Tag: words

It’s Called What?

Dragonflies, Snowdrifts, & Spice CakeMy second book, Dragonflies, Snowdrifts and Spice Cake has just been released. Although I’m very happy with the title, it’s not the one I had originally chosen.

This collection of writings came about through reflecting on ordinary, everyday things and finding inspiration in them. For that reason I had decided on Moments of Reflection for the title.

While attending a conference I was telling a fellow writer about the book I was working on. She asked what I was going to call it and when I told her, the response was not what I expected. She said that title was too boring!

I could have been offended at her remark but chose instead to be grateful for her honesty. She suggested combining some of the story titles into the book title. It took months of brainstorming to come up with a combination I liked but the feedback I’ve received lets me know I made the right decision.

What I have learned from this is that when someone disagrees with me I have two options. I can take offense and feel rejected or I can listen to what they have to say and gain valuable insight.

By restraining my desire to defend my point of view I am able to keep silent and listen. This provides new possibilities for me to consider. I pray daily for wisdom and guidance and God may be using the words of someone else to bring that to me.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. (Proverbs 17:27-28 NIV)

My Hourglass Life

God, love, inspirationDuring a recent dental check-up the hygienist asked if I was brushing my teeth for a full two minutes. After telling her that I really didn’t know, she gave me a cute little timer. It has a smiling tooth on each end and sand that takes two minutes to flow from the top to the bottom.

This got me to thinking of an hourglass and how it relates to my life.
When I was much younger my only thoughts of hourglass were related to the ideal body shape I wanted to achieve. Since that was not in the realm of possibility I filed this word in the recesses of my mind.

Now that I’m much older, and hopefully a little wiser, I view the hourglass in a totally different way. The sand is representative of the sands of time, slipping away. I have no idea how much time is left but I do know that it is less today than yesterday.

For this reason I need to make the most of each day. Unlike the sand in the hourglass, I can’t turn my day over and get the time back again. I don’t want to watch passively as the sand/time slips away.

No loving words should be left unspoken and no kindness left undone. God has given me a certain number of days and I don’t want to waste them. I need to consciously look for ways to use my time to reflect his light and love.

A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. (Job 14:5 NIV)

You Have the Power to Change My Day

positive, encourage, prayer
poster from notsalmon.com
Recently I was engaged in an activity I enjoyed. Everything was going along smoothly until someone voiced a few complaints. These were things that I hadn’t noticed previously and that had never interfered with my enjoyment of the activity. Before long I felt my positive attitude slowly being eroded with these negative thoughts.

Things that had never been an issue for me now seemed to be all that I noticed. Instead of focusing on my positive experience I started seeing what could be a negative for others. My peace and enjoyment of the activity slipped into the background.

Looking back on this, I realized anew the effect words have to influence others. It only took a few to change my outlook. If a few words could change my positive thoughts to negative, the reverse must also be true.

That means I need to be very conscious of my words. If I speak in the heat of anger I will regret it later. Instead I need to speak words that will encourage and build others up. On my own, this can prove a difficult task at times. When I stop and pray about my attitude, the words that I speak will be ones that will encourage and build others up. This will ensure that the only way I change someone’s day is to make it more positive.

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)

How to Have a Warm Heart

words, affirming, kind, inspirationThe exercise class had just begun but already the instructor was pushing us hard. She shouted out, “Come on, we need to get your hearts warmed up.”

Although I knew what she meant, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Not long before the class started, my husband and I had parted ways for the day with a hug and a kiss. Then he looked into my eyes, said, “I love you” and flashed me a smile. Yes, my heart had definitely been warmed.

Earlier that morning I had sent a message to someone facing challenges. I’d let her know I was thinking of her and praying she’d have a good day. The appreciative response I received warmed my heart as my message had done for hers.

My husband sending me off with a smile on my face was a good reminder that a few positive words have the ability to let people know that they matter. It only takes a minute and the results can cause a ripple effect that is immeasurable.

Kind words have the comforting effect of a toasty warm blanket on a cold winter night. They can also affirm, encourage and convey love. Giving and receiving them is the best way I’ve found to keep my heart warm.

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. Proverbs 12:25 NIV

Are You a Winner?

quote, God, evluate lifeWhile walking through a store I spotted a sign that said, “Are you a winner?” Although it was referring to lottery tickets, it did cause me to stop and evaluate my life.

As I enter a new calendar year with anticipation of what is to come, I felt this was something I should take a closer look at. First I need to define what it means to me to be a winner. Is it coming in first in a contest? While this would be nice, I need to go deeper.

It isn’t prestige, awards or monetary abundance that makes me a winner. To define myself in that way, I must be making a difference in my sphere of influence. Am I a positive role model? Will I actively seek ways to make my part of the world a better place? Do I serve others unselfishly?

I found a quote by Edward Hale, author and clergyman that sums this up for me. It says, “I am only one, but still I am one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

God knows me and sees what is in my heart. When I live as though everything I do is for the Lord, I am pleasing Him. That is the way I can describe myself as a winner.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 NLT

Spanish Lessons

communicate, God, Holy SpiritMy husband and I have just started a beginner Spanish language course. The first class started out with simple phrases such as, “Good morning, how are you?” We could handle this without too much difficulty.

Next we were introduced to the way to say this in the formal manner, for someone you don’t know well, or in the familiar manner for family and friends. The words to both the question and answer change depending on your relationship to the person you’re speaking to. Things were starting to get more complicated.

The next thing to know was the masculine and feminine. I hadn’t realized before that morning was masculine while afternoon and evening were feminine! When the teacher showed us how to conjugate a verb, I started to panic, fearing that I was in over my head.

My goal is to be able to converse with the locals when we vacation in Mexico. I will persevere, but am aware that this will be no easy task.

This made me realize that I need no lessons to be able to communicate with God. The maker of the universe doesn’t require me to speak to him in the formal tense. In fact, he prefers that I be familiar with him. I don’t need to struggle with the correct words as the Bible tells me that the Holy Spirit intercedes for me when I don’t have the necessary words. He knows my heart and that is the truest language there is.

At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words. The one who searches our hearts knows what the Spirit has in mind. The Spirit intercedes for God’s people the way God wants him to. Romans 8:26-27 GWT

Imperfections

shells, God, photos,No matter how hard I try, I always seem to write on an angle. It has also been pointed out to me that I don’t hold a camera straight when I take a picture. More than once I wrote in the sand, dotted the i’s with shells and took a picture. The glare of the sun made it difficult to see what the picture would be like before I took it.

This picture was important to me as it was something I wanted to share. My efforts were not what I’d hoped for and I was disappointed. Wondering if there would be another opportunity, I sensed God telling me not to worry. He is not looking for perfection from me.

The two words I was writing were inspire and inspiration. For reasons I will never understand, God has chosen to inspire me and has given me the task of passing this inspiration on to others. This is nothing I earned or deserved. Many times I have been uncertain about sharing my thoughts. The words often don’t seem polished enough to pass on.

What I have learned, is that God wants me to share what he has put on my heart. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just authentic. I have heard that God does not call the qualified; he calls the willing and then qualifies them. I am living proof of this. When I allow him to use my imperfections, it inspires others that he will do the same for them.

But he said to me, “My grace is made sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Off The Wall

by heart, prayer, GodIn many churches today the words of the songs are projected either onto a large screen or a wall, making it easy for people to follow the words and sing along.

My husband and I were attending a large gathering where we were invited to sing along with the person on stage. There was no projector for the words and we were told we’d need to sing “off the wall.” That meant that we couldn’t rely on the words on the wall. Instead we would have to go by memory which meant singing the words “by heart.”

The words “off the wall” also had a different meaning for me. When I’m not doing what others expect of me, I might be referred to as “off the wall.” On occasion, my sense of humour has also been referred to that way!

Thinking about this, I realize that my “off the wall” times have been when I haven’t relied on outside prompts. They are the times I have been my true self, and done things “by heart.”

To me, this is the best way to honour God. He wants me to depend on Him and what He has planted in my heart, and not on outside influences. This is accomplished by praying and then waiting for His leading. When I do this, I am “off the wall” in the best way possible.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 NLT

Do Not Disturb

God, inspiration, disturb, availableMy husband and I had arrived to have dinner with family. Our young granddaughters were told to come to the table, but instead, one headed upstairs to her bedroom. The other grandma called her to come back down and the response we heard was, “Don’t ‘sturb me. I’m doing something important.” Although it sounded very cheeky, she was actually being serious, as she had gone to put something away. They have been taught to tidy up before meals and she was doing just that.

Talking about it later, my husband and I felt that she had probably heard a variation of those words before. Mom works from a home office and chances are the girls have been told not to disturb her when she’s in the office as she is doing important work.

Upon closer examination, I wondered if I do this in my life. Do I get so focused on the little things that I fail to see the bigger picture? Have I missed out on opportunities because I didn’t want to be taken away from what I was doing? When I have felt God calling me to spend time with him, have I make it clear that I’m too busy to be disturbed and later would work better for me?

God is never too busy to be disturbed by me. He is always available, always willing to be there for me. My life works much better when I take down my Do Not Disturb sign and make sure I am available for Him.

Do you have contempt for God, who is very kind to you, puts up with you, and deals patiently with you? Do you realize that it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act? Romans 2:4 GWT

New Journal

perspective, GodI had just started writing in a new journal. This one had been chosen for the inspiring words on the cover. Inside the journal were designs or words bordering some pages. When I reached one of the pages I was having difficulty figuring out what something said. It was all in capital letters and looked like IM A GINE. That made no sense to me, what did im a gine mean? Perhaps it was I’M and not IM. After several minutes of trying to figure it out, I turned back to the cover, hoping for enlightenment. What I saw there caused me to burst into laughter. It wasn’t three words, but a single word – IMAGINE. With the stylized writing I had put spaces where there were none. Now that I knew what it was supposed to say, it was easy to see it. I did find it rather ironic that I didn’t have the imagination to see the word imagine! It was all a matter of perspective.

This caused me to wonder how many times I have misinterpreted something because my perspective was wrong. In over thinking I tend to make things far more complicated than they actually are.

The lesson here is that I can work and struggle and not get the desired results. When I focus too hard, I lose my perspective. What is needed is for me to relax and realize that I don’t have to do everything on my own. When I call out to God, he will either equip me or send someone to walk along side of me to help. His perspective is always the right one.

[The Lord says,] “I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you.” Psalm 25:4,5 GWT

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