The Tortoise and the Hare~~~
  Greetings this day and blessings to you!  Many of us have pets, from goldfish to horses.....
Me? I have had a cats for most of my life and this one is over 15 years of age, blind in one eye, and now on mostly canned food, because of his age and teeth. Several years ago, i was given a tortoise, A California desert tortoise. Beverly was its owner and the name of the tortoise was Henry. She had it for over 20 years.  Most desert tortoise can live upwards of 50 years. I have now had this tortoise about 7-8 years. This summer (2013) a squirrel kicked her out of her burrough by harassment. She then buried herself in another part of our backyard. A couple of days ago, she aroused herself and ate some meals that i set before her. Well yesterday, our neighbor had found a rabbit in their yard and by nightfall this rabbit was in our front yard. We decided to put this rabbit in our backyard and she is now dining on all kinds of stuff. So i laugh, am taken in by how God speaks so often to me through dreams, through situations etc...... 
Backyards can so often be interpreted into ones past, rabbits can also be interpreted "increase, fast growth, multiplication (good or evil increase). Of course the tortoise can be the opposite. These last few years have been just that for me.... As a tortoise, I have been in hibernation, and now with what God is doing, well there is great growth, I am discerning, throughout my spirit/soul. I have attached two images of these cuties in the backyard.... Let's see what is going to happen this season. I declare that "stuff" you see in your life, backyard, grocery store, employment, will BE the LORD speaking to you, and may you glean what HE HAS FOR YOU...  Shalom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_tortoise

Jars of Clay -- This Road -- City on a Hill

MY TESTIMONY/TRIBUTE

My name is Nicole and my daddy named me; my birth dad. I am adopted and my birth parents abandoned me.  I was raised well especially by my mom, and didn’t learn that until after she passed away.
I have been saved since 1977, and that is a result of Billy Graham, and of course the Holy Spirit.  I got married to my high school sweetheart and now it is over 30 years of marriage. I found my birth dad, though I was looking for my birth mom. 
What I have learned is this, I was looking for something, maybe acceptance, for I have had the fear of rejection, as well as the spirit of abandonment and had to come face to face with them for a victory, and to have that, once must accept the truth and for me , my breakthrough of my life is to let LOVE, penetrate me, every cell of this body.

My adopted mom loved me, my husband loves me, and who know who else loves me OH YEAH, of course God does. 

While in high school I took the classes I needed and found out I still need a couple of more so after a bit, I chose photography.  Before I graduated, the teacher liked my work, and I started going to the track meets. Again Before I graduated, a guy liked me, and started following me, and we started dating. As well, my teacher who liked my work, got me to enter some images in the county fair.  END RESULTS of both issues,  I am married to that guy I started dating, and have been ever since. TWO, I entered my work and both earned top prizes, 2^nd and 3^rd place prizes. 
Several years ago, after our kids (3 boys) were raised, I got a little camera and before long was addicted. Then I used Costco and got a book done full of my best pictures. Mostly birds, flowers, and Gods creations!    Soon I got tired of hearing about how good my stuff was and made a few greeting cards/ matted images and went to Earth Day celebrated every year on this planet. Well I made over $200. So I realized, ok I guess my stuff is good. I got my foot into Walgreens and sold some stuff that first year. That ended and though it has been a rocky road, and full of spiritual warfare, I believe I am in over a dozen stores and now one outside California.  I am going though a INTENSE healing now from the childhood trauma that did happen to me, and that is a whole another story or trail. I have been set free of demons, of spirits that have wanted me dead, and am trying to be still as that is hard for me to do.  I joined facebook, and am not on as much as before.  I look forward to learning about you know…..

Here is where I store a lot of my work. I have thousands of images, and never know what to post to share and what not to. http://s883.photobucket.com/user/NicoleNanette/library/?sort=6&page=1

CECE WINANS - ALABASTER BOX (LIVE)

Alabaster Box by Cece Winans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9QZxS03FvY

Lauryn Hills & CeCe Winans - His eye is on the sparrow

THE VOICE OF THE LORD~~~

Doing my devotions one day, (before retiring)  I came across Psalm 29.  Of course most of us have read it before, even several times. But so often we only grasp stuff in the shallow end of the pool. Yesterday i read this and ended my day with this Blessed Psalm. I went to bed and the night was strange.  I won't nor need to go into detail, and then upon awakening (after several during the night), I was still burdened as I awoke and upon opening my Bible, I opened again to that very Psalm.  I pray that I grasp, soak in it, digest it, understand it and walk in this awesome Psalm. Here is it and I would so enjoy learning your nugget of the season or hour. Shalom

PSALM 29   A Psalm of David

Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,

Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;

Worship the LORD in Holy Array.

The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;

The God of glory thunders,

The LORD is over many waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful, 

The voice of the LORD is majestic.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;

Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

And Sirion like a young wild ox. 

The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.

The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve

And strips the forest bare;

And in His temple everything says, Glory!

The Lord sat as King at the flood;

Yes, the LORD sits as King forever,

The LORD will give strength to His people;

The LORD will bless His people with peace.