To the ones we LOVE

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and there is so much love in the air. Florist are working overtime, dinner reservations are at a premium, boxes of chocolates are flying off of the shelves, the really great cards are almost gone and jewelry purchases big and small will be presented to the ones we love. When I thought about the many different ways in which we try to express our love on Valentine’s Day I also thought about another way to say I love you.

The month of February has been deemed “American heart” month by the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association would also like for us to take the time this month to remind our loved ones to know their health numbers and to know what to do if a loved one thinks that he or she is experiencing a heart attack... with the focus on love this month I could not think of a better way to say I love you and to say how much I care about you.

For anyone who has lost a loved one to cardiovascular disease or to a stroke we know how important this heart information can be. So have a healthy heart conversation with the ones that we love this Valentine’s Day.

Trish

“For it was not into my ear you wispered, but into my heart.
 It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul” – Judy Garland

Visit the American Heart website to learn more about cardiovascular disease and stroke. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

Also Shop American Heart @ https://shop.heart.org/
and celebrate National Wear Red Day everyday!

In Loving Memory
Ross Berry Nicholas II
August 12, 1934 – February 6, 2011

February Spotlight:
A unique way to give and to help others in need. If you know of someone that needs a helping hand then check out Givelocally.net!
http://givelocally.net/


The Company Store’s Buy One Give One Program
Buy one comforter and The Company Store will donate one to a homeless child.
http://www.thecompanystore.com/Buy-One-Give-One


Velvet Ring Box (Photographer Unknown)

Trish Nicholas Photography @ www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography

To Purchase Photos Courtesy of Redbubble @ http://www.redbubble.com/people/tmeian
*Please feel free to contact me with any inquiries regarding commercial use of my photographs.

Happy Valentine's Day! XOXO!

A New Blog

A few weekends ago when my girlfriend and her husband were visiting with us I had one of those “light bulb” moments. The guys were engaged in guy talk and we were, of course, having some girl talk and catching up with one another. My light bulb moment occurred when my girl friend was telling me about a ministry, (mercyministries.org), that their church was sponsoring. That’s when it hit me, I said to myself ‘that’s it’ a Blog dedicated to .orgs! Since I have been a .org junkie for quite some time this was a perfect idea for me to pursue. I have been keeping a list of .orgs and from time to time I have included various organizations in my Blog postings. Starting a new Blog dedicated to bringing awareness to others about organizations that were helping people in need would definitely satisfy my inner desire to let people know about these organizations.

The debut of my new Blog dedicated to .orgs will be coming soon. I will start by introducing to you Mercy Ministries. I am thankful for my light bulb moment that God has given to me. I pray that this .org Blog will inspire others to give, to write, to pray and to do something. We are living in difficult times and there are many people in need and the time to act is now.

Trish

ABOUT MERCY MINISTRIES
Since 1983, Mercy Ministries of America has provided hope and healing to generations of desperate young women who are seeking freedom from life-controlling issues such as: physical and sexual abuse including sex trafficking, eating disorders, self harm, drug and alcohol addictions, depression and unplanned pregnancy.

Please logon to Mercy Ministries for the full organization profile:
Mercy Ministries:
http://www.mercyministries.org/


Also check out the Mercy Ministries YouTube Video:
http://youtu.be/MboCd4teXQk

Mercy Minister Founder Nancy Alcorn's Blog:
http://www.nancyalcorn.com/

To those of you, who can give, then give
To those of you who can pray, then pray
To those of you, who can write, then write.
But please do something!

Mercy Ministry Photo: Photographer Unknown

All Other Photos: Courtesy of Family Archives

Trish Nicholas Photography @ www.wix.com/TrishN/Trish-Nicholas-Photography
Also please feel free to contact me with any inquiries regarding commercial use of my photographs.


To Purchase Photographs: Courtesy of Redbubble @ http://www.redbubble.com/people/tmeian

My sixth installment about my Photography Journey on HubPages @ http://phototljn7.hubpages.com/hub/Photography-Blog

Stress, Frustration, and Anger

The reports about the state of our economy seem bleaker and bleaker every day with little hope in sight. Be it big businesses or small businesses, construction, housing, auto, retail, hotel, casino, travel you name it, unfortunately the list can go on and on… everyone is effected. And the countless heartbreak stories of this “recession” can go on and on as well. People are becoming extremely frustrated and angry about the state of affairs in this country and abroad, which brings me to an experience that took place several weeks ago.

Before we could even get into a store to do some Christmas shopping, we had a guy who was already parked in a parking space blow his horn at us as we were pulling into another space. We could not figure out why he had blown his horn at us? I then notice that this guy pulled out of his space, which was two spaces away from us and pulled directly behind our vehicle. He then proceeded to get out of his vehicle and approach the driver’s side of our vehicle. LJN put the window down and the guy said “I was parked in a reserved space and I had been waiting for that car to pull out”… WHO KNEW! I heard LJN reply “hey if you want this space I can move, there are plenty of other spaces here." Other people have not been so blessed to have an ending such as this. They have become the story on the evening news, victims of someone’s anger over a mere parking space.

People, please find some other way to reduce the amount of stress, frustration and anger in your life. Ever think about volunteering some of your time at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or after school program, or coming up with a way to help someone in need, be it food, clothing, or shelter. I recently heard a story on the news of a woman who hung Christmas wishes from needy children on a Christmas tree outside of her home. People in the neighborhood and surrounding area would come by and take a wish off of the tree and commit to fulfill that particular child’s wish. What a really good idea... I wish I had come up with that one. See what a little thinking can do to help someone else. And whether you realize it or not you are also helping to take your mind off of your problems and the current stresses that we all have been feeling and experiencing lately.

Trust me getting involved outside of your world will make all those little things seem like just that, very small and inconsequential.

Trish

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” Maya Angelou

Photo Poinsettia Light

by LJN @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Photo of Grandson behind the Christmas Tree

by LJN * Courtesy of LJN Archives

Photo Snow Star

by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Give – to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation.