take no thought for your life

i took this photo in my backyard late last summer. i was at the kitchen window, watching the birds in the yard. the sprinklers were on and they were bathing. the moment seemed so poignant. as i go deeper in my relationship with god, the things of the world seem less and less important. today, as i read the entry for 1/27 in "my utmost for his highest" by oswald chambers, i was praising god that spiritually and emotionally i am not where i was a year ago today. today i am closer to god...and less enslaved to the things of this world. working my way through to where he wants me to be. it is a good place...

"Take no thought for your life."

Matthew 6:25

"A warning which needs to be reiterated is that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, will choke all that God puts in. We are never free from the recurring tides of this encroachment. If it does not come on the line of clothes and food, it will come on the line of money or lack of money; of friends or lack of friends; or on the line of difficult circumstances. It is one steady encroachment all the time, and unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the standard against it, these things will come in like a flood.
"Take no thought for your life." "Be careful about one thing only," says our Lord - "your relationship to Me." Common sense shouts loud and says - "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing the thought that this statement is made by One Who does not understand our particular circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things so as to make them the one concern of our life. Whenever there is competition, be sure that you put your relationship to God first.
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." How much evil has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little imps have been looking in and saying - Now what are you going to do next month - this summer? "Be anxious for nothing," Jesus says. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father."

oswald chambers

i am linking with emily....have a blessed day, my friends...

growing pains and being brave

this is my youngest grandson, tyler.

this little guy turns 5 today.

he also starts the pre-k program at public school.

i called him this morning to wish him a happy birthday and he didn't want to talk on the phone.

...sigh...

my guess is that he is feeling very anxious

about starting a new school...

having a new schedule.

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i think his tummy was tumbly this morning.

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even as adults we experience this, don't we?

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i pray today for tyler, and you

that you are being

brave

and

trusting

god...

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linking with emily

work in progress

in my etsy shop

this piece started out as something entirely different than what you see here. in fact, it was kind of ugly. not one of my best efforts. but i kept at it, and i am happy with it. reminds me of how God makes something beautiful out of us...only we aren't finished yet!

it is very soupy and cold outside, the fog made it's way up to the foothills...a great sunday to be inside making art...

xo

demons

i struggle.

i wrestle.

with truth...about myself.

*

he speaks his love to me

ever so patiently

again and again.

and again.

*

let it go

freedom awaits you.

*

let it go.

i want more for you.

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let it go. let it pass.

let it leave.

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.......linking with emily for imperfect prose.......

rambling

i was working on this canvas this morning. i am just getting started, and not sure where i am going with it, but i love this image of the dove. i like that she(i decided it was a she) is flying at night, finding her way. free and simple......

nearing the age of 60, you start(at least my husband and i have)to really see things from a different perspective......things are just things, life is short...work sucks. LOL!! us both having longevity with our jobs, we are giddy over the fact that this is the year. the big one. not next year, or a few years from now, but the one. retirement...oh yeah baby. our dream is to hit the road with our travel trailer, riding(flying) off in to the sunset. really. selling the house, store what we want to keep, and travel the united states. with no schedule except the seasons. and me making art on the road, selling online. we'll do it 'til we tire of full timing. we can hardly wait. but wait we do, as it will be the end of this year when that happens.

...dreaming with faith...

oh, got a little sidetracked, back to the art. as i was working on this piece, the idea in my head wasn't coming out on the canvas and the very thing that inspired me(free and simple) just wasn't happening. suddenly, it all felt bound up and complicated!!! i'm laughing again...i just set it aside, and will continue on later...

enjoy your day and go easy, my friends...

...hugs...

reality

as with most of us, i have spent the last 5 weeks wrapped up with the holidays. we know how all consuming that can be. and i am glad that they have come and gone. while the holidays can be a very beautiful time, they can also be confusing, and bring out emotional stuff that lays low, or brings to light family issues that need attention. i dealt with that alot this season. some of it was not so good. the holidays don't always bring out the best. i am not being a bummer here, i am just speaking truth. and on top of that, the things in my life that do keep me on track get put on the back burner(frankly, the flame wasn't even lit).

...daily quiet time with God...

...making art...

...my etsy shop...

...blogging...

what a recipe for disaster, my friends. and the weird thing is that the longer i didn't give these pieces of my life attention, the harder it seemed to get back to them. but today i am here, i am present, and it is good. it feels right. it's part of God's purpose for me. and part of that purpose is you. thank you for being here with me and i look forward to all we will go through together this new year...

xo