Almost Spring…well…

 Actually spring began March 21st, but it is always a little bit late reaching us in Ontario. I am trying my hand at winter sowing…

I planted mostly flowers from seed in the bins. I planted them mid February and they are just beginning to pop up. We still get freezing temperatures at night so they are growing quite slowly and many of the seeds have yet to show any signs of life. I was beginning to think it wasn’t working and that all my seeds had died. So I searched the Internet to find out more and discovered that it can take up to 8 weeks for the seeds to sprout! 

Only a few parsley plants showing up in this one so far…can you see them?

Does that help? Yeah, just barely out of the ground…man, this process requires patience!! 

Some sunflowers and lupines….

Black flowered Johnny jump ups and bee balm starting up in this one…

Crocus

Miniature iris

Around the garden some of my bulbs are pushing up through the soil. A couple have even started flowering!

A storm is brewing. Time to go inside and do some more housework ☺️ 

February is Beautiful

 Well, it’s a bit cold outside, and windy, and we are supposed to get rain later today….but for February it’s quite beautiful, actually.

There are patches of snow still on the ground…

About 44 Fahrenheit, practically summer! 😃 Just kidding…

I am experimenting with winter sowing, I’m trying it in plastic totes. I’ll let you know if it works. 

I will be posting on my other blog later today. You can find the link to my other blog on the sidebar —-> it is called “Bible Treasures and pearls”. I’ve been neglecting that blog… I want to take a bit of a deep dive into being born again vs. trying to earn salvation and it’s a heavier topic than I want for this blog site, so if you check back tomorrow it should be up.

Pray that your day is blessed with noticing the many tiny miracles the Lord blesses us with FOR FREE simply through living life.

Seek Ye First…..

 

Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

***

Life’s briefness has been heavily on my mind lately….

While standing in line at the grocery store we may sometimes feel like “it takes forever”, but when we really contemplate the matter these and other moments pass by us quickly. This has truly been impressed upon me recently when I got notified that a dear friend of mine passed away in January. “But how can that be?” I thought to myself as my mind struggled to believe the truth of it. 

I visited his Facebook page and read the condolences and well wishes directed toward his family. I reminisced on my time as his student years ago, twenty years…has it really been THAT long ago??? He often placed “likes” on many of my Facebook posts but he will never interact with me on social media again…no more corny jokes, no more sharing of inspirational quotes and scripture verses. 

My conversations with him now will be one sided, from me to the memory of him, of things I would still like to share with him, enjoy with him, to hear his point of view …silence…

The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible mentions the fleetingness of our mortal existence here. It points out how meaningless life is unless we see the bigger picture with  the Lord included in it. If our lives are empty of God’s grace and mercy what would be the point of living at all?…. if it all ends in nothingness? What would be the point of struggling through life, working and toiling to attempt at making a fortune… or perhaps even just to strive at paying the bills on time… until one day comes death and then ….

…nothing….

Is that all there really is???

But Jesus said there is much more than what we see here, and that the Kingdom of God is very near to each one of us. He told many parables of what that Kingdom of heaven is like and to desire it more than all the riches of earth.

He said “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (temporary fleeting things) shall be added unto you” Matthew 6:33. 

But if we only seek after the temporary things which are here today and gone tomorrow, we will end up with nothing, because the truth is we cannot take any of those things with us when we leave this world. 

So seek the thing that will be with you even after time on earth has come to completion for you, what Jesus died to share with you. Seek His mercy and His grace while you still have time and He will give it to you free of charge, already paid for with His own blood. Don’t waste another minute of the time that is fleeting, chasing after the wind. 

Hear His voice calling you, 

answer His call to you,

bask in His mercy and His love for you….

Life will still be hard, but it will have infinite meaning.

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

1Timothy 6:17-19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

For God so Loved the World….

 

Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying Master, which is the great commandment in the law?Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This passage seems simple enough on first glance, and I have seen explanations for Jesus’ words that I think do not fit the context. I’ve heard it explained that the first portion “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…” to mean 1-4 of the Ten Commandments and “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” to refer to 6-10 of the Ten Commandments. Jesus is talking to the Pharisees here and they were very aware of all of the Old Testament including the Ten Commandments so it would seem out of place for Jesus to be saying to obsessed rule keepers another way of saying “keep the commandments”. They believed that they did so better than anyone else. But how did Jesus show His love for the Father and for us? Jesus showed His love by laying down His life; He died for us in accordance with the Father’s will.

Do we love God enough to die in place of our enemies? 

THAT is what Jesus is saying, and He affirmed this when He showed us that kind of love; a love that is impossible unless the love of God resides in our heart, mind and soul; a love that can only be carried out by His strength through us. May He grant us that simple yet profound and powerful kind of love.

John 15:13 Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

On the Day the Lord Saved Me…

 It was a beautiful spring day in 1988. The sun was shining brightly and the birds seemed delighted that the coldness of that year’s wintery days was behind us. I was busy cleaning up the one room cabin where we (my lover and I) lived, like I did many days before, a day much like any other day.

A knock at the door. I opened the door. There stood our friend/neighbour/landlord. We stood and chatted at the doorway, he outside and I stood but didn’t invite him in.

 He talked a bit about the Bible and the love of Jesus.

I thought: Silly man, I am so much smarter and more evolved than he is. He thinks being spiritual is believing in a book that makes zero sense, while I enjoy all things under the sun and can live as I please and gain wisdom from all religions and peoples.

I made some kind of haughty remark to him, I do not recall exactly what I said but it caused him to respond by saying:

“The Bible tells me that I should shake the dust from my feet (shaking his feet) and should walk away” (as he started to turn away from me)….

…and that instant I knew that the Lord was in it, in this moment in time, and I heard His voice “life or death, choose life” within me and was given the wisdom and the power to say:

“Wait a minute!! I’m not rejecting you!” …saying these words to my neighbour, but actually saying these to Jesus: 

“Do not abandon me, I didn’t really mean it”

My neighbour asked: 

“Do you have a Bible?”

Me: “no”

Neighbour: “If I get you one will you read it?”

Me: “yes”

He quickly turned on his heel and left me there, but soon returned with a brand new Bible for me. He had gone down into town about eleven  miles from the ranch to buy a Bible with money that was very precious to him and his family. They were dirt poor, their children in clean well worn hand me downs and shoes slightly too big for their little feet. He used money that would be better spent on his wife and children to buy me a book that I told him I would read. I knew that I’d better read it.

I began from the beginning: Genesis 

The Israelites. I don’t know why, but all kinds of feelings of disgust for the Israelites was stirred up in me from I didn’t know where. I never felt that for others before; not like that. It disturbed me. I felt horrible as I continued reading and experiencing these vile feelings come up, disgust and disdain for a people I did not even know. What is this? Why am I feeling these things?

I walked to the neighbour’s house. I needed to know if they would know what is wrong with me and why I would feel this way reading this book. He told me to start with the New Testament, not the Old Testament. He explained that I needed to know about God’s grace before learning about the things pertaining to the law.

That night I had very frightening and very vivid dreams.

The first dream: 

A beautiful and very large tree stood strong and tall, it’s branches reaching out very wide. Suddenly a booming voice said: 

“This is God: JUDGMENT!!!”

…and immediately the tree was ripped up out of the ground, roots and all by an invisible force and just as suddenly everything went pitch black.

Image: http://weknowyourdreams.com/tree.html

I awakened and sat upright in bed while taking a deep gasp of air, my heart pounding in my chest. But the moment of panic passed quickly and soon I was back asleep to dream a second dream:

I was in the ocean with my lover. I was drifting further and further out into deeper water. At first I treaded water easily, but it became more and more difficult and I was getting tired. I saw my lover now far away from me. I called out to him but he was too far away to hear me. Suddenly I was under the water, sinking very fast. I could see the top of the water and bits of sunlight penetrating through the surface, but it was retreating up and away from me very fast as I sank, down, down, down, the waters grew darker and heavier…

and I suddenly sat up with a gasp, because I had been holding my breath while under water…

What was happening to me? I told my lover about my dreams. He shook his head and rolled over to go back to sleep. Am I going crazy? What is happening? 

I went back to sleep. A third dream:

I’m laying in bed with my lover next to me. A very large serpent is slithering towards me in the room…closer, closer, I want to scream but I’m not able to, I’m paralyzed like I am in some kind of weird trance…I sensed that it knew me, that as it’s tongue flicked out of its mouth it could taste me, and I saw through his eyes, like I could see what it saw, its eyes saw heat coming from my body…closer, closer…I hear my lover say:

 “Is that a snake?”

“Yes!” I scream as I jump up dancing in fright on the bed “It’s a snake! A snake!”

Now my lover is very annoyed…”What the hell???” 

Me: “ You said is that a snake and I’m saying yes!!” As I look for where it went…

He: “I didn’t say a thing.” …

The next day I continued reading the Bible and I felt miserable. 

“I’m such a horrible person. I am doomed. God hates me. I’m going to hell. I’m going to hell. I’m headed straight to hell”

I’m sobbing, knowing no one can help me; “God help me! God please do not hate me! God please save me! I know I cannot save myself, only You can help me! Please forgive me! You are so far from me, do not give up on me!”

BOOM!!!!

In that moment of crying out to God the cabin shook and I thought “God heard my cries”

It was probably a sonic boom from a jet coming out of nearby Edward’s AFB, but it came at that precise moment of my crying out, that I knew God heard me. “He loves me…He forgives me, He saved me!”

But inside I knew that the battle had just begun, a battle I would fight against forces of evil…. that once were  “friends” but now fought against me…. but God was on my side to help me. He loves me…He forgives me…

”Praise the Lord Who is able to save!!!”

❤️

Transformed by God’s Love

Becket Cook’s channel is one of my favourites (if not the absolute favourite, I have a few running neck and neck). He is articulate, honest, compassionate, and in love with Jesus!!❤️ His testimony is so wonderful, and his videos are always packed with his thought provoking sentiments touching the topics of our day. His videos often include the sensitive topic of homosexuality because that defined his life prior to the life changing event of being born again. It is a sin that is escalating and sweeping throughout all areas of our current cultural landscape.

In this video he explains the phenomenon of how upside down society is from how it should be, and how his life was turned upside down when Christ entered into his life. I can so relate to that fact because that also happened to me. Everything that I thought I knew was upside down from what the Bible shows us to be true.

I hope you will take a few moments from your day to watch this video and then to ponder what we see all around us, to pray for the lost, and humbly and prayerfully seek ways in which you can influence people in your circle of friends, family, and coworkers with the love of Christ.

I love reading comments on videos. Becket's videos have some incredible and very uplifting and shining comments that pierce my heart. here is just one example:

I pray these things help to add a sense of added desire to see more people have their lives transformed by the power and forgiveness and grace of our Lord and Saviour as He uses us to reach the lost in a world that is dying.

God bless you. ❤️

A Fresh Start and a Hope for Better Things

 

January at our house is usually covered in a snowy blanket. Although I do not enjoy shovelling our driveway and pathways, it sure does look pretty on the landscape. The whiteness reminds me of what the Bible has told us about washing away sins to make us “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18)

Most of us have high hopes of a fresh start at the beginning of each year. It’s a time for new year’s resolutions, a time to hope that this year will be better than last year. 

When I came to Jesus (or, rather, He came to me) I was trapped in a terrible sin condition that I wasn’t even aware of. Looking back I see what horrors I was headed towards and were already enveloping me before Jesus rescued me. When He saved me He washed all of that away. He caused me to understand how much I needed Him and that His blood was enough to wash away all my sin. His righteousness which is perfect and pure as white new fallen snow is the righteousness He sees when He looks at me. God had mercy on me, a sinner, and gave me a new beginning, a clean start, that begins and ends with what He has done and continues to do in my life. 

May you also enjoy a new fresh start in Jesus cleansed of all sins by His blood sacrificed for you. He gave His life so that we can live forever with Him. ❤️

Butternut Squash

  Many people seem to not like squash. Maybe it’s in the name? I myself love squash but had never tried butternut squash. A neighbour down the street from us had a few squashes and pumpkins on their lawn with a sign that said “free”, so I thought “here is my chance to try it”. I brought this one home and looked up several ways of cooking this up and picked out a couple of recipes I thought we would enjoy. 

Do you ever try new things? It is easy to stay in the rut of the familiar, the tried and true. But once in a while it’s nice to be adventurous…perhaps we will discover a new favourite recipe, or just something to change things up a little from time to time.

That is also how I see God’s word, the Bible. We can stay stuck in the rut of only reading our favourite verses or even our favourite book such as the book of Romans, over and over. Although it is good to read those, we also can dig a bit deeper into the less familiar books. We can look up some of the people mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy to familiarize ourselves with their stories. Sometimes we only want to read the happy verses, the promises of the good things that follow those who love the Lord…but it is good to read the warnings and how to cope when things are falling apart all around us too. All are necessary in a recipe for a healthy life in Christ.

Song of Solomon 7:12,13 let us go out early to the vineyards and see whether the vines have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.

 The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and beside our doors are all choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

Uncertainty

 Recent times have brought many possible directions for outcomes and I, just like many others, speculate, muse, and worry at times, and also listen to the many others speculating and opining possible directions things may go, and also many are talking about the shot and whether or not it is a good idea to receive certain shots. 

I think everyone needs to seek the Lord on their own behalf in regards to that one. Many these days do not want to believe the God of the Bible anymore, and that’s unfortunate because that would be the only place to find stability, a solid rock on which to stand. When one is in Christ no matter what outcome befalls us we are assured there will be a good outcome. We are all going to die one way or another and we will die in Christ…or not. I’ve heard people say “But I am a good person”. Well, actually, if one is completely honest with oneself, we would know that isn’t really true. Only God is true and everyone else is a liar (at one time or another anyway) . 

We all hope for the best, of course. With the many recent changes one can become very pessimistic of the outcome. But if your hope is grounded on Christ your view has a much longer and wider (eternal) view than those who do not have Jesus. It doesn’t depend on what will happen to you next week or next year or ten years from now. It is an adventure that has many scary twists and turns which end with making you stronger, wiser, and more faithful of God’s caring for you. And when death does come to one who is faithful in Christ, it is welcomed because we then fully enter into His rest and will come to meet Him face to face.

Be blessed and live in that blessed hope and faith in our Redeemer. ❤️☺️

A Never Ending Story

 

This year I decided to do a “read through the Bible in a year” program. So far we have gone through the entire New Testament, and last month began the journey into the Old Testament. I joined a group on MeWe so we hold each other accountable and make it more likely that we will stick to it. What I love about the plan being used in the group is that we follow each book from start to finish before going on to the next. Right now we are in the book of Job (pronounced Yobe in Hebrew) because we are following a chronological order. What I like to do is seek out other sources after reading a passage to see what other people have found in reading the text. It can lead to new insights or simply lend a fresh perspective on something that I’ve read so often that I skim over it too quickly and lose some of the wonder of what’s there fresh for the finding today. 

Learning is a never ending process, an eternal quest for us who are saved by the blood of Christ. 😊

One of the gems I came across today:

Job 34:2-4“Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know;

 for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food.

 Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.

Readiness....Being Prepared or Left Behind

 

This morning was trash pick up day. I had some trash I needed to get from the workshop, it was 8 am and the trash guys don’t usually reach us before 10 am and most often don’t reach us until 1 or 2 in the afternoon....but not today. Today, while I was busy getting the trash together in the shop ....”I have PLENTY of time...” the trash truck flew by our house. 😭🥺

After I got over my anger and self loathing for not being ready earlier, it reminded me of a Bible warning:

Matthew 24:42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 

We don’t know when Jesus will return but He did say it will be at an hour we won’t be expecting it....like the trash men...I thought I had plenty of time to get everything in order, but little did I know...

I did end up getting other things needing my attention done...and I made a healthy breakfast of oatmeal, with raspberries, pecans, and real maple syrup...it was oh so yummy. So I counted my blessings, especially for that reminder that no one knows the day nor the hour. 

Although I do not hold to the pretrib theory, I also realize the last day of my mortality can come at any time, and THAT will be the day (maybe today!) that Jesus will come for me. I need to be alert and anticipating His coming with thanksgiving in my heart that is prepared to meet Him.

.

Revisiting Some of my Old Posts

 Lately I’ve been much more introspective, probably because I have mostly remained home because of the strange situation we find ourselves in these days. I’ve been rereading and thinking about some of the topics covered in older posts here on Flutterbys. This one: https://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2018/02/suicide.html?showComment=1519787698951#c8289292985099824662

is on the topic of suicide and depression, and a possible connection between the hopelessness we see in many people today with the removal of prayer from schools...and of course now we have the “added benefit” of lockdowns and social isolation. 

I hope that wherever you, dear reader, are at this moment, that you recognize the bigger picture regarding life and where you fit into that bigger picture. Life is complex but I think we tend to make it more complicated than it needs to be. Be thankful for the life that has been given to you, and seek the Father who gave life to you, and the Son who brought us true reconciliation with the Father through His selfless sacrifice, a gift given out of pure love for you and for me. ❤️

Revisiting Thoughts on Topic of Hell....

 This morning, while enjoying my morning coffee I revisited my thoughts on the topic of hell as an eternal destination. I also read the comments...and I hope “Boomslang” and Alice have grown to understand...that perhaps, my hope, that there is “good ground” in them to accept the truth about God’s love, and the truth about their own antagonism towards Him. 

This is the post I’m talking about:

https://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2015/03/another-post-on-hell.html?showComment=1433417331172#c7054015117014925578

This movie (it’s kinda cheesy but I love it anyway 😊) talks about some of the things mentioned in the angry objections of Alice and Boomslang:

This movie is actually part 2 of a pair of movies, but stands on its own. If you’d like to see part 1:

Hebrews 3:7, 8 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice,

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness

From Worldly Riches to True Riches

This touched my heart, and I pray for every satanist and atheist and agnostic and witch and occultist, and backslidden Christian, former never really been saved “Christians” etc. etc., that I have encountered in my life, I hope and pray the same grace and blessing this man and his wife received will also be bountifully rained upon each and every one.

Near the end he states that he spent decades in all the worldly religions looking into them all and says  to examine them truly and seek out Christian apologists like Ravi Zacharias because if you don’t seek Jesus out you are robbing yourself...and I would add that not only are you robbing yourself, you are robbing everyone you love of having a true relationship with you because until you truly fall down completely given over to Jesus no matter what, until He has stripped you of all this fake existence and restored your real soul to you even though it costs you everything in this world, you are not who the Lord created you to be until you are found in Him, and you rob yourself and everyone around you of the true riches that are not seen with the eyes of the flesh, but felt in your spirit and soul where the real riches are stored.

Is it my Fault...?

A couple years have put distance between me and what happened to Alice (a blogger friend who said she was a Christian but now shows she is not) and I still at times wonder “Is it my fault...is there something I should have said, or something she said that I should have answered properly and didn’t because I wasn’t paying close enough attention...” and have done this over and over wondering if it was my lack of watchfulness that caused her to fall away...

This morning I was looking through my recommended YouTube videos and found this one. This describes the feeling very well. I still feel the pain...

Edit to add my interpretation of this “parable”:

I was pondering this that the Lord gave me this morning...the peacock felt trapped, wanted out of the cage...Alice felt trapped by the Lord, she didn’t want what He was offering to her, she felt it restricted her freedom...the peacock soared up in the air, fully relishing the new freedom, and even though Patara tried so hard to catch him, he wanted whatever perils that awaited him rather than be put “back into that cage”...

....and so it was with Alice. She didn’t have Jesus, she had a cage of her own making that she thought was Jesus...and she’d rather go to hell than back into her cage

Troubling Signs

Hello again. First of all I want to say “Hi and thank you to Sandi. I saw your comment Sandi, and I agree that it is very strange that I cannot post nor answer comments even on my own blog nor on most everyone else’s either. I’ve tried changing my settings, but everything I’ve tried does not change   that fact, but I’ve resigned myself to it being okay. Thank you for your comments and concern.”

I have been spending my online time reading up on several changes that have been taking place because of the fear of the pandemic, and the fear of the coming economic changes and political changes, and the fear of the coming vaccine, etc., etc. and I agree, these are all troubling issues. But this morning as I pondered all of these things and the fear it is causing many people the words “Let not your heart be troubled” came to mind.

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if  not I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also.

If the vaccine turns out to be the mark of the beast (and personally I do believe it will be) the Lord will provide for His children, you and I and all who look to Him, with the strength to not submit to this and face anything, even jail time or even death, with joy and a song in our hearts for the fact that soon we will be with Jesus.

EDIT I no longer believe “the jab” is the M.O.B. but I still do not like it 👎🏽

So let not your heart be troubled. Jesus promised these things would happen and He also promised He will never forsake us. ❤️

Social Distancing

Please understand that blogger no longer lets me comment so I won’t be able to answer questions in comment section. If a comment or question comes up I might bring it up in a following future blog post.

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The past few weeks have been interesting. We have a new phrase, at least I think it’s new....”social distancing” that is keeping most people home these days. So it gives me more time to think about things, pray about things, and catch up with my needlepoint which I hope to finish soon...

I’ve also been binge watching Ray Comfort’s Living Waters Youtube videos....
and also One for Israel’s many testimonies of Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah.

Here’s one that touched my heart deeply:

Cleaning Out the Cobwebs

There are many things I’ve been meaning to do and haven’t, such as organizing my desk and cleaning out my bedroom closet, and this week has given me time and drive to do just that. Sometimes the way out of a slump is to get into those corners and dark places in the home and get cleaning.

I begin by taking everything out and then decide what goes (to the garbage or thrift store) and what stays.

When Jesus saved me, many years ago, He reached into the darkest corners of my being, shone His light on them, and cleaned me thoroughly. Yet over time I have collected a lot of junk that doesn’t get used or isn’t needed...both in my spirit and in my house.  Speaking in Biblical terms we collect dirt on our feet as we walk along the path and our feet need continual cleaning so we don’t get dirty diseased feet that cannot carry us on down the road of life. This also goes for the home. I do my usual every day and weekly cleaning, tidying up the kitchen and bathrooms, doing laundry, etc, but I have my clutter areas that collect stuff that “I will get to later when I have time”...but that time keeps escaping me, as other more urgent or demanding situations keep diverting my attention in other directions.

In my spirit I have collected memories that are good and beneficial, but also have stored away things that were hurtful and unhealthy, things that I have kept in the deeper recesses, the closets of my being. Just like the closet in my home, these areas deep in my being need cleaning out as well.

Today as I clean my bedroom closet I will be praying that Jesus will clean these deeper areas in my life where I have been storing things that once again require His light to shine brightly illuminating what needs sorting out and throwing out. Let the clutter not hinder my walk, but may I truly serve the Lord by serving others with clean hands and feet and a clean heart that is filled with His perfect light.

Proverbs 4:14-19 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Will it be a long, cold winter?

Winters here in Ontario Canada can be bitter cold, but the last three winters here in Southern Ontario have been relatively mild, thankfully 😊. But last week we had a snowstorm that we don’t usually begin having until about the beginning of January, and although the snow is melting today, this time of year we usually only have flurries and light dusting that disappear the same day it touches down.

This photo was taken last Friday, snowed last Tuesday and Wednesday 

So...perhaps we are in for a long and very cold winter. 

I barely got my tulip and daffodil bulbs into the ground the week before that storm hit. I can hardly wait until spring!!! For several reasons, lol. I hope and pray you will enjoy a wonderful winter wherever you are, and remember that even when we endure difficult times, the joy when we see our Creator and Redeemer will be all the greater. I am still having technical issues with blogger. I may have to begin anew with a new profile. If and when that is the case I shall provide links. Sometimes you just need to start over I guess...

These are what the bulbs are supposed to be like when they bloom...the black tulips will have a slight tinge of purple to them. 

Treasures from “Trash”

Lately I’ve been watching videos on YouTube of people getting junk from thrift stores and yard sales. They see the beauty in that junk which they transform into beautiful houseware items or items of clothing, etc. ; cast offs, what has been rejected by others, to make lovely things. It brings to mind the Proverbs 31 woman who is industrious and does much with little.

It also brings to my mind the fact that Jesus was rejected, and He is received by “the dogs” (Gentiles), as we also, if we are found in Him, are rejected by this world and He takes us “rejects” and makes us new, a new creation. Our old purpose that has outlived whatever usefulness it might have had is repurposed into a new one that we never could have imagined in our “old life”.

Matthew 21:42

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 

Praise the Lord that He makes us through His power and wisdom, it is He who deserves all the praise and glory. He made the universe and everything in it out of nothing, and takes broken and humble lives and makes something out of our nothing. He puts the treasure of who He is in us to transform us by His mercy and grace.