Blog Break ⛓️💥 Patriotic Butterfly
I created a similar design years ago for Zedge wallpapers, but I can’t share them due to their terms of service, so I just started over from scratch with Wombo Dream AI. Then I used the Photo Studio Pro app for Android to add some glitter and a frame from their recently added patriotic set.
The Jetpack app seems to be broken on my tablet, so I’m using the backup WordPress app. I’m so glad I had both installed. But the timing has me running late for a busy day, so I’m just sharing the image with the note that I hope to do patriotic colors and things all month. I’ve got some wonderful fireworks shots to share when I pull them off my camera memory cards.
Blessings during this whole year of USA 250! 🇺🇸🗽🎂🕊️
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🎵A Heavyweight Dilemma
Many children shout, “I can do it!” as they struggle with a new task. At the same time, parents wrestle with when to step in and when to let them try—even if it means a painful lesson. But just like physical training, learning to lift beyond what is easy means building new muscle and new strength.
The Heavyweight Path of Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts, the 1700s preacher and songwriter dubbed the “Father of English Hymnody,” wrote over 600 hymns, including the one that helped convert Fannie J Crosby. (Alas and Did My Savior Bleed.) But he didn’t reach those heights on a lightweight path.
A gifted writer and linguist from a young age, Watts learned Latin at four, Greek at nine, and Hebrew at thirteen. At only seven years old—the same age I wrote my first song—he wrote an acrostic poem using the letters in his given name:
I am a vile polluted lump of earth
So I've continued ever since my birth
Although Jehovah grace does give me
As sure this monster Satan will deceive me
Come, therefore, Lord, from Satan's claws relieve me.
This early intellectual and spiritual discipline strengthened him for the trials ahead. As a “dissenter” against the Anglican Church in London, Watts faced a lot of opposition. In those days, church worship only allowed the literal singing of Psalms or other Scriptures. Writing songs outside of accepted Scripture made him a target.
But Isaac stayed resilient for most of his life, having learned to fight these spiritual attacks from his parents, who were also dissenters. Yet, in his final years, the attacks seemed to wear him down, leading to an early retirement.
Perhaps spiritual muscles mirror physical ones. Decades of fighting can cause fatigue. Or maybe, as times changed and non-Anglican beliefs became more widely accepted, life grew easier. With fewer attacks, he could lower his guard; and that may have allowed some weakening in his spirit.
The Cost of Lowered Expectations
My husband and I talked about this recently after he shared Watts’ story with me from Robert J. Morgan’s Then Sings My Soul book.
When we first met over 30 years ago, his young nephews were living in harsh conditions. While removing them from those conditions was good, the state’s foster and group home system placements ultimately hindered rather than helped them. Like the strongman in the image above, the system tried to “help” by removing all the weights. They followed that by taking away their self-control with medication and a counseling narrative that drilled into them how they were victims.
By removing the weights, the state stopped their life-muscle building process. The toll of that deficit remains visible in their lives to this day.
State agencies often view themselves as virtuous for saving all of these kids from their hard lives. But we believe it would be far better for them to act like spotters—making sure the weight doesn’t cause injury—rather than superheros who take the weights away entirely.
Consider one of our nephews: he was placed in a remedial reading class with lowered standards and materials. It quickly became a place for the kids to just goof off. During the four years we had custody, we removed him from that school for a single semester. I tutored him myself, and in just that one semester, he advanced four grade levels in both reading and math. Dumbing things down and lowering expectations does more harm than good.
Raising the Bar(bell) for the Next Generation
This brings me to my final point: young people are capable of growing up far earlier than we allow them to. If we expect less and hold them to low standards, that is what we will get.
Biologically, their bodies are proving they are entering adulthood; that they are old enough to become parents themselves. Yet we trap them in a frustrating limbo of zero responsibility and zero freedom. Instead, we should acknowledge their transition to adulthood—like a Bar or Bat Mitzvah—and let them lift the weights that come with it, staying close by to spot them in case they stumble. Given the chance, I believe they will prove themselves far more often than they will fail.
The real dilemma is getting the agencies in charge to finally get on board.
Revisit the Legacy of Isaac Watts
Here are a few of his amazing hymns you might recognize.
And if you’d like a solid 25 minutes of songs by this same YouTube channel (Old Hymns and Lyrics) watch the full collection here.
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Prompt Response: You Make the Lemonade
What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?
Sometimes, I think people have the idea that getting lemonade from the lemons in life simply means looking for the good in the bad. That’s my specialty. I’m often very good at finding even a thread of hope or promise within a terrible situation.
But what if it’s more than just looking for the thread? What if we learn from a young age to actually be the one responsible for adding just the right amount of sweetness to turn a sour moment into something more palatable to help us survive it. And maybe more than survive it, thrive from it because just sugar or honey in a glass by itself isn’t refreshing at all.
So learn your tastes. Figure out which sweetener is the best to your many tastebuds. Maybe you prefer honey or agave, or you need a sugar-free additive like Stevia leaf. Maybe you’ve even learned that the juice of one orange to about 5 lemons makes a lovely mix of flavor and color in a tall glass of summer refreshment.
In life, even if you’ve grown up as a survivor from a dysfunctional home, you cannot see the future and exactly which lemons might come your way. So get a recipe ready for dealing with the bumps and potholes no matter what they are. The first part of the recipe will always be looking for the golden thread of hope or peace to hang onto until you can get to the sugar jar. And I believe the strongest golden thread is the voice of our Creator as He speaks to us from His Word.
Take Romans 8:28 for instance…
Romans 8:28 BSB
[28] And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/rom.8.28.BSB
Notice it doesn’t say all things (or all lemons) are good, nor does it say we should just give up and wait for them to turn good. It says they will work together for the good. And here’s an interesting factoid: the Greek word used for “work together” in the verse is synergeo—where we get our word “synergy.” That implies partnership, cooperation, and an active blending of ingredients.
And remember this: you are not alone. Whether you are young or carry a bit more experience, your Master Creator is already in the kitchen with you ready to help you with your lemonade mixture. He will provide the ingredients for the golden thread and the sweetness, just like He provides oranges and sugar cane for real food and beverage recipes.
King David learned this, and even though he dealt with many bitter things in life, he ultimately proclaimed:
Psalm 34:8 BSB
[8] Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.34.8.BSB
And later in this same chapter...
Psalm 34:19 BSB
[19] Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.34.19.BSB
Note: Compliments to Google Gemini as my collaborator and for giving me the info on the Greek in Romans 8:28. It fit perfectly with the direction for this post.
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Blog Break—Here’s a Picture
This was the image from Gemini for the day-after-Father’s-Day post, but I was looking for the older image that I see more as God with aged wisdom and like a father figure for that post. Still, for those who love the verses where YahShua says to bring the little children to Him, this represents them well. I left it as a public domain image so people can freely use it.
As for today, I had at least 3 ideas for new blog posts, but a friend went to the hospital for IV antibiotics, and with texting most of the evening and up to about 4 AM, my mind couldn’t put anything together. Please pray for the friend, SM, to feel God’s presence and hear His answers to get through the days of diabetic swelling and ulcers on her feet. It also happened last year, but it was worse because she didn’t catch it as early. I’m hoping this time is better from catching it early (who knew wearing tight shoes could cause such a problem?), and she can get back to her lonely kitties. I’m glad to be available for her when the rest of the world is asleep, but I’d rather her be healthy and at home. Thanks for praying with me for that. 🙏🦋
So I’ll say goodnight for this day and try to catch some nice deep winks to prepare my brain for writing an engaging post for tomorrow.
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Keeping it Light and Melodic
I kinda wore myself out in the last couple of days. Good wearing out, but still a bit tired, so I thought I’d keep the subject light and share one of my favorite digital editing projects.
This was actually a picture of a real keyboard from years ago. My sister-in-law, Denise, had recently shown me how to lasso a section of a picture and then fill in the selection with another picture. For this, I selected each key and filled it in with different kaleidoscope designs I had created. And, yes, it took me a very long time to finish this one.
Later, when I discovered Wombo Dream AI and learned I could upload my own picture as a template, I chose this one and let it create some really cool images from it. I’ll go back and do more with the new V4 filters one day, but for now, I’ll share a few of the colorful designs, and then I’ll hit the hay for some deep rest.
I love the lights under the bottom keyboard here.
This one added some slightly fall-colored flora.
This one used either a prompt of “paper cut” or their papercut filter, or a little of both. I love the swirls on the keys with this one.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
This one is bold and colorful, and just look at the dimension and shadows on those flowers.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
I’m not sure which filter I used for this one, but I really like it.
And this final design has the bold colors on the keys but those pretty little details I’m purple and pink on the top.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
So which keyboard design do you like the best? My original hours-long creation, or one of the quick and amazing Wombo designs? Leave me some comments to read when I return, please. And, just so y’all know, I require an email address to leave comments, but I’m the only one who sees it. And it’s actually only to prevent spammers and bots, so you can feel safe dropping a line or two. 🖍️
Goodnight and blessings to you all. 😴🕊️
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🎵Looking for Love—And a Father
In my last post, I shared the beautiful memory of my birth father—the man who tattooed my name on his arm as a mark of his love for me. But human stories are rarely simple. Sometime shortly after my fifth birthday, he was gone. And a little girl was left wondering: Why did he leave? What did I do wrong?
When your hero leaves, that important space is left empty. A lifelong search begins looking to replace everything that’s missing. Love; a father; protection; a new hero. If you don’t know what a father’s protective love actually looks like, you start looking for it everywhere and in everything.
In the years that followed, my mom made great efforts to replace what my little sister and I were missing. Men came and men went, many who tried to play “Daddy.” While some of them worked hard to live up to the name in their own fractured ways, darkness, addiction, and brokenness sometimes invaded those dynamics. Instead of finding safety, boundaries were broken that love should never have crossed.
When the very people who are supposed to protect you become the source of your wounds, the marks left behind may be invisible from the outside, but they are there nonetheless. These are not marks of love like a tattoo; they are stains of shame you feel the whole world can see on you. And those marks breed a quiet, devastating conclusion: If earthly fathers brought pain and abandonment, how could I ever trust an unseen Heavenly one to love me and stay in my life?
The “Foster Child” Mentality
By the time I was a teenager, I was looking for love—and a father—in all the wrong places, learning all too well how to live with a victim mentality. But God is a master of rescue. Years later, after I began walking with Him, He began the work of healing those old, deep wounds. Eventually, I was even able to find a place of reconciliation and peace with those in my past who had hurt me.
Yet, as wonderful as the healing was, a quiet barrier remained around my heart. Not having a solid and safe father figure while growing up left me entirely unequipped to comprehend God as a “Father,” especially as my Father.
I read the Scriptures about the “Spirit of Adoption” bringing us into God’s family, but in my heart, I still felt like an outsider. To me, God felt like the world’s best, safest “foster parent.” I knew He cared for me, but how could I accept Him as a true Father when I didn’t even know what that word meant? I wanted to be a real child of God, not just someone pulling up an awkward chair at a mixed family table.
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🎵 Daddy Can Never Forget Me
Yes, that’s my name. No, that’s not my dad. Lol 🤣 I looked everywhere for the old photo I had of my dad with a small group of soldiers in Vietnam, but I couldn’t find it. So, I decided to have Wombo recreate it for me. My dad did have my name tattooed on his arm since I was his firstborn, and years later, that ink inspired a song.
While I can’t find the exact words for the song right now—I have a feeling it’s only on paper in one of my many notebooks— I still remember the heart of it. It’s about how no matter how far away my dad went, even getting married and having other children, that tattoo meant he could never totally forget me. Even if he’d had the tattoo removed, the remaining scar would always remind him of the name that used to be there.
There’s a beautiful Scripture about God’s hands where the exact same rule applies. I’ve used bold and italics to highlight the part of the verse I’m referring to.
Isaiah 49:15-16 BSB
[15] “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!
[16] Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/isa.49.15-16.BSB
As my song continues, I mention how God also has a tattoo right in the palm of His hand, and that, just like my daddy, Jesus can never forget me. Years ago, when my dad read those lyrics when he was running from The Lord, he told me it brought him to tears.
Dear reader, maybe you are like so many this Father’s Day (including me) where your human father has left this Earth. This year, I’m without my birth father and my stepfather, and others (like a grandfather) who were fatherly toward me.
But that is because this life is temporary. It will always lack the things that would make life “perfect,” but it will never lack The most Perfect Savior and Friend we could ever have. That Perfect Savior let nails pierce right through where our names are written, shedding His perfect blood for us. And because of those scars, He can never forget us.
Here is a beautiful chain of promises from the Scriptures reminding us of that truth—from The Torah, through the Psalms, to the words of YahShua, and into the epistles:
Deuteronomy 31:6 BSB
[6] Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/deu.31.6.BSB
Psalm 37:25 BSB
[25] I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.37.25.BSB
Matthew 28:20 BSB
[20] and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.28.20.BSB
Hebrews 13:5 BSB
[5] Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/heb.13.5.BSB
I’ll wrap this up with two beautiful songs I found. The first is directly inspired by Isaiah 49:16, titled “Engraved on Your Hands.” It features gorgeous video scenes, rich lyrics, and beautiful moments sung in Hebrew (with both Hebrew and English subtitles).
This second one has amazingly moving lyrics paired with beautiful beach imagery. (It may be AI generated, as I couldn’t locate specific vocalist info, but the message is timeless):
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🎵Prompt Response: Happiness vs Joy
What’s a common misconception people have about happiness?
There are many common misconceptions about happiness, but I think the biggest one is that it means the same thing as joy.
Happiness is an emotion. It is something we can choose to receive or to reject. It fully belongs to us to do with as we wish. And because human emotions are not always steady, it means that happiness will ebb and flow like an ocean tide. It’s mostly based on our current experiences, but for those who are good at making lemonade from life’s lemons, it can show up despite sour events in life.
I’m not saying that happiness is not a gift, though; it is a wonderful gift that often fills us up with what we need to sustain us in unhappy times. But it’s not joy. That is something that comes from only one source—God Himself. Because joy is a fruit of The Holy Spirit, it means it belongs to Yahveh, and it’s in His control. And just like The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever; joy is always the same and not dependent on circumstances.
See, we really need both of these in this life. We don’t deserve happiness (that’s another message all together), but we need it for balance. It will give us strength and hope to keep us looking for that next happy day and help us to not be so willing to give up because we know what we’d miss.
Sometimes, though, it’s really not easy to feel happiness. Even those with 24/7 lemonade stands sometimes struggle to be happy in the face of hard events or times. If they are followers of YahShua, though, this is where they can lean into joy. Because His Spirit is inside them to sustain them at all times, they can tap into that deep joy (along with the other fruit like love, peace, mercy, etc.) and make it through the hard times with strength to carry them to the next moment of happiness. They can trade temporary smiles of happiness for permanent hearts filled with God’s joy.
Nehemiah 8:10 BSB
[10] Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/neh.8.10.BSB
Now, for a moment of happiness, look at these adorable pictures from Wombo using the knitting filter.
And when you get the joy, joy, joy down in your heart, you’ll find that the joy of The Lord is your strength.
And while I thought I was almost done with this post, I have to append this note: I was looking for the old Sunday School chorus about the joy of The Lord when I came across the song above. I liked it right away, but before sharing it here, I wanted to research the spiritual foundations of the band. It turns out, they wrote this song specifically for a time of grief in the band when they needed the joy of The Lord to comfort them in unhappy times. (Shout out to Gemini for this important historical note.) That makes me feel like finding this song after everything I wrote before I even looked for it is not just happenstance or coincidence.
And here’s the one I was originally going to share.
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Same but Different
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
If you’ve known me for any time at all, you know I have a real thing for butterflies. A lot of my text and Messenger signatures have butterflies in them, and my uncle once asked me why I added it.
Many years ago, I was a member of a group called Ala-Teen. It’s where I first encountered the 12 Steps. They are a path of realization and healing that can help anyone. I believe my time studying and applying the steps in my own life set me up with a better attitude for understanding deeper biblical principles when I began walking with The Lord. Though the 12 Steps I’ve linked to, are related to alcohol, they’ve been adjusted on several platforms to line up with healing goals. Like, “We admitted we were powerless over gambling,” or “drugs” instead of “alcohol.” They can be applied as needed because the principles work for all of us made in the image of Our Creator—that is; having a body, a soul, and a spirit.
There’s even a great set of 12 steps for Bible believers that say, “We admitted we were powerless over our sin—That our lives had become unmanageable.” That one, and the other 11, are in a book called A Hunger for Healing by J Keith Miller. It’s on Kindle (including Kindle Unlimited at the time of this writing), but I also recommend the workbook which is better in print format. (Used affiliate links for tracking purposes.) Step 1 in this book and study are based on Paul’s words in Romans 7:15-20…
Romans 7:15-20 WEBUS
[15] For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
[16] But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.
[17] So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
[18] For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good.
[19] For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.
[20] But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
https://bible.com/bible/206/rom.7.15-20.WEBUS
I separated the verses to make them easier to understand, but here I also want to share this in “The Message Bible” because it reads more like you would expect someone nowadays to speak to you.
Romans 7:14-20 MSG
[14-16] I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.
[17-20] But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
https://bible.com/bible/97/rom.7.14-20.MSG
Anyway, somewhere in all of my 12-step discoveries, I was introduced to the concept of metamorphosis as represented by the change a caterpillar makes when it turns into a butterfly. It is literally the same “bug” it was born as, but after the struggle and change, it’s a more beautiful version of that bug.
Knowing that all of us who have been created by God are essentially the same in our most basic ways, and knowing we are all (as King David points out) “born in sin and shaped in iniquity,” means a few things. It means we all need to go through a change (metamorphosis) to become our best; it means we are all able to change; and it means that God loves each of us enough to offer us His mercy and grace before the change along with the love and strength we need to become new rather than staying trapped in our old selves.
So my butterflies mean, change is possible! And for me, they mean change has happened in beautiful ways. The saying goes something like, “I know I’m not yet what I want to be, but I thank God I’m no longer what I used to be.” 🦋
And if you’re interested in an outline of all 12 steps as applied biblically and with a bit more detail, you can visit the Uncuffed Ministries site for what they call “The 12 Steps of Christian Discipleship.”
This next image should bring home what I’m saying. I used exactly the same prompts but a different filter. It’s the same, but yet it’s different. I don’t know how many different filters God used during creation, but I know that He is the common denominator. And HE (His Spirit) is also the filter by which we can change our entire lives into something better and more beautiful. He knows us as we are, He laid down His life for us while we were yet sinners, and He is ready to help us to experience the change that will allow us to rise up to walk in the newness of life.
Just for your information, here are the 12 Steps as applied to sin aka the 12 Steps for Overcomers…
1. **Step 1** – We admitted we were powerless over sin—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. **Step 2** – Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. **Step 3** – Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. **Step 4** – Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. **Step 5** – Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. **Step 6** – Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. **Step 7** – Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. **Step 8** – Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. **Step 9** – Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. **Step 10** – Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. **Step 11** – Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. **Step 12** – Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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Blog Break: Sharing Some Pictures
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
A very long day that ended with a visit to a medical provider for a UTI and antibiotics means I must simply share some nice photos and then go to sleep quickly. I’m thankful I got my first dose by a shot to start healing faster. And I’ll know tomorrow how much the muscle will hurt since they pack the medicine in that way (have not experienced this before), but the advice was to drink lots of water and move a lot. I spent time walking on the treadmill as soon as I got home, and it eased the pain tremendously already.
Now, enjoy some beautiful rainbow images I captured with my Olympus camera some years ago. I had 4 all together, so I made a collage of 3 with the 4th as a background.
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🎵 You’re a Grand Old Flag Day
“America Bless God”
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
If you could have seen me on June 14th in my younger years, you would have thought, “Oh my, she’s wearing red, white, and blue from head to toe!” It’s still my personal Flag Day rule whenever I leave the house on this special day to wear at least some red, white, and blue clothing and jewelry. And, yes, when I went out to meet some family and a new friend today, I put on very patriotic colors to celebrate the day.
You see, my family raised me to think about the intrinsic value of our homeland—to carry a deep-seated and passionate patriotism that holds respect for flag and country above thoughts and opinions on what’s happening within its borders. It was foundational to my upbringing as a grateful American-born citizen. And I’ve been privileged to witness that same level of patriotism in some not born here but nevertheless grateful to become part of the American experience. It will be exciting to shower my Canadian sister-in-law with red, white, and blue goodies when they move to the states later this year. 🦅
When it was time to prepare for this post, a quick trip through my huge collection of flag photos brought me back to some forgotten snapshots that perfectly capture the spirit of the day. During a visit to the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum (tucked right below Arnie’s Barn at Top of the Rock) in Branson, Missouri, I found these historic flags from our nation’s history.
What makes these two designs so special is the amazing artistry within their threads. Early congressional resolutions simply mandated thirteen stars, but they did not specify a strict layout. That gave early flag makers complete artistic freedom to represent their personal patriotism within these pieces of folk art.
The flag on the left is famously known as the Cowpens Flag Pattern, named after the 1781 “Battle of Cowpens.” On the right, you see the creative variant often called the Wreath-with-Corners layout. Keeping a star in the middle was a popular choice for 19th-century folks celebrating the 1876 Centennial. For personal citizens, it was a break from the rigid structure used for military flags, allowing their artistry a proud form of display.
These unique pieces of American history are a powerful reminder of the intrinsic value of patriotism. They spark the flint from the very first Flag Day on June 14th, 1777, as declared by the Second Continental Congress during the height of the Revolutionary War.
Though they passed the “Flag Resolution” that included the 13 alternating red and white stripes (colors that represent courage/valor and purity), the blue field (representing justice), and the 13 white stars (for the 13 innocent colonies), the date was not represented yet. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the date, but it wasn’t until August 3, 1949, that National Flag Day was officially established by an act of Congress and signed into permanent law by President Harry S. Truman.
These colors and their history inspired songwriter George M. Cohan while on a street corner back in 1906 where he crossed paths with a Civil War veteran. The old soldier cradled a torn and battle-worn American flag. He whispered to Cohan, “She’s a grand old rag,” and that moved Cohen to pen a song in her honor. Public pushback convinced him to change “rag” to “flag,” but the heart of the song remained the same. Here’s a rendition of it with verses and lyrics.
In case you don’t know, this entire week is actually National Flag Week, so as you fly your American colors, join me this week by choosing your own red, white, and blue outfit or jewelry to celebrate and salute our national emblem. It represents a deep, unshakable allegiance to this place we call home.
As a fun side note for my readers who are history buffs: Betsy Ross may get all the fame surrounding our flag, but she was actually only the seamstress. In fact, it was a signer of “The Declaration of Independence” named Francis Hopkinson who was the true creative mind behind the layout and original design.
And I’ll close with one final image I found from back when the YouVersion Bible app had a companion app called Bible Lens for matching pictures on your device with Bible verses. I love the one it found from Galatians 5:13 to go with one of my flag pictures. Photo Studio Pro allowed me to add some sparkles and a vintage frame. I’ll share the verse and then the image with the verse.
Galatians 5:13 NLT
[13] For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.5.13.NLT
Note: Some of the words for the historical information were assisted by Google Gemini, but I’ve edited and personalized all of it before publishing.
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🎵 My Brother’s New Music, Makin’ Chains, is Honest and Deep
There’s something thrilling about watching a musician with a dream as he carves out his new path in real-time. As his big sister, I’m super proud of Shayne’s achievements so far, and I know there are plenty more in the future. As a writer, I know the emotional labor that goes into crafting words from the depths of your soul, and with the deep truths presented in this latest release, I know my brother put it all out there.
It’s not common to present something so gritty and raw as only a second release, but with this one, Shayne is building a momentum even I didn’t expect. He put in the studio hours and put out the heart and soul that will prove to the world he’s not afraid to tackle heavy, complex human stories.
Shayne’s latest single, “Makin’ Chains” does exactly that.
If you are expecting the bright, melodic energy of his first release, “Savage Grace,” prepare yourself for a deliberate shift to something much darker, grittier, and cinematically truthful. “Makin’ Chains” is a bit harder for me to write about. It’s not meant to make you feel comfortable; rather it’s an intense, unflinching look at generational patterns, anger, and the harsh cycles we create when pain is passed down as an inheritance.
The track itself is a bluesy rock with the guitar and vocals sounding like a weight being dragged across a hard floor. Shayne sings about the painful links forged into an ever-growing, weighted chain on our lives. He paints a detailed picture of the forger of that weight wanting to be free of it, and he sings a raspy whisper of the solution found in the Light.
But he doesn’t take the listener to the breakthrough in this song. That’s kind of hard for me, but I also know it takes some serious artistic bravery to drop a song that leaves you uncomfortable. It’s a mature stance to step away from the easy and catchy lines and deal with something so tragic and real. It’s genuine storytelling without holding back. I need to learn from my little brother. 😊 Knowing Shayne, though, I’m hoping he’s got a future track prepared where the story moves into that Light he whispers about in “Makin’ Chains.”
To feel the heavy and authentic atmosphere he’s built with this track, you can watch the official video below.
With Makin’ Chains officially live and streaming everywhere, you can find the track, artwork, interviews, and choose your favorite streaming platform at: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/shaynesavage/makin-chains
To keep up with all future releases, merch, and more, bookmark his official website at: https://www.shaynesavage.com/
Note: Some of the words for this review were assisted by Google Gemini, but I’ve edited and personalized all of it before publishing.
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When AI Gets Goosebumps
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Because the last three days were so intense, I’ve decided to share a couple images that came up in my photo memories because of my recent topics on mountains. These were made in the Abstract Fluid and Kintsugi filters; I really love the colors, and especially the gilded edges, on these pictures.
As for the goosebumps, I just had to share the laugh that when I presented my last blog post for editing (part 3 of the Upside-down Mountain posts), Gemini didn’t find any corrections and said the post gave it “literal goosebumps.” A play on words because it’s literary, or a test to see if I’d catch the word literal and say, ” No you didn’t”? I don’t know, but at least it gave me a good smile and laugh. And I’m very happy that Gemini saw the value and hard work I’d put into that post—and all the posts on that subject.
Of course, I was really tired having been up for hours trying to fix a ghost notification on hubby’s phone that was going off every 2 minutes and then showing nothing in the pull-down notification screen. I need to tell you how to fix it in case it ever happens to you. This is an Android issue, and maybe even Samsung-specific.
So, I tried deleting files. I tried updating the Samsung password since my account fuels every Samsung device in the house and it was warning me that it had been 6 months since the last update. I tried every setting I could find that had to do with that notification, and nothing worked. That’s when Gemini came to my rescue.
First, it had me check to see if I was using message/notification reminders where they periodically pop back up if unanswered. Nope; that was clear. Then came a few more tweaks in notifications, privacy, and accessibility, but still: sounds with no words, every 2 minutes exactly. I knew that phone was not an airplane but would likely be tested that way if it kept it up when hubby got up the next day. So, like a bulldog with a bone, I kept digging.
Really, it’s not as hopeless as it would seem. And part of that is due to a very smart app Gemini told me to download from the Galaxy Store. It’s called “Nice Catch” and it can record all the little changes to your phone with about 7 hours of history. And the developer made it free!
Once I got the download open, I switched on the main toggle (and then every toggle) just to try and find the phantom annoyance. Within 2 minutes, the first one came up. And then 2 more, exactly at 2-minute intervals. They were repeats of the flash flood warning that had hit our area the previous morning when 8 inches of rain dropped in 1 hour. Once we had that info, Gemini was able to direct me to the exact setting that was creating the notifications.
If you have a Samsung smartphone, and especially if you’ve ever gotten random notifications with no visuals, this app works. With or without that app, though, here are the steps for making sure your phone’s emergency notifications are set exactly as you want them. I’m guessing these will be close to the same for every Samsung Android device. Go to…
- Settings (the gear ⚙️ icon)
- Safety and Emergency
- Wireless Emergency Alerts
- Alert Reminder (It will likely say 2 minutes by default, and you can change it to once, 15 minutes, or never.)
Other settings on this page include setting your emergency alerts to full volume even when the phone is on Do Not Disturb, and having the alerts spoken to you.
I will research more for my own phone as I’ve found articles saying the Nice Catch developer, “Good Lock” has lots of great customizations in their app suite. Comment below if there’s something you think I should know about or would be interested in. Thanks!
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🎵 The Upside-down Mountain of Blessings; Part 3
The dark clouds roll in with a thunderous crackle, and a howling wind blows blinding sheets of rain against the neighborhood. A flash flood violently surges over the riverbanks, ripping up trees and slamming directly into two houses. From a distance, the two structures look identical. But as the mud rushes over the foundations, their differences become obvious. One house stands completely unmoved against the torrent, while the other one collapses into a catastrophic heap of crushed bricks and broken wood. This is the closing cinematic scene of YahShua’s famous sermon.
After dismantling four millennia of religious chaos and bringing the focus back to its original purpose—grace—He ends with a sharp warning about an unavoidable storm. He forces us to look past the outward appearance of our lives and look directly at what is underneath them. Without explicitly asking Himself, He poses the question: What is your foundation?
Matthew 7:24-27 BSB
[24] Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
[26] But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. [27] The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell— and great was its collapse!”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.7.24-27.BSB
So I ask you, dear reader, what is your foundation? Are you trusting in The Lord and built on a rock-solid foundation that is backed up in Scripture? Have you tested the beliefs that frame your spiritual life against the words of The Carpenter?
And if you’ve ever wondered what a house (and rock) made of knitted yarn looks like, check out this cute image…
I loved working on this study with Gemini because it brought up some focal points I may have missed if I’d spent the hours required to search all the sources the AI has access to. One great point was this: The wise builder didn’t build a house to earn the rock; he built on the rock because he trusted its strength. At least it’s a great point to someone who has spent many days and hours trying to perform flawlessly enough to keep the Rock in my life rather than causing Him to give up on me.
I also liked the notes on comparing our walk with Christ to a phone that needs to be charged. A phone doesn’t earn its power by working, it sits passively on a charger to receive power. But it receives power *so that* it can go out and run its apps. Good behavior and holy living are not a currency we pay to get God to love us—they are the natural fruit of a life that has finally let God and His love be the source of power.
Stopping the Grace vs Works Pendulum
We don’t obey God to convince Him we are worthy of His love; we obey Him because we have finally allowed Him to fully love us. His way. Based on His worthiness—poured out in blood at Calvary. We obey because, like a glass submitting to a vessel that’s pouring water into it, we trust Him to fill us up. Good behavior and obedience, including letting God serve us in healings and other blessings, is the fruit of that trust.
The balance of both grace and good works—with grace setting us free from struggling for a paycheck attached to our workload—stops the pendulum. Once we’re free from being servants of sin, we become like children who want to please our holy Father because we love and trust Him. We’re no longer swinging from one extreme to the other trying to figure out which lessons to follow to become perfect or shunning works all together as if they are a type of bondage.
Now, we’re praising God from the top of the upside-down mountain of blessings, and from the valley below. We realize blessings are His gifts of love toward us rather than rewards for our perfection. He pours out gifts because He wants to. No more begging; just receiving, trusting, and loving in all kinds of weather.
As we wrap up this journey on the Upside-Down Mountain of Blessings, look at your own spiritual foundation today. Are you still trying to climb the old mountains of performance, or are you ready to build on the Rock of Christ’s finished work? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below: Which part of this upside-down message speaks most deeply to where you are at in your faith journey right now?
Read Part 1 at: https://crystal-writes.com/2026/06/07/upside-down1/
Read Part 2 at: https://crystal-writes.com/2026/06/08/upside-down2/
And now, enjoy an old childhood favorite about the wise man and the foolish man…
And I’ll finish this in style with the beautiful song “God on the Mountain” by Lynda Randle…
Note: Parts of this study (and a few of the words) were assisted by Google Gemini, alongside website studies at Bible Hub and Got Questions, but I’ve edited and personalized all of it before publishing.
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🎵Upside-down Mountain of Blessings; Part 1
Imagine standing in the desert heat in the Shechem Valley of ancient Israel. You’re listening to the voices of the nation’s tribal leaders shout across two steep cliffs. From one lush green peak, Mount Gerizim, you hear shouts of blessing after blessing poured over the crowds. The shouts promise things like wealth, rain, and victory. And then, from the barren ridge of Mount Ebal, terrifying declarations of curse after curse ring out, warning of catastrophic dangers like poverty, hunger, and exile. This was the environment of the “valley of decision”—the place where God asked for a commitment of loyalty from His people. In Deuteronomy 30:19-20 it says,
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 BSB
[19] I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live, [20] and that you may love the Lord your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/deu.30.19-20.BSB
For centuries, this was the landscape of ancient Judaism—a clear-cut line where your physical state (blessing or curse on wealth, health, and safety) was your spiritual “report card.” Originally, it had a beautiful purpose in driving loyalty to The Creator and away from the many false gods of the surrounding nations.
But even good things can become co-opted by human misunderstanding until they no longer resemble their original purpose. Over time, religion began to use those “report cards” as excuses to elevate or destroy people based on how they determined God must be judging them. (Think of Job’s “friends.”) If you were successful, you were deemed blessed, and if not, you were deemed cursed.
Suddenly, instead of “one people” gratefully serving the One Lord who delivered them from the bondage and slavery of Egypt, religion devolved into a caste society of judgmental haves lording themselves over the have-nots. It didn’t help people’s hearts grow closer to Yahveh at all. In fact, His heart broke for every person driven away from Him by those whose service to Him was shallow and purely on the surface.
But fast-forward to a different hill in Galilee. Here, a radical new Teacher sits down with the crowd. He looks far beyond the external “report cards” and instead looks deep into the eyes of the poor, the grieving, and the socially rejected. Even if they only came for a free meal or healing, he doesn’t shout at them from a mountain of curses.
Instead, He catches everyone completely by surprise. He looks right at the broken and says, “Blessed are you.”
Welcome to the Upside-Down Mountain of Blessings, where YahShua (Jesus) rewrites everything we thought we knew about the favor of God.
When we talk about this event, we call it The Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew, and The Sermon on the Plain in the book of Luke. On the mountain, YahShua mirrors Moses going up the mountain to receive the laws of God, bringing tried-and-true instructions for Kingdom living to His disciples. On the plain, He acts more like Joshua delivering those historic blessings and curses—except He turns them totally upside-down.
We call them “The Beatitudes” (from the Latin word beatus meaning “blessed” or “happy”) and “The Woes.” Notice how the traditional “report card” gets completely flipped. Here’s the account from Luke 6…
Luke 6:20-26 BSB
[20] Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
[21] Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
[22] Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. [23] Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[24] But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
[25] Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
[26] Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.6.20-26.BSB
(You can also read Matthew's account of The Beatitudes, which focuses on the blessings without the woes, here: https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.5.3-11.BSB)
In all of this, you can see how far humanity swung the pendulum of religion away from God’s original intent of “encouraging” people to choose His ways. From the Old Testament mountains to the hills and plains of the New Testament, religious systems had stripped away God’s mercy—leaving a distorted picture that still causes people today to accuse God of being a bully in the Old Testament. But YahShua demonstrated the true heart of The Father by fully ministering to the actual needs of those who followed Him.
And now, as you see your hardships are not a sign of God’s judgment or abandonment, you can release that crushing burden of being required to perform flawlessly for Him to earn your mountain of blessings.
But this leads to a slightly uncomfortable question: If the Kingdom is a place where the empty are filled and the broken are blessed, how do we actually receive it? What does it look like for Our King to roll up His sleeves, kneel down on the ground in front of us, and offer to do the one thing our spiritual pride hates the most—minister to us in our messy and broken conditions?
In Part 2, we will look at exactly that scenario as YahShua declares Himself a servant and washes the feet of His disciples. Read Part 2 here.
In the meantime, check out this fantastic ApologetiX parody of “Venus” by Bananarama and titled “Jesus (Sermon on the Mount). While this specific video isn’t sung directly by them, it’s an excellent parody with great visuals and full lyrics included!
Note: Parts of this study (and a few of the words) were assisted by Google Gemini, alongside website studies at Bible Hub and Got Questions, but I’ve edited and personalized all of it before publishing.
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Sabbath Flora
Some people need to write every day because of how their minds work. My lessons on that have come with years of missed posts, so apparently that’s also how my mind works. But, I also need a Shabbat (Sabbath) rest here and there, so my new plan is to use Fridays to share some of my many image creations.
Today, that starts with a few of my lilies which were used as input images into a few different photo manipulation programs. I’ll share them as simple collages created with the Photo Studio Pro app.
Original lily color enhanced and vignetted.
Original lily with background removed in the Background Eraser app. And when I first got that app, removing backgrounds and replacing them with other colors and designs was about all it could do. Now it includes all kinds of other photo editing tools, so I need to get back and play a bit more. Anyway, after removing the background, I used the Chroma Lab app to change colors and the Photo Studio Pro app to add frames and decorative edges.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
I went back to Chroma Lab and did a whole lot of rainbow filters with some added bokeh (background blur), and I really like the way this collage came out.
Finally, I used the lily image as an input image (like a template) for Wombo Dream AI. A variety of filters later, including one that knitted a rainbow lily for me, I got the following collection I’ve put into a collage for you. I think the pink ones for their pretty pink gingham background from Background Eraser be before I used that as an input to Wombo. These designs are mostly from the Abstract Fluid 2 filter, and they are by far my favorites. Can you believe how much variety can be created from only one image? And if a computer can do this, imagine all that God can do with those of us created in His image!
Sweet flower dreams and Shabbat Shalom everyone! 🌸
Luke 12:27 BSB
[27] Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.12.27.BSB
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🎵 Prompt Response: Soul ATM
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
If you had an unlimited budget for 24 hours, what would you do?
Day One
When I first read this prompt, my mind immediately went to how many lasting things I could get if I had no limits. I thought of how I’d contact a banker and ask for help with investments that would keep the unlimited flow going long after the 24 hours. And then…
It occurred to me that an unlimited budget did not have to be about any kind of money or finance. What could be worth more than those things and give me unlimited prosperity for 24 hours? Souls! Having a flow of guaranteed souls dispensed to me like an ATM does money, and then being able to send those souls in a new direction—toward the cross of Christ—would be amazing.
I think my mind went there after hearing from a Facebook friend who I met on the site years ago but who has since blessed me greatly with her sincere love for The Lord. She told me about how she tries to use every opportunity God gives her to share her salvation testimony. She is driven to carry the Good News to as many souls as God allows to cross her path.
So, can you imagine having a day with an unlimited budget of souls being sent your way? They need The Lord you serve, the peace He provides, and the promise of eternity. You have the answers that will give them that hope and peace, and this unlimited budget means they are sent right to you and ready to listen.
Most of us will share our experiences and testimonies here and there as a door opens or an opportunity presents itself. A few, like my friend Miha, will create open doors and opportunities. And whether you were only given 2 talents or the whole 5, or even only 1 talent, the Lord wants to gain interest on the investment He made for your soul and paid with His very own blood. Anything that can make interest (usury) is certainly a valuable asset, and we really do have an unlimited budget of hungry and empty people who need God.
In The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) it begins like this…
Matthew 25:14-15 BSB
[14] For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. [15] To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent — each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.25.14-15.BSB
Each servant spends his investment differently with one of them not spending at all but burying his talent. There are many interpretations of what these talents are, including the possibility of those abilities within each of us that can be called talents, but the end result is always the same. We need to multiply what The Lord has entrusted us with that He will be able to profit on His return. He tells the person who hid his talent…
Matthew 25:27 BSB
[27] Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/mat.25.27.BSB
So whether it’s financial gain, or actual performance talent, when The Lord returns, we know He is returning for souls. That means interest on that would be more souls.
Over forty years ago, I sat on a church pew in Riverside, California, where I was visiting for a revival. They presented a video set to Steve Green’s classic song, “People Need the Lord.” But it wasn’t a generic Hollywood production. The church had taken photos of their own community—ordinary people on familiar street corners, living out their daily lives. I wept as I watched unfamiliar faces with the same needs as the familiar faces in my own daily life. I understood then that the mission field isn’t always across an ocean; it’s often right outside our own front doors. We are surrounded by a Soul ATM, a world of empty people rushing by with a need for mercy and grace and maybe not even knowing where to look. It just takes one person willing to step out of their own busyness, set up a chair, and offer the only Good News that can truly change their direction and fill them with the hope they need.
Here’s a beautiful rendition of that song…
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Creative Ways to Deal
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
This is blog post number two because after I had blog post number 1 completed, my check of links revealed that it wasn’t the best idea to share. I was going to tell you all where to get my free phone wallpapers from Zedge, but the link to the regular website is so different from what I see within the app, it became clear I could not share it. Third party ads with misleading statements about activating your account could’ve made it look like that’s what you needed to do in order to grab my creations, and I just couldn’t serve that info with a clear conscience. I did find an alternative I’ll begin working on to share here later, though.
The other issue was that I had put some sample images in a collage, so people would know what they could expect. As it turns out, even though AI images cannot be copyrighted at this time, the terms of service (TOS) for using Zedge pAInt to design includes not being allowed to use those images on a blog or external website, even if it’s not monetized and is only being used to send people to them. 🙃
So, today’s blog post is a lesson for me, and it can also be for you all to learn from my “almost” mistakes, so none of my readers will risk their own violation of a site’s terms. The big lesson being, even if you know the basic rules, ALWAYS read the TOS for the specific user practices they demand. In the meantime, enjoy the collage of peaceful doves, flowers, and butterflies made in Wombo where they have much more user friendly terms.
And here is one more collage of dove images using the following prompt:
2 white peace doves nestling on colorful flowers with deep royal reds, purples, blues, and greens all with gilded edges. A layer of deep green leaves with gilded edges and veins sits beneath the flowers. Soft glittery rays of sunshine stream from fluffy white clouds in the corner and bathe the doves and flowers. One large butterfly made of stained glass hovers near the doves, and many tiny colorful butterflies flit and sparkle throughout the scene.
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Use that prompt in your favorite AI image generator and then let me know where I can see what you’ve created. In the meantime, have a really creative day!
P.S. The “How to Deal” in the title was about dealing with extreme nerve pain in my back and leg (detailed in the first post), and how that led me to being creative as a way of dealing with what I could not do. Plus I got notes on my phone from apps saying, “Hey, look what we can do now!” It was a good day to be creative, but since it ended up taking me all night to do so, and since I actually wrote 2 posts, I’m officially skipping what would have been published as the date of May 24th and bringing you this for May 25th. Maybe that will set me on a better path forward. Now it’s time for some sleep for me. 😴
Psalm 4:8 BSB
[8] I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.4.8.BSB
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🎵Girl’s Day Memories
First, I really like this knitted filter. 😁 And I’ve also found that it will often create more pictures for me while the other filters keep giving me “restricted content” warnings because my prompt has words like child or daughter or kid in it. It’s sad that people in our world use those words to create content that wouldn’t be deemed as “safe for work” so it causes a warning if anything gets even close to that.
But I’m not writing about sad stuff except maybe the bittersweetness of memories because they cannot be had anymore. So on to the content I planned for today.
My day’s plans were put on hold due to a sciatic flair, so I spent the day on a phone visit with a friend. (The amazing friend who’s been helping me with Operation Cleanout and getting organized.) She understood my lack of ability to move, lift, and twist today, so we enjoyed a time of visiting via voice instead of in person. During that visit, a thing I shared with her hit me as a good topic for my blog readers.
Growing up for a time in government housing meant things like looking for inexpensive ways to find meaning in a day and finding out how to do that at home because we didn’t have a car. Eventually, we established a pattern. When the monthly check would arrive, my mother would treat me and my sister to a girl’s day. Our first stop was usually to take the bus to the nearest “Licorice Pizza” record store and buy ourselves at least one new record to listen to. I can still see the blue label on the Wildfire 45 rpm we loved to sing with. “She ran calling ‘Wildfire,’ she ran calling…” And once in a while, we got a whole new album, like a greatest hits collection by Anne Murray because we all sang with that one.
I don’t recall which stores we shopped at for nail polish, but we always got at least one new color to try, usually one with sparkles in it. We’d get out all the old ones from previous months, and sometimes we painted a different color on each nail just for fun. I think they actually do that in professional manicures now, but we just loved to experiment back then.
On the way home, we got off the bus a couple blocks past our apartment complex, so we could get our favorite dinner treat: Chinese food to go. In those days, the more people you ordered for, the more extra food types you could add to your order. It’s why that one old Doris Day/Brian Keith movie is called “With Six You Get Eggroll.” Of course, we had to have an egg roll and fried rice with every order. 😋 And they always added these paper sleeves with wooden chopsticks, so we always tried to figure out how to use them—at least for the first few bites. 🤣
As a side note, as an adult, I always wondered why fried rice just didn’t taste the same as I’d remembered from my youth. One day, just for my own curiosity, I added a little bit of the oil that floats on top of my natural peanut butter, and there it was….that unmistakable flavor that made me always want more Chinese food. I guess most Chinese restaurants used woks and peanut oil back then, and the taste was totally different. And, I think, so much better!
Anyway, with our bags full of little white boxes covered in red designs and symbols, we headed home for a few hours of unstressed mom and daughters fun. We’d sit on the living room floor and try the foods while the record player dropped a stack of 45s, including the latest purchases. We would sometimes play the music through headphones to more fully hear the nuances of left and right sounds. And then we’d make the house smell like a salon while we played with color.
I wish every day had those good memories, and I wish they were never undone by Mom going on a late night drinking binge, but even with the myriad of imperfect and stressful days, I’m so thankful for those times, those pleasant moments, that brought balance to my life. Now, they bring balance to my memories as well.
Philippians 4:8 BSB
[8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think on these things.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/php.4.8.BSB
I know the words are a bit sad, but here’s a video of Wildfire by Michael Martin Murphey with a slideshow of beautiful horses…
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🎵 Buttermilk Biscuit Dance?
Did you know we have a national march for our country? No? Me either! Yes? You should blog about it and teach the rest of us. 😁 I think you’ll recognize the tune when you hear it, though. I’ll tell you later about the biscuit dance, but for now, I’m taking you back to 1897 when a man later dubbed The March King, John Philip Sousa officially debuted the song he’d written the previous year. It’s called “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and it became our national march tune by an act of Congress in 1987. It was even used to close out each show of Sing Along with Mitch.
I actually have a whole Sousa CD because I really like that marching beat. I guess it’s time to get it out to use as some walking beat inspiration. In the meantime, guess what people did with the powerful march at song in the 1930s and 1940s. They made a parody. And if you didn’t know the tune from the march, you likely recognize it from the parody. Though I heard it as Be Kind to Your Fine Feathered Friends, all the videos I could find think it’s Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friends. So here’s one video (no lyrics, though) by Peter and Mary in 1954, and it actually has verses…
Now, about those biscuits falling out of their mouths while they try to dance like chickens… May 14th is actually Dance Like a Chicken Day AND also Buttermilk Biscuit Day, so I asked Gemini to create a picture for me with people doing the Chicken Dance while eating buttermilk biscuits. I say definitely don’t try this at home because the mess would be huge, but I also say not to try this at all because you could choke. But it’s fun to look at in a picture.
And now I have to ask, do you know how to Chicken Dance? (Which was originally called The Duck Dance by the way.) If not, here’s a great video celebrating Wurstfest (since apparently the song by Werner Thomas is of German origins)…
While seeking help from Gemini to find all these sources, it asked me if I was going to write a poem or haiku to go with the subjects. I tried to cover it all in 2 stanzas…
It's a duck, mother,
Feathered sister or brother,
So be kind to it.
Also remember,
The stars and stripes wave freely,
Even o'er the swamp.
And while you’re eating or dancing or playing a tune, follow the encouragement from the Psalms to praise The Lord on many types of instruments:
Psalm 150:3-6 BSB
[3] Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre. [4] Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flute. [5] Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals. [6] Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.150.3-6.BSB
Finally, I have one more video I just have to include because of the duck dance reference and because these baby ducks are adorable while flitting around to the Chicken/Duck/Hamster Dance music… 🦆🎶
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Creativity Day
I had a bit of a stressful day today, and I have a really busy day planned for tomorrow, so I decided that tonight was a great night to just do some picture playing while my phones charged before sleep. No deep words of wisdom other than to remind you (and myself) that God’s Word promises us that He will work everything for the good for those who love Him and are the called according to His purposes. To be able to work everything to the good means He is with us in those everything moments. So this is me trying to release any and all fears, anxieties, and issues with my battles with low self-esteem (though I know God sees me better than I see myself, so that helps), into His hands. I’m sure my readers have had their hard days and battles as well, so as I pray for those who visit my writings, I’m also grateful for those who take me to the throne when I’m not as strong as I’d like to be. Thank you with my whole heart. 🙏
Romans 8:28 BSB
[28] And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/rom.8.28.BSB
Philippians 4:6 BSB
[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/php.4.6.BSB
Proverbs 19:21 BSB
[21] Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the Lord will prevail.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/pro.19.21.BSB
And now, more pictures…
Good night and Shalom! 🕊️
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🎵Writer’s Weekend—Blog Break
I found an old golden hour sunset that I was trying to edit, and I couldn’t get it quite where I wanted it without turning on the computer with better software. That’s when I decided to ask Wombo to add the swing and the woman, and now I can take a little break for tonight.
We had a great writer’s meeting today, and I’m so impressed by the hearts and writing talent of those in our group. But it also means I get home a little late and have so much on my mind that a single topic for a blog post is a little hard to focus on. I wouldn’t trade it, though, and I hope it just gives readers an excuse to read old posts they may have missed. 😁
But just for fun, here’s a little squeeze box (accordion) tune to go with the funny fish poem I posted about in April called I Fished in a Tree.
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🎵 The Clock on God’s Wall
Anyone who read yesterday’s post to the end where I talk about my stepdad being in ICU without a DNR probably expected a goodbye post to follow soon. And you’re correct. But oh how perfectly God directs the timing even of the hard things. We can trust the clock on God’s wall.
I waited for a bit today to see if I got any phone calls; did my daily Bible study and other routines, made a cup of coffee, etc. I got out my phone to make the call to the hospital ICU for an update, and then realized I should finish the task I was on so it wouldn’t make noise during my call. The wait delayed my call for about 5-10 minutes. When I got the palliative nurse on the line, she gave me the news that his heart had stopped in the past 5-10 minutes.
I don’t consider things like that to be coincidences. I see them as a piece of timing that God orchestrated perfectly and nudged me into. He knew the difference it would make if I were talking to the nurse when the monitors began to signal my dad’s final moments. But by hearing it in the past tense, I was able to feel the jolt of sadness but also the peace of knowing he was in God’s hands already. Bittersweet is a good adjective for that. So, while I mourn a bit on this Earth, I can also rejoice that we have such a loving and personal Lord and Savior to plan for our needs and carry them out in just the right timing.
I tried a bunch of pictures with Wombo, and they just weren’t working, so I asked Gemini to better interpret what I was trying to say. I think the image is amazing, and because I did no personal editing or framing on it, it’s public domain for anyone else who might want to use it. I did not ask for the Scripture, so that was an extra nice touch. Here are those verses from Ecclesiastes 3…
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 BSB
[1] To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: [2] a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, [3] a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, [4] a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, [5] a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, [6] a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, [7] a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, [8] a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/ecc.3.1-8.BSB
And one more verse that seems fitting…
2 Corinthians 1:4 BSB
[4] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/2co.1.4.BSB
I’ll close this out with a beautiful and fitting song by Casting Crowns…
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Knitted Writers — Blog Break Today
No haiku tonight, and no real post either. I had a hiccup day finding out that my main website had broken links that have given me a huge to-do list for the coming days. I’ve got it all mapped out, so hopefully, it will be less time consuming having done the heavy lifting today. Thanks for understanding my need for a little break, and I hope the picture makes you smile as much as it made me smile. Here are 2 more knitted writers for you.
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Haiku Scriptures—Genesis One
As promised, tonight I bring you Genesis, Chapter 1. Read it for the rhythm and nuances you might miss from just passive reading or from study. I hope my poet’s eye leads you to even deeper study on your own. The first-born teacher in me would be thrilled to know I’ve stirred up a hunger for even more of God’s Word in my readers.
Note: When I originally used the memorial name of The Almighty, I used what’s called the tetragrammaton (YHVH) with the vowels inserted. That read YaHVeH. (Or it could be YHWH/YaHWeH, but V and W were the same letter in Hebrew, and I’m drawn to the V because by itself, it means and. So when I read Yahveh vs Yahweh, I see it as “Yah and…” or “God and… ” because He is the beginning of everything. Still, it looked distracting with the capital letters, so I’ve fixed that now.
GENESIS Intro…
Genesis One: One
“Genesis” means “Beginnings”…
Let us start from here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1…1:1
In the beginning:
No heavens; no earth, until...
Yahveh creates all!
1:2-5
Darkness divided:
Yahveh says, "Let there be light."
... Eve and morn — “Day One.”
1:6-8
Waters Divided:
Those below from those above.
... Eve and morn — “Day Two.”
1:9-10
The dry lands appear.
They are split by the waters,
Which Yahveh calls “seas.”
1:11-13
Earth starts producing:
Trees, plants, and seed-bearing fruit.
... Eve and morn — “Day Three.”
1:14-19
Great and lesser lights:
To rule the days and the nights;
Sunshine; moon; and stars.
Lights will be for signs,
And for seasons, days and years.
... Eve and morn — “Day Four.”
1:20-23
When birds and fish swarm:
They fill the skies and the seas.
... Eve and morn — “Day Five.”
1:24-25
The earth brings forth life:
Many animals and beasts,
And crawling creatures.
So much accomplished:
Most of creation is done...
God says, “It is good.”
1:26
ankind is made:
Created in God's image...
Man is blessed in God.
1:27-31
See man; See woman:
The greatest of all creations...
It is very good!
1:28-31
Plants and animals:
Plus humans, to multiply.
... Eve and morn — “Day Six.”
End of Chapter One
And now just for fun, here’s a couple 30-second music tracks to accompany two of the stanzas of haiku about God creating man. Comment about your favorite.
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Playing Telephone on a Bridge
Why a bridge? Because George Washington Bridge opened on this day in 1931 connecting New Jersey and New York City. And I wonder… Did they choose this day (April 30th) because on the same day in 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first US president? It’s an interesting coincidence either way.
So, do you remember playing the game of Telephone? The one where you whisper a phrase in someone’s ear, who then whispers what they heard in the next person’s ear, who repeats the action until the secret gets to the final person in the circle? Yeah, that game where coming up with a set of words likely to be misheard is as much fun as finding out how messed up the message got by the end. Read more at Grokipedia. (Even though it’s AI, I’d rather share that than the other after so much had been found to be manipulated there.)
So, I’ve been trying to learn a bit from, and about, AI. And I’m realizing that AI is like playing a giant game of Telephone. All of the AI models are “trained” with large amounts of data, most of which were initially created with intention. But in addition to their initial datasets, they are also out there gathering data from what people, and possibly other AI, put out. That’s why so many people are putting up virtual walls to demand that their intellectual property cannot be scraped up and used. But that’s a different subject for a different day.
Hubby sent me an article about a guy who “hacked” an AI by providing false data for it to consume. The BBC journalist created a blog post about a non-existent hot dog eating contest and his record-breaking success at said contest. With some good marketing tricks, the contest and his win became “verified” information in response to the right search query. It’s a fascinating article I recommend reading in full if you get the chance. The journalist created the hack when he found out how companies are doing that very thing to raise their ranks on search results. And he says in the article: “I reviewed dozens of examples where AI tools are being coerced into promoting businesses and spreading misinformation. Data suggests it’s happening on a massive scale.”
The idea that info passed along can get misinterpreted is dangerous, and it’s why I’m so concerned about seeking truth and accurate information about what’s out there—especially concerning health and biblical things. I’ve said before that I am like that little girl asking her mom and grandma why they cut the ends off the ham. When the truth came out about the great-grandmother having a small pan, generations had been using the cutting preparation as if it were some learned secret that made the meal better. I’ve gotten in trouble more than once for asking questions instead of just taking things as people say them. But I’m okay with that because truth is taking a hit these days, and that concerns me.
As I do my own Bible study, I find lots of truths that never get mentioned from the pulpit. But this is getting long, so I’ll continue the message with the spiritual aspects of this tomorrow.
John 8:12, 30, 32 BSB
[12] Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
[30] As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.
[32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/jhn.8.12-32.BSB
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🎵Milestones
I’m keeping this really short because I wore myself out today going through many of the milestones I’ve kept in boxes because they are so precious to me. And I’m thankful for the memories, but there comes a time when you’ve got to whittle the physical parts of the memories down a bit. I’ve still got all the good stuff in my heart where it matters most.
And speaking of milestones, my little sister is celebrating a big one, so I played around with some AI music and created a short chorus for her. I made it to just “My Little Sister” so my readers can download it for their little sister’s birthdays as well if they like. Here are the lyrics…
Happy birthday to you sister,
The best little sister I adore.
I celebrate with you, little sister.
Have a great birthday...
And many, many more!
And here is the sound track…
And because I love the Holy Word of God so much, I even found a birthday Bible study to share with her and you all. Just go to Bible.com to find it with this link:http://bible.com/r/ADb which should take you to a study called A Birthday Card from Your Creator (A 7-Day Devotional).
Psalms 139:14 CSB
[14] I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. , Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.
https://bible.com/bible/1713/psa.139.14.CSB
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🎵 Holy, Pure, and Undefiled (Full Song)🎶
It’s done, and I’m excited to share it with my readers. This is the finished song with 3 verses added to the chorus I shared on the post April 18th. I’m not sure what was harder, writing the lyrics, getting a sound I like from Gemini (Lyria model), or getting this uploaded to YouTube so I could embed it here. Though difficult and time-consuming, I actually enjoyed the process, and now I’m excited to try a bunch more of my poetry set to music. What a fun way to write for the joy of The Lord, and then to make a joyful noise.
1 John 1:4 BSB
[4] We write these things so that our joy may be complete.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/1jn.1.4.BSB
Psalm 100:1-2 BSB
[1] A Psalm of thanksgiving. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. [2] Serve the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with joyful songs.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.100.1-2.BSB
I won’t bore you with a ton of details, but there have been some great lessons learned. Part of the learning felt like being in the music studio redoing tracks until they didn’t have any more hiccups. I heard Elvis was famous for doing that hundreds of times. And Marty Robbins was able to go into the studio and sing a song to perfection at the first take. (I’m sure you know who Elvis was, but if you’re not familiar with Marty, look up his album called Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs for some you might find familiar like “El Paso” and “Cool Water.” Or you might remember him for “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation.”)
And that was a fun rabbit trail. Lol 🤣 Anyway, to get the recording with which I was finally happy, it took coming back after I ran out of credits, and it took using multiple AI models. The Pro model didn’t want to help once it saw religious lyrics (I’m sad for that part), but the fast model that helps with a lot of Bible queries from me said it’s just how it’s trained. So, I let the fast model create the prompt with all the right spaces and breaks and punctuation to tell the Lyria model how to sing my words. AI knows AI, so the understanding was finally there to get my song, complete with ending tags (though it could’ve done a little better on that part), and a big orchestra & choir sound. The more I’ve played it, the more I’ve liked it.
And the last piece to the puzzle was finding out that Adobe Express would listen to the video and create captions in time with the music. I had to change some font sizes and boldness within the parameters of not having Adobe premium, but I was able to get them done in a way that should help y’all sing along. So, here for its debut blog performance, please enjoy Holy, Pure, and Undefiled with Lyrics by me and all the rest by Gemini and Lyria…
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🎵 Computerized Music Studio 🎶
Can a computer really create its own music? I somehow qualified for a trial of Gemini Pro, and I’ve just learned that I can plug in some lyrics and have it create a music track and vocals. Now it’s not like in the old days of AI origins (just a couple years ago, lol 😂) where all image requests were totally distorted, but it does get a few things wrong on the vocals, and sometimes it has technical glitches. I guess it’s all part of my cyber journey. But I had some good experience and fun while working on these, and I even felt a little like I was in the studio with a band trying to get a track just right. While I’ve never truly enjoyed being on stage, I’ve always loved the studio experience.
So, back in 2013, I wrote a chorus that was part of a prayer. I wrote how I longed for God to see me as pure, holy, and undefiled. I’ve sung it to God many times because it’s where I desire to be, and where I desire to come back to when the cares of this life have distracted me. Here are the lyrics to the chorus…
Holy, pure, and undefiled,
Let my heart and my mind be...
Holy, pure and undefiled,
Lord may I be more like Thee.
The AI cannot use the tune I created myself, but since I’m more of a lyricist than a musician, I decided to let it choose the tunes for me. Now I guess I have to learn my own song. Lol 😆 Here are two 30-second videos with the lyrics set to different music tunes and styles…
When I asked Gemini (Google’s AI) to add some music for me, it wanted to know a style. I started with an anthem sound, and I love what it created.
And then I asked for the same chorus with a country sound and a male vocalist. I liked this one a lot as well.
Finally, I decided to write some verses to go with the chorus, but there were things that didn’t work in every video until I ran past my limit on generations of new songs. I guess it’s about 50 of the short ones and only 10 of the long (3-minute) ones, so I’ll have to wait until it fully resets to try it again. When it does, I’ll create a new post, and then I’ll put a link here for anyone who follows this one. I’d love to hear your thoughts, though.
Psalm 98:4 BSB
[4] Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth — let your cry ring out, and sing praises!
https://bible.com/bible/3034/psa.98.4.BSB
Find the complete song with 3 verses and new music and vocals on my post from April 22nd titled Holy, Pure, and Undefiled.
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My Own Creative Muse
Like the character Cameo in yesterday’s story, I feel like I have the voice of a “muse” in my mind that drives me to create. Unlike Cameo, I haven’t turned away from that voice completely, though I’ve gone through dry spells. Maybe that’s why the story came to me and made me examine the relationship between our thought lives and our real lives. And if you ever battle with the still, small voice like Elijah, maybe Cameo’s journey will be enjoyable for you as well.
Though it’s not time to share more of her story yet, I want to share just a little from recent creative endeavors. The above photo is a close-up from the first good blooms on an azalea plant hubby got for me a few years ago. He did the research to find out what would make it grow, and it paid off well. I’m thrilled with the plant and with the pictures. I added a sparkly frame on this one because I knew how it would affect the images I got from Wombo Dream AI. Get ready for a barrage of pink and full instructions for any why might want to try designing images in Wombo.
So my first stop was to their browser page because they recently updated it with a new “edit” button. You can upload an image, and then tell it how you want it edited. Maybe you want the flowers in purple or the sky in green. Put your thoughts in the prompt box, and let it go to work. I told it I wanted the image in stained glass. The outputs were the same in the app as in the browser, so here are some from the app before I added the frame…
You can visit the website without downloading the app, so you can make your own fun edits at https://dream.ai/ and click on the “Start Creating” button. On the creation page, you can use my prompt (below) if you like, or create your own. When you add a prompt, you’ll notice a button that says enhance. That button will add some fancy extra prompts that are well trained into the AI. Once you have the prompt you want, it’s time to select a filter. Anything that doesn’t say “Premium” is okay to use. The latest filters are V4, and the V3 filters also work well. Once your filter is selected, you can choose generate to make your picture. It will download with a watermark if you don’t have premium, but it’s not bad and may be able to be cropped out in another program if it really bothers you. Here’s the prompt…
Turn these beautiful magenta azaleas into a stained glass window.
This is just the beginning of what you can do. You’ll notice you have image sizes to choose from in case you want to make a phone wallpaper size or a Facebook header size. And then you can look toward the bottom for the browse button where you can upload your own image. Or mine if you’ve downloaded it. That’s why I make most of my images Creative Commons. At some point, the page may ask you to create an account in order to download your images. I’m not sure if the gallery to store your images comes with every account, or only on the app, but having lost a number of gallery photos when they crashed last year, I recommend actually saving your favorites to a permanent location.
Now, because I’m a fan of abstract creations, there is a V2 filter I go to often. I’ll share the collage and prompt for that, and I hope to hear from readers that you’ve tried this for yourself and had as much fun with it as I do. The prompt (for use with the image at the top and with their enhanced additions) is…
Turn this into a beautiful stained glass window with the original magenta pink azalea and pink glitter frame colors intact. Intricate lead lines separating vibrant glass pieces, sunlight streaming through to cast colorful reflections, delicate floral motifs surrounding the azalea, subtle gradients blending pinks and purples, the window set against a softly illuminated stone wall, enhanced by shimmering highlights on the glitter frame that catch the light at different angles.
And here are the images…
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🎵 The Poetry of Poetry: And the Biblical Rhythms that Never Fade
Every April, while I’m finding excitement in it being National Poetry Month, I’m hearing many “I hate poetry” voices–even from my fellow writers. But I don’t think it’s poetry they hate. If they read God’s Word, they are reading poetry in a lot of it, especially the Psalms. If they listen to music, they are listening to the meter and rhyme of poetry. I think it’s the abstract and flowery ideas often found in poetry that they feel resistant to; not the idea of rhythmic words.
Poetry is to words what a kaleidoscope is to bits of colorful glass. When tumbled together in the presence of mirrors and light, the pieces in the kaleidoscope can present an image that will stop you in your tracks and take your breath away. And the same thing can happen when you read a poem that captures words with precise rhythms you can feel like a song.
In biblical poetry, the use of parallelism (like mirrors in a kaleidoscope) creates a cadence that works as a mnemonic to help you remember the words and their meanings long after you’ve closed the book. It’s why so many Scriptures can easily move into song — the music is already within the words.
So today, I invite you to look more deeply into the idea of poetry. Look at why the rules of meter and rhyme (the musical elements) of a poem matter for both writers and readers. Ignore the idea that every poem is by a creator who abuses artistic license (though there are plenty) and let yourself enjoy the poetry that surrounds you in so many ways. Even nature with its mirrored flower petals and fractalized seashells displays itself as a poem without words. So, if you understand the technology and technique behind it, you’ll understand and admire the poetry of it.
There is an unspoken symmetry in the words that click with our spirits. It’s like the broken pieces in a kaleidoscope lining up to become a star, sparkling with unexpected beauty. My article, “The Poetry of Poetry” (1300+ reads at Scribd.com) is your invitation to open up the kaleidoscope and look at the mechanics behind the design. The exact placement of the mirrors and where light is invited in can completely change the reflections of the glass. You’ll learn the mechanics of poetry in what I’ve put together, and it will help you see how a poet can use words and rhythms to create reflections that pull you into the vision of the piece.
Download the PDF of The Poetry of Poetry
And, finally, enjoy this beautiful version of Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy) by Shane and Shane. This will give you biblical poetry with the mathematics of perfect harmonies. For me, this song with lyrics was easy to sing, and it brought more than one moment of tears.
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A Passover Prisoner Exchange
by Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Who could this prisoner be whose freedom now hits him square between the eyes while he watches a substitute take his place on the cross? His cross! He was found guilty. He was sentenced to die that death. And he knew how wrong he was for committing his sins because he’d been raised better than that. He was supposed to be a preacher–not a prisoner. And now he is free even though he didn’t do anything to deserve it. The weight of the chains that once bound his wrists now weighs even heavier on his heart. What will he do with his new freedom?
I’m not going to tell you his name yet. I’m going to let you guess, or study, or maybe a little of both. If you already know, you’ve probably never thought of him as a backslidden PK (Preacher’s Kid). If you don’t know, I’ll tell you tomorrow. But today, I’ll remind you that because of the ultimate Passover sacrifice, no one is without hope.
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🎵Behold the Lamb!
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Scripture tells us that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. I think that’s because perspective is created by individual experiences mixed with the wisdom we’ve been taught. We share our perspectives with others (hence the proliferation of blogs, podcasts, videos, etc.), and when that is mixed with someone’s experience, they get new perspectives with which to counsel others.
I love to read, but not so much book-length manuscripts. I’ve read a few novels that kept me enthralled, but it’s just a handful of authors that have that effect on me. So, I read lots of articles and blog posts, and other quick content. I love the Bible app by YouVersion because of the abundance of Bible studies there. And I can study alone or with others. Their plans are best on the app, but this page should work even if you don’t have the app yet… https://www.bible.com/reading-plans and you can search plans by topic, length, author, etc.
My latest study is called “A Gospel View of Christ, the Lamb of God” by Returning to the Gospel. The link should take you right to it.
In reading this study, which is happening during Passover week (and Easter week) because I didn’t start it right when I planned, I’ve read of an amazing “coincidence” (we know it’s more likely a “God-incidence”) about the examination of the Passover lambs. All of Exodus Chapter 12 is about the Passover, and you can read it at Bible Hub, but here are the 2 verses that gave me a new perspective…
Exodus 12:3, 6 BSB
[3] Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.
[6] You must keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/exo.12.3-6.BSB
I added bold emphasis to point out the 10th and 14th days. They chose a lamb but did not slaughter it until it had been thoroughly examined, and then all the people slaughtered their lambs at the same time. The study pointed out that on the 10th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, the sheep were being brought through the “Sheep Gate” to be examined for the Passover. It is known as “Shabbat HaGadol” and is a significant Sabbath for the feast. On that same day, Messiah YahShua was entering another gate riding on a donkey. He would have dinner with His disciples, and then they would go pray in Gethsemane. From there, the betrayal would mean His arrest and then a whole lot of examination. And they found no spot or blemish, so He was ready to be sacrificed.
I don’t believe Abba Yahveh Almighty lets any of that just happen. It’s a full plan to redeem us and to remove any excuses from those who know the details but refuse to believe. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out one day that each thing that happened back then was on a clock that matched the original Passover to the minute–or even to the second. An article at “Hebrew for Christians” has even more amazing details. My favorite is the connection between the Passover lamb and the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet: Aleph (pronounced ah-lef) and Tav (pronounced tahv). In Hebrew, these are written as א and ת.”
In the Hebrew Scriptures, these two letters often appear together. While they act as a grammatical pointer, they also represent the ‘First and the Last.’ Remember that YahShua said He was the Alpha and Omega, which is the Greek equivalent of Aleph and Tav, or A and Z, or First and Last. I used the parallel Bible at Bible Hub to view the Hebrew letters, and it’s as they say. Read the whole article for more at… https://hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shabbat_HaGadol/shabbat_hagadol.html
And with all that information, now I want to turn to the reason for seeking these things. We need to behold The Lamb so we can fully understand what He did for us and share that good news (or God news) with others. Close your eyes and imagine that pure and spotless lamb, silent and waiting, not even knowing the power that would flow from it’s perfect body to cover the door posts of Israel and protect them from the Death Angel when it entered Egypt. And then, envision another Lamb, this One knowing the power in His precious blood. Pray with me…
Abba Yahveh, our Father, we thank You for not just teaching us, but for loving us. Before we knew what we were missing, You were creating and perfecting a plan to remove every barrier that separates us from you by covering sin in perfect blood. Before we knew You (while we were yet sinners), You already loved and wanted us for Your own. You literally moved Heaven and Earth to make it happen! As You reach out and pursue us, even into the depths of the bondage of sin, may we look up and reach out to You and allow You to deliver us and set us free. It is not Your will for any of us to perish without You. Thank you for that and for ALL of Your wonderful mercy and grace. May Your Holy Presence dwell with each person who brings this prayer to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
And now, a beautiful song written by Dottie Rambo called “Behold The Lamb.”
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🎵Proverbs 21: When God Weighs Hearts
Do you suppose that most people who misbehave think they are doing anything wrong? It seems to me that even those who know they are doing something evil (like taking revenge on someone) only do so because they somehow feel justified. Proverbs Chapter 21 begins with talking about the King’s heart being in God’s hands and following His direction. Then it goes to other men and says…
Proverbs 21:2 WEBUS
[2] Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the hearts.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.21.2.WEBUS
The juxtaposition of the two types makes sense because the wise king who’s writing most of these proverbial instructions is trying to lead people by God’s direction. Even if he later fails and begins his own ways of doing right in his eyes instead of God’s, it doesn’t change the wisdom that real leadership works best when it’s in God’s hands. And it doesn’t change the wisdom that God weighs the heart and motives underlying the thoughts and behaviors.
But because of Calvary, we now know that God doesn’t stop with weighing hearts. He doesn’t see a pain-hardened heart with a jagged rock in the middle of it and just give up and throw it away. Instead, He offers the one suffering from a heavy heart an opportunity to let Him remake it into a tender heart of flesh.
Until putting this post together, I’d been reading all those verses showing the differences between righteous people and fools with a bit of judgment toward those who make foolish decisions and then pay foolish prices. It may be how it’s written, but I want to take this moment to look at every one of those differently; followed by a but it doesn’t have to stay this way thought process. Because, with the mercy and grace found in the holy blood of Jesus Christ shed at Calvary for you and me, we are no longer destined to be stuck in unrighteousness. We don’t have to be a king to put our hearts in the capable hands of The King of Kings and let Him direct us like He directs the rivers and oceans.
Verse 7 tells us…
Proverbs 21:7 WEBUS
[7] The violence of the wicked will drive them away, because they refuse to do what is right.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.21.7.WEBUS
So we know they refuse to do right because they already think they are doing right. And when being driven away causes the pain of rejection, the stone in the heart gets a little harder and sharper, and the person makes even more wrong decisions that bring even more rejection. It becomes a cycle that threatens to trap the heart in heaviness forever. But God looks deeper than others can see, or we can see about ourselves. We may feel burdened by the idea of God weighing our hearts when He may just be checking what needs to be done to fix things. Using the pottery metaphor, He’s finding out how much water to add to make the clay pliable again and soften it enough to pull the rock away like in the image above.
The Psalmist says…
Psalms 51:10 WEBUS
[10] Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
https://bible.com/bible/206/psa.51.10.WEBUS
And we can sing with the Maranatha singers, Change My Heart, Oh God and know that He will do it.
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Proverbs 17: What Does John 3:17 Have to do With St. Patrick? Finding the Refiner’s Fire in the Mud of Slemish Mountain
For six years on Slemish Mountain, Patrick was a slave in isolation from his home and family after being kidnapped at only 16 years of age. His journey didn’t begin in a cathedral but rather in a pit; in the furnace of refinement. Proverbs 17:3 describes it this way…
Proverbs 17:3 WEBUS
[3] The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but Yahweh tests the hearts.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.17.3.WEBUS
From a Pit of Mud to the Reflection of Christ
In Patrick’s Confessio, the raw Latin he uses to describe himself says, “Ego eram sicut lapis qui iacet in luto profundo.” The literal translation reads, “I was just like a stone which lies in mud deep.” But it was from that stone in the mud that The Refiner (who Patrick referred to as “Qui potens est” or “Who powerful is” in English) began His work.
The image I asked Gemini to create is of a silversmith carefully watching the refining process going on inside a kiln on an Irish hillside. There is a story about a woman going to a silversmith to learn about the process and better understand the Scriptures about these crucible moments we must sometimes walk through in this life. The author is unknown, but it’s a powerful story…
“The Refiner’s Fire
There was once a group of women studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women, and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.
That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: ‘He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.’ (Malachi 3:3)
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, ‘How do you know when the silver is fully refined?’ He smiled at her and answered, ‘Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it.’”
I love what this woman learns from the silversmith. She sees the loving personality of a Master Creator who doesn’t put us through the fire without a purpose and doesn’t leave us in the fire without a plan. Without even realizing it, she sees Exodus 12:42 in action. In Hebrew, it reads… “Leil shimurim hu l’Adonai” with the literal translation: “Night of vigils/safekeeping it [is] unto-the-Lord.” Like a silversmith, God never looked away but rather He kept a vigil throughout the night, never leaving His people unwatched, so He could bring them out safely. In the Complete Jewish Bible, it says ..
Sh'mot (Exo) 12:42 CJB
[42] This was a night when Adonai kept vigil to bring them out of the land of Egypt, and this same night continues to be a night when Adonai keeps vigil for all the people of Isra’el through all their generations.
https://bible.com/bible/1275/exo.12.42.CJB
For Patrick, the “heat” of refinement while he lived in slavery wasn’t a punishment. It was the necessary environment to burn away the dross of his sin and reveal the “silver” of his soul when touched by salvation. As I put this post together, I realized the date of 3/17 and how St Patrick’s life and these Scriptures about the refiner’s fire line up with John 3:17.
John 3:17 CSB
[17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
https://bible.com/bible/1713/jhn.3.17.CSB
While The Refiner sits by the forge, watching the surface of the metal, ensuring the heat is perfect—enough to purify, but never to destroy, we know the kiln is not a place of condemnation. The Silversmith doesn’t put the metal in the fire because He hates the silver; He does it because He loves the silver and hates the dross that hides what it is meant to be. He will know the work is finished when He can see His own image in us and our behaviors.
Whether you are in the forge, or you are still stuck in the mud and mire, remember that The Watchman is still keeping vigil over His chosen and called people. It may seem difficult to get loose from our bondage and sin, but once we have tasted the grace of salvation and been set free, it will all be worth it. As it says in the lyrics of the old hymn, when nothing else could help, love lifted me. Then, we may even feel like Patrick (and so many apostles after him); we must spread the good news.
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Proverbs 7: Signs At the Crossroads of Temptation
You’d think it would be an easy decision to choose the correct door, right? I mean, dark and stormy versus light and sunny seems like a clear choice even without the warning signs. Read the warnings and story of caution from Solomon to his children in Proverbs 7, then ask yourself whether you would be wiser than the young man lacking judgment in the story. I hope we all would be stronger, but as I read about the way the woman works to deceive him, I can see the abundance of those deceits and lies in our present world. Sadly, the signs are usually more like what the AI had on them before I edited, a bunch of gibberish that’s almost impossible to comprehend. (The guy in the picture has it really easy now that I used my Photo Studio Pro app to give him the right signs. 😁) But we have The Holy Spirit to give us signs now. We’re promised that we will all find Him and know Him if we seek Him with our whole heart.
Jeremiah 31:34 BSB
[34] No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/jer.31.34.BSB
Hebrews 8:11 BSB
[11] No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/heb.8.11.BSB
Solomon knows the decision is not easy no matter who you are or how much wisdom you have access to. It’s the wisdom you commit to and hide in your heart that will help the most. So Solomon begs his children to grab the wisdom he’s making available to them and hold on for dear life. He tells them a cautionary tale of a young man who refused to listen to wisdom and walked into a death trap.
It’s an old story, you know. As old as the garden in creation. Temptation snags the one who’s not prepared or paying attention. And usually those things are lacking because of one of three things: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. Those 3 are the foundational traps that caught Eve at the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” not paying attention (to the right things) and unprepared. (See Genesis 3:1-6.) Examining the tree for what it might bring her made her forget the warnings from her husband and her God. She saw its beauty, she desired to taste it, and she wanted it to make her wise. And we know how all those desires ended.
But here’s the good thing: the enemy (ha satan) tried the same three temptations on YahShua (Jesus). But even after 40 days of fasting, The Lord was fully aware of the deceit and lies, and He did not give in. Instead, He had an answer for each of the temptations thrown at Him. He kept the victory by using Scripture, and so can we. He was tempted in EVERY WAY we can be tempted and walked away victorious, so we could face the same things and find the strength we need in Him.
For the lust of the flesh, use...
Deuteronomy 8:3 BSB (or Matthew 4:4 or Luke 4:4)
[3] He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
https://bible.com/bible/3034/deu.8.3.BSB
For the lust of the eyes, use...
Deuteronomy 6:13 CSB (or Luke 4:8)
[13] Fear the Lord your God, worship him, and take your oaths in his name.
https://bible.com/bible/1713/deu.6.13.CSB
And, for the pride of life, use...
Luke 4:12 BSB (or Deut 6:16)
[12] But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
https://bible.com/bible/3034/luk.4.12.BSB
Finally, the Apostle Paul gives us great advice when he tells us the right things on which to focus our minds…
Philippians 4:8 WEBUS
[8] Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
https://bible.com/bible/206/php.4.8.WEBUS
And that’s a good place to end with a video I found with the help of Google’s Gemini AI. I’ve never heard it before, but the a capella harmonies, the lyrics, and the visuals are all beautiful. It’s called The Wayside Cross by C. L. St. John…
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A Kaleidoscope Heart
I’m not certain when I looked into my first kaleidoscope, but I know when I first got really hooked on them. There was a big presentation at the Kentucky Center for the Arts back in 1993. Somehow, I got a ticket to it, and I got to take a class and build my first kaleidoscope. Shortly thereafter, I won a contest and used the prize money to buy my first professional kaleidoscope. It was made by Shelley Knapp, and I have an album of pictures from inside that scope on my Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/gp/crystalwriter/iY6dMcF580 though I have many I’ve not yet added to the album.
After beginning that collection, I somehow ran across this very low-priced piece of software called The Silicon Mirror program. I got the free trial but paid the $12 to purchase it before the trial was over, and have kept it installed on various computers and laptops ever since. They still have it available at https://www.torpor.com/ where you can find a variety of creative and colorful programs. I wish I could play with all of them every day.
Anyway, I was on Yahoo Photos back then and had started my first blog on Yahoo 360. I was also writing my first NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writer’s Month) novel, so I would update the blog with my word count and a picture made in Silicon Mirror each day. I was able to save that blog here at WordPress under “Crystal Writes in 360” but I haven’t gone back to check for writing and grammar imperfections there. It was mostly family reading it back then, so I’m not sure how many mistakes there are. But if you venture over there, you will see the beginnings of my digital kaleidoscope addiction, and many of them were made from pictures of pencils and pens to line up with writing for NaNo.
Yahoo Photos got purchased by Flickr around 2006, I think, so I started putting photos there almost from the beginning. I have tens of thousands of them in my unpublished photos there because I never want to share until I can correctly label everything. This perfectionism drive is one of my big battles that keeps me from getting things done (or makes me take way too long as is often the case with this blog). But you can look at my big collection of kaleidoscope images (some real, many digital, 1069 images & 5 videos all together) in the Flickr album at https://www.flickr.com/gp/crystalwriter/pWx7X5586x
I have so much more I could say about kaleidoscopes, but I’ll close here for now with a collection I made in my Mirror Lab app using the image above. That image, by the way, was originally an inside scope picture that I edited in Photo Studio Pro to get it into a heart shape and then uploaded that to Wombo Dream AI and asked it to create a heart-shaped image. Here is the prompt I used in case you want to use it in your favorite AI image generator:
3D Heart-shaped kaleidoscope mandala with a 3d gilded edge and filled with colorful glittery prisms, on a black background with some super tiny golden sparkle in the black, HDR, pro photo, brilliantly lit, glowing, amazing atmosphere
And here’s the collection…
Many people tell me that they haven’t looked in a kaleidoscope since childhood. I highly recommend them for adults as tools to help with anxiety and stress because they create endorphins. I will do another post in the future with links to find kaleidoscopes online along with books and software because I really think they share what the name means, “beautiful image.” And I also believe they represent people the way God looks at His creation: all have beauty that is made more beautiful when light–especially God’s Light–shines through it. Let God light up your most beautiful aspects today and in the future, so you can be a kaleidoscope.
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Hart and Sole
I’ll admit it, I’m a word nerd. And since we’re still in heart month, I’ll go so far as to say, “I love words.” My mom had creative ways of dealing with boredom when my sister and I were kids, and one of those ways was to have a competition between the 3 of us to see who could come up with the most homophones.
In case you’re not familiar with it, here’s the definition of homophone from Merriam Webster: Homophones are words that sound the same but are different in meaning or spelling (such as sea and see). View the full article about homophones vs homonyms vs homographs at https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/homophones-vs-homographs-vs-homonyms
You’ve probably figured out that I won a lot of those competitions. But I’m glad we had them because I am clear about differences between the use of two, too, and to; there, their, and they’re; and about 300 more sets of sound-alike words. It’s too bad that most spell-check programs don’t know those differences because word nerds like me see those misuses like glaring red noses on Santa’s favorite reindeer. Though the one that gets me most isn’t even a homophone; it’s loose (as in loose change) being used for lose (as in don’t lose the money). I understand English can be hard, though, because most words with that “ooze” sound have 2 O’s. But here’s a sentence that will really mess with your “spell it like it sounds” lessons: “If you choose to snooze, your boss could blow a fuse, you could lose your job, and you won’t be able to go on the company cruise.” 🤯🙃
The picture I had Wombo Dream make for today is using hart (another name for a deer) and sole (fish) in place of the idiom “heart and soul.” I decided to put the 2 critters under a heart-shaped moon to keep with my February theme. And then I added a fantasy frame in my Photo Studio Pro app. Here’s the other one I made with Bing image creator added to the same frame, but I forgot to ask for the heart element…
I’ll close this fun subject out with a quick list of homophones that start with the letter “H” as in hart and “S” as in sole:
Ha, Haw
Hail, Hale
Hair, Hare
Hall, Haul
Halve, Have
Hart, Heart
Haughty, Hottie
Hawk, Hock
Hay, Hey
Hays, Haze
Hear, Here
Heard, Herd
Hecks, Hex
He’d, Heed
He’ll, Heal, Heel
Hem, Him, Hymn
Hence, Hints
Heroin, Heroine
Hertz, Hurts
Hew, Hue
Hi, Hie, High
Hic, Hick
Hide, Hied
Higher, Hire
Ho, Hoe
Hoarse, Horse
Hoes, Hose
Hold, Holed
Hole, Whole
Hour, Our
Sachet, Sashay
Sacks, Sax
Sail, Sale
Scene, Seen
Seam, Seem
Send, Sinned
Serge, Surge
Sew, So, Sow
Sewer, Suer
Sewn, Sown
Shear, Sheer
Shew, Shoe, Shoo
Sic, Sick
Sicks, Six
Side, Sighed
Sign, Sine
Sink, Sync
Skee, Ski
Slaughter, Slotter
Slay, Sleigh
Sleight, Slight
Soar, Sore
Sold, Soled
Sole, Soul
Some, Sum
Son, Sun
Sordid, Sorted
Sot, Sought
Spade, Spayed
Staid, Stayed
Stair, Stare
Stake, Steak
Stalk, Stock
Steal, Steel
Stile, Style
Straight, Strait
Suede, Swayed
Suet, Sweat
Suite, Sweet
Note: I’ve never tried columns in WordPress before, and I’m not really sure it worked. I see 2 columns in the draft but not on the preview. I think my classic theme isn’t accepting the blocks, but maybe readers see them. I’m still learning, though. Thanks for understanding.
Anyway, drop me a comment with some of your favorite words or your pet peeves about the misuse of words. And save these lists for your own memory banks for the next time you play any word games. I can attach the full homophone list by request.
P.S. I do not want to ignore the greatest of all words, that is YahShua (Jesus), The Word Made Flesh who wants each of us to know Him better. So here are a few Scripture verses about The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Word of Words…
Romans 10:17 WEBUS
[17] So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
https://bible.com/bible/206/rom.10.17.WEBUS
Psalms 119:105 WEBUS
[105] Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
https://bible.com/bible/206/psa.119.105.WEBUS
Revelation 19:12-13 WEBUS
[12] His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. [13] He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.”
https://bible.com/bible/206/rev.19.12-13.WEBUS
John 1:1, 14 KJV
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.1.1-14.KJV
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Wombo Dream Butterfly Memories
When I first started using the Wombo Dream AI app, it was creative but lacking in crisp and defined images. The colors were pretty, but many of the images weren’t worth saving. That was around Christmas of 2022, and they were improving daily. I left a 4-star review and explained that horses having 3 legs and 2 tails wasn’t exactly 5 stars, but to keep improving. They replied with happy words for my review.
The images above were made on January 14th, 2024, so this is their 2-year anniversary. They came up in my memories in Amazon photos, and I decided they’d be the perfect share. There were a whole lot more, but I grabbed some of my favorites and let the AI in the Photo Studio Pro app for Android arrange them in a collage. I love that it did all the fitting, and all I had to do was change the background to create a frame I liked and hit save. I could stare at colors like this all day.
I saved a lot of my prompts before they started having problems near the end of 2024 when all the old prompts were erased. I think this may be a collection of some of the prompts I used: ”detailed butterfly with stained glass wings, in a garden of pastel flowers, colorful rays of light in the background, red, blue, purple, green, glittery, gold, silver, sparkles, colorful, sparkling, jeweled, jewel tones, bright, hot pink, glowing, garden, glitter, beautifully lit.” The next image is what I get now with these prompts and using the Dreamland V3 filter. You can see the details are better, so if they ever get everything fixed again, it will certainly be a wonderful app for playing with color and making butterfly memories.
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