A New Year!

It's a New Year! Ok, so we're already ten days into it, I know. But with our major move having been made recently (back to Brazil), I've had very little time to spend on posting here. Just to show you that I'm still alive and well, I'd like to post one picture and verse. Hmm, maybe two or three pictures, thank you very much.  

On our first morning here (Dec 30th) I was awakened by some bird singing at the top of his voice. This silhouetted bird is not the one I heard but it's the only one I've been able to take these days of a bird that's obviously singing. And I love silhouettes so I figured you might, too.

Back to the bird...It's loud and cheerful song was so joyous I couldn't help but smile. It's as though it was saying, "Hey you, don't be sad. You can be happy here, too!" Interestingly, this is almost identical to what happened in '95 when we came back from a furlough. I think the Lord likes using His creatures to get messages across to us.

I have been getting reacquainted with my flowers and other plants these days after being away from them for one year and three weeks. Some are thriving, others are just surviving but very few have died. (Thanks to the young couple who cared for them!) Below are a couple of the flowers I've been busy snapping pictures of.

You can't tell by the photo but this is just a miniature rose, only an inch or so wide. Big in beauty, though! And make sure you click on this so you can see the very miniature bug on the left side. Hilarious.

These are "4 o'clocks". Do I need to explain why? I didn't think so.

 

  
This medium pink rose was just beginning to open when we arrived. To me it was a symbol of the New Year. Just to look at this bud we would never realize the full beauty that would eventually unfold. We do not know what waits for us during the next 365 days. But the same God who created this bud also created our lives. We can trust Him that He has planned and created them to perfection...just like this rose.

I do hope and pray that you are having a wonderful New Year. May this be our best one ever!

We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:12) NIV