June Caedmon's Blog, page 80
September 17, 2013
Inspired by. . . those eyes
Inspired by . . . those eyes
Angels with whiskers? Maybe. Kitty, as she is affectionately called, is a gift from God. She is proof {one of many in my life} of His intimate care of me. His inexplicable attention to every detail of my life.
Kitty is handicapped. The joints in her legs and hips don't work correctly. She sort of lurches her way around, often pulling her back legs up and over obstacles with the sheer strength of her front legs and claws. It's difficult to watch, even though I know she's not in any pain.
When we first found Kitty, we thought she had been hit by a car. She was dragging herself up an embankment near our home. Another victim of animal dumping in our rural area.
Except she's not a victim, she's a blessing.
Despite her affliction, she keeps herself well-groomed. Her coat is amazingly soft and clean. And she can be extremely fast when she needs to be. As you can imagine, she can't defend herself. Or fend for herself. She was very malnourished when we found her. Knowing she couldn't catch her own food, I began feeding her. And despite the fact that we did not want {or need} another life to care for, the alternatives just weren't an option.
Not when she looks at you with those eyes.
After hearing Kitty's story you might be wondering how she's proof of God's care for me. Well, I love cats, but I just can't abide their natural instinct to kill other animals. Such as birds and, well, baby rabbits. It broke my heart last year when I had to re-home my best buddy, Aslan, {Thankfully, a sweet friend of mine with four darling little girls took him in - further proof of God's care} after I found him "playing" with a baby rabbit one morning.
Kitty can't chase, jump, or sneak up on anyone or anything.
She's the perfect cat for me.
And God knew she would be.
Have a wonder-filled day,
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September 14, 2013
Inspired by. . . a safe harbor
Inspired by. . . a safe harbor
Do you hesitate to turn on the news, or open a newspaper? Do you think twice about going to the movies, or heavily attended events? Do you find yourself anxious about your financial security, healthcare reform, natural disasters? We live in a turbulent, quickly-changing world.
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God"
The fact is, this world is not our home. And this earth is not eternal. Neither our time here, nor the earth itself will last forever. It was never meant to.
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."
SOOC
But for now, this is our reality. This world is where we live, work, play.
Exist.
So how do we find peace when our world, either personally, nationally, or internationally {or all three} seems out of control?
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world."
Textured with RH West's clarity
We can only find true peace, a calm amidst the storm, a safe harbor, in the One who has the power to still the sea with only a word.
"And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea,
Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
His peace He gives freely.
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
As with any gift, we have to accept it, open it, and then use it to receive its benefit.
The gift of Jesus. A life lived in relationship with Him, where we seek to do His will.
"...make every effort to add integrity to your faith; and to integrity add knowledge;
to knowledge add self-control; to self-control add endurance; to endurance add godliness;
to godliness add Christian affection; and to
Christian affection add love.... for if you do these things, you shall never fall"
A relationship takes two. Although Jesus has done it all with respect to saving your soul, living a blessed, peaceful, joyous life is very much up to you.
Textured with Kim's chase
"Blessed are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek Him with the whole heart."
It is possible to have peace and joy
in all circumstances.
Try God according to His promises, and
see if He does not open the windows of heaven
for you and flood you with blessings.
Shalom שׁלום,
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September 7, 2013
Inspired by. . . a giveaway
Inspired by. . . a giveaway
Special thanks to Brit and Madi for their recent reviews on Gladness for Mourning!
Madi said:
"This is the second book that I have read by June Caedmon (the first one being "Heart's Desire"), and I loved them both. Her stories are interesting, and her characters are just perfect."
"Gladness For Mourning" is such a wonderful sequel to "Heart's Desire"! I was so excited for the opportunity to read it. And the cover is just precious! It represents the story so well!"
Brittany said:
"Having read Heart’s Desire, the first book in the series, I was really looking forward to reading this book. I have to say that I really enjoyed the first book. It was very good and the characters were so interesting."
"Overall, the theme of God’s forgiveness through Christ stands as an example throughout this story. Will the characters submit their lives to Him and, in turn, forgive? What a wonderful book! (5 stars)"
Thanks again, Madi and Brit!
And here's your link to the giveaway!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Gladness for Mourning by June Caedmon Giveaway ends October 07, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Good luck!
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
September 5, 2013
Inspired by. . . water
Inspired by. . . water
I always enjoy participating in Bonnie's Photo Art Friday.
It gives me the excuse to. . .
PLAY!
Bonnie's {optional} theme this month is, you guessed it, water!
I admit I'm stretching it a bit - - but the ladybug IS on a watering can {smile}.
And I used Bonnie's fabulous Drips of Rainbow, texture. So maybe these will qualify.
Which one is your favorite?
Little red bug, oh so cute,
Here's a black spot for your suit...
~Susan M. Paprocki
How brave a ladybug must be!
Each drop of rain is big as she.
Can you imagine what you'd do,
If raindrops fell as big as you?
~Aileen Fisher
Lovely little ladybug
sent from heaven above
please watch over my garden
and fill it up with love.
~Author Unknown
Little ladybug on my arm
you wear a heart as part of your charm
You joined me on this sunny day
just for a moment then you flew away.
~Author Unknown
Have a wonder-filled day,
Sharing inspiration here:
September 4, 2013
Inspired by. . . quiet
Inspired by. . . quiet
"Be still, my daughter." Ruth 3:18
Textured with Kim's savor
"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
"Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still." Psalm 4:4
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:7
This is God's word to me today.
It couldn't get much clearer than that!
What is God speaking to your heart today?
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
August 25, 2013
Inspired by. . . blue
Inspired by. . . blue
I haven't posted a recipe in a while.
My sweet mother brought over some blueberry buckle for dessert a couple of days ago.
I thought it would be nice to share some with you.
Mealy Sage – textured with Bonnie's soft light overlay and golden bokeh
And, since my mealy sage was showing so brilliantly blue this morning, I thought I would share it with you, too!
Textured with Klassen's water stained frame
Blueberry Buckle
Source: www.allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 8x8 inch pan. Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, shortening, and egg. In a separate bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan. To make topping: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over cake batter. Bake at 375 degree F (190 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes.
This recipe makes a nice dessert, or "coffee cake" breakfast pairing.
Bonnie's golden bokeh, difference blend
Have a wonder-filled day,
Sharing inspiration here:
August 20, 2013
Inspired by. . . sweet innocence
Inspired by. . . sweet innocence
Blessings,
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August 13, 2013
Inspired by. . . bees
Inspired by. . . bees
It's always fun when you captured something other than your intended subject. I saw the bee, of course, but it wasn't until I was editing the images for this post that I noticed my little black friend there, in the shadow of one of the petals.
SOOC
I enjoy photographing bees. They are less fickle than butterflies, who always seem to be flitting away looking for the next flower. And since I don't suffer from apiphobia, the fear of bees, there is no issue on my part.
My lack of fear is not because I've never been stung. I distinctly remember being stung on the stomach as a young girl. It hurt like the dickens! Definitely not an experience I would like to repeat. I think it's safe to say that most of the people I know are afraid of bees or, at the very least, dislike being around them.
Like many fears, I think false evidence has a lot to do with why people are afraid of bees.** Most bees are very docile. They won't sting unless provoked or threatened. It has been my experience that people who panic, flail their arms, and swat at bees are much more likely to get stung.
Klassen Texture
"No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear,
because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in
fear doesn't have perfect love." 1Jn 4:18
Having a healthy fear about some things in life is important. Fire, for instance. My {healthy} fear of fire causes me to be cautious in the kitchen, around an open flame, etc. This is a good thing.
But sometimes, I think, our fears can stop us from experiencing all that God has for us.
I think we are often afraid for two reasons (1) we fear things we don't understand, (2) we fear things based on false evidence (lies). The second reason often plays a role in the first.
Fear can be described as: False Evidence Appearing Real
Is there something in your life that you're struggling with? a fear that is holding you back?
Is it possible that your understanding about what you're facing could be false? misguided? or simply wrong?
Have you asked God for wisdom, discernment, and understanding? Have you applied the Truths of scripture to what you're facing?
Textured with Kim's shine
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God and it will be
given to you, for God is a generous Giver who neither
grudges nor reproaches anyone." James 1:5
Don't let fear stop you from doing something, or being the someone God wants you to be.
He doesn't ask or expect you to do it alone.
He promises to be right there with you. . . guiding and providing. . . all the way.
Blessings,
**Some people, for example those who are allergic to bee stings, have reasons to be concerned. This post is not intended to suggest otherwise.
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August 11, 2013
Inspired by. . . winners
Inspired by. . . winners
The giveaway at Goodreads is over – congratulations to Lisa, Rachel and Mary!
Your copies of Heart's Desire are on the way!
And congratulations to Haley, who won the giveaway from The Literary Maidens! I'll be shipping your autographed copy this week!
If you love reading, and you love free books, Goodreads has great giveaways going on all the time! Check it out!
I will be announcing a new giveaway later this month – check back for more details.
In case you missed it on my Facebook page, Starflower is now available on Amazon!
You can read the Legend of the Starflower HERE and an excerpt from the book HERE.
Have a wonder-filled day!
August 4, 2013
Inspired by . . . flying flowers
Inspired by. . . flying flowers
Flying flowers I've heard them called, and it's an apt description.
Gulf Fritillary – SOOC
I suppose someone once mistook a butterfly for a blossom, and so the phrase was born.
Textured with Kim's pourvous
They glide by on silent wings. Often darting to and fro. Calling to us with a sense of gaiety and freedom. Unencumbered by the cares of this world. Caring only for the next burst of color that may offer up a powdery sustenance.
Textured with Kim's simplicity
Just one of God's many creative ways to ensure that the cycle of life continues.
Textured with Kim's be still
Do you think they please Him with their beauty and grace?
Do they please you?
I think you may have your answer.
Have a wonder-filled day,
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