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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As Goes the Leadership, So Goes the Nation
Wombo Dream AI creation of my prompt to show Joseph (the biblical patriarch) giving interpretation of dreams to the pharaoh of Egypt.
Today I was privileged to have my husband read to me while I drove back from taking one of my great-nieces back to her mother. Sometimes, it seems like I hear much more by being read to than I do by reading to myself. Today’s reading is from Genesis 41:15 through Genesis 41:38, and it continues where we left with Pharaoh bringing in Joseph as a dream consultant.
The first thing I noticed here is how Joseph immediately turned things around when Pharaoh said he was told Joseph could interpret dreams. Joseph said, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer that will set his mind at peace.” I love that. Here is Joseph’s chance to show off to someone who could really take him places politically, but Joseph stays humble and gives all the credit and glory to God.
So Pharaoh shares all the same information that we read yesterday about the two dreams with fat and skinny cows and with healthy and withered corn. After sharing it, Joseph tells Pharaoh that both dreams were the same dream but that God gave him two dreams because the thing was already settled and getting ready to happen shortly. He explained to him that the immediate future would bring seven years of great abundance followed by seven years of terrible famine that would completely devour everything brought forth during the years of abundance.
The next thing I noticed was how Joseph suggested that Pharaoh handle things. He advised that Pharaoh should take up a twenty percent tax during the years of plenty that would take care of the lack during the years of famine. That extra collection of produce would be stored up to keep people from starving and dying when the going got rough. Joseph also knew that taking in extra could lead to misuse, so he told them they needed someone both discreet and wise to take charge of the collection, storage, and distribution. Pharaoh and his advisors were impressed and said, “Can we find anyone else like him? The Spirit of God lives in him!”
How I wish we could have governments in our world that would have this kind of wisdom. A government that would even listen to dreams and visions, or one that would seek someone who obviously has the Spirit of God dwelling in him, seems impossible now. I wonder if God gave a dream to someone in charge back before the great depression of 1929. I wonder if God has tried to give advice to our leaders about the various wars with which they have aligned themselves. If we would quit listening to human wisdom–that passionate side-taking about being for war or against it, for weapons or against them, etc.–and listen for the direction of The One who sees and knows the future, how much more of a future might we have, and how much better might it be? And then I have to look at myself and ask, “Have I been praying enough for the leaders of our land (and the leadership around the world) that God would send them dreams and that they would heed them?” I confess I have not prayed as I should, but I intend to change that. I hope there will be others to join me in this.
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December 1, 2013 Posted by Crystal A Murray (aka CrystalWriter) | Bible, Bible Study, Nonfiction, Torah Commentary, Wombo Dream | Bible, Genesis, Joseph, leadership, Old Testament, Parashah, Pharaoh, Torah commentary, Torah Portions | Leave a comment