Sunday, August 26, 2007

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Holy Is His Name

There's a passage from the Bible that stops me in my tracks every time I see it. In fact, the first two words of it alone make me feel as though I'm hearing the resounding voice of God rolling through the heavens, raining down His mercy and grace and that peace that passeth all understanding just for me. Be STILL. Then there's that reassurance: and KNOW. Then His promise: that I AM GOD. So powerful. And that's not even all the verse in that very extraordinary passage. But today, I've prepared this reminder from the portion that speaks to me so dearly ... and that I need to hear so clearly every single day.


Along the same lines, I want to give the "With a Grateful Heart" tribute to Tracy. Tracy's blog has just exploded, along with her talent, since I first took notice of digital scrapping blogs. Tracy does what many in this community do. She promotes the work of others, makes note of happenings in the digital community, encourages many, and takes the reins of leadership when necessary. What made me take notice of Tracy is that she was the very first digi-scrap blogger whom I discovered shared her faith so freely. There are many out there who do, to whom I say a loud "hallelujah," but Tracy was the first I saw to do so. And she continues her hard work in sharing her talent and her faith. Thank you, Tracy, with a grateful heart.

Blessings to you all,


Melanie

Friday, August 24, 2007

Another reason to smile ...

... even if you don't feel like it.
Blessings,
Melanie

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

From just around the corner, Joy saves the day...

There you are, just plodding along in life ... in your day ... or, in my case, still fighting with some weird, painful headaches -- when someone comes along and brightens your day by telling you that you did something "awesome." It was definitely a WOW moment for me to hear from Joy in that very way. She's one of the faithful ones who takes the time to send me messages from time to time, and I always appreciate them. This time, she did it expecting nothing in return, and I had to tell her right away that she made my day.

And then -- surely, no coincidence -- I later came across this quotation that instantly reminded me of Joy. DOWNLOAD

So, Joy, I hope this small token of appreciation brings at least a glimmer of a smile to you for the pleasure you bring to others. And speaking of those delightful moments, the rest of you REALLY should take the time to check out her blog and see the captivating photos of her recent trip to Alaska. Fantastic!

Blessings to you all,
Melanie

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

New Tribute


I've been thinking about this for some time, so today, finally decided to launch a new tribute. While the "tagging" is a great learning tool to discover more about fellow scrap-bloggers, and the "Rockin' Girl Blogger Award" is a real hoot (and I've noticed there are other awards, like "Thinking Blogger Awards," etc.), I wanted a way to say a special thank-you to those "angels unaware" among us. So, I started this. It's like a Random Act of Gratitude sort of thing, if that makes sense.

This inaugural tribute I am sending to Kirsty Wiseman. Kirsty would only know me through the comments I leave on her blog. Kirsty not only gives me a daily fix of life in the UK (in addition to my English husband's perspective, of course), but she has a humorous, loving, irreverent, tender, and irresistible take on life and its challenges. Her photography is stunning -- exactly the type of candid portraits that I enjoy the most in my own photography. They inspire me endlessly and I appreciate very much the heart and soul behind such a gift.

Kirsty appears to be a generous, giving soul among her family and friends, and certainly is gifted in her artistry that she shares with us all -- both in photography and those fabulous overlays she allows us to have.

Personally, I have to say that I am most grateful for the unabashed devotion to her husband, and her bursting-at-the-seams pride in her glorious daughter, Ellie. God gives extraordinary children like Ellie to the mothers and fathers who will most understand and treasure these special cherished ones, who light up the world in amazing ways. Clearly, Ellie is wise, well-loved and I am fascinated every day to read about the many facets of this lovely little girl.

You inspire me, Kirsty, in more ways than you can know. For this, I humbly send you the first "With a Grateful Heart" tribute.

If any of you would like to pass this on to someone else, please feel free to do so.

With special thanks, Kirsty,

Melanie

Monday, August 20, 2007

Learning


Saturday, August 18, 2007

Serenity