All Things Bright and Beautiful

Posted on by

“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small; all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.” Cecil Frances Alexander (1818 – 1895)

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” Genesis 1:20

An Alabama photographer captured stunning photographs of a cardinal so rare that experts have referred to it as ‘one in a million.’ (Pinterest)

No matter the source, all things bright and beautiful are a sight to behold these days. Happy Sunday.

It’s the Little Things

Posted on by

Have you ever wished for some little thing that would enhance life in some small way? I mean a really little thing of no consequence, really. It happened to me twice recently.

I had bought a small Christmas cactus in December, its four inch pot wrapped in holiday foil. When the season was over I removed the foil to discover an ordinary dark plastic container with a barcode on it, and I had nothing on hand to place this eyesore in. That’s when I wished for a new pot to put the plant in.

The other wish was even smaller. A couple of my pens were running out of ink and my thought was the need for more pens. However in both cases, with Covid-19 lockdowns in effect I was not about to go out shopping for such frivolous items that I could live without.

On Valentine’s day a bouquet of Edible chocolate covered strawberries arrived at my door in a four inch lime green pot!

Yesterday my mailbox contained advertising material from a Real Estate company. The package included a notepad and pen!

Sometimes it’s the little things that make our days a little bigger. Happy Saturday.

A Final Squeeze

Posted on by

I spoke to a lady yesterday whose husband died in January. He was in Long Term Care, and visiting wasn’t an option because of Covid-19 closures. However, she did get a call from the home to come quickly on January 31st because her husband was very weak.

Shanta was able to hold his hand, sing to him and quote scripture, all the while holding him in love and prayer. She felt gentle little squeezes from his fingers throughout this time, and then there was a very definite strong pressure before his hand went limp in hers. It was a poignant time for my friend as her husband bid her farewell with a final squeeze.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Happy Sunday.

In a Word or Two

Posted on by

Two words come to mind when behavior in public or private exceeds the norm of just plain bad behavior: evil, vile.

Note these two words are spelled the same and mean virtually the same thing.

Evil: profoundly immoral and wicked.

Vile: morally despicable or abhorrent 

The time has come to rid society and the world of vile evil; beginning today.

Happy Saturday.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Posted on by

Sunday has traditionally been an easy day of rest and worship for many people. However some must work Sundays and can’t always take it easy. To those people I say bless you for giving up your Sunday for the benefit of others. You know who you are. Others just can’t seem to take it easy no matter what day of the week it is. And then there are folks, myself included, who remember the easy Sunday mornings and try to continue the tradition. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7. Happy Sunday.

Image result for happy sunday quotes

Riddled With Fun

Posted on by

Here are a few brain teasers to move your day along. Happy Saturday.

What has teeth but cannot bite?
What has 4 legs but cannot run?
What has a thumb and 4 fingers but is not a hand?
What has many keys but can’t open a single lock?
What is in bed but never sleeps?
What can break without being held?
What has words but never speaks?

Answers: a comb, a table, a glove, a piano, a river, a promise, a book

Compliments of Google.

Missed Blessing

Posted on by

I always loved, and still do, the following blessing at the end of worship, but somehow it has gone by the wayside. In its place are words of a different nature which change from service to service. This is not to say that each invocation is not a well meant blessing…it is. But somehow 2 Corinthians 13:14 says it all, divinely.

Here is Wikipedia’s description of a benediction: A benediction (Latin: bene, well + dicere, to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service.

And so I leave you with this Biblical Benediction which, when not invoked, is missed. Happy Sunday.

Why You Should Not Leave a Church Service Before the Benediction - Owlcation - Education

More Reflection

Posted on by

Upon reflection, I thought it would be good to see what others think of reflecting and found a few quotes. Happy Saturday.

We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience. John Dewey

Life is only a reflection of what we allow ourselves to see.

The way we experience the world around us is a direct reflection of the world within us. Gabrielle Bernstein

Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous. Confucius

Different Reflections

Posted on by

The Mirriam-Webster dictionary has many definitions of the word reflection, one being the obvious of seeing one’s image in a mirror or water.

Another meaning for the word is consideration of some subject matter, idea, or purpose.

And then there is this: reflecting is about letting your heart and soul speak. It requires letting go of the rational mind, going into your interior life, and listening. (Internet)

In Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy we read: Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV)

As I reflect on the image below, a feeling of both grandeur and peace floods my soul, both of which give me insight into the wonder of God, Himself. Happy Sunday.

rich16.jpg

Words to Live By

Posted on by

There was a lot to take away from the January 20th inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. What stood out for me was one sentence of the seventy-eight-year-old president’s address: “And we’ll lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.” Profound.

Even more profound were these lines from twenty-two-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman’s poem, The Hill We Climb:

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another

“We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another”…

Words to live by. Happy Saturday.