What am I Filled With Today?

"Whatever you are overflowing with will spill out when you are bumped."

What are you filled with today?

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes: 

Quote is an Indian Proverb (via Ravi Zacharias).

His website, which has a lot of great resources is located at:

http://www.rzim.org/

Photo above taken in Seaside earlier this month;

this little girl was overflowing with happiness and no one had to bump her to see it:)

Recently

 Recently I wasn't at home to light my candles a few minutes before sunset,

just as I have been doing since the month of Elul began.

Since I was a bit apprehensive to bring them along,

due to the very dry conditions,

 I didn't--

but this made me a bit sad.

But as a friend and I drove along in the gorgeous countryside,

drinking in the beauty we found there,

I felt as if God Himself had lit my Retreat candles

and I stopped what I was doing to say a prayer to welcome the new day in--

another day to draw closer to Him

and

allow Him to draw closer to me.

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Notes: rural Marion county.

Be Kind

Be ANGRY, and yet DO NOT SIN:

do not let the sun go down on your anger,

and do not give the devil an opportunity... 

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth,

but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment,

so that it will give grace to those who hear.
~

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,

by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
~

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor

 and slander be put away from you,

along with all malice

Be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, forgiving each other,

just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Not easy to do, is it?

I know.

Not easy to respond with kindness and keep

your heart tender when someone does you wrong;

when they speak to you in THAT tone of voice

or use THOSE words.

Especially not easy when the same person wrongs you time and time again.

And yet God, speaking here through Paul,
commands us to not hold onto anger.
~

How well our Creator knows us---

He knows just how costly it is to US to stay angry--
relationally, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
~

So how do you put these Words of God into action when someone angers you?

How do you extend grace to others when they hurt you?

Blessings,

Aimee

Photos:

Northern Oregon Coast

Notes:

Ephesians 4:26-27, 29-32 NASB

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,

Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995

by The Lockman Foundation.

Used by permission."

Morning Showers

This morning (Saturday morning) was noticeably different.

The sky was gray, overcast

and I felt something strange, cool and most wonderful on my bare skin.

The earth had just received a blessing from heaven-

a precious gift from the Creator...

and I was grateful,

very grateful.

My heart felt different today too;

not a lot, I can honestly say,

but I did perceive a tiny change deep within my soul
and  

that was a precious gift from the Creator as well.

When Thou saidst,
Seek ye My face;

my heart said unto Thee,

Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

Psalm 27:8 KJV

Blessings,

Aimee

Photo:

our beautiful crocosmia today.

Welcoming in the New

The LORD is my light and my salvation...

Psalm 27:1a

Yesterday just before the sun set in the west,

my husband helped me light two new candles:

symbols of the light of God that dispels the darkness;

symbols of our prayers reaching heavenward-

towards the Creator of all.

Every evening during this new month

 (and for 10 days thereafter)

they will be lit for a few moments -

to set apart this time as a time of reflection and renewal.

Wishing you a blessed Elul,

Aimee

Resources on Elul for Christians:

http://hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Elul/elul.html

 http://frontrangemessianic.org/moedim/a-season-of-teshuvah/

When Your Soul Feels Parched

You caused abundant rain to fall, O God.
When Your inheritance was weary You revived it.
Psalm 68:9 LEB

Outside many of our plants are showing signs of stress;
wilting, browning, loss of fruit--

visible indicators  that it has been very hot as of late
and that the plants did not get enough water when it was needed.

Our grass (no way can I call it a lawn) is brown except in a few places;

it will bounce back when the autumn rains begin.

This evening at sunset begins my spiritual retreat--

a time I set aside yearly to examine where I am at spiritually;

a time of renewal.

As the hours tick by today,

I find myself so in need of this year's retreat;

I feel totally parched-
wilted,
weary,
unfruitful.

I know the causes of my soul's drought
(there are many)

and

I know the only cure.

As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for You, O God.
I thirst for God,
the living God,
When can I go and stand before Him?
Psalm 42:1-2 NLT

Blessings this day,
Aimee

Notes:
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.