Spring in Mississippi

My weekend in Mississippi was filled with reminiscing and catching up with old friends. I had not been there since I moved to Florida three years ago. Over the years when I have gone back to Clinton, I have stayed with my college Sunday School teacher, mentor, and friend, Jackie. This time was no different. Since it had been three years, Jackie and I had a lot of catching up to do. On Saturday, my friend Jackie and I moved from one room of her house to another telling stories, talking about books, talking about what God has been teaching us, catching up on the mutual friends we have stayed in touch with over the years...and well, you get the picture.

Speaking of pictures, you would think I would have had one taken of the two of us, but like I often do I forgot. I did take a stroll through her backyard on Friday before Jackie came home from work and between torrential downpours. I forgot how beautiful Mississippi can be in the Spring.

I forgot how much I enjoy the Azaleas. Since it is only a seven hour drive, I have a feeling this will be the first of several visits back to my college stomping grounds.

Peaceful Night

Ramblings

Tonight after work I got a haircut.

Riveting, I know.

I also had some partial highlights put in. Then I came home and fixed some dinner. Have I ever mentioned how much I like guacamole? Of course dinner was followed by the dishes.

I then became very ambitious and went ahead and packed my lunch for work tomorrow. With this little task already done and the fact that I still have half a grapefruit in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow morning should be a breeze.

Other than these exciting events, I have a load of laundry going. I mean it's exciting around here tonight! Thursday and laundry just seem to go together...not really, but I want my new skirt and top clean so I can wear them tomorrow night. I have tickets to Lion King and I am very excited. Hopefully I'll have something more exciting to post after that!

Since this is such a boring post, I will leave you with the following picture, but only after an explanation. Over the last several months I have noticed this "tree" at my apartment complex. It is basically a trunk with a few branches, but not a leave in sight. Imagine my surprise when I passed it earlier this week and found the following.


These bright pink blossoms and large leaves have burst from the ends of all those branches. I guess it just goes to show me that I shouldn't underestimate God's creation.

Anatomy of a Sunset

Meet Mr. Sting Ray

I had two great posts taking shape in my head last night. I even took the time to take a few pictures to accompany these random posts. However, I got side tracked. I decided to take a walk and watch the sunset. It was a great one! By the time I got back to my apartment I need to finish up my niece's sonogram video so I can get it and the canvases in the mail. By the time I completed my tweaking (I have been known to be a wee bit of a perfectionist) and burned the four copies to put in the box it was late and there was no time for blogging. (It wasn't that late, but when you alarm goes off at 4:45 am, it was already going to be a short night.)

During my sunset gazing, I was surrounded by God's creation. Ducks and other birds that I will never be able to identify flew overhead. Fish were jumping out of the water...I can only assume that they were trying to get a quick glimpse of the colorful sky. Dragonflies skimmed the top of the water. Then this guy surfaced right under where my feet were dangling off the side.


I am not exactly sure how big he was, but let's just put it this way, I'm glad I wasn't in the water with him. Which ironically reminded me of when my friend Abbey came to visit and we went to the beach. She read the warning about the stingrays and how to do the "stingray shuffle". What was so funny was that she practiced it in the sand. Anyway, the barb on this guy was about 3 feet long!

As I walked back to my apartment four dolphins were swimming just a few feet away, but there were too fast for me and my little camera.

I'll try to post some of my sunset pictures later today.

Sweet Aroma

These tiny white flowers cascade over several fences and a couple of archways throughout the apartment complex where I live. I'll be honest, I haven't always noticed them, but there is one thing that I always notice...Sometimes before I even see these white flowers, I smell them. I can't even begin to describe the aroma that comes from these mini blossoms...sweet and intoxicating...and I somehow I am transported back to my childhood and a much simpler time.

(I am not a botanist, but I think this is confederate jasmine. At least it looks similar to a picture my friend posted on her blog, Hoe and Shovel.)

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 says, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing."

I've thought a lot about those two verses over the last couple of days. I've asked myself questions like, "What kind of fragrance do I give off?" "Do people really see Jesus in me?" "Does my life leave a 'fragrance of the knowledge of Him?" "Does my life give off a fragrance similar to that of the jasmine? One that causes people to stop and know that something is different about me?"

Evening Walk

I realized that it had been over a month since I ventured out with my camera so tonight after dinner I took a leisure walk around the complex. Here is a little of what I found before it was too dark to take any more pictures.

Go West Young Man

We all have decisions that we have to make each and every day. Pants or skirt? Black or brown? Right or left? North or south? East or west?

On Friday evening I choose to go west. Not that big of decision...I could run my errand either direction. For those of you who don't know, when I go west I cross the bridge and head into Pinellas County. There was a light mist coming down. Lightning could be seen in the distance. The sunset was beautiful.

I have noticed that the sunsets are prettier after a storm. There may be some scientific or meteorological explanation, but I don't know. Maybe it is the contrast between the darkness of an afternoon thunderstorms and the vibrant colors of the sunset. Maybe it the clouds that diffuse and disperse the light of the sun. Maybe it is the moisture that remains in the air that catches the rays of the sun causing the variety of colors- much like what causes a rainbow to appear. (Those last two are my dad's theories.)

In life we all go through storms and trials. Sometimes these are do to our own actions, mistakes, or consequences. Other times God uses these to bring about change in our lives. Either way, He can use them to refine, stretch, and mature us. It often is painful. It often is ugly. We can feel beat down and like the storm will never end. But when it is all said and done the work that has been done in our lives is like the sunset after a rainstorm. God's glory shines through and His handy work is evident for all to see.

After the Rain

It has been a long week and it is only Wednesday. Since I am lacking creativity and general brain power, I thought I would simply share a photo. I managed to catch this view last week after one of Florida's afternoon/evening rain showers. And to think I almost went back inside before snapping this picture!