Join us today for our poetry link up. Old or new - all poetry of faith is welcome.
Share. Visit. Comment.
Bright blessings!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Chilly Wednesday Poetry
It is a chilly Wednesday here. The plants and the animals are awaiting spring, but winter is still holding on with a chilly hand. How are things where you are?
Join us today for our poetry link up. Old or new - all poetry of faith is welcome.
Share. Visit. Comment.
Bright blessings!
Join us today for our poetry link up. Old or new - all poetry of faith is welcome.
Share. Visit. Comment.
Bright blessings!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Poetry Wednesday!
Welcome brothers and sisters to our poetry link up for this week.
You are invited to share poetry of faith, old and new, with us.
You are encouraged to visit and comment on those who share here to show your support.
Bless you!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Day Late Link Up
Today is Thursday. Wednesday is our poetry link up.
This is our Day Late Link Up!
Two poets have shared their hearts, and I want you to visit them.
Please be blessed by visiting:
Dawn at Beneath the Surface
and
Pam at In the Shadow of His Wings
You will be blessed and moved by their words.
If you are writing faith poetry, new or old, please feel free to share by linking up below.
Bright blessings!
This is our Day Late Link Up!
Two poets have shared their hearts, and I want you to visit them.
Please be blessed by visiting:
Dawn at Beneath the Surface
and
Pam at In the Shadow of His Wings
You will be blessed and moved by their words.
If you are writing faith poetry, new or old, please feel free to share by linking up below.
Bright blessings!
Cut Flowers
Cut flowers. I never wanted them. I told my husband I'd rather have a tree than cut flowers. Why?
They die. They were cut from their stems and they sit on my table and they die. I hated that.
Until last Saturday that is. Then a very beautiful sister in Jesus shared something amazing with me. She shared how there are things in my life, my marriage that could be treated like cut flowers.
She said, and forgive me if I got it wrong my dear, cut flowers are made to be beautiful.
Cut flowers require constant care. They need food. They need water. They need light. They need love.
Cut flowers remind us beautiful things need to be nurtured. They need attention. They need a lovely place to live.
God made some flowers to be cut and shared as bouquets. Not everything has to stay rooted in the ground. Sometimes a lovely thing can give up it's roots and go where beauty is needed but cannot grow. Like in the winter. Like in the city. Like in a kitchen.
Cut flowers. In my relationships, in my family, some things are still rooted. Some are cut flowers. They need more from me, and they give, in return, so much beauty and love.
They don't just get cut to die. They get cut to die beautifully, and as we care for them we understand love, care, grace, peace and surrender. We have to let them go back to the soil at some point. That is their sacrifice.
This is not altogether different from the sacrifice of Jesus is it? He left Heaven to come here, cut off from His home, His place with God. He came for us. His sacrifice was the greatest of all. And he did it freely. For us.
I will never look at cut flowers the same way again.
(I am doing the Respect Dare with some wonderful ladies. I thank God for them!)
They die. They were cut from their stems and they sit on my table and they die. I hated that.
Until last Saturday that is. Then a very beautiful sister in Jesus shared something amazing with me. She shared how there are things in my life, my marriage that could be treated like cut flowers.
She said, and forgive me if I got it wrong my dear, cut flowers are made to be beautiful.
Cut flowers require constant care. They need food. They need water. They need light. They need love.
Cut flowers remind us beautiful things need to be nurtured. They need attention. They need a lovely place to live.
God made some flowers to be cut and shared as bouquets. Not everything has to stay rooted in the ground. Sometimes a lovely thing can give up it's roots and go where beauty is needed but cannot grow. Like in the winter. Like in the city. Like in a kitchen.
Cut flowers. In my relationships, in my family, some things are still rooted. Some are cut flowers. They need more from me, and they give, in return, so much beauty and love.
They don't just get cut to die. They get cut to die beautifully, and as we care for them we understand love, care, grace, peace and surrender. We have to let them go back to the soil at some point. That is their sacrifice.
This is not altogether different from the sacrifice of Jesus is it? He left Heaven to come here, cut off from His home, His place with God. He came for us. His sacrifice was the greatest of all. And he did it freely. For us.
I will never look at cut flowers the same way again.
(I am doing the Respect Dare with some wonderful ladies. I thank God for them!)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Searching for Him
As we approach Easter and we are easing in to Spring, let us seek our Lord.
In our gardens.
In our families.
In our prayers.
In our hearts.
Share your poetry of faith, new and old, and join us in lifting His name!
In our gardens.
In our families.
In our prayers.
In our hearts.
Share your poetry of faith, new and old, and join us in lifting His name!
Monday, March 26, 2012
A Willing Lord
Luke 5:13, Matthew 8:3 and Mark 1:41.
These verses all have one thing in common of all the verses in the Bible.
They are the only ones where Jesus is asked if He is willing to heal someone.
They are the only ones where Jesus answers, "I am willing."
I read the passages, re-read the passages, did a phrase search. Came up against the unspoken willingness of our Lord to do so much more. Jesus said three times, "I am willing."
And what, besides healing that one mane, did He so willingly do?
Everything His Father asked.
Everything we needed to be redeemed.
Everything, from the first moments of time.
He did it willingly. With free will. Choice. Of conscious thought and decision.
<--------------------------------------------pause here to ponder---------------------------------------->
We are in the Easter season. The season when Jesus was faced with the weight of being willing for us. When He faced the hatred of someone willing to do the right things, for the right reasons at the right time.
He was willing not for glory. That was His in Heaven. He didn't need it from us.
He was willing not for fame. Not to be a human king. He was already Royalty.
He was willing not because we were worthy. We were not. Are not. Our own human merits condemn us.
He was willing out of love and obedience. Read that again.
Even at His last moments, He was willing, obedient and did His Father's will. Even though He did ask if the cup could be passed, He acknowledged that it was not His will but God's that would be fulfilled.
So often we are willing, when it is comfortable and safe, and lose our courage when it is time for the 'rubber to meet the road'. It is easier to let someone else be the 'Good Christian' and it is a conscious decision to be willing to show Godly love and grace.
In small ways first, I challenge myself and you, to be willing. Willing to seek His will. Willing to be fruitful in the fruits of the Spirit. Willing to reach out when easy says hold back. Willing to risk a hurt to show some love. Willing to be laughed at for living and modeling grace. Willing to say, "I am willing." to our Lord.
Make a list and jot down the things that are easy for you to do. Then make a list of things you find difficult. Pray upon them, asking God to show you how to be a willing and obedient child to His will. I'll be doing the same. On Friday I'll share how mine went, I hope you'll come by then.
Publish Post
Luke 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
Don't forget Wednesday is our Poetry Link Up. This week we'll be sharing old and new poetry, I invite you to join us as a poet or a reader (or both!).
These verses all have one thing in common of all the verses in the Bible.
They are the only ones where Jesus is asked if He is willing to heal someone.
They are the only ones where Jesus answers, "I am willing."
I read the passages, re-read the passages, did a phrase search. Came up against the unspoken willingness of our Lord to do so much more. Jesus said three times, "I am willing."
And what, besides healing that one mane, did He so willingly do?
Everything His Father asked.
Everything we needed to be redeemed.
Everything, from the first moments of time.
He did it willingly. With free will. Choice. Of conscious thought and decision.
<--------------------------------------------pause here to ponder---------------------------------------->
We are in the Easter season. The season when Jesus was faced with the weight of being willing for us. When He faced the hatred of someone willing to do the right things, for the right reasons at the right time.
He was willing not for glory. That was His in Heaven. He didn't need it from us.
He was willing not for fame. Not to be a human king. He was already Royalty.
He was willing not because we were worthy. We were not. Are not. Our own human merits condemn us.
He was willing out of love and obedience. Read that again.
Even at His last moments, He was willing, obedient and did His Father's will. Even though He did ask if the cup could be passed, He acknowledged that it was not His will but God's that would be fulfilled.
So often we are willing, when it is comfortable and safe, and lose our courage when it is time for the 'rubber to meet the road'. It is easier to let someone else be the 'Good Christian' and it is a conscious decision to be willing to show Godly love and grace.
In small ways first, I challenge myself and you, to be willing. Willing to seek His will. Willing to be fruitful in the fruits of the Spirit. Willing to reach out when easy says hold back. Willing to risk a hurt to show some love. Willing to be laughed at for living and modeling grace. Willing to say, "I am willing." to our Lord.
Make a list and jot down the things that are easy for you to do. Then make a list of things you find difficult. Pray upon them, asking God to show you how to be a willing and obedient child to His will. I'll be doing the same. On Friday I'll share how mine went, I hope you'll come by then.
Publish Post
Luke 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
Don't forget Wednesday is our Poetry Link Up. This week we'll be sharing old and new poetry, I invite you to join us as a poet or a reader (or both!).
Sunday, March 25, 2012
She served them
Luke 4:38-39 He entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him about her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them.
I remember hearing some ladies talking about this verse one day at a Bible Study. They were greatly offended that she 'had' to get up and serve them after being sick. I often wondered how that could be.
Over the years this verse has challenged me.
A high fever makes you weak, you are tired. Your body aches and you just feel terrible. Even if you could get up you'd be too weak to do anything.
A woman in that time, and even today, often loves to serve in her home.. She provides food, shelter and care. She serves willingly and with a serving heart for God.
This woman and her family obviously knew Jesus. She would have been mortified that she couldn't serve her family and guest. Her heart would have been broken.
I believe that Jesus did more than rebuke a fever. I think he renewed a spirit and a body so they could work together in harmony, serving. Not as a slave, but as a woman who could give good food, and good hospitality to her guests that honours her house and her family.
Jesus knew her heart, and her body. He knew what she needed. She needed to be well to serve.
Out of love.
Not obligation.
That is where I got confused by those well meaning ladies. They served their families out of an obligation and likely felt little or no respect or honour in it. How sad for them. They missed a great opportunity to find something special in ministering by serving.
Jesus served and ministered the same way. He knew better than us all the needs of a serving heart.
I'm so thankful He blessed me with a serving heart, and that He renews me when I feel a pint, quart or small lake's worth low. He knows. He provides. He heals.
How does this verse speak to you? Would love to hear!
I remember hearing some ladies talking about this verse one day at a Bible Study. They were greatly offended that she 'had' to get up and serve them after being sick. I often wondered how that could be.
Over the years this verse has challenged me.
A high fever makes you weak, you are tired. Your body aches and you just feel terrible. Even if you could get up you'd be too weak to do anything.
A woman in that time, and even today, often loves to serve in her home.. She provides food, shelter and care. She serves willingly and with a serving heart for God.
This woman and her family obviously knew Jesus. She would have been mortified that she couldn't serve her family and guest. Her heart would have been broken.
I believe that Jesus did more than rebuke a fever. I think he renewed a spirit and a body so they could work together in harmony, serving. Not as a slave, but as a woman who could give good food, and good hospitality to her guests that honours her house and her family.
Jesus knew her heart, and her body. He knew what she needed. She needed to be well to serve.
Out of love.
Not obligation.
That is where I got confused by those well meaning ladies. They served their families out of an obligation and likely felt little or no respect or honour in it. How sad for them. They missed a great opportunity to find something special in ministering by serving.
Jesus served and ministered the same way. He knew better than us all the needs of a serving heart.
I'm so thankful He blessed me with a serving heart, and that He renews me when I feel a pint, quart or small lake's worth low. He knows. He provides. He heals.
How does this verse speak to you? Would love to hear!
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