Category: Perspective

Perspective & Place – Red Bank Battlefield State Park

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I’m sure many of us have seen this poem, but it is one we should read periodically to remind ourselves to take a break and enjoy our lives.

Dust If You Must
Author Unknown

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come ’round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not always kind.
And when you go and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust.

Yesterday I did as the poem advises and took a day to relax and enjoy a riverside stroll at National Park, New Jersey. Here are a few of the sights at the Red Bank Battlefield.

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Monuments, cannons and trenches are all a part of the park.

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The City of Philadelphia is visible across the Delaware River.

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A long staircase leads the way down to the river walk.

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It’s interesting to watch the boats and barges pass by on the Delaware.

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Small islands provide picnic areas for boaters.

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I love this photograph  of a beautiful yellow butterfly “puddling.” (drinking salts from the sand) It was a happy moment to see the beautiful creature. We have had few butterflies this year due to last winter’s constant snow.

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As always I couldn’t stop myself from taking a picture of some gnarly, sun-bleached wood. Beautiful!

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Scavenger that I am, I found some “river beans” or floating seeds along the shoreline. Of course I pocketed them and brought them home to try and grow.

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I also couldn’t stop myself from having a hot dog and Coke from a stand set up in the park. Yum…sorry, the photo isn’t the best, catches me mid-chew. 🙂 A lovely day…I could have been cleaning or weeding or cooking, but I chose to have a little fun instead. Enjoy your Sabbath Day.

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Perspective – Visual Reminders

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective5 Comments

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When my son was in grade school I often packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for his lunch. Before I placed the sandwich in the baggie,  I always drew a heart with the end of the knife. He has told me many times in these later years ( He is 35 now) that opening his sandwich and seeing that heart was so important to him.

It was a small thing to do, but it created big memories. My daughter-in-law often includes a candy kiss in the her boys’ lunches. How SWEET! 🙂

Just a little reminder to spread the love during these first days and weeks of the school year.

Perspective – Soon and Very Soon

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“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

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In yesterday’s post I spoke of a day on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The boardwalk can be a place of fun and laughter, but also a place of desolation and homelessness. In an attempt to make a living modern-day “troubadours” sometimes set up their instruments on a portion of the boardwalk and play to the crowds of people passing by.

While we were “strolling the boards” we walked by a woman sitting on a bench. I thought at first she was one of these “troubadours,” but soon realized she was more a prophet. Clapping her hands in a steady rhythm, she was purposefully singing a tune I know well, Andrae Crouch’s beautiful song, “Soon and Very Soon.” I am sure others heard the words as they passed by. I hope they understood the message of the song. God bless the messenger in her effort to spread the Good News.

The message of “Soon and  Very Soon” is the coming of the Kingdom of God. Let’s all spread the “Good News” of the Lord Jesus Christ and his saving grace for all mankind.

To read daily reports of current events and  Biblical prophecies being fulfilled check out this site: Rapture Ready

Atlantic City Boardwalk photograph courtesy of Morguefile.

Photographs & Perspective – Throwback Thursday & Immigration

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective, Photographs4 Comments

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In the photograph above I am the child standing before the elderly woman. She is my great-grandmother, one of the two women whose name I bear. I did not know her well, but do remember that she was tiny but strong. She emigrated legally to the United States from Germany through Ellis Island. She passed through the rigorous inspections that were in place to screen out disease and criminal activity. I am so thankful she came to this blessed land of America.

I believe in immigration, and everyone in the United States should also since a large percentage of us descend from immigrants somewhere down our line. What I do not believe in though is indiscriminately opening our borders to those who would ignore the protocol for entry. I am concerned that our pity for the young children trying to escape poverty and crime is allowing these same children to become a Trojan horse that could carry into our country an extra burden on our struggling economy, disease, pandemics, over-crowding, crime, gang violence and even elevate the threat of terrorism.

What can we do? I’m afraid not much about the current crisis. We can’t change yesterday, but we can do things right today and in the future. Most of all we need to have our eyes wide open concerning those we elect to govern this country. Experience and Constitutional integrity and adherence does matter! We are witnessing the lack of it now in our country…enough said.

Place, Perspective & Peace – If Rocks Could Speak

On By TimelessladyIn Peace, Perspective, Place6 Comments

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In my opinion, if these rocks could speak, they would admonish all who listened to their words to strive for peace.

The title I originally chose and typed for this post was, “Place – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.” Those who live in the US will realize that the rock in the photograph lies in the area where a Civil War battle was fought. A battle where young boys and men, over 50,000, died or were horribly wounded. The rock lies on the grounds of the Gettysburg Visitor Center and Museum. History of the Battle of Gettysburg can be found here: Battle of Gettysburg

The rocks are haunting to me, creating a heaviness of heart as I gaze at them. It is not a hard stretch of mind to imagine a young man, mortally wounded, lying behind or atop this rock.  According to the National Park Service, this type of rock is very resistant to weathering and probably looks very much the same as it did 150 years ago in July of 1863. A description of the rocks and boulders of Gettysburg can be found here: Geologic Formations of Gettysburg

I also felt a deep sadness as I viewed a wall of solemn faces within the museum. One thousand men, five hundred from each side; all killed, seriously wounded or imprisoned during the Battle of Gettysburg. I’m the mother of two sons, I could only imagine the consuming grief of the thousands of parents, wives and children who lost their dear ones in this terrible war. The wall of 1000 faces, along with more photographs from the museum, can be found here: 1000 Faces

Peace is my theme word for March. Each month, through my daily Bible devotions, I choose a word of character that I hope will become an unshakeable facet of my spirit and life. I also use this theme word in my choice of verses and quotes for the right hand sidebar of this blog.

Those in power around the world do not seem to take heed of the lessons of the past. In fact, rather than seeking peace, it seems there are more wars and rumors of wars just about everywhere. What can we do? The best response is always to pray and have peace within. “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” is a beautiful song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller. The first line says, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” That is my hope for my life; I hope it is your hope too.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

Perspective – Why I Keep My Posts Shorter Rather Than Longer?

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective6 Comments

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Why do I keep the majority of my posts shorter rather than longer? The answer in a nutshell* can be found in the verse below:

“The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?” Ecclesiastes 6:11

We are all better off when we follow this wise advice!

*The expression “in a nutshell” generally refers to a concise explanation of something. When speakers want to cram just the essential points into as few words as possible, they are making their point in a nutshell. Something that’s said in a nutshell is succinct and to the point. While a speaker may use only a few words or sentences, he includes every necessary piece of information when speaking of something in a nutshell. (definition courtesy of wisegeek.com)

Perspective – Looking Up

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“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26

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I enjoy looking up. This week the moon glowed faintly in the sky even while the sun shone bright. The moon in the sky during daylight hours? What’s up with that? We’ve all seen it from time to time. Here’s a good explanation: Why Can I See the Moon in the Daytime? I tried to take a picture of that daytime moonglow, but it didn’t show up in the downloaded photo. Around the edges of my photograph there is a little surprise. Do you see it? If you click on the image it will enlarge the photo.

Sometimes our goals lead us to blessings around the edges. Don’t forget in the pursuit of your goals to glance now and then around the edges of your life too. You might be missing something wonderful.

Perspective – Raking Leaves

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My oak tree is dropping its leaves. This adds up to a huge amount of raking…hours upon hours. My state of mind can become overwhelmed even thinking about the leaf removal job ahead. For me, body and spirit do better if I break the job up into small increments. Each day I try to rake up three to four loads of leaves. It sounds silly, and possibly ineffectual, but it works for me. Little by little those piles of leaves I rake clear the yard and gardens of Autumn’s debris. For those of you facing mountains of leaves…happy raking.

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Perspective & Problem-Solving – Rivers of Difficulty

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“When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown” Isaiah 43:2

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I didn’t plan on this post in advance, heavy storms arrived, and the problems they caused seemed like a good subject to blog about today. In some areas of Maryland this morning the rain was falling at a rate of near 12 inches an hour. This type of rainfall can create the danger of flash flooding. Here in South Jersey the heavy rains happened early in the day before people left for work, and although many are now stuck in standstill traffic due to rain-drenched and flooded roads, many more opted to go into work a bit later today.

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My Square Foot Gardens are now Square Foot pools of water. I’m thankful all the new seeds I planted last week already sprouted, and hopefully are rooted deep enough to withstand the heavy downpours.

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Horrors! As I was sitting in the living room, sipping coffee and watching the rain pour down, I became aware of a drip, drip, drip. NO!!!!!!!! Oh yes, the rain fell so fast and blew so hard it somehow managed to get into my house around the fireplace brick and mantel. A good tip to remember when this happens is to mark the area with tape. I positioned a piece in exactly the spot the drip was occurring and also marked where the drip hit the ground, or hearth in this case.

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Stay safe, and stay dry everyone! Happy Tuesday!

Perspective – Gone Fishing

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Well, maybe not fishing, but it’s been a busy week, and it is only getting busier. Wonderful Wednesday to you all!

Perspective – Sand Crab

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective2 Comments

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Sometimes it’s fun to get up close and personal with a feisty sand crab. This was one of the biggest, and boldest, I have ever come across. He took offense at the close proximity of my camera and charged at me with claws clicking.

Perspective – In His Arms – Isaiah 40:11

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective1 Comment

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I have used the small card pictured above in previous posts. I am using it again because it so perfectly illustrates a recent instance of pure joy in my life. I have three grandsons who I watch a few days through the week. On my day to pick up the oldest grandson at school, I waited in line for him outside of the building, holding the eleven month old baby boy in my arms, while the middle grandson stood beside me.

Something startled the baby. He tightened his grip upon me, and laid his head against my neck. I felt such joy as he rested against me, trusting that I would protect him from harm. In the midst of the sweetness of the moment, the middle grandson looked up at me and said, “Nanny, I love you so much.” Could my heart have swelled any larger with the joy of it, you might think not, but when my oldest grandson exited through the doorway, and his eyes and expression kindled with love, yes, my heart almost burst with joy.

“He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.” [Isaiah 40:11]

In my relationship with Christ Jesus, I want to have the heart of these precious boys. I want to trust him, and know that he protects me from harm. I want to stay so close to him, he can gather me in his arms and carry me against his heart. I want to tell him that I love him so much…every day…more than once. I want to feel excitement and happiness…experience joy when I come into his presence. I want to always remember I am his child.

Perspective – The Bucket List & Fearing Not

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What does a “bucket list” mean? According to WikiAnswers: “A bucket list is a list of things such as activites that you are going to do before you die.”

I don’t have a bucket list, but if I did, going to an Easter Sunrise Service at Hart’s Methodist outdoor amphitheater would be on it. Happily, I have already fulfilled this wish, and not only fulfilled it once, I’ve been to Hart’s twice for their Easter Sunrise service.

Last week I felt the presence of the Lord as the sun lit the sky and peeped over the horizon and the Elk Neck River. It is a great way to worship and rejoice that JESUS CHRIST is our risen LORD and SAVIOR. I know this for certain! HALLELUJAH!

There is much in life that is not certain. Frightening situations and the unknown confront us all, but I have this blessed assurance to hold onto, and friend, so do you:

“Fear not, for I am with you,
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

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Hart’s Methodist Church, Northeast, Maryland

Perspective & Phavorites – Blue Monday

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A blue mood can sometimes take hold after the joy of a holiday. Today I am giving into the blueness and delighting in the many shades of azure I was able to enjoy in the Longwood Gardens Conservatory on Sunday. What an array of tones we found there, from the sky blue of Forget-Me-Nots and Himalayan Poppies, through the deep purple-blue of Spring Pansies. These blues lift my spirit. I hope they lift yours too!

Artists and Crafters: Please feel free to make use of these photographs as reference for painting, projects, etc.

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This beautiful blue poppy is almost spent, but in it’s last hours the petals are at their most beautiful as they become tinted with softest pink before dropping from the plant.

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I thought this bed of blue flowers was incredibly lovely, a gorgeous mix of hydrangeas, cineraria and Himalayan poppies.

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I am always  entranced by the buds of the poppies too.

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Who can resist smiling back at these joyful pansy faces?

Perspective – Hello Spring

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Many robins have seemed to overwinter here in Southern New Jersey, but still…the sight of this perky bird sitting in a tree loaded with leaf buds seems to shout out, “Hello Spring…Welcome!”

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Perspective – Saying Good-bye to Winter

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The cold winds of winter are still blowing, but there is a brightness in the air. Birds are singing their courting songs. The calendar cannot be denied. Winter is ending…tomorrow Spring arrives.

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The trees are beginning to flush out in buds of red. Good-bye Winter…

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“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

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Photographs taken in the Pitman Grove Camp.

For more information on the Pitman Grove: Pitman Grove Camp Meeting

Psalms & Proverbs and Perspective – A Name

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A few of my many names:

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“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

This past week I was talking to my four year old grandson about my name. I told him, “My name is Kathy.”

“Yes,” he agreed, “But now your name is Nanny.”

His response delighted me. He said it with such affirmation and faith. I am his “NANNY.”

His words sent my thoughts about my name into a quick reverse, touching on all the names I’ve been known by, and then into my future.  I suddenly found my heart captivated by the thought that God has a special name just for me, and immediately, I felt a surge of certainty that the name he has given me is written in His Book of Life.

Is your name written in his Book?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

I love this old hymn by C. Austin Miles. Click on the link below and you will feel as if you are in an old-time camp-meeting:

A NEW NAME IN GLORY

A NEW NAME IN GLORY

I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord:
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.

Refrain

There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
“A sinner has come home.”
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam.

I was humbly kneeling at the cross,
Fearing naught but God’s angry frown;
When the heavens opened and I saw
That my name was written down.

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In the Book ’tis written, “Saved by Grace,”
O the joy that came to my soul!
Now I am forgiven, and I know
By the blood I am made whole.

Perspective – The Ostrich

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective6 Comments

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They call the wave of reforms and liberal mindset flooding this country “tolerance,” but it is really an insidious tsunami thrusting us toward total control. I don’t need to list the horrifying reversal of many of our freedoms or point the finger at anyone in particular. Even those who have claimed “nothing is amiss” in the past cannot pretend they don’t see what is happening now. Regardless of the confusing new departments, tax increases, executive orders, and healthcare imposed upon us, alive in the hearts of most citizens is love for our country and fellow Americans. What’s to be done? Can the damage be reversed? How do we begin? I guess my first step is this gentle protest.

What is your gentle protest? I suggest that we all cast our eyes toward heaven, sink on bended knees and pray, believing in a righteous and merciful God who hears our pleas, and who delights in the fervent and faithful prayers of those who serve Him.

Wake up America! Ostriches with their heads in the sand, might find that the sand is really quick-dry cement.

Place & Perspective – A Country Church

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This beautiful “country” church stands in the town of Richwood, New Jersey. The church was built in the 1860’s. You can find the history here: Richwood Methodist Church. Although the church stands near a major highway, for most of its existence the setting was country-like, surrounded by fields and orchards and sparsely placed homes.

Across the street is a beautiful fellowship hall.  Built within this century, much thought and planning was devoted to it’s design to enable it to blend in with the charm and old-fashioned graciousness of the church building. Progress is on the march though…the road has been widened, more houses and developments have sprung up. Convenience stores and pharmacies are now only a stone’s throw away, a Walmart might soon be erected down the road, but still the church glows with country-warmth and cordiality when you step inside the doors. Her core values, worshiping the Lord God and serving Him, are intact. I hope that despite the days and times we live in, and the creeping of liberalism into church denominations for political correctness’s sake, that the church will hang onto her values. God bless you and yours on this beautiful Sunday in January.