Category Archives: faith

Beyond the Dot to Dots…

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Man between the lines…

image via coloring_crafts.com

We are mind, body, soul and spirit…not just the sum of what is seen exteriorly.

But when sin entered the world man was fractured into parts no longer whole.

image via jbowikipedia.org

The world continues to promote the broken man…

“Live for yorself”…”discover the fountain of youth so you can always look young”…”if it feels good do it”.

And in our relationships we often relate to others in this broken way.

But Jesus came to put all the pieces back together.

image via purgeport.edublogs.org

Sparks fly when we relate to to others as the whole person they are before us.

image via gamedev.net

 

We are seeing them as God sees them and speaking to them in their wholeness even in their brokenness.

The transfiguration is a reality to us.

We are men and women beyond the lines….beyond the dot to dots.

image via choosemylife.com

Lord may I be given the grace to see the dignity of the whole person in myself and before me.  Let my eyes not remain fixed on the broken pieces but on the Glory of the Divine Image before me.”

Christmas Year Round…

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image via crazyinsuburbia.blogspot.com

The Christmas tree stored or recycled….Stockings taken down and mantles cleared…the Wise Men have come and gone, back home to give witness…the creche is packed up and the pointsettias have been put out by the garden gate.

Christmas is over…or is it?!

For each time we allow God to love others through us…

image via papakiara.wordpress.com

Christmas continues.

Through Him, With Him, In Him…

We become a gift…

image via mangemypractice.com

A gift that keeps giving…365 days a year.

 “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” Luke 7: 38

Opening Our Treasures…

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The Gold I bring before you King is the “I am of me” longing to be one with the “I am of You”…

The frankincense I bring before you King is the incense of my prayers rising as smoke to Your throne…

image via thebodybarblog.blogspot.com

The Myrrh I bring before you King is the brokenness of me to be immersed in the saving Blood of Your Passion.

image via decktheholidays.blogspot.com

My Gold, my Frankincense, my Myrrh is all of me desiring to be drawn into the depths of Your Heart and planted there to grow, to bloom, to bring You Glory.

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 “Then they OPENED THEIR TREASURES and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matther 2:11b

Lord, may we all OPEN OUR TREASURES and lay them completely before you.

By Another Way…

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By Another Way…

image via trevwhite.wordpress.com

Another sign the Wise Men saw and followed was advice given through a dream.

To Go Another Way…

Perhaps the Wise Men after finding Him who their heart desired would have wanted to stay and continue to offer praise and homage, but they had responsibility to get back to.

image via kiwix.org

 

How easy it would have been to go back the path they had forged in the coming…

But we can never go back to the familiar, the old way, after meeting Christ.

image via the mavesite.com

 

Our lives become the Other Way..

always new…exploring new territory…unkown to us whilst living in and of the world.

image via thenextweb.com

 

My Lord, may we be given the grace to see the signs and follow the direction you ask us to take, always docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in whatever way they may come.  Heal us of any fear in pressing forward on the “other way” which is the new way, deeper in communion with You. Amen

Signs Seen and Followed…

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image via joyousjewels.wordpress.com

The Sign of a Star…

Led Wise Men to search for a King.

To Leave behind their ways of the world…their parts of the world…

Onwards on their search.

image via stmary-dallas.org

Not the pretty picture of a pristine desert with camels carrying gifts and kings all in a neat tidy row.

The truth of the journey?

image via 123rf.com

Arduous..an exertion of will…across countryside of no roads or modern conveniences…extended travels far from the familiar…hopes mixed with doubts…

Where will this journey take us?

We are all “Wise Men” enroute in this life to find the True King, the True Ruler of our Hearts so that we may offer Him praise and homage with our lives.

For to offer true worship to Him who is our Creator, is sewn deeply within the fabric of who we are.

These Wise Men saw a sign that splashed light on their journey from the world to Christ.

What signs are in our lives?

image via andypagana.com

Are we following the signs that lead us to be people of praise and thanksgiving?

“Wise Men and Women” may we be given the grace to see the signs He leaves us daily and the courage and the perseverance to follow them home to Him.

“Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country a broad valley.  Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all mankind shall see it together.” Is 40:4-5

All Natural…No Preservative Self…

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“Everyone who has this hope based on Him makes himself pure, as He is pure.”1 John3:3

image via divineexperience.org

To HOPE is to keep one’s eyes on the top of the cross….

image via shinefmafternoons.blogspot.com

while keeping vigil at the foot.

How good, gracious, and merciful is our God that by merely hoping…

Our eyes set on Him who is our HOPE…

We are made PURE.

To be PURE is to be all we are called to be…

no fakes, no masks, no pretense, no artificial flavors…

image via tetley.ca

100% pure, all natural, no additives, no preservatives.

By being in Your Presence Lord in prayer…

image via turnbacktoGod.com

which in itself is an act of HOPE…

We become more purely who we are…who we are meant to be.

New Year’s Prayer…

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image via thundafunda.net

A New Year’s Prayer
May God make your year a happy one! Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain, But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes; Not by making your path easy, But by making you sturdy to travel any path; Not by taking hardships from you, But by taking fear from your heart; Not by granting you unbroken sunshine, But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows; Not by making your life always pleasant, But by showing you when people and their causes need you most, and by making you anxious to be there to help. God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.
Anonymous

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1 Peter 1:3

Happy New Year!

In the School of the Shepherds…

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image via catechesisinthethirdmillenium.wordpress.com

“Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.  The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.  The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold , I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord”…And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:  “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.  When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.  All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.  And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.” Luke 2: 8-20

The Shepherds keeping night watch over their flock…

image via ifcamedia.org

Shepherds, in the time of the birth of Christ, were the borderline bandits of society. They were mistrusted. They were social outcasts. Instead of being in town to protect their wives, children, and families, they lived in the hillside tending their sheep. They were even considered unclean for they had daily contact with carcasses of animals and so were not able to go to the temple for worship.

And yet they were the first to hear the “Good News” of the birth of the Messiah.

And this was announced by an angel who was accompanied by a multitude of angels…

image via signsofangels.net

God himself entered into the “ordinary” of the life of the Shepherds and left it “extraordinary”!

God did not shun those who society had shunned. These simple  souls didn’t debate what had happened. They left their livelihood in “haste”.

And when they saw the Christ child they believed and returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

The Shepherds were the first Believers.

The Shepherds were the first Messengers.

What do the Shepherds teach us? God does come into our daily, everyday, routine lives. Even in those places that we think are messy or broken or that the world sees as failure.  He transforms us and all of our “ordinary” into the “extraordinary” with the power of His grace. He gives us a choice to respond. Are we able to leave those things that we always thought were important to begin the journey in discovering Christ? It is these simple souls that are ready to believe the Good News. It is these simple souls responding from the heart whose eyes are opened to believe. And with this belief comes a most important mission…to praise and glorify God through our words and actions bringing this Good News to all who cross our path.

May we like the Shepherds be open to receive His “extraordinary” into our “ordinary”. May we have the courage to “leave in haste” those obstacles that stand in the way. And  may our lives be songs of constant thanksgiving as we exist for the praise of God’s glory.

 

Thank yous….

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Thank you http://caddoveil.wordpress.com for nominating me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. If you haven’t visited Caddoveil’s blog please do so…she has a true gift of painting words and making them dance. Thank you caddoveil. I thoroughly enjoy your gifted writings.

So….now I must pass share ten things you may not know about me and pass this award on…

1.  I like pelicans. They are a bit funny looking…almost like they received parts from several different birds. They also look a bit clumsy, but if you have ever seen a pelican glide on the wind they are incredibly graceful. It’s a lot like all of us. We are a bit clumsy but with God’s grace we can soar.

2.  I really wish the whole world would slow down a bit and stop and smell the roses. Why do we have to be in such a hurry?

3.  I enjoy painting…splashing vibrant colors on a canvas makes me smile inside and out.

4.  If I’m wearing pink lipstick I am refusing to allow the chronic pain I live in get the best of me.

5.  Shoes are terribly overrated…even though they are cute. Being barefoot is walking like a child.

6.  Many make fun of my southern drawl…but maybe it’s everyone else who talks a bit differently!

7.  I could sit and listen to people’s stories all day long…hidden in them it’s not so hard to see the hand of God.

8.  A chiming clock makes a house a home.

9.  Praise and worship can make a cloudy day sunny.

10.  I strive to do all for the praise of God’s glory…it is for His glory I say thank you for this award.

Please check out the blogs below…I think you will enjoy them.

http://opencanvasjg.wordpress.com

http://revelationsinwriting.wordpress.com

http://warriorpoetwisdom.com

http://apronhead.wordpress.com

Thank you very much to http://poeticjourney251.wordpress.com and http://thewomanatthewell.wordpress.com for nominating me for the Candle Lighter Award. Please take a moment and visit both of these blogs.  And congratulations to you both for receiving this honor. This award was created by Kate Kresse and you can read more about it at http://believeanyway.wordpress.com/the-candle-lighter-award/

This award (according to a reader of Kate’s site)  belongs to those who believe, who always survive the day and those who never stop dreaming, for those who cannot quit, and for those who keep trying and if you have that you are entitled to this award.

For the praise and glory of His name, forever and ever, amen, I sincerely express thanksgiving to Kate, to poeticjourney, for the womanatthewell, and for all those who through their blogs keep their candles burning so others may come and find light in a world that in so many ways is in darkness.

I would like to pass on the Candle Lighter Award to

http://gracefullwomen.com

http://lightonmypath.wordpress.com

Born Within Us…

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“Because there was no room in the Inn, Jesus had to be born elsewhere …

that is, in each one of us.

We may be simple and humble, like a stable…

But with Christ within us we can be magnificent and change the world.” (Michael Moran)

Live + Jesus.

image by fromtheheartofj

THE KING IS COMING…THE KING IS COMING…

HE IS ALMOST HERE!