An Angel......from my Prayer Garden

Praying today for some special people.  Most all of us know people who have or are presently suffering.  Suffering is painful, perhaps the most difficult type of pain, for  both the heart and soul are involved.  Truly, those are the saints and angels we are honored to know in this earthly life.  All of those people teach us many truths about our Mighty God and how His Hand moves in difficulty!  Every day there are people who suffer and are in situations dependent upon God's hand to move. Their lives teach us how praising God and waiting and watching for Him to turn things around can become part of our own personal prayer lives and draw us nearer to Him as we seek His answers in their situations.  "We......have to remember that His timing is not ours.  God's timing is perfect.  Praising Him helps us to rest in that."  Stormie Omartian

God has promised in Psalm 31:15 that our times and our lives are in His Hand.  "Oh, how great is YOUR goodness which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of men."  Yes, earthly angels are those who suffer, reminding us that when "You pass through the waters, I will be with you."  Isaiah 43:2..... Both blessing and refreshing!  God cares for those who suffer.  "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you."  I Peter 5:10  Let us remember trials are temporary in light of eternity!  Looking forward to Eternity with the Savior!!!

Home.....

An idyllic country garden provides a beautiful backdrop for this afternoon lunch!  It inspires us all to get out of our comfort zone and invite someone over for a peaceful and relaxing visit!  We can enjoy being at home, after all it's where our soul is restored, refreshed, and renewed!  "Home is a spa for the soul.  Where else can we feel this happy, where else can we putter about among our favorite things while enjoying our family?"
Alexandra Stoddard

Love and Kindness

This beautiful house is just down the street from where our precious daughter Kara  and her groom, Phil, live!  Can you imagine just walking down the street each day and passing this beautiful place on the River Wensum in Norwich?   It was in the heart of someone to build this home in the 1700's and even today, 200 years later,  people pass by and are in awe of the beautiful surroundings.  It is named after John Pull, who operated a ferry and Inn there from1796-1841. 

What is in your heart today?  I hope some love and kindness creating lasting moments of influence for someone your life will touch.  Since it is Sunday, truly our thoughts turn to the Lord of Glory!  It doesn't really matter what is behind us or before us, because the encouraging words found in Ecclesiastes 3:11 in the Bible assure us, "He has made everything beautiful in its time."  Those words include every circumstance and every situation you are praying about!  Each one!

Each day, we are given twenty-four hours of time and depending upon our age and individual circumstances, determinations are made on how we will use those twenty-four hours.  There are responsibilities we have and must complete and often there are limitations we must accept if we have others who require our attention throughout the day.  Some things we cannot control, but thankfully, we are given the control  over our thoughts and influences throughout the day.  We can determine to seek to please God in all we do, say, and believe and truly, each day can be like a Sunday when our thoughts are focused on HIM!  This can start each morning with PRAISE!  Just by speaking the words, "I praise you, Lord of Heaven and earth!"  When our thoughts are focused on the Lord of Glory and the realization that He is the Light of Glory, it's going to be a good day!  In Luke 18:27 Jesus spoke the words....."The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Psalm 63:3 says, "Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You."  Go ahead, try it and see, even lift your hands and see.....He will pour out His blessings on your day!  Look expectantly for gracious and goodness in your day and trust Him at His Word that "He will make everything beautiful in its time."  EVERYTHING!  Such an awesome promise to you and me!

A Beautiful and Simple Change

The Lord knows our names, the number of our days, and where we are to spend each one of them!  Sometimes it seems He just gives us too few days to spend with someone dear to us.  "The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want.....He guides us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  Psalm 23

I admit, I am a sentimental person.  It's hard for me to part with people I love and care about and it is hard for me to let go, but I do and usually, it's finding something productive in my life that helps me to move forward and exclaim....."everything will be okay."  Change is good for all of us in our lives.  The ocean is a wonderful analogy of change......it is constantly moving and the tides and waves roll in and out and bring a freshness and a calmness that change can be beautiful if we take the time to stop and look and especially listen.  It's almost soothing and can lead us in those paths of righteousness that David was speaking of in the 23rd Psalm.  There is a renewal that accompanies change.

Change brings me to this picture.....someone needed a change and decided to part with this table!  Can you believe it?  My husband has an eye for vintage and antique furnishings that he knows I will bring back to life, of course with his help.  When he first brought this table home, it was cracked across the top, two legs were broken and it looked like it had seen it's better days and where it would spend its future, discarded...... While furniture comes and goes......it seems it rarely does with us!  We find something, and decide to  try and make something beautiful out of it!  Swedish furniture is often times painted and it seems that we have really been into painting furniture lately!  Painting does cover the unsightly blemishes of something with a bit of age, plus it gives the piece depth and detail. This is exactly what we found with this table and every detail appeared as we painted it for the ultimate dinner table for entertaining.  I've prepared the table for an early dinner with a wonderful friend.  As you see, it doesn't have to be an elaborate production to be a beautiful evening.  Something small and modest can be very nice.  Yes, simple can be lovely.  Entertain your family and friends for truly, we do not know how long they will be in our presence!

I leave you with a beautiful thought by Mother Teresa. "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.  Be the living expression of God's kindness."

Goodness

Today I have been thinking about many things......good things.  Goodness is described in Websters as a condition of being good and goodness is described as being better than the usual or average kind.  Something in good condition is pleasing or satisfying...... at least a little more than ordinary.  In the Bible, when God created the earth in  Genesis 1:10 the words read, "God saw that it was good."  Men and women have been described as good and God even goes on to tell us, "That every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  James 1:17  People can do many good things.  We can prepare a dinner for a new mother and this is a very good gift.  We can share good words of encouragement and hope with someone who going through a difficult journey.  The Bible even says that sometimes we can suffer for doing good......now that is a thought.  But I love the words of Exodus 34:6-7 "And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin....."
In other words, because of God's goodness, He never throws us out!  He is merciful and patient with us and forgives us of our sinful nature.  He is able to make something new, out of a tattered and torn life, daily!  Psalm 31:19 declares "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear you, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!"  God's love for you makes His face to shine upon you daily and His spirit draws you close to His heart to learn of this goodness that He desires to share with you and with me.  This brings me to share this picture with you.  An old chair, discarded, ready to be thrown out and trashed but I saw the beautiful lines and possibilities!  So I waited until I had some extra time and began to sand it down, tested just a teensy dribble of paint and a whisper of a brush stroke.  I continued to paint it, it was good, I blessed it too.  I found some discarded fabric, decided how I wanted it to look and begin to create!  So you see my finished project below.  It is such a privilege to be made new again~daily in the presence of the Mighty Hands of God.  Often we take goodness for granted.  I hope tomorrow that I remember "God is great, God is Good, let us thank Him......."  Have a blessed and wonderful weekend~may it be GOOD!