Worth Another Cup ~ It's Friday!

 Worth Another Cup is an end-of-the-week post highlighting 3 links that I found, enjoyed in one way or another and thought I'd pass along to you. Take a few moments to check them out, they may be worth another cup.



From Small Things...Mending Days

From FIMBY...Fall Intentions

From Crosswalk...Jesus vs. Spirituality

(Please note that the simple woman is post-free on the week-ends.)

Spiritually Naked {Part One}

Some days there is just a sadness that can loom upon our spirit. A sadness that we can not quite put our finger on, could be the weather, could be moodiness, could be a thought of worry or a memory of hurt. Those days naturally come and go in our lives, but for some it can turn into a pattern of pain. It is a sadness that not just looms as fog and quickly clears giving way to bright skies and open assurance, but it hangs and will if given it's choice, consume it's victim.

This was me during a time over a year ago...it lasted only for a few seasons, but I found myself inside a gloomy ugly grayness that had seemingly settled in. One day I found myself in the word, on page 556 of my Bible, Psalm 5~

"Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and my God,

For to You I will pray.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up."

It sharply occured to me that I had left my devotional life fall by the wayside. My morning time with the Lord was hit and miss at best, too short, too rushed or just overlooked entirely.

It was also during this time, that life was throwing some sharp and angry darts at me, specifically from a few people I trusted and loved. The Lord spoke to my heart and showed me the cause and why the darts were making such an impact. I was not prayed up, not in the Word and my armor was not being put on. You could say I was standing as a bullseye spiritually naked.

While I knew not to fight back with return fire, using words or actions, only to have them twisted, it left me running fast to the Father. I let him handle it and handle it he did and he continues on my behalf.

So on that particular morning as I turned through those sweet pages yet again a comforting peace surrounded me and I knew what I had to do.

continued...

Wordseeds ~ Lord, Teach Me To Pray ~ Part One

Recently, I completed leading a bible study with ladies at my church using the book entitled, Lord, Teach Us To Pray by Kay Arthur. So I thought what better book to share with all of you in this "wordseeds" space.

This book is a life changer and will help you to stop, think and listen! It will help give you a beautiful desire to stop and seek what God has to say about prayer. It will cause you to think about the power God has placed inside of prayer. It will help bring you to a place of quiet prayer to listen even in a loud, time-theiving world.

In a nutshell it will give you not only a firmer foundation, adding building blocks to your current prayer life, but perhaps a cornerstone to establish a fresh, growing and purposeful intimacy with Christ if this is an overlooked or weak area in your daily living.

I believe prayer is like that living-close, overlooked and taken for granted parent. You know you can drop by any time, when you find time. You know they will always be there, you know they love you and yet you fail to honor them by spending time with them, talking to them, listening to them, sharing your day or just being quiet to enjoy the healing of homebase.

Then the day comes - you need them, you are hurting, you could use good-sound advice, you are feeling alone and distant. At this point you surely make time, find time, spend time on a visit long overdue and you wish and soon come to regret knowing you should have sooner.

Why do we run then to our inner closet, dust off our bible when we are at our needy worst and at this point feeling twiges of guilt, when each and every second of each and every day we can enter into his presence, into the very holy of holies - without cause, need or turmoil and just be in communion.

to be contined...

Pine Mountain Diary ~ Offerings Of Time

For the introduction and page one of this series, you may find it here.

Offerings of Time
I sit here after checking the weather, the snow has stopped, stars shine bright and as I run my hand across my fragrant Rosemary plant breathing deeply, all seems right with the world. My mind goes back to a day last spring, a perfect day. We came out of the library bounding up the street to the car and the sun was so out-blossoms were raining down and had even entered the windows that I had left slightly open. We picked them off the sidewalk and from pile from the street gutter and threw them in the air. I felt like a little girl again. We giggled and told each other that we would never forget this day.

Another spring is never as far off as we might think. Just like most things in life, it comes upon us without much thought to the calendar or weatherman. I think sometimes we can pine away today looking for tomorrow and miss so much.

I turn another page in the diary and pull up so many wonderful memories that I draw down deep into the pencil. The paper crinkles and begins rolling at the edges from the heat of my hand. I sit back and re-read the words, sighing and knowing now that a few more offerings of time have been saved for a future generation of family.

Diary of 5

I am seeing...snow birds gathering in the flowering cherry tree outside my bedroom window

I am hearing...a daughter in the shower

I am smelling...incense wafting from the greatroom

I am tasting...a most wonderful bowl of oatmeal swimming in milk and topped with dates, walnuts, nutmeg, dried cherries and just a tad of brown sugar

I am feeling...the curve of the hoop and loving it



Join me with your diary of 5! Go to the sidebar to find out more and also for a chance at a treat if you do!

Worth Another Cup ~ It's Friday!

Worth Another Cup is an end-of-the-week post highlighting 3 links that I found, enjoyed in one way or another and thought I'd pass along to you. Take a few moments to check them out, they may be worth another cup.

From Give A Girl A Fig...Wednesday in the Word

From The Life Giving Woman...Releasing The Life We Planned to Embrace the Life That is Waiting For Us

From Mary DeMuth...Announcing Write Uncaged

{On a side note: The Simple Woman will be post free during week-ends}

Wordseeds ~ Christ, My Companion ~ Part Two *A Copy For You*

So if you have yet to check out the lovely book, Christ, My Companion by Marilyn Chandles McEntyre, let me entice you with one last mind stilling quote.

Marilyn writes, "The Christ who walks behind gathers what we scatter even when it is not ripe grain but the detritus of broken promises and failures and poor choices. The sins of some, Paul writes to Timothy, "trail behind them" (1 Tim. 5:24) becoming consequential and evident only later to those who come after and suffer their effects. Christ walks behind us to pick up the pieces, to suffer with those who suffer from our poor choices, and to transform broken shards into blessing, bringing good out of evil as only he can."

This is one of those heavy thoughts that really cause us to think of our actions before we act. Easier said than done isn't it?

Seems our God is the only one to take what could become the cause of hurt and pain from our actions and the actions of others and turn them upside down and inside out to make them indeed, blessings. It is our job to seek and to find...more over to stay that close to the Father that it is quite evident it is his gift and to enter inside with a thankful heart for what he has done. May we ever stay vigilant.

Be blessed..

*I am finished with my personal copy of this book and would love to send it along to someone freely. It has one or two notations inside due to my studying, but otherwise a very nice hardback book. If you would like to have a chance in it becoming your copy, please leave a comment to THIS post. Entries will close midnight est. on Friday, name will be drawn Saturday and posted as a reply under the winner's name. Oh, one more thing, if you would like another chance at receiving a book, please go here!
Because of cost I can only (at this time) send to those living within the United States.

{a new book post coming soon}

Wordseeds ~ Christ, My Companion ~ Part One

Today I want to begin with the first in a series of what I am calling wordseeds, with the book, Christ, My Companion. 

For every title listed under this label there will be a link where you can find it on my sidebar.
(Please note: I do not get paid for any of my reviews and any book that I gift share are my own.)

Christ, My Companion

{Meditations On The Prayer of St. Patrick}

by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre

Christ be with me,

Christ within me,

Christ behind me,

Christ before me,

Christ beside me,

Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet,

Christ in danger,

Christ in heats of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

(adapted from the original prayer attributed to St. Patrick, early fifth century)

In Marilyn's introduction, she instantly becomes a kindred spirit with me as she writes,

"In a world where not only faith but also the precious truth-bearing instrument of language itself are so often oversimplified, flattened into cliche', and turned to unworthy purposes, a prayer like this offers a model for faithful, systematic reclamation. It is my hope tht these reflections will give readers an incentive to revisit the original prayer in its entirety, to dwell among its lovely lines, and to enjoy the spiritual refreshment they provide."

and

"Held safe in life and in death by the God whose "center is everywhere and whose periphery is nowhere," who is within, beside, behind, before, below, and above, we can lie down in peace, abiding in him as he abides in us, knowing, like the psalmist, that even if we "take wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea" (Ps. 139:9 ESV), even there we will be met and greeted and loved." Oh, dear ones, soak that little quote in!

"center is everywhere and whose periphery is nowhere," who is within, beside, behind, before, below, and above, we can lie down in peace, abiding in him as he abides in us. We can no more return to center without Christ than we can stop the sun from shining! IT JUST WILL NOT HAPPEN!

Take a few moments before clicking away and ponder just what that means.

to be continued...

There Is No Other

"So that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other."

Isaish 45:6
NIV

Diary of 5

I am seeing...a little boy fresh from his bath

I am hearing...giggling girls

I am smelling...remnants of pinesol

I tasted...a sloppy joe on a yellow roll

I am feeling...a bit of wonder at the moment

Join me over at diary of 5!
If you take part, you will be in the running for a sense-ual treat at month's end. January is a taste-y one!