Wordless Wednesday [Waterlogue edition]

... Wordless Wednesday Greetings,

Nina

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Wordless Wednesday by NC Sue
Wordless Wednesday by Create with Joy

Photos: iPhone 5S, Waterlogue app

December & November 2015 [A Month in Photos]

Awaiting with peaceful anticipation ... Advent Sunday's

Scent of ginger bread

Morning tea in candle light

Christmas spirit at work with secret elfs and funny presents 

Christmas Cards from to and from near and afar 

A pregnant young woman and her fiancee making their way to Jerusalem - long time ago ...

No hurries this year:

Life is so urgent it necessitates living slow.

Ann Voskamp

Advent: The time to listen for footsteps -
You canøt hear footsteps when you're running yourself.

Bill McKibben

December 2015 in Photos from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

:    :    :

Cloudy days, wind and rare spots of sun shine 

Pots of tea and candles inside - simple pleasures

Short naps after work

Fresh air with walks and small rides in the weekends

Finding Christmas decorations from the cellar

And - A lovely long weekend with mom visiting us!

Advent candles from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

It has been a pleasure making these monthly photo collages - It all started in January 2015, thanks to Mona's Pictoresque and her inspiration! I have used these collages in making desktop calendars for 2016 - I look forward of receiving them next week!

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A month in photos by Mona's Pictoresque

Footprints

I’ve followed him closely, my feet in his footprints, not once 
swerving from his way. I’ve obeyed every word he’s spoken, and not just 
obeyed his advice—I’ve treasured it.

Job 23:11-12 MSG

Evening walk from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.


 :  :  :

 
Blessings to your Sunday,
Nina


Here's a printable
of Job 23:11

for you   


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Scripture & Snapshot
Still Saturday 
Weekend Whispers

Photo:iPhone 5S, Camera+, Snapseed, VSCOcam apps

July 2015 - Month in Photos

 

Can you believe today is the last day in July?! Such a great bunch of memorable moments 31 days can include ...

Tea in the mornings at mom's porch.

Time is. 

Here. 

No hurries.

 Enjoying the fellowship with the family.

Our teens sleeping in ... waking up about earliest around lunch time.
Darts & card games.
Watching old photos and slides together. 

 Picking wild strawberries & blueberries. And chanterelles.

The scent of clower flowers and the sound of bees.
 A fox appearing behind a cliff - it's the first time ever I have seen a fox!

Cooking the rare dishes you just get in Finland.

A 4-day trip to visit my dear cousin in Helsinki.

The Great Outdoors & fresh air.

Slow life.

Old-fashioned wooden sauna in the evenings.

My favorite photo from July is the one above - we were rowing and fishing - and this particular evening was wind still and so quiet ... The clouds were drifting slowly, and we were on the lake to see the setting sun.

July 2015 ~ Month in Photos from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

Above a video of my daily iPhone snapshots in July, made with the CollectPhotoApp.

I hope you're doing well here in the end of July -

May the months of August bring moments of joy, peace & sunshine to your path,

Nina

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A Month in Photos by Mona's Pictoresque

Heinäkuun kollaasihaaste by Pieni Lintu

Hello ...

Who would ever know the greater graces of comfort and perseverance, 

mercy and forgiveness, patience and courage, 

if no shadows fell over a life?

Ann Voskamp

Hello again!

Thank you for the kind and encouraging notes here and else where - They've made me happy and brought sunshine to the cloudy days! 

I am doing much better now, the last 10 days have been without any greater trouble in the neck ... I feel light and "at home" in my body again - being grateful and relieved.

The past few weeks has been though a bit of an ambivalent mixture of:

- Moments with physical pain in the neck and head - and moments with absence of pain with deep relaxation and wonderful feeling of lightness in the body

- The feeling of time standing still yet hoping I could press a "fast forward" button in order to skip the next hour, as the tension and cramps in the muscles was about to start - and a wish to press a "pause" button when feeling the beautiful relaxation and bliss of easiness and well-being in the body

- Trust and hope that the treatments are working so I would "get my normal body and everyday life" back soon - and a fear and uncertainty in "what if" it is going to take a couple of months, or not going to happen at all

- The X-rays showed that there is osteoarthritis in the damaged vertebras in my neck - meaning that there are some "narrow" places where the nerve threads may be squeezed at times, causing the cramps and the pain. 

So I am learning to adjust some things - To start with, saying farewell to the zumba and the step at the gym, replacing them with pilates, walks and swimming.

Courage does not always roar. 

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 

I will try again tomorrow.

At the moment I am learning and adjusting to find out a well balanced ways, readjusting some routines  and keeping the things, that still work fine ... Via trial and error, and careful planning:

I have experienced uncertainty if I can make it through the planned appointments ... Should I cancel some of them ... Can I manage to get home to lie down, if the cramps are about to start?

Yet, I have been able to experience God's faithfulness, peace and sustainment each moment, each day ... Having stepped out of the door, praying for His strength, even when still feeling the faint cramps in my neck... 
It has been well enough for my body & soul.

I have been looking myself in the mirror, wishing to switch my neck to a better one ... (I still do) ... Yet this neck is a part of me - It has carried my head through all the years, It has been the resting place for our boys as they leaned on my shoulder, hiding their faces when seeking comfort - or bursting with joy ... and the feeling of my husband softly kissing my neck...

The following poem speaks to me in a new way now:

The time will come 
when, with elation 
you will greet yourself arriving 
at your own door, in your own mirror 
and each will smile at the other's welcome, 

and say, sit here. Eat. 
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart 
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you 

all your life, whom you ignored 
for another, who knows you by heart. 
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, 

the photographs, the desperate notes, 
peel your own image from the mirror. 
Sit. Feast on your life. 

Derek Walcott

It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth 

until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.

John Joseph Powell

The value of the mirrors of love and acceptance - in the eyes of my family, friends, colleges and the church fellowship - cannot be measured ... 

Today a friend laid her hand on my shoulder at the end of the service and asked, if she could pray for me, and we prayed together, experiencing the all surpassing peace of God. I was reminded of the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John: I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance. (John 10:10 AMP).

Our circumstances change, yet there is so much to be grateful for. 

I'd love the share with you the short cheerful video on The Absence of Unhappiness - Revealing the pearls in our everyday life, that make it unique and wonderful:

The Absence of Unhappiness from Rachel Sutherland on Vimeo.

... Until next time,

    Nina

Photos: iPhone 5S, Camera+, Snapseed, Mextures, VSCO, Over & Polamatic Apps

Month in Photos [April 2015]

Yes, it is already May ...  My collage of April was finished today, and I'm happy it did!

The month of April, the awakenings in the nature, the showers of rain and the scents of flowers lingering in the air ...

These monthly collages capture moments in time ... In their way, structuring time and the life lived - the first quarter of 2015 is behind us.

...there is no such thing as a charmed life, not for any of us,

no matter where we live or how mindfully we attend to the tasks at hand.

But there are charmed moments, all the time,

in every life and in every day,

if we are only awake enough to experience them when they come and

wise enough to appreciate them.

Katrina Kenison

April 2015 ~ Month in Photos from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

Wishing you a peaceful & happy weekend,

Nina 


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A Month in Photos by Mona's Pictoresque

Month in Photos [March 2015]

It was one of those March days

when the sun was hot and the wind blows cold:

when it is summer in the light,

and winter in the shade.

Charles Dickens

Yes, Charles Dickens describes the March days in a nutshell - Light and sun, with a fresh and cold breeze.

Looking back to March, I remember:

• Early mornings with tea ... Sun rays creating plays of shadow and light in the kitchen
• Having the wooden Cubebot-robot as my muse for the daily pictures - it was a good kick start, but Cutebot took a bit too much attention in the photos, so I decide to exclude him from the frame 
• Enjoying the soft afternoon light on my back as I was biking home from work
• Sharing the joy of our younger son, who has been learning new card tricks ... It's amazing and impossible to figure out, how he does it
• The pleasure of listening to the old, classic masterpieces, as our older son practices for his piano lessons
• Finding inspiration via photography courses at SkillShare
• And the inevitable winter flu, that finally caught me and made me stay in bed a few days ... just sleeping
• The joy of spotting sighs of spring all around ... Yes, the spring has arrived - with buds, flowers, sun, rain and - snow!

March 2015 ~ Photo a Day from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

Above a peek into the daily captures (well, almost daily - with the exception of the flu),

Nina

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A Month in Photos by Mona's Pictoresque

Maaliskuun kollaasihaaste by Pieni Lintu
Weekly Top Shot by The View From Right Here
Saturday's share Fest by The Sits Girls

Friday Finds Friendship Friday 

 Friday Photo Journal

A Month in Photos [February 2015]

The bliss of winter vacation is still lingering over me ... At the same time, I am in awe seeing the first signs of spring.

In the end of February, I want to share this old, Irish blessing with you:

May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. 

May the soft winds freshen your spirit. 

May the sunshine brighten your heart. 

May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you, 

and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.

... Until next time,

Nina

February 2015 in Photos from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

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A Month in Photos by Mona's Pictoresque

Helmikuun kollaasihaaste by Pieni Lintu
Weekly Top Shot by The View From Right Here
Saturday's share Fest by The Sits Girls

A Month in Photos [January 2015]

The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden 

because of their simplicity and familiarity.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

One of the reasons I continue snapping these daily photos is to notice these moments in everyday life ... Moments with smiles and laughter, with lightness and flow, as well as moments with sorrow and despair, with pain and struggle - and moments, that just are soaking with repetition and routines.

That's what life is all about ... In one sense, all we have, is the moment at hand. It may not often times be as glorious and untroubled as we would like it to be - Yet, it is the moment, we're given. This moment. 

In another sense I believe that our existence continues in one form or another after death, in the sense of eternity -That our core, the soul, will keep on existing as it is written in the Scriptures ('the gift of God is eternal life in Christ' Romans 6:23). Yet, eternity, as far as my limited understanding of time goes, will unfold one moment at a time?

Time itself is a bit of a mystery - I like the way C.S. Lewis puts it:

Perpetuity is only the attainment of an endless series of moments, each lost as soon as it is attained. Eternity is the actual and timeless fruition of illimitable life. Time is... a hopeless attempt to compensate for the transitoriness of its 'presents' by infinitely multiplying them.

Anyway, I was doubting in December whether I should go on for another year of taking daily pictures, that is, 365 pictures a year. I really didn't make any decisions - I left it hanging in the air, seeing how it would be ... And I found myself grabbing my iPhone and taking one picture - 'just today' - and adding it to my "diary" in the Collect photo App, to go with the daily note. And I went on - from one day to another. 

I wrote a few tips on taking daily photos - Project 365 Success Tips for Smartphone Users  - where I describe the Collect Photo App in detail. The video below is made also with the Collect Photo App. 

January 2015 Photo a Day from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

The pretty template for my January photos is a gift from Mona's Pictoresque. Mona is hosting a monthly blog hop: "Month in Photos" - Come and share your favourite photos from January, following the link below.

... Until next time,

Nina 

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A Month in Photos by Mona's Pictoresque

I'm Just Dreaming ...

"I like to travel on the road that never ends,

me and Mother Nature are the best of friends,

Folks think that I'm lazy,

but I'm just dreaming ..."

Benny Goodmann 

These October dreams are taken with Sergio-lens and Maximux LXIX-film, Hipstamatic Application.

September 2014 | Photo a Day / Music: Benny Goodmann -

 I ain't lazy, I'm just dreaming from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

... Peaceful weekend greetings,

Nina

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Friday Finds Friendship Friday Weekly Top Shot
 Saturday Share Fest Friday Photo Journal
 App Happy Wednesday

African Rhythms and Summer Landscapes

The weather has been sunny and warm this week - Thursday was the warmest day this summer, the temperature reached up to +30 C / +86 F. 
I have enjoyed the summer feeling on the evening walks - either in the forest, where my husband and the boys are running, or by the nearby lake.

It's been rather warm in the office - Open windows help a lot, thought. 
On Thursday morning I invited my colleagues to a "Farewell-Breakfast" - It was so nice that many had the possibility to join ... 
I cherish the nice words and speech I received - hiding them in my heart - Being thankful of the people I have gotten to know,  and everything I have learned and been able to experience during the last 5 years.

I received a beautiful bouquet from a sweet colleague of mine on Friday - She had bind it together herself! (I'll post a picture in colours next week :) Packing the office down in Friday took longer than I expected, sorting out what would be important to save, what should be thrown out takes time.
New adventures at the new work are awaiting after the summer holidays ...

We celebrated the 16th birthday of our oldest son in Friday, eating out at his favourite restaurant Wagamama, which has a Japanese kitchen. He invited some friends along ... Cake and family celebration continued on Saturday. 
I'm thankful for our boys - the time goes so fast! ... Watching them and their cousin yesterday - A bunch of lovely & wonderful teenagers :)


We listened to lively rhythms and special instruments yesterday at Skt. Hans Square, where King Ayisoba from Ghana played with his band at Copenhagen Jazz Festival:

"King Ayisoba is one of Ghana's most powerful music profiles. He is touring this year for the first time in the West with a full band of singers, musicians and energetic dancers home. 
The traditional music is based on a stringed lute called kologo. Accompanied by his brother, who plays on a special North Ghanesian hunting horns, King Ayisoba has created its own bony kind of blues filled with occupied rhythms, call and response vocals and raucous beauty."(Jazz.dk)

The weather took a drastic change to rain and cooler temperatures - well, I have a few good books that I've been looking forward to read - books and rainy days are a very good combination!

Wishing you a lovely weekend and happy holidays!

Nina

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Five Things by The World Around Her

My week in flowers {iPhoneography}

 

Camera+, Snapseed, Mextures, TadaaSLR

Colorful spring flowers are everywhere ... The field beside my workplace is filled with  canolas
- and the road alongside is decorated with dandelions.



Camera+, Mextures, VSCOcam

I have had long days at work - yet I have taken a walk, even a short one every day -
the moments outside are precious and valuable ... both to "empty one's mind", to get fresh air, and to admire the blossoming surroundings.



Camera+, Snapseed, VSCOcam

The pollen season has arrived ...
This year there seems to be a heavy amount of birch pollen in the air.
I take medicin for the allergy, and also a nap after the work these days (Zzzzzz)!



Camera+, Snapseed, TadaaSLR, Mextures, VSCOcam, RhonnaDesigns

I'm attending this weekend a Mindfulness in Theory and Practice -Seminary arranged by Århus University.
Today we had great teaching and many exercises, e.g. a mindful walk and a relaxing body scanning.

I had a headache in the morning, but it disappeared during the relaxing exercises before the noon ...
My neck and shoulders have been a bit tensed lately, so timing for this seminary is just perfect.

April photo a day - Beatles 'From Me to You' from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

Above a video from my 4th Photo A Day - month (I had a precious week with my mom visiting her sister / my auntie in Paris this Easter - I'll post more pictures in the near future :)

I have noticed that this 365-project has given me an oasis of unhurried daily walks in the nature, that I do appreaciate.

 

... Sunshine to your weekend,

Nina

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Weekly Top Shot

 Saturday Share Fest 

Here Comes the Sun ...

iPhone 5 & Snapseed & Mextures Apps

 

It has been a busy week - Yet, with glimpses of sunshine:

... like the pretty tulips above.

iPhone 5 & VSCOcam App

... a peaceful moment in the library with a book about Gothic Calligraphy.

iPhone 5 & Waterlogue & iColorama Apps

... the delicate scent of the blossoming fruit trees while biking home from work.

iPhone 5, Mextures & Blender Apps, Photo Veil Golden Glow Right
from Love That Shot  Illumination Collection

 "Hold fast to your dreams, for without them

life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly".
 

Langston Hughes

 

March ~ Photo a Day | Here comes the sun from Nina Jensen on Vimeo.

 

 

 

... and looking back to my March -Photo a Day-pictures.

 

... Wishing you an unhurried weekend :-)

 

Nina

 

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Random 5 Friday Saturday Share Fest 
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