The Great Devourer

I’m not referring to the enemy of my soul, although it could be that as well... This devourer will promise to use only a few minutes of my time. It promises rest and relaxation, fun and adventure, mysteries and romance,  and the most important information of the day. 

         This devourer has stolen minutes, hours, days and probably if added up over a lifetime, years. . . It always starts with the promise. . . a few minutes, a little rest. . .

         Time is not the only thing of value this devourer is after. What do I use my time for? What could I use my time for? Is God calling me to invest my heart and my talents (gifts He has given me) in His Kingdom? In my family? In my home? Do I have goals and dreams for my future, both near and far?

         I have to admit I have given this enemy a place of honor in my living room on a carefully chosen table. It has offered me many hours of comfort and calm, but at what price?  This great devourer steals my heart, dreams, goals and future possibilities, one minute at a time.

         God has given us this amazing gift called time. Lord, let me be a faithful steward of your gift.

 

Psalm 31:15

My times are in your hands, deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set up eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

 

Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

 

2 Peter 3:8

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

Just think of what God could accomplish in a thousand years. 😊

Seasons

 I was reminded of last summer's waiting and hoping for blooms on my crepe myrtle as I admired the lovely red leaves in this season of life. 

Our seasons change ~ imperceptibly day by day ~ the seasons of our years, our days, our lives.

"Isn't it funny how day to day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different."

Another favorite quote by C.S. Lewis

Light

 One of my favorite memories is of coming home late from work one night about 15 years ago. It was dark and when I pulled in the driveway my headlights shone on my then 10 year old son, up on a ladder, hanging Christmas lights on our house. My heart burst with pride and love for this boy who was working so hard to give me this gift. 

This year was no different! The Christmas lights were hung in time for us to enjoy before Christmas. I usually plug them in as long afterwards as I can get away with just to enjoy their beauty. For some reason this year, I noticed my neighbors weren't turning their's on so I decided not to. When I went out on my porch the evening before, it was so dark I couldn't see a thing without my porch light on. 

This morning before the sun came up, I stepped outside to feel the morning air, first turning off the porch light. Everything had a lovely glow~ I could see so easily~ everything around me. Then I realized my son had plugged in the lights the night before! I'm so thankful that his heart guided him to do that or maybe he needed the extra light to work by, or maybe he wanted to enjoy the beauty they bring. 

I've always loved this quote by C.S. Lewis which I came across this morning. "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

Perspective

 Every morning, I look forward to sitting in my blue chair tucked into a corner of the living room. This chair is the first place I sit in the mornings and the last place I sit in the evenings. I  drink my cups of coffee while sitting and reading, listening to wise words and writing. In the evening I relax and process the day behind me. 

Each morning, while sitting, contemplating, my lap full with a book or a journal, my hands holding a cup of coffee and a pen, inevitably, my two cats will try to find an inch of space to squeeze into either beside me in the chair, or on the footstool, or they will hop up on the back of the chair. Sometimes they try and find room to sit or stand on the small table beside me. And every morning, I tell them, go away, this is my chair and my space! I'm writing! or I'm reading! or I'm trying to listen! 

And every morning, I think to myself, "my cats are so sweet, they sure do love me and want to be close to me". 

One Saturday morning, when I was puttering around the house later than usual, I happened to catch a glimpse of my blue chair. On it, curled up together, were my two calico cats. 

"Whose space was it? Whose chair was I sitting in every morning? 

It's all a person's (or cat's) perspective.

We Never Arrive

 We never arrive.

The process we find ourselves in isn't getting in the way of our lives.

It is our life.  The process of thinking, pondering, analyzing, planning, questioning, hoping, dreaming, building, writing, pondering, doubting, hoping, fearing, trusting. This is the path we are traveling. 

Finding God in the midst of these, seeking Him in between the thinking and pondering, the doubting and hoping, this is how we live. This is the way through the process called life. He is our guide ~ our shepherd who leads us over the next hill, around the rocky ledge, through the old, dilapidated barn to the other side, where the sun is shining and birds are singing. 

His voice leads us forward as we leave the weights, and burdens behind. . .the path continues. He brings us to still waters and green pastures. We see fellow travelers on their paths and call out to them..."here are green pastures! Here is still water you can sit beside and be refreshed. Here is my Shepherd...He can show you the way to go~ would you walk with me?"

Crape Myrtles: One Small Step at a Time

This summer I've been blessed to read these wonderful books! 

 The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron

A Million Little Ways, Emily P. Freeman

Book Girl, Sarah Clarkson

Walking on Water, Madeleine L'Engle 

Adorning the Dark, Andrew Peterson

This Beautiful Truth, Sarah Clarkson

                         

They all express how God our creator, wants to create through us. We are His art and He wants to create art in us and through us. There are many ways for us to enter in to God's creativity and we each have our own path to take.

We create in small increments of time by thought, writing, painting, building, praying, planning. . . 

Everything worth doing is accomplished one step at a time. We can't paint the sistine chapel in one day, or write a book, or raise a child. . . it all takes time made up of small moments, one after the other. 

I was reminded of that when I made my daily walk out to check on my new crape myrtle that was planted a few weeks ago. There were no blooms on it when I bought it, but I was assured it would bloom soon. So I've been watching. . . and waiting. . . 

I looked at the photo I took of it the day I brought it home with no new growth. Then today I took a photo and realized how many new leaves have grown without me seeing their actual growth, but there they are! So change is happening, growth is happening, art is happening. Nature is God's masterpiece! My part is being faithful to water every day. God's part is the creating.

Just a reminder to me that important things take time, whether we're investing our hearts, our time, our talents or our money. If we invest one small moment, take one small step at a time, it will happen! Water your gifts God has given you, then watch and wait to see what God creates~

                                                        

 The faith of a single mom. . . This single mom is a few years older, 6 to be exact, and I go by the name Grammy these days. I have been dusting off my blog, pulling back the curtains to let in a little light and opening the windows for some new, fresh thoughts to come in. I'm excited to continue my writing adventure. 

While visiting the Magnolia shops recently, I picked up the book, "The Artist's Way". It looked familiar and I was drawn to it as if to an old friend I hadn't met before. I bought it and took it home with me. As I began reading the first chapters and doing the exercises and assignments she suggests, I realized how much I have missed writing. At the same time, I began to see posts by Hope*Writers.  I had seen a few before and I liked the sound of the name and idea behind it. This time I knew I was ready to dig deeper and see what message God might be sending. I have been so inspired and motivated and have found a renewed  joy in my writing. 

I knew I was looking for refreshment and renewal this summer, but just never thought it would look like this! I love how God brings His message to us from so many different sources and when they all come together everything becomes so clear as if we've known it all along. Maybe we have! I'll be following some new blogs I've seen lately by other Hope*Writer members. It's good to know we're all on this journey together. 

From the morning pages to my blog, it feels good to be writing again! I love the flow of words and the knowledge that God has given me this love for words. Praying they can be a blessing to others.