Oh The Tangled Web We Weave

Over the past several months I've been taking pictures of things that I found interesting and beautiful.

My first specimen up for discussion is the lizard.  My brother had taught me how to catch them when I was younger. They were fast and we had to be faster to catch them.  I haven't caught one since then.  Maybe I need a refresher course in lizard catching 101.

I found this lizard hiding in between 2 pieces of wood.  It was dark and I found it difficult to get a good picture of it. I don't remember if it ever came out to play (probably because I was standing over it taking pictures)

I found this lizard sunbathing, enjoying itself in the sunlight.

When I was younger I remember seeing lizards with half of a tail or no tail at all.  This is because they are able to sever their tails when dealing with danger.  Regrowing a tail is a difficult process for the lizard.  I guess if it saves their life though  it's worth it.

When its night,

the spiders come out to play.  I am not afraid to say as interesting as they are, they scare me.

Their web is amazing and they seem to weave it so quickly.  You can't see the bugs that were caught in their web in the picture, but they were there and it was disgusting.

Shapes are interesting. Everything that you can see is in the form of a shape. For example, medicine and vitamin containers are round.  But when I put them all together I can make a bigger and different shape!

I enjoy watching sunrises and sunsets as I'm sure many people do.  This one was a favorite sunrise of mine.

I had randomly woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep.  I figured I would watch the sunrise. (paying bills or doing dishes didn't sound too appealing.)  It was awesome to watch the sky change colors and brightness.

A dove is a beautiful thing to me.  It's soft and sounds relaxing when listening to its cooing.I don't have a picture of one but you can go outside and look for one.

I may not be able to touch a sunrise (besides it being humanly impossible) or a lizard running fast or even a dove perched on a telephone wire. I don't really want to touch a spider. The very cool thing about these things though is that they create some sort of feeling inside of me.  I am one person but that feeling tells me  I can be a part of something bigger if I choose.    

Looking Back

This is one of my favorite quotes.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one, which has been opened for us.”
- Helen Keller -

I absolutely loved reading about Helen Keller when I was little.  What an inspiration she was. I have no doubt that she was being watched over by her Heavenly Father through all her struggles.  He gave her unique challenges and strength to handle them.  There is a scripture that describes this.  1 Cor. 10:13
There had to have been times when she wanted to give up but she kept going.  It reminds me of the donkey in a hole that kept getting dirt piled on him.  He would shake it off and take a step up till he was out of the hole and kept going.  

Unknown Flower

I finally researched the large purple flower that I had taken a picture of in Fridays post.  They were growing alongside the walkway where I live.  They needed to be trimmed back though because the bees were enjoying them too and I was worried about getting stung.   Here's a link I found that describes and sells them.

http://georgiavines.com/Seeds/passeeds.html

I really need to start putting ads on my blog...

Cutest Song Ever!

O.K. I just I heard this song on LDSmusicnow.com
Its called "Exercise Your Mind" by Melanie Hoffman.  Its short and sweet and seriously makes me laugh and smile every time I hear it. 

http://positivemusicanddownloads.com/store/397/397/melanie-hoffman/happy-happy-joy-joy-joy!/

Pretty Pics

Here is a picture of a flower I took.  Gorgeous!  Never seen anything like it in my life.  I floated it in some water and voila! Table centerpiece.

Picture of beautiful pink clouds I took.  When all is said and done for the day (which it never is) this is what I like to see.

Attack!

OK, there is this momma and dadda bird who has made a nest in the grape vined gazebo where I live.  I see the momma bird with food in her beek constantly.  A very sharp looking beek I might add.  For almost a month now I have been getting attacked by the momma bird every single time I walk in and out of my home.  It looks something like this...

Special thanks to dailypicksandflicks.com for the image.


She gets so close I can feel the wind from her wings.  It's a scream, duck and cover and then RUN situation!  I literally scream because I don't know where she's coming from at times and it startles me.  (My neighbors already think I'm nuts anyways so nothing I do should shock them.) The only time I can avoid the whole situation is at night because I think they sleep. Sheesh! 

Wading through reality to get to beauty

I have to admit its been really difficult to be creative with no charger for my dead camera battery .  Hmmmm...working on that one.

One creative thing I did was watch a dvd of a college dance performance that I was in years ago.  I really didn't want to watch it knowing that I would feel insecure about what I would see in my dancing.  I kept looking at the disc walking past it and pretending to ignore it.  Finally I gave in and watched it.   

OK so deep breath...I was starting to look for myself  as dancers entered onto the stage.  I didn't see myself for a while and thought maybe I wasn't in that piece.  Then lo and behold in came the flat arch less feet.  For a while that was all I noticed.  I inwardly groaned.  The reality.  But as I continued to watch a beautiful thing happened.  I forgot about my feet.  I focused instead on the colors of costumes, the music, all the people I was surrounded by, the movement, the strength and support we gave each other.  Most important I focused on the journey my Heavenly Father was taking me on in the present.  On stage I'm sure what was going on inside my head was counting and worrying about dropping someone or falling, and then messing up a whole section of movement.  That didn't happen thank goodness!  Phew!

What my Heavenly Father was trying to tell me and has been for a long time now is to stop comparing myself to others in a way that makes me feel inadequate and inferior.  To be my own kind of beautiful (I think that's a song) flat arch less feet and all.  Of course it doesn't stop there.  The comparison list includes so many other things as you can imagine.  I have been trying to find that "beautiful" through prayer and scripture study.  Through sharing the gospel with others.  Leaning on my Savior and allowing myself to give and receive love.  I'm good about being a cheerleader for others not so good about cheering myself on.  I have to do it with the help of my Heavenly Father and through the example of Jesus Christ.  It can be hard at times.  Very hard.  That's the reality and the beauty.

Joy!

For about a month now I knew that I needed to get back on here and do or say something positive.  But what that something was I had no clue.  I recently found it reading through scriptures in the Book of Mormon.  Alma 26 has seriously become my most favorite chapter in all the Book of Mormon.  Verses 8-12 caught my attention the most.  While I may not have something amazing to say, Ammon certainly did!  He was so excited about the missionary work that was happening with the Lamanites that Aaron was telling him to calm down.  He was worried that Ammons joy was turning into boasting.  Ammon said to him, "I do not boast in my own strenth, nor in my own wisdom; but behold my joy is full, yea my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God." 

I found it difficult to read that chapter and not get excited myself!  So that is my something positive!