June Caedmon's Blog, page 71
July 24, 2014
Inspired by . . . a merry heart
Inspired by . . . a merry heart
He who is of merry heart has a continual feast. Prov 15:15
Surely this doesn’t refer to a literal feast of food, does it?
Read on, Beloved.
The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom 14:17
Black Swallowtail
The joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh 8:10
Fox Squirrel
Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 5:18-20
Dual Dragonflies
By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Heb 13:15
Male Black-chinned Hummingbird
Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines;
though the labor of the olive may fail,and the fields yield no food;
though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls –
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Hab 3:17-18
Gulf Fritillary
Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. 2 Cor 6:10
We also glory in tribulations. Rom 5:3
He who is of merry heart has a continual feast. Prov 15:15
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
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July 22, 2014
Inspired by . . . creation's manifesto
Inspired by . . . creation's manifesto
From the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly observed in what He made. As a result, people have no excuse. Ro 1:20
Creation speaks to me of the character and attributes of God.
"Who shut the sea behind gates when it burst through and came out of the womb,
when I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it up in dark clouds,
when I set a limit for it and put up bars and gates,
when I said, 'You may come this far but no farther. Here your proud waves will stop'? Job 38:8-11
Consider the hummingbird. Her tiny feet, and barely discernable toenails fashioned by the hand of the same God Who commands the giant sea.
She weighs less than a nickel. The brilliant throat color on the male is not caused by feather pigmentation, but rather by iridescence in the arrangement of the feathers and the influence of light level, moisture and other factors.
What does she say to you about God?
To me she declares His love of beauty. His creativity, and gentleness.
Consider the Texas Spiny Lizard. You can see him {her?} clearly in these pictures. But if he were on an oak tree you'd be hard pressed to spot him unless he moved.
kk_scrapit
Despite the name, these lizards are also found in Oklahoma and Northern Mexico. Their color and pattern varies greatly depending upon their habitat. They aren't quite as talented as the chameleon, but they are masters at camouflage!
What does the Texas Spiny Lizard say to you about God?
To me he speaks of God’s provision and preservation.
Consider the Chinstrap Penguin. {Ha-ha! I can see you smiling already!}
These, adorable, medium-sized penguins are easily recognized by their white face and fine black line across the cheeks. They are found predominately around the Antarctic Peninsula and their favorite food is krill.
What does the Chinstrap Penguin say to you about God?
To me he speaks of God’s personality!
Can anyone observe these creatures for two minutes and not be overcome by their cuteness? Not I.
“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
In Whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?” Job 12:7-10
What have you observed in creation recently
that speaks to you of God’s divine nature?
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
July 19, 2014
Inspired by . . . the Shepherd’s eyes
Inspired by . . . the Shepherd’s eyes
What do you see when you look into the eyes of Jesus?
Or, better asked, what do you imagine you will see when you look into His eyes?
Pity
Compassion
Patience
Condemnation
Understanding
Kindness
Love
For the next several weeks I’ll be joining Barbie and company in {re}reading Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. If you’d like to join us, you can find more information here.
What stood out to me the most in the first chapter was what Much-Afraid saw in the Shepherd’s eyes.
Firstly, “his eyes were searching into the very depths of her heart and knew all that was there far better than she did herself.”
Much-Afraid noticed that his eyes, “had the power of reflecting what they looked upon” and “she could see her heart as he saw it.”
Much-Afraid’s desire to love, as natural and right as it seemed to her, was not the same as the Love that Shepherd wanted her to know. It was only when Much-Afraid looked at her desire through the eyes of the Shepherd that she could see it for what it was, a selfish and prideful sort of love. I need to constantly hold my desires up against the mirror of Truth. Do they look the same? or do they appear as filthy rags? and if so, am I willing to surrender those rags for the pure, white, blood-washed gown that Jesus offers?
Secondly, Much-Afraid thought, “that he had the most patient eyes she had ever seen.” Yet, “at the same time there was something in them that hurt her to the heart,”
Reading this reminded me of a quote, also by Hannah Hurnard, that I have written in my bible at the beginning of the Song of Songs:
“Love is beautiful, but it is also terrible –
terrible in its determination to allow nothing
blemished or unworthy to remain in the beloved.”
I think that terrible-ness is what Much-Afraid saw in the Shepherd’s eyes that caused her to shrink back in fear. Have you seen/sensed this terrible determination in your {heavenly} Father’s eyes? Don’t misunderstand this look for the stern “flashing eyes” with which the Shepherd looked upon Much-Afraid’s cousin, Craven Fear. They are very different. Remember, we come to Jesus as we are, but He does not leave us that way. He loves us far too much to do so. That is why, “Love and Pain go together, for a time at least.”
Finally, although Much-Afraid “so quickly acted like her old name and nature,” just minutes after accepting the seed of Love from the Shepherd, shame overwhelmed her and she never saw, “with what compassion he was regarding her.” Rather she assumed he was despising her for “her silly fears” and turned away. How often do we turn from God in shame and miss what He truly has for us?
There are those who are strong for the Lord. Who go forth, like Samson and David's mighty-men, standing strong and tall. Never wavering. But the majority of His people are weak, timid. A fearful flock. Even so, He gives us this promise:
A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench. Matt 12:20
In the words of C.H. Spurgeon:
“Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and loving-kindness! How it opens to us the compassion of Jesus—so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from His touch. We need never fear a harsh word from Him; though He might well chide us for our weakness, He rebukes not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from Him, and the smoldering wick no damping frowns.”
Indeed, like Much-Afraid, we shall never see condemnation in the Shepherd’s eyes. Sin has to be dealt with, certainly, but Jesus dealt with it on the cross. As Hannah Hurnard describes in this beautiful allegory, the seed of Love is a long, sharply-pointed thorn. It’s shape matches the scars on our Savior’s body exactly.
Just as the Shepherd looks at Much-Afraid,
the Lord looks at us,
“very kindly… but with full understanding.”
So, what do you see when you look in His eyes?
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
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July 12, 2014
Inspired by . . . Saturday Stillness
Inspired by . . . Saturday Stillness
Hold on.
What’s your hurry?
Take
just
a
moment.
Breathe
deep.
Hold it.
Okay,
Exhale.
Have a wonder-filled day,
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Inspired by . . . beetles and zebras
Inspired by . . . beetles and zebras
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:11
Ironclad Beetle – BZieman_FrenchToastTexture
Ephesians 6, verse 12 and the ensuing verses are some of my favorite in all of scripture. Paul's words here could not be more timely to us today.
Think about all the people you brushed paths with this week who left you shaking your head, or worse, left you feeling battered and bruised by their words or actions. Then consider this:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12
This helps to give us perspective, doesn't it? It gives us a starting point from which to be more compassionate and to extend grace, even to those who wrong us.
Although Paul speaks of warfare and even calls us soldiers in 2 Timothy, it's important to remember that although we wrestle against spiritual wickedness, we do not engage in all out battle. It is Christ Who fought for us.
Our enemy has been defeated. The battle is won. It is finished, and was finished by Christ's work on the cross.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corin 15:55-58
What Paul gives us here in Ephesians 6 is instructions on how to STAND.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph 6:13
We are to be like the little Ironclad beetle, who is of no threat to anything except the lichens growing on the side of the trees.
Harmless, and yet God has given him an extremely hard exoskeleton. God has done the same for us. Our exoskeleton, if you will, is our FAITH.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Eph 6:16
Ephesians 6 is not the only place where Paul plays the role of a fashion guru. In Colossians 3, verse 12, he tells us what garments are suitable for God's chosen people.
Put on, then, garments that suit God's chosen and beloved people: compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. Col 3:12
After reading Lyli's inspiring post a couple of weeks ago, I've hung a pair of zebra earrings on the lamp shade in my bedroom.
Every morning when I turn on my lamp they click together, reminding that it is not just the outer garments of clothing that I need to put on that day. As a child of God, a representative of Christ, I need to remember to put on the garments described in Colossians 3, verse 12 and following.
And when my path crosses those who are being used as instruments of wickedness in this world, rather than instruments of grace, I need to remember that I wear an armour that protects me against their fiery darts.
Proper use of the armour insures I'll be able to respond in peace.
Shalom,
Sharing inspiration here:
July 9, 2014
Inspired by . . . peace amidst the storm
Inspired by . . . peace amidst the storm
I find it ironic that my last post, before my computer crashed, was on the tranquil properties of lavender.
Let’s just say I’ve been spritzing a lot of it around here lately!
Some stressors that would normally be small or not-so-small, like your computer crashing, can become quite large when combined with other stressors.
Some people say that God does not give us more than we can bear. I’m not sure that that is true. Rather, I believe that when the trials and burdens of this life become too great, as the author of the poem Footprints In the Sand penned:
It is then that He carries us.
I have been carried a few times in my life. Thankfully, last week wasn’t one of them.
If you are in the midst of a storm, feeling like you need to be carried, please know:
No matter how viciously the waters rage, the Lord always brings peace amidst the storm. This Jesus, Who calms the wind and the wave with a word, gives us peace that passes all understanding.
Unlike a spritz of lavender, His peace is lasting.
His peace comes in different forms. Sometimes it is a quiet assurance. Sometimes He speaks through His word. Often His peace is imparted to me through His creation.
“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
In Whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?” Job 12:7-10
I’d like to share with you some of the peace that the birds of the air imparted to me this past week. See if you can hear what they tell you.
Shalom,
Sharing inspiration here:
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July 4, 2014
Inspired by . . . democracy
Inspired by . . . democracy
It’s 91 degrees and the southerly breeze is mostly hot. Yet every now and then I sense a coolness in it. It is refreshing enough to convince me to linger a little longer.
It’s July 4th and, except for the wind, which blows stronger than I would like, it is a near perfect day. Big, billowy clouds fill the sky, inviting me to find the hidden images they contain.
I sit here, on my porch, laptop in lap waiting for inspiration. I want to write about patriotism, about the foundations of our country. I want to write about the sensation I feel whenever I see the American Flag or hear the Star Spangled Banner being played.
I want to write about the emotion that clogs my throat when the VFW float rolls by; filled with weathered faces whose eyes still see the ghastly images of war.
The United States of America turns 238 years old today. It’s a birthday we celebrate. The birthday of the greatest democracy this world has ever known.
It’s a day to celebrate! And so we do, and so we should.
For some reason, this 4th of July I can’t stop thinking about the gifts. The presents we bring to the celebration. No birthday is complete without presents. Over these last 238 years we, the people, have given great and sacrificial gifts to this country.
It’s been a battle from the beginning, hasn’t it? It is still a battle.
A battle fought bravely by our military in the world theatre – and a battle fought here at home by those who still believe in the words of our Constitution.
Many are weary of the battle.
Yet I can think of few in history who might have been as weary as President Abraham Lincoln was on the day he gave the Gettysburg Address.
There is much that was different about that day than this day. But two things, I believe, remain the same:
We are standing on hallowed ground – brave men, living and dead, have consecrated it by their sacrifice both here and abroad, far beyond our ability to add or detract.
We are engaged in a civil war - it may not yet be a great war, nevertheless, this country is being tested. We may never again pick up arms against it each other, but make no mistake, these united states are becoming more divided every day.
kk_simplicity
Lincoln understood the bigger picture – he knew what was at stake if this nation did not endure.
The same thing is still at stake today.
Democracy.
We should resolve, as our forefathers did, that our dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this earth.
Wishing you and your family
a safe and inspiring
4th of July weekend!
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
June 26, 2014
Inspired by . . . Lavender
Every year, around the second week of June, a wonderful thing happens in the Texas Hill Country.
The lavender blooms . . .
And thousands of people descend upon the small town of Blanco, Texas for the annual Lavender Festival!
Artisans set up shop around the beautiful limestone courthouse, selling everything from t-shirts to wine bottle stoppers made out of antique door knobs. And, of course . . . 
. . . all things lavender.
kk_simplethings If you're wondering why everyone seems so relaxed and happy, it may be because lavender is known to have a calming effect on the nervous system.
Or, it may be that folks here in Texas are perty friendly {smile}. Not only does lavender have a calming scent, a variety of websites list a myriad of additional health benefits, and culinary uses.
Once you're done shopping at the Lavender Market, it's time to head out to the farms!
kk_felicity There are several lavender farms in the area, and one or two are usually open for tours and lavender picking! Be careful, though, if you're allergic to bees.
Where there is lavender, there are sure to be lots of bees!
Remember those culinary uses I mentioned? Lavender honey is just one of my favorites. We also enjoyed lavender cookies, lavender ice cream, and one local restaurant served lavender tarter sauce with the fish sandwich!
It's always a good time. So if you find yourself in south Texas in early June next year - join us!
Have a wonder-filled day!
Blessings,
Sharing inspiration here:
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June 24, 2014
Inspired by . . . refreshment
Inspired by . . . refreshment
Am I the only one that feels like 2014 is spinning into the past at warp speed?
It occurred to me that I probably say that every year, but, no, 2014 seems especially accelerated.
We're already to the end of June and I'm thinking back over the last six months wondering what I've been doing with my life.
"...whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God." 1 Cor 10:31
I've been trying to be more intentional with my time this year. There have been those rare moments when I feel like I'm succeeding and manage to "delete" a few tasks.
And then, suddenly, five or six more appear to take their place! It's like those Russian nesting dolls in the old animation shorts . Except my "dolls" just keep on multiplying!
Beth Moore describes it this way, "We are caught in the captivity of activity--."
I don't think God intends for us to live this way. I believe He gives all of us the exact amount of time we need to do His will.
That includes time for worship, work, service, pleasure, and rest. All of these things can be, and are part of His will for us.
I can tell you with a degree of certainty that God does not wish us to live chaotic, frenzied lives. That's the devils work. He just loves to keep us busy!
I think most of us know of at least two or three time robbers that we should put out of our lives. But what about all the "good" we do? We may be sacrificing quality for quantity, but if it's all good, how do we know what to say no to?
These four steps, based on a devotional commentary by Beth Moore, give us insight on how to recalibrate our lives and find a little refreshment:
Reestablish the goal. "Bring everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made." Isaiah 43:7 tells us that we were created for His glory. Our purpose is to glorify Him. Our best energies {first fruits} should be used for His work.
Redirect your focus. "But first, be concerned about His kingdom and what has His approval. Then all these things will be provided for you." Matthew 6:33 gives us a promise! If we seek God first, He will direct us. That means He will give us the wisdom and discernment we need to set our schedules and priorities according to His will. Give it a try – it works!
Rethink your motivation. "Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant." Galatians 1:10 prompts us to ask ourselves if we're seeking approval from man or from God. If we seek to please people rather than God we will never succeed.
Rest in God's will. Hebrews 4:10 says, "Those who entered His place of rest also rested from their work as God did from His." Rest is always part of God's will for us. He is not unreasonable. He does not ask us to do anything alone, or under our own power when we seek to do His will.
I don't know about you, but I'm feeling the stress start to roll off my shoulders just from reading His word today!
Summer is a good time for many of us to step back and reevaluate how we're spending our time.
Some of these steps may be challenging or even convicting! Either way, they're sure to bring refreshment!
Have a wonder-filled day,
Sharing inspiration here:
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June 21, 2014
Inspired by . . . the perfect day
I've had this post in drafts for awhile now.
It focuses on someone that I don't usually focus on in this blog: ME
Don't worry, that's not going to change {smile}.
But I wanted to share this with you all, and I thought my birthday was the perfect day to do so {no pun intended!} !
And if today just happens to be your birthday too, I hope you're having the perfect day!
Inspired by . . . the perfect day
"My dream?
My dream is to be with people I love,
that love each other and that love me.
My dream was a perfect day and I'm just finishing it.
~ Emily, The Ultimate Gift
Do you remember that entertainment park ride where they strapped you to the wall and then spun you around like crazy, only to suddenly do a 360 and start spinning you the other way while the floor dropped out from underneath you?
That is a pretty good description of what had been happening in my life for the past ten months. It was likely to get worse before it got better.
But this day was my birthday.
And the sweetest man in the world had somehow figured out how to make the rest of the world go away.
I awoke to the sun's rays shining through the windows of our railcar, and spent a day of leisure on a lake that lay calmly less than a mile from our door.
On a day such as this, one must "dress" for dinner, and so we did. A short walk to the restaurant, where we were greeted by sunny faces, both inside and out.
A {very small} table for two by the window. The mixed greens salad with walnuts and goat cheese, drizzled with a balsamic dressing was so enjoyable that I don't remember the rest of the meal.
I do remember that we took our time. Enjoyed each other. And spoke mostly with our eyes.
After dinner he wanted to take pictures.
Of me.
Let's just say I don't love the camera, when aimed in my general direction, and it certainly does.not.love.me.
But the sweetest man in the world also happens to be the most charming.
And so, for once in my life, I let it be all about me.
And it was okay.
What does your perfect day look like?
Blessings,
Both the railcar and the sunflower are textured with Kim's textures, but I can't remember which ones!
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