Connecting with Little Eyes Across the Miles--Shutterfly

I am finally writing my LONG overdue post about the joys of using Shutterfly, my very favorite photo sharing website. On Shutterfly you can store your priceless photos, make Share Pages on any subject you wish, make books and more, all for free! For every project you make, Shutterfly provides a link for you to send to anyone you wish. You can even upload your address book and they will send an invitation for you. What could be easier?

All of these wonderful features I've mentioned so far are all available only online. But Shutterfly will also print your pictures for you, help you make wonderful, one-of-a kind books, cards and gifts with your pictures for prices that compare favorably with every other photo sharing business I've checked, whether online or in a regular discount or drug store. And I almost forgot to mention the amazing sales they have. Most of the time when I purchase something I am able to get a thirty to fifty percent discount and almost always shipping is free for orders over $30.

So far this year I've made a book for our family reunion/vacation on the shores of Lake Michigan, a book for my son's family (plus one for me) with photos of three years at the Minnesota Renassiance Festival and a book for my grandson and I at The Great Train Festival, in Rock Island, IL.

Even though I enjoy buying their products I think my favorite Shutterfly feature is the Share Site where you can post photos of whatever subject you want. For the past few years I've made a sort of family yearbook on my Share Sites. I've also used it as a Christmas letter to friends and family, sending the link online for no charge. When I send a card or letter through the mail, I can include the link and anyone who would like to see more of what we were up to can visit the share site. Love it!
(And if you'd like to see what I'm talking about, here's the link: http://2011rickgail.shutterfly.com/)

In the interest of full disclosure I'd like to tell you that there was a special $10 off my next order on Shutterfly if I would embed the code of my latest project, Valentine cards. I'm planning to include them in our annual family letter, since I missed Christmas. But let me also point out that everyone I know also received a code good for $20 off any order as a thank you gift from the Shutterfly company. I wish all the merchants I do business with would be so generous.

So take a look at Shutterfly today and just imagine all the ways you could start connecting through photos with your precious grandchildren.

To see the lovely cards I'm sending out as my "Valentine" this year, click the link below
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Ebt2jNuzZsmRB&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET

Meeting God on a Snowny Morning

Snow, small at first, just a shining in the cold morning air, comes down faster now, larger flakes floating like feathers from the colorless sky to a colorless world.

It's beautiful and today, it feels personal, intimate. Watching it I feel a settling in my churning spirit as if God's grace is floating down around my shoulders.

Somehow, watching this snow, it seems God's reply to my restless heart, to its anxious cry.
Soothing, comforting me, saying,

"I am listening, child.
I AM giving,
I AM blessing,
I AM enough
to cover your world of chaos and pain
(temporary and light afflictions)
with beauty, grace, love.
My mercy is enough to forgive and cover the ugly parts of you.
My grace becomes yours.
I AM.
I hear from heaven and answer,
sending as many blessings
as there are snowflakes falling from the sky."

Abba Father. Abba father.

The snow is mercy, falling from above, covering me.
The candle glowing is grace, creating light & hope in the grey of today.

I lean on Your tender heart
You are here, I AM,
and I am gonna be fine.

The Most Glorious Month of the Year

Ah, it's October, the most beautiful month of the year, in my humble opinion!  Let others brag about those rare spring days and moon over June.  For me, there is nothing like a glimpse of crystal blue sky through leaves of gold, orange, yellow and red.  It's a month for crisp morning walks and roasted marshmallows over a campfire, raking up leaves and jumping into the piles! Squirrels are nosily gathering supplies while the bunnies bustle about their business. Autumn days are clearer, nights are colder and colors are brighter. The whole season just makes me glad to be alive.

For today's post, I want share a delightful poem that daughter Christal brought it home one day when she was in second grade (many years ago.)  It's become a part of my autumn joy ever since and I love to share it!  (Thank you Mrs. Wiser!)

May you find it as delightful as I do, and may you find a well-loved child with which to share it.

COME, LITTLE LEAVES

George Cooper

“Come, little leaves,” said the wind one day,

“Come o’er the meadows with me and play;

Put on your dresses of red and gold,

For summer is gone and the days grow cold.”

Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,

Down they came fluttering, one and all;

Over the brown fields they danced and flew,

Singing the glad little songs they knew.

 

“Cricket, good-by, we’ve been friends so long,

Little brook, sing us your farewell song;

Say you are sorry to see us go;

Ah, you will miss us, right well we know.

“Dear little lambs in your fleecy fold,

Mother will keep you from harm and cold;

Fondly we watched you in vale and glade,

Say will you dream of our loving shade?”

Dancing and whirling, the little leaves went,

Winter had called them, and they were content;

Soon, fast asleep in their earthy beds,

The snow laid a coverlid over their heads.

Five Gifts Friday

"Brightly colored sunsets, majestic mountains and shining seas,

and fragrant fields and fresh-cut flowers

are not even half as beautiful as a soul who is serving Jesus out of love,

through the wear and tear of an ordinary, unpoetic life."

Frederick W. Faber, Streams in the Desert.

Watching from my porch of praise I see blessings galore parading down my avenue.

76. Children skipping, running, walking to their future at the school around the corner.

77. Beaded hair-dos, bright new clothes and happy back-to-school grins.

78. Bittersweet hints of August slipping away in the coolness of a morning breeze.

79. I am a child of the Creator God,

Favored by the Father,

Loved by the Lord of Life.

80. Yesterday I answered this question "In God's heart, I am..."

with this photo.

Now it's YOUR turn. Just fill in the blank:
"In God's heart, I am _________..."

http://youtu.be/mnQvp8_41Uo

Five Blessings Friday

"In daily life we must see it is not happiness that makes us grateful, it is gratefulness that makes us happy."
Unknown from Holly Springs by Jan Karon

Five Blessings Pondered at 20,000 Feet



36. Hearing a fellow flyer share Life with the passenger next to him.

37. "47.0 pounds"--my baggage came in at just under the 50 pound limit after I removed the books & some shoes at home before I left. Saved myself $25. (It weighted 48.5 on the way home.)

38. After having my Chicago-Houston flight canceled because of weather, American was able to get me onto Delta and I wound up arriving 6 minutes earlier than the original plan.

39. The reserve soldier sitting next to me on his way to Iraq--leaving his four-month-old daughter for me, for you, for us all, out of duty to his country. God please protect this new dad and bring him home safe.

40. Hearing my granddaughter say, "Sit by me, Grammy."