Sabbath Restoration and Renewal

My Heavenly Father, my great and loving Lord Jesus, I come before you now having rested and thought and prayed today with you.  I do needed to be with and near to you.  Thank you my living God.

It is your Sabbath day, and I have spent time with you in silence and contemplative thought.  Please create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew your everlasting spirit within my soul. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. I ask that you please restore me. I ask you for the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing heart and spirit to accept and cherish your wonderful gifts. 

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Jesus is our hope. When we hope and have faith in Him, He renews our strength, our spirit and our hearts joy. Jesus,  I thank you for this quiet, peaceful and very calm day  I needed time with you today, and I am so grateful to be able to call out to you every moment knowing that you are right there and you hear me every moment of my life. 

…..and I now pray

My Father….

Who art in heaven  

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come

Thy will be done, 

on earth, as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day,  our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses 

As we forgive those who trespass against us, 

and lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil, 

for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, 

forever and ever, 

• Amen •

Creating a “Wake”

September 23

Matthew 5:1

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

▶︎ LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL

On a flight along the Gulf Coast, I looked out the window and saw something amazing. Even if I couldn’t see the boats on the gulf, I could tell their size by the wake I saw behind them. Small boat, small wake. Big tanker, wide and long wake. Did you know that in 2019, according to the Pew Research Center, more than 2.5 billion people in the world professed to be Christians. It is staggering to think about the wake of Christianity. Since the birth of Christ, the influence, the power, the impact He has made upon the lives of countless men and women, boys and girls. Christianity is defined by what God did in history – Who Jesus is, and what Jesus did. And the whole Bible is the story of God at work in the lives of men and women, equipping them so they will leave a “wake” that testifies to their commitment to Him. Prayer Dear Father God…may we all create a “”wake” and make a difference. Certainly with you in our lives we have a chance. With you alone in our hearts and our spirits we can make a difference. I pray that the little things I may do as a witness to others would be blessed by your heavenly lord light in me.  My dearest Lord, I ask that you help me to let my light so truly shine.  Amen.

Oh “Morning Glory”

My Morning Glory climber was one (1) seed. I had a packet but dropped them and only could retrieve one. It’s climbed my trellis in spit of my snafu.

I  Just kept winding it around the stems on the trellis. So cute and every morning it’s the first thing I look at. To see how many blooms I have. Today it’s about seven (7). Next year I’ll be more careful with these tiny seeds. It’s sweet, cheerful and forgiving. I Love it. This   Morning  Glory makes my day.  Lovely……

My Saturday Morning Prayer (REVISED) Wed – 9/21 – 8:22 am

Yesterday I spied one little Caladium leaf in the dirt nuzzled up almost inside a Hosta. All by its lonesome. I gently pulled after making a small dig in the dirt. It gave way….root in tact. I took it home and believe me…. you will see I will make a plant out of it. 

REVISED – Wed – 9/21 – 8:22

Ah…ha’  I knew it  My one little Caladium leaf was doing  its own “thing,” growing under the dirt  Here it comes. Once I get two or three leaf sprouts I’ll move it to a planter. It never ceases to amaze me, at what one leaf can do. It’s so thrilling  I’m saving another plant.  COOL

••••••••••••••

I did this recently with a fern that was down to one (1) frond. It’s now in a planter with six (16) fronds and two new on the way. In October I will plant it in the ground outdoors. It has enough stability now that I think it will make it through the winter and come back in the spring. A small miracle.

I’ve told my gardening clients…. I’ve never killed a plant  The good news is…. nature will inspire you if you will let it rebound and thrive.  Care for it and give it a little bit of time.

So why would I bother with one alive leaf.  It’s my God given talent. HE breathed life into me and gave me this talent. We all have them. So think about your talents and take action that your Lord and Savior God will surely bless you with His Grace.

You and I have gifts to give to Him and to others. Share to make our world better. These are the little things that matter. And most importantly…pause right now, bow your head and give thanks to Him. Jesus….is waiting to hear your thanksgiving.

I wish you all a beautiful Saturday morning

Prayer

…. my dear Jesus  I call you now. Thank you for my talents. I wish to use my talents in the best way. You alone will guide me and give me new inspiration. May I honor you today as I now serve my patrons in their gardens.  Gardens where more than plants are growing.  I’m planting seeds you have given me.   Your seeds of hope and everlasting joy.  Thank you Father…..AMEN

“Contessa” says….it’s all good.

A little birdie told me…..

…… that my gardening projects are where my life is at its best. How can I thank my Lord and Savior enough. My “little birdie” tells me things through silent encouragement, along with my God’s everlasting help. I am honored to serve. 

I am the recipient of untold natural blessings in my gardens. My plants, my creatures, the butterflies,  the birds, the dogs who walk by, and the folks I work for.  Each person I care for, are also people who I pray for. I need them and we need each other. What a blessing. We are fulfilling Gods intention for your world. All of us here on earth are about sharing life and earthly tasks.

My Prayer

Dearest Lord…..,I do hope We honor you in all that we do together, because frankly, nothing else really matters.

Thank you Lord for my fruitful life in my gardens. I only wish to honor and serve you always. Amen 🙏 

PS…. and thank you so much to “my little birdie,” for being my “forever” inspiration and gentle encouragement.

 

Scripture ……John 14:26

The Holy Spirit Is a “Stud”

Sept 13

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

▶︎ LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL

We can study and understand the ethics of Socrates without ever knowing Socrates. But we cannot understand the Bible and spiritual truth without knowing Jesus Christ and having the Holy Spirit teach us. The Holy Spirit is like the studs in a building that provide vertical and horizontal support. We can use STUD as an acrostic to see some of the ways He operates in our lives. The Holy Spirit SEARCHES our spirits in truth. He TEACHES us all things, even the thoughts of God. Also, the Holy Spirit gives us UNDERSTANDING of the truth of God’s Word, leading to a DISCERNMENT of the will and purpose of God in our lives and circumstances. So let me encourage you to do an inspection of your life in Christ … and pay special attention to the stud. My Prayer  Oh Holy Spirit….I welcome you into my day and my life this morning.  I know that your spirit brings me into your complete truth. I know that you are my helper in need. I know that You are the one who fills me with the true “Spirit of God.” Holy Spirit, my morning prayer is to come into communion with You today, for I know that you work to intercede for me to my Father in heaven, and you always bring comfort to me with Your “peace” that comes into me, the peace that is way beyond my own simple understanding. Holy Spirit, please come…… • AMEN •

Sabbath Sunday, Reflection and Prayer

Exodus 20:9

“You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me.” 

••••••••

Today I need to rest my body, recharge my emotions and refocus my spirit. God intended for me to work. But if we are going to do our best, He also wants us to rest

Sunday is a day to be quiet and rest. To enjoy the comfort of your nest, to reconnect with your precious relationships. Take a reflective walk, sing hymns to yourself and in doing so….you are honoring your God. Read scripture. Think about how you can really reconnect today with your loving creator.

Pray and thank God for your many blessings. Showing gratitude brings a humbleness of spirit. It helps you to open up your heart and your spirit to a conversation with Him that is pure, and ready for His presence right then with you alone.

••••••••

Prayer

Dear  Lord, help me to make every Sabbath about you. Quiet my heart, give rest to my soul, and refocus my spirit. I know that true renewal comes only from you. Holy Spirit please help me to be intentional with my time and worship, and encourage me to find rest in you alone. In Jesus’ name I humbly pray. 

• Amen • 

Planning, one day…..at a time

If you have followed us for at least five years you may remember this graphic. It’s about planning. Its about God planning, and it’s about making good plans. Nothing wrong with planning at all. 

Planning is important when you have deadlines to meet. It’s important when you don’t want to let others down once you’ve offered to help out.  It’s important with our finances, and it’s important with our goals in life.

With planning comes discipline and a vision of what we are aiming for…. and what we want to achieve. Nothing wrong with that. 

But remember to consult with your creator about your plans. He has all your plans memorized and that’s because He planned and created them himself…. Just for us.

Trust Him and the joy will be in the journey. The destination may look different than you had planned, but trust, obey, have faith and be patient. God has your plan…… perfectly planned. Amen.  

A reflection today from…..

“Contessa”

 

Sunday….Your Sabbath Day

Oh Heavenly and Gracious Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thank You for this beautiful and glorious Sunday morning. I am pondering my day and my time with you. How lucky am I to know your goodness and to receive your everlasting love. You have created this day for all of us to spend some holy time together. I praise and honor your name, Jesus Christ. This is the day that you have made, I will rejoice and be glad for all that You have in store for me. Wrap your loving arms around those I love and stay by my side today. I want to bathe myself in your holiness and your gentle and nurturing ways. I give you all of my day. Thank you for loving me and caring for me. Thank you for your provisions for me and for those who cross my path that need my help. Oh most gracious and loving Savior, I know that everything I am….or forever hope to be….is always from You. AMEM

Gardening/Weather and..::Our God

As an avid gardener and a gardener with my own gardening assignments, I cannot tell you how much I count on good weather. Each morning I wake…. I look out on the sky, the clouds and peeks of the sun shining through the clouds. I can kind of tell what kind of weather day is coming. And I think it stems from my childhood where our garden and our land depended completely on our weather. Apples and peaches and plums in the orchard needed certain growing conditions. Tomatoes, Potatoes, Onions and Strawberries needed certain overnight temps and perfectly sunny days to produce beautiful fruits. Our family was so dependent on good weather.

All I can say today, this morning, as I look out into the sky at 6 am I see a beautiful day coming. We have had two weeks of such favorable temps, beautiful sunshine and light breezes. Our lawns and plants are still doing well. You can tell though that the weather is changing ever so slightly. And our evenings are a tad darker a little earlier.

I am in awe of the wonders of God, nature, plant life and the things we take for granted every single day. I am lucky to be able to work outdoors. I encourage you to go outside today and savor our  gorgeous temps, plentiful sunshine and nature.

If you can stay out until you see a creature it can change the tempo of your day. Notice a bloom or a bird. Really take notice. It can stop you in your tracks. It will slow you down. It will make you pause, rest, and think. Our outdoor world  is a wondrous gift from our God.

I thank HIM for these many blessings.  I thank Him for all of you.

My God,  you are soooo….. great and so good to us.

My Great God….thank you for your love, and our amazing world.

AMEN