Life Is Fragile....

Somebody said this to me the other day.

"I'm just tired of nothing being simple.  

It's discouraging."

 

Somebody said this to me too.

"She is really upset. 

She's just had a really bad day."

This as well.

"Every time I overcome one obstacle, another 

is waiting around the corner."

And... "It's always something!"

And then there's all that sadness in the news....everyday it seems.  

Sometimes I feel so helpless...and I wish I could fix things. 

But I can't.  So I pray.

"Here are my directions:  

Pray much for others; plead for God's mercy upon them; 

give thanks for all He is going to do for them."

1 Timothy 2:1 TLB

Happy Sunday!

Bloom

I don't have a huge back yard...but it's big enough.  Big enough for grandbabies to play in.  

Big enough to relax in.  Big enough to keep us really busy keeping up with it!!

It's big enough for growing too.  And blooming!

There's this gate in our yard that doesn't like to stay open.  There's also this pot.  

The pot has been around for years.  I don't even remember where it came from.  

It makes a really good "fence holder opener".  It's full of dirt and acorns.

It's also full of cracks.  This pot has been through hot Summer days, Autumn afternoons, 

blizzards in the Winter, and, ahhh, Spring time!  

It's been slid back and forth....and battered by small children and their toys.  

It's no wonder that it's full of cracks!

We should have thrown it out long ago.  

Sure glad we didn't, because this little plant thought it was 

the perfect place to bloom!  

I noticed it the other day.  Just growing happily right through the biggest crack in the pot.  It's certainly not the ideal growing location.  It's definitely not the prettiest pot it could be growing in.  But it's where the seed landed...so it's blooming right where it's planted!  

Hmmm....seems I've heard something like that before. 

Sometimes we're just called to bloom where we're planted.  

That can be harder than moving on to something new.  

Sometimes where you are is difficult.  But, where you are is never an accident.  

God himself put you there...with a lot of thought and care...and for a purpose.  

Blooming...and growing...out of a crack in a pot.  Not ideal surroundings!  

But don't let your surrounding stop you.  There's always purpose.   

This tough, little plant brought a smile to my face.  

I was delighted to see it thriving in spite of its surroundings.  

It made me happy!
See that!  A purpose!!

By the way...this sweet little plant is a Wild Violet.  

I looked it up online, and most websites call it a difficult or persistant weed.

I say "Bloom On" little weed!!  You're welcome here anytime!! 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, 

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Roots

We've had some interesting weather the past week...sunshine, rain, wind, 

a little snow, hail, sleet...a little bit of everything.

The windy weather resulted in a bit of disruption around the yard.  

The Oak trees withstood the wind.  I mean look at those roots!  

But they did lose quite a few small branches and lots of twigs.   

I think a windy day might be God's way of doing some pruning!

In addition to the "pruning" a bunch of stuff got blown around.  

Some of the "littles" toys, all those twigs and branches, some potted plants.  

One day the wind was so strong it blew a couple chairs across the deck.

This particular pot didn't get blown around.  By the looks of it, it barely budged. 

It's not that heavy so I was a little curious about its ability to stand so firm.

This potted tree has been sitting in this spot for a long time.  So long that the tree roots have grown out of the holes, in the bottom of the pot, right into the ground!  The tree is a good bit larger than when I first received it.  I don't know if you can tell in the photo, but there's a lot of new growth on this little tree.  It looks really healthy...color is good...and it's really sturdy.  

Firmly rooted.  Deeply rooted, considering its size.

It's growing, it's healthy. It seems strong. Probably has a lot to do with the deep roots. 

I think there might be a message there....

Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done.

Colossians 2:7

National Day Of Prayer

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” – Psalms 11:3

Pray for America

"Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is

praying in your presence this day."

1 Kings 8:28



Visit 
NationalDayOfPrayer.org
for more information.


For many Americans, every day is a day of prayer. More than half (55%) of Americans said they pray every day, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, while 23% said they pray weekly or monthly and 21% said they seldom or never pray. Even among those who are religiously unaffiliated, 21% said they pray daily. Women (65%) are more likely than men (46%) to pray every day. Older people (60%) are more likely than younger adults (45%) to say they pray daily.

pewresearch.org

Change

I'm in a rut.

Actually, I'm in several ruts.

Ruts all over the place! Mostly stemming from unwanted change that's happening in my life.  The past couple years have seen changes at my church...not bad changes, but changes just the same. This year there will be changes in my family life, and changes in the workplace. Again, nothing really bad, but definitely different. I don't like change. I don't cope with it well. Right now I feel like the changes are coming at me from every direction...including from within! There are even physical changes going on...and not the kind of changes I want!

I'm working on getting out of the rut I'm in. Partly because I don't like being in it...mostly because when I'm in one it's because my focus isn't where God wants it to be. So I'm working on it.  I'm trying to change my focus, and I'm praying that I'll graciously adjust to the changes. 

In the meantime, I don't want my blog to go too long between posts, so I took some random photos of my craft room.  I thought I'd share them here today.  My goodness...I have a lot of stuff!
That's something that I think will never change!!

  

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by

 the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern

 what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and

 perfect." Romans 12:2