Don’t waste a minute being unhappy. If one window closes – run
to the next window – or break down a door.
Anon
And my little dog, Jacopo, is taking Anon’s advice here. We were both very happy to have my daughter Amanda come for a Fourth of July visit. Jacopo looked for her for hours after she left.
I was seized by the beauty of the canopy in our back yard after yesterday’s rains. It brought joy to my heart.
The Walk to the Water Gardens
A few times a year I try to break away for a time of solitude and prayer. Such times help me to refocus and gain some much-needed perspective on life. Sort of like climbing to the top of a high hill and being able to see the lay of the land below.
The Rose Wall
A few weeks ago I had the chance to break away for a day a prayer at Longwood Gardens just outside of Chadds Ford PA.
My son and I arrived at Longwood after a late breakfast. We walked the gardens together through lunch time and then he headed off to work leaving me with a six-hour block of time to read the Bible and pray.
Joe at the waterfall
Lately I have felt a bit overwhelmed by the scope of work I see God opening up before me. I brought many of my concerns about my own ability to Him that day. In response He took me to the words of Hebrews Chapter 11
” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.”Heb. 11:1
The Webb House in the Meadow Garden
As I pondered how I should address my current responsibilities in faith I took a long walk through the meadow garden. During the course of that walk I stumbled upon this sign.
I realized then, that every time I begin to get a handle on the pace of life the pace of life seems to quicken. The answer I was left with was to rest in the flow. God also reminded that I am not alone in the boat. If the work is increasing then the labor force has to increase as well.
The night is coming on fast and there is still much to do. God showed me that while I might see a corner piece of some of that work even that much is not mine to do. I don’t have to do everything I see, only those things I see my Father doing.
When my son met me at 9 that evening I felt ready to take on these new challenges facing me in ministry.
When was the last time you took a day to pray and get your bearings? What has the Lord been telling you in your prayer time??
The more we express our gratitude to God for our blessings,
the more he will bring to our mind other blessings. The more
we are aware of to be grateful for, the happier we become.
– Ezra Taft Benson
I promised I would keep you updated on the state of my very first pears from my baby pear trees. Well here they are and I bless God that these little guys are still growing!
It is really hard to believe we half way through the year! If you had told me all of the blessings I could expect out of 2014 in January, I would not have believed you. If you had told me how I would change this year I would have doubted you highly…but here we are!
I answer this week’s questions with a heart full of gratefulness for what this year has been.
When you have finished please check out Cee’s other contributors at…
Share Your World – 2014 Week 26
Is your refrigerator, organized or a mess inside?
My refrigerator is still a mess but it is not half the mess it use to be! I am getting a real grip on things like cleaning schedules and what not. I told my Lead Pastor the other day in staff meeting I have never been more organized than I am at this point of my life! It is truly amazing the changes that have happened in me this year.
If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?
I would love to be a famous author.
What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?
There are so many things I would like still to do but I guess in light of the last question my answer would be to publish a book and have it be successful.
Where do you eat breakfast?
I eat breakfast at the dining table usually while I am reading.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I am very grateful that last week I got to visit my son in Pennsylvania. This week I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and getting organized for the upcoming Special Touch event, visiting with missionaries from China and leading our first Cloverton organizational meeting. Yes!Cloverton is coming to Cornerstone in the fall and I am pastoring the team that is organizing the concert. 🙂
Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.
Life is never perfect. We have all said that before, but maybe that’s not the best way to put the condition of life into words. Perhaps a better way to say it is that life is not perfectly what we expect. It could be that life is perfectly what we need in order to become perfect. If so, while everything in life may not be good we can still receive it with joy knowing that somehow God will use it for our good.
In that way then the words of the old hymn are true,
One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between Man and Nature shall not be broken.
I am happy for every minute I am getting to spend in my gardens this summer. This is a picture of what I call my wonky garden. Its full of oregano, mint, yarrow, lemon thyme, wild buttercup and all manner of meadow flowers.
I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
I am so thankful to see my children growing and succeeding. My daughter moved into her own apartment this weekend and is now gainfully employed!
God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
C. S. Lewis
I could not agree with this quote more. With Christ in my life all happiness is brightened and even the strongest of life’s sorrows is weakened by the knowledge that My God shall swallow it all into Himself one day as I worship Him.
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
Denis Waitley
I am so happy to have had a great weekend with my son. I am also very happy to be back to work and to be finally catching up with all my writing, correspondence and ministry work!
This photo is of the night watershow at Longwood Gardens.
