So Did I

Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

My columbine cross-pollinated.

When I first planted columbine in my flower garden, I started with one or two plants. I had grown the old-fashioned ones for years, but when I moved, I failed to take them with me. Eventually, I gathered starts of white and purple from my siblings and added a pretty blue one. With their pops of color and lacey leaves, they add bursts of joy to my plot. As the spring flowers bloom, I'm reminded once again of God's handiwork.

Last year as I perused the early blossoms, I noticed a change in one of the columbine plants. The white ones generally have a multi-petaled bloom, while the purple and blue produce more of a bell shape with tiny curls on the edges. When I focused the camera on one of the white blossoms, I noticed it had a bell shape, too. The white had cross-pollinated with one of the other plants and created a delicate white bell with curls.

I'm fascinated by the work of God in nature. Of course this discovery got me thinking. When I as a human "cross-pollinate" with the grace God offers, I become a different person. I'm no longer relying on myself. Instead, I'm a child of God who relies on my heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Through Him my soul reaches a level of beauty I could not imagine possible.

Just as the white columbine changed and blossomed, so did I when I surrendered my life to Jesus. He has a good work for me to do and when I mesh the abilities and desires God has given me with his grace and forgiveness, I'm a new creation who by what I do, brings glory to my Father. I thank God for His grace and mercy and for the chance to make a difference.

Praise God for Jesus and for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Work of Heart

I enjoy growing herbs and flowers in my tiny garden.

One of my favorite flowers that greets me each spring is the columbine.

I planted purple, white, and blue, and I plan to add pink.

They're all unique, and each one adds beauty to my little plot.

Each person is a work of heart, like the flowers.

God creates us in the womb and breathes life into us.

Each person is unique and has the potential to add beauty to the world.

 

Enter to Win!!!

I am excited to announce my book, Home Where She Belongs, is part of the Basketful of Books Giveaway. This giveaway runs 5/16 through 5/21, and the prize consists of twelve Christian books. The 1st place winner will receive all twelve books (authors' choice of format) and the 2nd place winner will receive three books (authors' choice of format) of their choosing. A variety of genres, from fantasy to historical romance to suspense and more, are featured.

You can enter to win here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bfce54d32/?

#basketfulofbooks #christianbookgiveaway #readingcommunity #freebooks

 

Find the Tunnel

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

Can you hold your breath through a tunnel?

On vacation or road trips, I remember a game where we tried to hold our breath while we crossed a bridge or drove through a tunnel. I think that was our parents' way of getting us quiet for a few minutes. Oh, wait, I was the parent, and yes, it was the perfect game for a moment of peace.

In my travels, I've never been a fan of crossing bridges, especially long ones. I remember on one trip we drove across a long curving bridge over water, and my stomach turned into ball of nerves. On other trips, we've traveled through tunnels, and I loved them. When Hannah lived in the Carolina's we drove through a couple of long tunnels that snaked under mountains, and I was always excited to see the light at the other end. There's something about the anticipation of seeing daylight shine on the way out.

While riding through a tunnel in a car with headlights can be fun, navigating life in the dark isn't. Depression, illness, sorrow, pain, and sin can all cause darkness to swallow the light. But I have good news. Jesus' light outshines all the darkness in the world.

For many years, I struggled with anxiety and some depression, but Jesus didn't leave me there. He guided me to find a doctor who could help, he answered prayers, and gave me hope. But in order to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I first had to find the tunnel. God's word, His voice of truth, lit my way through the place I needed to walk. On the other end, I found joy and hope.

Maybe you know the way to the tunnel that provides light, but haven't driven there yet. Maybe you're in the tunnel and well on your way to the light. Maybe you've missed the tunnel altogether. No matter what, keep moving toward Jesus and seek His light. He loves every one of us.

Hope of Spring!

One of my favorite signs of spring blooms in early May.

The dogwood offers her showy blossoms in white and pink. 

If you know me, you know I love pink.

God has given us so many beautiful plants, 

and they bring joy to my heart and hope to my soul.

As the creator of all things, He gave us beauty to encourage and lift our hearts.

When you see the glory of spring, have hope!

 

Fiction Review: When the Meadow Blooms by Ann H. Gabhart

Book Description:
If any place on God's earth was designed to help one heal, it is Meadowland. Surely here, at her brother-in-law's Kentucky farm, Rose and her daughters can recover from the events of the recent past--the loss of her husband during the 1918 influenza epidemic, her struggle with tuberculosis that required a stay at a sanatorium, and her girls' experience in an orphanage during her illness. At Meadowland, hope blooms as their past troubles become rich soil in which their faith can grow.

Dirk Meadows may have opened his home to his late brother's widow and her girls, but he keeps his heart tightly closed. The roots of his pain run deep, and the evidence of it is written across his face. Badly scarred by a fire and abandoned by the woman he loved, Dirk fiercely guards his heart from being hurt again. But it may be that his visitors will bring light back into his world and unlock the secret to true healing.

My Thoughts:
I so connected with Rose's daughter Sienna. What a delightful child! I loved how she saw the wonder in everything. Calla, too. She was so conscientious and caring. As I read along and found out more about Meadowland, I wanted to live there. Gabhart took the heartbreak and suffering of Rose and Dirk and created a beautiful story of healing and hope, spun with a bit of mystery. If you enjoy a good story driven by strong characters with an amazing setting and a satisfying ending, you'll want to read Where the Meadow Blooms. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

See the Need

Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

I love the song by For King and Country called Relate. They asked the question of how we relate to a variety of people, and that we all experience heartache and joy even if it is in different ways.

When I worked at the college library, I met a lot of people who were different than me. Yet we all had many things in common. We all experienced heartache, joy, anxiety, stress, love, hope, and the list could go on. Our lives were varied, yet we could relate to one another in some way.

I remember a student who visited the library daily. He saw the world through a different lens than most of us. He didn't like his routine to be interrupted, and he wanted to sit at the same computer and stay on the track he created for himself. Fortunately for me, I got to know him and found he cared about life as much as I did. He may not have functioned the same as me, but he had similar feelings, dreams, and experiences.

In Philippians, Paul has written a letter to the church in Philippi. He is simply asking them to see each other through God's eyes as valuable contributors to the Kingdom of God. As a believer, I know God has called me to love others, to see souls, and to encourage where I can no matter who God places in my path. He asks me to be humble and place others burdens before mine. In our busy world, it's not easy to stay focused on the needs of others, but God wants me to cherish others and seek to help in any way I can.

Look beyond the outside of people, see them with God's eyes.