"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you"

- Frank Lloyd Wright

Nature - God's creation - is where I feel the most at peace. I love it so much. It's why I wanted to build our home in the woods. There's nothing like waking up each day with "nature" goin' on right outside your window. We have lots of birds and wild animals around all the time. There's nothing so soothing as the call of the wood thrush in the evening or the sound of the wind finding its way through the pines. Nothing like standing on your front porch and smelling the fragrance of spring or the freshness of a summer rain. Nothing like the quiet after a newly fallen snow. Nothing like wiggling your toes in the cool grass or crunching through fallen leaves. And have I mentioned the ever-changing beauty of each season? I love it all. God's creation has never failed me.

“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.”

- Raymond Inmon

And that's why I like to walk alone - and in silence... :)

Find a quote that expresses how you feel after 119 days of taking self portraits!

"Take the time to come home to yourself every day." ~Robin Casarjean

This is the 365 (or shall we say 366) Challenge and I have to say it has been challenging so far.

I don't always have time to take a photo - of me or of anything. And I do try to usually take them of myself, but sometimes something else just works better for me. (And, after all, this is MY blog, if not my challenge...) And, I certainly don't always feel like taking a photo of myself - especially my "raw" self - unmade-up and all. And when I DO take photos of myself, I've been challenged to be more creative with the taking of said photo. Lately, I've tried doing my own challenge within the challenge. For instance, during the week of the 7 virtures, I tried to focus on the eyes. I know - I pretty much got a lot of the same photo, even though they were all taken on a different day... And this week, I've tried to take more far away photos. (And it's not that I love my face so much, I just love my body even less... or photos OF my body, anyway!)

But, it's been fun. And I picked the quote that I did because, in the end, this challenge gives me a chance to think about my own self a little each day. A chance to think about what I'm doing, what I'm thinking and what I think about what I'm doing. So, I'm still in it - and ready for another 119 days...

“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily. ”

Sally Koch - author

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”

Mary Anne Radmacher - author

Living with intention. It's kind of like being able to live your life about a step or two in front of yourself. Not so you're missing the moment. But so that you can actually think about your next step instead of just taking it with either little thought or just out of habit or routine. Then, when you get to the actual moment, you're ready to fully live it.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt - First lady

Follow your dreams! What are your dreams?

I am SO following my dreams and it's wonderful! It was my dream to be home full time. It was my dream to be the boss of my own time. It was my dream to be able to scrap to my heart's content. It was my dream to apply my scrapbooking in some sort of professional way. If you call being on a design team professional (and I do!) then I am living my dream! I have scrapbooking projects and tutorials and more up to my ears - but I am LOVING it. I'm not dreading, not tired of it, not burned out. I feel phsyched and just want to be scrapping all the time. After being home (in retirement) for about 6 months and still not being tired of scrapping, still craving MORE time in my scrap room, I knew that THIS was my dream. It's beautiful!

“Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there's love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong"

-Ella Jane Fitzgerald - Jazz vocalist

This quote is at the top of my list this week for many reasons, what does this quote say to you?

Because then, you'll be doing what makes your heart sing and when you do what makes your heart sing, not only do you yourself benefit, but everyone around you benefits either directly or indirectly.

"Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.”

- JRR Tolkein, author

"The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

- Thomas Paine

I love this quote. I do like to smile a lot; I'm an optimistic person. But I love the rest of the quote, too. Because you can't smile all the time. Not every situation is smile-worthy. But every situation can be an opportunity for growth, a lesson learned, an experience from which you can gain the ability to empathize with others who will go through the same thing. Everything tests and hones our character.

PRUDENCE - 1 : the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason 2 : sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs 3 : skill and good judgment in the use of resources 4 : caution or circumspection as to danger or risk

Now there's another word we don't really use too often - prudence. It reminds me of former Pres. George Bush. And the Beatles.

I'd say I practice prudence pretty regularly. I'm not a big risk taker or trouble maker. I like to avoid danger, pain, discomfort, making mistakes and risking my reputation. I believe that since I have put myself "out there" as a Christian and since I do serve in a few leadership positions, that I have a responsibility to God, to my church to my family and to myself to be discerning about the impression that I leave. I don't feel that I have to sacrifice "who I am" to do so either - because that IS who I am...

TEMPERENCE

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Temperance is the practice of moderation.

Classically, temperance was defined as governing natural appetites for the pleasure of senses according to the bounds of reason. No virtue could be sustained in the face of inability to control oneself, if the virtue was opposed to some desire; this is why it is classified as a cardinal virtue, where "cardinal" signifies "pivotal."

The virtues of abstinence, chastity, and modesty are considered sub-classes of the virtue of temperance, as it governs the practice of eating and drinking, practice of sexual intercourse, and the restraint of vanity.

There's a word you don't hear much anymore - temperance. Yet, the idea has stood the test of time. Today, we throw around the phrase "everything in moderation" and moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes (again, from Wikipedia). While, certainly, there are some things that I don't even want to do a "little", for the most part, I agree that moderation is a pretty good standard to go by.

JUSTICE

Justice is a collective term that can be divided into two broad categories: just behavior, the treatment of others with genuine respect and in an equitable manner, and the administration of law, in which a judge or panel of judges, a magistrate, or a jury enforce legislation, with the objectives of protecting victims and lawfully punishing perpetrators.

Since I'm not a judge or anything like a judge, I'm going with the first category of definition. I think that in the world I live in, the times I live in, justice is a diminishing trait. I think we are self-absorbed, busy in our own little worlds, always in a hurry. I think we depend too much on ourselves. I think we often think the world pretty much revolves around us. (In this commentary, I admit that the words we and us pretty much means me and me.) It's hard to respect others when you're all caught up in yourself, huh? I mean, really, how often do we (okay - I!) treat others "just" as I would want to be treated? Friends, people I love, yeah, sure. But how about casual acquaintances. Or strangers. How about people I (there I said it) don't like?

Tough thoughts.

FORTITUDE

The virtue of fortitude, or courage, is firmness of spirit, steadiness of will in doing good despite obstacles in the performance of our daily duty. It suppresses inordinate fear and curbs recklessness.

Just thought it would be interesting to take a look at the definition of fortitude. I'm afraid if I say I have it in most circumstances, then I will be tested! ;)

CHARITY

The word charity is used in the Bible to mean love. I think most people just associate the word with giving to others. Certainly, giving to others in need is important, but there's so much more. It's all about the love. Look at these wonderful verses - in the King James Version, which uses the word charity for love:

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth:

I highlighted verse 3 because there you can see that giving to others is not enough. Not in God's eyes, anyway. It must be accompanied by love. Those are really challenging verses there. It's all about love. Love matters.

HOPE

There's two kinds of hope. The "i wish" kind and the kind we're talking about here. This hope is the looking forward to what has been promised. As in eternal life. As in forgiveness. As in Christ coming back some day. This is my hope. Without this hope, life would be so - finite. Death would be feared. I would question my sense of purpose and worth in this world. But I don't have to. Because I do have a hope. Thank God.

The Seven Heavenly Virtues

FAITH -

Okay, I think I'm going to like this week better than last week! ;)

Faith. My faith is my response to God's love, grace, mercy and forgiveness towards me. It's central to my life, my purpose, what I do and who I am. I feel that I have an unshakeable faith because I have an inkling of Who God is and He is utterly trust-worthy. I may fail, but He will not. I hope that when I die, if nothing else positive is said about me, it will be said that I was faith-full.

SLOTH - is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work

Do I keep saying that "this" is the one I really struggle with? Okay, so I guess I need to face the fact that I really struggle with this one, too. That makes 3, wait 4. No. Five. Five that are problems I need to work on more diligently... Thank goodness for God's grace and forgiveness!

GREED - is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.

ANGER - is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.

I definitely struggle with anger sometimes. Rarely outside of my own home, though. I think anger is just the flip side of hurt. But it's one of those things that, if not properly taken care of, can deteriorate into all sorts of bad emotions, such as bitterness and resentment. If I would react with the hurt (rather than supressing it because, well, it's PAINful) I think it might be easier for the target of my anger *coughcoughdhcoughcough* to receive. The anger always want to be first in line to rear it's ugly head...

LUST - is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body

I think menopause has pretty much put the ki-bash on that!

GLUTTONY - is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires

I made this photo as ugly as I could because gluttony is ugly. Yes. I ate the crackers.

ENVY - is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation

I don't think I'm an envious person. To not be envious insinuates that I am content with what I have, that I don't desire what I don't have. Well, when it comes to "stuff", I think I can pretty safely say that's true. But, sometimes, I am envious of relationships that people have. Or of people's shapes or sizes. (By the way, I couldn't care less if it's someone I don't know, but when it's someone I DO know - that's where I can sometimes stray.) I can be envious of attention someone else might be receiving that I'm not. Or if someone else accomplishes something I thought I held license to. Pft! How dare they? Stuff like that. I don't like it when I feel that way, but, there it is.

The Seven Deadly Sins

PRIDE - is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity

I dislike pride when I see it others. I hate it when I see it in myself.

“Habit is the 6th sense that overrules the other 5"

Arab Proverb

Do you have a habit, be it a good one or a bad one

I have many habits, mostly neither good nor bad - just habits. Such as always having 2 cups of coffee in the morning, checking email 1st thing on the computer, arranging the pillows just so when I get in bed, brushing my teeth just before putting on make-up and many many more. I have several bad habits - like staying up too late, putting off exercise, eating past full, not fully listening when people are talking because I'm thinking about what I'm going to say - to name a few. But, thankfully, I also have some good habits - I clean up after myself, I balance the checkbook weekly and pay bills on time, I DO r.s.v.p. when asked to, I show up on time for appointments, I organize my photos and digi elements right away instead of letting it pile up, I smile - a LOT.

13/52

Credits: Papers, journaling stamps, flowers - Tooti Frooti by Merideth Fenwick; Alphabet - Warmheart by Merideth Fenwick (Posh Collection); Fonts - Century Gothic (journaling); Impact (Quote)

“I would rather have eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; lips that cannot speak, than a heart that cannot love”

-Robert Tizon

Carrying on with our theme of the senses this week

I don't know - love really hurts sometimes...but when it works right, it's an immeasureable joy.

"Touch"

One of my favorite things to touch on a daily basis is my sweet little Rocky.

"Taste" - sweet, sour, salty, sharp

Mmmmm, sweet and creamy, I have yogurt for breakfast almost every morning.

"Smell"

Waking up and smelling the coffee is one of my favorite things to do!

"Hear, listen"

What do your ears hear today?

Today, I was actually still in Madison and one of the best things I heard all day was the waitress at Mariner's Inn ask for my order! But, when I'm home, my favorite sound is actually silence - well just the "natural" sound of the quiet that comes from living in the woods. When we can fling open the windows again, it will be gentle breezes, birds singing, spring rain. When I'm not indulging in silence, though, I love to listen to my favorite music - and that will be whatever I'm in the mood for on that particular day - from classical to traditional Irish, to Christian rock to folk ballads - whatever.

"Look, see, view"

What do you eye spy today?

Ha! "Eye spy" two bags filled with goodies from Archiver's and the Dress Barn - two stores that I don't have near where I live so when I'm in Madison I like to take advantage. Especially Archiver's which is scrapbook heaven to me!