by Sharon O | Jun 28, 2010 | Uncategorized
A New Day
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could…Tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well
and serenely
and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with
your old nonsense.
This day is all that is good and fair.
It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on yesterday.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I found a new ‘set’ of devotional books and I will be posting little encouraging notes from them off and on. I hope you will be blessed and challenged by the readings.
Have a wonderful… NEW day.
by Sharon O | Jun 26, 2010 | Uncategorized
The other thing we like to do on mini trips out is to visit pioneer cemeteries.
The history and stories create all kinds of questions for me.
Family’s laid to rest placed alongside each other by age.
Perhaps babies or young children died because of the kind of illnesses they faced and the lack of care they would receive.
The aged old stories of wagon trains and walking by foot on trails so dense with foliage. I am not sure how they would forge through the rough terrain.
To capture the history of these old sacred places is both fascinating and thought provoking.
Times are so different now.
May we learn to slow down and notice …
the stories we miss all around us if we would just look and pay attention.
by Sharon O | Jun 26, 2010 | Uncategorized
Another part of our trip …
was to drive a more scenic route other than the main roads. We ended up finding several old covered bridges. We like to look at them and explore the ages and type of bridge they are for each are different and have unique beauty.
by Sharon O | Jun 26, 2010 | Uncategorized
I didn’t mention our vacation was called three days in a pup tent.
It was going to be an adventure for us all exploring places we had never been before as we were driving down to the southern Oregon coast.
BUT when the rain came…and the crows were loud … (the camp had large noisy crows that woke us all up in the early morning hours) and it was looking like a damp second night in a tent with sleeping bags and air mattresses.I asked if we could think of something more dry to stay in such as a motel. Although I am not by nature fond of hotel/motels. It sounded nicer than a wet ‘bed’. I didn’t complain just voiced an opinion that I was not thrilled with a tent that was wet and seeping into our sleeping ‘rooms.’
SO we all packed into the car and drove till we found a camper RV park with this cute little cabin. It slept 6 with a queen bed in the first room and two double bunks in the second room. No bathroom but a roof and a furnace was a nice addition.
Not too far from where this little home was located in the park they had a ‘nice wash room and shower area.’
So I continued on as a camper and felt warm and relaxed as we began our new day to explore.
by Sharon O | Jun 26, 2010 | Uncategorized
This was a very large rhododendron bush we found on our vacation.
I was in awe of the size of this bush. It was as high as a building next to it and almost as wide. Can you imagine the years of weather and storms it has lived through?
God has created a beautiful world for us to enjoy.
I pray you find something beautiful today …
and Thank the one who made it.
by Sharon O | Jun 24, 2010 | Uncategorized
Psalm 16: 7-11
I will bless the Lord who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul
among the dead or allow your holy one
to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasure of living with you forever.
Isn’t it awesome that when we release our control… He guides us.
Isn’t it awesome that at night when we feel nothing is happening…
our hearts are teaching us.
Isn’t it awesome that we are not abandoned… He is always with us.
Isn’t it awesome that we do not have to fear… for we rest in His safety.
Isn’t it awesome that our souls are cared for… for He carries us into life.
Isn’t it awesome that we find joy through the presence of the Lord.
Isn’t GOD awesome?
For He LOVES us SO much… John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
by Sharon O | Jun 23, 2010 | Uncategorized
A Psalm of David …Psalm 15
Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip
or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
Those who lend money without charging interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.
A psalm for the day for us to ‘reflect on’.
Lord God help us to be all that you want for us…
Help us to enter your ‘sanctuary’ with a desire to be blameless in all that we do
and help us to keep sincere hearts and pure motives.
by Sharon O | Jun 21, 2010 | Uncategorized
Continuing in the book…Waking the Dead.
By John Eldredge
He says to the reader .”You cannot cut off your heart and expect to hear from God.”
Continuing … “God wants to give you life; your part is to keep the channel open.”
(which for me means to have a receptive heart to what God is trying to teach me or tell me and a receptive spirit within myself to obey)
John asks us some very real questions:
It is a challenge for all of us to ask ourselves…
What does your heart need?
Is is music?
Is it gardening?
Is it reading?
Is it resting? (I added that)
Is it writing? (I added that also)
Is it sewing? (my addition also)
Do you need to be creative?
John asks:
What makes you feel refreshed and alive?
I know when my husband gets ‘frazzled’ with everyday routines and stresses he gets in his Chevy blazer and he goes fishing.
John says we need ‘Silence and solitude’ so we can listen to God’s voice.
We listen when we get away and get quiet. Even Jesus did that.
John goes on to say, “Forgetting what you long for is like forgetting your dream.”
I know for me… I used to do art… I drew and painted on canvas and worked with clay. In fact going back ‘many’ years my art teacher in high school was sad I was getting married out of school for he felt I should go to college and pursue my art.
It wasn’t what I felt at the time I needed but now I could perhaps enter back into that hobby as semi retirement settles in.
It was ‘a reflection of who I was… and still am.’
John finishes his book saying, “Caring for your heart is an act of obedience. It is an act of love, an act of faith and an act of war.”
For the enemy works very hard at trying to steal your heart away.
Can I challenge us all to think and pray about what our hearts desires are?
Write them down and see… ‘if you trust the Lord to make it happen.’
Philippians 1:6 ~ Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Psalm 37:4 ~ Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The JOY is in the waiting and watching…
As HE finishes the good work within us… if we are open.
by Sharon O | Jun 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
As we waited for the sun to go down we could hear the bellowing noises of the seals not that far from where we sat.
In the quiet of the nights breeze…
I wondered … at night when it is dark… do they just close their eyes and sleep in the cold and damp air on the rocks?
The one who sat alone tucked his seal ‘fins’ under him and laid down with his head on the rocks… eyes shut… resting…
they are sea creatures… they must adapt to weather and cold and wind and sun…
It is just a natural part of nature.
This was an experience I won’t forget.
by Sharon O | Jun 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
This one was alone.
Alone. Crying… with loud mournful tones… we watched for a long time… and wondered to ourselves… how could it have gotten alone and away from all the others?
It was sad yet very awesome at the same time. We stood… overlooking this seal and we could see it clearly… it wasn’t far from us.
It was sad… mourning… using a cry of despair. I still wonder what happened to this lonely one.
There was a purpose I am sure. And I am also glad I am not in charge of nature… I would probably try to save them all.
