Horizons

Changes remove us from our comfort zones. I'm in the process of change so that puts me smack dab in the middle of my "un"comfort zone.

When we can't see what's ahead, beyond that next hill, on the horizon, it's unsettling. 

It's human nature. 

As I read in Luke this morning, I read of the blind beggar. 

He asked for mercy; he wanted to see and He was given his sight.

vs. 43 closes with, "...and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

My hope is that all will see me following God through my changes. That I will praise Him and it will cause others to praise Him as well.

Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Love Affair With....

At a very young age I began collecting old books.

When I was 19 living in CA. a library closed and the books were offered to the school where I was teaching. The material did not meet the expectations of staff and so the dumspter was filled.

I was horrified. I gathered what I could and my choices were based on, 

Title, Cover, Color, nothing great.

I couldn't stand years of books thrown away.

I have carried my loves with each move of our household and added to the boxes with time.

I love the uneven cut of pages and their smell. I love the texture of the fabric on the covers and the color with touches of gold.

To me they are priceless and then I wonder who they belonged to who and who read them....

If they weren't a text book I wonder who wrote them and why? I like this quote from Geroge Orwell:

Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist or understand.

They make me smile....my love affair with old books.

Dig a Little Deeper

I was reading a blog where the writer talked about the "hate" mail she'd received from her latest article. She went on to describe how she prayed, read and re-read her article and so on.....
You can't always guess how a stranger will take what you share.

One thing about criticism is that it makes you dig. You dig in your heart to see if you were sincere and honest and try to find the source of the criticism. You dig deep. Sometimes what we see isn't pretty. Like the picture below, it may be filled with thorns and dryness, painful memories, painful issues, things left unaddressed too long.
And sometimes the person criticizing is the one with issues left unaddressed that have turned barren, brittle and dry. It's usually evident what was watered and what was not.
I like to dig...Digging is a good thing whether it’s in your heart, in the Word or in the dirt. There's something gratifying and soul healing about it. While you're digging I hope you strike Water, "life-giving water", "soul cleansing water", "broken heart healing water".

I am reminded of the verse, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

Beginnings

January 1, 2013

My mother used to say, "What you do the first day of the year is what you'll do the whole year through." I didn't really want to hear that because I wanted to sleep late and relax...just not do much on New Year's Day.
It would find us cleaning something at some point in the day or organizing. Seems over the years I felt the need to stay busy or see accomplishments because, after all, it sets the pace for the whole year!
Today, as I organized the pantry, cooked black eyed peas and stayed busy most of the day. I am reminded that:
1. "Habits are hard to break" so have good ones.
2. "History repeats itself" so started motivated to accomplish.

I hope to watercolor more, build my business larger and see another year through in The One Year Bible. I was reminded of the very first words in the Bible, For our new year of reading, Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning....."
I love that. What a way to start a day...a new year...fresh.

Day 24. {{ God, You & Luke 2 }}

Final post for Advent:

Lets go to John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

We've covered several topics while reading Luke 2 every day. Lets consider Jesus as Light.

In a world where there was no hope there is now Jesus.
He was the light of life...and that light shines in the darkness...the heavens declared the glory of God.
I think we've all seen the immense light from one candle in a totally dark room, perhaps it was in a candle light service. All lights are out when one person lights the first candle. It gives you chills, it so touches the soul.
The world was dark and hopeless until Jesus came. Oh, life was rocking along but the presence of this tiny baby in a manger changed everything.

I think of my own life and my heart; there are little places I still need that light to pierce. Like the world before Jesus, sometimes we don't know how dark our existence is until the light shines.
All of a sudden we begin to see things that weren't visible to us before. Everyone has a place that needs the Light or a part of us that needs invading and changing.His light is life. He is Hope.
"...in Him was Life and the Life was the Light of the World..."

Day 23. {{ God, You & Luke 2 }}

Luke 2:15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

I'm not sure when I started with this thought... I think about the shepherds going (with haste) to seek out baby Jesus. What did Mary think as she lay there amidst the animal smells, birthing smells and exhaustion? Did she wonder where these guys came from? No doubt it solidified her knowledge that indeed this child of God was sent for purposes beyond her comprehension. What goes through your mind as you wonder how to mother/parent God in human form?

The shepherds were the first people to seek God...to "go after Him" in human form. Sure we call King David a man after God's heart but the shepherds physically sought him and laid eyes on him!
Perhaps they held him in their arms. And how do you leave once you've held baby Jesus? Once you've been near him, how do you make your exit? How did it affect them the rest of their lives?
I always say, "You're changed once you encounter Jesus; you're never the same".

Day 22. {{ God, You & Luke 2 }}

Anticipation...Waiting...

Mary & Joseph:
Alone, isolated and homeless at the worst possible moment in their lives. Separated from the support of family, what to do about work to support the new family, lots of questions and so far no answers.
We look at the figurines in the nativity that we break out every December and we read the beautiful story but rest assured, these people were real and had emotions like you and me.
Chosen, yes but chosen most often isn't easy. It calls for situations of total reliance on God. In our world of comfort and convenience we really don't have a grasp on waiting. We don't do it well.

We often lose sight of God's dream for us because of the darkness of disappointment or the distraction of discouragement. All too often we forget God's promises in the midst of our problems.
it ever significant individual in the Bible has a history of "waiting" for the promises of God to be revealed.

Mary and Joseph are no different than us....they waited and relied on their word from God. we have the full Word, the whole Bible to thumb through and read, to lay on a table, to carry in a bag, to keep with us. Mary had one word. She had to carry this in her heart and hold onto it with everything she could...and then some. How many of us could go on one word? We'd no doubt wonder if we heard correctly or dreamed it all up...except for that babe in the womb.

Luke 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[c] 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” 35 And the angel said to her,"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born[d] will be called holy,
the Son of God.