All posts tagged Weekly Photo Challenge

Beyond the Imagined | Horizon

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“Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step.

Yep, that would be me.

 Only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.” ~ Dag Hammarskjold

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“Water has an endless horizon; there is no limitation when you look out into the water. 

There’s nothing to interfere with the mind’s eye projecting itself as far as it can possibly imagine.

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I suppose it’s the same way people in the Midwest feel about watching amber waves of grain or endless rows of cornfields. There is something exhilarating about it.” ~ Billy Joel

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“We praise the day and and stand in awe of the night. However, sunrise and sunset live as the union of the two–a marriage formed by day and by night, a reminder that even the world was made to come together. Like love, it is something our hearts can experience, while the mind will never fully understand.” ~ Sean M. Smith

When I leave my day job I walk to the top level of a parking garage to get to my car. Usually well into the evening, I’m greeted by a sparkling city-night skyline. After a hard day of work, it’s exhilarating. But there’s something else in the parking lot that greets me as well—a barely noticeable very slight bump in the middle of it. And you know what? Not a night goes by that I don’t trip over that bump. You know why? I can’t take my eyes off that beautiful city skyline. I do it nearly every time.

It reminds me of my life. In my attempts to stay focused on the big picture sometimes I falter and trip. You see, when your eyes are on the horizon that can happen. But if I focused on that bump in the parking lot I’d never look up to see the beauty of the skyline. Horizon is what I chase everyday. Don’t we all?

Few experiences in life exhilarate like the horizon. Whether yours is a city skyline, an expansive ocean, or a sprawling cornfield, the bumps are worth it. Unless you like standing still.

Peace, Alexandria
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

17 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on October 27, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in In All Things Do Your Very Best
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on October 27, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/10/27/look-up-horizon/

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
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on October 6, 2013

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

LifeLines | Weekly Photo Challenge: From Lines to Patterns

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“Life forms illogical patterns. It is haphazard and full of beauties which I try to catch as they fly by, for who knows whether any of them will ever return?” ~ Margot Fonteyn

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“Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry. ~ Richard P. Feynman

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“It will be very interesting one day to follow the pattern of our life as it is spread out like a beautiful tapestry. As long as we live here we see only the reverse side of the weaving, and very often the pattern, with its threads running wildly, doesn’t seem to make sense. Some day, however, we shall understand. In looking back over the years we can discover how a red thread goes through the pattern of our life: the Will of God.” ~ Maria Augusta von Trapp

The past summer I did some mission work in Guatemala. The facility was neat and clean but fairly simple and slightly barren. The place faced the constant threat of active volcanoes and earthquakes. During a brisk walk to get supplies for my task one day, my eyes were struck by sudden brilliance.

In the midst of stark barrenness, among the scaffolds and rebar, as well as environmental threats, there it rose. A stunning, strong Bird of Paradise in full bloom.
It reminded me that amid the tangles and briars of life, against all odds, God can take any thread in our lives and weave it into a tapestry of hope. Nature continually faces the unpredictable with grace and resilience, and emerges strong and beautiful.

If God does this with His creation, will He do no less with us?
“The way to break a pattern of negativity is to face anything negative with love.” ~ Molly Friedenfeld
Peace, Alexandria

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This is only one of many wonderful photo interpretations of the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme: From Lines to Patterns

4 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on October 2, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals
Tagged , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on October 2, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/10/02/lifelines-weekly-photo-challenge-from-lines-to-patterns/

Adventures in Apertures | WPC: Focus

“Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

f/18
f/5.6
f/4.0

“Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.” ~ Tony Robbins

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f/18

“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” ~ Mark Twain

DSC_0461 f/4.2 cropped“Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.” ~ Niels Bohr ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These photos are taken with differing apertures using two different lenses. They are collections of the same scene.

As you can see, they each have their advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on, well, what you want to focus on. In photography, it’s important to focus on one thing. That one thing may be the big picture or it may be a small object. There is the shallow depth of field and the large depth of field.

It’s kind of like life, isn’t it? —dynamic arrays of focus. And it can be hard in this modern warp speed we are now immersed in. At every moment we focus on “something”. I don’t juggle it perfectly but I certainly try. I have a few big picture goals in my life that get squeezed out by all the little things that draw my attention.

Some of the little things I love, like an unexpected visit from my grandson or adult children. Or phone calls from faraway friends and family—just visiting or planning time with them. They are definitely worth my focus and relationships with them fall into my “big picture” goals. There are many other good things, too, but I do have to say “no” to a lot of those good things.

I sprinkled a few quotes that help me. What about you? What do you say “yes” and “no” to? Where’s your focus these days?

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“Beware of overcommitment. You can’t “yes” to everyone. You must practice saying “no”. Otherwise, you may be at risk of compromising your quality or your integrity.” ~ Stephen Deal
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This is a response to the Weekly Photo Challenge with a theme of “Focus”. It was a lot of fun to experiment and I’m pleased with the results. I hope you are, too. Peace, Alexandria

Other links:
SimplySage: A Return to Organic Photography
Photography 101: Finding Your Focus
Festival of Flowers: Week 12

11 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on September 1, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Enjoy Life, In All Things Do Your Very Best
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on September 1, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/09/01/adventures-in-apertures-wpc-focus/

Jump! | WPC: Carefree

20130720-213801.jpg“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

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“Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr

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“You’ll be glad you did!” ~ Alexandria Sage
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The Weekly Photo Challenge theme this week is “Carefree”. One word means carefree for me—Summer. And summer means “water”.

Free from the stiff structure of school schedules, water brings out the brave in me. Water has dominated my summers as far back as I can remember. And I’ve done just about every trick imaginable in the water.

My uncle plunked water skis on all us cousins at a very young age. He would shove them down in a sandbar and take off.  It was drenching at first but in time we learned to skim the choppy waters, dodging large chunks of driftwood which made the ride even more wild. There was never a Do you want to learn this? With unbridled voracity, we bolted to the boat the day our name was called. In my family, this was a rite of passage.

Then there were the rope swings, the high dives, the quarry and cliff jumps. {Yes, I nearly drowned once-seriously.} My own kids didn’t take swim lessons because nothing could keep their mother out of the water with them. {No embellishment here—they are my proofreader’s. :-)}

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Now this little guy is my swimming buddy. He’s getting braver and more adventurous. What’s more carefree than a beautiful summer day and a pool filled with shimmering water to frolic in? For him and me—NOTHING!

But I hope I can get him to shed the goggles soon–summer’s almost over! 🙂

13 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on August 18, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on August 18, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/08/18/what-are-you-waiting-for-jump-wpc-carefree-2/

Close, Closer | WPC One Shot, Two Ways

Close

“Life consists of a myriad of details that can cloud your vision. To gain a balanced perspective one must overlook some of the minutiae. Details, while very important, are not everything.

You can stand close and still see the big picture.” ~ Alexandria Sage

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This is my contribution to the Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot, Two Ways. I just returned from a trip to Antigua, Guatemala, a lovely city set in the volcanic mountains of that country. The elevation is around 5000 feet which, combined with the tropical climate, makes for an average everyday temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Close
Closer

Built in the early 1700’s, Antigua is filled with Spanish Baroque architecture. Though hit by mild earthquakes and a few large ones, the city retains almost all its original cobblestone streets and buildings. It is absolutely stunning. Many hotels, shops, and restaurants now line its streets. They have done a great work in modernizing this city while retaining the beauty of its originality.
Aside from cropping out cars and slight rotation of the first photo, these photos are unedited. I used iPhone 5.
EnJoy.
Peace, Alexandria
Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot, Two Ways
Some Favorites:
One Shot, Two Ways by Sph3re
Finding Peace and Tranquility at Hotel Cirilo, Antigua, Quatemala
One Shot, Two Ways by ThirdEyeMom
One Shot, Two Ways by Tina Schell

9 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on August 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Be Content With Who You Are, In All Things Do Your Very Best
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on August 14, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/08/14/close-closer-weekly-photo-challenge-one-shot-two-ways/

The Master Speaks | Masterpiece: Eye of the Beholder

Rome Day 3 258-005

“A chief event of life is the day in which we have encountered a mind that startled us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

No thoughts nor words. Chills. I stood frozen, trying to maintain composure. I stifled a choked lump in my throat, but I couldn’t stop the tears that filled my eyes, then meandered down my cheeks.

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“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.” ~ Michelangelo

Still freshly astonished at churches, ancient structures, the Vatican Museum, and Sistine Chapel, I expected more of the same. But nothing prepared me as I stepped through the door of St. Peter’s Basilica. So unexpected. Unimaginable. My breath escaped, and I filled with wonder, How could anyone create beauty of such magnitude? And who were these creators? Even more, why?

Rome Day 3 270

This was greatness of another dimension. For a few moments I became wordless, thoughtless. Then the vacuum that occupied my mind and heart at that moment became filled with a tenderness, a sweet gentility, a touch. A touch of … love.

But it was love unleashed.

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“All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is not one filled with only sunshine, but one which uses both light and shadow to produce beauty.” ~ Billy Graham

Grand, spacious love in a pinnacle masterpiece. Love that was enough … for everyone. You could see love–painted, sculpted, flowing, flourishing in every square inch of rock solid marble. But why? The question haunted.

These were masters of another kind.

Rome Day 3 262“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

I know the history behind the excesses of some of the pope’s as well as how artist’s squabble.  But these artist’s stretched above and beyond any earthly demands or human frailty to something deeper. Isn’t it like God to use imperfect people to magnify Himself? Perhaps even they didn’t understand why. They just unleashed it all.

Rome Day 3 260And this timeless structure was like a soul connection to God Himself—a love intent on touching earth with heaven. They were light-years ahead of their time–visionaries. Could they envision me standing there today, losing my breath, tears streaming down my face, asking the question, “Why?”

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“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” ~ Michelangelo

This place was elegant, tasteful, immense, grandiose. As the earth spun gracefully around the sun, the beams cast changing rays in a delightful show of light and shadow. Science and art merged to exquisite perfection. Intentional. This was no cold stone ancient relic.

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It was soft, warm, alive … welcoming. It was as if every stroke, cut, and design were destined way into the future. For today. For everyone. For this day. For me.

DSC00318The place was filled with people, families, children and babies, but there was a hush, a reverence. An awe. All eyes looked up. For in the confines of walls, these masters harnessed but a small glimpse of the Master of all.

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And I, an honored guest, could hear His voice, whispering soft. “Welcome. Come in. Just enjoy.”

“Every beauty which is seen here by persons of perception resembles more than anything else that celestial source from which we all come.” ~ Michelangelo
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All photography {except #9 (that’s mine with a Cybershot)} is by Dan Pope of Precise Photography, based in Arlington, Texas. These photos are completely unedited, with exception of cropping Pietà, of which no one can get that close enough to photograph. See Dan’s website and browse a few of his Galleries for a phenomenal portfolio. My husband and I enjoyed a trip to Rome with the Pope’s as we both celebrated anniversaries. Dan has a big heart and an engaging sense of humor and makes friends with everyone he meets, including the Swiss Guard! He teased about how “the Pope” had come to visit Rome. Good thing Italians have a great sense of humor.

Peace, Alexandria

“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.” ~ John Ruskin
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Some of my favorites on this Challenge:

Sejeong Production
Postcard Photo
Blessings Through Raindrops
Chronicles of Illusion

Am submitting this as well to the Work of Art Photo Challenge from June 2014

19 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on July 29, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Enjoy Life
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on July 29, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/07/29/masterpiece/

Be Thou the Rainbow

Moorea

“Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.” ~ Lord Byron

I don’t know anything that speaks fresh more than a rainbow after the rain. And I can’t think of a more appropriate photo than this, taken with an iPhone 5. Much thanks to my guest author, Steve, for this photo taken on a recent vacation. When I saw it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Simply spectacular. But there is something else quite delightful about this photo. If you look across the top third you will see a faint hint of color. There is another rainbow, making it that more rare event of a double rainbow! It’s worth clicking on for a larger view. I’ve asked Steve for a short description:

“We were at our hotel in Moorea and it had been a blustery day with thirty mph winds and a fine, misting rain. Curiously, there were times that it continued to rain even when the sky had minimal clouds or even blue skies. This photo was taken from a bridge as I was walking across the hotel grounds.”

Enjoy.
Peace, Alexandria
{P.S. This photo was taken with an iPhone 5. The only editing done was the “enhance” tool within iPhone, which did little to alter the photo. Nothing else was done. To me, the photo is perfect in every way. I give Steve credit for being fast with the camera and setting up perfect composition.}
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Daily Prompt: Colors

My favorite:
The Colours of Love

You might enjoy some other articles by Steve:
A Tale of Agony
My Thoughts on Aging
Taxes Made Simple
Healthcare: Good, Fast, Cheap. You Only Get Two

40 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on July 21, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in "My Thoughts" The Guest Author's View, Enjoy Life
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on July 21, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/07/21/somewhere-over-the-rainbow-weekly-photo-challenge-fresh/

A Golden Hour Collection | Weekly Photo Challenge

IMG_2432“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” ~ George Washington Carver

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“The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” ~ John Muir

DSC02872“Two golden hours somewhere between sunrise and sunset. Both are set with 60 diamond minutes.” ~ Horace Mann

DSC_0450“Someday you will find the one who will watch every sunrise with you until the sunset of your life … Just be patient.” ~ Unknown

“I like that time is marked by each sunrise and sunset whether or not you actually see it.” ~ Catherine Opie
Sunrise Bora Bora“Every sunrise offers renewed hope to carry out the reflection after the sunset of yesterday. A time to let go of yesterday and embrace the new day.” ~ Alexandria Sage

Pain Prescriptions“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
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This week’s Photo Challenge theme is “The Golden Hour”, known as the hour of sunrise and sunset. No one can deny the colors and lighting are breathtaking. How many times has this Golden Hour stopped you dead in your tracks and caught your attention? It amazes me how God built into nature two times every single day to get our attention, to bless us with a glorious start and a reflective end. Simply captivating.

Nearly every camera captures them easily. However, it was so nice of WordPress to host the Photography 101 series to help us along. And this week we were given a lesson by one my favorite photographers, Wenjie Zhang of A Certain Slant of Light. I only have one tip to offer about the Golden Hour. Be prepared and don’t hesitate. Get that picture. If you wait even one minute it will be gone.

To end with, when I saw the challenge theme I immediately thought of a song I’ve recently heard and come to love, aptly titled Golden. It is filled with a bittersweet mixture of hope and reality that intertwines the journey of every person— the rhythms of life, the ups and downs, the fickle moments, the grand ones.

Life can become a tangled mess sometimes. But through it all, the resounding truth in the last quote above, from the Bible, offers a hope that holds us firm in the hand of God. Is it not He who chose to shout His love, mercy, and faithfulness through two glorious golden hours of each day? Though the sun sets and the day ends, His mercies never come to an end. And every morning once again He shouts His love to carry us through.

His faithfulness is constant, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

Peace, Alexandria
Credits: Golden (youtube lyric video. song by Amy Grant).
Guest Author, Stephen Deal, for his sunrise photo.

28 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on July 19, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Devotionals, Remember--You Are Loved--No Matter What
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on July 19, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/07/19/a-golden-hour-collection-weekly-photo-challenge/

O, How The Years Go By | WPC: Nostalgia

Grandmother and Grandfather
I now own this dress.
Mom as a Little Girl
My Mother
Wedding of my parents.
Dad in the Army
Firstborn
The “Farmgirl”
Another Daughter
Not a Farmgirl 🙂
Me and My Girls
And Then There Was The Boy
The Entertainer
Hasn’t changed much, but has a slight more serious side.

“Nostalgia”. The word is a Greek compound, consisting of “nóstos”—meaning “homecoming” and “álgos”—meaning “pain and ache”. Wow. That’s exactly what nostalgia is to me. It’s that deep pain inside that aches for the past, that longs for home. It’s a warm feeling—home. And homecoming means just that—coming home. So for me, it’s a conflicting emotion. The warmth of home and aching for moments that can never be … again.

My parents and grandparents—how I ache for the moments I had with them. How I long for a conversation with my mother and dad. It makes me talk a lot longer and take a lot more time with my brother and sisters. I look at the photos of my children and I think Did I do those moments justice? Was I fully there for each one? Just now as I think of this time last year, there are memories I long for. Though I can never return to the past, I have this very moment to make a memory to cherish.
We cannot possess the past, but the past can mold our present.

Behold the present, and be all there.
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This is my contribution to the Weekly Photo Challenge with a theme of “Nostalgia”. You can see many others at the following link: Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgia
Much thanks to Vastly Curious for her in-depth definition of this week’s theme.

14 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on July 12, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Enjoy Life, Stay Close with Those You Love
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on July 12, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/07/12/o-how-the-years-go-by-wpc-nostalgia/

Friendship Formulae |Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable II

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“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.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

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
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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/

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

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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
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on May 5, 2013

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

Nature’s Usual Pose | Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

The Life of Less

“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.” ~ Henry Van Dyke

The Climb

“It’s easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

It's a Bug's Life

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow them.” ~ Louisa May Alcott

Aspire

“Man cannot aspire if he looks down. If he rise, he must look up.” ~ Samuel Smiles

The Sign of Heaven

“I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

Heaven's Promise“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.” ~ G. K. Chesterton
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Here are other interpretations of the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme of “Up”.

10 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on April 29, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in In All Things Do Your Very Best
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Posted by Alexandria Sage on April 29, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/04/29/natures-usual-pose-weekly-photo-challenge-up/

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

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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/

Defining Moments | Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details

DSC_3496

“Wherever you are, be all there.” ~ Jim Elliot

The Weekly Photo Challenge theme is “Lost in the Details”. And what a challenge it is. Don’t we get utterly lost in the details of life? Opportunities missed, lost windows of time—to show kindness or listen, to be all there. What about those that consume, order, and demand, leaving us so distracted we miss the wonder and joy of other moments?

The Observer

“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” ~ William Morris

And then there are those moments that shake us … or rather, shape us. We come to full attention. They are usually spun by a variety of events—some good, some not so good. Whatever their source, I find they can be a birthplace of goodness or newness. They are, in essence, whatever I choose them to be.

Autumn Hydrangea
“After all, it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life.” ~ Evelyn Underhill

These moments serve to keep us in check or bring a new awareness of vulnerability or strength, moments to discover what we are made of. Are we flexible to receive honest criticism and ready to change? Or if we have done right can we have peace within and stand firm, even when we are misunderstood? Either way, are we ready to forgive—to let go—to forget, to move on, knowing we can’t fix everything?

“All the details of life and the quirks and the friendships can be laid out for us, but the mystery of their writing remains.No amount of documentation, however fascinating, can take us there.” ~V.S. Naipaul

Whatever moment you are in today, whether joy or pain—never dismiss that moment, for the only moment that truly exists is the one you are in right now. Some moments are times to embrace and absorb joy. For the difficult moments we need to receive love from sane, safe friends and family. It’s okay to not always be the giver or to have all the answers or to have everything together. Cherish the good moments, learn from the difficult. I found the following drawing and thought it details the true reality of life. May it bring a smile to your face as it did mine. I hope it increases your joy as you trek your own crooked path.
Peace,
Alexandria
SuccessDrawing
“If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.” ~ Maria Edgeworth
See the Weekly Photo Challenge for other interpretations.

Drawing credit: Unknown
All photography by Alexandria Sage, except the first one, which is by S. Michael
(aka—my dear son)

10 Comments
by Alexandria Sage on March 7, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Be Content With Who You Are, Enjoy Life, In All Things Do Your Very Best, Take Credit for Your Mistakes
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Alexandria Sage on March 7, 2013

https://simplysage.org/2013/03/07/defining-moments-weekly-photo-challenge-lost-in-the-details/

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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