While at Lake Ontario, spending lots of time outside writing and communing with the Lord and His beautiful creation, there were two monarch butterflies that kept me company flying around. I take lots of pictures of nature because it’s so beautiful and I want to remember it forever. I was proud that when I finally decided to take a picture of the butterflies, I successfully got a few. A few days later, another opportunity came along for taking pictures, which inspired this reflection. Continue reading “BUTTERFLIES”
Tag: #christianblog
WATER REMINDERS
Ever since I was a young girl, I remember experiencing a closeness to God while spending time at the seashore. I am still in awe of being near bodies of water, whether it be the ocean, a lake, or a river. It never grows old; rather, it is life-giving and refreshing for my spirit.
Eight year old me on the left enjoying the beach at North Wildwood, NJ
The still young me being refreshed in spirit at Lake Ontario
It has been a nice exercise to reflect on why I enjoy it while searching Scripture. What makes God’s creation of water areas so special to me?
The water reminds me of God. Continue reading “WATER REMINDERS”
DROPLETS
This reflection is inspired by a text message I received from a dear friend. She was sharing thoughts about my reflections and books, but I see her analogy as something applicable to us all.
How many times do we think the little things we do aren’t important?
How often do we feel we don’t make a difference in life?
Consider some little acts of love and kindness like…
…holding a door open for a stranger.
…saying a friendly hello to the person in the hallway.
…taking a few minutes to call a widow.
…making cookies for the new family in the neighborhood.
…thanking the leader of your small group.
…sharing how someone’s life impacts yours.
Can you see the heart (love) in the puddle of water to the right vs the dry on the left?
How do these little acts of love and kindness affect your life? Let’s consider that each of those little things you do for others is represented by a droplet of water. As you keep doing more little things for more people, your droplets begin to form a puddle. Sharing more of God’s goodness, love, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion makes the puddle turn into a stream. Day by day, as you continue touching more lives, the stream will become like a river. Soon God will turn your droplets into a flood, which is a flood of His love that you want to keep sharing with all those you meet. It becomes a way of life.
How do these acts of love and kindness affect the recipient’s life? I believe it affects them in the same way as it does your life. One by one, in those acts of kindness, the droplets of water from different people in their life will form a puddle. As they receive more kindness, their puddle will grow into a stream, and then into a river, as they will be flooded with God’s love.
One by one, people’s hearts will be changed, both the giver and the receiver. We will see the magnitude, depth, and power of God’s love. He works through us all, making His presence and love known and felt by so many.
When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” –Exodus 16:14-15 (NIV)
The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. –Exodus 16:35 (NIV)
When the Israelites were wandering in the desert for forty years, God provided little for them in the way of manna. Daily, God would provide just what they needed. God made the little turn into enough to sustain the Israelites for forty years.
Photo courtesy of april Xin under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
“When the sunshine of loving kindness
meets the raindrops of suffering,
the rainbow of compassion arises.”
–Clive Holmes
The same day I was penning this reflection, a deacon, who ministers at a nursing home sent me a text that relates to the little things we do. “One of the aides just came up to me and said, ‘I was sitting around the corner, taking a break, and texting. But I started to listen to what you were saying, and I texted to my friend, I hope you have a nice day.’ I listened to your words about simple kindness. Thank you.”
We never know how God will use our words or actions to grow those droplets into bigger blessings for His glory!
“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.’ ” –Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
Keep in mind that any act of love and kindness we do for someone is also done unto the Lord. Do you see Christ’s face in all your brothers and sisters?
Be encouraged this week to remember…
…that little is big unto the Lord.
…that God turns our little droplets into rivers.
…to be faithful in the little.
…that God produces the harvest in our lives.
…that God is working through you.
…to sow seeds of God’s love.
Lord, you’re so kind and tenderhearted and so patient with people who fail you! Your love is like a flooding river overflowing its banks with kindness. –Psalm 103:8 (TPT)
Note: I might not post a reflection for a week or so to allow more time to work on Book #3! Feel free to come here and read any archives. Thanks!
THE CEDAR TREE TREASURE
I received another special treasure from a friend that I consider a masterpiece from nature. Once again, I was in awe and wonder at God’s creations where I see His presence and love shining forth. It made me think about how all of creation gives glory and praise to God, the Creator.
This is from a cedar tree that was on my friend’s property. He knew I would appreciate having this to add to my heart collection, which God uses to remind me of the importance of love in our lives. Notice the outside is heart-shaped as well as there being a red heart-shape on the one side. I find it quite unique to see the wood grain color present in the rectangle area on the bottom right of the red heart. This is what the tree heart looked like when I received it. Continue reading “THE CEDAR TREE TREASURE”
GOD’S ALWAYS GOT YOU
Think of the times when you prayed for others, whether they asked or not.
Were you able to pray in person with them?
Did you send them messages of encouragement every now and then?
How constant were you with your prayers?
Have you reached out to ask someone or a group of people for prayer? Was it through a Facebook group, a church, a website (even mine that has my email), or a friend?
Did anyone take the time to pray with you right then and there?
Did you get reminders every now and then that you were being prayed for?
Could you feel in your spirit the power of these prayers? Continue reading “GOD’S ALWAYS GOT YOU”
THE SIMPLE THINGS
I revel in the simple things we do that may seem insignificant that God uses for His glory. He uses everything for His glory! I pray these thoughts inspire you to see that happening in your life. Seeing this goodness, I believe, helps us to see our purpose of glorifying God with every activity and interaction we have.
I try to show my appreciation to people in my life who encourage my faith journey or maybe head up certain ministries that enrich me. Sometimes it’s just a feeling I should send a quick text to someone saying I’m praying for them or to send a picture of a meaningful screenshot. I had the pleasure of experiencing the effect of that this past week. Continue reading “THE SIMPLE THINGS”
JESUS’ PRESENCE
I hope you have had a rewarding week seeing the face of Jesus in others, even when dealing with difficult people. Last week’s reflection, “The Face of Jesus,” provided a nice segue to this week’s topic, Jesus’ presence, with me asking you the following.
It was the ripple effect of God’s goodness. I listened to a sermon online from a local church. The deacon’s message gave me knowledge about something I had not considered before, and I was able to relate to similar experiences he shared. It prompted me to text the deacon to let him know I appreciated his message. He responded by thanking me for sharing and said, “The next time we see each other, I will share with you a personal encounter I had with Jesus a few weeks ago.” I smiled with excitement and wonder. I was happy I only had to wait a day before we met. Continue reading “JESUS’ PRESENCE”
THE FACE OF JESUS
It was part of a text I received from a Deacon who ministers five days a week at a nursing home sharing Scripture, reflections, prayer, songs, and God’s love. The nursing home he goes to houses people who have either dementia or Alzheimer’s. I enjoy hearing the stories of God working through this Deacon to minister to these people. He shared how amazing it is when he starts to say the Our Father with them and they all join right in. The same is true with some songs he sings with them, like “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Isn’t it inspiring to know they can recall some of the most important things like God’s Word? Continue reading “THE FACE OF JESUS”
ROCK BOTTOM
A huge smile came over my face when I saw an email with the subject line of “Immediately thought of you and smiled!” Needless to say, I was excited to read it, which I did as soon as I saw it. It was from the woman in Tennessee that I wrote about when she sent me a heart rock she painted. She knows, as you may, how God sends me, pretty much daily, hearts in one form or another. They are reminders of His love for me and how I need to share that love with others.
I was on my way to bed and thinking about my next reflection options right before seeing the email. After I read it, I knew she provided the perfect basis for this week’s reflection.
Her email shared the following:
~She was moving some big stones to her flower bed.
~There were a total of eight stones, which were stacked four high by two across.
~The original stone pile was a perch for the watering cans she was using to draw rain water, which she hadn’t used in days.
~When she moved the seventh stone, this was what she saw on the lone, remaining stone. Continue reading “ROCK BOTTOM”
APPRECIATION
Three simple words, yet so powerful!
They were the parting words from the cashier, as I finished paying for my purchase at a local Dollar General store. Frankly, it surprised me. I don’t think a cashier has ever said that to me before. As I walked to my car and got inside, ready to start the engine, those three words echoed in my mind. They prompted me to go back into the store with one of my books in tow. Continue reading “APPRECIATION”