not 1/2 empty, I choose to smile, laugh and have the love of and for Jesus shine through me! If someone wants to sarcasticly call me eternally optomistic that is fine with me, because I choose to be!

Do we think that in Heaven we are going to see people walk around with frowns or with a pouty face? I KNOW not! Everyone is going to be joyous, praising, loving, singing, happy! Don't wait until we get to Heaven to start praising God who made us. Don't wait until we get to Heaven to show love to others. Don't wait until we get to Heaven to TRUST God Almighty and to BELIEVE His Word and His promises! I CHOOSE to love my Daddy, to trust my Daddy, to believe everything He says about me and His promises for me TODAY and everyday! I CHOOSE to obey my Daddy and repent when I slip and to move on. What do you choose! I love you all with the love of God, my Daddy and I choose to share it!

Love and Blessings,
Judy, my Daddy's girl! ♥

Where is Your Focus?

2010-03-27T10:04:00.001-05:00

When you have the opportunity to sit under an anointed man or woman of God, do you take it? Do you continually feed yourself on the Word of God...the uncompromising Word of God...the teaching of spirit filled men and women of God?

You know, no matter how many times you hear teaching on faith, patience, love, obedience, blessings, etc. you still learn something from each message! You never reach the point where 'you know it all'! Even those teaching are still learning! My God is so good! He is my source for my EVERY need... spiritually, physically, financially, mentally... every need I have or will ever have! Think about that! I LOVE Him, I KNOW Him, I TRUST Him, I DEPEND on Him, I am COMMITTED to Him!

I am in this world, but not of this world! My focus is not on the happenings of this world; the news media; what plans our government has for us; the predictions of man... my focus is on My Daddy, My God, My Father! He is my source; I am His child; He is my provider, my healer, my financier... He is my EVERYTHING!

Where is your focus? Does your world consist of: ME... 'why me; what am I going to do, how am I going to make it, how can I do this or that?" And the list goes on and on! Instead of being consumed with "ME" turn to God, get to know Him, study His Word, the Bible, and see what He says about you and your situation. Find a church that feeds you the uncompromised Word of God and that lives it! Don't learn 'about' Him, get to KNOW Him personally; listen to Him; ask Him into your heart, into your life; make Him the Lord of your life; the top priority in your life everyday; your Daddy; your friend; your Source! He created you! He loves you! He sent Jesus to die on the cross and be resurrected for you! He created you to fellowship with Him and through your obedience to Him there is nothing He won't do for you or provide for you! With my God there is nothing but love (unconditionally), unimaginable peace, joy that fills you to overflowing and a happiness and fulfillment that comes from deep within. There is no darkness, fear or depression with God... only light and victory!

So WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS? Mine is on my Daddy, my Jesus, the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me to guide and lead me on the path my Daddy has set for me! I am anxious for nothing because I know who my Daddy is, He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords... He is the one and only living God Almighty! If you don't KNOW Him, I reach out my hand to you and invite you to join our family. My Daddy is always ready to welcome children into the family and He has more than enough for everyone! God loves you and so do I!

Have a great day and keep your focus on Him!

Love and Blessings,
Judy

Another Answer to a Prayer!

2010-03-18T12:26:00.002-05:00

God is always so faithful. He answers all prayers, but some times we just aren't listening too good or we try to out guess Him! I had a prayer and a question answered this morning that I have been asking my Daddy! Praise God!

Now let me explain...I am still considered new as a photographer...only been in it coming up 3 years in May. Personally, I had gotten a little bored with my work! Always flowers, always the same old thing done the same old way! Now, I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I am not a 'people' photographer! I am a people snapshooter! But I wanted to branch out and try new things! Oh, it would always be nature, but wanted to try different ways of doing it! I have never been a huge fan of heavy HDR and really artsy photos, but what the heck...I'll give it a try!

Now, what you have to understand is that all this time I am talking to my Daddy and telling Him that I want to see all the beauty in all the things around me through His eyes! Well, this morning when I was talking to my best, dearest friend, she told me that I needed to go back to my original photos and that was what my gift was! Hello, Daddy! So, I went back and started going through my older photos and heard in my spirit, "This is what you saw through My eyes! I don't see My masterpiece through HDR or 'artsy' eyes. I see it with the most beautiful, richest colors and finest textures and details I can create. Be patient, I am working with you and teaching you how to not only see through My eyes, but also how to present it to others so they too can see it through My eyes." WOW! So in other words...the gift of 'artsy', 'extremely creativity' is not my gift. That is a gift belonging to others and there are some really gifted ones out there!

From this day forward I will be patient, attentive and let the Holy Spirit lead me all the way! I was also told that I cannot expect perfection in my work without a lot of learning, growing, practice and obedience, but my gift that He gave me will be consistently improving with each step I take! After all I have the Master Creator/Photographer teaching me!

Have a Beautiful Day in The Lord!

Love and Blessings,
Judy

PS Thank you, my dearest, best friend for listening and obeying! ♥

The Mind of God!

2010-03-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

Seeing the 3rd month of the new year coming to a close so quickly after it just got started has gotten me to thinking! Our Father is so loving, merciful and giving to us. All He wants from us is our love, faithfulness, obedience, trust and loyalty.

Do you ever stop and think what He must be thinking and feeling sometimes? Oh, yes, He is Almighty God, creator of Heaven and Earth, but He is also our Father, our Provider, our Teacher, our Physician, our Comforter, our Everything! There is nothing He can't do or won't do for us...actually already has done for us...but He also gave us our own wills and He won't go past them! He has laid everything out in His Word for us, to teach us what to do and how to do it. If we need anything, all we have to do is ASK Him! But we also need to learn how to ask and then we have to BELIEVE that we will receive what we ask for! Don't be like a spoiled brat and go asking for grand material things...that's not what this is about! Like any good, loving parent He knows what is good for us and what we can handle, so He's not going to give us more than we are ready for! As we grow, so will our blessings from our Daddy, because He is such a loving Father!

He asks us to be obedient and He lays it all out for us! Can you imagine how we must hurt Him when we refuse to be obedient and 'do it our way'? How do you think He feels when we get so 'busy' that we don't have time to just talk to Him? Do you have children that are 'too busy' for you? How do you feel? Yes, I am sure that there are times that we do hurt Him, but He loves us unconditionally and His mercy is new EVERY morning and He is forgiving. He only wants the best for us...health, prosperity, love, joy, peace...the list goes on and on!

I love my Daddy so much that my heart feels like a huge balloon ready to burst, but it just keeps expanding! He is my EVERYTHING! The next time you are in such a rush and are feeling anxiety come over you, just pause for one minute and tell your Daddy how much you love Him. You will feel His arms around you and His breath breathing into you, renewing you at that moment.

Remember the next time you hear someone say, "Well, if it's God's will!", that God's will is only the best of everything for us, it is our will and disobedience that stops a lot of blessings from coming into our lives! Don't be blaming God...be PRAISING Him!

Love and Blessings,
Judy
PS Thank You, Holy Spirit, for giving me the words to write this.

How Do You Spend Your Time?

2010-03-15T20:37:00.001-05:00

I have been doing some serious thinking about time! First of all time is flying by faster and faster! No one seems to have enough time! Everyone is extremely busy and no one has the time for others, fun things, enjoying life , relaxing, on and on! Do you enjoy running around in circles; always in a hurry to get things done; trying to cram more and more into every minute of every day? Do you realize that the world is not going to stop turning; your family is not going to suffer and crumble and you are not going be less of a person if you slow down a little bit; notice the beauty around you; appreciate what God has provided for you and in those wise words of long ago... "take time to smell the roses"!

Actually what we are doing is destructive to ourselves and to our loved ones! We get so busy trying to 'provide' for ourselves and loved ones that we are neglecting some of the most important things in life! What are we busy trying to 'provide'??? Is it love, memories that last forever, a closeness that builds strong bonds and develops strong morals and great characteristics or is it material things that 'money can buy'? A big house, an impressive car, clothes and accessories with a certain label, the 'top' brand of this or that, etc,etc??? Look around you... are the people with all the 'things' any happier or better off than you are? Would you rather have people love you for who you are or for what you have? When I look around at the people that are known for their fame, fortune and celebrity status, I see drugs, immorality, messed up lives, unhappiness, people searching for love for who they are...not for what they have!

I have learned to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN! Oh, I like nice material things like any one else, but I don't have to have the newest, largest, most expensive home, car, clothes, etc. I am perfectly happy in my small home that is paid for; my car that is several years old and paid for, and to me the most important things in my life are first and foremost my close, personal relationship and daily walk with my Daddy; my family; my friends; the ability to see the beauty all around me; my faith and trust in God; the laughter of children; the wisdom that I see in the eyes and faces of older people and the unconditional love in the eyes of my 4 legged children!

Yes, I too am busy... extremely busy, but it is a good busy because I take the time each day to thank my Daddy for His unconditional love and all the blessings He showers on me daily. I take notice of the beauty in the sky and clouds; the flowers, planted or wild; the trees reaching their branches towards heaven; children playing; I share smiles with strangers and always strive to be a blessing to others who cross my path. It is my desire to share the love of Jesus wherever I go! And, YES, I do take time to smell the roses!

My prayer is that in some way this Blog blesses you and opens your eyes to slow down a little; enjoy your life; cherish the ones around you and remember who you are... A child of God... and to stop and SMELL THE ROSES!

Today is a Beautiful Day!

2010-03-10T12:29:00.003-06:00

This morning started out with sunshine, blue sky and warm temperatures! A beautiful spring type day. Then within 2 hours the sky darkened, thunder rolled and the skies opened up and rain fell! I could just hear people, "We have had enough rain! It rained yesterday, the ground is soaked" and on and on! Well, within another hour or two the rain stopped, the sun came out and blue sky appeared!

I love to watch God work! He is God and He knows what He is doing! He created the earth and He takes care of it. I also know He has a sense of humor! I could just picture Him this morning smiling as He started the day with sunshine and then turned it into a thunderstorm and than back into sunshine! He enjoys playing with us sometimes! We have a tendency to take everything so seriously and God loves to have fun, laugh with us and simply enjoy Himself! I can just hear Him say, "Take a chill pill, Children!"

Have you ever noticed how some "Christians" are always so serious, so stiff, actually stuffy? God doesn't speak in 'Thee's and Thou's". He actually talks Texan...English, Spanish, African, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and any and all languages, but not Old English! He is not a stiff, stuffy God...He is loving, generous, giving, compassionate, fun loving, funny and enjoys fellowshipping and sharing with us . Oh, He can be serious too, like when His children...us...are given teachers, preachers, ministers to feed us on His Word; we sit under them learning and then turn around and don't obey His Word or don't believe and receive from Him our healing or prosperity! How would you feel if it were your children that behaved that way? God loves us unconditionally and only wants the best for us, but we have to do our part too! Take His Word literally, it's written very clearly and simply. Don't try to make it complicated, which is what so many stuffy Christians do! Then simply do what the Word says...BELIEVE! God is the supreme, most wonderful, most giving, loving Father/Daddy you will ever have! Just love Him, thank Him, believe Him, trust Him, obey Him and enjoy Him!

Like in a lot of families, there are some dysfunctional members in God's family too. There are some who call themselves Christian, but their fruit is bad and this is why a lot of people are turned away from God. I am a CHRISTian, a spirit-filled Believer, a child of God. I walk with my Daddy every step I take and I love watching Him work in my life and other's lives too! I love sharing His love and Him with everyone. I want to be an obedient child and if sometimes I slip, all I have to do is ask my Daddy to forgive me and He does and we go from there! When you truly are a Christian, you don't have to go around telling everyone...it shows in everything you do and how you treat others. Your actions actually speak louder to people than your words. So today, enjoy what your Daddy has for you whether it is sunshine or rain showers! Relax and just enjoy being with Him and whatever He has planned for you on this beautiful day!

Puffed Up or Humble?

2010-03-04T10:05:00.004-06:00

This world is full of all kinds of people! All races, all sizes, shapes and personalities! Now, God created us in His image and breathed His breath into us, but He is not responsible for some of the personalties in the world! You see, when He created us, He also gave us our own will! He wanted someone to walk with, fellowship with and communicate with. He didn't want a robot, so He gave us our own wills and He won't go against that will! He has placed everything in our hands and given us the authority to overcome every obstacle that comes against us, but we have to know Him, His Word and obey His commandments! Sounds hard? No, not at all! God is unconditional love and He loves us as much as He loves Jesus! He even sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and guide us through life! How many times have you heard someone say, "I heard this little voice telling me not to do or go this way." Well, DUH, that was the Holy Spirit!!! We have to listen, hear Him and follow His leading!

Now since we all are created in the image of God, there are no special favors or favorites. We are all created equal, not some more special than others! God loves us all the same and that is unconditionally! Have you ever known or currently know someone who 'puffs' themselves up as above everyone else, more knowledgeable, better, more capable, can do anything and probably has done everything, knows everything and just is perfectly supreme and basically looks down on others? Well, you need to pray for them because they may have a 'head knowledge' of their Father, but either they don't really know Him or they don't listen and obey Him because they wouldn't be like that! God has no favorites, He doesn't make anyone more special than everyone else! Every one of us has special gifts, talents, creativity that our Daddy has blessed us with. We are all unique and each of us has great potential! God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called! Instead of bloating ourselves up, we need to seek our Daddy and have Him show us what gifts we have and where and how we are to use them. Someone that we call a "Know It All" is basically someone who doesn't truly have confidence in themselves. They, down deep inside - but never would admit it, feel inferior so they puff themselves up to make the world think they are superior! Instead of impressing everyone with their great abilities, they repulse, irritate and disgust everyone! By their behavior they cause people around them not to be able to see what they are capable of doing and accomplishing!

We are all members of the same family and we are all our Daddy's favorites! We are all to walk in the love of our Daddy and love each other as He loves us, but first we have to love ourselves as He loves us! We can love each other in our Daddy's love, but some of us make it hard to like each other. So stop and think today, how are you coming across to others? Are you walking in a huge ego, "I am supreme attitude" or are you walking in the love of God and letting Jesus shine through you? People telling me how good a Christian they are or how much they know doesn't impress me at all! It's their fruit that I look at! If you love the Lord with all your heart, have a close personal relationship with Him and are an obedient child of God, you don't have to tell anyone...it shows in your daily life in how you live your life and treat others!!! After all the greatest mantle is the mantle of Humility! If you don't know what humility is, ask God and He will be more than happy to show you! Have a great day walking in God's love!

Spring is On Its Way!

2010-03-02T14:07:00.003-06:00

Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you almost taste it! Now, don't get me wrong...I love the winter weather, mainly because in Ft. Worth, Texas we don't usually have enough of it! This is the only place I know of that the temperature one day can be in the 80's and the next day in the 30's and then back to the 90's! There is a saying regarding Texas weather..."If you don't like the weather just wait a minute and it will change for you!" Well, this saying is very true! You can also tell who has moved here from 'up north'! They are the ones that when we have 2 days in a row of cold are wishing for summer! My Daddy is so good to me! He knows that I love enough cold weather to be able to wear sweaters, sweatshirts and jackets for several weeks, not days! Why, this year we even had a white Christmas! I have never had a white Christmas and I am a native born and raised in the Lone Star State! Not only that we had a second snowfall and it was officially 12.5 inches! Even more remarkable was the fact that we had SNOW not ice...nice soft, powdery snow...both times! Thank You, Daddy!

Now, I am ready for spring! Mainly because I am a photographer whose main objective is Nature, beautiful colorful Nature! Landscapes, flowers, trees, clouds, lakes, rivers, streams...anything beautiful with color, bright color! Oh, I did get some pretty awesome snow pictures, but those only go so far! I am ready for our beautiful, bright blue sky with large white fluffy clouds and flowers of all colors blooming everywhere you look and trees budding out with gorgeous green foliage! You see, to me, capturing posed people, immovable objects is boring. Now I admire the photographers who are called to capture those things because they produce great work and that is because that is their gift, their specialty! I love Nature..living, breathing, colorful, growing Nature and I also love old, abandoned buildings and homes because the all have a past and a story to tell!

I am not your professional photographer who knows all the 'rules' of photography and abides by them to the letter! I am a photographer who God presented with a gift to see His masterpiece through His eyes! Who is led by the Holy Spirit to look at something and see the beauty in it, not really considering the rule of 1/3, but letting Him guide me in my composition and perspective! In my photographs I want people to be able to see what I see; I want to capture a moment, a place, a bit of Nature that will bring joy, pleasure, peace, a fulfillment to the viewer forever. I want my photography to tell a story of the subject and of me and who I am!

So all of that to say...SPRING IS ON ITS WAY AND I AM READY! HALLELUJAH!

Celebration!

2010-02-24T11:41:00.003-06:00

To observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing! This is the definition of celebration! How about ceremony of respect, festivity and rejoicing? Do you enjoy celebrating? Most people do. Well, now I want you to think about something...

We have all had someone dear to us leave their earthly homes and take that wonderful journey to their eternal homes. We are sad to see them go because we are going to miss them so much. But do you have any idea of what takes place in Heaven at that time? Okay, picture in your mind the largest sporting event ever! Football, basketball, soccer, hockey, whatever, and picture your team making the winning point of the largest game with the largest crowd in the entire world! Can you hear the shouting, the rejoicing, the celebrating? Well, this is a mi-nute (exceptionally small) comparison of what takes place in Heaven when someone is coming home! Everyone, every angel, every spirit is preparing for the arrival and there is rejoicing, singing, Hallelujah-ing, shouting with joy, festivity, celebrating going on because another family member is arriving home!

Can you hear it? Can you picture it? Oh, what a wonderful time is had by all! What a marvelous greeting! Not only are you met at the Pearly Gate with a hug from GaGa (read previous post on 'My Mother Always Said I Was Different') and have Jesus escort you into the largest stadium you have ever seen, but when you arrive all of Heaven is rejoicing, respecting you and your accomplishments, celebrating your coming home! Think about this the next time you are feeling sad because someone you love has gone home! Would you want them to miss out on that glorious celebration? Be happy for them...they are running the green fields of Heaven; walking the streets of Gold; are surrounded by unconditional love; are free of worry, pain, sickness, depression, every evil thing that attacked them on earth; they are happy, free...they are home!

Who Do You Tell the World You Are?

2010-02-22T12:18:00.004-06:00

Do you realize how important your countenance is? How others see you through the way you carry yourself, how you express yourself by the look on your face or by the look in your eyes? Have you ever known someone who no matter what they were going through in their personal life always had a smile of their face, a peaceful countenance about them and eyes that radiated love? That is the love of Jesus shining through them! Someone who truly loves the Lord, has a close personal, first name basis relationship with Him and trust Him with every situation in their life has a peace that passes all understanding! They have no worries, because they KNOW who their Daddy is and they trust Him and love Him with every ounce of their heart, spirit and soul!

I have no patience with 'self-pity', 'oh, poor me' or 'I am so pitiful' looks or attitudes...especially coming from people that claim to KNOW God, LOVE God, TRUST God and are fed on His Word regularly by people who walk, talk and live the love of their Father and are obedient to His Word and Commandments! Depression is a tool of the devil's! For goodness sake...take authority over it! You and your will have been given the AUTHORITY by Jesus Himself to take authority over demon spirits, sickness, lack, depression...every evil doing that satan can dream up! It's up to you! Jesus has already taken care of it for you, now it is in your hands! Do you realize that when you walk around in self pity, sickness, lack, depression, etc. that you are telling the world that you don't believe in God or that Jesus died for you? It all comes down to YOUR CHOICE! God gave each of us our own will and He will not go against it! You may pray for God's help in certain situations in your life and then by walking around in negativity, self-pity and depression, you are keeping the angels of God from moving in your life! They operate on The Word of God, not on your feelings and words of doubt and they cannot go against your will! It's not God that is not operating in your situations, it is YOU!

Believe me, when you know your Daddy on a first name basis; talk to Him regularly; laugh with Him; trust Him with everything in your life whether you can see it with your natural eyes or not, you will have such a peace and joy that it will radiate from you for the world to see! Nothing but God's love for you and your love for Him will show in your countenance, attitude, confidence and expression! Don't waste another day on 'poor me'...take your place as a child of God and show the world who you are in Christ Jesus! Hallelujah!

My Mother Always Said I Was Different!

2010-02-18T20:43:00.005-06:00

My mother was the most compassionate person I had ever known. When I look back over my childhood, my mother was always doing for others, not expecting anything in return. In fact, when I was about 7 years old the neighbor lady asked if I would go to the neighborhood grocery store for her. I asked Mother and she said yes, for me to go for Mrs. D. Well, I went and when I brought her groceries to her she gave me a dime. I went home and showed my mother and she sent me right back to give the dime back! I will never forget my mother's words! "You never do something for someone because you expect to be paid for doing it. You do it to help someone and that is your reward!" I was 7 years old and have never forgotten that!

Mother could never stand to see someone go hungry. She was not a monetarily wealthy woman, but for years she kept a family next door to her fed. They had 3 children and the mother couldn't work because they couldn't afford for anyone to keep the children while she did. Mother at that time was working 2 jobs, but every time she went to the grocery store for herself she came home with bags of groceries for that family!

Mother wasn't a 'smiler' but she was a hugger! In fact, I am sure that she is the official greeter at the Pearly Gates and everyone gets a hug! Now, I am a smiler and a laugher! Where mother was a negative talker I have always been a positive talker, even as a child. I remember once when I was sick with the flu, I called Mother at work for something and her boss answered and asked me how I was! I said, 'I'm fine' and Mother had a fit! Why did I say I was fine when I was sick and throwing up??? My friends when I was growing up even called me an 'eternal optimist'! I couldn't understand what they were talking about!

Now, I said all of this because I cannot stand negative talk or thinking. I love life and am thankful for every minute of each and ever day. I can't understand people that feel sorry for themselves and I can't understand depression! Now, I'm not saying that I have never had any down, sad, lonely days, but there haven't been that many and they didn't last long! Life here on earth is temporary and it is such a waste to spend any of it being depressed and feeling sorry for yourself! Have you ever seen the video of the young man who was born without arms and legs? He has the most wonderful attitude and is going all around the world testifying and motivating others! There is nothing he can't do. He feeds himself, he swims, he lives life to its fullest! Here is the link to see and hear him: http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

Now the next time you start to complain about something or say something negative, STOP and think...what am I doing??? God loves you! He never leaves you! He never forsakes you! He takes care of your every need, every desire of your heart. All He requires of you is your love for Him, your total trust in Him and your obedience to His Word. He is your Daddy and He wants to give you everything He has, so start building that close, personal, loving relationship with Him and receive what He has for you! Let the love of God radiate from you. Smile at someone you don't know and brighten their day. Let Jesus shine through you with your smile, pleasant look, glow of happiness in your eyes, a kind word to someone you don't know, your attitude. After all...you never know when you are coming in contact with an angel!

Every Day is Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T14:45:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was February 14th, Valentine's Day! Well, in my home, every day is Valentine's Day! Now, Paul and I did make February 14th special many years ago when we got married and I became a Valentine on Valentine's Day!

It is nice to have a day when everyone shows their love to loved ones and others, but it is really a shame that so many wait until that day on the calendar! We should show our love to each other everyday not one day a year! It's like giving God praise and worshiping Him on Sunday morning in church! We are supposed to show our love for Him by fellowshipping with Him, praising Him and worshiping Him every day! God doesn't live in the church building you attend on Sunday...He lives inside of you. He goes every where you go! He knows everything you do! He knows everything you say and everything you think!

Sunday is our day to come together in fellowship with each other and join together in our praising, worshiping and being fed God's Word. This year God not only had his children gather together on Sunday, but He also got to celebrate Valentine's Day with us! I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day and a great praising Sunday, but please do like the Valentine family and love, praise, bless, worship and fellowship with your Daddy and each other every day because EVERY DAY IS VALENTINE'S DAY!

Record Snowfall in Texas DFW area!

2010-02-12T19:00:00.005-06:00

We have had the most beautiful 2 days, yesterday and today! All day long, and I do mean all day long, yesterday it snowed constantly! It stopped some time in the very early morning hours of today! We ended up with a little over 12 inches...a record breaker!

This snow was not like the usual snow we get in this area! Usually we have more ice than snow, but this time..oh, how beautiful and wonderful! A fine white powder, gently falling all day long and covering everything in sight! In the first picture you will see an item behind the birdbath with something sitting on it. That is a concrete bench and what you see is the seat of that bench. That is how deep the snow was! Breathtakingly beautiful! God is so good! We were all tired of looking at 'winter brown' so He gave us a beautiful blanket of white! Thank You, Daddy!

What Exactly is a Blog?

2010-02-10T13:03:00.002-06:00

This is a question I am asking myself! For some it is a place to present your art, your craft...for others is a place where you can teach and instruct! Then there is the journal. Now according to Google (what did we ever do before Google???)...

A blog (a contraction of the term "web log")[1] is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. but my favorite is:

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world. Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules. In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

So here I am blogging! My passion along with my love for God (my Daddy), my wonderful precious family and my friends is photography, a gift from my Daddy! I love for people to be able to see my work, but I have a website for that, plus I have a Flickr photostream with nothing but thousands of photos I have taken on it. So this is my journal. If you visit it, I hope that you find something that will encourage you, make you smile or just lift you up in some way! If you don't, oh, well!

I have never been one to keep a journal or diary on a regular basis, but I am enjoying this. I have always been one who periodically liked to write down my thoughts, feelings, emotions, so this is a great place to do it! I may never have more than my four faithful followers, but that is okay. You see, this blog is about me, by me and most of all for me!

If you are here and you come back, you will probably learn more about me than you ever really wanted to know! But if you are here and you came back, I hope that in some small way I have been able to help you see the world in a different light, put a smile in your heart and on your face and bring some Sonshine into your life! Have a very blessed and prosperous day! Happy Blogging! ♥

Introductions

2010-02-08T15:40:00.005-06:00

Our family consist of my husband, me, our 2 grown children - our daugher and her husband - our son and his wife, 5 granddarlings and then our 'other children'. Today I will introduce our 'other children'! We have four 4-legged of the canine variety; one 4-legged of the feline variety; one 4-legged of the reptile variety and one 2-legged of the bird variety. In other words we have Saydee, our faithful and loyal 13 year old Maltese/Chihuahua mix; Bitsy, our 13 year old formerly abused Chihuahua; Dolly, our 15 month old highy active Chihuahua aka "The Flying Chihuahua" with the unique ears and yes, she is full Chihuahua with papers to prove it; Dudley, our daughter's little elderly English Gentleman Yorkie; Serena, our 5 year old very independent but beautiful Calico cat; Petey our almost 2 year old Red Eared Slider turtle and last but by no means least is Gabby our 6 year old white Cockatiel. I seriously don't think my husband knew just how much of an animal lover I was those many years ago!

Marvelous Monday!

2010-02-08T10:57:00.003-06:00

Now most people would not look at today as a marvelous any thing! It is cold, rainy, dark, but it is still the day that The Lord has made so it is a good day! People would say, "We have had enough rain, we have had more than enough winter, etc. etc. etc!" Now in our eyes this is all true! I love winter because where I live in Texas, winter usually breezes through and is gone before you have a chance to wear your winter clothes! We have had several months of winter this year and everyone, including me, is ready for spring! But God knows what He is doing so there has to be a very good reason for our 'long' winter this year! We have had drought for several years in the past, so have you ever thought maybe He is replenishing our ground, giving new life to the trees, grass, flowers, shrubs, lakes, ponds, cattle, wildlife? Hmmm! Interesting concept!

Now, I am definitely ready for spring! I love the 'naked' trees showing the true character of the tree, but I am ready for color rather than everything being brown. I am ready for LIFE which I know is taking place during this dormant stage. I am looking forward to seeing the first bud on my Crepe Myrtles. The first little sign of life on my rose bushes and hear the birds chirping away announcing the arrival of spring!

I am more than ready to get out with my camera and capture the beauty of life springing forth after hibernation! Anyone who has seen my photos knows that I love color! Lots of color! Bright Colors! So, yes, it is a marelous Monday, because I know what is coming!

God's Love

2010-02-06T13:38:00.002-06:00

Have you ever sat down and just thought about God's love for you? Have you ever imagined having that kind of love? He loves each of us unconditionally! Can we do that? Do you love someone UNCONDITIONALLY? Hmmmm...gives us something to think about!

We love our spouse, we love our children, we love our grandchildren, we love our friends and yes, we love God. But do we love any of them UNCONDITIONALLY? Unconditional means not subject to conditions or limitations; not limited: absolute, unqualified! No matter how the people that we love treat us or what they may do or not do, do we love them without conditions or limitations? If you have a spouse or friend who 'cheats' on you, do you love them unconditionally? They may hurt your feelings, break your heart or ignore you, do you love them unconditionally?

Well, you know what? God does us! How many times have we gone through the day without telling God that we love Him? How many times have we not given Him praise and blessed Him or thanked Him for the blessings He has given us? How many times have we shrunk back from standing up for Him? We have hurt His feelings by how we have or have not treated Him and/or our brothers and sisters; we have broken His heart by our actions or lack of! And yet, God our Father loves us without conditions or limitations! We must meditate on that and then learn to love not only God, but others in our lives as God our Father loves us! He loves us as much as He loves Jesus...that is an eternity of love!

Love and Blessings,
Judy

A Life of Love, Joy and Peace

2010-02-05T10:16:00.001-06:00

Do you ever take time to notice all the negativeness around you? Even little things like comments made whether on networking sites, the news or in general conversation such as: "I am feeling so down; things are never going right for me; I am so tired; I'm sick", or people dwelling on tragedies, killings, deaths, the economy, doom and gloom or whining about situations in their lives? How often do you hear of people being so happy, grateful and thrilled with what is going on in their lives?

Now the Word of God says that you will have whatever you say (Mark 11:23); it doesn't say whatever GOOD things you say! It says 'WHATEVER you say'! So this tells me that if I am always gripping and complaining and talking negative, then that is what I am going to have in my daily life! I refuse to live in a negative world! My personal, daily world is full of love, joy, peace, happiness, fulfillment, prosperity, joy and all the promises and blessings of God, my Father!

My Daddy created every thing good. He is the King and I am His child! He and He alone provides my daily needs. He knows my needs and wants before I do. I have no worry or anxiousness concerning my earthly life. He is my source, not man nor government! He is first in my life now and forever! I spend each day talking and walking with my Daddy telling Him what is on my mind (He already knows, but He loves it when I tell Him how I feel!), what I want to do in my earthly life and how so very much I love Him! Do you realize that if you and I were the only ones who had ever been born, He would have still sacrificed His only Son for us? Do you realize how loved and blessed we are? God loves us UNCONDITIONALLY!

When you hear or read any thing negative, just stop and think how that is effecting your day, your life, your outlook! Right then no matter where or when...just stop and tell your Daddy how thankful you are that He loves you and takes care of you. Tell Him how much you love Him! I guarantee you that when you develop that close personal relationship with Him: keep your focus on Him and His Word and walk in obedience to what He has said in His Word, your life will be full of love, joy and peace! There will be no recession in your life, no fear of what man predicts, nothing but knowing that your Daddy is taking care of you and yours!

If you don't know how to do this, simply contact me and I will help you find what I have! May God continually bless you and yours and prosper every thing you set your hands to!

God's Greatest Gifts!

2010-02-04T09:05:00.001-06:00

Have you ever taken the time to stop and reflect on the gifts that God blesses you with all the time? I am talking of gifts other than those we all know so well...redemption, salvation, forgiveness, unconditional love, and on and on and on. I mean the gifts of family; health; love; the sunrise in the morning (which I rarely see!); sunsets; flowers dressed in their finest; trees tall and strong, full of character; a blade of grass; blue sky with large white fluffy clouds; children; children's laughter; spring showers; the smell of rain; a rainbow; the unconditional love of an animal, friends! I could go on and on and on, but let's go with friends.

There are friends that are your husband or wife. Your children who are your best friends. Friends that you grew up with, new friends, old friends, young friends, women friends, men friends, etc. To me, one of God's greatest gifts is friends. You have friends that are fair weather friends, casual friends, close friends and friends that you haven't known for very long but you feel that you have known forever!

I also have been blessed with a very cherished friend who lives thousands of miles away. God brought us together through a website we both belong to and our friendship grows stronger each day through our love for Him and by uniting in prayer for her precious granddaughter. It is so awesome how God brings His children together to stand on His Word and to take a stand against demonic forces and claim victory! I am so thankful that my Daddy loves me so much to bless me with this friend. Friends are precious jewels and their value is immeasurable!

Then I have also been blessed with friends who are very dear to me that live 'across the large pond' called the Atlantic Ocean! I may never see them in person, but I couldn't love them more if I saw them every day! It doesn't matter how near or far, God's love encompasses the entire universe and so can our love for our friends!

Take the time today to stop for a minute and take notice of God's gifts in your life and thank Him for each one. Then realize how much He loves you.

Today!

2010-02-03T12:48:00.004-06:00

Do you know what today is? It is TODAY! It is not yesterday and it is not tomorrow, it is TODAY! Today you have a choice to live today; to mourn yesterday or to look forward to tomorrow. It is your choice. Personally, I want to live today, to put as much as I can into today and to receive as much as I can from it! Today will never come again...tomorrow it will be yesterday and it will be gone forever!

We waste so much precious time regretting what happened yesterday and what we did or did not do. We waste so much time planning what we will do tomorrow that we forget to live today! Today take the time to notice God all around you in the blue sky; clouds in that sky; trees beginning to change colors; bees buzzing; flowers still in bloom; the grass green from the rain God has provided for us; the birds singing; children laughing and the list goes on and on. Listen and hear His voice in every thing around you...those singing birds; the laughter of the children; the rustling of those leaves; the buzzing of the bees; a mother talking to her child...He is everywhere and you can see and hear Him if you only look and listen! So, stop, look, listen and smile! God loves you TODAY!

Correcting and Creating HDR Images in Lightroom

2010-02-03T10:17:00.001-06:00

Correcting and Creating HDR Images in Lightroom

The Year 2009!

2010-02-02T17:37:00.001-06:00

In the beginning of 2009 I decided that I was going to turn The Father's Creations over to God. I had done what I felt led to do to introduce it and acquaint people with what it was all about. I built up a very nice contact list and had made a lot of friends for The Father's Creations. Now it was time to see what God wanted me to do. I had a peace about it all. It's really wonderful how when you decide to let God take charge and listen, you have a very reassuring peace. I knew in my spirit that He wanted me to take the time to enjoy and work on the gift He had given me. To fine tune it and learn more about it. I had to realize that not only is it a gift He had given me but it is an art and I am an artist! This was hard for me to believe! Me an artist???

I learned to relax and really enjoy my photography. My prayer has always been and still is: "Father, let me see the beauty in Your creations through Your eyes. Let me see all around me the beauty in everything and how to capture it in order to share it with others." Well, I started looking at familiar things but seeing them entirely differently! Hmmmm! When you ask, you receive!

Now, I know that there are 'rules' and 'techniques', but I am not a technical person. Oh, I am still learning about shutter speed, aperture, exposure, ISO and all the basics of photography but my photos aren't so much about 'perfect composition', 'perfect this or that'...my photos are about what I see through my Daddy's eyes and what is pleasing to others. What will warm someone's heart, fill a void in their life, bring back a memory or just simply make someone feel good! I want to be able to capture a moment in time that tells a story forever! And I want it to be a beautiful, colorful story!

I am not a 'Professional Photographer'. I'm not looking for great recognition, having my work hung in galleries or having my own studio! I am a child of God who my Daddy gave a gift to and that gift happens to be photography! I am not in competition with anyone and like any artist, whether painting, photography, sculpturing, writing or any other form of art, I have my own style, my own likes and my own way of seeing things. No two people look at the same thing at the same time and see it exactly alike! This is what makes life so interesting and people so unique!

During 2009 my passion has grown immensely for my gift, my art. I love my Daddy so much and every day I thank Him for my precious gift. He is always so good to me. He has blessed me with a wonderful husband, who is a superb photographer, to share our love of photography together, who is constantly helping me with my learning. He has blessed me with the two greatest children a mother could ever have; the greatest son-in-love and daughter-in-love; the five greatest Granddarlings in the entire universe and a passion for not only photography but for living life, loving it and capturing it with my camera! 2009 was a great year!

The Birth of the Father's Creations

2010-01-31T23:03:00.014-06:00

One day when I was in a friend's office she told me how much she was enjoying my 'rose pictures'. I told her that I was having so much fun with them that I wished there was more that I could do with them,when I noticed a framed print on her office wall with a scripture embedded in the matting! That was when I realized that I could put scriptures on my photos and they would be unique and one of a kind. I was so excited, I called my daughter and we started passing names around and we came up with The Father's Creations. All of this happened on a Monday and the next Tuesday I had my dba and tax number and The Father's Creations was born!The date was May 29th, 2007!

God is so good! He showed me what scripture to put on which picture! When I would look through the viewfinder a scripture would come to mind! Suddenly I found that there was a passion growing inside of me for photographing Nature of all kinds! I knew that this was developing into a ministry for me. With the reaction I was getting from strangers, the vision of my ministry was taking place! It is my desire to have my photographs in homes all around the world, ministering to maybe people who don't even know the Lord but the picture itself and the scripture on it bring the Word of God to life for them!
God even began to give me 'original inspirational messages' for Mothers, Daughters, Friends and Sons. I spent a good part of 2008 doing Arts and Craft shows meeting people and getting them acquainted with my work. It was fun and I made so many new friends. It's always fun to watch God work in your life and watch His plans for you unfold before your very eyes. 2008 was a very good year,but...There is 2009!

Welcome to My World!

2010-01-30T22:45:00.005-06:00

Welcome to "Thru My Daddy's Eyes". I am learning, by listening to my Daddy and being obedient, to see the entire world around me through His eyes. I have always loved Nature. I love the trees in full foliage and I love them without any leaves. This is when their true character is obvious for all to see. I love the sky with white fluffy clouds and the gorgeous Texas sunsets. (Sunrise is too early in the morning for me!) I love all flowers of all different colors including wildflowers, which if you ever take notice are some to the prettiest flowers there are! Roses are probably my favorite flower though and I have several rose bushes in my yard, each one different and unique from the others! I love water, whether it is a river, stream, lake or ocean! I just LOVE Nature! Nature is God's canvas where He paints His masterpiece!

I always wanted to one day take oil painting lessons to put the beauty in Nature that I see, on canvas. Well, God being God and so good had other plans for me. He made known the gift He had given to me in 2007! One morning we had a shower, not really a heavy rain but a shower! I decided to take a picture of one of my roses that still had the raindrops on it. I took my small Sony camera out of my purse and took a close up of my rose. I then emailed the picture to my daughter and she immediately replied to my email with, "Mom, this is as good as Dad's pictures!" Now this was the SUPREME compliment because Paul cut his teeth on a camera and is a superb photographer! So when I picked myself up off the floor, I knew that my Daddy had answered my prayer from a few days earlier. I had, in talking to Him, asked Him to reveal the gift that He had given me because I know that everyone has a gift. I just wanted to know what mine was! Well, on that day in May 2007 I had an answer to that prayer!

This was only the beginning!...More to come...!