Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography
This blog is for my insights on life, the Bible, hiking adventures with my grandson and whatever is important to me
Photo Credit:©️2023 Deb L. Waters
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens. f/5.6 • 1/200 • 135mm • ISO320
Location: Andrew Jackson State Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all.
Dale of The Cosmic Photo Challenge prompt is Freestyle this week.
Since this is freestyle week I decided to let you visit with me on one of the hikes Coleman and I took this past week. This hike was a little bit different in that we had my daughter, Coleman’s mom, along with us. On Tuesday we needed to be out of the home for awhile because a pest control company was going to come in and spray per the Complex management.
Therefore, we decided to go hiking in one of Coleman’s favorite places. The place we chose was Anne Springs Close Greenway about twenty minutes or so from our residence. Mind you now my daughter is not fond of hiking at all. When we arrived, we should them my membership card and proceeded to park. We thought Trisha, my daughter, was just gonna sit and relax near the canteen while Coleman and I hiked. It didn’t exactly go like we had thought. You see, Trisha brought her dog along with on our adventure ( he had to be out of the home as well).
Chewbacca, Trisha’s dog, decided he wanted to hike with us, therefore she had to tag along. We walked down to the lake and proceeded along the trail, Lake Haigler Loop, around the lake.
Coleman loves to run along the trail. I prefer a slower pace since I normally take many photos along the trail of the various sites we see. Often we observe different angles around the lake, seeing flowers, butterflies, sometimes turtles, bees, and even dragonflies.
At other times we see amazing reflections in the water.
I love seeing various creatures feasting on the nectar of wildflowers her at the Greenway.
Further down the trail as we hike around the lake I notice what appears to be a shape of a triangle formed with the reflections in the lake.
As we keep going I slow down observing butterflies flittering to and fro. Naturally I stop to snap a photograph. Meanwhile, my daughter’s trying to convince me to stop taking pictures. Guess what? She didn’t convince me, not one single solitary moment.
Next on our hike we come across a dragonfly and several turtles along the edge of the lake.
By this time my daughter is tired and wants to get this hike over with. Naturally, Coleman and Chewbacca want to keep going. They’re enjoying the outdoors adventure. Hence, we keep chugging along.
After awhile we decide to pull up a seat and relax a bit before finishing our hike. But first there’s more to observe as we near the picnic tables along the backside of the lake.
Finally to a spot to snack relax near the water’s edge.
The Cosmic Photo Challenge: Freestyle
Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge
Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2023-Week 29
Alive and Trekking’s Which Way Photo Challenge.
Photo Credit: ©️2023 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i and iPhone 14 Pro Max
I hope you enjoyed trekking along with us on our hike around Lake Haigler. God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.
The place I consider my Haven of Peace would be around the lake at Andrew Jackson State Park. Whenever I feel stressed and need a breath of fresh air and communion with nature, AJ State Park has been my go to place for years. It used to be a short distance from where I lived, not so much now.
Nowadays,my circumstances have changed. I do not have ready access to a vehicle anymore, so I can not just jump in a car and go to AJ like I used to.
What I do lately is to go out to a park, a greenway, or any place out in nature where I can be amongst the trees, creeks, rivers, or lakes. I often (when I have transportation) go hiking with my grandson. He loves being out in the woods with me. It is so peaceful. We enjoy gazing out upon the water wherever we might wander. When we are out in the woods the trails we hike are more likely than not next to or parallel to a lake or river.
When near a lake or river we stop, relax, and breath it all in and let the stress or worries flow out of us. The waters emanate a soothing, calming affect which is extremely peaceful.
These are all photos taken around the lake at Andrew Jackson State Park, my Haven of Peace.
Nature Photo Challenge #14: Your haven of peace
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #178
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
God Bless. Thank you for visiting my Haven of Peace. I appreciate y’all.
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #175
Photo Credit: ©️Deb L. Waters
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF 75-300mm lens
God Bless. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts. I appreciate y’all.
Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome #122
Photo Credit: Deb L. Waters
Shot on Canon Rebel T3i Lens: Canon 18-55mm; Altura Super Macro with Altura Fisheye
Copyright: ©️2023@gfpacificbeeinteospection.com … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
Photo Credit: Deb L. Waters
Copyright: ©️2023@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thank you for sharing my hike. I appreciate y’all.
The Cosmic Photo Challenge for this week is Reflections.
Photos are all taken from various locations around Lake Haigler at Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Photo Credit: Deb L. Waters
Copyright: ©️gfpacificbeeintrospection.com … All Rights Reserved.
God Bless. Thanking for taking a trip around the lake with me. I appreciate y’all.
On New Year’s Day (1st Day Hike), I took a hike with my grandson, Coleman from the Adventure Road Entrance of the Anne Springs Close Greenway. It is a tradition to hike on the first day of a New Year, at least amongst hikers.
First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors. Kids and adults all across America participated in First Day Hikes, and enjoyed the beauty of a state park, a national park, a local park or greenway. First Day Hikes are free to participants each year.
Coleman and I actually did two hikes on the 1st day of 2023. These pictures are from our second 1st day hike.
Photo Credit: Deb L. Waters
Copyright: ©️2023@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com
God Bless. Thanks for joining us today. I appreciate y’all.
Kate’s Whatsoever Is Lovely Challenge.
Photo Credit: Deb L Waters.
Copyright: 2023@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com
God Bless. Thank you for visiting. I appreciate y’all.
Photo Credit: ©️2022@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com
God bless. Thank you! I appreciate y’all.
Posted for John’s Cellpic Sunday Photo Challenge.
Photo Credit: ©️2022@gfpacificbeeintrospection.com
God Bless. Thank you! I appreciate y’all.
God Bless. Thank you. May you be filled with the Living Water 💦. Remember I appreciate y’all.
“Be still, and know ( recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 (Amplified Bible)
Reflections can be defined as the throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it. It can also be a serious thought or consideration. It is looking back and taking notice of how one feels about how his/her live has been and how he/she has grown over a period of time.
Do you take time to reflect on your life? How it’s been, how it’s going? Do you have a specific place or time you prefer to reflect on your life? I love to go to the lake and look out over the reflection of the sun upon the waters. I reflect on what God has done for me and look to him for guidance for the future. That is where I can lean back, be still, and know that God exists and He is amazing.
Why is it good to take time out and reflect? Reflecting helps you develop skills and review their effectiveness. Instead of just carrying on the same old way as always, you can reflect on what ways worked and what things you can improve on. Sometimes the old ways are fine and sometimes there are better ways to do things. If you do not take the time out for reflection, you might never realize change might be best for some areas in your life.
Reflecting is about questioning, positively, on what you do and why you do it. Afterwards, deciding whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future. Then you’ll need to decide if you want the change or not.
When you reflect upon your life do you reflect about God? In the quiet of the evening is when I reflect upon the scriptures. It is one of the ways I reflect on who God is and what he had done for me. Reflection on God’s Word involves more than merely reading it. It involves contemplating and pondering on the scriptures. Reflecting with understanding on what God is speaking to me. It is in reflection that I can comprehend the holiness of God, how faithful and loving He is to me, and how just and merciful He is with me.
Reflection can occur anytime and anywhere. Most often done in the quiet peaceful times of your day. For some that might be early in the morning, for others ( like me) in the late evenings. Sometimes one would reflect upon life or nature in the midst of the afternoon.
Nature is the reflection of God; it reveals the beauty of God’s creation and the revelation that God is in the world around us. What attributes of God can we see in nature? The following is just seven (7) of the many characteristics of God that are reflected in nature.
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV
“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves, Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.”
James 1:22-25 NIV
When we focus on God and others instead of ourselves, we bring joy and happiness not only to others but to ourselves as well. When we reflect upon our lives, we should reflect on how much time we spend thinking and doing for ourselves and for others. We should put others first after God. When we put God first, He brings us peace, love, and happiness.
God Bless. Take time in your day to reflect on God’s Word, reflect on what you can do for others and reflect on how to become a more like Christ.
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Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography 