Destiny

This quote from WJBrayn is so true. We have to make our own destiny, nobody else will do it for us.

The photo is a bug scaling up a blade of grass. I thought it fits this quote very well.

A simple smile

Oh yes, a simple smile can really do a lot! For one, a smile is really so contagious. Once we smile at somebody, chances are that somebody will also return that smile. It's the simplest thing we give to somebody to bring some happiness.

I used this photo of my smiley grandson as background for this quote from Mother Teresa. This is a mixed media project and I love how it turned out.

What goes around comes around

"What goes around, comes around...." I find this quote from an unknown author so true. So we really just have to love and be thankful for what we've got.   

The photo shows oil droplets as they interacted with water. I just color-selected one droplet using Photoshop.

Leadership

I like the way Cardinal Rosales explained what leadership is. He said this in relation to servant leadership or leadership in church ministry. However, I think it applies even to leadership in any situation, don't you agree?

This is again one of those cards wherein I did not use any photo. I created this using gradients in Photoshop.

Rejoice

Yes indeed, we must rejoice every new day as we marvel at the work of God! Just the mere fact that we are able to witness a new day, is enough reason to rejoice!

I took this photo from the highest part of Corregidor island as we witnessed the sun coming out and peeping through the leaves. It was such a beautiful morning and I could not help but say a prayer of thanks!

Love, Prayer and Forgiveness

All I can say about this quote from an unknown author is - "how true!" Love, prayer and forgiveness can always do wonders in any situation.

I like this photo that I took of the purple leaves of a tree. I don't really know the name of the tree. I was just attracted to the color and formation of the leaves.

Look beyond the imperfections

This quote from an unknown author is so true. We really have to just focus on what is good or what we should be thankful for rather than look for perfection in everything.

The photo is that of "Shanghai beauty" or Jatropha pandurifolia. I have used this flower in another post before. I used it as background for my post "Life is Beauty" last May 30.

Whispers of Truth

I like the way K.T.Jong talk about our need for silence in our life. Telling us that we will hear "the whispers of truth that life reveals to us" is so motivational. It motivates me to devote more time to silence,  so I can hear the "whispers of truth".

The photo is another early morning scene from my favorite island, Boracay. It was so still that morning, perfect for having a conversation with oneself and with God.

God's mercy

Here is another maxim from Blessed Maria Dominica. I am really in awe of this blessed woman. She was not only a prolific writer but also a charismatic leader of her congregation.

The photo is a red cross, symbol of the Camillians, placed in textured paper background. 

Imagination and worlds that never were

Our imagination is really so powerful. As Carl Sagan said, "imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were." We simply have to make use of it then so we can go anywhere we want.

The photo is another scene from Boracay, my favorite island here in the Philippines. I used gradients in Photoshop to enhance its color.

Artist, Amateur

I find this quote so inspiring and motivating. Yes, we all start as amateurs. I still consider myself as an amateur because I feel that I still have so much to learn. Thanks Ralph Waldo Emerson! You are so good for my ego!

The photo is a macro shot of a raindrop on an Alstroemeria flower.

Follow your dream

This is another "dream" quote that I love.  We really have to follow our dream so we can "live the life we imagined" as Thoreau beautifully put it.

The photo is another sunset scene from my hometown here in the Philippines. I was lucky to have caught this solitary bird as it was flying over the water. It's probably heading home.

magic and beauty

The "magic and beauty are really in ourselves." This quote from Kahlil Gibran simply reiterates what we should know about ourselves and our emotions. It's really true that our emotions can affect how we perceive things. So everything really depends on us and not on the world around us.

The photo is a hollyhock flower. I processed this in Photoshop to give it a slightly dreamy and soft effect.

Serenity

I thought all along that this prayer is from Saint Francis of Assisi, but after researching widely, I discovered that it really originated from American theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr.

According to Wikipedia, this prayer has also be erroneously attributed to Cicero, Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Marcus Aurelius and many more. Imagine that!

This is another card wherein I did not use any photo. Instead, I just made it using Photoshop's many tools.

Beauty is God's handwriting

I love this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. He is one author whose words usually resonates with my thoughts and how I feel. The beauty around us is really God's handwriting and cup of blessing! How can we not thank God for all these?

The photo is the back view of a half-opened yellow mum. I find this flower so photogenic from any angle and whatever stage of life it is - be it a bud, a half-opened one, a full bloom or even a dying one.

Difficult people

There are difficult people, and there are helpful people but we need both kinds in our life. As this quote says, we still should be thankful for the difficult people, because they "show us who we don't want to be"!

This is another quote wherein I did not use any photo. Instead, I just made a card using the tools in Photoshop. I'm beginning to learn how to use some of these tools, and am enjoying the discovery!

Let not your heart be troubled

This verse from John is so reassuring. The words "let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"  fills me with hope and confidence that God is always with us.

The photo is an early morning with threatening storm clouds and a group of boaters practicing for a dragon boat festival. The boaters asked me if I wanted to go with them for a ride but I had to say "no" because I was afraid of my camera getting wet. Sigh! It would have been an experience!

Don't lose hope

I like this "hope" quote from an unknown author. It is simply so positive, so full of hope! Just tells us that there is always something good in every situation that we find ourselves in. Sometimes, this may not be so evident right away, but it's there.

This photo is taken from Boracay, my favorite island here in the Philippines.

Angel and a blade of grass

I'd like to believe that it's not only a blade of grass that has an "angel that bends over it", I believe that each one of us also has an angel that tells us the same thing. What do you think?

The photo is a blade of grass with some dew drops.

Appreciate what you have

This words from an unknown author is so true! We really have to appreciate and be thankful for what we have. If we always on wanting something else, then we will never be happy.

The photo is a yellow bell flower or Allamanda cathartica.

Start walking

This quote from Ayn Rand is another reminder for us to act on dreams or desires. We just cannot remain looking at the road as Ayn Rand said. We have to start walking!

This is a photo of a pathway in Corregidor island here in the Philippines.

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord indeed! God will never abandon us, that's for sure. This is another inspiring maxim from Blessed Maria Domenica.

I did not use any photo for this card. Everything was done through Photoshop.

New ending

This quote reminds us that we can always pick up the pieces from where we are and we can have a new ending to the story of our life. Isn't that neat? Thanks Carl Bard for these inspiring words!

The photo shows Oxalis buds about ready to open up and give the world a brand new flower to behold.

Dare take a risk

Yes, we will never be able to find  out how far our talents, gifts, dreams, will take us if we do not go out of our comfort zone. That's why I find this quote from T.S. Eliot so inspirational.

The photo is a man heading out to sea on his boat as the sun whispers goodbye at twilight. This is taken from my hometown here in the Philippines.

Never give up

This quote from Harriet Beecher Stow is a good reminder for us. Yes, we should never give up on our dreams. We have to keep working on them because for all we know, the tide may just turn as the quote says.

I saw this starfish on the beach just as the water from the sea almost covered it. You can see the water on the upper left corner.

Impossible

I'm possible! Ah, that's really inspiring! Don't you think so?
Everything is really possible, especially if we put our trust in God.

The photo is a wild mushroom that I found in our driveway. I processed it with a little color to give it more pizzazz.

Leave no stone unturned

I like this reminder from Edward Bulwer Lytton. We do sometimes fail to turn one of the stones along our path, and then we regret why we did not do so.

The photo is not really stones. They are actually water droplets. However, I used this photo to complement this quote as the droplets somehow make a beautiful pattern in a kind of pathway.

Remain tranquil

In the world that we are in now, it's rather hard to remain tranquil. But as Blessed Maria Domenica tells us, it's possible as long as we trust in Jesus.

The photo is a ground lily that I processed in Photoshop using gradient.

Miracle

I was inspired by this beautiful morning that I immediately thought of these two lines. I thought I read something similar somewhere before, but I could not find it when I searched the net. So I did not attribute it to anybody. Oh well, it might be original then.

The photo is a sunrise from my favorite island, Boracay, here in the Philippines. I have written a few articles about Boracay in my HubPages. If interested, here are the links: http: A-Paradise-Called-Boracay and Why-People-Love-Boracay

What a Friend Is

I love this quote about a friend. A true friend is really precious. Most of the time, we don't even have to say anything to each other, yet our friend will always read what is in our heart. Unfortunately, the author of this beautiful quote is unknown.

These two mushrooms look like they are dancing together. So I processed them in  Photoshop to create this bright happy card.

Self confidence

 I like the second line of this quote: "how can anyone see how awesome you are if you can't see it yourself?"
This is a very powerful question, don't you agree?

This photo is actually a yellow cosmos that I played around with in Photoshop. I like this result after using "exclusion" in blend mode. I thought this cosmos is showing a lot of "self-confidence" as it stands out against the green background.