A Patriotic Heart–Daily Prompt 1850
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
The definition of patriot from Merriam-Webster says, “one who loves and supports their country” and includes synonyms of loyalist and nationalist. The “Did You Know” section at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriot has some interesting history of the word. And, of course, if you’re gonna call yourself patriotic, which means to be a patriot, you should know the meaning of the word.
I wasn’t planning on responding to the prompt today, but it seemed to match the picture I’d already created, so I figured I would try. And in looking at some other responses, maybe it’s necessary. I grew up with a strong respect for our country, our flag, and our leadership–including local law enforcement. I’ve never thought it was okay for someone to flout the law of the land just because they didn’t like it. That doesn’t mean that I’ve been perfect, but it does mean I respect the law and know when I’ve done wrong and deserve consequences (with sequence, or what follows).
As a follower of YahShua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) and His holy written Scripture, I cannot use “love of country” to excuse attitudes, words, or behaviors that don’t obey God’s word. But, I also cannot use my love of God as an excuse to ignore the law of the land. I stop at red lights, and I pay my taxes. And, if I violate the law, I pay the fine or go to traffic school.
To me, patriotism doesn’t mean I love EVERY thing my country does or every decision it makes. But it does mean I stay supportive of the country as my homeland and stay grateful for the decisions I do agree with. If I disagree with something, I can vote for change. If the subject is not on the ballot, I can enlist the help of others to put it on the ballot where my vote can be counted. Violating the laws of the land, like blocking public roads, is neither patriotic nor a good use of freedom. And if consequences follow that don’t feel good, well, that’s what happens. I mean, I absolutely hate the taking of innocent lives via abortion, but I would never bomb one of the clinics that performs them. Why? Because another thing I learned as a child was that two wrongs don’t make a right.
So, yes, I am patriotic, and I’m still grateful to be an American. Years ago, I shocked some people when I went to hear Bill Clinton speak even though he was not my chosen candidate. But I wasn’t going to hear the man, I was going to hear “The President of The United States.” I respect the office and the authority regardless of who occupies the position. Sadly, it wasn’t long after that when I attended some school events for nephews and nieces and saw teachers refuse to place their hands over their hearts in respect for the flag, or our nation’s National Anthem. It was only a matter of time before students stopped learning how to respect the authority of any position from the highest position in the land to the lowest.
That change in respect was shortly before the first major school shooting incident that seemed to set up a pattern of many others. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that disrespect of law and authority, and a lack of value for human life, created that subset of attitudes. I would caution parents and teachers about repeating negative media tropes about The President or our law enforcement to children who can sponge it up and turn it into a bigger monster than anyone wants to deal with. Maybe the little parody my mom used to sing to the tune of the Pepsodent toothpaste jingle isn’t sung anymore, but those words (“You’ll wonder where your father went if he talks against The President”) were a lesson in respect that I think we could all use again.
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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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A Valentine’s Day Haiku
Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Oh, you didn’t know this day was named for a real guy who existed in 3rd-century Rome. Read more at the Británica website to find out about this patron saint of lovers, people with epilepsy, and beekeepers.
Our local Christian writers group meets monthly to equip and encourage our members to keep writing for The Lord. This month, our meeting fell right on Valentine’s Day, so we decided to celebrate with yummy treats and a fun writing exercise. We taped our homemade conversation hearts to the white board and challenged members to use as many of the words as possible. We had a nice variety of stories, poetry, and even a wonderful devotion. I love what people can do with the gift of creativity God has given us. Me, I chose haiku, so here’s my use of the 18 given words…
What's the greatest love?
What example does it set?
Where do we find it?
Love could be candy.
Wrapped in a chocolate hug,
With a rose on top.
I got one of those.
From my sweetheart; my husband,
But it was cookies.
Instead of a rose,
It was a red carnation.
It brought me such joy.
His love touched my heart,
Even without poetry,
He showed affection.
And I adore him.
My admiration of him,
Will last forever.
That and three more days,
Because his love is a gift,
Always mine to keep.
Our first time to speak,
Was a February call,
From a long distance.
Only recently,
Did he show his devotion,
With some jewelry.
A red garnet ring,
That I love to wear daily.
And show to others,
But I don't need it,
Or even some fancy doves,
To know he loves me.
Now it’s your turn. If you are a writer, I challenge you to create your own creative piece using the 18 given words in the above image. And, if you put them on your own blog or social media page, please leave a comment and let me know where to go read it. In the meantime, maybe I’ll work on the blog I set up years ago for the group and try to get some of their pieces shared on it. I’ll update this post with a link when I get some new content there.
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13 Hearts at the Supper Table
A busy day zoomed right past without me remembering that it was Friday the 13th. I remembered yesterday when I was making plans for the day, and I remembered when the day was almost done, but nothing in between. And the day was normal with regular highs and lows and ups and downs, a little stress with trying to organize messes I’ve been making for years, etc. But, there’s nothing I can tell you about that I could blame specifically on the calendar.
What I can tell you is that how Friday the 13th affects most people likely has to do with which person at “The Last Supper” (aka Passover) gets the most mental attention. If we focus on the guy who was willing to sell out the salvation of all humanity for 30 pieces of silver, we may view the ugly 13th heart, and its darkness can overwhelm us. But if we focus on the 13th heart at the head of the table, The One who was a true friend soon to lay down His own life for the rest of us, we see the most beautiful heart ever to exist. “Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2a KJV), we can look at the number 13 (and maybe the day when it comes around) as much brighter.
Of course, any superstition is just another word for fear, so it’s best to see any Friday the 13th as just a Friday that happens to fall on the 13th day of the month, or vice versa. And the same goes for Monday the 13th (unless you’re Garfield the cat being attacked by a lasagna 😁).
I’ve said it before, but it is worth repeating:
FEAR stands for….
“False Evidence Appearing Real”
but FAITH says….
“Forsaking All I Trust Him.”
And just because we’re on the subject of 13, I have to add the fact that 1 Corinthians 13:13 says,
“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.” (WEBUS)
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Heart of Grass
It started snowing late on Sunday the 25th of January. And then the temps dropped, so by the time the entire 10-12 inches had dropped, it was trying to become a seasonal fixture. Single-digit and below zero temperatures stayed around for almost 2 weeks, and then today arrived. 16 days after the big storm, I finally saw grass in my yard again!
Yesterday, it warmed up enough for me to get outside and soak up some sunshine, but the yard was still almost completely white. It was so nice today, though to be greeted by the green stuff that had been hiding beneath the white blanket. My mind went straight to parody mode and thought of the title.
My next stop was to my Wombo Dream app to make some images to go with the title. Here are the prompt words I used…
Create a heart made of green grass in a field of multicolor grasses, pastoral scene, HDR, amazing atmosphere, beautiful scene, melting snow at the edges of the field, bright sunlight illuminates the scene
I tried a variety of filters and had some cool results. My favorites are usually abstracts, but the literal heart of glass seemed like the best intro picture, especially once I added a frame from the Photo Studio Pro app. (You can find that one at the Google Play Store by clicking on the name of the app). I also used that app to make a collage of all the different designs I created so readers can see a bit of my process. Here’s the collage…
So here’s hoping some green grass and sunshine, plus a whole lot more steps than usual, will actually be good for my heart. I know it was good for my spirit because I feel better than I’ve felt in the last 2 weeks.
While we were out, we grabbed dinner at one of my favorite places, so here’s a quick shout out to an excellent waiter at Texas Roadhouse just in case he stops by my blog. Michael, you were super friendly and did an excellent job tonight. I hope you find some fun reading here, enjoy some cool images, and later enjoy some great tea with your girlfriend. I really think the variety box from “Taylor’s of Harrogate” has some of the best teas, so (for Michael and all other readers here) click the title to find them at Amazon (affiliate link for tracking). My favorites are the Sour Cherry and Rose Lemonade, but all 8 flavors are delicious.
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Heart Quake
(CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
February 9th, 1969, a little girl’s heart was broken when her daddy climbed out of a window and left her and her sister and their mother in the middle of the night. My memories of that time are a little foggy because I was so young, but I think it was the days after that I recall even more. The song “Daddy’s Home” played on the radio about the same time every evening, and I remember always waiting at the living room window to hear my dad pull up in his loud, rumbling car. Maybe the song only played at exactly the same time once, but it feels like every time because of how the memory is cemented into my mind.
Fast forward to February 9th, 1971, at 6:01 AM Pacific Standard Time. Our new apartment was in Sylmar, California, and just blocks from the San Fernando fault line. The earthquake registered 6.6 on the Richter Scale, and the shaking woke me up when it knocked a chest of drawers over and slammed it into our bedroom floor. I jumped down from my top bunk and ran to the kitchen yelling, “Mommy, Mommy, there’s a monster shaking the house!” Hmm, maybe my mom and step dad babysat us with a few too many Godzilla movies. 😁 Anyway, she told me it was an earthquake and that I should pray. Then she ran barefooted across broken dishes to get my sister out of her bed and put both of us in her room under lots of blankets. It was one of her most motherly moments.
Through the years, there have been other events on February 9th that seemed to make me wary of the day every year. Not every year, of course, but enough to keep me a bit on edge at this time each year. Today, though, it was the exact opposite. First, I was able to get outside in the sunshine for the first time in 2 weeks. Then I got some time to visit with my sister over the phone. And, best of all, I got news from my friend that her husband’s cancer was only on the tongue and not in the throat as they suspected, and the doctor even came out of surgery smiling. So, this year flipped the script and brought some really good events to this date.
The heart can quake or shake for a million reasons, and often those quakes leave cracks that don’t go away easily. But those who follow and serve The Lord know how the Balm of Gilead (a healing medicine) can calm the shaking and even repair some cracks. Jesus, not only our Healer but also our Comforter says this in John 14:15-18 KJV…
[15] If ye love me, keep my commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [18] I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.14.15-18.KJV
As we continue through this heart and love month, remember that there is a God who is not “somewhere OUT THERE” but is actually near to us whenever we seek Him. He desires to share His love with us so much that He provided His own blood to cleanse us, so we could come boldly into His presence to get what we need. If you are a reader who has never received salvation, just speak out to Him with a pure heart and tell Him you want to try things His way because you’ve heard it can be much better. Tell Him the truth about everything, and then bring Him your brokenness. Watch Him work and bring you love beyond words and peace beyond understanding. 🛐🕊️☦️
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What is Your Treasure?
In this heart health month, it’s also a great time to check up on the health of your spiritual heart since it spills over into your physical heart and life. “Doctor Jesus” gives us the perfect prescription for great heart health.
Matthew 6:19-21 WEBUS
[19] “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
https://bible.com/bible/206/mat.6.19-21.WEBUS
And since it is also National Haiku Writing Month (NaHaiWriMo), here’s a set of haiku verses I put together for this occasion.
Treasure Hunter
Where your treasure is...
Your heart will oversee it,
And protect it well.
Because your heart knows...
The value of your treasures,
Though no one else sees.
It will keep your dreams,
And remind you of them...
Just when you need hope.
So be careful then,
To treasure things with value,
Fill your heart with God.
And that’s it for this one. I’d love to see some haiku from readers in the comment box.
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God Loves To Repair Broken Pieces
I have a statement in a few of my bios about how I like kaleidoscopes because I feel like they represent how God sees His creations; they are all beautiful when light, especially God’s Light, shines through them. God is the Master of repairing broken things, and He’s uniquely able to repair broken hearts like no one else can.
The image I made tonight is a representation of a Japanese art form called “Kintsugi.” The article on Wikipedia doesn’t have a lot of images, so do a search to see some amazing transformations, but the link with the word goes to Japan Daily, so it’s got history and images. It’s a Japanese art form of repair done with real gold showing through the cracks and making the restored object more valuable than the original when it was unbroken.
Now, imagine something with even more value than gold (God’s touch) filling the broken places in human hearts and what the value becomes with God’s Holy Spirit making us whole. This clip from the movie Joshua with Tony Goldwyn demonstrates it beautifully and still makes me cry.
If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s old but I highly recommend it. And on the subject of recommendations, I also recommend a wonderful story about a broken woman and her battle to repair herself before letting God do the mending. It’s in the book “The Story of With” by Allen Arnold. The tag line might make you think it’s only a book for creative people, but it’s an amazing and life-changing story that combines a Bible study with a fictional allegory. My sister, who’s not much of a reader, finished it in 2 days and said every Christian should read it. My affiliate link (for tracking) is https://amzn.to/4agQfqu and I’d love to hear comments from those who read it. Also, here’s a video review from someone who read it…
And, finally, just because it sums up the story of someone who loves to see brokenness repaired, here’s a video of Guy Penrod singing The Talley’s song, “She Loves the Broken Ones”…
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I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy…
Do you remember the Sunday School song begun in the title? If so, and since it’s my birthday tomorrow, my wish is for you to sing this fun tune (from way back in 1926) with me:
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart;
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.
I've got the peace that passes understanding,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart;
I've got the peace that passes understanding,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.
I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart;
I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus,
Down in my heart, (where?)
Down in my heart to stay.
And I had to share this as part of my birthday celebration because with age, I need that joy in my heart more than ever. I’ve always been a joy seeker and have even been described as “bright and bubbly.” One person from across a congregation would watch for me to get into a conversation because she knew I would likely smile about something, and she said she loved my smile because I smiled with my whole being.
Truthfully, though, when you get older and you look in the mirror and see the weight and the tired eyes (I know, I need to take my own advice from a couple days ago to look beyond the mirror), it makes it easier to frown in frustration than smile with joy. But I must remember that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, and joy (plus peace and love) are the fruit of His Spirit. They are part of His personality dwelling within me, so they remain the same no matter my external circumstances.
And here’s a video of a couple singing this with some pretty harmonies and even the added chorus that says, “And I’m so happy, so very happy, I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart; yes I’m so happy, so very happy, I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.”
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Beyond the Mirror (a scrolling poem)
Many years ago, I was on the phone with my sister, and she was heartbroken by the changes she saw in some of the young girls in her church. Puberty had taken hold of what used to be innocent little darlings in her Sunday School class, and pride seemed to be growing faster than their maturity. All that mattered was how they looked, who liked them (in their peer groups), and what was happening next in their busy calendars. They had become too busy and self-focused to even think about God or the lessons they were once taught.
I told her it was normal, and it didn’t mean she wasn’t a good teacher or that she had dropped the ball. It was part of learning how to let go of the apron strings and reach for the future. But, having once been teenage girls ourselves, we both knew what was happening and that it could be a dangerous time when peer pressure could lead to bad decisions that could negatively affect those futures.
As much as we want to prevent it for others, most of the time, people (especially teen people 😏) must learn on their own, and sometimes by hard lessons. But we can continue to shine a light of truth around them, so they’ll know where to look when they are confused or feel beat up by unreal expectations. In that vein, I put this poem together, and I love how it came out. It was also one of my first times using PowerPoint, so with days of trial and error, I finally created a video of the slideshow to present it. A wonderful Creative Commons soundtrack made it perfect. Enjoy the video, and/or read the words below. If you know a teen or young woman that can be inspired, please share it. And now….
Beyond the Mirror
Mirror, oh Mirror,
please tell me what you see.
Am I beautiful?
Do I need more makeup?
Am I the prettiest and best,
with shining eyes
for the whole world to see?
I want to be special.
I NEED to be special!
What are my gifts?
Can I sing? Dance?
Who am I,
and what can I do
to be wonderful
on this earth?
Oh, Mirror...
Please tell me.
~~~~~~~~
What? Look in my pocket?
Ooh, a bunch of smiles.
Thank you.
They'll be perfect
for more selfies!
Um, tissue. Why tissue?
I'm not sad.
Am I getting sick?
Hold on... What is this?
Bread?
Why do I have bread
in my pockets?
Wait! Why are my arms
suddenly looking
so muscular?
And my shoulders...
they're, they're getting
so... so wide.
Why?
What's happening to me?
This isn't what I asked for.
Mirror! Wait, Mirror...
Where are you going? Mir...
~~~~~~~~
Oh, hello, sad little girl.
I didn't see you before.
Would you like a smile?
Oh, she took it,
and ran away with it.
Oh my, where did all these
sad people come from?
Here, you can have a smile, too.
And so can you, yes.
A tissue? Of course.
Wow, I've used up
all my smiles.
Oh, no,
I see another sad child.
What do I do?
Wait,
would you like some bread?
It worked!
He was just hungry.
~~~~~~~~
Why are you crying, lady?
My shoulder?
A hug?
Sure, you can have those.
Can I help you
carry that burden,
you ask?
Yes, actually I can.
Wow, that was easier
than I thought it would be.
We worked well together.
~~~~~~~~
Whew,
that was a busy day.
I'm getting tired,
but it's not a bad tired.
It's...oh, hello, Mirror.
Where have you been?
One more smile, you say?
Oh, yes,
that looks much better on me
than more makeup.
Thank you.
I see the real beauty now.
It was always there, huh?
I just needed to look...
Beyond the mirror.
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Paper Snowflakes Aren’t As Cold
(CC BY-NC-SA)
Years ago, I found a wonderful website called ”Snowdays” where you could make online paper snowflakes to your heart’s content. They gave you a virtual piece of paper and a virtual pair of scissors, and you cut the little snips and zigzags just like you once did with a folded piece of paper from childhood. It checked all the boxes for fun, creativity, and surprise when you got to your final creation.
When I tried to visit tonight, I had warnings about the lack of ”https” but felt okay on my private network. Unfortunately, it just said coming soon, so maybe it will be back with a more secure site. In the meantime, I found a similar one called “Super Snowflake Maker” and it yielded the images in the collage above. I love that I could change the background color and also the number of sides/folds I wanted. It’s such a pleasant activity when housebound because you don’t want to go out when the temperature is in single digits with below zero wind chills, but I think it will also be fun in the middle of summer. Visit https://supersnowflakemaker.com/ to make your own, and put a link in the comments if you save them somewhere online.
I will likely add these to Flickr soon and hope I can reconnect with my former “Snowdays Flakers” from the group at https://www.flickr.com/groups/snowdaysflakers/ where no one has posted since 2018 but where you can also see some beautiful images. I plan to make more and use them for various projects and fun edits when I get the chance. In the meantime, you might like this fun book called Fantastic Snowflakes from a friend of mine, Mary Smith of “Home Crafted Artistry and Printing” as it includes step-by-step instructions for making paper snowflakes: (Amazon affiliate link for tracking) https://amzn.to/4rhduYn
If you’re in the colder 2/3 of the US right now, I hope this post leads to some fun that will warm you up a bit. Enjoy! ✨❄️☃️❄️✨
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Having Fun in the Mirror Lab App
(CC BY-NC-SA)
I found one of the pretty butterflies I created in Wombo Dream and decided to use it as a source for a bunch of bright and colorful designs in my Android Mirror Lab app. I hope you enjoy this little break from a text post and just enjoy the pretty pictures.
If you want to make your own, I highly recommend either the Mirror Lab app from The Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ilixa.mirror or the same developer’s newest app called One Lab at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ilixa.onelab These are not affiliate links. I just like to share things that I think are fun and hope my readers will enjoy them as well. You can also follow the developer on Instagram to see what others make from his apps. https://www.instagram.com/mirror_lab?igsh=MTZ4Y2R5b25qZm1rMg==
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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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Ideas and Titles and Brains, Oh My!
Come up with a crazy business idea.
by WordPress Prompts
I’ve never tried using one of the daily WordPress prompts before, so you readers get to join me on my first venture of this kind. You’ll see the prompt like a small subtitle above this paragraph, and it says to come up with a crazy business idea.
But here’s the thing, my mind does this on a regular basis. Ask my husband how many times I’ve asked him, “You know what kind of business someone needs to start? ” And then I’ve regailed him with all the aspects of whatever perfect idea I have at the moment.
One of my great ideas was for a talent show where the contestants first had to compete in brain games before they could perform. I figured it would limit those performers who were too ignorant to recognize that there wasn’t a talented bone in their bodies. Always beware when someone hits the stage with a promise that they are the best you’ve ever seen or heard before.
So this crazy business idea is to have a business where you collect a variety of business ideas, company name ideas, etc., and feed all those ideas to some kind of think tank to see if they really could make something profitable out of all of it. Sort of a “treasures from junk” kind of effort but with investors with multiple MBAs using a jumble of ideas instead of an artist using trash from the dump to create a masterpiece.
If you’ll look through a list of my blog posts, you’ll notice that coming up with titles is one of the most fun parts for me. I love twists and parodies of well-known ideas like my post about Time but using the spice and calling it, “There’s No Present Like the Thyme.” And many years ago, I had a hairdresser who was going to dental school to become a hygienist because she wanted to do both teeth and hair to prepare people for special events like proms and graduations. I thought it was a great business idea and told her she should call it “Style With A Smile.” She loved the name, but after she got married and moved to Kansas, I never found out if she created that business or used my title idea.
I read once about a woman whose actual job was to create titles and names for everything you can imagine. She not only named businesses, but she creatively named projects within the businesses, departments, and of course reports and books and chapters within the books. Back when I was a young person looking to create a career, that would’ve been the one I jumped into with both feet. Or with all the cells of my brain 🧠 in rapid fire mode. And on that note, if you are struggling to name a book or story that just doesn’t seem complete without a better title, drop me a comment and we can see if I can brainstorm something that works perfectly for you.
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Playing With Butterflies
This is another one of those days I’m keeping things short because I’ve gotten myself either too busy or too distracted to take the writing time I’d like. But, the great thing about having a creative spirit, is that I can be creative in different ways.
For the image above, I took an old AI generated butterfly and used Photo Studio Pro to put it in a PIP (Picture-in-Picture) effect. I love playing with those. And as I played, I saw the words “no crop” and wondered what it meant. So cool… it was like adding an extra PIP layer.
Oh, but before the no crop move, I also went to the effects menu and added the sparkling hearts and stars.
I recommend this software, especially if you have Play Pass from Google where the app and all its effects are free. I would only give you one word of caution: It’s addictive. I find it far too easy to stay up way past my bedtime just playing with all the cool frames and effects. But if my readers enjoy my creations, it’s even more with it.
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A Flood of Emotion
If you know any artists or writers or creators of any type, you know they can be temperamental about your reactions to their creations. I don’t watch any of those chef programs, but the previews seem to show some real volatility in recipe creators/cooks who don’t get things their way or get the reactions they hoped for. But I think we come by it honestly from being made in the image of a Creator who puts His whole heart into everything He creates.
I’m up to Day 3 in my Bible study, so the last 2 days included Genesis 4 through Genesis 11. Mankind rejected the Light and Love God gifted him in exchange for what sounded to them like a good idea. Back in Genesis 3, Eve is shown looking at the tree while thinking how it… A: Looked good for food (lust of the flesh), B: Was delightful to look at (lust of the eyes), and C: Was desirable for obtaining wisdom (pride of life). Those three sin-inducing thoughts are at the root of every temptation or sin we face.
So, they did things the human way and rejected God’s way which led to a rejection of the gifts He wanted to shower on them, such as the ability to eat from the ”Tree of Life” and live forever. It was only God’s mercy that sent them away from the tree rather than leaving them in eternal bondage to their sin.
Then came Noah, the grandson of Methuselah, who found grace in the eyes of The Lord and was rescued with his family from a flood meant to wash away all that had destroyed God’s beautiful creations. As I wrote my study comments, I used a crying emoji, and it suddenly made me think of all the flood waters as God’s tears. Can you imagine that much heartache?
But, after it was all said and done, God ached for the many lost people (and critters) washed away and buried with no chance of salvation. He placed the scientific phenomena of a colorful spectrum in the Creation sequence, so water now reflects His desire to rescue mankind with a hope of redemption and restoration.
And now, for a little fun, here’s a video by my favorite Christian parody band, ApologetiX, with their song Noah Man to the tune of Nowhere Man by ”The Beatles”.
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God Likes New Things
Yes, and so do most of us. Even when we repurpose used things, we typically try to find new ways to use them. Even old recipes change in New kitchens, and old songs change with new bands. Could it be that we are just like our Creator?
I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, but after neglecting this blog for 6 years, I thought getting back to it was a worthwhile resolution. I may not write big and wonderful posts every day, but I want to share something each day. And today, because it’s a new year, I decided an old note I’d written myself about new things in the Bible, was a great jumping off point. Or, I should say, jumping back in point. (I really did start this on January 1st, but it will show posted on January 2nd because I forgot how long it takes to add tags, alt text, make sure the image fits, etc. Now I need new mercies. 😎)
Below is my simple list of some new things I’ve found in the Holy Scriptures, in no particular order, and I’ll include their references with links to Bible.com aka You Version. I’m using the World English Bible as it is in the Public Domain and easy to understand. Please comment on what you think or any new things you think God likes that I haven’t listed.
†New Life (Romans 6:4 WEBUS)
[4] We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
https://bible.com/bible/206/rom.6.4.WEBUS
†New Heaven (2 Peter 3:13 WEBUS)
[13] But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
https://bible.com/bible/206/2pe.3.13.WEBUS
†New Earth (Isaiah 65:17 WEBUS)
[17] “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered, nor come into mind.
https://bible.com/bible/206/isa.65.17.WEBUS
†New Songs (Psalms 96:1 WEBUS)
[1] Sing to Yahweh a new song! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth.
https://bible.com/bible/206/psa.96.1.WEBUS
†New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2 WEBUS)
[2] I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
https://bible.com/bible/206/rev.21.2.WEBUS
†New Thing (Isaiah 43:19 WEBUS)
[19] Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
https://bible.com/bible/206/isa.43.19.WEBUS
†New Man (Colossians 3:10 WEBUS)
[10] and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator,
https://bible.com/bible/206/col.3.10.WEBUS
†New Heart (Ezekiel 36:26 WEBUS)
[26] I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
https://bible.com/bible/206/ezk.36.26.WEBUS
†New Mind (Romans 12:2 WEBUS)
[2] Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
https://bible.com/bible/206/rom.12.2.WEBUS
†New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17 WEBUS)
[17] Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
https://bible.com/bible/206/2co.5.17.WEBUS
†New Covenant (Hebrews 9:15 WEBUS)
[15] For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
https://bible.com/bible/206/heb.9.15.WEBUS
†New Testament (Hebrews 9:16 WEBUS)
[16] For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it.
https://bible.com/bible/206/heb.9.16.WEBUS
†New Wine/Wineskins (Matthew 9:17 WEBUS)
[17] Neither do people put new wine into old wine skins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved.”
https://bible.com/bible/206/mat.9.17.WEBUS
And a final verse about God’s mercy and how it is fresh and new for us each day because He knows our forms and that we need new mercies on a regular basis.
†New Every Morning (Lamentations 3:22-23 WEBUS)
[22] It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. [23] They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
https://bible.com/bible/206/lam.3.22-23.WEBUS
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A Kaleidoscope of Words
Two Images Crossing Paths in a Kaleidoscopic Ballroom
I love words, and I love kaleidoscopic images. The word kaleidoscope means “beautiful form” and I can get lost in the visual acrobatics of these types of images. I love them as mandalas (a mirrored disk look), tessellations (repeated patterns like tiles), fractals (patterns that repeat progressively and get smaller as they do), and other creative and colorful patterns.
My love for words has inspired me to write novels during the month of November a number of times. The event, National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo), is a challenge and a joy for me even when I don’t win. The times I’ve missed have made me feel like I missed something important in those years. Therefore, I’m going to give it another try this year, and I’m going to use my blog to update my word counts as an encouragement to myself–and possibly to others.
If nothing else, I will post a new kaleidoscopic image each day, so be sure to follow me during the month of November to see how far along I get and to see my newest images. If you’re writing for NaNo, let me know in comments. If you would like to add me as a buddy on the NaNo site, find my (yet-to-be-updated-for-2018) profile on the NaNo site at https://nanowrimo.org/participants/crystal-writer and, if you’re a Christian writer and on Facebook, feel free to stop by the group “Christian Wrimos on Facebook” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChristianWrimos and introduce yourself. From there, you can join old conversations, start a new one, or challenge other writers to a word war. I hope to see you there soon and throughout November.
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Yahshua The Jew
The above video has beautiful lyrics to celebrate Our Messiah. I pray it blesses you to listen to the group “Lamb” and their excellent worship music.
You can see by the copyright date that I wrote the below poem many years ago. It came about just as I was learning about the Hebrew/Jewish roots of the Christian faith in which I was raised. Learning the Hebrew roots of my faith changed my walk with God more than I can put into words. It made the “Old Testament” come to life for me, and it explained so many of the words of Jesus I had grown up with. Through studying, especially in using The Complete Jewish Bible, I learned that Jesus/Yahshua actually quoted many Old Covenant words as He ministered. I recommend the above study Bible, which also comes with some great notes and appendices. I enjoy it in print and on my Kindle.
I have shared my testimony in previous posts, so I thought it was a good night to share the poem that came from my new understanding of The One who was both The Jewish Messiah and the Christian Messiah I had grown up with.
YAH-SHUA THE JEW
© 1999 By Crystal A. Murray
If Yahshua had come teaching
All the things we teach these days;
If He came not as a Rabbi,
But taught modern “Christian” ways;
If He said, “Stop being Jewish
For their laws & feasts are old;
Just form a church on Sundays
And give the pastor all your gold.”
If He taught multi-religions,
And many-faceted beliefs & ways
Religious & sin tolerance:
No judgment, no prices to pay;
If He taught that love means acceptance
No matter what other people do,
Would ANYone have believed in Him
As Messiah, King of the Jews?
See, it’s not the miracles He did,
Or the hungry that He fed.
Or His interpretation of the Scriptures,
Or any fancy words He said,
It’s the old, anointed, prophecies,
The promises of a virgin-born Son,
That proved He was THE Messiah,
Lion of Judah, and The Holy One.
‘Cause He could not have grafted anyone;
Into a vine of Love, pure and true,
If He, Himself, was not The Vine,
The Lamb, Son of Yahveh, and a JEW!
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Haiku My Day
Poetry, Haiku Style: A Simple Way to Paint Pictures with Words
I use a diary app on my phone (Journey–Diary Journal) to write a haiku about my day as the last thing I do each night. I title each entry, Haiku My Day, and I enjoy this daily challenge. When I was in school, I hated it (like so many others) but now it’s one of my favorite forms of verse because of the simple format and forced focus. When I first taught it to my writer’s group, they groaned like I was one of the elementary teachers they remembered forcing this non-rhyming poetry on them as children–until the class was over. Then, they understood the following list of things writers can learn from creating haiku.
As a result of writing haiku…
- You will be more apt to notice, or be aware of, the present moment, (something important for every writer);
- You will realize the POET-ential (potential) of each moment for settings to be used in stories and articles.
- You can recapture some of the keen and vivid perception you had when you were young and everything was new and wonderful and worthy of further investigation, or at least of telling the world around you about. (Which is why we become writers in the first place, right?)
- You will have a heightened and deepened appreciation of life & nature, and how to paint them with word pictures.
Let’s begin with an answer to the question: What is haiku?
Haiku are Japanese in origin but have made their mark in American poetry where they traditionally consist of seventeen syllables, written in three lines that are usually divided into 5, 7 and 5 syllables, respectively. In Japanese haiku, there is always a nature theme. To express this, each haiku will use what is called a kigo (season word) to indicate the season in which the Haiku is taking place. For example, flowers & butterflies can indicate spring; snow & ice, winter; mosquitoes & lightning bugs, summer; and multicolored leaves, autumn. But in writing Americanized haiku, no topic is off limits.
Matsuo Basho, (1644-1694), considered the greatest master of this form of poetry, said the poet should write directly from his own experience and should try to seek the deeper, inner life of the subject or moment’s activity. He stated, “Learn of the pine from the pine: learn of the bamboo from the bamboo.” It is important to use your first impression, exactly as it was when you write about subjects taken from daily life.
Here’s a haiku I wrote the day I created the first lesson. For my examples, I’ll put the syllables in parentheses after each line. See if you can determine where I was while preparing.
…Quiet all around, (5)
…Just a whisper here and there; (7)
…People reading books. (5)
You likely figured out I was in a library. Now, here’s a set of haiku (called a renga) I wrote for the four seasons. See if you can figure out which season is represented by each.
…A cup of cocoa, (5)
…Flames blaze in a fireplace; (7)
…I am warmed inside. (5)
…New blossoms on trees, (5)
…Pink, white, purple, and yellow; (7)
…Generate new life. (5)
…The sidewalk is hot, (5)
…I do not have shoes to bear it; (7)
…I walk on the grass. (5)
…Feeding time is done, (5)
…The green has left the trees; (7)
…Look at the colors. (5)
I have plenty more, but now it’s your turn. Here are some suggested haiku exercises.
- Look around you right now and write one or more haiku about something you see. Think of it like playing twenty questions and answer some of the base questions. Then, see if someone else can figure out what you’ve written about.
- Write your own set of four three-line verses describing the four seasons.
- Think of two things that are opposites of each other: trust and fear; peace and war; rich and poor; tall and short; loud and quiet; hard and soft, etc. Now write a haiku that shows their differences. Try to get it into one three-line verse. Choose new opposites to write more verses. Here’s an example of an opposite haiku…
…Heat waves in the air, (5)
…Icicles aim for the ground; (7)
…Opposite seasons. (5)
- Think of two things that are like each other or that complement each other: faith and trust; peace and quiet; rage and violence; water and liquid; silk and satin; music and lyrics; etc. Write a haiku to draw attention to their similarities.
- Write about the most beautiful thing you can ever remember seeing. Make it visual enough for others to clearly see the same thing in their minds. If you’re tossed, don’t worry. Just write more than one haiku.
Try this form of writing to bring focus to a character or subject you may be struggling with. If you write a haiku you are willing to share, please comment on this post and let others see it. I’m excited to see what my readers might share.
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My Colors, Your Colors
Sometimes, I think my mind has an invisible “Energizer Bunny” running overtime with thoughts and ideas. And yet, for this Musably Monday post, I’m struggling to bring just one idea to the page. It’s like trying to decide which digital crayon to use for the Colorfy app pictures.
Of course, for the picture above, I did pick some colors to play with, and I had fun creating patterns. It’s colorful enough for me to be satisfied, but then I found the PicsArt app on my phone and had to further personalize the picture with some creative effects. And then I added one last frame with PhotoStudio. It’s a good thing all these apps are free because otherwise, it could cost a pretty penny just to make something fit my eclectic tastes.
Having our own thoughts and ideas about a subject is what makes each of us individual. As long as our individual ideas do not disrespect Our Creator, or bring harm to others, they should be fine to entertain. If you want to make orange leaves with purple outlines, there’s no harm in that. This was my first digital coloring image, so maybe that’s why I felt the need to stay with traditional colors on the leaves, but I did enjoy throwing extra creativity into the flowers.
Speaking of individuality, yesterday hubby and I decided to rewatch Babe on Netflix. (Yes, the movie about the cute little pig.) We hadn’t seen it in over 10 years, and I had forgotten how much I really liked it. The idea that a pig could suddenly become valuable as a “sheep-pig” is way off the beaten path. But, not only does the pig do a fine job at leading the sheep, he also protects them and becomes their friend. If you haven’t seen it in awhile, I recommend pulling out your copy and popping it into the DVD player. If you don’t have a copy, it’s available for rent or purchase on Amazon Video.
As I watched the movie, one of the hardest parts for me was when the frenzied crowd ranted against the farmer and his pig. They had no idea what that little pig could do, and they raged against the idea of anything different than the normal sheepdogs they were used to. But Farmer Hoggett stood his ground, seemingly undaunted by the criticisms of all those around him, because he was confident in what his pig could do. And once the truth was known, even the crowd came around to another way of thinking.
This is a lesson for me. I have always been the odd duck with different thoughts and ideas than most everyone else. But I have also felt driven to fit in. I have bent to please people on many occasions, and it has not turned out so well. I need to remember both the farmer and his pig, and I need to stand in confidence that my ideas and colors are okay even if they don’t match your ideas and colors. As a matter of fact, if you have created any of these digital coloring pages with an app and uploaded it, please include a link in the comments and let me know where I can see your colors.
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Now For A Word from my Sponsor
My Sponsor is the One who gave me breath for life, so taking time out to seek His presence and thank Him for all the moments and minutes He gives me is only natural. I cherish all His creations and the joy I find in them. His word on the first Sabbath in Genesis 2:2-3 is…
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
For a Sabbath day’s rest, my first Sabbatically Saturday post will simply be the pictures I took yesterday along with some creative editing. Relax and enjoy God’s gifts of nature and creativity, and share with me if you do some creative work of your own.
Pic 1, Naked Ladies (Belladonna Lillies) from my front yard. These soft pink beauties are all over the neighborhood right now too.
Pic 2, I wanted to catch the flowers while they still had some water from the earlier rain, and I got some, but then I cheated and decided to use the KVADPhoto+ raindrop filter to add a little more to it. While I was at it, I thought a nice bamboo frame and a bit more saturation went nicely with the raindrops.
Pic 3, When I have a nice contrast in an image, I really have fun getting out the Fractalius plugin and seeing what all images it will create for me. It takes my love of fractal and colorful design and adds it to real world images. What more could I ask for?
Naked Lady (Belladonna Lily) with Fractalius Edits & Framing
Pic 4, Another Fractalius image with a bit more color and a nice vignette and frame from Irfanview. 
Pic 5, And we’ll end this with a kaleidoscope made from one of the fractalized flowers because, after all, it is #KaleidoSaturday on Twitter.
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Photo Fun–A Gift for My Sister
Welcome to my Friday blog post where, sticking with my pattern of daily alliteration in my titles, it is time for Fun and Flourishing Friday. Since I’m planning on Fridays being posts of fun, photography, family, etc., this one lines up perfectly with edits done to a picture of my sister and her husband. Plus, the fancy frame even allows for the definition of flourish.
I had a great day where I got a bit more exercise and activity according to my Samsung SHealth app. As part of that activity, I took a bunch of pictures in my front yard, and while I was working on some creative edits, I changed my mind midstream. I’m kinda known for doing things like that. It’s a woman thing and an Adult ADD thing, so…oh, look, another idea popping in. 🙂 Not really, but really. My mind is always racing with new ideas and running down a variety of rabbit trails.
Anyway, I remembered I had a picture from my little sister’s recent vow renewal ceremony out in Arizona. She and her husband celebrated their 33rd year of marriage, and since I couldn’t be there for the event, I asked for a lot of pictures.
Well, Candie is normally the photographer for her church, but as the subject of the photos, she couldn’t be the one to take them. I don’t know how many people she passed the camera to, but she ended her day with a variety of nice pictures. Unfortunately, only a few were of just her and her hubby Steve together. The best one also had half a word and some wall decor behind them. That’s the first image in the slideshow above.
I cut the image to a size that would print for an 8 x 10 landscape, but I had not yet been successful in removing the letters and design. I’m not practiced in using the cutting tools to cut and paste an image yet, but the new Photoshop Elements 14 has a “refine selection” tool that makes a big difference, so I hope to use that method in the future. For this one, I simply copied and pasted plain wall portions over the decorated wall. I use the free software from Irfanview for simple editing, so shadowing and colors aren’t perfectly even, but a little work with the cloning tool took the square lines out. From there, I opened the image up in my KVADPhoto+ Pro desktop app from the Microsoft Store. (Note: links are for ease of reference only unless they link to Amazon where they include my affiliate info.)
Image two in the slideshow reveals the heart bokeh I placed over the walls to soften the background and add some color. That took two different effect filters, and half the fun is seeing what an image looks like with the different filters until I find one or two that seem perfect. For this, white hearts and then colored hearts worked well together. In addition to that, I added a simple frame to make the picture printable as an 8 x 10 for my family that doesn’t use the Internet. The frame is perfect because it includes some dainty lace, and my little sister loves all things lacey and Victorian.
The last image was the simplest, though I went through a variety of frames to get to it. For that one, I surrounded the previously edited and framed image in another Photo+ frame that I thought would look good for when my sister wants to share her pic online. We’ll see which one she likes best, and feel free to comment on the one you like best too.
Shabbat Shalom to all my readers, and may this fun and flourishing Friday finish your week in peace and joy.
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Help Me Brainstorm a Better Brand
The Lord is My Editor–Logo with Text
For this week, I want to share some of the ideas I’ve come up with for branding. More than that, I earnestly seek your opinions on these ideas, so I can finally create a brand from which to focus on future projects and marketing.
My problem with branding (and so many other things in life) is all about my eclectic tastes and personality. I don’t seem to fit into any of the usual molds. I write poetry, haiku, novel-length fiction, short stories, articles, lyrics, haiku, devotions, Bible studies, and have a couple books I’d like to do about bands. Oh, and I’ve got an old project for Christian writers I’d like to revive. In addition to writing, I edit, photograph, create graphic designs (like wallpaper and kaleidoscopes), do web design, run a local Christian writer’s group, and volunteer for the planning of a state writer’s conference. If I added all the work experiences in my life, this post would get way too long.
So, how do I create a brand when my creative desires are all over the map? You might say, “Pick a favorite,” but most of them are favorites and all of them have probably been a favorite at one time or another. On my business cards, I finally opted for the following line: “Writer–Editor–Creative Mind” and I added the words in the logo above. I was told by an agent at a conference that “The Lord is My Editor, I Shall Rewrite” is not actually a brand, and she came up with “Stories that Need to be Told” as an option. Most everyone in the group liked that one, but when I did research, I found it was already used quite a bit.
All this brings us to my own brainstorming. I have come up with 10 possibilities in addition to the one from the agent. I created a poll to allow readers to choose up to three favorites so I could use a weighted voting technique to help me select the best idea. Would you please choose your favorites, and/or add your own suggestions, to help this eclectic gal toward a final brand? In addition, you are welcome to comment on your choices and your suggestions. Thanks so much, and I truly appreciate all comments and ideas.
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Creative Images & Fun Apps
In my effort to blog daily, I’m finding myself taking more time than I plan ahead and ending up far later at night than planned, but I’m gonna stick with this. That said, here’s my Tech Time Tuesday submission.
I love to play with graphic programs and apps, especially if they make colorful and kaleidoscopic designs. The designs themselves are a bit of technology, but to stick with a true techy theme, I’ll share just a few of the apps and sites I use to create and have fun.
For starters, because of copyright laws, I suggest always using your own images as a base to create from. That means you’ll need some kind of camera, and the higher quality images you start with, the higher quality graphics you’ll end up with. If you just cannot find anything of your own to use, make sure you use something with a Creative Commons.org license that does not prevent derivative images. (See the CC site link above for explanations of the various licenses.) And if the CC license requires anything (such as attribution–giving credit to the original photographer, or share-alike–repeating the same CC license in your final product), be sure to uphold such requests.
I put together this mosaic of designs from the images I created from the top left picture of a stack of colored chains. The pink, black, and white chains were actually a necklace, and I was very happy with the colorful designs I was able to make. Here’s my mosaic from the creative and fun website called Big Huge Labs…
Necklace Kaleidoscope Mosaic
Now for the technical part. (Note: I’ll add links to make it easier for readers to find the sites. Also, know that links to Amazon are short links with my affiliate information. If you decide to purchase from Amazon, it helps me a little if you use my links. Thanks.
First, I used an app called “Kaleidoscope Lime Pro” that I downloaded from the Google Play Store to make the circular mandala designs as well as the tiled tessellation designs. I love how one picture can create so many images, and I play with this app often when I’m waiting somewhere with my phone. There is a free version of the app, but for 99 cents, I found it worth supporting the developer to continue to make quality apps such as this. I have used it on both a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Note 5, and both worked perfectly. You may even find my Note 3 review when you view the app.
Next, I used a slightly newer app I’ve had since May called “Photo Studio Pro” that I got from the Amazon App Store. I also opted for the pro version on this to support the KVAD developer and to have access to all the extra options. The PIP (picture in picture) options just came out recently, and that is what made the image above where you see my original kaleidoscope mandala inside a glass with a flower at the bottom. The image above with the cupcakes is done with one of the KVAD frames.
And that’s about it for this Tech Time Tuesday. Download some apps, make some images, and upload them to a safe site like Flickr or Google+, then come back and share some links with me. If the sites and images are safe, clean, and family friendly, I will approve your comments so others can visit your images too.
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Effective Efforts
Christmas Crochet Clock Face by Crystal A Murray, All Rights Reserved Click the image to open a new tab/window to visit my CafePress Christmas store.
I’ve made a strong effort with this blog since August of 2013. I think I’ve been trying to make up for the years I had it and barely wrote. But I need to make a change. There have been times where I have spent so long trying to come up with just the right topic, that I couldn’t post in a timely manner. If I want a good picture to go with it, that takes even more time.
Am I quitting? No way. I will still make an effort to get something posted every day, but it’s going to become more “slice of life” stuff with some good lessons mixed in as I learn them from a variety of sources. Maybe I’ll throw in a haiku or other type of poem now and then. Sometimes, I’ll post my photography or creative images. I just don’t want people surprised if all of a sudden there’s not deep Bible study on every single post.
Tonight and last night, I’ve been thinking about time and my use of it, hence the clock face above which is a blend of my creativity and a representation of time itself. I’m thinking about the efforts I put into the minutes and hours of my day. For example, I actually started this post early enough tonight to get done before midnight, but some unexpected issues came up that made it impossible to post as planned. I guess God is reminding me that time is in HIS hands and not my own. (By the way, if you click the image, it will take you to my Christmas shop at CafePress. It’s mostly coffee cups, but I do have this clock face on an actual clock there.)
Anyway, as my title says, I want the efforts I make in this life to be effective. What does it mean to be effective? To me it will mean that the things I do have some type of lasting value. I am bombarded by things I want to do, things I need to do, and things I should do. I have to prioritize them based on those that have the greatest value now and later. I want to watch the nice G-Rated Christmas movies by Hallmark while they’re in season. Some of them have life lessons that inspire me long after their viewing. Also, I need to send Hanukkah and Christmas cards. I take longer because I like to write personal notes in them to let people know they are more than just names on a list. And, I should get out and do some shopping before it’s too late.
Here’s some more. Want: I want to either call or Facebook message all the family and friends that have current events going on in their lives. Maybe they’re having birthdays, maybe anniversaries, maybe fighting illnesses, maybe suffering loss, or maybe they’ve just released new writing I want to read. Need: I need to plan for our upcoming Christmas dinner for our writer’s group. That includes making updates on our website and contacting everyone on the e-mail list. Should: These are the things on my want list, like reading the works of writer friends, but with a bit more oomph and importance.
What about you? Do you struggle with all the stuff you want to do with your gift of creativity and all the stuff you need to do to keep life up and running? I want to make more products for my Zazzle store, not because I make much there, but because I’m energized by being creative. I need to watch the lessons I’ve purchased on using my Scrivener software, so my purchase is valuable and so I can share information with others in my writer’s group. Helping others energizes me too.
Under both creativity and helpfulness, it has been requested that I compile my posts on Torah reading for those who want to read it in print all in one place. I want to do it, but it will be some work because of things like Bible version permissions. I’ll have to change some of what I wrote to go with the King James’ Version of the Bible or get permission to use the full text from the Complete Jewish Bible. If you’ve been reading my blog long enough, do you think I should do a book on those posts? If so, would you read it? Should I seek permissions to keep the text from the CJB? Please comment below just to help me hone my “to do” list and get the important and effective efforts pushed closer to the top. Thanks.
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