Need Rest?

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." -Anne Shirley

This week the leaves on the deciduous trees burst with color. Autumn shone her glorious scarlets, golds, and ambers. God’s paintbrush kissed the sky with azure blue. What a lovely time.

As I look at the trees and think about their preparation for winter, I know they will rest. Each oak and maple will shed their leaves, and their systems will slow as they slumber through the cold months. Sometimes, I envy the trees. They have a cycle that guarantees time for respite and refreshment.

In the busy world we live in, rest seems like a bad word. Stopping to admire the trees and renew the spirit is often overlooked. Maybe because I’m older now, I value slowing down and sitting with Jesus more than ever.

In Matthew 11, Jesus is speaking to a group of people in Galilee, and I’m guessing He’s also addressing his disciples. The folks He preached to experienced weariness. They were in the midst of the friction between those who believed Jesus was Messiah and those who ridiculed Him. Jesus invited them to come to Him. When he mentions his humble and gentle heart, it feels like a warm hug for my weary soul. Jesus’ yoke is easy, and His burden is light because Jesus shares our needs with God, who hears our prayers.

What a beautiful cycle the trees experience and what an amazing cycle we have when Jesus takes our burdens and carries them to Father God. Our load is eased, and we can rest.

Take your cares to Jesus, find rest in Him, and value the time to slow down.

A Beautiful Moment

About two weeks ago, I plucked the last of the zinnias 

and cosmos and pulled the stems and roots out of the ground. 

I'll miss their bright colors until next summer, 

but their beauty never quite leaves me,

thanks to photos which captured the moment.

I hope you are capturing beautiful moments this week.

 

Place in This World

Philippians 1:3-6
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Teach children they have a purpose.

My friend, Bev, and I pulled into the parking lot at Truist Arena on the Northern Kentucky University campus. We looked forward to watching For King and Country perform their songs. As we filed in, and found our seats, I looked around at all the people. Folks united, not just to hear the music, but to worship God.

We were not disappointed. Joel and Luke Smallbone and their band poured all of their energy into leading us in a time of rejoicing. In between the songs, they told their story. Their family had traveled from Australia to America, but when they arrived in Nashville, their father’s job fell through. The children were young. They’d moved to a new country from a beautiful home, and now they had nothing to speak of. No furniture, no car, no job. The beautiful thing about their story is that their parents gathered those youngsters together and asked them to pray. They gave them specific items to pray for, and the kids witnessed answered prayers. They involved them in the work they needed to do to make ends meet. They gave them responsibility.

The Smallbone children grew into adults with purpose. Doors opened for them as they trusted God with their lives. No, we won’t all be in the limelight, but whatever we do for God is important. Know you have purpose in whatever you do. Seek God’s guidance and let the Holy Spirit lead.

Share God with children. Teach them God gives purpose to every person, teach them to pray and trust the Father, then lead by example.

The Joy of Discovery

We followed our nature guide along a trail to the creek.

As I walked behind the fourth graders, I thought about 

how thankful I was that I could still volunteer for field trips.

The joy of discovery on the girls' faces, as they found fossils in the rocks

and interesting plants and fungi, filled my heart with gratitude.

God's creation is incredible. Look up, down, 

and around next time you're outside and experience the joy of discovery.

We're never too old to be blessed by wonder.

 

Book Review: The Blooming of Delphinium

I haven't posted a book review for awhile. I just finished this story and wanted to share.

The Blooming of Delphinium by Holly Varni

I’m not sure where to start with this story. I chose to read and review it because I had read Varni’s first book, On Moonberry Lake and enjoyed it, plus I loved this gorgeous cover. I love books with quirky characters and small communities and these books gave me plenty of those. When I first started reading The Blooming of Delphinium I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book, some strange things occurred and well, I just didn’t know what to think, but then the magic happened and I fell in love with the characters and the beautiful message threaded through the story. You will love Henry and his comrades as much as Delphi does. You’ll root for Elliot, who reminded me of Oliver in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered movie series. Varni brings to light the much-needed subject of loving on the elderly and respecting their need to matter. Along with that she pens a lovely romance. When I finished this wonderful book, I sat back and considered all it encompassed. It’s a great story and you should read it. I received a free copy and opinions are my own.

The Heavens Declare

Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God;
      the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

The sun’s solar flares project toward the earth, while the earth’s magnetic field protects and sends the flares into the sky.

The northern lights usually dance in the sky at the poles of the earth, but this year, 2024, the flares trended toward epic and have shown off well into the states.

I’ve dreamed of seeing the Aurora Borealis all my life. Now at sixty-seven years old, my dream came true. Tim and I tried to see them in May when they visited Ohio, but they weren’t visible where we were. I also didn’t know I needed to search for them with my phone’s camera. Then, I heard they were back on October 10. Sure enough, in our backyard, the ribbons of color danced across the sky. Just when I thought they had ended, a strip of red appeared over the condo building next to ours and the show continued.

My daughter, Maggie, commented that my grandkids had experienced two solar eclipses and the northern lights. Our youngest grandchild is ten and here I am in my sixties just experiencing these phenomena.

As I stood in wonder of the Aurora Borealis as it shifted and changed, my mind went to the marvel of what heaven would be like. Since God has created such beauty on earth, imagine what our eternal home will be like.

We tend to look at the sky for its beauty. Clouds billow, lightning flashes, stars twinkle, rainbows shine, and the moon waxes and wanes. The heavens do declare the glory of God as He works with His hands to create magnificent sights.

In the storms, troubling times, and everyday life look to the sky and remember who created you and what He has in store in heaven. What a glorious day it will be to step onto the streets of gold.

Aurora Borealis

I missed the Aurora Borealis in May when it visited Ohio. 

On October 10, 2024, I stepped outside 

with the hope of seeing the colors dance in the sky.

As I searched the heavens, my granddaughter, 

Dylan, sent photos of what she saw, so I knew I had a chance.

Sure enough, as I gazed the sky with my phone's camera,

the beautiful colors appeared.

Dylan sent more pics and other posts started showing up on

Facebook of the beauty God painted across the skies.

I love how God's creation brings people together

as it glorifies Him.