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Showing posts with label Paint Party Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paint Party Friday. Show all posts

Friday, November 08, 2013

PPF: Stewardship

"Prepare a full account of your stewardship..."
Luke 16:2

When it comes to talents,
I think I can face God and say,
"Lord, every day I use what you have given me.
I hope it glorifies you!"

But when it comes to other things-
can I say that with my money,
my time, my resources,
I treat all these as if it belongs to Him?

In Africa, the farmers have a problem with the
Rhesus monkey stealing their harvest.
So they ingeniously carve a hole into a coconut,
put a banana into it or some food the monkey will like
and chain it to a coconut tree.

The monkey gets attracted to the food
and puts its hand into the coconut.
But the monkey cannot get his hand out
when it is grasping the banana!
So it struggles and the chains rattle,
and the farmer goes and captures it.

Sometimes we are like that with money!
Tightfisted. We don't let go!
All the monkey has to do to save its life
is to let go!

Sometimes we too, hold on to things
that destroy us-
when we keep buying things we don't really need,
getting into debt,
and limiting our options for the present
and for our future.

One day God will ask us what we did
with our time, our talents, our gifts,
our resources, our money.

"Where your treasure is, there your heart is also."
Matthew 6:21
I'm going to take a look at my checkbook
and my credit card statement
to see where my heart is!!!

The woman in this story in Luke chapter 15
is not ecstatic because she found a mere coin-
the coin represents a whole day's wages!
So of course, she moved her house upside down
to find it, and when she did,
she told all her neighbors how happy she was!

So it is in heaven- when someone who is lost
has found his way back to God!

Perhaps we are not far from God
in the way we live our life.
But sometimes our wallets are the last
to be saved!
Perhaps its time to take a step
to giving more to what God
finds valuable and not to 
the pursuits of this world! 
Indeed it is a privilege to
join Him in His work!


Every week I choose one wonderful visitor
who leaves a comment
to receive an ATC from me.
I know it takes so much time and effort
to leave a comment
and I appreciate it soooo much!

This week,
Random.org chose
 #20, Sue Marazzo.
Visit her blog to see her
fabulous paintings and other
things to inspire you!


For my growing collection of 
prompts, inspirations, creative pursuits,
courageous artists and their art,
join me here!

Linking with

Sometimes I put on my best pajamas and
join these wonderful blog parties!!!
So many WONDERFUL blogfriends to discover!

Thank you for dropping by!
You are appreciated!
Patsy
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Friday, October 04, 2013

PPF: The Proverbs 31 Woman

Join me as I do 31 Days of posts,
writing from the HeART!
You'll find other fascinating posts
on The Nester, all doing a series of 31 Days!!!

1st of the series here

I'm taking the MADE e-course, and for this week,
we are taking up the Proverbs 31 woman.
Here, the mother of King Lemuel
describes to him the qualities to look for in a wife.

"Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
A wife of noble character who can find?

    She is worth far more than rubies.
 
Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
 
She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

She gets up while it is still night;

    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
 
She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
 
She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
 
She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.

She opens her arms to the poor

    and extends her hands to the needy.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

    she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
 
She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
 
Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
 
“Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
 
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."


This is a picture of the ideal woman, 
the perfect woman.
I guess if we aim for being the perfect woman,
we will be disappointed in ourselves!
I think we can only pray 
to be better than yesterday.
One step at a time...
being focused, intentional,
purposeful, goal-oriented.
I'm asking myself,
"Where do I want to improve
so that my husband will praise me and say,
"You surpass them all!"?


Every week I choose one wonderful visitor
who leaves a comment
to receive an ATC from me.
I know it takes so much time and effort
to leave a comment
and I appreciate it soooo much!

This week,
Random.org chose
 #19, Marilyn Lamoreux,
who wrote "Pick me! Pick me!"
in her comment!
Unfortunately I'm going to have to google her!
When I click on her name ,
it goes to Yahoo OpenID!

Previous Posts

Linking with

Sometimes I put on my best pajamas and
join these wonderful blog parties!!!
So many WONDERFUL blogfriends to discover!

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Friday, September 27, 2013

Paint Party Friday: Shake the Nations!

I got this clock for free
from Watson's drugstore
(after buying a lot medicine!)
and decided to change the face.
"Nothing is as far away as a minute ago."
it says.
We can't bring back the past.
It's gone forever!

After the Jews were brought back from 
Babylonian exile and captivity,
they were so excited to build
 the temple and restore it. 
But then they got lazy and ungrateful, 
and for 16 years
they neglected the temple 
and allowed it to fall back into ruin.
They prioritized building THEIR OWN houses.

Then God spoke through Haggai the prophet, 
"Consider your ways! Go deep into the hill country;
bring timber and build the house that I may take
pleasure in it and receive my glory!" Haggai 1:8
Are we like the Jews, forgetting all God has done for us?
Wanting not God's best, but preferring what the world 
tries to pass off as the best for us?

"I will shake all the nations..."Haggai 2:7
A lot of preachers cite this verse
for what will happen at the end times
and say THAT is what is happening now-
earthquakes, severe weather conditions,
terrorism....
Is it a physical shaking?

Or is it like the shaking, the winnowing,
allowing the chaff to separate from the grains of wheat?

What would God want to separate?
The believers from the unbelievers?
The gold from the dross?
Correct teaching from false?
When times are difficult, 
more people turn to God.
I think that is why He will shake the world.
It does not matter if these are the 
end times or not.
For each one of us, there will be an end...
and a new beginning.
I like to think I'm investing for that
new beginning.
And I need to do it now!
Because a minute ago is gone forever
and the future depends
on what I do today!
Every week I choose one wonderful visitor
who leaves a comment
to receive an ATC from me.
I know it takes so much time and effort
to leave a comment
and I appreciate it soooo much!

This week,
Random.org chose
 #43, Connie who is a woman of 
many talents!
She is so creative with her sewing machine
and her guitar! 

Previous Posts

Linking with

Sometimes I put on my best pajamas and
join these wonderful blog parties!!!
So many WONDERFUL blogfriends to discover!
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