Saturday, March 31, 2012

Weather

The following quote brought an attitude adjustment after my peaceful night's sleep was interrupted by thunderstorms. The sound of the birds' singing outside my window early this morning brought another reminder.....give thanks, in all kinds of weather!

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, and snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." ~ John Ruskin

Friday, March 30, 2012

An Easter "Yes!"

In just over a week, we will celebrate Easter!  The flowers, trees and birds seem to be shouting out "Yes!  We are alive!" Even though it has been unseasonably cold this spring, the signs of renewal and new life are everywhere.

For many, many years now, buying and wearing a new "Easter outfit" has not been a part of my plans for participating in Resurrection Sunday worship and celebration.....but this year I have had a happy desire to do just that....to wear something colorful and bright and new on Easter morning.  This yearning took me by surprise and I gave some thought to why it was happening and what it means.  Why?  The answer, I think, is that a burst of color reflects what is happening in my heart.

 We sing a song...."My hope is in You, Lord"....and there it is, the reason to celebrate, to sing, to dance, to worship with a joyful "Yes!"   My hope, my joy, my comfort, my strength, my life is in Him, and I look forward to Easter with a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation.  So I am going to wear something new and bright on Easter Sunday this year and try to keep myself from dancing up the aisle at church shouting my "Yes!" and "Alleluia!"  Christ is risen.  He is risen indeed!

                                            " Deck yourself with joy!" ~ Elisabeth Elliot

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

What the World Needs Now.....

If we look only to the media for an assessment of the state of the world and mankind, we will be tempted to shake our heads in dismay at the dismal picture we see painted.  The problems are overwhelming, solutions inadequate at best, and mediocrity seems to describe our general condition.  Violence, greed and corruption leap off the page and the screen daily.  Where are the selfless, the loving, the honest, the peacemakers, the generous, those who inspire and encourage?

 I know where they are.....they are in my home, in my church, in my neighborhood and beyond.  When I am feeling discouraged because of a steady stream of bad news, I need only to think of the acts of kindness, compassion, friendliness, generosity, courage, comfort, tenderness, beauty, humility and thoughtfulness that I see, hear, and am touched by every day.

 The world may be a very troubled place, but it is also a world filled with people who care deeply and who demonstrate their love for God and for others.  It is a dark place but it is also a place filled with people who shine the light of Christ into the darkness.  These are imperfect people, serving a perfect God and striving to honor Him with their lives.  They pour courage into the discouraged and remind us that there is hope for this hurting world.

                   "A true saint exaggerates what the world neglects."  ~ G.K. Chesterton

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

You are welcome

After writing a thank you note to dear friends who had welcomed me into their home for a brief stay, I  looked for an added touch for the envelope.  Looking through my small collection of decorative stamps, I found just the perfect sentiment.  The words expressed my thoughts so well, and I decided to add the quote to my collection. 
It is a comfort and a source of such pleasure when the doors to our homes, and hearts, are opened to welcome a friend.  It might be a quick cup of tea, a lengthy conversation over lunch, or an overnight visit......it is in the welcoming that the blessing is found.

               " 'Stay' is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary." ~ Louisa May Alcott

Monday, March 19, 2012

Spring!

Tomorrow marks the official beginning of the spring season.  As a true lover of autumn and winter, I am always less enthusiastic than most folks about the approach of warm weather...espcially when the trend, over the past few years, seems to be to skip right over lovely spring and running headlong into hot, humid summer. However, this year I am somehow deeply touched by the early signs of spring. The soft pink of flowering trees, the brilliant yellow forsythia and daffodils, the birdsong, the warmth of the afternoon sun...all speak to me of the mystery of the emerging of new life.  I intend to enjoy this season, whether brief or long lasting, and learn from its secrets.

                            "Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light."  ~ Roethke

Monday, March 12, 2012

The Restless Heart

Just reading the newspaper, watching the news on TV or engaging in conversation concerning the state of the nation and the condition of so many lives leads us to sometimes wonder what on earth is happening in our world.  According to St. Augustine and many other great thinkers, past and present, it is really quite simple.  Chaos reigns where the sovereignty of God is neither acknowledged or revered, both in individual lives and among nations.  We cannot find peace apart from God.....it just isn't possible.  We may have what resembles peace for a time, but true and lasting peace is found only in Him.

   "Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee."

                                                           ~Augustine of Hippo~

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Confident Living

Some of the quotes in my little book were written after attending conferences or retreats where I heard rich and inspiring teaching.  The quote I am sharing tonight came from one of those experiences.  After listening to a particular teaching, I was challenged to consider a question:  how is God treating me, and what effect does that have on my life?  As I reflect on that question again tonight, I am comforted and encouraged by the response.  How is God treating me?  With compassion, patience, mercy, love beyond comprehension, tenderness, faithfulness, generosity....these come to mind instantly, and much more.  As I wrote those words, I heard "How Deep the Father's Love For Us....", lyrics from a beautiful hymn written by Stuart Townend.  So loved by my Father, how can I not be encouraged and strengthened  every day of my life?

               "I will live life daily based on how I am being treated by God." ~ Sheila Walsh

                                                     

Friday, March 2, 2012

Good Advice

It seems to me that there is much wisdom in the advice quoted below. Wouldn't following this prescription lead to healthier, happier, more effective, well-balanced, peaceful living?

"Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."           
                                                        ~Charles Dickens~