Tljnicholas Photography with a personal view

Faithfully patient

2009-10-23T15:32:00.006-04:00

Patience (noun) capacity for waiting, the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties

As I sat on a bench a few Saturdays ago waiting for LJN to pick me up from the mall. It caught me off guard how relaxed and patient I was at having to sit there and wait. A situation like this in the past would have left me all out of sorts with myself and everyone else, pretty sad but very true.

The truth of the matter is that I have never been very good at waiting for anything. I don’t have a patient bone in my body. And I have secretly admired people who have exhibited a great deal of patience. You have heard people talking about how he or she is such a patient person and the fact that some people have it and some people just don’t have it, as if patience was something you were born with like brown eyes or bluish green eyes.

I have always been very hard on myself for my tremendous lack of patience, a character flaw which I worked hard at changing but failed at many times. It wasn’t until I became sick that I finally became a “patient” person. Through the numerous doctor appointments, blood test, brain MRI’s, arguments, anger, fear, frustration and finally as the reality of my illness became clearer… patience emerged.

My illness has tested my new found patience at various times and places along this journey. I began to believe that being patient about my illness wasn’t doing me any good. I soon realized that these doubts had surfaced because I stopped trusting in and believing in the virtue of patience. I asked myself why did I stop trusting in being patient, what had happened to the new “patient” Trish? It hit me one day after my devotional reading, what was missing was… my faith. Through my daily devotional readings I was reminded that I could rest in God’s hands, that he would never leave me nor forsake me. And I now know that I also must become faithfully patient.

Trish

[God] Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5

Tune your anxious heart to patience,
Walk by faith where sight is dim;
Loving God, be calm and trustful
And leave everything to Him. – Chambers

2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV
For we walk by faith, not by sight

Photos by Trish

Lens Vision http://lvm.pho.to/albums/lens_vision/

Eclectic Greetings I http://www.zazzle.com/EclecticGreetingsI

Through My Viewfinder http://www.zazzle.com/meia7214N

The Dance

2009-09-09T19:12:00.011-04:00

August is when the sunlight begins its dance; it is a photographer’s delight. Early in the morning the dance begins and finishes in the late afternoon with its best moves. Once your eyes discover the dance you want to chase this dance where ever it shows up… flickering, moving, twisting, creating so many beautiful shapes that your eyes can’t seem to capture all of the dances.

I asked myself what it is about this August sunlight that always shows up at this time. As I pondered this thought some more, I heard myself say of course it is summers last blast, the warmth from the suns rays mixed with cool breezes begins to dance. I think that God created this dance as a beautiful transition from summer into fall. It is a subtle, gentle, passing of one season into another.

Thank you Lord for this beautiful dance…

Trish

“Everything in the Universe has rhythm.
“Everything Dances. - Maya Angelou

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. - Bertha Calloway

The grass withers the flowers fade but the word of our God stands forever. - Isaiah 40:8

Photos by Trish

Through My Viewfinder www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

Hilton Head Island, SC

2009-08-06T17:41:00.008-04:00

I am sitting in a beach chair on Hilton Head Island trying to get some R&R but the concerns about the care of my mother when we return home will not leave my mind. The harder I try to place these thoughts in a holding pattern in my brain the more they keep spinning right back to the front of my thoughts. I try to focus my eyes on LJN and our grandsons playing in the ocean, hopefully this scene will pull my thoughts back to Hilton Head Island… wrong, my thoughts turn back to my Mother who is staying with our oldest daughter until we return.

Many families are faced with how to care for an aging parent and in my case it comes down to just my sister and I. I live approximately fifteen miles from mom and my sister lives nearly three thousand miles away. Our Dad passed away nine years ago.

As the days and nights slipped by on beautiful Hilton Head Island the tug of war with my thoughts continued to rage. One night I awoke into the wee hours of the morning and finally concluded that my concerns with caring for my mom had nothing to do with the type of mother daughter relationship that we had or in my case the lack thereof; or whether or not I was the daughter who she felt she could confide in more. I realized my struggle was all about how can I care for my mother in my current state of health? I love and respect my mother and truly want what is best for her. Having pinpointed my internal struggle, I said to the Lord I still don’t know what to do… I trust you Lord for the answer.

Three days after returning from Hilton Head Island, a trip that will forever be in our hearts and minds… LJN and I picked up my mom and brought her to our home.

Trish

“A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be your friend”. Quote From a plaque in my daughter’s Mother In-law’s guest bedroom.

“If I never had a problem I’d never know that God could solve them” – Through It All, Andrae Crouch

“….Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” – Ephesians 4:23

Isaiah 26:3 KJV
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

“When all goes well and I feel strong; oh, help me, Lord to see that I must place my confidence in you and not in me.” – Anon

Photos by Trish & LJN

Through My Viewfinder: www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

Family Connecting & Sharing…

2009-06-25T13:18:00.009-04:00

Growing up it was just my sister and I. At the end of my junior year in high school I did find out that I had a half brother. And by that time I had decided that when I did get married I would have at least six children. When I began a serious relationship with LJN, I told him that I would like to have a large family. He wasn’t a bit uncomfortable with my maternal desire, being the fact that he is the youngest of seven, he clearly understood why I found delight in having more than one or two children… we ended up stopping at four! I quickly realized that raising a child is much harder than it looks on television or in the movies. Children are an enormous blessing from God and as parents we are to raise our children to go out and be on their own. In Proverbs 22:6 it says to Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. And as parents many of us pray that we have done just that.

Children are a heritage from the Lord. Psalm 127:3

I have connected with my husband’s siblings and their children in such a way that it all but makes up for me growing up with “just my sister.” And talk about two opposite personalities my sister and I, one a tomboy and one a book nerd. I love my husband’s family and have a strong desire to keep us all connected and sharing our lives with one another.

After my Memorial Day posting I received an e-mail from my sister-in-law, she said, “thank you for capturing the moments of our lives”. That thank you lead to the creation of a website named PhotomomentsbyTrish, hopefully this site will provide another place where our family can come together to pray for one another, praise each other, reminisce and share our thoughts.

Our time of connecting and making promises to get in touch and keep in touch at family funerals must come to an end.

The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Writer

Trish
6/13/09
Written: While under the dryer at Cousin Sheila’s salon.

Photos by Trish & LJN

Through My Viewfinder www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

Early Morning

2009-06-10T12:06:00.008-04:00

I would not call myself a “morning person”, up at the crack of dawn. But once in a while I will get up earlier than I normally do. Now I do know an early morning riser and that is my sister-in-law. She is always wide awake, bright, cheery and ready to embrace the day and she hasn’t had a drop of java! A matter of fact she doesn’t even drink coffee. She is more of a hot tea with lemon type, who loves every kitten that she lays her eyes on. It was on one of those early mornings that I found myself writing down my thoughts about starting my day sooooo early.

Oh the Dee-light!

Oh the delight of the early morning hours. There are times when I just love to wake up early in the morning before the rest of the world awakes. It’s just me and the birds chirping, my chirping is on the inside. All of my senses are rising to such a level that it is scary and exciting at the same time!

There are endless possibilities for the day ahead, the potential to get so many things accomplished. The thought of getting started so early is totally exhilarating to me. Hope and fulfillment are on the horizon. Are you ready for me DAY, because here I come!

Trish

This is the day that which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. - Psalm 118:24

Photos By Trish & LJN

Through My Viewfinder www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

***FYI - New Photography Website coming this month!

***FYI - New Family Sharing & Connecting Website coming soon!

My Memorial Day…

2009-05-27T19:21:00.017-04:00

How we spend our Memorial Day varies from family to family and from place to place. Many of us living close to the Jersey shore traditionally head to the shore, leaving many areas feeling like a ghost town. Yesterday I was an observer to a Memorial Day family tradition that LJN had experienced as a child. As I watched LJN and other family members tidy up the grave plaque, place flowers and plant flowers at the graves of family members, I realized I was witnessing a very familiar practice on this day.

I listen to the exchange between the siblings, each having a different memory or recollection and for some having no knowledge about “such things” when it came to Aunt so and so and the occasional reply of… oh, I didn’t know that. As I stood there listening to all of these memories I thought about the many soldiers buried in cemeteries across this land who died in service to our country. I visualized those families at their graves, some holding back the tears in their eyes, others gently wiping away a tear and others recalling family memories that could put a smile on your face as they too exchanged memories about their son or daughter, father or mother, niece or nephew, aunt or uncle, cousin or grandchild. It is in these recalled memories on this day and other holidays when they are deeply missed that we, for a few fleeting moments, feel the warmth and touch of their presence once again.

I would like to say thank you to all of the men and women serving in our military today and to those who once served long ago, I lift my voice in praise for your service to our country and especially to the families whose loved ones paid the greatest sacrifice of all… death in service to our nation.

Trish

I Weep for Those Who Are Not My Own
I weep as any Father, Husband, Mother, Wife, Brother, Sister, Uncle, Aunt, Grandparent or Friend would at the loss of their loved one.
I weep for those who are not my own…
These soldiers Men and Women are all a part of us. The list is very long and growing longer each day.
I weep for those who are not my own…
Our voices on ending this conflict are varied, but our tears and aching hearts are clearly the same all over.
I weep for those who are not my own…
Let our cry be heard from the North to the South from the East to the West.
Weep No More, Weep No More, And Weep No More!
PLEASE STOP THIS WAR!

Inspired when watching This Week with George Stephanopoulos- ‘This Week’ Remembers Those We Have Lost …

2/07
Trish Nicholas

Support Our Troops

"And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier's tomb, and beauty weeps the brave." - Joseph Drake

***To Miss Carrie who has been deployed for seven months, my prayers are with you and your fellow soldiers that you all may return safely home to your families… GO NAVY!

Photos by Trish & LJN

Support Our Troops-Photographer Unknown

Through the Viewfinder www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

GO ARMY!

GO AIRFORCE!

GO MARINES!

***FYI A brand new Photography Website is coming in June!

To All Mother’s

2009-05-19T14:01:00.007-04:00

Last week I was watching a segment on the Today show about how much is Moms job really worth? I believe this same report has shown up on several other morning shows prior to Mother’s Day. This time the report pointed to a website called salary.com, where a stay at home Mom or working Mom could calculate how much she should be paid for the many “different” hats that she wears for her family.

Well, I am sure that you can see where I am going with all of this. And I don’t think I would be to far off the mark to say that many of us would be interested in finding out how much we would be paid, since curiosity about anything has never been at a loss when it comes to women…it’s in our DNA!

To all mother’s everywhere we hold a common thread and money it is NOT. The first cry of life in the delivery room, a life that you helped to bring into the world, that one and only special smile from your child, that says you mean the world to me, A child’s tight little arms wrapped around your neck when being frighten by a creak or a shadow in the night, your arms rocking them to sleep when their tummy and head is aching from the flu. The list of things that a Mother does for her family and all that she experiences with her children are simply PRICELESS!

No matter how they calculate our worth, there just isn’t any amount of money that you could pay any Mother, for she will always be a Mother and much more!

Trish

A mom's love is like a beautiful garden nurtured with love and caring. (Hallmark)

Mom, the older I get, the more I realize how blessed I am to have a wonderful mother like you.

But how can I put into words how much your love, encouragement, and faith in me have meant? (Hallmark)

Mom you’re an Angel
Just like those above.
Thank you for your
Patience, Protection, and Love.

No person has ever
Been so caring and warm.

Truly, Mom,
You’re an Angel in human form
Rachel Grace

Photos by Trish

Through the Viewfinder www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

*** FYI A brand new Photography website is coming in June!

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all!

A Belated Mother’s Day Wish

2009-05-19T10:28:00.019-04:00

On Wednesday May 6th our second granddaughter and fifth grandchild arrived approximately three weeks early, weighing in at 5lbs 4oz. Needless to say there was a mad scramble to head to Chesapeake, Virginia to see her, leaving no time for my Mother’s Day posting. Well, I am happy to report that Mother and baby are doing fine! She has her Daddy’s nose and her Mothers signature chin. Her Pop-Pop said she is just GORGEOUS! Just see for your self… this is our little Jazz, short for Jaslynn.

God’s blessings poured out on you
In the gift He has given

Your precious baby daughter

God’s gift sent down from heaven
May God pour out His wisdom

To raise her in His love

So she may become a woman of God

With faith in God above

© By M.S.Lowndes

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Photos by LJN & Trish

***New Photography website is coming in June!

Through the Viewfinder www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

Renewal Time

2009-05-04T15:21:00.012-04:00

I have always referred to myself as a “summer time girl” proclaiming that my favorite season is definitely summertime. I must say that as the earth has begun its transformation from winter to spring, I am beginning to feel as though springtime is my favorite season. Everywhere you look you can witness the earth’s clock beginning its renewal. One morning LJN and I found ourselves awakening to a bird chirping outside of our bedroom window… no alarm clock needed that morning. Twice now we have witnessed and unfortunately had to remove two birds nest that were beginning to be built on our home. And as I walked through my garden the other day to see what had made it through the winter, my heart skipped a beat to see and smell my pineapple mint, chocolate mint, Greek oregano, lavender, hosta, and other varieties of flowers pushing their way up out of the ground.

I thought to myself who told the birds to arrive and start chirping again outside my bedroom window and for the flowers and buds on the trees to bloom again… who told you to do that now? As I observed all of this, fully knowing the creator of this process I kept having a sense of everything being brand new, fresh and clean. A tremendous feeling of renewal was hovering in the air and I could not get enough of it. In witnessing the earths magnificent renewal I clearly understood why God gave us springtime, spring gives us a new energy, a new strength and enthusiasm for the warmer months to come. It is what I call a time to really breathe.

While the earth is renewing, may you also take the time to breathe, meditate and renew your life. Take a walk in the sunshine or after an April shower, I am sure you will be surprised at what you see and how different you will feel afterward… go ahead try it and see.

I now believe that spring is my favorite season…

Trish

Romans 1:20 (New International Version)

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Think of the number of trees and blades of grass and flowers, the extravagant wealth of beauty no one ever sees! Think of the sunrises and sunsets we never look at! God is lavish in every degree. – Oswald Chambers

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Through the Viewfinder II

www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

Total Reflection

2009-04-16T15:13:00.008-04:00

May I learn how to be content with this infirmity that has come upon me ...
Finding peace and happiness and rejoicing in what my body can do today. I know that constantly thinking about what I could do physically as opposed to what I am able to do now must end.

Whatever has touched my brain and caused these changes to my body has truly left the doctors in a guessing game and leaving me to wonder… what will become of me? Lord I only ask that you stop any further damage from taking place inside of my brain.

As I am blessed to see each day come and go, may I find sheer delight in the fact that I can still recognize my Family, Friends and Neighbors! I petition you Lord to allow me to continue to know all of my loved ones until the day that you shall call me home.

And as I cease from languishing about how I use to be, may you grant me to continue to live in this changed body in a new way.

Lord, supply the strength that my family needs as we go through this together.

While I meditate and reflect on your word today, I am reminded of what your servant Paul said…Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11 (King James Version)

May I also learn to be content whatever the circumstance. . .

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com

Through the Viewfinder II

www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

There is an Arm that never tires

When human strength gives way;

There is a Love that never fails

When earthly loves decay. -Wallace

We need one Another

2009-04-05T09:37:00.012-04:00

America is hurting and now more so than ever before in the history of our nation, Americans truly need one another. Continuing job losses, foreclosures and limited amounts of food for some, chooses us NOT by our race or social status or by way of some sort of financial guideline. Many of us in the country know that we could also find ourselves jobless, homeless and waiting in a line to obtain the basic food staples. Hearing anyone say “I never thought that something like this could ever happen to me”, is now being replaced with the possibility… could my family be next?

We must put aside the political rhetoric, inside bickering, ideological differences and racial barriers. We must help one another and vow to work together, so that collectively we can put our nation back on track and I am not talking about the same track but a better track. Let us take what is good, fair, just and moral from the past and squelch the attitude of it’s all about me, greed is good, I’ve got mine and I can’t worry about you getting yours.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, at microphone. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON - APRIL 01: House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) (center top) joins a bicamerial group of Republicans during a news conference on the East Steps of the U.S. Captiol April 1, 2009 in Washington, DC. The bicamerial group of Republicans held a closed-door meeting on the floor of the House to discuss President Barack Obama's proposed budget.
Getty Images

Ask yourself this question can we really afford NOT to think, to behave, to act and to treat one another differently? Do we really want to enter into the 21st century listening to the same old naysayer with their messages of fear, hatred and indifference?

All of us must choose a different path, set new standards for ourselves and our families. And above all we MUST reset our moral compasses to: “yes”; I am my brother’s keeper!

Stewardship is more than setting up soup kitchens and overnight shelters. It is good and right that we reach into the river of despair and rescue people who are drowning. But it is time to move upstream and see who's throwing them in. - Edmond Browning

Photos by Trish

@ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com

The Audacity of Barack

2009-03-14T20:02:00.023-04:00

Yes, the audacity of Barack to hit the ground running. On January 21st he took off his jacket rolled up his sleeves and had the audacity to begin the task of tackling our economy, our healthcare, the auto industry, ending the war in Iraq, and addressing the mounting problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As we all know this is just the “tip” of the iceberg. These are just a few of the countless problems facing our nation today.

The political pundits on the airwaves and the net discuss daily what Barack should and should not do, what will work and definitely what won’t work. They just chew it all up and constantly spit everything out to us without having to digest any of it… That is left to the Audacity of Barack! Now they are daily contemplating whether or not Barack should take on all of these issues at the same time. Can he do it? How successful will he be taking so much on at the same time? Is he setting himself and the American people up for a disastrous outcome? Just more chew it up and spit it out.

Well, I for one can see clearly and applaud ‘the hit the ground running philosophy’, ‘the urgency of now’, and above all the Audacity of President Obama to tell the American people like it really is. Recently the President was criticized for not including a “ray of hope” when speaking to the American people. Surely this person must have been living on another planet. From the start of Barack’s campaign, throughout his campaign, in his acceptance speeches and in his Inauguration address, this President has not only written a book titled the Audacity of hope, he has become a living breathing symbol of what is and what can be possible when we believe and have the Audacity to hope. At this time in the history of our Nation we need to have the Audacity of Barack!

Trish

Barack Obama Campaign Photo - Photographer Unknown

Campaign Rally Photo by Trish PA Whistle Stop Photo by Trish

Campaign Photo by Callie Shell

Kenyans in the western town of Kisumu celebrated after Barack Obama’s election victory. (Photo: Riccardo Gangale/Associated Press)

Inauguration Photo by Trish

Inauguration Photo by LJN
Lord, give us grace to trust You when

Life's burdens seem too much to bear;

Dispel the darkness with new hope

And help us rise above despair. -Sper

Inside Book Title - Photo by Trish

Inauguration Photo by LJN

I Timothy 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone; for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

Thank you for this Day!

2009-02-24T18:16:00.010-05:00

Thank you Lord for the air that I breathe, the water that I have to drink, cook, and bathe myself with.

Thank you Lord for the ability to stand and move my feet, use my arms and wiggle my toes.

Thank you Lord for allowing me to still hold up my head, hold a pen, a fork, knife and spoon.

Thank you Lord for the ability to see, taste, smell and swallow.

Thank you Lord, that I can feel pain, cold, heat, and my facial muscles forming a smile or a frown.

Lord, I thank you for my home, lights, heat, food and its comfortable surroundings.

Thank you Lord for just having this opportunity to say,
Thank you for so much!

Thank you Lord for THIS Day!

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Photos by Trish

@ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Tell me what are you thankful for. . .

Love, Love, Love

2009-02-14T21:35:00.012-05:00

Place me like a seal over your heart. Like a seal on your arm for love is as strong as death. Its jealousy unyielding as the grave it burns like blazing fire. Like a mighty flame many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. Song of Solomon 8:6-7

All of us desire to love and be loved on a deeper level too… one that brings fulfillment and joy in our relationships. Reaching this depth takes patience and courage. In any relationship, the truest love is unconditional. Unknown

Love is patient, Love is Kind, It does not envy, It does not boast, It is not proud. I Corinthians 13:4.

Too Slow for those who Wait, Too Swift for those who Fear, Too Long for those who Grieve, Too Short for those who Rejoice, But for those who Love, Time is eternity. Henry Van Dyke

“Whoever has a heart full of love always has something to give.” Pope John XIII

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Trish

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Photo Valentine's Day Cards @ Zazzle

www.zazzle.com/meia7214N*

Love, Love, Love!

Happy Valentine's Day. . . Daddy

A Realization…

2009-01-30T18:44:00.012-05:00

The day after we returned from attending the Inauguration, I watched the live news coverage of President Obama addressing his Senior Staff. He clearly set forth policy for his staff setting the tone if you will of what his policy would be and what it would not be. My mind flashed back to the previous administration’s live news coverage, Press conferences, Announcements, Address to the nation and I couldn’t help noting what a striking difference there was from this live news coverage with this President speaking and what I had listen to and witnessed over the past eight years… this was so refreshing!

President Obama finished speaking and announced that Vice-President Biden would officiate over the rest of the ceremony for the Senior Staff. Then I witnessed President Obama come back to the microphone and state that he had not seen many of his staff since their confirmations and would like to say hello to everyone before he departed… needless to say I was impressed by this. I am certain that his agenda for the day was very full, and yet he deemed that it was just as important for him to greet each one of his Senior Staff personally.

The new President greeted each staffer, shaking their hand, chatting with them a bit, and an occasional hug or kiss and for some staffers being personally introduced to the Vice-President. The body language that was displayed before us was unmistakably genuine and the energy in that room was electrifying.

Tears began to run slowly down my cheeks and then I was crying to tissue category tears.
I realized in that instant, listening to and watching our new President…that the stolen potential of a young Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, men who had inspired many of us to hope for a brighter day. Their lives instantly snuffed out right before our eyes and reduced to ashes, leaving all of us to ponder what might have been if they had lived. Is truly now being resurrected by a man… named Barack Obama.

Trish

*The election has ended, the Inauguration is over and there is new leadership in Washington, DC. President Obama is counting on all of us to do our part in helping to shape America… “For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies”. - President Barack Obama. Websites have been created and more sites will be up and running soon. Make it a priority to go to the websites so that you can stay informed and have a voice in your government. “Being Ignorant Is Evil Choosing Ignorance Is Wickedness”. - LJN. Now is not the time, to hit the cruise control or automatic pilot button because we have elected a man named Barack Hussein Obama to lead this country, it is going to take all of us to do what we can… “It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours”.- President Barack Obama.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/
http://www.astrongmiddleclass.gov/
*We will launch a sweeping effort to root out waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary spending in our government, and every American will be able to see how and where we spend taxpayer dollars by going to a new website called recovery.gov -- because I firmly believe what Justice Louis Brandeis once said, that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I know that restoring transparency is not only the surest way to achieve results, but also to earn back the trust in government without which we cannot deliver the changes the American people sent us here to make. -President Barack Obama.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge… Hosea 4:6.

Photos by Trish & LJN @ Through the Viewfinder
http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Priceless...

2009-01-24T15:20:00.012-05:00

LJN and I finally made our decision to attend the 56th Inauguration on Monday evening January 19th. We departed our home in the PA suburbs just outside of Philadelphia and headed to a Metro rail park and ride subway station. Having, of course, no hotel accommodations we were fully prepared for the unexpected and yet at the same time we truly felt that we were doing the right thing and that we should go. LJN and I have always tried to live life in the now and not in tomorrow or someday if we can help it.

We boarded the Metro rail subway at 1:15am checked the stops along the map and made a decision as to which stop we would get off at, as it turned out the stop that we had chosen had an entrance into a beautiful hotel. We entered the hotel to use the restroom and ended up sitting in the lobby, where we dozed off to sleep for awhile. About an hour or so later we were aroused by the aroma of coffee and a delicious smell of something being cooked that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I said to LJN “let’s follow the smell”!

Much to my delight we followed the smell to an early morning breakfast shop and filled our stomachs. As we were sitting there in the subway tunnel eating we began to see the people flooding off of the trains, young, old, men, women, couples, families with children and small babies. People gathering themselves in groups, all kinds of groups, school groups, foreign groups and tour groups… and most notably, tons and tons of young people. The two things that everyone had in common were being bundled up for the cold weather and getting to their destination very early. We all felt and wanted the same thing to be here at this time, to be apart of this historical moment, so much so, that we would brave the cold and the wind and stand for hours and hours to experience it.

I am blessed to have lived my life, especially now with LJN who has always believed in to know and experience life. And oh what an experience it was to attend the 56th Inauguration of America’s first Black President… it is a memory that I will always cherish. I am definitely glad that we did decide to go.

Trish

Photos By Trish & LJN @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

We would love for you to share your thoughts and feelings about this historic Inauguration with us. Please send them to us and we will post them on the blog to share with our readers.

National Day of Service

2009-01-18T23:40:00.012-05:00

We elected a man who chose to serve the people of his country. Barack Obama, the President elect soon to be THE 44th President of the United States chose to really serve the people. He made this choice after graduating from Harvard Law School when he turned down a position to work in a prestigious law firm. He returned to Chicago to serve people who were desperately in need of help and more importantly leadership. And in doing so he became what is known as a “community organizer.”

Later he infused those same community organizational skills into his presidential campaign. He placed the necessary community/grassroots organizational tools directly into the hands and hearts of the people. This ignited a spark which started a fire in people all over the United States and abroad to get involved. For many of us we had become complacent, doubtful, disillusioned, and totally disbelieving in politics and our politicians. We were resuscitated back to life, old passions were renewed and new passions were discovered for the very first time.

National Day of Service should never be one special day or only promoted on Martin Luther King Day… it should be every day that God gives us breath! “We the people in order to form a more perfect union”… people we can do this together!
When President elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office on Tuesday, imagine that you are also standing there with your hand raised taking an oath to serve your fellow man, yes, be your brother's keeper, strive to make a difference wherever you can and never miss an opportunity to help someone.

Let’s keep the fire, which Barack Obama ignited, lit inside all of us and never ever let it go out!

Trish

Humanitarian Organizations Awareness Day!

Today I would like to encourage all of the internet community to place a link on your website or Blog to a local Community/Humanitarian Organization that is dedicated to helping those that are less fortunate than others and promotes change in the community and around the world. If you don’t have a website or Blog but know someone who does, please suggest adding a Humanitarian Organization link to their site.

*Please check out my Humanitarian Organizations links on the left side of the page… each link will take you directly to the websites homepage.

“There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life” – Sister Mary Rose McGeady, Children’s Advocate.

Barack Obama Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

PA Whistle Stop Tour 4.19.08

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Katrina Photo *Photographer unknown. I took a picture of this picture through the glass of a store that had closed, when I was visiting New Orleans, LA last summer.

Back Again…

2009-01-13T13:55:00.011-05:00

I am sitting here at my local hospital, a place that my illness brought me to in May of 2007 with the hope that the treatment would make me better again. It did, I felt like myself again! I was healed thanks to modern medicine… it only lasted a week. Thus my neurologist who admitted me proclaimed he wasn’t sure about my case, so he referred me to another neurologist who he thought would surly be able to diagnose my illness.

It is now 2009 and another brain MRI looms in front of me. I find myself sitting once again in this very familiar waiting room, the woman behind the registration desk recognizing my face the moment I step into her cubicle as the woman that has been here xxxxx many times for lab work. Yes, it’s me back again! And the registration process never seems to go as smoothly as both of us would like it to. So what is it this time? Your neurologist forgot to sign the script, we will try to get a hold of him so he can fax over another one, if not you will need to come back.

As I sat there waiting to find out whether or not I would be back again, I found myself starring out the window. The sky was wintry and gray it had a look of impending snow and the trees were all dark with branches that looked like sticks. As I kept starring at the sky and the trees I wished at that moment that I had my camera… instead I heard myself saying am I like a naked winter tree that has been stripped of everything?

After sharing what I had written with LJN I was reminded that the tree still has its trunk, its roots are deeply rooted in the ground and the branches don’t have their leaves right now, but in their season they will come back. I still have a degree of mobility, my faith is deeply rooted in God and all of my leaves will come back… Lord willing!

Trish

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Psalms 1:3 and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

Thank You 2008... Hello 2009!

2009-01-04T14:33:00.012-05:00

Many people were very glad to be able to say good-by to 2008. For me it was Thank you! I am truly thankful to have lived through the entire year with all of its joys, heartaches, disappointments, happiness, sorrows, losses, gains, and many unexpected blessings along the way. I will always cherish the memories that only 2008 could give me. I am excited knowing that new memories are on the horizon in 2009. You see there is no such thing as a good year or a bad year… there is living life and no matter what you do or where you live or how much money you make or don’t make you are not insulated from experiencing many of the same things that took place the year before. Those experiences may be a lot less and not as intense this year then they were last year. And for some people that alone will cause them to conclude at the end of 2009 whether or not it was a “good” year or a “bad” year.

In life there will always be a time when you will experience joy, heartache, disappointment, happiness, sorrow, loss, gains and many unexpected blessings along the way. It is good to set goals, so go ahead and set some! And what ever you do don’t make any New Year resolutions…let’s be realistic and just live life!

Trish

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3-8)

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Joy to the World the Lord has come

2008-12-21T22:47:00.027-05:00

LET OUR HEARTS SING…

LET OUR PRAISES RING…

LET OUR HEARTS SING…

LET OUR PRAISES RING…

JESUS IS CHRIST THE LORD OUR SAVIOR AND KING!

CELEBRATE GOD’S GIFT OF LOVE!

SING GLORY TO THE NEW BORN KING

LJN,

Trish,

And Family

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:11-14

Stress, Frustration, and Anger

2008-12-19T16:45:00.017-05:00

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.

35th High School Reunion

2008-12-07T13:16:00.024-05:00

One week prior to our 35th high school reunion we decided to go… ok I was the one who decided for us. We were so, up in the air, about whether or not we should attend this reunion. There was my health to consider which lately has been more bad days then good days, the emptiness of the loss of two dear family members and the coming Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

My mind was on having a joint family Thanksgiving dinner with my sister-in-law and her children and grandchildren. You see she had suddenly lost her husband in June and then her son in October. I knew that this holiday would be quite difficult for her and our nieces and nephew. I thought that a joint family dinner would be a good thing for all of us this year. I could only seem to focus on them, not our 35th reunion which was scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving.

I called my girlfriend who has always been more like my other sister to let her know that we would not be going to this reunion. She said that she could understand especially with everything that has taken place over the past five months. After I hung up from talking with her I said to LJN well it’s done… we are not going.

On Monday I began receiving email after email from some of my classmates, “We hope you can make it,” “See you on Nov 28th” and “Go to the website and register.” I started thinking about our decision and I asked myself, why did we decide not to go to the reunion? Was it totally because of my unpredictable health? I heard myself answering with, no not really. As I continued to probe my mind I realized that the ‘no’ decision was coming from a feeling of loss, and I thought that I would be disrespecting that loss by going and having some fun at the reunion.

I called LJN and told him I was thinking about going to the reunion. I remember him saying to me do you think you will be up to it? I said, I can only hope and pray that I will be having one of my good days. Later that afternoon I went to our high school reunion website and sent in our registration. Then I sent an email to my girlfriend telling her that we would be going… Yes we will be attending!

I am glad that I took the time to really inspect my decision to go. We both had a good time seeing our fellow classmates and socializing with them. Once again we reconnected with a past stage of our lives as adults with more life stories to share with one another.

If you have never attended your high school reunion I strongly recommend that you do! You may not think so but you will have a lot of fun. And in order to really enjoy yourself remember that you are not stuck in the year that you graduated but you are now an adult reuniting with other adults who all have different life stories… so yes, get dressed up, look your best, be yourself and have fun seeing the hottest cheerleader, the handsome quarterback, the class president and the class clown… we are all grown up now, but still very, very young at heart!

Trish

A glimpse of the class of 1973, past and present… Enjoy!

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

To thee our Alma Mater,

Praises we sing, and pledge our love anew -

Lessons of Life and Truth to us impart,

Knowledge to serve, to each a loyal heart. -

Sing then a song unto our colors bright,

The Garnet and the White!

So may we strive, that when Life's dawn is past,

Mindful of thee, and loving to the last, -

We shall have lived the virtues thou has taught,

We shall have found the victory we sought, -

Sing then a song unto our colors bright,

The Garnet and the White!

Samuel O. Barber

Class of 1926

"Nothing that was worthy in the past departs; . . . it lives and works through endless changes."

Thomas Carlyle

Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T23:24:00.014-05:00

To be truly thankful is to never assume anything, never take anyone or anything for granted. We all lead busy lives and our society is structured to keep us busy and constantly on the go. How many times have you heard someone repeat these words, “there are just not enough hours in the day?” And I am sure at one time or another we have all heard ourselves say these same exact words.

I shutter to think if we didn’t have this holiday called Thanksgiving or even other holidays when would we take the time to reflect and give thanks? Let’s take a moment and try to expand our thinking into the realm of never assume or take for granted that you will wake up the next day, that you will see a loved one, a co-worker, a neighbor or a dear friend the next day. That you will have a home to live in, or a job to go to, or continuous good health, no matter how many vitamin supplements you take or how much you eat or drink the right things, or even if you exercise every day… tomorrow is not promised to us.

When you wake up in the morning say these six simple words, Thank you God for this day! And say these six words each day that God blesses you to wake up. Never miss an opportunity to say hello to a stranger, kiss a loved one good-by, form new friendships, and lend a helping hand. You will feel much better, no matter what your current situation may be.

Take the time to breathe, reflect and always give thanks. Some times we think that we have nothing to be thankful for. But you are wrong we can all acknowledge that we have at least one thing that we can say that we are thank for. Just take a moment and think about it.

Live a life of daily thanksgiving not a life filled with assumptions at every turn. Ask yourself right now, what am I thankful for today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Trish

Trish Said: God thank you for this life, sickness and all because I know that when I draw my last breath sickness and pain will be no more! Hallelujah!

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com/

In sickness and in health…

2008-11-15T18:12:00.023-05:00

Every day that I can raise my head, lift my legs, move my arms and see the rising and setting of the sun I am truly grateful.

I am especially thankful for yet another day to be with you. I know that this is not the way that we pictured it would be for me and for you.

I want you to know how much I appreciate your spirit; you will not allow me for one minute to feel down. And I thank you for that!

On the days when the pity party of frustration comes out of me, you know that I don’t mean to be abrupt with you. Somehow you are still able to pick me up and put me right back on track. And I thank you for that!

You have truly honored the vow in sickness and in health no matter how much I don’t want this for you. I know that there is nothing that I can do or could do to have you abandon your vow; you have demonstrated that to me time in and time out. And I thank you for that!

I thank you for always being true to yourself. You have never subscribed to doing what other people “think” you should do, or doing things just to make the greatest impression on people. You have always been who you really are and nothing more. And I love you for that!

Because of you I have experienced so much more, and broaden my horizons. I’ve come to know what living life truly is. And I thank you for that!

I am so very grateful for each day that I have with you. No, our life right now is not like what we thought it would be, but I could never imagine spending one day of my life with anyone else but you.

With all of my love,

Trish

Photos Courtesy of TLJN Archives

“In marriage you can’t make deals to spare each other, there is only for better or for worst.” – From the book In an Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff.

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com

Election Night…

2008-11-08T20:44:00.028-05:00

On Tuesday night when the announcement came that Senator Barack Obama had won the election my husband took my hand and I kept saying thank you Lord! Then we just starred at each other and before we knew it tears began to run down our cheeks. Through our tears and emotions I heard my husband saying, "Martin Luther King took a bullet for this, John Kennedy and Bobby." I said to my son, "you can get back to college!" He raised his hands straight up in the air and said, "now I really feel that I have a future..… this is AWESOME!" He sat back down in his Dad’s chair turned to me and said I’ve got work to do. I thought to myself... hhmmm interesting!

The Audacity to Hope...

Earlier in the year our son attended a Barack Obama rally with us and he was truly moved by his message of change and hope, especially his stand on young people who truly wanted a college education… He heard Obama's offer to "extend a helping hand to your country and we will extend a helping hand back to you." Senator Obama’s message to never give up on your dreams, have the audacity to hope and believe that all things are possible really resonated with many young people. Those words of inspiration and hope could not have come at a better time for our son.

On Tuesday morning our son was the first one out of the house, he was heading to the polls to cast his vote before going to work. He has been working two jobs now and he has never whined or complained about his situation.

You see I became ill prior to the start of our son’s junior year in college. Many of you are familar with his situation and know that he could not attend school that year. I remember him coming to me later on and saying, "I am still young and no matter how long it takes I will complete my education."

Yes We Can!

Never give up on your dreams!

Believe that all things are possible!

With President Barack Obama in office his hopes and dreams have become so much brighter now.

Trish

Thank you for opening your eyes America!

Open your Eyes
By Trish - Mar 6th, 2008 at 3:24 pm EST
Posted on http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/trishnicholas

Photos by Trish @ Through the Viewfinder

http://www.tljnicholas.com

Football... Football... Football...

It may seem dark! But brighter days are coming!

Coaching...

And Coaching...

Oh how much you have grown up since you graduated from High School! We are confident that you will complete college and earn your degree in Sports Management... You've always had the right attitude!

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…

I am convinced that life is

10% what happens to me

And

90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.

By Charles Swindol

" May he give you the desire of your heart and make your plans succeed." - Psalms 20:4