Fresh Paint

Join me in the Five Minute Friday Challenge hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker. Participants write for 5 minutes with no editing, no over thinking, and no backtracking. This week’s word is: After.

(Go)

Autumn break means time to throw ourselves back into the renovations we began during the last ‘holiday’. We’re almost at the painting bit. Each day the space looks a little more like the dream in my heart. I wait for hubby to finish the window and door trims – then I can make myself useful with the putty and paint.

I have been passing the time by restoring the table and chairs we plan to use in the room…

Before: broken, dusty, cobwebs, evidence of creepy crawly inhabitants, dirty, peeling paint, missing polish, tired, sad, run down, needing love.

After: Fresh, bright, cheerful, restored, clean, smooth, useful, beautiful, loved.

It’s the same with us. God has a dream in his heart for us too. But placed in the master’s hands we can become so much more than an old chair with a fresh lick of paint.

(Stop)

Now, your turn…

Inner Pearl

Join me in the Five Minute Friday Challenge hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker. Participants write for 5 minutes with no editing, no over thinking, and no backtracking. This week’s word is: Broken.

(Go)

An unplanned trip to the beach. Jeans rolled up so as to get nearer the water. Water that is not as close as usual. It is low tide.

Shells, rocks and miscellaneous pieces in abundance. Fascinating things to get down and study. A wave comes in and rolls a pretty white sun bleached snail shell to me. Reaching into the water I miss and have to try again. Eventually the prize is mine. It is beautiful.

Periwinkles. So many periwinkles. My favourite. Soon I have a handful of varying colours and sizes. The patterns on each one are intricate.

But the ones that fascinate me the most? Those with holes – or windows as I like to think of them. Tiny glimpses inside these curious little spiral houses from a different world. The broken ones that reveal the central spiral staircase capture my imagination the most.

My husband brings me a piece of an oyster shell. The outside is lumpy and rather ordinary. I turn it over to reveal the beautiful pearly inner.

A beauty that would not be visible, if it were not broken.

(Stop)

Now, your turn…

 

The Heavens Declare

Today I'm linking up with Create With Joy for Wordless Wednesday. Here we share our favourite photos with or without words...



Today's picture is a follow on from yesterday's post.

Creativity

I love to create. It’s who I am. It’s what I do. It’s how God made me. I am happiest dreaming up new ideas and then trying them out. Most of my creations end up living with someone else. Some are sold for a bit of extra pocket money. Others are given away as gifts to friends and family. I love knowing that what I have enjoyed making can bring a smile to somebody.

The downside is that I rarely get to see the item again. Unless that special something is made for a special someone who shares a roof with me. Today I got to experience that pleasure. I made the kids a cubby house. Not your standard bed sheets and kitchen chair variety either. Though there is nothing wrong with those. I grew up on that particular style and it holds a soft spot, and many happy memories, in my heart.

This one though, is a little fancier. It is still made from a bed sheet but I got the scissors and sewing machine involved too. It has a roof, four walls, a curtain door, and two cute little windows…I digress…

My heart thrilled to hear my children’s laughter as they crawled inside. I was delighted to know that this is not a one off experience. And the whole thing made me wonder how God feels about us enjoying his creation.

When I put the finishing touches on a project, the very next thing I do is sit and admire it for a moment. God did the same thing when he made the world.

^{Genesis 1:31} God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…(NIV)

Consider this…

He could have made the world with the basics. One all nutritious food that had everything we needed. One kind of material good for building, another good for clothing.

But He didn’t.

He gave us variety. Colours, smells, sounds, shapes, breeds…I’m only just getting started – we could go on and on here, right?!

God wants us to get pleasure from his creativity. To delight in it. And I think he likes to watch. To enjoy us enjoying it. Giving the glory back to Him.

^{Psalm 19:1} The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

² Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

³ They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world. (NIV)

Soul Rest

Join me in the Five Minute Friday Challenge hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker. Participants write for 5 minutes with no editing, no over thinking, and no backtracking. This week’s word is: Rest.

(Go)

Whether I like it or not I get to rest a lot. My body craves rest. But just because I am lying down does not mean I am resting. Often times my mind is working overtime; thinking up brilliant new ideas; deciding what to create next; mentally writing to do lists; worrying how I will get them done; wishing things were different.

I really have to get a grip when I find myself wandering this path. It’s just not healthy to compare what I can do with somebody else. And so again I must make peace with my abilities. Choose to focus instead on my blessings. Do what I can and then rest - body and soul.

Psalm 91:1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (NIV)

(Stop)

When I saw what today’s word is, the first thing that came to mind was ‘Rest my Soul’ by Michelle Tumes. It is a great reminder to rest and what that really means. May it bless you as it does me.

Click here to listen.