Tag: inspiration

My Favourite Crystals

crystal, cut glass,There are several types of crystals that I either own or have first-hand experience with.

The most common crystal is made from cut glass. When the glass is in its molten stage lead is added which gives it superior clarity and light refraction. Swarovski crystal is a well known example of this. I enjoy a few vases plus some jewelry pieces that are made in this way.

There are also natural crystals that are mined from the earth. These gemstone crystals are quite dull in their natural state. A lapidary artist cuts and polishes them in order to produce their sparkle. The diamond that my husband placed on my finger many years ago is an example of this.

Although all of these crystals are lovely, they require intervention to reveal their beauty. It doesn’t come naturally.

snowflakes, ice crystalsMy favourite crystals have a genuine beauty in their natural state. They are the ice crystals that fall from the sky. I see them sparkle in the freshly fallen snow. The elegance with which they softly blanket the earth still enthralls me.

Each snowflake is a delicately complex arrangement of ice crystals. No two are exactly alike. This uniqueness is part of God’s design.

Maybe the reason I am fascinated by these ice crystals is because they remind me of the way God made you and me. We are each wonderfully unique and beautiful in our own way. No outside intervention is needed. When we allow God to work in our lives, the beauty comes from within. It is then that we sparkle like the precious gems he created us to be.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13,14 NLT)

 

 

The Holiday Train

God, Jesus, distractions, gifts, inspirationThe CP Holiday Train was scheduled to make a stop in our area and my husband and I made plans to meet family there. Our granddaughters ran to greet us and then returned to playing in the snow.

The park soon filled up with families excited for the arrival of the train. The engine and boxcars were adorned with coloured lights. After the train came to a stop, the side of one of the boxcars was lowered to become a stage. Singers and musicians appeared on the boxcars, decorations, lightsstage to entertain the crowd.

The children, however, didn’t seem to care about the train or the performance. They were happy to be playing in the snow that had fallen that afternoon. Truthfully, the performance wasn’t the highlight for me, either.

As I looked at the boxcars festooned with Christmas lights I was reminded of the brightly decorated boxes under the Christmas tree. Like the stage on the train, we may have expectations of what is inside but there is no way to know until the box or gift is opened.

None of these gifts is as meaningful as the one that God gave us when he sent his son. Jesus didn’t arrive on a brightly lit train or with fanfare. He came to us humbly, being born in a stable. His life was not one of performance, but of service to mankind.

I think that the children had it right. The bright lights and performance could not distract them from the wonder and enjoyment of God’s creation. This year I want to be more like a child as I enjoy of the gifts God has given instead of focusing on the distractions of the world.

He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity. (John 1:4 GWT)

God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. (John 3:16 -17 GWT)

Do You Need More Spice in Your Life?

spice, life, God, flavor

The conversation took an interesting turn. What started out as doom and gloom in the media morphed into watching cooking shows on television.

We talked about some of the interesting ingredients. While the chefs on these shows use fresh herbs and spices many of us tend to use the more convenient dried ones. I’ve learned that blending a combination of herbs and spices gives the best results to eliminate boring meals.

Spices lose their strength over time. To preserve their quality they need to be stored properly. Even so, there will come a time when the flavor is diminished and they are no longer useful.

This is also true in our lives. When we are not actively using our talents and abilities they lose some of their flavor. In essence, we become stale.
This is not what God has in mind for us. The talents and abilities he has given us are gifts that we are to use for him. We need to share them generously with those around us. When we work together there is less chance of losing our strength. Together we can be the spice that’s needed to draw people to the life God has prepared for them.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. (Matthew 5:13 The Message)

Can You Bloom in the Winter?

bloom, winter, God, life, preparationHave you ever had low expectations for something but gone ahead with it anyway? That’s how I felt when I purchased a Christmas cactus in late May. It was blooming at the time and I was happy to pay the small asking price.

Prior experience with these plants had not been good. Previous ones had either never blossomed or had done so once and not again. Even though my hopes weren’t high, we continued to care for this plant after the flowers were finished.

Not long ago I noticed buds forming on a few of the leaves. Soon I was rewarded with one flower and the promise of more to follow. This plant that had appeared dormant for many months was showing its beauty once again.

I smiled as I gazed at the showy magenta flower and realized that I had just been presented with a good analogy for life.

After a period of productivity I have often fallen into what appears to be a dormant stage. No matter how much I struggled, it seemed that my life had been put on hold. I wondered what I was doing wrong.

What I need to remember is that God is always working in me. The periods that seem like inactivity are his way of caring for me as he prepares me for the next phase of my life. These periods of rest should be appreciated. There is more going on beneath the surface than I realize. No matter what the season, when God is working in my life, the results will be worth the wait.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14 NIV)

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV)

Do You Want Change?

new behaviors, God, plan life, inspiration“You have to do something different if you want to see change,” the exercise instructor called out. She continued her encouragement with, “Doing the same things will help you maintain but it won’t bring about the change you want; so push yourselves to do things differently.”

These words reminded me of a quote attributed to Albert Einstein in which he says that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Rationally I know this. Why then do I find myself caught in the trap of doing things the way I am comfortable and familiar with? I think I just answered my own question. It’s because I like comfortable and familiar.
To achieve the change I want to see in my life I need to push myself into new behaviors. Comfortable is not going to do it. Instead, I need to change the way I think.

God has a plan for my life. When I trust him to guide me I will no longer be held back by my limited belief of what is possible. My life may not be familiar and comfortable but it will be filled with the change and adventure he desires for me.

Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants – what is good, pleasing, and perfect. (Romans 12:2 GWT)

Doors of Life

God, guidance, patience, inspirationOne of my volunteer roles at a recent seminar was to open the doors at the start of each session to allow the participants to enter. As strange as it seems, this simple task pointed out some life lessons to me.

There were two main sets of doors to enter the training room. Line-ups formed at the closest set of doors, while the other set, just steps away, had few people using them. I realized that the majority of people follow the crowd. The ones that bypassed the line-up and walked to the second set of doors shook their heads in disbelief that so few thought to do this.

The metaphor was not lost on me. I wondered how often in life I have waited in line, following the crowd, when I could have moved ahead quickly if I’d taken the time to look for another open door.

The second thing I realized is that there is usually a reason for closed doors. In this case it was because there were preparations for the next session going on behind those doors. That’s why participants were asked not to enter until the doors were opened for them.

I thought of the many times in my life I’ve been frustrated because the door I wanted to walk through was closed. Perhaps the closed doors were there because I had more to learn before I would be ready to go through them. Maybe I was trying to do too much in my own strength rather than waiting for guidance from God.

All I know for sure is that the plan is not my own. My job is to be aware of the doors before me and learn from both the open and closed ones. I have faith that God will open the right doors for me as I walk closely with him and pay attention to his leading.

The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.( 2 Peter 3:9 GWT)

How Do We Teach Compassion?

inspiration, Operation Christmas ChildMy husband and I took three of our grandchildren on a special shopping trip. It was explained to them that we would be picking out items to put in shoe-boxes for Operation Christmas Child. After dinner we would go to our church and join with others to pack the boxes.

The question of, “Do we get one too?” was something we expected to hear from six-year-olds. This is where the teaching began. My husband sat patiently and explained that these packages would be going to children in who lived in poverty and didn’t have all of the things we had.

Later we arrived at the church and placed our items in the assigned places. There were spots for school supplies, toys, clothing, personal hygiene items and more.

At the starting time each of the girls took a box and we guided them through the lines to choose what to add to theirs. Then we went to a finishing table where the boxes were labeled for boy or girl and the appropriate age group. As we waited in line for the label I bent down and told my granddaughter that this box would be the only gift a little girl received and she had been the one to fill it. She beamed and couldn’t wait to pick up another empty box to fill.

We had only expected them to fill one box each. Instead they continued putting together gifts for children who needed them. The seeds of compassion had been sown.

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)

Go Light Your World

ignite, listening, inspiration

A favourite song of mine has the words, “There is a candle in every soul; some brightly burning, some dark and cold.” It goes on to tell us to take our candles and go light the world.

A recent experience illustrated this in a simple but powerful way.
I arrived for a scheduled a book reading at a senior’s residence to find only two people in attendance. The low number was unusual but the reason behind it soon became clear.

After I read a couple of short stories, one woman tentatively told me that she was a writer. She’d taken courses and written short stories but didn’t have the confidence to share them. The other person drifted out of the room and I had the privilege of giving my full attention to the one remaining.

She told me about the depression she suffered and that some days she couldn’t bring herself to get out of bed. Medical issues were part of this, but deeper were the feelings that she was not making a meaningful contribution to life.

I gave her the gifts of listening and encouragement. By the time I left she was excited about returning to the stories she’d started several years ago and promised to share some with me on my next visit. I gave her a hug and she told me it felt like she had a new friend.

My time had the effect of using my candle to ignite hers. Now she is able to shine. It wasn’t a momentous event and didn’t take much time. My candle is burning brighter as a result. Together our light will brighten the world.

How will you take your candle and go light the world? I’d love to hear your stories.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

A Drop In The Bucket

God, inspiration, faith, hope, joy, peaceJust before leaving the house for the morning I made what I thought would be a quick trip to the basement. At the bottom of the stairs I heard a drip, drip, drip. “Oh, that can’t be good,” I thought.

It didn’t take long to identify the problem. A pipe that circulates the water for our in-floor heating had sprung a leak. I had been in this area less than 30 minutes before and everything was fine so this took me by surprise. I quickly found a bucket, mopped up the floor and said a prayer of thanks that this had been discovered before I left the house.

While waiting for a plumber that day I learned that even a pinhole opening in a pipe can disperse a lot of water. Drop by drop my bucket filled until it needed to be emptied. A large outdoor garbage can was brought in to hold the bucket and catch any overflow. The dripping didn’t stop until the main water line to the house had been turned off.

This was a powerful visual of what negative thoughts and ideas can do in my life. The first few are just drops in an empty bucket. A little doubt and disappointment here, some fear and anxiety there and soon these drops accumulate. It doesn’t take long for them to become a steady stream of negativity. Before I know it my bucket is full to overflowing. Then it spills out and affects those around me.

The only way to stop this is to turn it off at the source. When I take all of my concerns to God he is able to take the negativity away. Through my faith in him, he will allow it to be replaced with peace, joy and hope. Now those are things I’m happy to overflow with.

May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 GWT)

How to Get Rid of Anxious Thoughts

Bible, the Lord, prayer, promisesA disturbing dream woke me just after daybreak. I slipped quietly out of bed and headed for the living room. My heart was heavy and my mind troubled. The dream had a basis in reality and this view of myself was not pleasant.

I picked up my Bible but found it difficult to quiet my mind and focus on the words. Instead, I shared my anxious thoughts with the Lord. My mind stilled and I was able to resume my reading.

The devotional I read next seemed to speak directly to my concerns. This must be more than coincidence.

Suddenly a movement in the back yard caught my attention and I went to the window. We had filled a small wire feeder with winter bird food a few days earlier. Our little oak tree had become a gathering spot for numerous birds. I smiled as I watched some in the branches, one or two at the feeder and several on the ground enjoying what had been dropped.

This image was a visual reminder of the promises in the Bible that the Lord will take care of me. I knew then that he had heard my prayer. I had nothing to worry about because I was in his capable, loving care.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:26 NIV)
Turn your burdens over to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble. (Psalm 55:22 GWT)

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