Not Guilty Any More

Before clicking on the arrow to listen to this song, be sure and scroll down to the bottom and turn off the background music of this blog.  

And in the words of this song lie the very essence of Easter. 

What Makes A Hand Beautiful?

The Poet says my hands have character.  That's his way of nicely saying they aren't exactly perfect.  My knuckles are knobby, my fingers are crooked and short, and my nails are paper thin  And although they are not as young as they used to be, it is not age that has done this.  My hands have always looked this way.  Its funny that it never occurred to me to question how my hands looked.  I'm pretty sure that was because my hands looked just like my older brother Bill's hands.  And I was  convinced that everything about him was completely cool.

One day well into adulthood I received a comment about my hands.  The young mother of one of my students was telling me how she worried about her nails and whether or not they were pretty enough for her husband.  She talked herself into quite a stew as we stood there and then suddenly she exclaimed, "Oh!  But look at your hands!  Maybe it doesn't matter after all."  I looked down at my hands.  I had just finished several children's art classes in a row.  There were my knobby crooked fingers in need of lotion and sprinkled with the various colors of paint that we'd been using that day.

I spent the next few days wondering whether I should do something about my hands.  Of course, I could not straighten them but maybe I should have my nails done.  Hmmmmm.  And how many hours would it be then before those costly nails had children's paint on them?  Then I began to realize that I could not have "pretty" hands because of the time they spent in paint and glue.  The idea of hands and their role began to roll around in my mind for weeks.  How challenging life is for those who do not have use of their hands at all.  And how much we should take advantage of the hands we have.

Scripture says "How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace and bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"  Isaiah 52:7    Surely the same can be said for hands.  Beautiful are the hands that hold another's to ward off fear.  Beautiful are the hands that bring food to the hungry.  Beautiful are the hands that reach out to hug and to bring strength.  Beautiful are the hands that are raised to celebrate.  And beautiful are the hands that reach out bringing another to the One whose hands were pierced in love for us.

Altered Prayer Journals

Some of us are getting ready to start a new Bible study this coming week.  So in anticipation last week, a group of us got together and created our own prayer journals.  I lead the group and we created mixed media collages to embellish our prayer journals.  We created, we laughed, and we had fun.  I was quite proud of what these novice collage artists created.  Here are some pictures of journals made that night.

What is Your Perspective?

I posted this last November 8 on my Wind and Honey blog.  It has been on my mind a lot the last few days so I'm reposting it here.

I've come to the conclusion that our outlook on life can be determined by how we look at a tree - or maybe how we don't look.  Have you stopped to look around at the trees and the changing colors?  Have you taken a moment to notice them?  Because they will only be there for just about that moment.  Soon all the leaves will be on the ground and the beauty will have changed.

The tree above is outside of my studio, and this is how most people would see it.  But if you look more closely you will see it something like this.

But I am convinced that the only way to truly appreciate a tree, the only way to truly experience it is to see it like a child.  So first one has to lie down under the trees in the grass.  One has to experience the crunch of the already fallen leaves on the grass.  

And then the magical moment is when you turn your face up and look straight up into the tree thus getting the perspective of a child.  I'm convinced that trees truly love children and children love trees. The love affair that goes on between them gets lost somewhere in those teen years.  So I dare you today to go outside and find one tree to look at with the perspective of a child.  It just might change your day.

Isaiah 55:12

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

A Faith So Real You Can Touch It

On Thursday a dear friend of mine will be laid to rest.  But in reality, she's been walking with her Jesus ("My Jesus", as she lovingly referred to Him) for a few days now.  On Monday, Jan Storms graduated from this earthly stage of life.  She moved to the promised peace and joy of truly being in the presence of her Heavenly Father.  Oh the glories and wonders that she is seeing!

Jan's time on this earth was a physical challenge, to be sure.  She battled cancer multiple times.  She was always determined and very strong willed about it.  And time after time, she won.

I have known few people with as tangible of a faith as Jan had.  Perhaps her battles had taught her that.  We can learn from her example.  Jan loved her family and they were the passion of her life.  Her four children and her husband Bruce were in her thoughts at all times.

My parsonage kitchen is being remodeled right now.  I can hear them banging and clanging as I type.  That was Jan's project and plan from the very beginning.  It was a bittersweet moment when they arrived to begin the project just a few hours after Jan's departure.

Jan has been greatly loved, respected, and admired and she will be greatly missed time and again.  But I hope that just for one moment in our grief that we can stop to celebrate with her, to realize that someone we have loved is actually at this very moment in the presence of our Lord.  What an amazing thing.  I think she would want us to do that.

A few months ago, I shared this song with Jan - "Bring the Rain" by MercyMe.  A friend had shared it with me and I immediately thought of Jan.  Those of you that have known her will understand why right away.  She told me she loved the song and that it was how she felt.  And, of course, I already knew that.  Her love for the Lord and her surrender to His Lordship in her life in all areas was obvious. 

BE SURE AND SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC ON THIS BLOG BEFORE STARTING THIS SONG.  (THE CIRCLE WITH THE 2 VERTICAL LINES)

"Bring me joy, bring me peace, bring the chance to be free, bring me anything that brings You glory.  And I know there'll be days when this life brings me pain but if that's what it takes to praise you, Jesus, bring the rain."

Blessings

One of the songs that plays here on Treasured Sparrow blog is "Blessings" by Laura Story.  Laura's husband has spent the last 5 years in treatments for a brain tumor.  She wrote this song in response to a new perspective they are discovering as they walk this road together.  In an interview, Laura said, "There is a blessedness that comes through waiting on the Lord."  And in fact, Isaiah 30 says, "Blessed are those that wait on the Lord."  

Here are the lyrics.  

BLESSINGS By Laura Story

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need

Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise?

Dignity, Its on the Third Shelf on the Right

Today in church the Poet quoted studies that claim the average person complains 53 hours out of each year!   FIFTY THREE HOURS!!!   Wow!  That caught my attention.  And truth be told, being a bit of an over achiever in this area, I'm probably above average on this accomplishment.  What a complete waste. 

That eye opening information goes well with what I've been reading - I Second That Emotion by Patsy Clairmont.  Patsy is one of my favorite people.  She has such lively wit and just when she has me chuckling she comes in with a profound thought to cause me to pause and think a deeper thought. I Second That Emotion comes with a DVD that is made up of a collection of snippets from Patsy's presentations over the years.  Each one helps to make the point presented in the study guide at the back.  

I've been moving along pretty quickly until I read chapter 6.  This chapter is about Abigail.  Abigail was a woman of Old Testament times.  Abigail is described as being intelligent and beautiful.  I love that scripture lists that she was intelligent first.  And Abigail was married to Nabal.  I'm pretty sure if you looked the word Jerk up in Webster, you'd find Nabal's name listed there.  Choosing to marry Nabal might have been Abigail's most unintelligent decision.  Of course, in those times, she may have not had a choice.  You can read Abigail's story in 1 Samuel 25:2 - 42.  Patsy makes note of the fact that Abigail was ready for the unexpected.  Her pantry was stocked and her character was equipped for the unexpected.  

There is so much more in the book and you would be blessed by reading it.  But here is my condensed version of what Patsy lists as the much desired traits Abigail held.

Dignity - Dignity can manifest itself in many ways.  In this context it reveals itself in the action of following one's own calling.

Discernment - Learning from our mistakes and from watching the example of godly people .... perhaps lowering that 53 hours to 26 for next year.

Intelligence - There are many ways to show intelligence.  Patsy highlights the intelligence to apply God's Word to our actions and our spoken words.

Self-Control - Choosing balance in all areas of our lives.  This is a big one for me.  How many times over the years have I heard the Lord whisper to me Balance, Elizabeth, Balance.  

Preparedness - The most effective way to be prepared for anything is with the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.  

Fortitude - The prerequisite to fortitude is a decision to be faithful to our God and to our faith no matter what comes our way.  

Patience - Patsy refers to the quietness of waiting on God, His wisdom and His timing.

Humility - Patsy says, "this is the inner strength to serve with grace."

Rather than hurry on to the next chapter, I think I'll spend a little time with Abigail, reading her story and researching a bit.  I think she has something to offer me.

Patsy says, "It is a choice to rejoice."
Today I am choosing to rejoice rather than complain.