OKC Botanical Garden

Linda and I took my Mom to the OKC Botanical Gardens. It was small but had a lot of neat and unusual plants. Like this pokey thing!

There were beautiful plants everywhere. Sometimes you had to look hard, or behind other plants.

Mom in the jungle.

Pretty pink thing.

The colors were awesome.

I drank too much water, had to get rid of some.

The Bird of Paradise plant is always cool.

I had to slow the exposure down a little.

Get Away!

Sometimes you just need to get away!

I took a little trip up to the Wichita Mountains the other day. The sky was beautiful.

I got a new camera, 10x zoom!

My backyard, just kidding.

Another Beautiful Day!

Not sure if anyone pays any attention to what I post, but oh well, here I go anyway!








I was looking through the large amount of photos that Linda and I have taken and it's amazing how many different views can be taken from one shot. I view it one way, she does another, each time revealing a new image. You can take an ordinary picture and zoom in on a section and a great shot appears, all depends on how you crop it.


Changing your perspective can make a big difference in how you view things!



(My granddaughter Maddy)





A Lake Tahoe Beach








Last winter I found several large flocks of Sandhill Cranes. The sight was awesome as thousands of birds flew out of the fields west of town.









Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.

Grow Where You Are Planted!

I posted these first couple of pictures because my daughter thinks that I'm a dork. Just have to prove her right every now and then.

Cabella's is a neat place to visit!

I woke up the other morning and felt like God gave me a title for this post. "Grow where you are planted."


I know a verse of scripture that tells us what happens when we do this: John 15:16








John 15:16 You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as [a]presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you.

A plant cannot bear fruit if it takes up it's roots and moves. It has to stay planted. We may not like where we are planted but we have to stay put in order to grow. Bearing good, long lasting fruit only comes after the plant is mature. A weak, immature plant cannot produce good fruit.

Storms and other bad times can help develop us. If we allow them to, they can produce strong faith in God. It was only through a long, dark storm that I truly saw the faithfullness of God to sustain me.

You may not like the job, or the situation you may be in right now or even your current church. You may want to run or quit. Before you do, stop. Ask God if it is time to leave and whether or not you've learned all that you were supposed to learn.

Remember, the main purpose of you being planted somewhere is for you to grow.

It is only when you are strong and healthy that you will be able to bear good fruit...fruit that will last and can sustain others.

Time out!

No doubt that we all have a lot going on. The world just seems so chaotic at times. The economy, the election, jobs, kids, it can be overwhelming. Jesus told us to cast all of our cares upon Him. So take some time and do just that, give your cares to Him. Relax, look around, see what God is capable of.



I have a fondness for all the beauty that is around us in nature. It is amazing what God has created. No matter how bleak your surroundings may appear, if you look close, you will see God's handiwork.














Common, ordinary items, such as this flowering vine are really spectacular to look at if you just take the time to look.

















This plant was given to my sister
after her husband passed away.
Even when sad things happen,
God reminds us that he is still there.
He said he takes care of the grasses
and flowers of the fields, and we are
more precious than they are.











A trip to a botanical garden yielded this shot.












I'm not sure what this is, it was growing in my son's yard! Pretty interesting.

Thankful

I thank God that we live in a blessed land. I have been to many places which do not have the things we have, so I am thankful for his blessings.

I'm pretty simple, and I guess easily amused, seeing a combine cutting wheat earlier this summer was just too cool for me.

Okay, I know it's just a cow, but we are in Texas!

This scissortail stopped and posed for us. Pretty cool! Linda took this shot.

Off on Fridays

Last Friday I headed to the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma. It was so relaxing seeing the wildlife, mountains, and the windmills! Okay, so it's not in Texas, but I have a lot of vacation days to use before the end of the year, and this is where I went.