Little Squirrel and Spring Blossoms

A little squirrel enjoying climbing in the Bradford Pear... and it was a treat to get a glimpse of him through the branches.

The colors were beautiful..... 

My intention was to photograph those beautiful blossoms against the rich blue sky... and seeing a little squirrel in there was an extra treat.  :)  

You can just barely see him hiding in there and eating something... he was shy and kept moving.

Our world is a strange place these days with the coronavirus, stay at home orders, social distancing, businesses closed, work on hold for many and so many things going on that we hadn't imagined could happen.

How nice to see that the beauty of spring goes on anyway... the blossoms flower, the animals and birds have new young and the weather changes.

Hide and Seek with a squirrel is a new thing, but he didn't seem to mind as I moved to see him better.

This photo shows the new blossoms and leaves and also the old dried fruit from last year that is still clinging to the tree. 

I love the colors... and the beauty of God's creation and it reminds me that He is the same yesterday and today and … FOREVER! 

I hope you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. So much going on in the world and many fearful things happening and out of our control.... but they are not out of His control. 

"In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence; and His children shall have a place of refuge." Proverbs 14:26

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you are also enjoying God's creation this spring and learning to lean on Him more and more. I know He keeps teaching me more of leaning on Him and trusting.... it is good to keep learning more and more and I am so very thankful to be one of His children. 

Do you have a verse that is comforting to you in this time? I would love for you to share it in the comments. May God bless each of you with safety, peace, trust and hope in God in these hard times.  

Other Gentle Joy Photography Posts you may enjoy.... just click on the link:

Those Funny and Frustrating Squirrels

Lessons From Squirrels?

Baby Squirrel Out of the Nest

Winter Wonderland Pictures....

Winter is cold and messy... and many like to complain about it ....
                        but winter is also so beautiful.....

 Freezing fog with snow on the ground... and a bench overlooking the shadowy river....

A common country scene... with a coating of snow and fog... 

Trees coated in freezing fog.... 

A heavy coating of freezing rain and ice... treacherous on roads, but beautiful on trees... 

The lake looks different with snow and a wonderful reflection... 

A mysterious look to a normal place.... 

An old tower that stood sentinel for many years.... gone now, but beautiful in snow... 

A quietly hushed scene of a place that can ring with laughter.... 

A normal country road... with a magical change. 

A bright spot in the winter.... 

How amazing that a coating of ice, fog or snow can so completely change a scene.

How wonderful that something people like to complain about... can also be beautiful.

I continue to be amazed by the creativity of God who made such beauty.

I hope you also enjoy the beauty in winter.... I like all of the seasons.

Winter can be fleeting or can also seem long... but what a beautiful season to enjoy. 

Do you enjoy winter... and winter scenes? Which pictures are your favorites?

I'd love to hear from you... thank you for visiting. 

Fall and Snow Pictures

 A collection of Fall and Snow Pictures

Duckie likes being up on things like this pile of dirt.

I love the detail of fall leaves... God is such a creative God. 

Duckie was our first duck and he belongs to my youngest daughter. He is certainly a pet.

It has been a different kind of year to have snow on top of fall leaves.

What a joy to see the beauty of the earth especially in times of difficulties.

A layer of snow added to the already colorful scene. 

We appreciated being there to hear this woman practicing bagpipes on a cold day.

Weeds, barbed wire fence and fall...

We have had several bonfires so far this year... nice to have the heat on cold evenings while enjoying chili and hot dogs by the outdoor fire while watching the stars. .

 Did you see a picture that interested you more than others? I'd love to hear about it. I love taking photos of the beauty God surrounds us with in our lives. Thank you for visiting.

Hard Times? We All Have Them ...

Are you walking in a hard time? Is life heavy, overwhelming and even scary? 
 

   

Sometimes, the dark path we are walking makes us feel so alone.....

A friend recently lost a loved one and has fears for another... 

  which is certainly a dark path to walk.....

Sometimes the path we walk is painful and frightening... and even more so....

because we feel alone..... 

Praising God isn't magic, but it is what God tells us to do... and it really

does help to change our focus.....  from our problems and pain

to Him and our blessings.... 

We know He hears us if we know Him.... and we know He will make a way for us

even through the pain....

We walk faithfully, even in the hard times, keeping our heart fixed on Him... 

and in His time, He can put a song in our hearts.... 

I hope you can feel and hear those songs of praise to God

even in the hard times.

Thank you for visiting.... and may God remind you of His love for you

as you read His Word and walk with Him... 

Renewed In the Early Morning

                                Renewed In the Early Morning

Early morning is a precious time of peace and quiet
The sun just rising to dispel the fog and chase the shadows
As the morning glories open their brilliance in the dawn
And the birds sing their songs to begin their day

The world is waking up at such a time, yet is quiet still
Like lingering in bed for just a few more minutes
Waking up but remaining hushed in the early morn
A perfect time for reflecting and for praising God

How I enjoy that brief time before the day’s busyness starts
A time to focus on the One who made me and all the earth
A time to thank Him and set my thoughts before the rush
Becomes a time for the peace of the morning to seep into my soul

As I stand on the deck and look at the garden and trees
The distant horizon in view through a bit of fog
And the sun beginning to stream through the trees
It’s rays dispersed in a magical way

The garden with drops of dew on the green plants
That will later feel the heat of the sun
Currently soaks up the moisture and continues to grow
In this time of early morning refreshment

I too feel renewed in those early morning minutes
Soon the sun will gain its full strength for the day
Those early moments of the morning only a fleeting memory
But a memory that will stay with me through the day

My time with God in that quiet place is precious and vital
Reflecting on His Word and praising Him
Fixing my heart on Him as I prepare to walk in the day
Glorifying Him in the day after my dose of early morning with Him

 I hope you have a place to meet with God in the morning or sometime in the day. I couldn't get through the days if I didn't spend time with Him often. I hope you also find strength in your time with Him.
   Thank you for visiting and I would love to hear from you.


          Cheryl, over at Homespun Devotions, recently had a good post that you may be interested in:
10 Ways to Have a More Successful, Effective Prayer Life

Scenes From the Garden...

The garden is a place of changing scenes...

A garden visitor who has just snacked in the garden and seemed to consider going back for more.

A place of quiet in the early morning stillness and light fog. 

The fog wraps around the fruit trees and highlights their beautiful shapes.

The view from a distance seems peaceful in the light of the rising sun.

                  Thank you for visiting today.  I would love to hear from you in the comments.