Renee🌻

Count Your Smiles 😊

A little canvas I found a while back that spoke to my ❤️

Well, it’s another day in the neighborhood….. and things are drying out nicely from yesterday’s fiasco…. Here are a few thoughts, songs and pics that have helped me make it so far.

Broken Hallelujahs By the Afters

Sometimes that’s all we have left, just a broken hallelujah, but when “We are weak, He is strong!”

King of My Heart by Kutless A huge butterfly flew in and circled near me and flew away as I listened to this one. God always lets us know He is ever near. He is always good, no matter the circumstances. This next one will fill you with His Peace!! 💃🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Dance in advance!!!

I’m Gonna Let It Go By Jason Gray ❤️❤️❤️ this!

Here are a few pics thrown in for good measure…An update on the ‘Animal Revolt’ from the Funny Farm! 😂

🎶 Something strange in the neighborhood….Guineas
A really big bull in the neighborhood
Proud as a peacock near my daughter’s home

What a peacock sounds like from youtube
Grace trying to appear spooky for Halloween in her ghost costume
Remember me posting this one—which turned out to be the neighbor’s dog?
Here he is….in the middle….Meet Barney! I guess he thinks he’s part of the family now…. 🤫 Shhhh!!! I’m not saying anything otherwise, just in case he’s the leader of this crazy ‘Animal Revolt!’ At least he’s got them all with their ducks in a row! 😹
Hope you guys enjoyed and are having a good one!
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Published by Renee🌻

Life is a series of lessons we learn by way of the school of hard knocks. I must have a degree in this one! It has made me who I am today--I am Renee--My name is French, meaning Reborn. I believe there is a lot in a name, because that's just who I am. Spirit-filled. Encourager. Reader. Author. Blogger. Lover of love, God, His Word, hearts, dragonflies, nature and coffee!~❤️Aka Nonna. 3 grand-boys, 4 grand-daughters-- 2 girls. 💌 Married over 30 years to my sweetheart💙 “May God grant you always...A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you. Faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”~~Irish Blessings~~

149 comments

  4. Renee, I love that canvas! I can see why it spoke to your heart. What powerful words.

    I’m sorry you’ve been going through a lot. 🤗 I love what you said about how God always lets us know He is near when we are at our most brokenhearted. This life sure can beat us up pretty good sometimes, can’t it? But it is amazing how our God comes through for us when we least expect it and holds us tight.

    Your pictures are adorable. I enjoyed each and every one. ♥ Much love and many blessings to you! ~ Holly ❤

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    • Thanks!…The peacock was near where my daughter lived, actually. It just appeared in their yard and stayed. I had to include it in though! Everything else is in the neighborhood but that! I wouldn’t be surprised if one didn’t show up here though! There have been all kinds of animals around in the neighborhood! Domesticated turkeys, rabbits, hunting dogs (hounds, curs, beagles) a donkey, horses, chickens, a sheep, cattle, pigs, goats…If you have ever heard of Carolyn Haynes, an author, (not Christian writing) she had two huge horses at our cousin’s house. He trains horses, shoes them, and raises rodeo roping calves.

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  9. I love the song “king of my heart” !❤ Every time you see a butterfly does it remind you of me?🤔 Every time I see a dragonfly I always think of you. I never really payed attention to them but now I get so excited when I see one because it reminds me of you.💓 I love all the animals!! I wish I had animals like that in my neighborhood.😂

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    • Oh V, yes I always think of you! I know you love them, and it’s what your name means! 🥰🤗 I don’t think I’ve shared this story with you, sweet girl, but when I was a little girl, my baby brother and I would chase butterflies across the yard and field while playing. I could get them to land on my finger. I would just talk to it and stare until it flew away. Those shared experiences with my brother, I had forgotten about. Last summer my brother and I were sitting on my porch trying to encourage each other and talking. I had turned my chair facing him and the steps. I had just shared my stories of seeing dragonflies and hearts everywhere, and he mentioned how we always chased the butterflies and I could get them to land on my finger….I had forgotten about this till then! Right after he mentioned this, I looked up while we were talking in time to see a huge black and blue butterfly fly straight through the porch to me and land in the crook of my left elbow and just perched there for a while, fluttering it’s wings!!! I looked up at my brother and he looked at me! I got tears and chills when I saw it. He calls me the Butterfly Whisperer now 😂 🤦‍♀️ I know this sounds unbelievable, but I know God’s Ways are past finding out! He was letting us know He had always been near us even when we were little! We loved nature and played outside so much that both of us had cotton sun-bleached hair and dark tans year round! And now I have a new friend that connects me with those butterflies….YOU, as well as my brother! I hope God sends a beautiful one your way soon and you will remember God is always ever near and remember me as well! Who knows what God will send next! I’m just glad He’s near! 🦋 🦋 🦋 🥰

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      • Awwe, thanks❤

        What a awesome story! I think it’s cool every year on my birthday there is always a butterfly that always comes and sees me. I can’t think of a birthday I didn’t see a butterfly. I love see butterflies and dragonflies 💙 I’m glad he is near too.

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  14. Amen 🙏 when we are weak He IS strong. That’s why when Light passes through broken objects, it just adds more beauty to it! ❤️ Loved the pictures 😄

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  15. Holly it was like the scripture coming to life-He is near to the broken-hearted! When I saw that butterfly make a circle, it just gave me chills to know that God is showing Himself so real and tangible through our brief sufferings! And yes we can get beaten black and blue at times! But thank goodness He holds us tight like you said! 🤗….Thanks so much! If my Cannon’s auto lens wasn’t broken, I would try to get better ones, but this iPhone will have to do! 🙂 It’s still amazing that we can take pics on a phone!

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