function sparkling_featured_slider() {
        if ( is_front_page() && of_get_option( 'sparkling_slider_checkbox' ) == 1 ) {
            echo '<div class="flexslider">';
            echo '<ul class="slides">';

            $count = of_get_option( 'sparkling_slide_number' );
            $slidecat = of_get_option( 'sparkling_slide_categories' );

            $query = new WP_Query( array(
                'cat' => $slidecat,
                'posts_per_page' => $count,
                'meta_query' => array(
                    array(
                     'key' => '_thumbnail_id',
                     'compare' => 'EXISTS'
                    ),
                ),
            ) );
            if ( $query->have_posts() ) :
                while ( $query->have_posts() ) : $query->the_post();

                    if ( of_get_option( 'sparkling_slider_link_checkbox', 1 ) == 1 ) {
                        echo '<li><a href="' . get_permalink() . '">';
                    } else {
                        echo '<li>';
                    }

                    if ( (function_exists( 'has_post_thumbnail' )) && ( has_post_thumbnail() ) ) :
                        if ( class_exists( 'Jetpack' ) && Jetpack::is_module_active( 'photon' ) ) {
                            $feat_image_url = wp_get_attachment_image_src( get_post_thumbnail_id(), 'full' );
                            $args = array(
                                'resize' => '1920,550',
                            );
                            $photon_url = jetpack_photon_url( $feat_image_url[0], $args );
                            echo '<img src="' . $photon_url . '">';
                        } else {
                              echo get_the_post_thumbnail( get_the_ID(), 'activello-slider' );
                        }
                    endif;

                    echo '<div class="flex-caption">';
                    if ( get_the_title() != '' ) { echo '<h2 class="entry-title">' . get_the_title() . '</h2>';
                    }
                    if ( get_the_excerpt() != '' ) { echo '<div class="excerpt">' . get_the_excerpt() . '</div>';
                    }
                    echo '</div>';
                    echo '</a></li>';
              endwhile;
                endif;
            wp_reset_postdata();
            echo '</ul>';
            echo ' </div>';
        }// End if().
    }