A Year of Gratitude - Lowry Park Zoo

Good morning everyone.

Did you have a special weekend?

Let me know what special events graced your life over the weekend.

As promised, this week, am taking you all to the zoo!

Before I take you to the "highlight" of our day, feeding the giraffes,

am showcasing some of the magnificent animals who call the zoo home.

The stunning Malayan Tiger

While I do not want to meet up with these magnificent animals in the wild,

I  love to photograph them.

Do you know what this animal is?

Did you guess correctly?

A sloth bear.

Since I know many of you love researching I added the zoo's "informative pages".

What I found so interesting about this bear is that it can gallop faster than a person can run.

Really????

Who know from looking and it's name.

Just goes to show we cannot judge a book by it's cover, can we?

I think it does have a "sweet face".

What do you think?

A clouded leopard

What is interesting is that these small to medium shy cats can only purr like a small cat!

Looks almost like a big stuffed animal in this picture.

Do you think so?

Here is another shy, sweet species I love to photograph.

Actually, loved this one so much, I took him home with me!

For anyone visiting for the first time, this is my gift from the Lord, my hubby, Terry.

A Borean Orang - utan

Golden lion tamarins

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of our trip to the zoo.

Wednesday I will showcase the camels, zebras and giraffes.

I took over 400 shots at the zoo and loved every minute of our day.

Hardest part is picking the ones to share for a post.

In the future I will be doing others posts on the animals we saw on our visit

tying it in with scripture and perhaps some inspiration along the way.

Want to see me feed a giraffe?

Then don't miss my post on Wednesday.

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Purple Beauty

"The more you praise and celebrate your life,

the more there is in life to celebrate".

Oprah Winfrey

Thank you for joining me for Quiet Inspirations today.

From my heart to yours, may your day, your weekend be blessed,

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Going to the Zoo

Well hello there faithful followers!

Here on the Gulf Coast we are experiencing the most gorgeous Spring day.

The kind of day that is such a gift.......

So we are going to the zoo!

This picture was taken in NC at Grandfather Mountain

So we are off.

I know all of you will forgive me for not doing a regular post today.

If you are having a delicious Spring day in your area, I hope you can get outside and enjoy it too.

I will be posting "quiet inspirations" as usual on Friday.

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Simple pleasures

"GRATEFUL
for this life....
for this
new day"!
RP

"This is the day that the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it".

Psalm 118:24

From my heart to yours, may your day, your weekend be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Cedar Key

 Today, I am taking you all on a tiny part of the fun and romance

the went along with us on our serendipitous two day trip last week.

to beautiful Cedar Key.

 3 hours from home on the Nature Coast of FL.

Did I tell you Cedar Key is 3 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico?

It is. (big smile)

This is a quaint, small fishing village, artist haven and nature lover's paradise.

This is Dock Street, a few short blocks  between the sunrise and the sunset, literally.

Dock street has a few fantastic restaurants, cute shops and funky art galleries and bait shops.

All the rest of the island is residential and/or vacation rentals.

Lovely and funky cottages, art studio's and lots of water!

I love funky art galleries and seeing all the wonderful creativity the Lord has gifted artists with.

After we arrived we walked around the island holding hands.

I say this because prior to hubby's knee surgery last summer, our hand holding walks had not been possible due to his using a cane for about 4 or 5 years.

We worked up an appetite for a delicious diner at this restaurant, the Seabreeze.

Restaurant is on the top floor.

Here we are inside.

We sat at the first vacant table to the left.

I took this as we were waiting to be seated.

You can see the boat lift area and parking lot.

At the very end are two story condos/vacation rentals.

Architecture is in keeping with the low key feel of the entire island.

My handsome hubby.

Think the smile says it all, don't you?

This was our delicious grilled flounder.

I love, love, love sweet potato fries

(hubby had same with exception of regular fries)

It was so good!

Do you like sweet potato fries?

This is our special dessert, key lime pie, with two forks.

It was the dessert we had on our very first date.

So any special occasions we always order it and always two forks to share it!

Do any of you like key lime pie?

.

Waiting on the rocks for the sunset after our lovely diner.

A wonderful gentlemen walking by offered to take our picture.

We love this picture of us even though the gentlemen was unfamiliar with

our digital SLR cameras and shot into the sun.

Seriously, I tweaked the exposure a bit so we know its us.

The Lord just  kept blessing us and we are so thankful for this serendipitous trip.

A beautiful tropical sunset in back of more vacation rentals on the water.

Almost gone.....

If you look at the photo of us on the rocks very carefully.

You will see that this picture is what was in back of us.

I used my long lens to capture a more brilliant up close sunset.

I hope you enjoyed sharing a tiny part of our get-a-way with us.

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Morning at Cedar Key

The Lord's gift to us last week.

Morning at Cedar Key.

Please click on photo to enlarge for best viewing.



From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - New Day

A gentle start to the new day...........

"Be still and know that I am God".
Psalm 46:10

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Awesome

Good morning!

My heart was so blessed, so touched by all the precious comments I received

from posting my poem and testimony.

Thank you more than you know.

Here we are Sunrise at the Pier.

The Pier is an inverted pyramid looking facility that sit 1/4 mile out into

Tampa Bay and the straights of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Pier is the focal point of the downtown waterfront.

Now, however, my heart just is so excited by something truly remarkable!

As I tell you all the time.......

I am just a simple girl with a heart of love for my Lord.

rock dove or rock pigeon

While they are of the columbidae bird family,

the common name for them is just "the pigeon".

Sounds pretty ordinary, right?

Not!

Look.........at........this!

As it fluffed it's feathers.....

can you see it?

A beautiful heart!

Right after the sun peeked up into Tampa Bay at the service, this pigeon walked in front

of me and stopped.

Something in my heart was tugged and I took 3 quick successive shots.

Yes, I am a simple girl, who finds the beauty where others would not bother to look.

Like a pigeon, if my heart is moved.

This morning, reviewing my photos of yesterday, I was stunned.....

then moved to tears!

On Easter morning........

the cross, the sunrise, HIS heart in all things great and small.

HOW GREAT THOU ART

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Easter

He lives, He lives

Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

He live, He lives

Salvation to impart.

You ask me how I know He lives......

He lives within my heart.

HAPPY EASTER 

I had not planned on writing another Easter post.

Until the Lord spoke to my heart last night

It was then that I saw the most powerful skit combined with beautiful music.

(Park Place Wesleyan Church, Pinellas Park FL)

The part that may seem so strange to most of you is that

I did not "understand" a word!

Public address systems rarely give me clear speech, it comes out garbled.

Yet.....yet.....Jesus wrapped His arms around me last night

Causing my tears to flow and my heart to sit and watch and pray for those who are so in need.

If you have followed me for long you know that 26 years ago this coming June 12th

I lost my hearing.

In 1999 I was implanted with the cochlear implant, giving me back 50% of my life.

Except the "social" aspect part!

One to one is like normal hearing again, such a blessing, a miracle really!

A technology miracle!

The presentation was made up of beautiful music around a powerful skit.

That skit involved the stories of several people going through crisis at a retreat together.

I read the information on the bulletin prior to the skit so I had the gist of it.

In that skit, Jesus is reaching out for a women who had cancer.

At one point Jesus reach out his hand...........

Without warning, my tears flowed and flowed

Because I lived that!

Most of you know my testimony about the day I was going to take my life back in 1986.

It was 3 months after the finality of deafness.

I was all alone.

I simply could not do anything out there in the world that I had done.

Especially be an active mom like I was and loved.

All things grow better when infused by the SON

It was then I wrote this poem under the name of "Marilyn Quinn"

my given first name, my then married last name.

The Lord wants me to share this again, on Easter!

Jesus let me tell you how much you mean to me.

Help me find the words to lead others to eternity.

Let me reach that someone who needs you, no, today.

Let my love be constant, a blessing in what I say.

Jesus how I thank you for all the pain I feel.

For all the tears and heartache and knowing you are REAL.

Let me touch those lives and tell them of your Grace.

Let me love the hurting until I see you face to face.

Jesus I am thankful for each burden given me.

Use them to show others your love at Calvary

.

Jesus how I thank you for all the pain I feel.

For all the tears and heartache and knowing you are REAL.

I stood alone, so tired, so ready to despair.

You reached out your arms and gently held me there.

I thought I couldn't bear another heartbreak anymore.

You told me, "Child that is what I died for"!

Jesus how I thank you for all the pain I feel.

For all the tears and heartache and knowing you are REAL.

You lovingly took the pieces of a shattered broken dream

And rearranged my life where Jesus resigns supreme.

The sounds are not distorted, not clearly understood.

My Jesus is always there, allowing it for good.

I do not choose to question the burdens I must bear,

Only do I know my JESUS LOVES and CARES!

 

I am linking with our gracious, wonderful hostess, Charlotte at:

http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

for Spiritual Sundays.

For more precious blessings please visit this beautiful site.

From my heart to yours, may your day, my EASTER, be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Good Friday

I am just a simple girl
who will sit with hubby very early on Sunday morning
and praise a living Savior
as the sun comes up behind the cross on the waters of Tampa Bay, FL.

.He is not here: for his is risen,

as he said. Come, see the

place where the Lord lay.

Matthew 28:6

From my heart to yours, may your day, your weekend be blessed.

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Praising the Lord

Hello precious friend,

I hope your week is going well.

As I said on Monday, Easter week is the foundation of my Faith in my Lord,

Jesus Christ.

Therefore, this week my blog will be solely a praise to Him.

As always, I am honored you took the time to stop by.

What are your plans for Easter or this weekend?

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the

Lord's name is to be praised".

Psalm 113:3

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed!

Lynn

A Year of Gratitude - Miracles

I am a  girl simply with a heart full of love for my Lord and Savior 

Jesus Christ.

For hubby and I, this is Easter week,

the foundation of our Faith.

I am a  girl, who simply believes in miracles.

Miracles of healing and beyond to the simple yet profound miracles of life....

every single day!

"There is only two ways to live your life.
One is to live your life as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle".
.......Albert Einstein

"Having eyes, see you not.........."
Mark 8:18

I am a  girl who simply believes in miracles and the beauty that
the Lord has given each of us every single day, if we "truly see".

May your world today be touched........
by a miracle.

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed!
Lynn