St. Augustine wrote one time: “Light of my heart, do not let my darkness speak to me.”
I think this is a profound saying because in this time of season where greying days are the norm and the weather is not an invitation to go out and enjoy. The darkness of the day can sweep over our spirit and dare to remove our joy or our hope or our spark of life.
It is easier to want to wrap in a blanket, drink tea by the fire and hibernate. In order for something to speak to us we have to listen. We have to be quiet and be still and listen. Let me lean in and tell you something: Do not LISTEN to the darkness talking… 1 John: 5-7 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
So the message is this. Darkness is not from God. When our spirits feels downcast and sad and the darkness of the overcast day leaves us with a mood that feels defeated it is not from God. We are to speak LIGHT to our day for God is light and life and hope and we stand in HIM. Do not let the darkness speak to your heart.
Light of our hearts illuminate your love to us. Shine it so brightly and so acutely that we will have no reason or desire to doubt or stay in the dark. Light of our hearts we thank you for being who you are and for loving us. Help us to stay in your truth Help us to walk in fellowship with you and help us Lord to keep our hearts pure. Thank you Jesus for all that you do. Amen
Have your sound on please. Oh to dwell and never leave… there is no where else for me… Jesus ~Jesus at your feet Oh I long to rest Oh I long to wait Oh I long to worship at your feet.
Still resting and recouping. Antibiotics are working. I am not as congested and not as ‘sick’ as in the beginning. Still very weak and still coughing. My appetite is very low food has been very minimal for 5 days now. I have been sleeping 12 hours at night and still needing sleep in the day. It has been a very bad bug.
Will try to get back to writing on Monday. It has been one year since this blog was created. I cannot believe it is one years old.
I came down with a respiratory infection, bad cough and wheezing at times and fevers between 101-102 and feel like a truck hit me and left me along side the road.
Not a flu just head and throat stuff.
I may not be writing three times a week this week.
It is just enough for me to get a juice glass or feed my dogs and cat.
Haven’t eaten anything solid for at least three days.
Did try some chicken soup and that didn’t even taste good.
Had to muster the strength to shower and go to the doctor it was hard since I had a fever and felt like I was freezing.
I want to share something I found on a blog today.
The credit goes to a man by the name of Paul David Tripp.
Investigating who he is I think he is a pastor out of Pennsylvania and this quote comes out of a book of his.
I am not sure if it is it is proper etiquette to use a quote from someone else so long as I give him credit it might be alright.
Excerpt from “Lost in the middle” by Paul David Tripp:
Standing in a Pile of Your Own Leaves
You’re now in the autumn of your life, and you are quite aware the leaves are off the trees. You’re standing in a pile of the leaves of your marriage, your parenting, your extended family, your friendships, your work, and your ministry. These leaves of the past have grown wrinkled and dry, and you know you cannot put them back on the tree. It’s tempting to sit down in the pile and examine leaf after leaf and wish you were holding a new bud from a new sapling, but you aren’t. The harvest has come in and it is what it is. Yet in all of this, there is hope because your Lord is the Lord of new seasons. With the new season comes the freedom to plant new and better seeds. With the new season comes the expectation of a new harvest of new fruit.
Stand up and walk away from your pile of yesterday’s leaves. Take the seeds of a new way into your hands, press them into the soil of your life and thank God that you will live to see a better harvest.
Isn’t this just awesome?
I feel like I am in the autumn part of life, turning 56 just a few days ago. Feeling a tad out of shape and old. Not so old that I can’t learn to forgive if it is needed or redeem a wrong or learn a lesson or two. Life is just as this writing says, a series of leaves that fall, and you rake them up and wait for another ‘tumbling’ of sorts.
Seasons change us.
They help us grow and restore ourselves.
They help us renew old thoughts and purge out the negative.
They help us strengthen our weak places and reinforce the strong ones.
Winter will leave us soon and this season of chill will be replaced with a bit of warmth.
Then one day we will wake up and spring will be here and new birth awaits the morning.
Birds will sing and make nests, and bulbs full of life will bulge from frozen ground.
I think I am ready for spring.
For the newness of life.
For relationships to grow deeper and more open.
For quietness in my soul to settle into the routine again.
I want to live to see a better harvest… of family and friendships and growth in God.
As we hold the new seeds of the seasons may we have a thankful heart for whatever is ahead of us.
(picture taken by Shelly Collis ~ Newberg, Oregon)
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Philipians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. ==================== Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." Courage is not the absence of fear but it's taking action in the midst of it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A diamond is a chunk of coal that made good under pressure.
It's your heart, not the dictionary that gives meaning to your words. Matthew 12:34 (msg) version.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Below you will find a few of my favorite websites or blogs. They have given me encouragement and challenged me on this journey.
Ann Voskamp's blog A holy Experience This image of a bleeding heart represents a journey of healing from brokenness to wholeness. Some of my favorite books: One thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Married over 46 years and entered into my 65th year of life.
I am a mother of two and grandmother of six and mom to two very spoiled kitties. I love to worship and encourage and of course write whenever I can find a topic or subject to share about.
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Thank you for visiting my blog.
I hope you find it encouraging and that it gives you
'Something to think about'. The vision for this is to challenge the reader into a new and different way of thinking. I appreciate and always value your comments. Having others walk alongside and join in the sharing is part of the process.
Thank you for joining me... on this journey. As we get encouraged ~ Lord help us to encourage others. "And the day came when the risk to remain a tight bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin my blog button The crosses are found on a beach at Winema Christian Camp on the Oregon coast.. a place to relax and find God in the process. My favorite place ....to rest and restore my spirit.
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