Delightful Details

Perfectly fallen leaf in the sidewalk… I found it that way, honestly!

 

A good friend of mine tagged me on a Facebook post for a photo-a-day challenge, with a different theme or concept to capture and share each day. The post was by Operation TheraPic, an organization that promotes photography as therapy for veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other negative effects of their military service.

Photography is certainly therapeutic for me, and I’m all for supporting our armed forces, so enthusiastically I accepted the challenge. After all, I already notice things that most other folks walk right past, naturally living life every moment as a scavenger hunt for blessings of all kinds, in both abstract and visual realms. The beauty of God’s creation especially draws my attention, but I also enjoy contrasting the natural with man-made structures and items. Overall, to me the world is a wonderland of colors, shapes and patterns, every perfectly or uniquely placed bug, flower, leaf, shadow or reflection is like a little love note from the Lord.

Here is a poem I wrote while reveling in nature, and how it points to heaven, our true home:

“Pause”

All manner of shapes
combine in harmony
Heralding with flicker of leaves
and sun-dappled symphony
The splendor of what’s to come
once our souls dispense of earth,
Holy communion with the Creator
and consummation of our rebirth.

All manner of sounds
– Nature whispers God’s love
Rustling leaves like ocean waves
point to the Father above.

Gentle avian choruses
bursting into exuberant throngs
foreshadow the glorious melodies
of worshipful heavenly songs.

All manner of evidence
of God’s providence and grace,
given freely, with ample to share
when we pause and seek His face.

7-1-07
©Ladeena Ashley

It feels good to discover and document life’s beautiful details in pictures, but lately I’ve collected more images than I have composed my thoughts in words. As often happens when out shopping, while looking for one thing to grab, there are dozens of other things that catch my attention. I’ve already taken more pictures than usual this month!

Details are a blessing, but I also can get caught up in amazement while totally missing the bigger scene. It’s like a colorful connect-the-dots but I don’t see the whole page. Instead I notice a few tiny circles in groups like polka dots, while others are tie-dyed or form interesting patterns. I get lost in child-like wonder. On the flip side, when I am anxious, I often miss what is most important while fretting over the minutia of life. In either case I must step back, review the situation from the beginning and connect those dots in order to see the bigger picture. I’m getting better at being objective.

Dogged by details?
They say the devil’s in the details – life is definitely more challenging than we all thought it’d be when we were kids – but we can navigate them with God’s help! He created every last molecule of existence, His handiwork shows His love, He delights in sharing it with us (Psalm 19), plus He sees the beginning and the end of it all (Revelation 22:16). None of our problems are too small that God is not concerned, nor too big for Him to handle.

When we’re overwhelmed and dragged down by worries, we must stop and pray, casting those cares on the Lord (Psalm 55:22). At times we simply need to step back and and take a deep breath every once in a while to notice the blessings around us, so we can once again regain that sense of wonder, purpose and joy. When we connect the dots and see the big picture of grace, then we can more joyfully move ahead into whatever adventure the Lord has for us next!

For me, the best kind of details are in God’s Word, worship, fellowship with other believers, and enjoying His creation. As I delight myself in the Lord and look to Him, He gives countless blessings along the way that keep me smiling (Psalm 37:4)!

Hopefully the photos I share for the challenge are a blessing for others. I always look for life’s little blessings and then look for ways to share that encouragement and hope with others! I hope and pray the same for you.

Blessings to you, this day and always!

©Ladeena Ashley
2018 All Rights Reserved (Blog content and photos)

Blessed To Be A Blessing

 

Thank you, friends, for reading my humble blog! It is such a blessing to bless others, especially when I hear that a post encouraged someone. It’s why I keep writing.

In preparing this post, a simple thought came to me:

Thanksgiving and Christmas are closely linked – not just because of Black Friday, marking the beginning of the Christmas season – but they are also in the perfect order. One holiday is set aside to give thanks to God for how much we have, and the next is focused on sharing with others from that abundance, because God the Father gave His Son out of His abundance. For those who have gratefully accepted that free gift (Ephesians 2:8), the natural response is to give back to God by paying His grace and love forward to others. At Christmas, and all year long.

Here’s a poem I wrote last year about paying it forward:

“Blessed To Be A Blessing”

Counting blessings is just the start;
our grateful joy should be shared
freely with others, from the heart,
because for us no expense was spared.
God gave Himself through the Son
with a thousand good gifts beside.
Who are we to hoard what’s been done
or to embrace such foolish pride?
All we have, do, or will obtain
is from His endless supply of grace.
Faith in Jesus compels, even through pain
to give with a smile on our face.
For through every trial, His light will glow;
the Hope of our life expressing
His love, so that all may know
that we’re blessed to be a blessing!

5-6-16
©Ladeena Ashley

Although the two holidays seem to get lumped together through countless store sales and online Cyber Monday deals, let’s give Thanksgiving – and the Lord – the time they deserve. If you skip ahead, you may not fully appreciate and remember all you’ve been given. The more thankful our hearts, the deeper the joy in giving! That same cyclical “give and take, and give again” spirit can only grow stronger by maintaining an attitude of gratitude throughout the year; and no matter how hard you try, you can’t out-give God!

As I’ve mentioned before, there are many moments when it’s hard to be thankful. Life in this world seems to get crazier and more polarized by the minute. So instead of focusing on the problems, and what is lacking, I focus on the blessings I do have. Like the rose in my photo above, I find the beauty and blessings in (or after) the rain.

When counting my blessings in prayer each day, I always end up first listing them all out, naturally flowing into praying, “You are so good to me”, which then quickly turns to simply, “You are good”. Every second spent just reveling in God’s goodness uplifts my soul, propelling me to share my blessings with others (2 Corinthians 9:8). May it be the same for you!

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Psalm 106:1

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Blessings to you, this day and always!

©Ladeena Ashley
2017 All Rights Reserved (blog content and photos)

Positively Thankful!

 

Today is a milestone: a year ago I followed God’s lead and created this blog. I set out on this electronic journey not knowing exactly what I would write, how many photos I’d take (hint: a LOT), or how long this trail would go. This endeavor has been both a challenge and a joy so far, writing and sharing what God’s been up to in my life.

This day I’m pausing to give special thanks to God for who He is and all He has done. I thank Him for my incredibly supportive friends and family, and I thank Him for all the blessings great and small that He has seen fit to grant me each and every day.

To those of you who follow my humble little blog, whether you’ve recently begun following, or you’ve been reading from the beginning, thank you so much. I have appreciated every “like”, comment and share, and look forward to hearing more.

I don’t know what the next year has in store, but I’m sure it will be good! It makes me smile to think that God is using me to inspire and uplift so many. Unlike some other websites, I’m not selling anything, but I am sold out for Christ! Liberally promoting positivity and kindness with every post, my hope is that my readers will pay it forward!

Looking through my poems, this one seemed to fit my thankful and reflective mood:

“Winding Trail”

Giddy expectation of heavenly reward.
Love follows love – and all from the Lord.
Grateful exultation of Christ my King,
Who alone understands me and gives me everything.
So very thankful, beyond what words express.
I’m loving more deeply, and happier with less.
Trusting God completely – no cause for doubt or fear.
For His promises are true; His mercy draws me near.
Grace propels me onward, great joy lights up my way.
Ever glowing in this valley, with faith as bright as day.
From blessing to blessing, each hour, wisdom grows.
As I walk in hope and peace, I conquer all my foes!
No matter what others say, my strength comes from inside:
For by His Spirit, I am free! Set apart, sanctified!
Traveling with Jesus along this winding trail,
I smile and sing His praises, knowing His love will prevail!

8-11-2015
©Ladeena Ashley

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

Extra Credit
Colossians 3:12-17

Blessings to you, this day and always!

©Ladeena Ashley
2017 All Rights Reserved (blog content and photos)

Grace and Transforming Power

 

I had the distinct pleasure of helping minister to the ladies at Simonka Place last night. Once again, God showed up in a mighty way. I’d like to share some of my experiences with you.

Prep and Prayer
In preparation for my portion of the service, I needed to chose a song and a poem that would fit with the planned message. With so many choices, this is not easy. Even after praying for guidance it still stressed me out because I wanted so badly to be a good witness, and for everything to fit together perfectly. I caught myself acting as if it was up to me to encourage these women! Ultimately, however, I was reminded again that God is working and in control, and my service will accomplish whatever it’s supposed to. I’m simply along for the ride! Eventually I placed a handful of poems in a folder, and settled on one song.

At Simonka
Once at the shelter, we made conversation and I began to get ready. Pulling up the song I’d already chosen, another song kept playing in my head, so I cued up that one on my phone instead. Glancing through the poems in my folder, the first one seemed “right”.

After the opening prayer and an informal introduction, I shared how circumstances and bad choices can lead us away from God, but if we’re honest with ourselves and trust Him with the mess of our lives, He will turn it into something beautiful.

Here is the poem I read:

“Return to the Garden”

I met Jesus in the garden, hope blossoming free.
Lingering near the roses, He walked along with me.
Then I turned one moment – sweet nothings caught my eyes.
I was drawn away; the lion’s roar disguised.
Silently, my Savior reached out, but the wall was built.
Flower beds abandoned, the blooms began to wilt.
Years passed, I settled into a less than joyful haze
Until I realized I was out of His grace.
Through the darkness inside, I heard His quiet call.
Rising softly over the moss-draped wall.
Trusting in His mercy and forgiveness, I fought
Against the steely forces for the peace I sought.
By His Father’s power and love, down the wall came.
Vanquishing the enemy’s lies through Jesus’ name.
Once again among the roses, my heart set free
His gaze and warm embrace are love and life to me.
The fragrance of His holy love fills my weary soul.
As I live for the One who has made me whole.

3-13-02
©Ladeena Ashley

Faith Notes
The song I played for the group was “If We’re Honest” by Francesca Battistelli.
(Note: Link to opens in a new window.)

Though meant as a meditative time to simply listen, many of us sang along. It was so beautiful, softly singing with the music, listening to these souls so battered by life also lifting their voices to sing about the forgiveness and love of Christ! My hope and prayer for everyone I meet is that they each experience it for themselves.

Transformation
My friend’s message theme was: “There is nothing about our yesterday that will wipe out your tomorrow.” Unlike the world’s view that says our past performance is a good indicator of future success or failure, we can change through the transforming power of Jesus. The catch is, we have to let Him change us, because if we keep doing things the same way, we’re going to keep getting the same results.

God Sighting
I love connecting with people through song and word, but this time especially! Not long after the service concluded, one of the ladies came up to say that the song [chosen last-minute] gave her a special confirmation of something earlier that day.

Time and time again, God shows up when I step out in faith and courage, following His will the best I can. His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in my weakness! (2 Corinthians 12:9) In a world so filled with hate and confusion, I pray that you too share with others the hope, love and deep peace that can only be found in Christ!

Blessings to you, this day and always!

©Ladeena Ashley
2017 All Rights Reserved (blog content and photos)

The Greatest Gift

 

Thanksgiving is over, and we’ve survived “Black Friday”, “Buy Local Saturday” and “Cyber Monday”. As the Christmas season goes into full swing, everyone continues to shop for those “perfect gifts” for loved ones. I don’t know about you, but the pressure society places on buying and giving Christmas gifts – items that others may or may not even use or want – somewhat diminishes the holiday fun for me.

Those who know me know that I’m no Scrooge or Grinch. I do give gifts (sometimes I even make them), but just not always at Christmastime. My gift radar is active year-round. If I had to find gifts for all of my loved ones within a month, they would not only get less-than-inspiring presents, but I’d go broke in the process. Instead, items come home with me as I happen upon them throughout the year. Occasionally I don’t even wait until Christmas, birthday or some other special occasion. It’s partly out of excitement, but also because tomorrow is not promised, let alone Christmas. (Disheartening thought for a Christmas post, I realize, but there it is.) One of my favorite quotes is: “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Though it may not work for everyone, giving as I feel led is a true blessing!

Gift Options
What we give is just as important as when we give. Honestly, however, do we all really need more stuff? (I’m asking myself also.) Friends and family could likely live without some of what is given, thoughtful and useful as it may be. We are all so blessed; our “first world” holiday problems consist of scheduling conflicts, fighting traffic and discovering that “must-have item” has sold out. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to help the growing homeless population, the “working poor” in our communities and the needy abroad. Instead of that game console or gadget, for instance, a more meaningful, inspiring, life-giving gift could be purchased in a loved one’s name. Some ideas: buy a cow or sheep through Heifer International, help sponsor drilling a well in a remote African village, donate to the American Red Cross, or provide meals or socks to the Union Gospel Mission or another organization. Less clutter, no lines, and knowing you’ve helped someone in need…that feeling is priceless!

The Greatest Gift
The greatest gift of all, the One we celebrate this season, is Jesus Christ. He came down from Heaven and wrapped Himself in flesh to live with us – Emmanuel “God with us” – showing us how to love one another. It truly is “more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), but His example goes beyond gift-giving: He gave His ALL for us. We should pass along this gift by giving sacrificially of ourselves: being “present” for others, caring and sharing our time and talents. While opening our pocketbooks is great, opening our hearts is equally or even more important: showing our love for Him by shining His light and hope into the world (Matthew 5:14-16). One should never underestimate the power of a hot meal, a hug or even a smile.

Here’s a simple poem I wrote about the greatest gift of all, Jesus:

“A Gift to Remember”

The greatest gift ever
was sent from above
Jesus our Savior,
the sacrifice of love.
Power for living
because of the cross.
Reminds the enemy
just Who is boss.
Eternal gift, Jesus
God’s only Son:
Victory is assured
– the battle has been won.
Death is conquered forever,
Hallelujah! Christ is King!
What a gift to remember,
for He gave His everything!

7-17-96
©Ladeena Ashley

Reason for the Season
Without Christ in the center, Christmas can easily become just another few days off from work, and a reason to shop, party and watch cheesy Christmas movies (guilty). I challenge you, even as I challenge myself: step away a bit from the commercialism of the holiday and pray for opportunities to share the true meaning of Christmas with everyone you care about. Let’s keep Christ in Christmas, and may His love shine through us all year!

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV).

Bah Humbug!
Just for fun, here is a brand new song by one of my favorite artists: Owl City
Humbug  (Note: Link will open in new window.)
The singer, Adam Young, has the same struggles with holiday shopping as I do! He has a fun way of expressing it, too.

©Ladeena Ashley
2016 All Rights Reserved (content & blog photos)

A Thanksgiving Poem

 

It’s an earlier, shorter post this week. I’m giving myself a small break, and also wanted to leave more time open for you to spend with loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sitting here typing this, I’m basking in the glow of my laptop screen, of course, but I’m also enjoying the fruits of my labor on Saturday: I put up Christmas lights in the living room. Perhaps it was hasty of me, but it’s been increasingly gloomy outside and darker earlier. I needed a bit of cheer.

Giving God thanks for all He’s given to me also cheers me up. We’ve all been blessed with so much, but it can get overshadowed at times by the stresses and troubles of every day life. Struggles try to pull our attention away from the good – away from His goodness – and steal our joy. Don’t let it! (Psalm 42:11) Instead of counting yourself out, count on His strength and count your blessings! Trials are just blessings that you have to work a little harder for! (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

So, without further ado, here is a poem with a theme of thankfulness. Many of my poems speak of being thankful for this or that, but I actually wrote this one around Thanksgiving, several years ago.

“Thanks Be to God!”

With so many problems in our world,
our fears and worries mount;
It’s often difficult to pause –
our many blessings to count.
Thankfulness sows the seeds of joy,
so be grateful for all things;
Cheerful or blue, God loves you –
only the best for you He brings.
Give thanks for life, for guidance
through all that comes your way;
Good or bad, we can be glad
–praising God for every day.
Thank the Lord for family,
Praise the Lord for friends,
Give thanks for His enduring love
– a perfect love that never ends.

11-27-92
©Ladeena Ashley

Faith Notes
Here’s one of my all-time favorite songs: Every Good Thing – by The Afters
It is a joyful song of praise that always lifts my spirits, thinking of how good God is, and all He’s done in my life!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

“Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise You! I will praise You as long as I live, lifting up my hands to You in prayer.” Psalm 63:3-4 (NLT)

©Ladeena Ashley
2016 All Rights Reserved (content & blog photos)