Windows to the soul

1,000 Word Thursday



Windows to the soul!



Χαίρομαι

Wednesday's word

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

These three short commands have been a source of great strength and inspiration to me.

When the pressure of life is on, they put wings to my soul!

Rejoice in hope… I love the Greek word for rejoice! It's so regal! Χαίρομαι.
Have you ever thought about how rejoicing in something enables you to transcend circumstances? What does it mean to rejoice in hope? Our great hope is living with our Lord Jesus Christ for eternity in His kingdom. This hope is not a wish, like when we say, “I hope it’s a nice day on Saturday.” No, it's a certainty! God has promised and will deliver!

Doesn’t it arouse your deepest longing to think of living in God’s Kingdom, with no more suffering, injustice, and death?

In the coming age we’ll no longer have to struggle with evil from others or our own sinful nature! When this hope becomes real to us, it will improve our perspective more than falling in love!

 Be patient in suffering . . . If I have patience, then I will continue on the path God has given me, even if I have to endure hardship. In other words,

I won’t quit!

Luke 8:15 speaks of those who “bring forth fruit with patience” (KJV). The NIV translates this same phrase “by persevering produce a crop.” So, those who are patient are those who persevere in a godly path through the long, hard days as well as the bright, sunny ones.

  Persevere in prayer . . . I remember praying for years that we would find a home in a certain location, our kids would be well, go to a certain school, for healing, His guidance as I pursued my ministers liscense, for my marriage, AGAINST depression and anxiety....
Even though I often fall short in how much I pray,

it is critical we pray.

Our prayer may help someone break through into a wonderful new realm that God has prepared for them. Just think, maybe it’s our prayer that gets them through! Other types of prayer, like conversing with and giving thanks to God, are also invaluable so that we can pour our hearts out to God, hear God’s wisdom, and give thanks for the good things.

 

Thought for the day:

Today I will Χαίρομαι in eternal life with Jesus Christ, be patient in the hard times, and pray earnestly and joyfully!

Adventure

Tuesday's Quote

 

“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”

~Alan Cohen~

♥

Diamonds on black velvet

    The longer I look to those things I am thankful for, the more I find!  

This week, full and blessed. Full of transition and compromise. Promises kept and broken.

Searching my In-Laws eyes as they plan the details of their memorial service. On the cusp of a great life and an even better one yet to come.

I so look forward to Sunday's. For worship, family and a day of reflection. I don't want to miss a morsel that He has seen fit to trust me with.

 

#136-148

*The sun in my face and the wind in my hair

*A smile from a complete stranger

*Air that is filled with laughter

*It's like someone spilled diamonds on black velvet as I lie on the cool ground gazing at the vastness

*Caramel

*The giddiness that overcomes me as I don a fluffy feather boa

*Nail polish

* "I love you mom"

*Cycle of the seasons...though summer makes me the happiest

*Anxiously piercing through my box from Dayspring "One Thousand Gifts"

*The scent of a new book
*Hands interlaced, his shoulder

Inhaling Life!

My unexpected

Her hair soft and thin in my hands. Our conversation flowing, her favorite hymns playing in the background. Shampoo, clip, color and curl. She laughs and tells me stories of old. Each time I rush less and absorb more. She is priceless. The last bobby pin in place, she stands slowly to turn and touch my face. Eyes moist..."You mean more to me than you know."
Once again submitting to the moment, savoring it with eyes open.
As I've said before, It's not the concert nor the applause, but that silent powerful lilting moment of the in between. Thank You Lord!

 

Humor, Laughter and Helium

Funny Friday

As we approach Valentines Day and I ponder my love relationship, I can't help but think of all the awesome, tough, fun, and adventurous times we have had doing life together.

However it's the funny moments that stand out most.

The short sheeting, Putting dog treats in his lunch, finding a plastic roach in my box of fast food, throwing a cold cup of water on him while he showers, him answering the phone and handing it to me like it's an important call, only to realize it's just a phone solicitor, and to this day I continue to load the dishwasher in haphazard manner. As though I'm organizedly (is that a word?) challenged, knowing he being the ultimate organizer, will come show me the correct way of doing it...

EVERY SINGLE TIME!

That's alright though because he incessantly feels the need to find his way into the majority of my photos. He has an embedded photo op GPS.
Try as I might to capture precious, memorable, poetic and serious moments with my camera, there it is.
I'm sitting with sweaty palms waiting for the motherload to upload, rejoicing with anticipation when I hear the ding and wala.


And THERE HE IS in all his glory IN ALMOST EVERY SINGLE SHOT. Picking his nose, scratching his behind or belly among other things.

One of the great joys of marriage is the time that you, as a couple, spend laughing together and enjoying your sense of humor...all while holding hands and inhaling your childrens birthday balloons.

Take it from these professionals:

Legendary comedian Bob Hope said laughter is an “instant vacation.” Jay Leno says, “You can’t stay mad at somebody who makes you laugh.” And Bill Cosby says, “If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it.”

CIVIL UNREST

1,000 Word Thursday

Egypt Civil Unrest

Easy Breezy Joy MoJo

Wednesday's Word

Certainly it's not possible to be joyful in EvErY situation. I say that with great transparency as I've temporarily misplaced my easy breezy JOY MOJO!
We will never have the perfect set of circumstances, in every setting, of our every day lives, however we can still experience joy every single day. 
Joy is not found in the external....we know that :-)
By purposely doing what encourages our spirit, joy will begin to well up on the inside, a joy that does not depend on circumstances.
A SMILE IS CONTAGIOUS...TRY IT.

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful disposition is good for your health;

gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.



I love Seattle!

"Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God."
Robert Schuller

Beautiful to me

Tuesday's Quotes

I am stepping away today from my weekly quote to recite a song.

Words that leap from the page. Lyrics that paint a portrait ...

Devestate and ruin all that needs to change and cover me with Your blood Lord Jesus!!

"Just like the ocean waves You crash on me, Just like the tidal wave You ruin me!

Just like the hurricane you devastate EVERYTHING that needs to change!

You are the only thing that's beautiful to me, that's beautiful to me.
You are the only thing that's beautiful to me, that's beautiful to me.

Just like the mountain peak You lift me up.
Just like the desert stream You fill my cup.

And like a heart that beats You are the blood that covers me.
You cover me!

And all I can say is THANK YOU
And all I can say is THANK YOU"

Mortar

 

Psalm 107:8-9

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

One thing this week... has kept me. As the busy moments, hours and days swept by. Lunches made, schedules organized, appointments made,  and off to work hoping I grabed two black shoes that match. Running home to prepare dinner for the hungry crew and finally ahhhhhhh my jammies.
As it is for mom's across the globe. One thing cements, reinforces, solidfys, stabilizes, strengthens and unifies my week.
It is my Mortar and it is His WORD!!!

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Phillipians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Continuing on with my adventure, I set out to look for Him in the unexpected this week.

I sang out in worship
as the elderly man next to me stood silent. As we went to our last song The familar melody rang out. "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me... "

From the first note he sang out loud and confident on every word. I occupied my space quietly.  Smiled and took in the strength and conviction in his voice.

Were not I surveying for the quaint, I would have missed such. Thank You!

#130-135
I am thankful that out of His good pleasure alone, God chose to save a vile wretch like me.

For the salvation of my family.

For God's vocabulary spoken throughout history and His Glory that is embeded in every created thing.

Sundays..."For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son" and "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound"

Warm embraces

Hope

Giving Up Chocolate?

Funny Friday


I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of dollars for dinner.


I took out my wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, 'If I give you this money, will you buy chocolate with it instead of dinner?'


'No, I had to stop eating chocolate years ago', the homeless woman told me.


'Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?' I asked.


'No, I don't waste time shopping,' the homeless woman said. 'I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.'


'Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?' I asked.


'Are you NUTS!' replied the homeless woman. I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!'


'Well, I said, 'I'm not going to give you the money.. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.'


The homeless Woman was shocked. 'Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.'


I said, 'That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and chocolate.'