Beautiful Blessings - 7/30/15

~ Figuring out where to put things at the transfer station! Took some time, but we figured it out! :~D

~ Breathtaking Blue!

~ Listening to the osprey cries!

~ Giggling over our gorgeous toes ;~)

~ Meeting T-bug's (fake) worms!

Beautiful Blessings - 7/14/15

~ Puddles after the rain.

~ Beautiful lacy spiderwebs delicately decorated with raindrops.

~ Sharing a yogurt with T-bug - she gets the lid, and I get the rest. ;~)

~ Splurging on ice cream to treat Mom...dont tell Dad! lol!

~ Giggling and having fun with T-bug as we chat with a friend.

Spring has sprung!

I ventured outside for a few minutes and was ecstatic to discover that spring has sprung!! I can't wait to see the rest of these beautiful flowers bloom!

Confession: I went barefoot without thinking. Heehee!! I missed the feeling of grass and dirt between my toes. ;~)

His Feet - A Poem

Today's guest post is from my lovely friend Natalie. She wrote this poem, and graciously let me share it with you all!

His Feet

By: Natalie Knodel :-D

I will only see his feet

Yes...that is all I'll see

I will not see His hands, His arms,

His eye's looking down at me

Not His scars, not His mouth

No...just His feet

I will not see his hands,

His strong yet gentle hands

The hands that touched the untouchable

That flipped the selling stands

The hands that gave sight, the wiped the leper's spots

That broke the holy bread

The ones that calmed the storm,

That blessed the children's heads

No...it's his feet that will be first seen

As my Lord and Savior stands before me

I will not see his arms

The one's that paid the price

The one's that were outstretched on the cross

That put up without a fight

I will not see His eyes, 

Whatever color they may be

The eyes that see all my faults

But still chooses to see me

I will not see his scars

From the nails on his wrists

Or the puncture in his side,

 or the scars from the whips

I will not see his mouth

His mouth that preached the word

The one that spoke of soon to come

Making sure that all had heard

The one that spoke, "Follow me"

Or, "Pick up your mat and walk"

The one that spoke in parables,

Or said, "Lazarus come out"

The one that casted out demons

Who set the captives free

The one who shouted... "IT IS FINISHED!"

...But this is not what I'll see

First and only, first only see Jesus' feet 

When I first see him

I won't be able to stand

I'll fall flat on my face

Trembling with head in hands

Then slowly I'll open my eyes

And that's when I'll understand

Exactly what his feet represent

And how they help unfold his plan

 I'll see the feet that walked the earth

To show how much he cared

The feet that walked on water

And were washed by Mary's hair.

Then slowly, very slowly

He'll bring me to my feet

Then and only then, I'll see his hands, his arms, his scars, his mouth

And obviously his feet.

I'll look into his eyes

And hear him softly

"Welcome home my child"

"You are home to stay"

What Dance Is: A Guest Post

 Today I have a guest post from the lovely Emma who blogs at thedancechronicles.blogspot.com

Dance is a tangible way to express intangible thoughts and feelings.  Every specified movement of the hand, every distinct turn of the head, is part of the character you’re playing. Dance is captivating for me because you can imprint emotions on an audience through movement.  It's presented to audiences as a pure art form composed of flawless steps and gravity-defying movements.  

But I've seen--and experienced--first-hand the struggles dancers go through every day.  I see the girls I dance with crying in class or in the hallways as we hug them.  I see them fall on their faces.  I see them fall apart as a muscle or tendon swells to three times it's size.  I see them cry for each other.  I see them dance until they can't breathe, work until they overheat.  I see them come in and many days say, "I don't want to do this," then give everything they have to their teacher.

But I also see them get back up.  Come back.  Go back to class still crying.  Dance through the pain.  Push their leg an inch higher than the highest leg in class, no matter how much it hurts.  Put pointe shoes on bleeding feet.  Pull it together.  Wince and push through it.  Rehearse for several hours.  Keep dancing.

Because a true dancer knows that they can never stop dancing.


Other posts related to dancing you might enjoy:

Beautiful Feet
Dance Shoes
What's in my dance bag?
The History of American Ballet Performances
Ballet Shoes
 

Beautiful Feet

Feet.

Those icky yucky things we often forget about.

To be honest.

My feet are hideous.

I always have some sort of blister, sore, toenails with issues or scars.

Honestly, I sometimes want to complain about them.

They just aren't cute.

A couple of my toes have a weird "bump".

Sometimes that's a hindrance.

But when ever I'm tempted to complain and feel sorry for myself, I remember this verse.

Romans 10:15
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

When I remember this, I remember that beauty is only skin deep.

My feet are beautiful.

Not on the outside, but on the inside.

I use my feet to serve others.

I use them to work with kids.

I use them to dance for others to cheer up their day.

I use them to help my great grandma.

I use them to run errands.

I use them for everything.

God gave me these feet to spread His love.

And when I remember this.......I don't feel so bad about them.

Thank you God for my beautiful feet!