God Promises Us
“For God so loved the world
that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through Him.”
John 3:16-17
“And if the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead lives in you,
He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit, who lives in you.”
Romans 8:11
Hope Quotes
“God doesn’t sweep the broken up into a dustpan and discard it. In order to reach the broken in our world, God Himself broke, allowing His own Son to die a broken death on a cross for us. God brings beauty in the broken. God loves the broken. God uses the broken.” – Elisa Morgan
“We can trust that our Painter is exposing us, lifting us onto His brush, placing us in the intense pressure between the bristles and the canvas for something more beautiful that we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21).” – Becky Elie
“Your Heavenly Daddy loves to be with you. Not because you are doing anything for Him, but simply because you are His.” – Renee Swope
Nature Retreat
“Stop every now and then.
Just stop and enjoy.
Take a deep breath.
Relax and take in
the abundance of life.”
~ Anonymous ~
Thank you to my brother John
for these stunning photos.
🙂 Please respect copyright laws. 🙂
Freed to Fly 
That Elisa Morgan quote is beautiful, and I love the photos too – especially the hummingbird nest and the tiny eggs! Hope you have a lovely Easter and know the joy of the new life God gives!
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I love that quote, too, Lesley. Kind of reminds me of your Kintsugi series. Loved those posts! And isn’t it amazing how tiny the hummingbird’s nest and eggs are? Thank you for your prayer! I hope you also may have a lovely Easter and may know the joy of new life God gives! May God shine His light of love through our brokenness and use us to His glory!
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Beautiful photos, as always! How blessed your brother is to have a nest in his yard! Blessings on your Easter, sweet friend.
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That nest awes me, June. I was so sad that the eggs weren’t hatched and the mother flew away. My brother thinks it’s because it has been cold and windy there. He saved an egg for his collection. Hopefully she return to lay more eggs. Blessings on your Easter, too! May the resurrection of Jesus revive our fainting hearts!
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Aww, that is sad, Trudy. There are several hummingbird nest live webcams out there that following the same birds year after year. They are so fun and inspiring to watch. I hope your brother’s hummer tries again!
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Me, too, June. I looked into it and read they do often return to lay eggs in the same nest. ❤️
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The quote from Renee Swope affected me the most! “Your Heavenly Daddy loves to be with you. Not because you are doing anything for Him, but simply because you are His.” I had that conversation with him just this morning. He loves me just because I am. It feels too good to be true, but I know it is true! Hugs to you, Trudy!
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I’m so grateful that quote affected you, Lisa. I often need that reminder. Yes, He loves us because we are! Hugs to you, too! May God give us grace to wholeheartedly believe we are His beloved, not because of what we do, but because of what He has done for us! Have a Blessed Easter!
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As always, your brother’s photographs swept me away, Trudy. I can’t get over that hummingbird nest! It reminds me of how much God loves us, no matter how small we might think we are. He is our Abba, our Daddy, and is always ready to take our hand and allow us to sit in His lap.
Blessings to you, my friend!
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That’s a beautiful truth, Martha. “God loves us, no matter how small we might think we are!” Blessings to you, too, and may Easter be a celebration of renewal in the resurrection of Jesus! I’m so glad you still have Danny! Yes, our Abba, our Daddy, is always ready to take our hand and allow us to sit in His lap. May we lean into Him and pour out our hearts to Him!
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Oh Trudy, these are such precious thoughts! I have the song on repeat, playing in the background now–it’s just so good. And this quote, ““We can trust that our Painter is exposing us, lifting us onto His brush, placing us in the intense pressure between the bristles and the canvas for something more beautiful that we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21).” – Becky Elie” reminds me so much of what my daughter and I were just discussing tonight. Truly, our Lord does exert that pressure in our lives, but He is making such beauty from that place. Happy Resurrection Week to your dear friend. Our Savior has won such life for us! P.S. A lifetime wish of mine has been to see a hummingbird nest! We have fed them here, but never found a nest. What joy to see them in your brother’s beautiful photos!
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I love that song, too, Bettie. Such powerful truth in the words. Such hope in His resurrection! And I know you long with me for when Jesus comes again and brings us home. That quote resonates with me, too. It’s amazing how it holds a truth of what you and your daughter were just discussing. Happy Resurrection Week to you, too! May our Risen Savior speak to our hearts in a special way and revive us!
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All these quotes and images have started my day off right, Trudy! Your brother’s pictures make me want to get my warm jacket on and get out into nature now! I have very few birds around my place, but know I could search for them elsewhere. I bought a package of sunflower seeds recently to carry with me on walks and hopefully feed a chickadee or two! Like the nature quote you shared, I see the abundance of life when in nature. Happy Easter!
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I’m so glad your day started off right, Lynn. 🙂 I know you share my love for nature. Your photos always refresh my spirit. We heard a bird sing this spring that we didn’t recognize. Though I never saw him, I learned it was a black-capped chickadee. What a clever idea to bring along sunflower seeds on your walks. Happy Easter to you, too! May our Risen Savior renew and revive us!
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Lovely thoughts and beautiful pictures! What a treasure!
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Thank you, Rebecca. I’m grateful they touched your heart. I hope you have a Blessed Easter! May our Risen Savior quicken our hearts with new life and hope!
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Trudy, lovely thoughts here! I enjoyed all the quote, but the idea behind Renee Swope’s quote is the one I come back to when I’m struggling to remember Whose I am and that I am valued.
Those pictures of the hummingbird, her nest, and the eggs are amazing! I had no idea their next and eggs were so tiny!
Have a hope-filled Easter, my friend!
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Thank you, Jeanne. I’m grateful you had some lovely moments here. It can be a struggle to remember whose we are and that we’re valued, can’t it? I know you understand that struggle. We’ll have to keep reminding each other! About the hummingbird, it truly is amazing. I hope you have a hope-filled Easter, too! May we cling to the truth that we are God’s beloved and we are precious in His sight!
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Trudy, your brother’s photos are incredible, as always. I’m sure you’ve shared this before but I can’t remember … is he a professional photographer or just a hobbyist? He’s very talented, either way!. I love the quote by Becky Elie too. Happy day after Easter, my friend!
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Happy day after Easter to you, too, Lois! Once my brother retired, he found more time for nature photography. He has always loved nature. He had a big influence on me as a kid. 🙂 Where they live in Arizona, he takes photography classes, and he has really gotten good at it. I think his photos look professional, too, but I guess we could say it’s more of a hobby. He does it for the joy of it, not for money or gain. 🙂 That’s why he so graciously allows me to share them. 🙂 Becky Elie’s quote is so true, isn’t it? May we trust our Painter to develop our lives into something more beautiful than we can imagine, even if the pressure may hurt!
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