From the northeast corner of Alabama, the Appalachian Trail runs down and is filled with bubbling streams and waterfalls, rivers and lakes; from the northwest corner- the mighty Tennessee River runs through – dotted throughout the state- are hydroelectric dams to provide electricity and form lakes of wonderous beauty. The most incredible thing about all of this water- is that Alabama doesn’t just have fresh waterways- go south as far as you can go-lo and behold! There is an ocean, yes, the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile Bay, inlets of salt water teeming with all of that good seafood we love to eat! The beaches are called ‘sugah sand’ because of the white soft sand. Needless to say, water sports, fishing and boating are an important part of the culture of Alabama!
On this weekend, at the beginning of summer- ‘the waters’ here in Alabama, put me in mind of a few lovely quotes, a prayer, and some incredible photographs from our resident photographer, Jeremy Miniard.
The quote which inspired me to write this post:
‘I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. We must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.’
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.-from Quotable Quotes (italics mine)
‘We must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it…’
In the Gospel of John, the disciples decided to set off in their boat without Jesus, and a great wind blew up while they were alone in the boat-they were terribly frightened. Now these were mostly fishermen, not prone to fear on the water, but they did know that storms blew up frequently on the sea- this was a bad storm…why had they left without Jesus? It was a bad decision- it does matter Who you have in the boat when you sail.
‘How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource! We go to Him because we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks but into the desired haven.’ George MacDonald
Now, if the disciples thought they were afraid of the storm – when they saw Jesus walking on the water toward their boat in hurricane force winds, they were even more terrified of their deliverance!
‘He will do whatever it takes to rescue you from the storms of life. He is far more interested in rescuing; He is much less interested in why you got in the boat without Him than He is finding a way to get to you…Even when you get it wrong; He can make it right…Watch for Him in windy weather – in the storms. Respect the One Who can calm the storm. He will tell you when to stop being afraid. You will be glad He is there. Be willing to take Him aboard during the storm. He’ll be in the boat with you.’
On this Sunday morning, the quote above and the prayer to follow are from Four Days-the Lazarus Principle, the words seem appropriate for these beautiful photographs of the Alabama Waters and the quotes which have inspired me.
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‘Oh Lord, many times we have steered our own craft, and in our impatient rowing – have left You ashore. Come to us even in the stormy midst of our poor decisions and sorry situations. We welcome You aboard our rickety boats, calm the storms that rage within and without. Come aboard, get us back on course.’
It does matter Who is in the boat with us; with Him- ‘The storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven.’
‘Calm the storms that rage within and without…come aboard, get us back on course.’
‘It is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving…sometimes with the wind, sometimes against it. But sail we must, not drift, nor lie at anchor.’
——————
Can I get an Amen? Have a wonderful blessed Sunday! Love y’all, Camellia
*This post was edited and re-blogged to include the photograph above, which was taken at Orange Beach, Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico- where visitors are often delighted by the sight of the Blue Angels as they practice. This photograph stands as a memorial to the Blue Angel pilot who lost his life, this past week at a Tennessee Air Show. He shall be sorely missed but not forgotten. The Blue Angels are stationed at the U.S. Naval Base in Pensacola, Florida, very close to the Gulf of Mexico.
*All other photographs are the sole property of http://www.jeremyminiard.fineartamerica.com
Blue Angels Amazon Affiliate link
Four Days -the Lazarus Principle by Brenda Wyatt- Amazon Affiliate link
Before Earth Day draws to a close, let us be thankful for the beauty of the earth, and like Sally and Steve, do our part to keep it beautiful for generations to come.
Let me tell you what it is…The Liebster Award is given to new bloggers by another blogger. A big southern ‘Thank you darlin ‘- goes to an amazing blogger -Agatha Chocolats ! I think I’ve gained weight just looking at her blog with all of that chocolate! You have to go see what that little Southern girl is up to! To thank her properly here is a thank you note especially for you, Agatha- 
I like Agatha’s blog because of the images she uses- some are even short video clips, the 13 recipes she does once a week, the unusual combination of mystery and chocolate is intriguing and the playful, tasteful way she produces her blog. Currently it has to be my favorite! She has inspired me to be a better blogger.
The pollen has been terrible for weeks now, I’m not complaining loudly because the foliage and flowers are beautiful this spring! But…we have been trying for months to get some ‘curb appeal’ done, including exterior painting. I hate to say this, but we have a grumpy painter. He’s always grumpy because he’s a perfectionist, and particularly grumpy when he is trying to paint outside. A few weeks ago, he threw up his hands, slapped his paintbrush down and said ‘I’ll be back when the blackberries start blooming !’ What? Yes, he assured me that old timers say- when the blackberries start blooming the pollen stops. I looked skeptical, so he challenged me- ‘If you don’t believe me, just joggle it’… again- What? ‘You know, on that computer of yours, look it up, joggle it’…oh right. Googled it. Never found it. Old wives’ tale I guess. We had some rain, a cold snap, then Blackberry Winter happened. I went outside and to my surprise, I found this blackberry blossom on Sunday. Monday the grumpy painter called and said he was coming to paint. He wasn’t as grumpy, and he never stays grouchy very long because I cook lunch for him! Anyway, I am going to give you a sneak peak at the finish he’s been putting on our front door. I wanted a high gloss finish, the first round of painting wasn’t glossy enough. I ‘joggled it’ and found a clear polyurethane paint to add as a final coat. The painter says we still have one more coat to go, but very soon we will show you the finished front door. 
The paint is dry, and after that one last coat- the gloss will look clean and shiny. I think we’re going to love it. Another upgrade that was badly needed- painting the urns which stand on either side of the door. Again I ‘joggled it’… I was going to paint them and I knew exactly what I wanted to use-blackboard paint. That’s right, there is no risk using blackboard paint- it will cover everything, including exterior urns, planters and even statuary- regardless of the material- metal, wrought iron, concrete or synthetic like these urns. Blackboard paint has a matte finish that looks wonderful and the best thing is- it is so durable even in exterior applications. Well, let me show you what condition the urns were in before, and now that they’re painted.
Go ‘joggle’ it for yourself, um I mean ‘google it’ -Rustoleum Chalkboard paint. We love black- but you will be surprised at the array of colors that chalkboards can be this day and time. Meanwhile, I wish those blackberries would hurry up! Makes me hungry for a blackberry cobbler!
Alabama Public Television has been offering up some wonderful programming for many years. I was late findin’ out about Downton Abbey but truly loved the seasons I did watch. In the meantime, I began watching other programming such as ‘Mr. Selfridge’, ‘Home Fires’, and ‘Call the Midwife’ . They have become such a breath of fresh air in television programming, such anticipated Sunday night favorites, that I researched ‘Mr. Selfridge’, bought the book ‘Jambusters’ which inspired the series- ‘Home Fires’ and loved author Jennifer Worth’s ‘Call the Midwife’ so much I ordered the series of 3 memoirs and they are page turners! The setting is in England for all of these dramas but ‘Call the Midwife’ is set in the late ’50s, early ’60s and I can remember many of the medical discoveries, the fears of infectious diseases and for sure can recall that in rural Alabama there was a lack of adequate medical care. I’ve known people who were delivered at home and heard of the high infant mortality rates . The music and clothes, the makeup and hairstyles are amazingly accurate in ‘Call the Midwife ‘ as well. You won’t read many television reviews here but these are worth checking out. We are long time supporters of public television and radio, with programming that just gets better all the time. ‘Call the Midwife’ does have mature subject matter simply because it’s about ‘birthin’ babies but even that is expertly filmed in a discreet manner. And if you’re looking for a few good reads I can highly recommend Jennifer Worth’s memoirs . Also the DVDs for the others are highly popular. Support public broadcasting, a national treasure! tell me what PBS programming y’all like!
Camellia's Cottage 