Life’s Many Blessings

Do you ever think about how many times God blesses us in a day??

Sometimes, it’s just as simple as receiving a sweet phone call or a little card in the mail. 

Sometimes, it’s as precious as getting an extra hug from my teenage son before bedtime. 

Other times, it’s getting through the yellow light when I’m running late and really should have slowed down a little more. 

Other times, I realize I may have been running late; yet, there was also a wreck that might just have avoided. 

Maybe it’s the “surprise” answer to a very long ago prayer. 

Yet, what about those times we hold out for that answered prayer that, much later, we realize wasn’t answered for very good reasons? 

What about those aches and pains which teach us to rely on Him a little more?

What about those heartwrenching seasons that help us to understand another’s pain on life’s long journey?

What about those hard times which bring us to our knees and cause us to reach for more of Him and so much less of ourselves?

There are countless blessings just awaiting us in every new day. 

Let us never look only to the good for blessings, for the bad can simply be blessings in disguise. 

Wednesday’s Ode #25

          I love candles! I really do!   
I have actually tried to moderate this particular “love.” I’ve tried to restrict myself from buying so many, because I can just get overrun with the quantities. The candles do take a certain amount of time to burn completely, and I don’t really need a closet full. However, when I run into a deal, I am so stinkin’ weak! I’ve bought too many from time to time, and, often, I just have to turn them into gifts for others! Lol!  

I love scented candles and not so much the unscented kind. I think I love the autumn and winter/Christmas fragrances the most, and that’s probably because those are my most favorite seasons (and holidays) of the year. I do like some of the more “summer” smells, too…especially anything with a coconut smell!! Mmmm, makes me want to grab my towel, flips and shades and head for the surf! 😉 

I think I love candles, because they can simply set the mood and, even, change the mood. Candlelight softens the mood of any room, and we all know fragrances can mellow or uplift any mood. I find that when I’m feeling down, or maybe a bit melancholy, I can light a lemon or fruity scented candle, and in just a bit, I will be in a much better mood. Or maybe, the kids are being loud and a little crazy, I can go light a candle scented with vanilla or even balsam fir, and in just a little while, they’ve kind of settled down in a calmer atmosphere. 

So, there’s my “ode” for today. I love fragranced candles. Care to share a love of yours, or maybe your favorite candle scent?? 🙂

Wednesday’s Ode #24

I love hats!! I love them in all kinds of styles and colors. I’ve always loved hats, and I have grown quite a little collection. I have hats designed for fancy meals and hats for the hot stadium seats at the ball field. I have hats for winter time, spring and summer. I’ve got hats that can get drenched in the rain and other that… well…not so much. Lol. 

One of the best things about hats is the ability to cover up a really bad hair day! You can have not wash your hair, or you’re just having one of those, “Can we just have a do-over, please?” kind of hair days, and a hat can make you feel so much better. No one has to know about that cow-lick that just won’t lay down, because you’re wearing a hat! 

Hats are so fun!! Some of the most fun ones I’ve seen, which I don’t currently own, are The Cat in the Hat and the court jester hats. These are quite fun to look at and to wear! (I’ve tried them on before 😉) Some of my other favorites were worn by Audrey Hepburn. She wore them so gracefully and so beautifully! One of my all time faves was the big, black one she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

   
  I do wish I could be that bold as to wear a few as she did…maybe one day. 

I have ball caps and toboggans, beanies and visors. I have bucket hats and cloches, newsboy styles and even a Gatsby. I’ve worn them all, and I love them all! Hats are great. Hats are fun. and hats are a part of me! 🎩👒   

 

Repurposing

What do you do with white towels that are old and tattered…ones that have been around since your wedding day (which is 19 years for us)?

 Yes, you rip them up and make nice little rags out of them!! That’s called REPURPOSING. 😉  

So many people are getting into this “trend” these days. They repurpose a barn door and make a dining room table, which I absolutely love!! They take shoe caddies and make over the door jewelry holders. They take old letter trays and make them medicine cabinets. They even take old boots and make (flower) planters out of them! I’ve seen all kinds of things repurposed, and I personally might think some of the things are maybe a little ‘out there,’ but if it works for you; then, “Why not??” If it makes your life easier, more efficient, and more joyful, why would you not repurpose?

As I was ripping up these old towels and making them into rags, I started thinking about this repurposing concept and how it applies even to our internal lives… There are some things we really need to learn to repurpose…

How about the regrets of the past?

How about the pains of the past?

How about anger, strife and just plain ol’ grouchiness?

Just as those old, worn out towels can become great, repurposed rags, those yucky things of our past can be repurposed to become areas of strength and wisdom of our present life and they can become beams of hope for those in our future. As we learn to repurpose the evil and/or painful things in our lives for things that are good and beneficial for our lives, we will find a greater peace within. When we find a way to repurpose those bad things and turn them around for good things, we start learning the ways of our Heavenly Father… ”     That’s one of His specialties, and when we give our pains and regrets to Him, we can trust Him to help us learn and master the art of repurposing.

Wednesday’s Ode #23

I love coffee mugs! Yes, I collect them, and I have a ton! I probably have way too many these days, but I am always wanting to have one as a souvenir from the different places we visit.

I’ve been collecting these since I was in middle school or high school; so, the collection is rather large. I keep many of them packed away, hoping one day to have the space to display them all. I have one from Colorado and the Smoky Mountains, and one from Panama City, Chicago and Myrtle Beach. I even have one from the Bahamas.


I have some from the Kim Anderson collection and several from Walt Disney World. I have some from places I’ve worked and restaurants I. Which I’ve eaten. I’ve even got one or two from certain causes I support.  

A few of my all time favorites are a Brasstown Valley mug my husband gave me and a Smoky Mtn one my boys have given me. I also really like a handmade pottery one I picked up in Ellijay, Ga. I drink hot tea from it quite often.  

As many as I have, I really should stop getting so many, but I suppose now, it could be chalked up as a “hobby.” I don’t pick up “just any ol’ kind” these days; I do try to be a little more selective. I just wonder, maybe one day when I’m long gone, if my great grands might sit around the table, drinking cups of coffee and hot chocolate, reminiscing about all of granny’s old coffee mugs, all the things she loved and all the places she’d been. 😊

Just A Cup Of Water

This is a little cup of water…doesn’t look like much, does it? It’s just about 2-3oz.  

If you’re really thirsty this morning, it might not be enough to quench your thirst. If you’re wanting a big 36 oz. “Thirst Quencher,” it would take quite a few of these to get there, wouldn’t it? To fill a 5 gallon bucket, it might seem to never be enough to do the job!

…but, at youth camp a few weeks ago, to a little child out on the outdoor, sand-filled, volley ball court, standing in the sweltering heat, or to a teen who just played human foosball with a bunch of others guys in the noonday sun, this little bity cup of water does wonders! At camp, the rec staff had a huge supply of these cups on the golf carts, carrying them to every station where the kids were, because this little tiny cup of water kept those kids hydrated throughout the day. That little cup of liquid quenched their thirst until they could get inside to cool off.

This world is dying and going to hell. It’s like they’re out on the volleyball court of life, and they’re dying of thirst. Some of them don’t even realize they’re thirsting to death until a cup of water is brought to them, or worse, when they pass out from the “heat” and have to be rushed to the ER is when they recognize their need for something more. They are desperate for life-giving water. Jesus is the living water that they need.

As Christians, it is our job to give Jesus to them. We are His vessels. We are His “cups.” What we have may not be fancy; it may not be big; it may not even seem to be enough. Yet, if we don’t reach out to this lost and dying world, if we don’t bring His living water to them, how will they ever survive? How can they live?  Even if  a 2-3oz. cup of water is all we have, with Jesus, it can save a life!!

Matt. 25:35, 40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,…The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Bring Your Brokenness

Sometimes, we clutch and hold so tightly the very things that are broken, bruised and shattered in our lives, those things which God so desperately longs to heal for us. It makes me think of a tiny child whose favorite doll has a leg that falls off or a toy truck that has a wheel that keeps coming off. Sometimes, that child will hold onto the toy, trying to put the broken part back together, growing more and more frustrated, because it just won’t work right. Finally, growing so frustrated, they throw a temper tantrum or break the toy further, not knowing how else to handle the situation.

This reminds me of our youngest with his lego building. There was a time when he just could not get some of the pieces apart to put them exactly where he wanted. He has always been pretty independent in his building of things; so, in those moments, he would try as hard as he could to get those pieces apart, and when he just couldn’t stand it anymore, he might just throw the pieces across the room with a loud “ugh!” It took him just a little while to realize if he brought that same piece to mom, she could usually use her nails to “magically” pry the two pieces apart. These days, if he has the slightest struggle with pulling two Legos apart, he may try his little Lego tool on them, and if that doesn’t work, I hear his calling my name to come fix it!

This is, often, I think, how we treat God. We keep holding onto our broken toys, determined to try to fix it ourselves. We keep trying to piece together our broken dreams, meddle with our broken relationships, tinker around with our broken hearts, only to realize the more we “work on it” ourselves, the worse it seems to get!

If we can ever get to the place where we immediately take our brokenness to God, we will find that He knows exactly how to fix it. We will find that He has the perfect remedy, the perfect salve, the perfect tool that “magically” brings it all back together. Now, let’s be clear, when He fixes something in our life, many times, He doesn’t fix everything instantaneously.

Often, He gives us time to process the healing. Sometimes, we may have to learn from a mistake; sometimes, He is using our healing to be a witness to someone else, and sometimes, He is working on several parties at once to bring about His glory in a unique way. There are many reasons why He may not fix it all in an instant. However, you can rest assure, He will bring you peace the instant you give it to Him, and through it all, as Paul tells us in Romans 8:28, He is always working all things for your good. Sometimes, the results are not going to be exactly what we expected, but I can attest, He knows what He is doing! He is God. He is faithful, and He loves us. We just have to trust Him. If we will do this, we will be amazed at how He will bring healing and work through our lives!

Wednesday’s Ode #22

  I love trees!! I am enthralled by trees. I find myself even mesmerized by trees sometimes. They are big, breath-giving and beautiful! I love them in all colors of green in the spring and all shades of golden, orange and red in the fall. I love trees that lose their leaves in the fall, and I love great big evergreens that seem to hold down the forest through the winter. Trees are simply breathtaking.   

Notice above, I said they are life-giving? I love trees, because they breathe in the toxic gases I breathe out, and they give off the oxygen I need to live. They seem to sing their own song with the winds of spring, and they bristle and pop in the storms of summer. They are the musical instruments of the woodlands.   

I love the tall, quick-growing pines, and I love the thick, slow-growing oaks. I love the fruit trees which yield delicious delicacies, and I love hearty and wholesome hemlocks. Some of the favorites, though, would have to be the big, beautiful live oaks of the South. I am probably partial to these, because I grew up around them, but I think these are simply some of the most majestic trees around!   

I even love twisted, gnarled and old trees. Broken and dead trees make me a little sad, but I think the images they create can be quite amazing.    

 I like to think of trees kind of like people…there’s never two exactly alike! 😉

What a Girl Needs

Speaking from a place of experience, there are some fundamental needs that only a Daddy can give. When a girl misses out on these essential, especially in her young, tender years, she can struggle with self-worth, significance and love for the rest of her days. She may survive through it. She may have enough fortitude to square her shoulders, clinch her jaw and stare down these challenges for her emotions; however, even if she’s the toughest broad you’ve ever met, she’ll still walk with a limp.

A woman must have a sense of security in her life. She’s got to know things are going to be okay, even in the midst of a storm. If she can envision peace after the turmoil, it is easier for her to stand tall and face the wind. If she can imagine joy after the sorrow, she can lift her chin, clinch her jaw and laugh at the danger in front of her.

A woman has to have someone be captivated by her. Yes, you’ve heard the old saying, “every girls dreams of being a beautiful princess.” This is actually truth. She must have someone in her life who thinks she is something special. Someone by whom she is thought to be valuable, a treasure to be cherished. If she is found captivating, she finds herself fulfilled, satisfied, even having a sense of completion.

Lastly, a woman must have a sense of belonging. If she can feel as if she belongs to a group, a cause or a certain person, she will stay committed, at times, even to her own detriment. If you don’t believe me, just look at every woman who stays in an abusive relationship for years on end, or a youngster who stays committed to a certain peer group even when they are, frequently, mean spirited toward her. As long as she has an overall feeling of acceptance and a sense of belonging, she will endure what she must to keep those feelings alive.

A man can provide these feelings for a young girl, a teen and even for a full grown woman. He can give these genuinely out of the abundance of his heart, and he can, also, fabricate these out of the fantasies of his mind; however, on both accounts, he will eventually disappoint and let this little girl down. Skeptical, you say? Cynical, maybe? Well, actually, I am being neither; I am simply being truthful.

No man can always give a girl total security, unending captivated eyes and a solid sense of belonging. He will eventually give into his own fleshly nature and be unstable, oblivious and detached.  The only way a man can give a woman all that she needs is when he is allowing Christ to be His center for life. When He allows Christ to be the center, he is able to lead her in the same direction. His leading can never fulfill all her needs; yet, when he leads and she follows, they can, together, reach a place of fulfillment of God’s purpose for their marriage and their lives. When she and he both place Christ at the center of their lives, it doesn’t mean their lives and their relationship will be picture perfect; however, it does mean it will be closer to perfection.

So, if you are a Daddy who longs to fulfill the needs of his little girl’s heart, let God guide your heart, and help your baby girl to fall in love with Him. If you’re a dad who maybe feels like you “missed it” with your little one and are now faced with a teen, young woman, or even a grown daughter who is searching for security, admiration and acceptance, run to Jesus, and encourage her to follow. If you are a husband whose wife longs for fulfillment, allow Christ to become the center of your life and lead your wife in a better way toward Him.

In following Him, you will be able to provide those things which the young and grown women in your life need, not because of your own abilities, but rather, because of Christ who is living inside of you. She may not always follow, and your life can never be the source of her fulfillment; however, as you seek Him, she will see a better way, and when she finally yields to Him, she will find fulfillment in Him, and then, she will find everything she needs.

Light Pierces Through

  When the storm seems the darkest, when the waves are crashing in, just remember, light always pierces through the darkness. He is the Light which never fails. There is no storm so strong that He cannot prevail. There is no darkness so deep that He cannot shine. 

He brings peace where there is chaos. 

He brings love where there is hate. 

He brings healing where there is brokenness. 

He brings life where there is death. 

He is able. He is faithful. He is God. 

Just hope. 

Just trust. 

Just believe.