All posts in category Weekly Photo Challenge

Color Me Red! (Lens-Artists #135 “A Glimpse into My World”)

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Here in the depth of winter the Lens-Artists theme is “GLIMPSE INTO MY WORLD”.  In the midst of all that is black and white around here I use this time to spice up everything in my world with my favorite color—red! Ahhh … a winter break from black and white!

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Here we enjoy an absolutely gorgeous, slow autumn. Then after the leaves fall, it’s Christmas, another season where red is a standout. How wonderful the festive colors of the season spruce up and lift our spirits. Fun!

But it pained me to take down the beautiful reds of the decor.

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However, to continue the journey through the bleak days of winter around here, Nandina bushes grace many yards. Green in the warm weather, they slowly transform to burnished, bright reds in the winter. And stay that way until spring, when they return to lush green.

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Even more, when there’s ice or snow, this happens. The vibrant, red leaves glisten as the ice completely envelopes them, dripping like stunning jewels. Breathtaking!

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And while we’re onto reds around here, another brush of red continually draws my eye through my kitchen window. After juggling the camera and ten pictures later I found this one deemed worthy. 🙂

Rust-Tinge

I love all vibrant colors but red always turns my head.

From barns,

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to cars,

 

to mums,

Magnificent Mums

to roses,

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to my four-wheeler. 🙂

Capture the Mooon

I’ve even splashed it on a few walls in my home,

Christmas Gift Suggestions

and it graces my front  door. 🙂

Welcome Closer

So if you come around here, you’ll see pops of red everywhere! It’s a “country home”, all wood, and plaids, pillows, and throws. I can’t help but share the following quote:

“I’m in love with red. I think it’s such a passionate color. Every flag of every country pretty much has red in it. It’s power. There’s no fence-sitting with red. Either you love it or you don’t. I think it’s blood and strength and life. I do love red.” ~ Brian Batt 

I’m no psychoanalyst, but maybe this is why I love red.
And before I close, I can’t overlook one of the ice-enveloped leaves glistening in the shape of a beautiful heart!

Fire and Ice

So, while I’m at it, Happy Valentines! 🙂 (Another winter red holiday!)

Midwinter's Night Dream

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every since WordPress closed its Weekly Photo Challenge, a group of passionate photographers began Lens-Artists. Every week there is a theme hosted by one of the founders of this group, and several guest hosts. This week’s host is Sheetalbravon, a photo blogger from India. We add a link to the photographer who hosts that week. Here is her very interesting blog post for Lens Artists using the theme “Glimpse Into Your World”. I learned a lot.

I’ve given you a small glimpse into my world and I hope you enjoy! Peace, Alexandria

Lens – Artists Challenge #135: Glimpse into your world. – Sheetalbravon (wordpress.com)

31 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on February 14, 2021  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Just For Fun, Weekly Photo Challenge
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on February 14, 2021

https://simplysage.org/2021/02/14/color-me-red/

Christmas Reflections

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“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

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“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” ~ Norman Vincent Peale

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“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ” ~ Roy L. Smith

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“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie

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“I know it doesn’t make sense, but since when is Christmas about sense, anyway? It is about a child, of long ago and far away, and it is about the child of now. In you and me. Waiting behind the door of our hearts for something wonderful to happen. A child who is impractical, unrealistic, simple-minded and terribly vulnerable to joy.” ~ Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

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“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall” ~ Larry Wilde

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“God is here. This truth should fill our lives, and every Christmas should be for us a new and special meeting with God, when we allow his light and grace to enter deep into our soul.”  ~ Josemaría Escrivá,
Christ Is Passing by

Hello Everyone,

I penned this post originally in 2012. And now I sit here, coffee in hand, early morning seven years later.
Christmas morning, and four grandsons later, marriages that added more ”children”, and I am reveling in our Christmas this year. It was indeed a beautiful sight.

I am exhausted! But …
happy!

I gaze at the empty boxes strewn at the foot of the tree. (Note: I downsized the tree but still try to stuff it to the max! 😊) And I thought I would share this moment with you. No fancy camera, just my phone, so I snapped a photo of the sight. And I recall all the smiles and laughter, especially two four-year-olds who had more fun, I think, throwing tissue paper at each other, forgetting more presents to open. Oh yeah, and ring pops!! In their little world, ring pops rule!

Then there’s the 12-year-old, the age so hard to buy for. What to get??? And what sheer delight when he received an oil paint set and easel, which far surpassed his expectations. A quick run across the room, a great big hug followed, and so many thanks.
Wonderful!

I could write so much more but I’ll stop for now and continue to enjoy the moment! My coffee needs attention!

“For all our high and lofty talk,
We are but children heart-to-heart,
Seeking shelter from the storm,
Places safe and warm,
And love … Outrageous, messed-up, joyous, crazy love.
Just plain love. (Presents under the tree helps a lot, too.)” ~ Alexandria Sage

Merry Christmas everyone!
Peace,
Alexandria

2 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on December 26, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What, Stay Close with Those You Love, Weekly Photo Challenge
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on December 26, 2019

https://simplysage.org/2019/12/26/christmas-reflections-3/

Best Buds |Weekly Photo Challenge: My Happy Place

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When I saw the photo challenge titled “Happy Place” the words that immediately came to  mind were “travel destinations”—places that invoke that glorious feeling of combined rest and joy, one definition known as “happiness”. I thought of places I’ve been (North Myrtle Beach).

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or places I’ve dreamed of going (Moorea).

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When I went to Acadia National Park (above) I thought, “Oh, now this it. This is the ultimate, the place to unwind, to get away.” I was happy!

However, travel can bring its own stresses, as we all know. The planning, packing, and getting to-and-from can be tiring. You’ve heard people say, “I need a vacation from my vacation!” 🙂

a rainbow in the sky."

It can feel like chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,

Moon Shadows

or trying to truly capture the presence and majesty of another breathtaking moonrise,

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or that ever elusive butterfly.

But when you’re in immediate and desperate need of joy, finding a happy place cannot always be found by thumbing through travel guides for yet another trip or even dreaming of those places.

It’s times like that I totally forget a happy place that lives right out my front porch. Most of the time I find I’m looking beyond it, rushing past it toward some goal, the “next thing”, that place called “when I finally get there, I will be happy!”

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I forget the happy place staring straight at me. It’s a place where they’re straining their necks to grab me, to get my attention, to make me stop in my haste to happiness and see that they are what I really need;

that they live, they thrive, they exist to make me happy! (I’m convinced they serve no other purpose.) They are my never-ending friends, through every season, through every joy, through every sorrow. They are constant and oh, how I take them for granted!

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They remind me that we both endure some thorny paths and sticky situations,

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that I’m not the only one out there feeling so alone,

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drowning in life’s demands,

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and kind of hanging by a thread,

First Rose

or in need of a hug;

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that while we pass each other everyday in the coming and going, we can still rise and hold our head high, together, and shine in the sun!

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You see, when you have best buds you can find happiness no matter where, no matter what. 🙂

I write this in honor of my friends and family, my “best buds”. Thank you for being just a phone call away. I always miss you.

Peace, Alexandria

 

2 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on October 21, 2015  •  Permalink
Posted in Be Content With Who You Are, Enjoy Life, Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What, Stay Close with Those You Love, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on October 21, 2015

https://simplysage.org/2015/10/21/best-bud-my-happy-place/

November, Gold at its Finest

DSC_1036-001 November.

image That golden month.
Shimmery, glittery,

1-image29-e1417103368582Dripping Gold.

imageGold waves flutter against azure sky.

imageSun shatters, splits, scatters light.

imageBlinding good.
Hmmm. And people think real treasure is found in golden coins.

imageThink again!

imageGold—Strong. Malleable. Resilient. Unchanging.
Constant.
Coins and jewelry buried for years, centuries, remain intact. Truth be told, we don’t know how much gold the earth has.

imageIt used to be the standard of finance. No more as we print a non-existent value. Fool’s gold. But November still governs by the gold standard.
Of that, there is no doubt.

Heavenly WalkIt’s said in Heaven we walk on it. November gold holds but a glimpse.

imageOh, and another thing. If you’re into those golden years, smile.

imageNovember wears gold quite well.
So should you! 🙂

imageAnd one last thing. On cloudy days I notice the gold is more brilliant against the stark, grey sky. It seems I’m surrounded by gold, gold, and more gold.

imageGold everywhere!

So on the cloudy days of life, take heart. Like fire refines to gain pure gold, so you can stand more brilliant against those hovering clouds.
Just like November.

imageSeems I take more pictures in November more than any other time. I’m up runnin’ out early to catch the rays. And with holidays in full swing, how fitting The Weekly Photo Challenge theme is “yellow”. They did that on purpose to contrast the reds and greens of Christmas. For me it’s perfectly fitting as I wasn’t ready to let go of my November gold quite yet!

If you’re all snuggled in from the cold temperatures, how about I bring the “gold” from around “these thar hills” to you!

1-DSC_1042And so I present to you, November gold. The year’s finest achievement. Worthy of honor and distinction. Most valuable of all.

EnJoy!
Alexandria

All photos by yours truly, except the third. I introduce to you, Joshua Burgard, of Shadow Rest Ministries, who took this stunning shot of unexpected snow in early November. For more of Josh’s lovely shots, check out the Shadow Rest Facebook Page.

Other “yellow” posts I liked:
JPicks
Variety of Light
Love in the Spaces, Yellow Light
Still Life with Rubber Gloves

13 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on December 20, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on December 20, 2014

https://simplysage.org/2014/12/20/november-gold-at-its-finest/

Moon Shadows and Silhouettes

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“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”  ~ Hilary Cooper

On a recent trip to the Smoky Mountains my husband woke me from a deep sleep to come look out the window. Both of us being somewhat “moon-chaser’s”, we are always dragging each other to the window when there’s a particularly eye-catching one. No matter how tired, neither of us can usually resist the urge to look.

“You might not want to miss that big yellow moon out there,” he tempted me. I sleepily thought to myself, Oh, stop–not tonight! I’m waaayyy too tired to drag the camera and tripod out. I’ll just get up and watch a minute and then drop back in the bed. And so I did. I peered out the window and he was right. I did not want to miss this. But, no pictures tonight. So I watched.

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But not for long.

Unsure if my brain could even function with settings, I quickly grabbed everything and headed out to the balcony. There before me against a silhouette backdrop of mountains, the yellow deepened. Hmmm … Suddenly I woke up! And “click, click, click” away I went. Then, to my sudden surprise, it turned a brilliant orange! As I clicked away for a few minutes another phenomenon happened.

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It turned deep RED!  Then, guess who was dragging the husband back out of bed! Mind you, this took place in a span of only twenty minutes.

It hung there for a just few minutes before the earth’s rotation took it behind the mountains. As I dropped back to bed, I thought to myself, Oh, that was so worth it! Even if I don’t get a good photo it was so amazing! As you can see, I managed a few and each captures the color as it progressed.  It was one of those that felt so close you could touch it!

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But you know what really made this for me? This is the second red moon I’ve seen this year. I saw the real “blood moon” back in February. No, I did not stay up and plan. I was on my usual commute to work and as I made my way over a big hill on our country road, it stole my breath at 5 am. I pulled over for about a minute with my phone.

It’s certainly not a technical masterpiece, but I think the color says it all!

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But with the most recent, what if I hadn’t taken the time? What if I dismissed it as “just another moon” and stayed in bed? Sometimes God has these little surprises for me and I miss them because I’m waiting for some “big thing”.

Isn’t that how life is? Aren’t we usually striving and looking for such big moments that we end up missing the momentary, smaller glories right in our midst? And mine are usually right in my backyard.

Sometimes I just need to keep my eyes open.

Peace,
Alexandria

7 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on August 17, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on August 17, 2014

https://simplysage.org/2014/08/17/moon-shadows-and-silhouettes/

Love, With a Twist

Morning Walk

When you look at me
What do you see?
Branches random,
Unchosen tandem?
Nothing clever.

Morning Hug

Space distress
Of leaves and mess?
Unlike attraction,
More like distraction!
Whatever!

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Why on earth,
of all the space,
Did God place
you here?
Wish you could just leave,
Whenever!

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But we are stuck.
Like glue, we are stuck!
Perhaps a wind may unabate
And maybe we can separate!
Forever!!

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I am strong
Without you.
I don’t need you.
Never
Will I need you,
Whatsoever.

{And so the big wind
It did come.
And so it did come unabate.
But it did more than separate.}

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Oh nooo!!! Hold tight!!!
Don’t let go!!!!
Please,
Don’t let go.
And don’t go.
Stay.
And don’t go away

Ever!!!

Ever

“Love lives in the myriad of imperfection and thrives because of its ability to prevail despite its inability to prevail perfectly.” ~ Alexandria Sage

Weekly Photo Challenge Theme: Twist  I hope you enjoyed my twisted poetry. 🙂 Peace, Alexandria

Other favorites:

7 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on May 30, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Just For Fun, Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What, Stay Close with Those You Love, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on May 30, 2014

https://simplysage.org/2014/05/30/love-with-a-twist/

EverSpring

The Vernal

“Everything is blooming most recklessly; it it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

After the darkest, frigid, snowiest, iciest winter I think I’ve ever endured, finally came the day when spring began its gradual, grand entrance.

Vernal

“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” ~ Mark Twain

And it seems one of the most beautiful I can remember. The flowers are abundant, dripping in buds, and more colorful; the grass greener and lusher than I think I’ve seen in years.

Hanging Out

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~ Anne Bradstreet

And my soul mirrors the unfolding—my song called hope.

Together

“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.” ~ Virgil A. Kraft

I’ve endured many winters. But not just the season called “winter”. There’ve been other types of winter, winters more unbearable than the actual season. They are winters called “heartache”, “loss”, “tragedy”. And when you think about it, these winters can hit at any time.

Raise Me Up

“That God once loved a garden we learn in Holy writ,
And seeing gardens in the Spring I well can credit it.”
~ Winifred Mary Lett

Tragedy knows no season, no night, or day. Blustery winds and downpours rush in with no forecast, no warning. Blizzards can chill your heart any day, any time.

First Rose

First Rose of 2014

“The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” ~ Harriet Ann Jacobs

But spring reminds us there is always hope, that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” {Lamentations 3:22-23}, and that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.” {Psalm 46:1} and “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” {Isaiah 43:2} 

Done

So welcome spring with its promises of hope. Real hope springs from the Eternal One, and yes, it does take faith to turn to God. But He is the EverSpring that arrives in the midst of every winter. He really does show up.

Peace, Alexandria

This is my contribution to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme “Spring”. Though some of my perennials did not survive, others returned with a force so powerful that each day takes my breath away. I’m out taking lots of photos so I’ll be sharing Spring with you the weeks to come, maybe into summer. 🙂

 

9 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on May 4, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Enjoy Life, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on May 4, 2014

https://simplysage.org/2014/05/04/everspringwpc-spring/

Leaf Layer

DSC_1246“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” ~ Emily Bronte

DSC_1170“Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

DSC_1169“Autumn is the second spring when every leaf is a flower.” ~ Albert Camus

DSC_1240“Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

DSC_1275“Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.” ~ Albert Schweitzer
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

13 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on November 16, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on November 16, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/11/16/layers-of-leaf-weekly-photo-challenge-layers/

From Mourning to Good Morning

Once I Was BlindIt’s morning. Time to wake up. Time to face another day. You put on a smile. And how easy “good morning” rolls off your lips. But some mornings are not so good.

dInstead of the usual bright, happy sunrise there are those days a heavy fog rolls in. And it rolls in, formidable and gloomy—smothering and treacherous, and giants loom ahead.

POr it looks like the end as you know it, for you cannot seem to see beyond the frightful edge. You think it might be a cliff you’ll plunge over but it’s all blurred and doesn’t make sense. You lay wondering. Wondering what to do. Only one word comes to mind—pray.

BeholdAnd then the gradual emergence of wonder replaces wondering. Just when your heart gives up all hope, the fog starts to lift and transforms from mist to vapor. The clouds break and the dread starts to clear.

I Make All Things NewSuddenly you see beyond—and those cliffs where the world dropped off are gentle rolling fields, verdant with growth.

And what you thought was the end, rolled out for you an expanse of endless sky.

Tree MetaphorsAnd the giants were but the friendly company of trees.

It's a New DawnWhat felt like mourning is now morning and it shouts that it is good. It’s a brand new dawn. The chance to change. To start again.

Good Morning! Wake up! It’s time to rise and walk!
Peace, Alexandria

“Don’t let the agony, regret, or fog of yesterday blind you to the fact that each new day carries with it a plethora of opportunities to move your life into the right direction.” ~ Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.” ~ Psalm 30:11
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This is one of many responses to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme of “Good Morning“

12 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on October 6, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on October 6, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/10/06/from-mourning-to-morning-weekly-photo-challenge-good-morning/

Inside the Thorns

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When life gives you thorns …
“Lift your hands toward the holy place, and praise the Lord.” Psalms 134:2

DSC_0842When life gives you thorns …
“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” ~ Dale Carnegie

DSC_0836When life gives you thorns …
“A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

DSC_0828When life gives you thorns …
Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. ” ~ Alphonse Karr

Lo, How the Rose Enduring

Mystifying, life defying,
Wrapped inside the
deadly piercing.
Delicate, yet
Strong emerging.
Not weathered torn.

But …

Beauty dazzling,
Lightly rising,
Fragile petals,
buds reach praising,
Inside eye
of dreadful storm.

Shall we fare less
inside our thorn?

DSC_0857“When life gives you thorns, grow roses.” ~ Alexandria Sage
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Another contribution for NaPoWriMo 2014.
Poem and photos by Alexandria Sage. Photos taken with Nikon D60 with AF-S Nikkor lens 18-55 mm. Photos have no post-processing, editing, or cropping.  It’s the same rose, different views.
Perspective matters, doesn’t it?
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

27 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on September 15, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Be Content With Who You Are, Enjoy Life, In All Things Do Your Very Best, Stay Close with Those You Love, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on September 15, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/09/15/inside-the-thorns-napowrimo2014/

Friendship Formulae |Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable II

StephanieCliffPic

“To get the full value of joy you must find someone to divide it with.” ~ Mark Twain

Seaside Companions

“Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.”
… It is when two such persons discover one another, when, whether with immense difficulties and semi-articulate fumblings or with what would seem to us amazing and elliptical speed, they share their vision – it is then that Friendship is born. And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude.” ~ C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves”
“How we need another soul to cling to.” ~ Sylvia Plath
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This is my second entry for “Companionable” in the Weekly Photo Challenge. Thanks and credit to Stephanie Goddard for the first photo. Though the Challenge is closed I just had to do a second entry because of this photograph and many others that I thought fit the theme so well. Capturing these four friends mid-air with such clarity is a photographer’s dream. And Stephanie does it so well. {How well I remember jumping off this cliff in my own life with companions as these! Shall I add it for this week’s theme of “Nostalgia”?} For more of Stephanie’s fine work visit Goddard Photography. You will not be disappointed.
Other interpretations for the challenge can be viewed at  Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable
Peace, Alexandria

Some of my favorites:
Vastly Curious
West Coast Kayaker
This Man’s Journey
Island Vignettes
Jean’s Photography Blog
Raven Photography by Jenna Goodwin

7 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on July 10, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Just For Fun, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on July 10, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/07/10/friendship-formulae-weekly-photo-challenge-companionable-ii/

LoveSong | WPC: Companionable


“Love moves in sync with the cadence of forgiveness,

sings in tune with the melody of acceptance,

and dances in rhythm with the music of companionship.” ~ Steve Maraboli

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This is one of my interpretations for the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme: Companionable.
I think we all love the movements of music and I thought this quote was a beautiful metaphor for love and companionship. In life we have the universal need for forgiveness, acceptance, and companionship. Our movements to find these can lead us down different paths but the need still remains. As we seek to find and receive them, may we also seek to extend them. For in extending them to others, we find they will shower upon us as well.
Peace, Alexandria

15 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on June 30, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What, Weekly Photo Challenge
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on June 30, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/06/30/lovesong-weekly-photo-challenge-companionable/

StormScapes | The World Through My Eyes

dWas once a time when we were young,
Our starts were quick, our limbs grew strong.
We hung together filled with glee,
Flexing bough with gust or breeze.
Sheltered safe from ocean’s roar,
We dwelt far from its shore.

Home Sweet HomeAnd then one day out from the sky,
From whence it came the ocean’s cry.
The breeze grew gust and gust grew strong,
From gentle breeze to thunderous roar,
Caught off guard our branches soared.
Soared and stretched
and ripped and retched,
Snapped and torn and yanked from ground,
Some carried away, never to be found.

IMG_6627We tried to keep our footing firm,
Desperation, terror churned.
Our roots clenched tight with every turn.
Huddled with our branches tight,
We clung to each other for dear life.

Then suddenly quiet it was gone,
Swift it came and it moved on.
And in that instant we were changed,
Youth was stripped, innocence ravaged.

StormScapesDestruction looming large surround,
Our hearts were crushed, pieces on the ground.

iBut we rose proud, starting small
And once again we grew tall.
Most of us grew scarred and bent.
A few of us grew quite grotesque.

StormScapesIVAnd those that clung with locked embrace
Grew woven, as wounds would not erase.

DSC_0194-003Thirty years have come and gone,
Remnants borne from that great storm.

StormScapesVBut God in His great grace adorns
our scars, and places some would see
are hid by seasons’ finery.

DSC01300. StormScapesIIIAnd winter bears a rarity,
For now we do curve gracefully.
~ by Alexandria Sage.

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Master the One“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.”
~ Willa Cather

“Magic lives in curves, not angles.” ~ Mason Cooley

“… and some fell down and some grew tall. And those surviving twenty winter thaws, have the sweetest fruit of all.” ~ lyrics to “Better Not To Know” by Amy Grant

“It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful in the recollections of our own life is associated with trees.” ~Wilson Flagg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am submitting this as part of what I think are my best poems from 2013 for NaPoWriMo 2014.

I followed Ming Thein’s recommendations for photography as described in his post. For several years I’ve taken photos of these trees and kept their story in the back of my mind. It’s about time it was told. I think it is easily said the story of trees can mimic the storms in our own lives. Perhaps this is why God surrounds us with so many—vivid reminders to “stay the storm”, stand together, lean on one another, hold one another. Just as trees find a means of survival through one another, should we do no less? Peace, Alexandria

36 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on June 23, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on June 23, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/06/23/stormscapes-napowrimo2014/

Time’s Full Gift | Fleeting

DSC_0033“Our time is rare, short, and wonderful … Our time is short.”
~ Alexandria Sage

DSC_0039“Right words at the right time … Just in time.” ~ Alexandria Sage

Yellow Rose“It is beautiful how God has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people’s minds. Yet, mortals still can’t grasp what God is doing from the beginning to the end of time.” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:11

Time, time, a thousand times over time.
Seconds to minutes to hours to days to years.
Wishes, dreams, hopes–whisked away, or granted.
Family and friends lost, or gained.
A lifetime we are given. Yes, a life of time.
Time to live, the desire to live. Fleeting, yes. But full
… or empty. Spent
… or well-spent.
The choice is ours. The gift is ours.
Time.

Give the gift. Live the gift. And keep on giving, like the rose.
Then time becomes us well,
and time, like the rose,
is a beautiful thing.
~ Alexandria Sage

This is my photography/poetry contribution to the Daily Prompt Theme: Procrastination. It was also on the Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting
I wrote a poem to go with the theme and since this Prompt asks us for something on “Time” I thought I’d add this one. It’s another one I return to. I know time can’t be compartmentalized and is ill-defined but it does one great good to understand what we trade time for.

17 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on June 9, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Enjoy Life, Time, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on June 9, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/06/09/times-full-gift-weekly-photo-challenge-fleeting/

Rise Above | Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

Home Sweet Home Inside“Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility—for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible.” ~ Thomas a Kempis

No Small Matter“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” ~ Roald Dahl

Harmony“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” ~ Colossians 3:12, The Holy Bible

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These are a few of my submissions to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme “From Above”. The photos were to be captured with a perspective from above. I hope you enjoy the photos and the quotes. For more interpretations see the links below.
Peace, Alexandria

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

14 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on May 5, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What, Stay Close with Those You Love, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on May 5, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/05/05/rise-above-weekly-photo-challenge-from-above/

A World Awash With Color

I wonder if flowers could talk or had human emotion or ability to reason, would they dwell in prejudice against the color of another flower? Would they judge and resent, even hate one another because of the color of their petals? And not just the color differences, but the different varieties?

The hydrangea colors are dependent on soil acidity. The daisies in the photo above have colors that are man-induced. They were “created”. Not the flowers, of course, but the colors. Why did someone do this? Doesn’t it add to their brilliance, bring a smile, and increase joy? They shout “fun”!
Aren’t we awestruck and delighted by the very nature of their differences? Their color and composition is completely at the mercy of their maker. They cannot help what color they are. But do we complain? Do we harbor resentment because of the multitude of color?

Then why do we do this with humanity? It is the stuff of war and crime throughout history and all of us know it is wrong. Yet, hard as we try, we can all find traces of it lurking deep inside. It is our greatest stain deep within—racism. But how did it happen?
Color Collide

My instinctual guess is it was taught and modeled before us. In my own observations it seems children are not born racist. When they are young, watch how they play. I marvel at how they play happily with one another, all strangers, all different skin colors. It is a delight to watch, my five-year-old grandson mixing right in.

DSC01669

But as we grow up things change. And we have a big problem. So why don’t we just admit it? In problem solving, isn’t that what we’re taught? To first admit we have a problem?

M

So what next?
My own resolve is to look beyond skin into the soul. The soul which is a human heart with a universal need of empathy and love. A soul which needs to be heard.

Think of last summer’s Olympics. For a wondrous moment every nation was at peace. We watched the very best athletes parade into the stadium and what a sight it was! Did it not take your breath away to see the vast array of different cultures, different colors both in costume and skin?

Great Britain (Team GB) - Parade of Nations - ...

Did any of us have a racist or prejudiced bone in our body during those wondrous seventeen days? As a believer in God, I theorize the Creator’s original intent may have been what we witnessed at the Olympics. Why else would He be so risky as to create his image-bearers in different colors?

He obviously loves lots of color. Why not color us, too! He created everything and said, “It was good.” And that’s exactly what my different skin color friends have done for me—enriched my life and thinking. It is good—very, very good.

Children Craft Color

So if nature and children teach us to delight in the of the myriad of color, can we not strive to do the same?

After all, it’s all just a matter of a mere .012% melanin.

“I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” ~ Psalm 139:14

“One race, many ethnicities.” ~ S. Michael, aka my son.

“For we are God’s masterpiece … ”~ Ephesians 2:10
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daily Prompt: Colors

25 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on April 15, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on April 15, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/04/15/a-world-awash-with-color-weekly-photo-challenge-color/

Home Sweet Home Inside

Inside

Inside
the place of safety
Inside
the place of peace
Inside
the place of friendship
Inside
where I am me.

Inside
the place of comfort
Inside
the place of warmth
Inside
the place of shelter
Inside
where is no harm.

Inside
the place of rest
Inside
the place I’m known
Inside
the place I’m loved
Inside
where I call home.

~ by Alexandria Sage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daily Prompt: Home Sweet Home
P.S. There’s no place like home.

31 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on April 1, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Be Content With Who You Are, Enjoy Life, Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What, Stay Close with Those You Love, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on April 1, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/04/01/weekly-photo-challenge-home/

Somewhere Down the Road | My Neighborhood

Somewhere Down My Road

Somewhere down the road, there’ll be answers to the questions …

Somewhere down the road, though we may not see it now …

Morning Mist in my "Backyard"

Somewhere down the road, you will find mighty arms reaching for you …

And they will hold the answers at the end of the road …

Sunrise Again

Oh, they will hold the answers at the end of the road …

“Somewhere Down the Road” ~ song lyrics sung by Amy Grant

This is my contribution to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme of “Phoneography—My Neighborhood”.  The intent is to capture photos of our neighborhood with a smartphone. So this is my “neighborhood”. My “backyard” is two-hundred acres of farmland. I live “somewhere” down this road and these song lyrics entered my mind when I took the first picture. The simplicity of their truth is what I cling to when I can’t figure out all of life’s mysteries.

All photos taken with iPhone 4.
Enjoy.
Alexandria

For more phoneography visit the Weekly Photo Challenge link:

3 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on March 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on March 17, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/03/17/somewhere-down-the-road-my-neighborhood/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

Tom the Turkey

“All life is an experiment.
The more experiments you make the better.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

DSC_0349

A Tale of Agony

“Always do what you are afraid to do.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

d

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing,
but in rising up every time we fail.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Yesterday is not ours to recover,
but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”
~ Lyndon B. Johnson

This is a response to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. The theme this week is “Forward”.
I hope you enjoy my contribution. I thought about titling it “Words From Ralph” but I could not leave out the Lyndon Johnson quote.

You can read about the Weekly Photo Challenge and see other interpretations at the following link:
Weekly Photo Challenge
Enjoy.
Alexandria

20 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on February 25, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on February 25, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/02/25/weekly-photo-challenge-forward/

Change—Certain as the Seasons

Fall Dozes …

Trails

The changing of the seasons mirror the rhythm of a soul. There are times of exuberance (summer) and times of reflection (winter). Fall and winter provide reflection and rest needed for the energetic spring and summer. I know this rhythm well.

Winter Sleeps.

I’m so glad I live in a place where seasons change. I lived in the American desert southwest for a brief period. Though it possesses an outrageous and incredible beauty, I missed the changing seasons. Once you get used to those rhythms your soul ever longs for them.

Spring Sings!

The seasons mimic the certainty of change. And as the verse goes, “there is a time for each matter under heaven”, I know God has his hand in every aspect of my life—blessings and difficulties. Difficult times will come are here, but there are many good things surrounding me, too.

This is how life is—the blend of trial and blessing, seasons filled with change. Remembrance of last year fills me now with warm nostalgia. Things have changed this year. Some changes I don’t like, but some I do.

As my sweet grandson and I decorated a gingerbread house yesterday, I wished him so hard to stay five-years-old! But he won’t. As I relished the moment of childlike delight I wondered will he have this much fun next year placing the sugar plums just so? I cling a little tighter to this moment and to him, all the while knowing they both slip from my grasp.

Why do I resist change when I know change is certain? Why does change fill a corner of my heart with an unsettling angst? I cry against it to no avail. It comes anyway. Why can’t I be like nature, welcoming with open arms, and just settle into it quite nicely, ready for the next? Change comes, of that I am certain.

Summer Shouts!!

A World Awash with Color

But there is a certainty of which I’m glad there is no change.

“I the Lord do not change.” ~ Malachi 3:6

Though God set into motion seasons of glorious nature, he exempted himself from change. This truth is abiding and unchanging. This is the certainty I most need. I need his constant grace, mercy, and forgiveness. And he gives all. His love and mercy are the same—when we fall, when we stand. His hand is ever there to walk us through storms or meadows.

Within the unexpected turns of life He knew we needed I need something to remain constant.
Or rather—Someone.

Fashionable Fallacies

And I’ve never been out of his hand.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” ~ Psalm 46:1

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” ~ Psalm 103:12

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ~ Lamentations 3:22-23


Other interpretations of Changing Seasons:
{Note: This is my first time using WordPress new tiled gallery format to display my photos. Click on a photo in each collection above for a beautiful gallery display. Enjoy.}

13 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on February 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Enjoy Life, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on February 14, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/02/14/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/

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