Showing posts with label words of wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label words of wisdom. Show all posts
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Lines
A beautiful blogger friend of mine, Cassandra, wrote this AMAZING piece on aging today...I challenge you to read it in it's entirety and embrace your age for what it really is...a wonderful reminder of all God has gifted (her word, not mine) you with in this life.
Cass, thank you for writing this today...you never fail to prick my heart and humble me with words written wise beyond your years...
(((LOVE)))
XO
Cass, thank you for writing this today...you never fail to prick my heart and humble me with words written wise beyond your years...
(((LOVE)))
XO
Monday, August 22, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Life is Reason Enough to Celebrate
"Celebrate we will for life is short but sweet for certain"
- Dave Matthews Band
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Think Before You Speak
I love quotes.
I love Pinterest.
I love Pinterest's quotes.
My recent favorites are "The Rules of a Lady".
This one I find particularly good for moms.
Isn't that the truth?
Here is one of my favorite quotes (actually NOT from Pinterest that I believe goes beautifully with the quote above)
And some song lyrics for good measure...
I love Pinterest.
I love Pinterest's quotes.
My recent favorites are "The Rules of a Lady".
This one I find particularly good for moms.
Isn't that the truth?Here is one of my favorite quotes (actually NOT from Pinterest that I believe goes beautifully with the quote above)
Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. ~Author Unknown
And some song lyrics for good measure...
"Slow Fade"
by Casting Crowns
♪♫ Be careful little lips what you say For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray ♪♫
Often, in anger...especially now when the kids are all home from school and things are getting heated outside AND inside...we, as moms, start to lose it. We say things that we shouldn't...because we're hot...we're tired...we're frustrated...we just want some stinkin' PEACE AND QUIET already! Whatever the emotion is at the moment, all it takes is a slip. Words can't be taken back. And our children are listening. And later it shows up in their own conversations and it's a big 'ol slap...because we know where they heard it. I don't know about you but I've been embarrassed a time or two...or ten (Thank the Lord, not in public...yet). I want to be filling my children with positive uplifting words. Not only that but did you know that yelling gets absolutely NOTHING accomplished because the recipient drowns you out? It's a proven fact.
Source: Pinterest
Plus, when you speak quietly, did you ever notice that you are actually able to focus on what you're saying? I have found that to be true. I THINK more when I am speaking with normal volume. When I'm yelling, I'm typically spewing nonsense and words that can hurt.
It's funny...when I think about growing up and times when my parents were upset with me...there are two very distinct things I remember most. I remember my mom flipping out because I withheld a bad report card in junior high. It was one time. But she REALLY flipped. I remember word for word all of the things that she said. I can close my eyes and picture it. I do not think that those words define who I am or who I was but they did hurt. So much so that 20 plus years later, I still remember it vividly. On the other side of the coin, when my dad really took the time to sit down with me and correct me with one of his famous lectures, I LOVED it when he ended a heartfelt sentence in "Sweetheart". In fact, he could have said almost anything but as long as he ended it in, "Sweetheart", I knew that it'd be okay... and that he loved me.
(Mom, if you're reading, it was ONE time...don't be mad that I wrote this...that is an AWESOME record!) :)
We have to discipline our children. It's our job. But let's try to choose our words wisely. They can hurt or heal. Uplift our children or break them down. I know that words stick. So much so that I remember things that my parents said even now and I'm 29...eh hem. ;)
Let's band together as Mommy's today and vow to speak words of life into our children...even if you can only commit to today or this moment. Let's vow to take a deep breath, count to ten...or 500...however long it takes. Let's vow to whisper instead of scream (remember, it's scarier!). I want the words that my children remember to be words that I won't want to hang my head in shame as they are repeated back to me someday. Of course, I have screwed up lots of times and will again many more...we're only human after all. With big ol' sin natures. But in this moment, I can choose kindness...and discipline with wisdom. I can speak life. Oh and while you're at it, don't forget to tell them just how much you love them and exactly what it is that you love about them...ESPECIALLY when you'd rather wring their necks. It's then that they (and you) need it most.
:)
God BLESS your day, ladies! (And gents, if you're reading, this works for you too!)
XO
by Casting Crowns
♪♫ Be careful little lips what you say For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray ♪♫
Often, in anger...especially now when the kids are all home from school and things are getting heated outside AND inside...we, as moms, start to lose it. We say things that we shouldn't...because we're hot...we're tired...we're frustrated...we just want some stinkin' PEACE AND QUIET already! Whatever the emotion is at the moment, all it takes is a slip. Words can't be taken back. And our children are listening. And later it shows up in their own conversations and it's a big 'ol slap...because we know where they heard it. I don't know about you but I've been embarrassed a time or two...or ten (Thank the Lord, not in public...yet). I want to be filling my children with positive uplifting words. Not only that but did you know that yelling gets absolutely NOTHING accomplished because the recipient drowns you out? It's a proven fact.
Source: Pinterest
It's funny...when I think about growing up and times when my parents were upset with me...there are two very distinct things I remember most. I remember my mom flipping out because I withheld a bad report card in junior high. It was one time. But she REALLY flipped. I remember word for word all of the things that she said. I can close my eyes and picture it. I do not think that those words define who I am or who I was but they did hurt. So much so that 20 plus years later, I still remember it vividly. On the other side of the coin, when my dad really took the time to sit down with me and correct me with one of his famous lectures, I LOVED it when he ended a heartfelt sentence in "Sweetheart". In fact, he could have said almost anything but as long as he ended it in, "Sweetheart", I knew that it'd be okay... and that he loved me.
(Mom, if you're reading, it was ONE time...don't be mad that I wrote this...that is an AWESOME record!) :)
We have to discipline our children. It's our job. But let's try to choose our words wisely. They can hurt or heal. Uplift our children or break them down. I know that words stick. So much so that I remember things that my parents said even now and I'm 29...eh hem. ;)
Let's band together as Mommy's today and vow to speak words of life into our children...even if you can only commit to today or this moment. Let's vow to take a deep breath, count to ten...or 500...however long it takes. Let's vow to whisper instead of scream (remember, it's scarier!). I want the words that my children remember to be words that I won't want to hang my head in shame as they are repeated back to me someday. Of course, I have screwed up lots of times and will again many more...we're only human after all. With big ol' sin natures. But in this moment, I can choose kindness...and discipline with wisdom. I can speak life. Oh and while you're at it, don't forget to tell them just how much you love them and exactly what it is that you love about them...ESPECIALLY when you'd rather wring their necks. It's then that they (and you) need it most.
:)
God BLESS your day, ladies! (And gents, if you're reading, this works for you too!)
XO
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Remember to Breathe...
In the hot dog days of summer...when their bickering is at an all time high and your patience is at an all time low...think of this...and don't forget to breathe.
Source: Pinterest
XO
Source: Pinterest
XO
Saturday, July 2, 2011
"You're Made for So Much More Than All of This"
This song came on the radio on my way home from RU last night...and was the first song I heard this morning when I got into my car to go yard saling...
It may be coincidence but I prefer to think that God sends me love songs...
At the very least, he allows them to be playing on the radio (in this case, Word FM) when I need them most...
The song following this one this morning was this
I love these lyrics:
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the achings of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
It may be coincidence but I prefer to think that God sends me love songs...
At the very least, he allows them to be playing on the radio (in this case, Word FM) when I need them most...
The song following this one this morning was this
I love these lyrics:
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the achings of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
Last night in RU, we had an AWESOME message from Mitch Zejac (aka the most amazing preacher that I have EVER heard and he's not even a preacher!)
He spoke about how Satan is on the loose seeking whom he may devour...especially those in who's lives God is working the hardest... I know that we feel him working in our family every day... He's on a mission to steal our joy. And honestly, he's been winning!
Cue attitude change... We don't have to give the devil place in our lives just because he wants one!
It's hard though...it's hard to feel beaten down...defeated...lost... It's hard not to succumb when life throws crap at us and we feel like "what's the point?"
The POINT is...the point in ALL of this life is...GOD'S GLORY! It's all for his glory...
I'm terrible at explaining what I mean sometimes but let me try for a second anyway...
I do not think that it's a coincidence that every single person God used as an example in the Bible was someone who was BROKEN. It is only when we are broken that we rely on him FULLY which is really sad when you think about it. How often do we break down and cry because God has been sooooo good to us... life has been awesome... happy days all around... No, usually, when things are going well, God sorta gets put back in the "first aid kit" for the next time we get a spiritual, emotional, mental or even physical boo boo. When we are hurting and we turn to him, that is when we really ALLOW him to work and HE gets the GLORY! That may seem selfish of him and guess what?! It is...but not in a bad way. According to the Bible, God is a jealous God...but he is a PERFECT God so the kind of jealous that he's referring to is of the righteous kind. He created us FOR HIMSELF anyway...of COURSE he wants us to rely on him! It's through our trials that HE can shine the brightest!
Think about it this way...
Yes, we can look at someone who has it all...good job, great family, impeccable health...loads of success...and think, wow, God has really blessed them...praise the Lord.
But how much GREATER is God magnified when someone was broken...poor...desolate...DESPERATE...addicted...rejected...sick...lost...and then God touches them and they are made WHOLE again???
I have had the thought that I think that people who are saved later in life actually get the better deal than someone who was saved as a child...someone who was raised in a Christian home...went to church all growing up etc...someone who lived in a spiritual bubble, so to speak.
When you go through hell...it makes you appreciate your salvation so much more!
Some people struggle to understand what they were saved from because they have never known trial...REAL TRIAL!
Have you ever met someone who truly KNOWS what they were saved from?! It's POWERFUL! What a gift!!!
Aside from trials when you aren't saved...those that bring you to God for your salvation...there are also the trials that Christians go through - the Christian life is not one that is perfect FOR SURE! In fact, sometimes I think that the trials are WORSE than that of someone who isn't a Christian. Satan doesn't care about "bothering" someone who isn't going to point others to Christ. BUT...if you are doing HIS will...LOOK OUT. Whatever it may be...you don't have to be working in the church to get attacked...you could just be trying to eat healthier in the name of protecting HIS temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) or you could be trying not to overreact when a proverbial "thorn in your side" tries to get to you (I know this one WELL). It really could be anything...your car could get hit in your work's parking lot for the 5th TIME (and you think...why am I the only one getting hit?) or your child could be diagnosed with cancer (and you think...why US...why MY CHILD?!). OR...you have an overabundance of ANTS attacking your house with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Or your husband or wife has decided that enough is enough and attorney's have been called...papers have been filed...lives have been turned upside down. All of these trials can make us or break us...in the truest sense. We can use them to destroy our lives or we can use them to promote God's glory. We do this through our attitudes. And is it easy...NO (I actually wanted to say HELL NO but it didn't seem appropriate - haha)! Horrible, in fact. So many times, I have turned to God in ANGER instead of humbleness and a open spirit to His teaching ...I have obstructed God's glory by having a bitter attitude. Do you know that the world especially looks at Christians in times of trial? They are looking for us to MESS UP! Because then it solidifies in their minds that the Christian life is really no better than the unbelieving one.
This post is mostly a reminder to me...but if you glean anything positive from it, I'm happy for that too.
Here's to working on our attitudes...realizing that God has bigger plans for us if we rely on him through our trials...
"[We] were meant for so much more than all of this"...but we have to rely on Him to find out what it is...
XO
He spoke about how Satan is on the loose seeking whom he may devour...especially those in who's lives God is working the hardest... I know that we feel him working in our family every day... He's on a mission to steal our joy. And honestly, he's been winning!
Cue attitude change... We don't have to give the devil place in our lives just because he wants one!
It's hard though...it's hard to feel beaten down...defeated...lost... It's hard not to succumb when life throws crap at us and we feel like "what's the point?"
The POINT is...the point in ALL of this life is...GOD'S GLORY! It's all for his glory...
I'm terrible at explaining what I mean sometimes but let me try for a second anyway...
I do not think that it's a coincidence that every single person God used as an example in the Bible was someone who was BROKEN. It is only when we are broken that we rely on him FULLY which is really sad when you think about it. How often do we break down and cry because God has been sooooo good to us... life has been awesome... happy days all around... No, usually, when things are going well, God sorta gets put back in the "first aid kit" for the next time we get a spiritual, emotional, mental or even physical boo boo. When we are hurting and we turn to him, that is when we really ALLOW him to work and HE gets the GLORY! That may seem selfish of him and guess what?! It is...but not in a bad way. According to the Bible, God is a jealous God...but he is a PERFECT God so the kind of jealous that he's referring to is of the righteous kind. He created us FOR HIMSELF anyway...of COURSE he wants us to rely on him! It's through our trials that HE can shine the brightest!
Think about it this way...
Yes, we can look at someone who has it all...good job, great family, impeccable health...loads of success...and think, wow, God has really blessed them...praise the Lord.
But how much GREATER is God magnified when someone was broken...poor...desolate...DESPERATE...addicted...rejected...sick...lost...and then God touches them and they are made WHOLE again???
I have had the thought that I think that people who are saved later in life actually get the better deal than someone who was saved as a child...someone who was raised in a Christian home...went to church all growing up etc...someone who lived in a spiritual bubble, so to speak.
When you go through hell...it makes you appreciate your salvation so much more!
Some people struggle to understand what they were saved from because they have never known trial...REAL TRIAL!
Have you ever met someone who truly KNOWS what they were saved from?! It's POWERFUL! What a gift!!!
Aside from trials when you aren't saved...those that bring you to God for your salvation...there are also the trials that Christians go through - the Christian life is not one that is perfect FOR SURE! In fact, sometimes I think that the trials are WORSE than that of someone who isn't a Christian. Satan doesn't care about "bothering" someone who isn't going to point others to Christ. BUT...if you are doing HIS will...LOOK OUT. Whatever it may be...you don't have to be working in the church to get attacked...you could just be trying to eat healthier in the name of protecting HIS temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) or you could be trying not to overreact when a proverbial "thorn in your side" tries to get to you (I know this one WELL). It really could be anything...your car could get hit in your work's parking lot for the 5th TIME (and you think...why am I the only one getting hit?) or your child could be diagnosed with cancer (and you think...why US...why MY CHILD?!). OR...you have an overabundance of ANTS attacking your house with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Or your husband or wife has decided that enough is enough and attorney's have been called...papers have been filed...lives have been turned upside down. All of these trials can make us or break us...in the truest sense. We can use them to destroy our lives or we can use them to promote God's glory. We do this through our attitudes. And is it easy...NO (I actually wanted to say HELL NO but it didn't seem appropriate - haha)! Horrible, in fact. So many times, I have turned to God in ANGER instead of humbleness and a open spirit to His teaching ...I have obstructed God's glory by having a bitter attitude. Do you know that the world especially looks at Christians in times of trial? They are looking for us to MESS UP! Because then it solidifies in their minds that the Christian life is really no better than the unbelieving one.
This post is mostly a reminder to me...but if you glean anything positive from it, I'm happy for that too.
Here's to working on our attitudes...realizing that God has bigger plans for us if we rely on him through our trials...
"[We] were meant for so much more than all of this"...but we have to rely on Him to find out what it is...
XO
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
time
in love.
image courtesy of pinterest. shocking.
i bought the smaller version in the traditional sand color at marshall's today for $5.99 (along with some other beachy decor - thanks for my birthday money, mom!)
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
- Steve Jobs
image courtesy of pinterest. shocking.i bought the smaller version in the traditional sand color at marshall's today for $5.99 (along with some other beachy decor - thanks for my birthday money, mom!)
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
- Steve Jobs
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Birthday at the Beach
On June 24th, 2008, I got the very best birthday present I could have ever received...life. Not only mine but my sweet son's as well. I'll never forget that day. Since we already had a boy and a girl, we decided to let the sex of the baby be a surprise...after I delivered the baby, my husband shouted out..."It's a boy!" and I said, "Oh yeah! I forgot that we didn't know!" Haha! Oh what labor and delivery will do to you. ;) 3 years later, I am still celebrating his life as much as I did that day and even more. Noah Alexander is my birthday gift from God. :) We had a small celebration at my parents house on Friday evening but Friday morning for a short while was all mine. That is one thing about sharing a birthday with someone in your family, you don't get that "my day" moment anymore. And that is okay, don't get me wrong but it's still nice to be able to eek out a little time in the day for myself...to take a deep breath and thank the Lord for another year of this precious life. So, on Friday morning, that is exactly what I did. We happened to be in Long Beach Island, NJ that day and so I woke up early and walked up to the beach...careful not to wake anyone else who might want to join me...
I love the beach. And I always forget just how much I love it until I'm there...
Dear Lord, thank you for being my Lifeguard in this crazy sea of life...If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. - Psalm 139: 9-10
even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. - Psalm 139: 9-10
Footprints in the sand...in moments like this when I'm alone and I don't have any distractions around me...I wonder who these footprints belong to...I believe that this one is that of a child...could it have possibly belonged to one of my children from the day before?
“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.”
--Anonymous
On my way *home*, I stopped to admire this shell lined walkway...even little beach shanty's like this one are quaint in a beach town...shabby chic in it's truest form...
Isn't it amazing how flowers grow at the beach despite the sandy soil? Especially hydrangeas...my favorite flower...they just thrive...
My soul thrives there as well......but my hair...not so much. ;)
XO
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
- Mark Twain
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
- Mark Twain
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
A Spiritual Lesson from Sonny and Cher
We have a couple of new residents here at our home...
I'm in love.
I have loved birds for a quite a while now but it's been an extra special amazing gift getting to watch these sweet wild little babies grow everyday.
Their Mama built her posh little nest in one of the glass lanterns I have hanging on my deck - as someone said on my Facebook, she must have known that I was a decorator and would appreciate her pretty little digs. :)
I've been watching Mama bird take care of her babies every day (Daddy bird tag teams) from my kitchen window and I gotta tell ya...it's inspirational!
I often am reminded of this verse:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26 (NIV)
♪♫ His eye is on the sparrow...(and the Robins)...and I know he watches me... ♪♫
I've been checking on the babies everyday and watching them grow (FAST!). It's sad to know that one of these days very soon, they are going to learn to fly and they'll be off on their own...
But for now...what a precious site to behold...
These last 2 pictures were taken just yesterday...you can tell already that they have grown a great deal since they were born. And they are getting all of those pretty soft feathers! Quite a difference from their little peach fuzz they were born with. :)
I'll tell you what, it's a good thing that that last egg didn't hatch - they would be quite crowded with a 3rd baby in there!
God knows what we need before we do...and though it's sad that 3rd little egg didn't hatch, he KNEW what was best...he always has our best interests at heart...even if we can't understand at the time.
This can apply in every area of our own lives...2 things I try to remind myself when I am struggling with answers to tough questions...
First a Bible verse:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8
Or even better, The New Living Translation, says "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."
Isaiah 55:8
This song has brought me peace on a few occasions...and I often send it to a friend who is also struggling...I find it to be an unbelievable source of comfort when we are trying to rely on our own strength and understanding in trials...
Trust His Heart
by Babbie Mason
All things work for our good
Though sometimes we don't see how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim
And you just don't see Him
Remember you're never alone
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
He sees the master plan
And He holds our future in His hand
So don't live as those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him
We see the present clearly
But He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry
He's weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
He alone is faithful and true
He alone knows what is best for you
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
When you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
Please meet Sonny and Cher (unfortunately, their sibling didn't make it)
These little darlings were hatched/born on May 23rd, 2011
I'm in love.
I have loved birds for a quite a while now but it's been an extra special amazing gift getting to watch these sweet wild little babies grow everyday.
Their Mama built her posh little nest in one of the glass lanterns I have hanging on my deck - as someone said on my Facebook, she must have known that I was a decorator and would appreciate her pretty little digs. :)
I've been watching Mama bird take care of her babies every day (Daddy bird tag teams) from my kitchen window and I gotta tell ya...it's inspirational!
I often am reminded of this verse:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26 (NIV)
♪♫ His eye is on the sparrow...(and the Robins)...and I know he watches me... ♪♫
I've been checking on the babies everyday and watching them grow (FAST!). It's sad to know that one of these days very soon, they are going to learn to fly and they'll be off on their own...
But for now...what a precious site to behold...
These last 2 pictures were taken just yesterday...you can tell already that they have grown a great deal since they were born. And they are getting all of those pretty soft feathers! Quite a difference from their little peach fuzz they were born with. :)I'll tell you what, it's a good thing that that last egg didn't hatch - they would be quite crowded with a 3rd baby in there!
God knows what we need before we do...and though it's sad that 3rd little egg didn't hatch, he KNEW what was best...he always has our best interests at heart...even if we can't understand at the time.
This can apply in every area of our own lives...2 things I try to remind myself when I am struggling with answers to tough questions...
First a Bible verse:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8
Or even better, The New Living Translation, says "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."
Isaiah 55:8
This song has brought me peace on a few occasions...and I often send it to a friend who is also struggling...I find it to be an unbelievable source of comfort when we are trying to rely on our own strength and understanding in trials...
Trust His Heart
by Babbie Mason
All things work for our good
Though sometimes we don't see how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim
And you just don't see Him
Remember you're never alone
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
He sees the master plan
And He holds our future in His hand
So don't live as those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him
We see the present clearly
But He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry
He's weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
He alone is faithful and true
He alone knows what is best for you
God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
When you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart
I know that this started off happy and cute with the sweet little bird babies but all of this brought me to a place where Trey Love and Gabby Vogel come to mind. Trey Love, you probably already know - he is quite the little celebrity in these parts. Trey has neuroblastoma and he is currently fighting for his life. In the coming weeks, he will be receiving more treatment. Trey is 5 years old - please be in prayer for him and his family. You can read his story here. His mommy, Missy, updates regularly on his status. Gabby Vogel is my cousin, Kelly's, neighbor. She is 5 years old as well and the doctors just discovered a mass in her brain. Please be in prayer for Trey, Gabby and the numerous other children who have been diagnosed with cancer. I personally cannot even bare the thought of my own children going through anything like that. I cry for those parents and what hell they must be going through inside. In our frail human minds, we cannot even begin to understand why in the world God allows something like cancer to come to our children. It is unfathomable to me. But his thoughts are not our thoughts...and his ways are far beyond anything that we can imagine...we just need to learn to trust his heart, rest in him and pray...in whatever we are going through. It's literally all we can do.
I'm sorry to be such a downer there at the end...this post started out so sweet with my little birdy friends...
But just as a reminder...in the same way that God takes care of the birds of the air...how much more will he take care of us?! As his word says, Are [we] not much more valuable than they?
Take comfort in that today, my friends! I love you all!
XOXO
I'm sorry to be such a downer there at the end...this post started out so sweet with my little birdy friends...
But just as a reminder...in the same way that God takes care of the birds of the air...how much more will he take care of us?! As his word says, Are [we] not much more valuable than they?
Take comfort in that today, my friends! I love you all!
XOXO
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