Nonnie's Observations

Obeying the laws  of Nature, the tree opens  its arms willingly. linking to two favorites: Shadow Shot Sunday 2 hosted by Gemma and Straight-Out-of-the-Camera hosted by Magical Mystical Teacher and Gemma Wiseman note: my S-O-O-C shots are  from my Samsung phone camera

1. Our Bible Study celebrated Mardi Gras.   I blogged about our fete on Tuesday , but I had no photo of our group yet.   Thanks to one of the ladies who took our picture,  I now have one to post. Thanks, BJ. 2. Having missed a few Bible Study meetings  because of my anxiety about driving on snowy roads,  I was greeted with “I’m glad that you’re back.”   What a wonderful boost that was for my sagging psyche! 3.I bought a Samsung 3 Tablet last Saturday.   The advantages I’m enjoying are-  reading an ebook with much less swiping it  to turn pages  and I can journal at my kitchen table  with less strain on my arthritic neck.  I passed my Kindle on to my daughter. 4. Speaking of reading,  I am currently reading Victims by Jonathan Kellerman.   I really like the  yin and yang of the two main characters Alex Delaware  and the policeman Milo.  If you like mysteries, it’s a real page-turner. 5. The sun is shin...

Blogging friend Nancy Claeys is having a give-away  at her site, A Rural Journal , handmade French lavender soap! Hop on over there to enter. You'll find her here .

A friend from church recommended  Thirty-Day Devotions for the Holy Souls by Susan Tassone to our group that is meeting Sunday mornings for a six-week period.  I immediately ordered it online, and boy, am I glad that I did.   Even though the book is not in sync with the season of Lent,  I felt that Day 25’s devotion about fasting  is an excellent message for all of us who are observing Lent. What follows are Tassone’s words verbatim- “We are all called to fast.   However, not all are called to fast in the same way.   We should seek God, ask His direction,  and then follow the impulses we sense coming from Him: Fast from bitterness- feast on forgiveness. Fast from self-concern- feast on compassion for others. Fast from personal anxiety- feast on eternal truth. Fast from anger- feast on patience. Fast from words that destroy- feast on words that build. Fast from discontent- feast on gratitude. Fast from discouragement- feast on hope.” I invite you...

King Cake, as shown on Concannon's Bakery Facebook page One of our Bible Study ladies brought a King Cake from Concannon's to our Mardi Gras Fete today.  Other ladies baked other goodies for us  to indulge ourselves on this Fat Tuesday.   We feast today, for tomorrow,   Ash Wednesday, we will fast on the first day of Lent.   Our faith encourages us to adhere to the Three Pillars of Lent  which include prayer, fasting and alms giving.  During Lent, we fast and abstain  from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays.   Even children are encouraged to do  a form of these three pillars consistent with their age.   Our Bible Study group chose a different way for us  to help ourselves to grow spiritually during this Lenten season.   Each of us wrote three or more suggestions  pertaining to the three pillars on slips of paper.   Then all of these were put in a beautiful container.   Each week, three slips of paper w...

The bells chime,  sounding Jesus’ invitation  to enter His abode  and spend some quiet time  with Him.   Who can turn away from that summons?   Is there anything more important  than time spent with our  Lord?   Would not time spent here provide grace enough  to make all actions weave together more effortlessly?   Of course, one does not need to enter a church  to meet with  Jesus,  but the environs of a church  provides us a place built  with the intentionality of being a haven for prayer.    Why not answer the call  the next time  you hear  the bells? linking to Rebecca's Postcards from Paradise