Journey Into Unknown Territory

Anyone who has known me for any length of time -- in 'real life' or virtual life -- knows that when it comes to electronic devices/gadgets, as well as computer programs and software, I'm about as low tech as one can be. I love 'em, I enjoy 'em....but to be honest, I'm easily confused by the majority of 'em.

Case in point --just a little over two weeks ago, I was railroaded into buying made the decision to purchase my very own, very first FOR REAL smartphone. I remember staring at it after prying it out of the package, wondering what in the world I had gone and done.  Thankfully, I have a 20 year old and a 16 year old here at home who have been beyond helpful, showing me what to do, where to find certain apps, etc.  But I'm still trying to figure it all out, especially when they aren't around.  

So I knew I was in for a mega headache and a major nervous breakdown when I decided to create a slideshow of photos for a friend who had asked me if I would be kind enough to take pictures of his church's final Spanish mass (the church closed today due to financial difficulties) and the procession afterwards, bearing a huge portrait of their beloved Lady of Guadalupe, which would be housed in another neighboring church. 

Now, my friend didn't ask for the slideshow.  And I had fully intended to just burn them to a CD to give to him and to one of his church's secretaries, who was delighted to learn that someone was capturing this on film. 

But for some reason today -- perhaps it was my breathing in the fumes from the sausages I was cooking in beer on the stove nearby -- I got it into my little wooden head that it MIGHT just be pretty cool to make the 70 plus photos into a slideshow!!

Never having done anything like this, I was a bit confused about how and where to start. This was most definitely a journey into unknown territory. Then, I remembered another friend of mine who posts slideshows of her family from time to time, using something called Smilebox.  So I texted her (yes, folks, I have officially entered into the millenium and can actually TEXT now, just like all the cool kids!!) with some questions. She responded, telling me it was easy to learn and that she loved it. So I decided to download the program and give it a shot. 

Now, I'm a bottom line kind of a gal.  Meaning, I hate having to read through all kinds of instructions and guidelines and whatnot.  Mostly because, low tech geek girl that I am, I usually cannot comprehend all the techy language that goes along with all things electronic (hence my relying on my kids to show me how to use my new phone). But this program seemed fairly simple as my other friend had stated (and oh, joy of joys, it's FREE!).

So.....below is the result of my visit to the Land of Smilebox.  There are 75 photos (feel free to bail out at any time), set to music, beginning at Divine Mercy Parish's Saint Stanislaus' church and ending at Holy Cross Church, also a part of the Divine Mercy Parish.  They are old and beautiful local Catholic churches, rich in history, both established in the 1890's in the Trenton, NJ area.  

I hope you enjoy and are blessed by them!

Click here to view

Beauty All Around

Today on Facebook, the Mercy Ministries page issued this challenge: 

Look for beauty in today, take pictures of what you find.

So I did!  I do hope you enjoy them!

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:11

When There Are No Words

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork." ~Psalm 19:1

There are days when words just won’t come.

I don’t know what it is -- call it writer’s block or the less creative and much cruder term of a ‘brain fart.’

Or sometimes, there just aren’t the proper words to describe what I see, what I’m feeling and experiencing, what’s on my mind and heart.

It’s like that right now for me.  I currently have no humorous stories to share here.  No challenges to issue. No sage advice or wisdom-filled lessons to dispense here on my blog.  It feels a little odd to me, kind of weird.

So because I’m still ‘newly retired’ ( a mere 5 months), rather than trying to work through this dry spell by spending entire days attending to things like vacuuming, laundry, cleaning out the ‘fridge, purging and rearranging cabinets, closets, kitchen junk drawers and alphabetizing my book shelves, I’ve taken to going out driving and/or walking to places of beauty, quietness and serenity in my area (and with the cold, winter months looming on the horizon, soon I may not want or be able to go anywhere). 

But I can do it now.

I have the time and the availability; I have the good health and the ability.

And -- I’ve got a darn fine Canon PowerShot A590 camera to visually capture, the best that I can, the beauty and the loveliness of the Lord God’s creation in these places I often find on my drives and my walks.

Some of these spots are well known to me and to people from this area. Others are not. Some are places I’ve just ‘happened’ upon, places to which the Lord God has guided me. Places I had no idea even existed so close to me. They have become my 'hiding places', if you will.

I find comfort there
I find peace there
I find contentment there
I find joy there
I find the beauty and holiness and the nearness of my Lord God there

And so I’ve taken to carrying my little camera with me everywhere I go. Because I’ve found that, more often than not, when I’m not looking and I least expect it is when my Abba allows me to stumble upon some breathtaking, indescribably glorious or sweetly simplistic Kodak -- um, Canon -- moment in the sky or along the landscape:

A brilliant, Technicolor (almost double) rainbow

A show-stopping sunset or sunrise

Thick, swirling fog resting gently upon a lake or a pond in the early morning light

An astounding, eye-catching cloud formation

The surprise of colorful flowers in a drab spot

A sudden burst of autumnal brilliance in a grove of trees

Various winged, two and four-legged creatures and beings at work or at play or at rest

　
When I have no thoughts to share or I'm at a loss to verbally describe what I see--

There are pictures…..

Snapshots of life, visuals to share and to convey

The Awesomeness

The Beauty

The Holiness

The Sacredness

The Love

And the Glory of our amazing Father and Creator God!

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God  ~ Indescribable, by Chris Tomlin (lyrics by Laura Story)