I love your first “Picture of the Day” Jeannie. Great job!! Now everyone will know that you are not just a talented artist, but a skilled photographer as well!!

You can view Jeannie’s picture Water, Stones, and Light at www.todaysphoto.org .

Thanks again for taking the photo for the back of my book Lemon Days and Strawberry Nights.

We will be looking for more pictures from you in the future. Congratulations on a job well done!!!

We are told we should always be thankful for the things we have; and this is certainly true. We have so much to be thankful for we would sure appear to be ingrates if we took for granted all that we do have. But as humans, we get tired, bored, and cranky some times. And it is hard to see the big picture of things when our selfish selves think of only what we want.

When times like this come, we should just be thankful anyway; because  we know that better days are coming. They are just behind the storm clouds on the other side. The sun is just waiting to burst through and bring sunny days again.

We all have times when we are not feeling our best, and at those times, we need a little  encouragement to help us keep perspective. So if you are feeling a little down, please let me encourage you to keep on the sunny side of life. The storm clouds will move and the sun will shine again, and all will be right with your world again.

Just be thankful anyway; even if you really don’t feel like it right now. Feelings are a lot like the weather; if you don’t like it-stick around and it will soon change; even if our feelings are not as they should be now, they are sure to change also.  Many sunny days to you!!!

Life is sometimes like that old saying, “April showers bring May flowers“; sometimes the weeds of life make it hard to see the big picture of things. When you are dealing with the frustrations of life; the daily struggles, the patience waiting, the hard work, it is hard to remember that your labor will bring forth the most beautiful of flowers, with the sweetest of  aromas, that will have made all of the hard work worth it. The end result will have been worth it, and when you are enjoying your flowers, it will have seemed like a labor of love. The investment of your time and patience will have been well worth it.

I hope all of your April showers bring forth May flowers!!!

Spring has finally arrived, and with it lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. The kind of weather that makes you get a bad case of spring fever. It just makes you want to call in sick (if you are still fortunate enough to have a job) and go outside and play a while. Given our tendencies to fore-go the simple pleasures of life to be  a responsible adult, we go on to work any way and sigh at what could have been. Seriously though, it really is wonderful to see the flowers and trees blooming once again, and life renewing itself once more. Enjoy!!

Here we are in April and I hope no one gets “April Fool” on you. I don’t usually go in for the big pranks, but I might try to pull a small silly one on you if given the chance.

Given all of the changes we have had lately in the last few years, wouldn’t it be nice if someone said, “April Fool” , and it would all be over ? Somehow I don’t think that will be the case, as in life, things usually take a little longer to work out. But I hope you have a good day and don’t let anyone fool you too badly.

Easter weekend is almost here, and I want to wish you the very best of Holidays. I hope everyone will enjoy the day and remember the reason for it. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Without Him, I wouldn’t even want to try. He doesn’t make  all of our problems go away, He just helps us to deal with them. And sometimes He amazes us with His goodness. Sometimes things happen that we know He made happen, because we never could have. And that is why vengeance has never been an issue for me. If you believe what Romans 12:19 says, then you can rest assured that you have an avenger that can take care of your enemies much better than you ever could. For those of you who don’t know, it reads in the King James Version of the Bible, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” saith the Lord. I try to live in peace, and when others feel they need to retaliate against me for things they may feel that I have done, I don’t need to try to come up with a plan to get even, because I know that I don’t need to. I have a Heavenly Father that will take care of the situation much better than I ever could. Hate is a terrible place to live, and sometimes it intrudes on our lives, but we don’t have to stay there. We have to let go of it, and allow the joy to come back into our lives. He paid the price, so we don’t have to. His peace allows us to lead our lives in a much more loving, forgiving, manner. If  you don’t know this peace, then please ask the one who can give it to you to come into your life and change your heart.

Happy Easter dear friends!!