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Showing posts with label creative faith journaling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creative faith journaling. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

WOYWW: Treasure

Here is my messy desk this WOYWW  morning.
I was making backgrounds last night.
A lot of my backgrounds were too dark,
and I decided to stamp on it with white paint
to lighten it up.
Painting and stamping lift my spirits,
especially after all the sadness
of the past week with news about the 
violent Yolanda!

The Gospel reading today is from Luke 19:11-28.
It is about a rich man who left 
each of his 10 servants a gold coin each.
His instructions to them was that they should 
engage in trade with the money.

When he returned he asked for an accounting.
The first servant said he was able to 
earn 10 additional gold coins.
The master then said, "Well done!
You have been faithful in this small matter,
take charge of 10 cities!  

When it came to another servant,
the master was sorely disappointed for the
servant kept the coin in his handkerchief!
So the master took away the coin and gave it to 
the one with 10 coins!

I thought this parable was about talents
and perhaps it is.
But in the Word Among Us, the gold coin,
this treasure was compared to the good news.
"Each of us has a role in building the Kingdom,
and each of us has a unique way
that we are called to put our 'gold coin'
of the Gospel message to work.

In God's Kingdom, we grow our treasure
by giving it away.
Who are the friends in your life
who need the treasure that you have?"
Word Among Us

We need to shout with joy, 
clap our hearts, and praise God
for this treasure!

And we need to share it!
So many people are in pain right now.
Let us take the time to think of ways we 
can bring light and healing in to their lives.

Is there someone we need to pray for?
I have been praying for my mother
who was hospitalized.
I try to remember to pray at all times
and not lose heart.
Luke18:1

What a treasure to know that God is always 
listening and hears our every cry.
We may not understand why,
but if we trust Him,
we will not be disappointed!

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
 #40, Jenny of  Big Family, Small Farm.
She has a big family of 9!
I wonder how she does it,
maybe she is superwoman
in disguise? :^))))



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


Blessings!
Patsy

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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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