Favorite Instagram Accounts

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I don’t do a lot with Instagram. I have an account there where I mainly post graphics from the blog. I don’t follow many people there that I already follow through Facebook or blogs, because then I’d just be seeing the same information in every place.

I follow a few friends, relatives, bloggers, and authors. Otherwise, I use Instagram as a bit of refresher in the day. I thought I’d share some of those inspiring accounts with you.

I follow a few accounts for their beautiful scenery:

Blue Ridge Moments shares some lovely views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and parkway.

The Great Smoky Mountains NP account share beautiful views, too, but also includes news and updates about road closures, work being done, etc.

Loithai is the IG home for a lovely cottage and grounds in Maine.

Beyond Eden’s Gate shows gorgeous flowers, mostly pink.

I follow some accounts of beauitful homes, from castles to cottages:

The Biltmore Estate shares photos of the estate and grounds as well as bits of history.

Some of you might recognize Highclere Castle as the fictionalized home of the Downton Abbey TV family. But Highclere is a real castle where the Earl & Countess of Carnarvon live. I don’t remember whether I started following their account after seeing Downton or after reading Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle. But I enjoy tidbits of castle life.

Pink Dreams Cottage shows the progress of a father and daughter renovation team.

Pink Floral Home provides a lot of decorating inspiration.

Harbor Blue House says it is “celebrating all things #Grandmillennial,” with a lot of blue.

I used to do a lot of embroidery and cross stitch, with a little of other types of needlework. It’s hard for me to see well enough to stitch these days, even with glasses and magnifiers. But I still love to look at and be inspired by the work of others:

Summer House Sewing.

Nicki Franklin Needlework.

Fabric and Ink.

A few other crafty sites:

Illyria Pottery. Katie, the young woman who makes this gorgeous pottery, was a young girl at the church we attended when we were first married. Her parents were good friends. Katie has since married, moved to England, and had a daughter.

Bible and Brush combines watercolor and Scripture.

Tanaka Tatsuya makes intricate miniature displays out of common objects.

Ivory Spring is a long-time blog friend who makes amazing quilts and has been published in several magazines..

Molly and Mama shares patchwork, embroidery, and felt sewing patterns.

These are always good for a smile:

Nathan W. Pyle is the author and illustrator of the Strange Planet books, which include funny and often poignant observations about life from aliens. This account includes some excerpts from these books as well as Nathan’s other art work.

Wrong Hands publishes cartoons with a literary flair.

The Holderness Family does a lot of song parodies.

Foxtrot republishes Bill Amend’s comic strips.

AFV Official shows clips from America’s Funniest Home Videos.

A couple of others in their own unique categories:

Hymns of Grace features old and new hymns.

Happy Little Sigh shares “Homemaking Inspiration from Literature.”

What kinds of Instagram accounts do you like to follow?

(Note: I have not had a problem with bad content from these. Hopefully that will remain the case.)

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Update

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I’m sorry there was no Friday’s Fave Five here today. I know some of you particularly enjoy that feature.

Last week I had an ablation for atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. But the procedure triggered an episode of atria fibrillation (afib) that hung on despite three cardioversions.

The doctor had me go home and resume the medications I’d had to be off of for the procedure, thinking that might help get my heart back in rhythm. It didn’t. So today (Friday) I went in for another cardioversion.

Thankfully, God allowed it to work this time with just one shock. Even though the procedure itself doesn’t take long, with all the preparation and then staying for observation afterward, we were at the hospital most of the day.

Thankfully, I had the same two nurses I liked so much last time!

We also had good talk with the cardiologist. I had not seen him personally in a while except for just a minute before the ablation last week. Usually when I go to the office, I see his P.A.–which is fine–I like him well enough. But we were able to discuss what the options were if the cardioversion didn’t work. I’m glad there were options, but even more glad that we didn’t have to go those routes at this time.

Now Jim is out getting take-out, and I am supposed to rest for 48 hours. Which sounds good to me. 🙂

Thanks so much for praying about this with me!

Prayer Request

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Hello, friends,

I’ve mentioned that I am due to have ablations for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. This is the week!

Some of you may remember that I had an ablation for atrial fibrillation about seven years ago. I knew it was possible to have that done more than once, but thought that only happened if the first one failed. Since then, I have learned that it’s not at all uncommon. Nerves grow back and make new pathways, so sometimes have to be “zapped” again.

Atrial flutter is new to me this year. The ablation for it is supposed to be a one-time thing. Since I had several weeks of atrial flutter in the spring and then again in the fall, we felt it would be best to go ahead and get that taken care of. And when I learned they could do both procedures at the same time, and I’d been having an increase in afib episodes, it seemed wise to go ahead and have both done at the same time.

One of my major concerns right now is exacerbation of some of my preexisting conditions, like IBS. I’d appreciate your prayers that, Lord willing, none of those things will be a problem, that everything would go well, that there would be no complications, that the procedures will accomplish what they’re supposed to, and that God would give me peace of heart and help me rest in Him.

I have some bookish posts prepared for the rest of this week–books read in 2025, my favorite reads of the year, and my reading challenge wrap-up. I hope to be back later this week with an update about how things went at the hospital and how I am doing.

Thank you so much. I appreciate you all!

Stray Thoughts

Posted on October 28, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Some of the things I’ve been musing about lately:

Have you ever worked on a blog post, and before you finished it, you saw that one or more of the blogs you follow covered the same topic? That’s happened to me several times. Sometimes I wonder if I should write something else instead. I don’t want to seem like I am copying someone else. But most often, I go ahead with the post I’ve been working on. I figure if God laid the same topic on two or more people’s hearts the same week, He must want that particular message to go out. And usually there’s enough of a difference that posts on the same idea don’t sound like one was taken from the other.

Sometimes, though, a thought from someone else’s post will spark thoughts that turn into a blog post here.
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If onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is, I wonder if there’s a name for words that sound like the opposite of what they are. I think one word in that category is “sublime.” Merriam-Webster says sublime means “lofty, grand, or exalted in thought, expression, or manner; of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth; tending to inspire awe usually because of elevated quality (as of beauty, nobility, or grandeur) or transcendent excellence.” But the word sublime itself sounds the opposite of lofty, grand, awe-inspiring, or transcendent.
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In my last post like this, I expressed dislike of sentences starting with the phrase “If I’m being honest,” because it sounds like the speaker is saying they’re not usually honest. But then I saw in Romans 9:1 that Paul starts a sentence with “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit . . .” So I guess I have to take back negative feelings about those kinds of phrases. 🙂 Sometimes they are used for emphasis.
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I’ve seen a meme going around with the sentiment that when you share the gospel, it doesn’t matter whether the other person responds. You’ve done your duty; you’ve been faithful, and that’s all that matters.

It’s true that we have no control over how anyone responds. Only God can open spiritual eyes and convict hearts.

But I don’t know if the attitude “I’ve done my duty and that’s all that matters” is a very effective witness. It seems like that would come across as not particularly caring about the other person’s soul.

My Sunday School teacher just said last week that duty is required in the Christian life, but it’s not sufficient in itself: we need to have love for people.

I prefer Spurgeon’s attitude when he said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

The Apostle Paul’s heart seems similar in the passage mentioned earlier: “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:1-3).

As passionately as I yearn for my loved ones to be know Christ, I don’t know if I could honestly say I wish I could be cursed if they would be saved as a result. But that’s how Jesus loved. He took our sin on Himself and bore God’s curse in our place. He’s the only one who could. He wept over the city of Jerusalem, which was not willing to come to Him, though He would have gathered them like a hen gathers its young under its wings. May my heart become more like His.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Stray Thoughts

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Occasionally I post a series of random thoughts.

Can we get rid of the phrase, “Unless you’ve been living under a rock . . .”? It’s used to indicate a subject that most people know. But if you’re not aware of the subject being discussed, it sounds like a put-down.
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Why do people start sentences with “I’ll be honest . . . ?” Are they not honest unless they add that qualifier?
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I read of a group of women meeting for lunch at a restaurant who were offended at male the server calling them “ladies,” as in “What can I get you ladies?” I don’t understand why. This was long before the gender confusion of our day.

I commented to the writer that when I facilitated a ladies’ group at church, I usually used that word when addressing them (especially when trying to call the meeting to order). Neither “women” nor “females” sounded right in that context. “Girls” made me cringe; “gals” even more so. “People” sounded passive-aggressive, “folks” too . . . folksy.

The writer backed down a little from her stance. But I still didn’t understand the reason for the objection.

I suppose the poor server could have avoided an appellation at all and just said, “What can I get you to drink?”

For a brief time in my teens I worked in the bakery department of a grocery store. Once when I came into the stockroom for something, several of the teen guy employees were there. One of them said, “Watch your mouths, guys. A lady entered the room.” I felt honored, not offended.
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In my twenties and thirties, yearly physical exams were very hands-on, literally. Nowadays, a physical consists primarily of the doctor looking at the computer discussing lab work. Is this a trend of medicine in general? Or something that happens as one gets older?
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Speaking of doctors–I had on my list of things to discuss with him a recurring pain at the top of my shin, right below my kneecap. But as I prepared to go to my exam, I realized I had not felt that pain in some time. Perhaps it was some injury that had righted itself. So I skipped asking about it.

Guess where I felt pain the very next day?
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I’ve mentioned Elisabeth Elliot many times as my mentor-from-afar. Her books and newsletters shaped my thinking about Christianity in general and Christian service and womanhood in particular.

She used to say that whenever she spoke on a particular subject, she would be tested on that subject before or after her talk. I have found the same to be true in my writing. When I posted about irritability last week, I had the worst problem with irritation for several days.
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Speaking of Elisabeth Elliot, I got an email from the Elisabeth Elliot Foundation this week on the occasion of their fifth anniversary. Years ago, I remember seeing a video of Elisabeth’s daughter, Valerie, saying she felt the legacy of both her parents was too heavy. I’m thankful this foundation was formed, both so it could do far more than Valerie could do on her own, plus it would outlive her. Many of Elisabeth’s books are being repackaged and republished, digitized, and turned into audiobooks. Many are being translated to other languages. Elisabeth’s newsletters and radio programs are being gathered and added to the resources at the web site. An exhibit of her life was at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, and is now traveling around the country.

When Elisabeth died in 2015, I was afraid her influence and wisdom would die out over the next several years. I’m so thankful to see that it hasn’t and won’t for a long time to come.

After the Storm

Posted on October 2, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Now that Hurricane Helene has spent herself, it might seem like the worst is over. But some of her effects are long-lasting.

I have friends in SC who are still without power and have been told it likely won’t be restored until Friday, at the earliest. There is so much debris just to get to the power lines, and so much involved in repairing and replacing them, that it’s going to take a while.

I-40 is the main highway through the mountains. When we first moved to TN from SC, I-40 was closed due to a major rockslide that damaged the roads. There was a detour that added about an hour to our route. But with so many bridges and mountain passes damaged now, it’s hard, if not impossible, to get through.

I’ve seen photos of part of I-40 on the edge of a cliff that just washed away. I don’t know how they repair something like that. I don’t know if they cut deeper into the side of the mountain, or if they can somehow build a retaining wall underneath the road. Either way, it’s going to take a long time to repair.

Because trucks with supplies can’t get through, there are lines at gas stations. Stores are starting to run out of some supplies. Many businesses are operating on a cash-only basis because they are without internet service and can’t process credit cards. Of course, many people don’t have ready cash or can’t get to their banks.

Because businesses are closed, some people are not earning money right now. Many can’t afford the unpaid time off.

This is peak tourist season for the Blue Ridge area, as people usually come to see the fall leaf color in the mountains. But a lot of businesses, especially the smaller ones, are closed and under repair.

Besides supply chain and economic issues, many people are still missing. Some have lost loved ones in horrific circumstances.

And that’s just SC, NC, and parts of eastern TN. I imagine parts of FL are facing similar or worse circumstances.

I’ve heard a lot of encouraging news, too. Linemen from our area and others are traveling south to help repair the lines. People are raising funds to help. I even saw someone was taking his mules down to help remove heavy debris.

Please continue to pray for the physical, economic, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of the people affected by Helene.

Updated to add: Unfortunately, tragedies like this bring out scam artists looking to capitalize on people’s sympathy and generosity. If you feel inclined to help or give in any way, please be careful and give or donate only to reputable places. Samaritan’s Purse is one such organization: another is Operation Renewed Hope. There are many more. A lot of churches. groups, and individuals are helping as well.

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Some weeks overflow with blessings. For others, we might have to search a bit. But I am thankful for this weekly exercise to appreciate and thank God for the good things He brings into our lives with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. A quiet week. No appointments or outside obligations besides the usual. I love a quiet week at home.

2. An offer for dinner out. I love when my husband asks “Do you want to get something out for dinner tonight?”

3. New Bible study and Sunday School classes have started for the fall session at church. We’re going over selected psalms on Sunday morning and delving into 2 Corinthians Wednesday evenings.

4. A published devotional. Christian Devotions has published a short piece I submitted titled Adequate Shelter.

5. Things that make me smile. This is a screenshot from a reel on Instagram. I think I’d have a shot at this competition. 🙂

How was your week?

Assorted Stray Thoughts

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Barbara Harper

Occasionally I have several thoughts I want to share, but each is not enough for a blog post. Some are lighthearted, others are more serious.

First of all, I want to apologize if you see a pop-up box when you comment asking you to subscribe. I *hate* when a pop-up comes up in the middle of the screen and you can’t read any further without dealing with it. I have not seen this on my own blog, but I have on other WordPress blogs, so I assume it happens on mine as well. I just spent some time scouting around to see if there was a way to turn this off, and I couldn’t find it (if you know of a way, please let me know).

I also dislike when I follow someone’s link to a blog or article where I am asked first thing to create an account (even a free account) in order to read further. Honestly, if the first thing I encounter on any blog is a pop-up, whether it’s for subscribing, creating an account, buying a book, getting a free download, or turning off ads, I’m likely to just close the site and move on. How do I know if I want to subscribe or create an account when I have not even had a chance to read anything there yet?

For sites that want you to pay to subscribe, I think those site owners are wise who allow a certain number of free reads per month. I might be more likely to subscribe if I read there and find a lot I like. But not if I can never get past the first pop-up.
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From the time I first learned what an introvert was, I knew I was one. Reading about introversion, like Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, helped me understand myself a great deal.

I’ve run across some Instagram accounts for introverts, but I find I can’t read them regularly. Reading them occasionally, I’ll nod my head and appreciate that someone else knows how I think and feel. Some have comics that are funny and apt. But if I read them all the time, I find myself resenting the demands of life that draw me out of my introversion. I think the point of learning about introversion (or extroversion, if that’s you) is not to make the people who know us or the world around us conform to our preferences. Every source I’ve read on introversion says we need to step out of our comfort zone sometimes. Understanding my bent and needs helps me do that. But if I was constantly filling my head with cute memes about wanting alone time, that would be my focus.
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Sometimes I’ll read that blogging is considered dead (often, ironically, in a blog post). I have not found that to be the case. There are scores of good blogs out there that I would like to keep up with but can’t.
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Sometimes I see a writer attribute our tendency to be over-busy as pride–as if that’s how we “keep up with the Joneses” these days, or as if it’s the trendy thing to talk about how busy we are. But I don’t know anyone who truly feels that way. Most super-busy people that I know would desperately like not to be that way, but they don’t know what to cut out. As we’ve developed labor- and time-saving devices, we’ve added more and more things to be done.
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I have not seen any Christmas items in stores yet (though I have seen Halloween things), but they seem to be displayed earlier each year. Early last fall I stopped by Cracker Barrel because I had seen something in the beachy section that I decided I wanted to get. But when I went back, the whole beachy section was gone and Christmas items were out. I wonder if retailers ever consider that they might lose sales because their Christmas decor edges out other things a shopper would be more likely to buy in the late summer or early fall.

I also wonder if anyone really buys Christmas stuff in August? I admit, if I needed something, I might look early in order to benefit from a greater selection. I like to buy Christmas cards early, but otherwise I try to avoid the temptation of the Christmas aisles. I have more Christmas decorations than I have room for–I don’t need to add any more.

One exception was when our church used to send presents to our overseas missionaries by way of surface mail. We’d have to send packages to some countries in October in order for them to arrive by Christmas. So it was nice to get wrapping paper and such then. After the Post Office did away with that rate, it was too expensive to send packages, so we just sent cash offerings to the missionaries’ accounts. That was more efficient, but I missed the personalized packages.
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Do you ever do this? A while back, I was intrigued with the word “adorn” in Titus 2:10, which speaks of adorning the doctrine of God our Savior. I pondered how we do that. Isn’t God’s doctrine perfect as is? How do we adorn it? As I began to study and thought about writing a post about the topic, I found I already had. 🙂
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I’ve gotten frustrated lately with Facebook removing a couple of my posts. I’ll receive a notification that they removed a post with a note to “Click here to see why.” I’ve clicked there, but then I am taken to a page that says everything looks good with no problems. There’s no explanation and nothing to click to appeal. One post had photos of teenagers I wasn’t related to, so perhaps that was a privacy protection thing. But the other contained two reviews of study books on Isaiah. All I can figure is that their sensor bot picked up on the name of a certain country not popular in the news media (which I am avoiding naming in case that was the problem), even though the subject was thousands of years ago.

I wouldn’t mind so much if there was an explanation and an opportunity to appeal. They really need to not let these things be done by AI.
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Since my husband retired at the end of last year, we went on Medicare in January. I am not a fan so far. For one thing, a blood thinner I am on for atrial fibrillation (since afib can cause blood clots) jumped from $10 for a 90-day supply to over $500. What sense does that make, that when your income goes down, your prescriptions go up? I talked to the cardiologist about alternatives, and we found one that was *only* $150 for 90 days–and it’s at a different pharmacy than we usually use because it’s cheaper there.
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Since I’ve been sharing some frustrations, I’ll end with some things that made me smile recently:

Our gastroenterologist’s office was decorated for summer in a luau theme, with this sign on the bathroom door:

This was from a restaurant we went to a few months ago:

I was looking at the evening reading of Daily Light on the Daily Path a while back, and thought it ironic to see an ad about cremation after a verse about being made from dust . . .

And lastly, this text exchange with my husband:

To be fair, there were only two left, and I had one the night before. So technically this one was his. But I thought it was still in the refrigerator and he might not want it. 🙂

And yes, sometimes we do text each other from different rooms in the house . . . 🙂

And that’s probably enough stray thoughts for one day.

Apologies and a Correction

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Barbara Harper

I’m so sorry—When I posted yesterday about an upcoming radio interview with Kurt and Kate Mornings on Moody Radio Florida, I mistakenly put the wrong month. It’s this coming Wednesday, June 19, at about 8:10 a.m. or so ET (after their traffic and weather reports at 8).

I’ve corrected the original post, but wanted to let folks know who have already seen it.

My apologies for the confusion.

A Radio Interview This Week

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Barbara Harper

I received an invitation for a radio interview Wednesday, June 19, with Kurt and Kate Mornings on Moody Radio Florida. They want to discuss my post Life Doesn’t Always Turn Out Like We Thought It Would.

My segment will probably be around 8:15 a.m. ET, after their news and traffic report at 8.

The top of their program page has a “Listen Live” button. I’d love to have you tune in if you’re able and interested. I know some of you work then, and it’s early for those west of me.

Most of all, I’d appreciate your prayers that all would go well: that the technology would work with no glitches, that there won’t be any health issues, that God would give me what He wants me to say and help me not to blank out, and that He would be glorified and listeners would be ministered to.

Updated to add: my son recorded that interview for me and made it linkable. You can listen to it here if you’d like to.