Bright and Beautiful
A few weeks ago I was taking a stroll through a poetry book and came across one of my all time favorite poems. I loved the memories it evoked within me, learning and reciting it as a child. So, instead of sharing one of my own poems, I thought how lovely it would be to share this one with you.
Because, right now, we all need a little reminding of All Things Bright and Beautiful, and how God does (and has made) all things well.
Read slowly. Savor each line. Feel you lips curve into a smile as you inhale the scent of nature.
Mirror, Mirror
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
We all know this line by heart. The wicked stepmother/queen gazes into an ornate mirror asking it to search high and low in her kingdom for the whom the most beautiful person is among them.
While we know this to be her vanity speaking, do we realize she is seeking someone or something outside of herself, to give her validation? She wants to be told she is the most beautiful of all creatures and peoples of the land. She, the queen, the one who holds all the cards in her hands so to speak, still isn’t happy. She wants more. She wants it all.
And I wonder … how often do we do the same thing in our life? How often do we look to others or our possessions, our jobs, our degrees, or whatever else, to give us validation in life?
Kisses From Heaven
It’s been a difficult weekend. At first, I wasn’t really impacted by the news I received on Friday, but little by little, it grew on me. By Monday, I had no peace of mind or soul.
I’m not used to being an anxious person. I am not by nature a worrier. So, I became more and more frustrated the longer I tried to deal with my emotions.
Knowing my God is a good God, a loving God, I knew in my heart if I just asked Him, He would provide whatever I needed to overcome these feelings of fear and discontent.
I buried my face in my hands and cried out to God for help.
A Little Birdie in a Tree
A storm blew in fast and hard. Thunder shook our house, rain cascaded down in heavy sheets. It was a wicked storm, full of fury, lasting almost an hour.
But shortly after its passing I heard a sweet song. The song of a bird outside in our tree. And it made me wonder…
Dear little birdie
where do you go
When the lightning strikes
and thunder rolls?
Do you hide in your nest
do you fly far away
what do you do
when the storms rage?
Squandering My Life Away
Today I tried to do my day without having a quiet time. I got up later than I wanted/meant to and decided I would spend time with Jesus later.
Nothing went right from the get-go.
I think the key to making each day count is making sure Jesus is our first love. Making sure we are seeking Him and putting God first in our lives.
While the Trees Whisper
There’s a special kind of a soothing feeling when we’re in the presence of God. When we get so silent, we can hear His gentle whisper in our ear, that falls like droplets of rain onto our heart, and slides softly into our soul.
I wasn’t sure what this poem was about when I wrote it a few months back, but I’ve been wanting to share it. Once I really got to thinking about being in the presence of the Lord, this made much more sense to me. There’s a sweet relief within us, when we are curled up, and still with Him.
The God Who Waits
Good intentions. We all have them for one thing or another. But, good intentions do not always bring the results we hoped for.
Good intentions are wrapped up in the dream of doing something. Usually it is something noble but sometimes it is just the dream of doing things more perfectly in life.
For instance, how often do we have the intention of getting up and doing our devotions and prayer time first thing in the morning? Then, the next morning comes, and for whatever reason we do not do it. So, what do we do next? Ahhhh, yes. We say, “I will do it at such-and-such time later today.” But later comes, and well, you guessed it. We wind up lying in bed wondering where the day went and how in the world we got through it without having that time with God.
And we wonder why we are in such a bad mood, and everything seems to be going wrong.
Can I Trust You, Lord?
Can I trust You in this moment
can I trust You in this place
can I trust You to lead me
when I can’t even see Your face?
Thank You, Lord, no matter what I go through, I have You to trust in. When I trust in You, I have peace. I have protection. I have no need to fear about anything, anytime, anywhere.
Guarded and Guided
We know God has not given us a spirit of fear1. We know God is not the one who causes confusion2.
In contrast to these emotions, God does provide peace and He also guides us in all wisdom and clarity. That is, if we will let Him.
But so often, we allow our emotions and our thoughts to become the center of our attention, and even our affections. Instead of guarding our hearts and focusing on Jesus, we focus on trying to put ourselves at rest of our own accord.
What if we changed that focus? What if we threw ourselves into the arms of Jesus and just gave Him every part of ourselves?
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