“Have you ever noticed a tree standing naked against the sky,
How beautiful it is?
All its branches are outlined, and in its nakedness
There is a poem, there is a song.
Every leaf is gone and it is waiting for the spring.
When the spring comes, it again fills the tree with
The music of many leaves,
Which in due season fall and are blown away.
And this is the way of life.”
– Krishnamurti
Due Season
Adjusting plans
Today I volunteered for Kyle’s first grade teacher at 10:15. My plan then was to meet Elmer at the shop and ride with him to a job site to deliver material and nuts UPS was to deliver. Big goof up with UPS, so I got to drive to San Jose to Grainger to pick up the nuts. So today I am thankful for a safe trip to San Jose, that I can be a help at the shop occasionally, and that my bed is where I left it and is ready for me.
List three things you are thankful for
I Wonder…….
Dear God,
Did you plan all this when you first spoke and divided the heavens from the seas;
when you spoke and the earth separated from the water? Could you see what your creation, man, had the potential to do as he questioned and asked and tried?
The first man to build a raft or canoe – was he thankful?
Were the Vikings thankful for their dragon lead ships?
How about the Chinese with their junks, were they thankful?
Was Christopher Columbus thankful for the Nina?
Those that built the Mayflower, what did they think?
Were all these builders and users thankful? Did they appreciate the improvements gained from one to another? Did they realize how each improvement served the purpose so completely?
As I ride on this ship – that, except for a little quiet rocking and seeing the wake through the water, hardly seems like riding or traveling. I marvel at how far this ship has come from a raft. I wonder at the ability God has given man to question and create, building, improving, and fulfilling their dreams.
Are we, am I, fulfilling God’s dream for me? What did He see for me when he said “Let there be light”? As I have made my choices and planned and dreamed – Have I been thankful for my steps and my improvements?
Can God still look at me as his creation and say…It is good? Amen.
Glance at your Life
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All I ask you to do today is to open “the eyes of your eyes” and give your life another glance…Then pause for a moment and give thanks. Let your heart awaken to the transforming power of gratefulness. Simple Abundance Jan.13
List three things you are thankful for:
Continuous Caring Vessel
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, … Hebrews 10:11
Furthermore, every (human) priest stands (at his altar of service) ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over again,… Amplified Bible.
I was reading in Hebrews 10 and came across verse 11 stating that every human priest, that’s me according to 2 Peter 2:9: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, (God’s) own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Amplified Bible
Christ’s priest or a vessel should always “set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him”. The verse goes on to say that the priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices. In the Old Testament the priests did do the same caring duties for the temple day after day, and the same physical sacrifices were offered. That tells me that I shouldn’t be surprised to find myself doing the same duties over and over, giving the same care over and over, even washing the same clothes, dishes, etc, over and over, because that is what my job is today, because that is what my owner has for me to do.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works;
Hebrews 10:22-24
And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care* to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities. Hebrews 10:24 Amplified Bible
May I ever have in my vessel what is needed as I stand at my altar of service.
Don’t Lose a Day
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We should live each day with a gentleness, a vigor, and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. Helen Keller
List three things you are thankful for:
Pay Attention
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October 10, 2009
We are not paying attention to our lives when we are merely reacting to the tasks required of us. When our souls ask deep questions, such as, Are you making a difference? We try to answer those questions with our “to do” list. “See,” we say as we show our list , “we’re getting a lot done.
Do I take the opportunity t9o learn from life or to ignore its teaching?
Fresh-brewed Life, Nicole Johnson
List three things you are thankful for:
My Birthday Gift
I have tried out spinning wheels at a few different stores and also when I took a class from Lizette of Spinglitz. The one that I liked the most was the Mach 1 by Spinolution. It was sturdy and solid enough that it wouldn’t walk away from me, it was a double treadle and the treadles were comfortably set apart. I also liked that it had been designed and made in California. So after much deliberation, I decided to get myself one. But they had come out with the Mach 2 – which was the Mach 1 but with some upgrades. The Mach 1 was not available anymore – so it would be the Mach 2. I ordered my wheel from Lizette of Spinglitz (dealer). And two weeks later, I got a call saying she had received my wheel. So I drove up to El Dorado Hills and came home with my Mach 2 and some “birthday fiber”.
And so the began t
he learning a new tool, playing with fiber – and seeing what I could create. I have learned that I can make a tangled mess faster w
ith a spinning wheel than with a spindle. But I can also create some pretty neat yarn faster also. Using my “birthday fiber” I spun it up and navaho plied it, ending up with about 75 yards of about a worsted weight of yarn. It is fun seeing the colors come together. I am thankful to be able to learn new skills and to have been able to get this wheel.
Vessel of Honor
May I be a vessel of honor for the Lord to use to pour out of the abundance of the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
Galatians 5:22-23
…the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence) Galatians 5:22-23 AmplifiedBible
Just a vessel,will no will of its own, just used to pour a little here, a little there, smoothing and calming as the Master directs.
Pearls…
Some interesting info that I found online about pearls…and thoughts to go along with the message this morning….
The largest pearl in the world was originally called “Pearl of Allah”, now it is “Pearl of Lao-tze”. It was found at Phillipines, near the Palawan Island. Its diameter is 238 mm, and its weight is 6.4 kg! As it is a natural pearl, its weight is measured in carats, 1280 carats.
To compare: the size of a large akoya pearl is about 7.5 mm, its weight is about 3 carats.
The price of the Pearl of Lao-tze is about 40 million dollars.
http://jewelry.port-arthur.org/pearl_price.htm
Among jewelers and collectors of jewels, real pearls are very valuable. Put the pearl at which I speak of holds a much greater value than the most expensive pearl known to man. It is the pearl of great price, also known as salvation.
I love how practical the Bible is. God is so good to us humans, bringing his word to us in a manner in which we can understand. Jesus spoke in parables for this reason, so we all could understand the plan that God has for us.
In Matthew 13 Jesus likens salvation to a pearl of great price. It reads, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
We can understand this. To be apart of the kingdom of heaven we have to acquire salvation. This is that pearl of great price, a treasure that we find, that is being offered to us, we just have to be willing to sell ALL that we have to obtain that most precious treasure. It is not enough for us to give up just a little, but it will cost us everything, all of our ideas, notions, hopes, wishes, attitudes, dreams, opinions, wants, loved ones, all we have or will have, all we are or ever will be. The cost of this pearl is very great. We have to be willing to sell our self, to give our self completely over to God’s control to receive salvation and be apart of the kingdom of heaven.
There are all kinds of pearls out there, so don’t be deceived into purchasing imitation or cultured pearls. How will you know the difference? I am not an expert on pearls; however after a quick search about pearls it was easy to tell one from the other on price alone. A imitation or cultured pearl necklace can run around $15 at a accessories store at the mall, where as a natural or real pearl necklace can cost more than a couple thousand dollars depending on the quality.
In a spiritual sense, imitation or cultured pearls will allow you to keep some self on board. It may tell you that you can be a Sinning Christian or that you don’t have to forgive every one, or a few lies are ok. Imitation means the result or product of imitating, artificial likeness, a copy, counterfeit. Imitation pearls are fake; they aren’t the real thing, they are just pretending. We need to be careful that we get the real thing. Imitation salvation will not be the key to entering into the Kingdom of heaven, only true salvation will work. Don’t settle or be satisfied with a $15 pearl necklace, sell everything you have and save up to get the thousand dollar one.
It Was
Moving on is about accepting what happened, not absolving it… You will mourn. Moan and groan and grieve. You are supposed to cry about these things. Kathryn L. Robyn
Thoughts of Grace 