faith – Long walks and dark chocolate

Door number two

June 2, 2017 Leave a Comment

SONY DSC

Let’s face it, some days are just harder than others. Every once in a while you wake up realizing immediately that your attitude needs adjusting and sometimes all seems well until a challenging situation comes out of nowhere.

You wake up on time feeling ready to take on the day. The aroma and taste and just right temperature of your coffee pleases 3 of your senses. Your devotion reaches down to touch you in the very depths of your soul and your prayer time is heavenly.

Your cereal doesn’t get soggy and your toast doesn’t burn and you find the perfect outfit on the first try. You get out of the door with time to spare and notice that your hair looks almost perfect in your rear view mirror.

You run some errands. Everyone is pleasant. Traffic is light and you find a nice shaded parking spot. You’re in a marvelous mood. That’s a pretty easy accomplishment when everything is going your way.

Then boom, out of the blue, just like that it can all change. The day that was so agreeable just a few moments ago takes a turn for the worse. Sometimes its a call or a text. At other times, it is something more subtle and sneaks up behind you and grabs you before you know what hit you.

Either way, from this point forward something shifts, the atmosphere around you that was filled with peace and hope now feels like turmoil and dread. Your once sincere smile turns into a pinched and pained one. Tension hovers over you like a cloud ready to burst.

It is what you do at this point that sets your course. You can choose door number one, the one our flesh wants to chose every time, and open it up to continued strife. You can embrace the sour mood, wallow in the unpleasantness, welcome the surly attitude and guarantee more negativity.

Or you can choose door number two, and press in to prayer and worship. Find your strength, peace and love in Christ and let Him be your rock. Lift your head up, forgive quickly, remember to Whom you belong and encourage yourself! Amaze yourself (and others) in your reaction to what the enemy tried to use to defeat you.

I’m learning to choose the second approach and save myself a lot of stress and grief (and repentance). I don’t always succeed but I can definitely say my percentage is improving and that’s a start. Mom always said, “it’s the little foxes that spoil the vines”. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Filed Under: Christian, Inspirational, Uncategorized Tagged With: advice, faith, God, life, moods, peace, strife

What lies beneath?

August 11, 2016 Leave a Comment

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Today’s prompt hit a nerve as soon as I read the word….surface. My mind immediately began to form poems about layers and things hidden deep within. It affected me because it reminds me of a topic that I’ve been contemplating for days.

A few nights ago, I taught on Motives; those deeply private and often impure reasons we do the things we do. As I studied in preparation, I thought a lot about my own motives. I asked myself questions like, “What is hidden in this heart?” and “Are my motives usually pure?” I know better than to ask “always” because I think we all know that our hearts deceive us sometimes and there are other times when we have just allowed the wrong things in and our actions correspond.

I knew I had written on this very topic before so I did a quick search on “motives” and lo and behold, I find Check My Motives. This post was from 2014! So two years ago, God was dealing with me on the same topic. I’m thankful for God’s long-suffering towards me as obviously He is re-addressing this with me once again. I am either a very slow learner or my human heart just needs a reminder from time to time.

We do find ourselves with messy motives though, don’t we? Have you ever done something for someone else with the hope that someone else will notice and praise you? Would you do some of the good things you do if there was to be no visible payoff? Do you hide behind social media and post something with a motive to hurt someone or embarrass them, but tell yourself you are innocent of such?

In all seriousness and honesty, I really do want to have pure motives all the time. In order for that to happen my heart has to be pure, because out of the abundance of it, the mouth speaks (or writes, or posts).

Sometimes things done with insincere motives unwittingly benefit others and often we don’t even realize where our motives are coming from when we act. It is a topic definitely worth reflecting on in your quiet time.

Proverbs 16:2 says, “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.” We know God looks upon the heart, but we may forget what that means. He examines our motives. If that isn’t reason enough for me to examine my own, I don’t know what is.

Filed Under: Christian, Inspirational, Uncategorized Tagged With: Daily Post, Daily Prompt, faith, God, motives, surface

Monday musings

May 11, 2015 2 Comments

Why did I cook homemade cornbread today? I initially told myself it was because I love my husband and I wanted him to have something special to go with dinner. In reality, I wanted it. My motivation for making it was two-fold; I was in the mood for some fluffy, sweet bread and making it would kill two birds with one stone, because my husband would also appreciate it. Two large pieces later, I am questioning my judgment.

When I wrote Check My What back in November, God was dealing with me about checking my motives and looking at the why behind my actions. I’m still doing that and I still recommend it.

I even find my faith increasing as I learn to trust God completely and not try to fix things myself in the background (like He can’t see exactly what I’m doing anyway). When I open myself up completely, no hidden agendas, no hidden motives and I just pour out my heart; God loves that. It’s so real.

Have a blessed Monday! And if you want a good cornbread recipe, go here.

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: faith, God, motives

Seed of faith

January 10, 2015 3 Comments

Photo from : http://www.onlinejewelryclass.biz

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “In Good Faith.”

Describe a memory or encounter in which you considered your faith, religion, spirituality — or lack of — for the first time.

I was raised to have faith and I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have it. Thankfully, my mom and grandmother took me to church faithfully, and taught me to read the bible.

One memory I have that brings back a smile is when I received the gift of a mustard seed necklace. I don’t remember who it was a gift from, but I think it was on my birthday. It was a little gold chain, sporting a tiny orb which contained an even tinier mustard seed. The mustard seed may have been tiny, but it helped ingrain in my young mind the scripture promising that even a little seed of faith moved mountains.

I loved wearing it and if my memory serves me correctly, I believe it broke and was put to rest somewhere beneath the spinning ballerina in my jewelry box. I suspect when I was a little older, I thought I was too cool for a mustard seed necklace and chose to throw it away instead of fixing it.

In my almost 50 years, with all the bumps in the road, and the ups and the downs, I have often thought about that little necklace and what it symbolized. The promise has proven true time and time again.

Linen rose

Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: Bible, Daily Prompt, faith, God, mustard seed, necklace

Morning dew and joy

October 12, 2013 6 Comments

rain drops on hisbicus

The only light she saw was the blue dot on the DVR player and a soft glow from the computer screen. At 2:00am, it was dreadfully dark and silent except for the sound of the ceiling fan as it followed its infinite circular route.

It was time; time for prayer and quiet reflection, time to stop suppressing the angst and the pain; time to release the fear and let it all tumble out in salty cleansing tears.

She doesn’t like to cry, especially not this kind of cry; the heart-wrenching sobs that had threatened like a black and dreaded storm cloud for days now. She likes to show herself strong, capable, and unmoved by life’s jabs and pokes and knockouts.

But deep within, she knows that to give up on self, to let go and let God is the answer. That is when the healing can begin and joy will return. Not the “ha-ha” playground laughter kind of joy, but the deep-down to your soul kind. On her knees, pouring it out in sobs that are interrupted by deep gasping breaths, she lets God right things.

Then, peace ensues and a heart at rest can finally rest. The mind stops racing, and the once elusive sleep comes quickly.

Morning breaks with a sunrise of hope and goals and motivation afresh! Yes, joy does come in the morning.

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: empty nest, faith, God, healing, Health, joy, peace, Prayer, tears of joy

A matter of trust

April 18, 2013 4 Comments

another FL sunset

Since I work from home on a laptop all day, I try to make an effort to get outside and take a walk or work in the yard during my lunch break.

Today, as the sky threatened to open up and pour buckets on me any minute, I figured it best to stay close to home.

As I was weeding, I heard a rustle. I thought it was just lizards (here I go again, denigrating the lizards; see yesterday’s post to understand) until I saw the familiar red hue of the male cardinal. He wasn’t even four feet away from me, hanging out, hopping around in the shrubs.

I found myself both thrilled and somewhat amazed that he trusted me that much. But, after all, I am out here every day. My husband and I do keep his source of food brimming over for the continual taking.

The first time I ever saw the cardinals, they were very skittish and flew away if we got anywhere near, but with time and the proof that we care (food) and we won’t harm them, they are growing to count on the fact that they can come and go as they please. I couldn’t be happier.

You know those people who you feel like you just can’t reach? Their problems seem overwhelming; life has been seemingly overly difficult for them. You want to reach out; you want to be that listening ear, to help them in some way.

Be reminded that trust takes time especially once it has been broken. Gaining confidence takes patience. That acquaintance may have lived through hurt you can only imagine. What you perceive as anger and hatefulness might be a mask that hides years of pain. Keep smiling at them. Keep praying for them.

That teenager who lives down the street might have been burned more than once. The surly attitude and atrocious manners might be hiding abuse. Be gentle, and forbearing. But also, be diligent, and persevere. You will reach them one day. You might be the only one who cares enough to wait quietly, with ears to listen, arms to hold and a heart that beats to give hope to others.

And a note…I would be remiss if I failed to mention the Boston and West, TX tragedies that have shook our nation. We must pray diligently for swift justice to the perpetrator, spiritual, physical and emotional healing for all involved and hearts that are never hardened to another’s pain.

Blessings!

Filed Under: Photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: Boston, faith, hope, kindness, Lizard, love, perserverance, Prayer, Texas

Removing the barnacles

March 6, 2013 5 Comments

This picture was taken from our dock and you can see all of the barnacles on the piling; the longer they are allowed to grow, the greater their adhesion. We have to remove them from the boats because they will slow us down and cost more fuel.

I think on occasion there are things in our lives that resemble barnacles, slowing us down, causing a “drag” so to speak, that can feel like a large noose around our neck. Sometimes, these can be what the bible describes as hindrances, weights, or besetting sins. At other times, it’s just something that shouldn’t be a priority in our life, but we’ve fallen into bad habits, or we know something is bugging us, but it’s in our power to rectify it (this one is often one of my issues due to procrastination) and we haven’t.

If your goal is like mine, to live life to the fullest, to run this race with all you’ve got, then at times we have to take inventory. We have to look at our lives with eyes of faith and a sense of our purpose and recognize and accept when change is necessary. Sometimes, we even have relationships with people who are spewing forth cynicism and gloom and doom, bringing us down. In this area, of course, we must handle with love and kid gloves and always try to help and encourage first. We don’t want to hurt others, but we can’t forever be the receptacle for all things negative, either.

Spring is on it’s way and is always a good time for cleaning house (inside and out)! So, I guess it’s time to get out the gloves, pressure cleaner and the scrapers and get busy.

Filed Under: Photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: Barnacle, boats, changes, faith, God, love, purpose

To watch or not to watch

February 3, 2013 3 Comments

Maxine comics

Are you watching the Super Bowl today? I am not unless my family is home and watching it and I just happen to be in the room (translate as I will watch with my family if they want to because I love them). I used to, but along with all the other wonderful freedoms that come with age and maturity, I don’t feel compelled anymore to follow the crowd. I wonder how many people out there today are planning to watch and really wish they were doing something else? Been there, done that.

The bigger question for me is when did any type of event start to always turn into a huge monstrosity of a party for so many.

We can’t have sweet, simple little birthdays anymore. Those become events when the child is around, let’s see…one. We have to hire a circus, dancing monkeys or something just as fabulous to keep up with everyone else. I’ve done it too; I’m not judging. I just remember a simpler time and I miss it.

The new holiday items are on the shelves before we finish buying for the last holiday. Everything is so commercialized and there is so much STUFF out there until when you do buy a gift anymore, even for a small child, you have no idea what to get because they really do have everything.

The electronic revolution has helped catapult us into approaching every new holiday or event with the mentality of honoring it with the best post, funniest tweet, most awesome pinterest folder, most unique desserts, best costumes and decorations and gifts. We are prodded and poked with ideas, pictures, suggestions. Even if we had a good idea of our own, we probably couldn’t eek it out of our already overstuffed brains sometimes.

Does anyone else agree? Am I getting old or cynical? Or am I realizing that while there are people starving and devastated and lonely, I am spending too much time on materialistic trivialities to bother taking the time to pray for them, to think of them, to do anything to help.

I am grateful for all of the ways we have to communicate nowadays, I really am. My prayer is that I would use them to encourage and uplift others and to spread the word about truly meaningful events.

I do believe we have to have fun, relax and all of those things – I’m not “dissing” anyone who is truly enthusiastic about watching the Super Bowl today – may your favorite team win. I’m just reflecting on my own priorities and wanting more than ever for them to line up with God’s will for me. I want to place the correct and proper value on things and events, not the value that everyone else says must be placed on them.