Apples and Oranges

We’ve all heard the phrase, “comparing apples to oranges”, meaning, “don’t compare two things that aren’t meant to match”.  I say if God has made you an apple, be all apple.  If He’s made you an orange, be all orange and the best one you can be.   (Come to think of it, I’m more of a pear shape, but this is not about making comparisons, right?!)

Some thoughts I’ve been having: How much of what we do is because we feel pressure to be like someone else?  Does our motivation and drive come from other’s opinions of who we should be?

Which flower brings God more glory? The white peony in the backyard with ruffles round it’s petals; so huge that fills my little girl’s entire lap? Or the tiny blue flower of the speedwell, a weed in the front yard, that I have to stoop down low to really see. Aren’t they are equals in God’s sight? It would be unreasonable and wrong for the Little Blue Flower to aim to be a Peony, and in the same way it would be unreasonable and wrong for the Peony to try to minimize its magnificence and be unnoticed like the Little Blue Flower.

The right comparison is a comparison to Christ. Then we are comparing ourselves to Truth. We will see the things we should be ashamed of and the things that should produce true guilt. We will also see the areas given to Him where he is at work through us. And since they are His, we will not feel like we need to hide them. We will let His light shine through us on our hill, whatever it’s size.

Seek God!  Know Him! Let Him fulfill all the yearnings of your heart and LIVE.

Be who you are made to be.  YOU.  Not the person you most admire, or your mother, or your sister.  You.  Just You.  Because You were made by God in His plan and for His purposes.

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:23,24

a time to laugh...

Everyone has their own sense of humor.  The brain’s funny bone is tickled by different sorts of things.   Sometimes I think I have a rather peculiar sense of humor, “singular”even, as Charlotte Bronte’s Mr. Rochester would say.

On one of the bookshelves in our living room, just below the Tolkien, Lewis and McDonald books, there is a collection of Random Things that I like.  One of the Random Things is this wooden block that makes me grin.

Oh yeah, I know about those!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…
 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Loving Life

For literally years now I’ve had plans for photos of a little girl wearing a jacket that’s been in the drawer.  It’s a little red jacket with black scotty dogs trotting around near the hem.  Kadence, my oldest daughter, outgrew it before I snapped any pictures, and now the Second Daughter is filling it out.  I knew it better be soon!  So with Valentine’s Day coming up, we finally went out for a little picture taking walk.  Here are some of the results.

                Valentine cupcakes for the carry-in dinner at church. Speaking of church, God has poured out His blessings on me this last week.  He is GOOD.

 

I’ve always loved creating cards especially around Valentine’s Day. This time of year takes me back to my teens when I spent hours in my room producing layers of Victorian beauty.J  When I saw this unique idea in the Family Fun magazine, (by the way, this magazine is full of creative craft, play, and food ideas for kids – it’s worth subscribing to!) I thought my girls would like it. You just cut off the end of a bunch of celery and use it as a stamp. They’re still a little young to do a whole lot, but at least we had fun (mostly anyway) together! 

The end result.

                             "Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!"

 Psalms 63:3 NLT

Little bits of Love

   Next week on the calendar there is the number 14 and we celebrate a day of love.  I will not even attempt to write about love.  If you’d like to read some good stuff on love, go to Ann Voscamp's journal:  http://www.aholyexperience.com/.  Love seems to be a theme with her lately.

   Last year my sweetheart gave me an orchid at Valentine’s Day – pure white with yellow at the centers. It was blooming beautifully. I enjoyed it for months. After all the blooms had dropped off I trimmed the stalks and kept watering like I had before. A few months later I noticed a small shoot growing from the base of the leaves. After a while another shoot grew and now, almost a year later, in the middle of winter, there are two stems absolutely loaded with blossoms, even more than last year. I feel like I’ve witnessed a miracle! 

                                 There is something amazing about such perfect pure flowers just dangling from stems growing out of mulch - no soil and not much water. Somehow this miracle seems to speak of God, the One Who can turn ashes into beauty and mourning into joy.

 

I've also been digging in a little carved box full of notes from the past.  Enjoy today, but don't forget the things that have brought you here!

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  1 John 3:1