Tag Archives: Iona

Baaaaa….I’m Still Journeying….

27 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Guest Blogging, Inspiration, Journeys: In Writing and Life, Photography, Travel

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…at baaaaa.com: Bleats From God’s Sheep. It’s such a cool site. Don’t miss it! I love sheep. When we journeyed in Iona, Scotland, I took these sheep photos:

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And, found these sheep while journeying to Casper, Wyoming

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Hope you liked the photos, now check out baaaaa.com, for bleats from God’s sheep (the human ones).

I is for the Isle of Iona and Inspiration

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in A to Z Challenge, Inspiration, Photography, Travel

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The Isle of Iona, Scotland, has to be the most inspirational place in the world. From England, my husband, Bishop Leo Michael, and I took a plane, train, ferry, bus (with big windows to see beautiful scenes of Scotland)…

…then we took another ferry…

to arrive at the Isle of Iona….

We checked out monastery ruins…

…then hit the roads (pathways) out of the town center and something incredible happened. The Isle of Iona became just us and the sheep and inspirational scenery…

…and our own peaceful, private Island…

 

Impressive white sand beaches on one side of the island, while the south side, St. Columba’s Bay, had a pebble beach. Historians claim that St. Columba landed at this beach on the south of the island in 563 AD. We threw one pebble into the sea, as to throw away the sins of the past and took another one home, to represent the future, according to tradition.

…and that ties in with an inspiring blog I encourage you to visit: Naty Mato’s Blog. Let’s Get Inspired Together. Do you have a past failures, past mistakes, past choices that should have never been made? Who doesn’t. If you can’t get to the Isle of Iona and throw a pebble in the bay, Naty offers sound wisdom and inspiration on how to deal with such things. Check out her blog. It’s Incredible. And don’t miss what Author Tracy Ruckman with Write Integrity Press is doing. They want to take HOPE out into the world this summer, in a grassroots effort to connect readers and writers in a unique and fun way. Ingenious and Innovative!

Tomorrow is J…hmmm…I have an idea…pretty sure it’s also going to be inspirational. Come back and see!

Good News, Dreams Come True, and Connections

27 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Books, Crooked Lines, Football, Inspiration, Monday's Connections

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No Monday Connections this week. No Tuesday Book Review. Wednesday’s sneaking up on me. But I have an excuse and lots of good news to share. (I feel like that happy sheep in the meadow that I photographed on the Island of Iona in Scotland.)

First the excuse for no blogs: The last few days, my husband and I had traveled to the east coast on church business.

Now before I share my flood of good news, since I missed Monday Connections, I’d like to mention Diana Symon’s (Christian Writer, Thinker, Dreamer) blog post today: When Dreams Come True because it connects with this blog post

Here’s what I read on Diana’s blog: May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. Psalms 20:4 When I think about how wildly awesome God is, I love Him more. He wants to give me my heart’s desire. He wants to make my dreams come true…

Diana’s inspirational post continues, and I encourage others to hop over there to read the rest. Visit her blog any time you need inspiration. I love her blog. And I love that God is making dreams come true.

A few months earlier, I’d traveled to the west coast for Jake’s Rose Bowl game and discovered this water stain on the sidewalk in front of the room where we stayed. (For more on this story, click here)

I stood before this image and prayed for a long time, asking God to heal sick friends, to bless loved ones who needed blessings, and to bless my husband and our church. I also prayed special intentions for my children’s futures and for my novel. I asked Mother Mary to pray before the Lord, for the same.

Click here for more of the story: NFL Aspirations and Novelist Dreams. 

I thank God for hearing and answering those prayers. Incredible blessings are rolling into our lives now. Jake did well at his Pro Day and is hopeful about the upcoming draft. My youngest son, Nick got offered a football scholarship from Arkansas State and Betsy, my daughter, is making her plans to study abroad in England become a reality. (Nick and Betsy below)

And my novel, Crooked Lines, is now an ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novelist Award) quarter-finalist. You can download and read the first three chapters for free here.

Diana Symon’s is right. Read the rest of her post. God is wildly awesome, and I remain humble and grateful for His blessings and that He wants to make all of our dreams come true. I’ll keep you posted! More to come soon!

Journeys: In Writing and Life

19 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in India, Inspiration, Journeys: In Writing and Life, Travel

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Today, I am guest blogging at http://rachelleayala.blogspot.com/2012/03/holly-michael-on-journalism-and-fiction.html

I chat with Rachelle Ayala about my journey from quitting writing to journalism to fiction.

Speaking of journeys…..I shot the photo below, looking out the window of a taxi on a road in Gangtok, India. Another thrilling journey!

And I shot this photo on a peaceful journey when my husband and I traveled to Iona, Scotland.

May all your journeys be blessed!