NO WOUNDS, NO PEARLS!

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--SHOW 

Five minutes to free write about it

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This week's prompt, Show, made me think of show and tell, where kids used to be encouraged to bring something to school to show their classmates and tell them about it. Do they even still do that today?

Anyway, the prompt made me think of a devotional I read several days ago about wounded oysters and the origin of pearls. What a great show and tell that would make.

The "show" would be the beautiful pearl, and the "tell" would be all about how it became what it is today.

Pearls start out as an oyster's response to an internal wound caused by something irritating such as a grain of sand. The oyster coats the injured area with layers of fluid that eventually harden to form a lustrous pearl.  Thus something beautiful is created that would have been impossible without the wound.

The devotional ended with a reminder to suffering people that "No wounds, no pearls!"

VIEW

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--VIEW 

Five minutes to free write about it

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One of the things I'm most grateful for about my apartment is the view. Without going any further than my balcony, I get to see the majesty of God's creation displayed right before my eyes. I have been regaled with rainbows, full moons, sunrises, sunsets, and the changing colors of the trees in spring and fall, as well as by a variety of birds and wildlife. 

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I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. -- Genesis 9:13, NLT

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. -- Psalm 19:1, NLT

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. -- Romans 1:20, NLT

BUTTERFLIES, ALPACAS, AND A COLORFUL GARDEN

Saturday was a perfect day to be out and about. Blue sky, temperature in the 80s, and best of all, no humidity, so I agreed to go on a little photo expedition with my daughter.

We went to Butterfly Hill Farm Store in Waterford, Virginia, a quaint little country store that sells alpaca wool products (made from the wool of their own alpacas), items made by local craftspeople, and some antiques. 

On weekends, the owner brings over some of her alpacas and puts out alpaca feed that visitors can feed them.

This one has quite an underbite. 

There is also a colorful butterfly garden on one side of the property, which was our main reasons for the visit. Unfortunately, the large butterflies such as monarchs must have been on a break, because we didn't see any. That was disappointing. However, there were many small orange, yellow, and white ones flitting around.