One Thousand Gifts - October 20, 2012

One Thousand Gifts

Today's Gifts...

   Three Gifts Unconventional...

           99. watercolor paints brushed on pages before being written on
         100. searching for joy in a world of negativity
         101. homeschooling for the past 24 years...now teaching and training others

Five Minute Friday - Look

It's FRIDAY! That means it's time for another Five Minute Friday where, as our hostess and inspiration, Lisa-Jo Baker, puts it, we write "For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not." 

Today's topic is look. So...here...we...

Go!

"So...how do I look?"

Good question! How do I look? How do I look at others? With my eyes? Or with my heart?

Do I look at others and judge them based on what I see on the outside? Or do I look at others and try to see them through the eyes of Christ?

Do I look at others and wonder, "Now...what can they do for me?" Or do I look at others and wonder, "What can I do for them?"

Let us be careful and really pay attention as to "how we look".

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." 
(Philippians 2:4)

Stop!

Have a blessed weekend!

Love,
~Rebecca

The Valley Of Baca

I have shared this post before, but felt impressed to share it again...

This story is for anyone who is experiencing trouble in their life right now...

Psalm 84:5 and 6 says, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools."

Baca means "weeping." There is a massive valley in northern Israel on the direct route south to Jerusalem. In Bible days, the valley was heavy with mulberry trees. Pilgrims who came down from the north country for the Passover feasts had to pass through the valley. The pilgrims would stop to rest in the heat of the day and would often spend the night there and sleep beneath those same mulberry trees for refuge in case it would rain. 

You see, the mulberry tree, whenever one of its twigs or leaves is wounded by man or wind, exudes from the wound drops of thick saplike tears on the underside. Thus, the valley once dense with mulberry trees became known  as the valley of Baca...the valley of weeping. 

Isn't that a beautiful picture? A hidden treasure from God's Word!

Now, the valley of Baca in Psalms 84:6 can also be used in a figurative way. It presents an image of human life in this world...our troubles and sorrows. All believers go through the valley of Baca on their journey toward heaven. 

But in order to have a valley there must be mountains on both sides. Christians will have their mountaintop experiences while passing through this world, but at times they will find themselves loaded with heartaches, trials, troubles, and burdens that will take them down into the valley of Baca where they will shed tears of sorrow and grief. 

But, remember the part of that verse that says, "...Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well...?" The Lord is saying that His children won't stay in the valley. They will get through the valley. And beyond the valley lies another mountaintop.

(Originally written and posted on the Proverbs 31 Woman 2 (Yahoo Group) March 3, 2002)

31 Days Of Praise - Day 19

Today has been one of those hard days without much praise offered (not God's fault...strictly my own). Everywhere I've gone there have been joy-robbers. I think sometimes I expect way too much out of people (again...my own fault...I need stop that). I get all excited about stuff (and, believe me, it doesn't take much to get me excited, either!), then I expect others to be excited, too. When their not, I take it personally and allow their lack of interest to effect me in ways that are not good for me. Like I said...I need to stop that! So, having said that, I praise God in the hard things. Even if no one else on the face of the earth can, or even wants, to understand me, God knows my heart and understands the things that reside there. It is enough. Praise the name of the Lord!

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

One Thousand Gifts

Today's Gifts...

     Three gifts unexpected...

          96. a phone call that carries promise
          97. the bottle of pumpkin spice liquid Coffee Mate that my daughter just surprised me with (yeah!)
          98. my first sale on Etsy

31 Days Of Praise - Day 18

 

Photo Credit

How weak and tired I feel at times! How overwhelmed with all of life's unrelenting demands and trials! It is in those moments of weakness that I turn to the Lord and just praise Him for all that He is...for all that He's done...for all that He is doing, and it is within those moments of weakness that He becomes my strength and my shield...a very present help in times of trouble. Praise the name of the Lord!

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him" (Psalm 28:7).