I was shocked when I came across this quote this morning. I started out with the leaf - and how trees go thru the beautiful color change in the fall and then of course the thought that God never changes. Of all the things and people in our lives, He is the one we can count on to never change, to always be the constant.
I was looking for a quote that always makes me think of my mom. It was either on a wall hanging or something she used to say about how God never changes. And then I read this one ...
God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change
The courage to change the one I can
and the wisdom to know it is me.
I had to read it 3 times before I realized it was not the usual serenity prayer. And I knew that it was meant just for me this morning. I cannot tell you how that one slapped me in the face.
Isn't it just like God to do that. Just when we need it most - for Him to point it out and make it clear ... "It's not everyone else who needs to change . . . it's YOU!!"
And there is plenty in me - that needs changing. I pray I have the strength to lean on the NEVER CHANGING ONE and allow Him to work in and on me!
I love this time of year - The goldfinches start to change their coats And the golden rod changes its colors as well. A match made in heaven. God will provide all I need . . .
After putting this one together, I came across a second quote that I think makes us to think even more so on the subject ...
Franklin said:
"As we must account for every idle word,
so must we account for ever idle silence."
And then I found this from Victor Hugo:
"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought.
There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor."
Reminds me of my worship leading days and how I would get so frustrated with folks who did not have an outward expression of the musical portion of the worship service - but yet I knew some of those I loved most dearly ... walked very closely with God in an intimate and covert relationship - demonstrating their love and commitment in many other ways instead of exuberant singing.
So how 'bout another quote: "Judge not, lest ye be judged" (Matthew 7:1)
I know that we all love the song, "Let There Be Peace on Earth" and we all pray for peace among nations, peace among cultures, and peace among the folks we live with.
But realistically - when we look at scripture - there will be no peace ... until He returns.
That is hard to swallow, hard to understand, but it is what we are told:
45But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?
How does that open a kettle of worms among believers?
This post was born out of a dilemma we are facing (you can read about here). And so I am thinking a lot about what really matters? What is most important? When an opportunity comes before you, how do you make the decision? I guess sometimes the decision is made for you due to resources. Oh dear ... what shall we do?
As vocal major, when I was studying music at the University, it was a requirement that we sing in 5 different languages for our adjudication. So, not only did I take diction classes (learning how to pronounce all these languages) but I also had to study one as an integral part of my curriculum. I had already taken 4 years of French in high school, and so opted for German in college.
My pronunciation is still just, OK, but there are a few things that have stuck with me. I specifically remember the word Gestalt. I remember it being defined as the whole, is different than the sum of it's parts. I also remember reading the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
When I looked at this Queen Anne's Lace this morning, that was the first word that popped into my mind. GESTALT. This beautiful flower that is made up of other groups of smaller flower heads, which are each made up of individual flower heads.
The sum of many flowers joining together to create one beautiful flower.
Now, knowing that if anyone does a search on google for the word gestalt, this page may pop up - I wanted to recheck my faulty memory to see if I had indeed remember the term and it's definition correctly - and was wowed to see that it is actually and entire very complicated (at least in my mind) THEORY! Perhaps my mind is failing and I just don't remember being taught that in school.
(*Gestalt Theory*) can be very complicated, as I read this morning. If you click the term you can learn more about it at one of the many websites I checked out about it. I don't mean to trivialize it in any way. I just don't have the room (or the brain power) to get deep into the whole theory.
But looking at the flower head - I also see the Body of Christ. Many individual Christ Followers, join together where they are - to create small bodies of fellowship. These bodies join together to make the whole body of fellowship. What a neat way to think of the church. Individual member created the small (or large) individual church groups, which join together to celebrate as whole bodies at conventions and large gatherings. And all those bodies are part of the 1 Body.
I also know the scripture was talking about different parts of the body working in different capacities. I don't mean to take away from that meaning at all -
But, as I looked at the flower this morning - I saw, individuals coming together in groups, and groups joining together to form the larger group -
Can you imagine the beautiful blossom of fellowship we will be a part of in heaven?
Okay - I am beginning to ramble - one of the reasons I don't write very often on this blog. Sometimes my mind, tongue and fingers - run away from me!
How Beautiful is the Body of Christ! One of my favorite Twila Paris songs!
Guess I am getting nostalgic these last few days. When I first saw this photo I thought it was fall - with the dark sky and dried corn. Then I brightened the colors and realized that it was actually spring with the sweet new leaves on the trees.
God sure has made a wonderful world for us to enjoy.
my sister-in- law who gave me some cream and a sachet as a gift
my front flower bed that needs to be weeded
the dark purple version my parents had in their backyard with huge bumble bees
my grandmother who wore a lavender colored dress and hat to my wedding when she was 86 years old. When I was a young girl, she would come and visit with us (she lived in Florida - we lived in New York), Every single morning - she would always ... always ... have her morning devotion time and prayer time. If I happened to be up - she would ask me to join her.
What a wonderful strong faith she had. I miss her. She died in 1993 at the age of 91.
When I am reminded of her - I am blessed by the legacy of faith that came through her to me.
I will see her again some day.
I hope there are soft warm hugs and sweet wonderful fragrances in heaven!
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.
Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
I find the quote comparing happiness to a flower interesting.
Flowers are lovely and beautiful and we wait for them, and cherish their short time with us because we know that a flower fades and dies.
Happiness does the same. We are happy when circumstances are right. When others are treating us kindly. When situations prove to our advantage. When nothing is wrong. Happiness can be a great feeling. But it too is short lived, fades and dies. It's seed will eventually bring forth another flower, and the cycle of happy, sad, happy sad repeats itself.
But Joy ... Joy is a different thing.
Joy comes from God.
It is deep, it is everlasting, it is there in good times and bad.
I recently have read many discussions on Happiness vs Joy - and so as this post came together this morning I was glad to see it evolve in this way.
Now . . . how to teach our children not to search for a happiness in life that is fleeting and can only come from other imperfect humans, but instead to seek the deep, satisfying, lasting joy that that comes from the Father and will carry us through eternity.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
