Scatter the flowers

  Google image "Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends." ~H. Jackson Brown Jr., author of Life's Little Instruction Book 🎕  It all starts with who can stay up the latest at a sleepover in elementary.  Then in middle school it's who will stand up with you against the school bully.  In high school you only need to find one other person to be your bestie to go for chocolate covered cream-filled  long john donuts or help you with Chemistry, or your hair/makeup/outfit/everything.   Friends.  As you age, you call them when your kids are sick, or behaving weird, or you need their recipe.  You share the sale you found and the  movie you love.  You can't wait to tell them so they can celebrate with you, or you need their advice because you're going to lose your mind.  You gut-laugh with them, and at times gut-cry with them.   🎕  There are such great examples of friends in the bible.  Love, lo...

  Google image 🍀Top o' the mornin' to ya!  What's the craic (What's going on)? I hope it's grand and no one's acting the maggot  (misbehaving) or it will be donkey's years (a long time) before it's deadly (excellent) again.   Erin go bragh (Ireland forever)!   I love the Irish, Ireland and St. Patrick's Day.  But it turns out St. Patrick wasn't Irish at all.  I'm not sure how the holiday of drinking got attributed to him either.   And lucky? You decide... He was born in Britain and was captured during a raid where his home was burned by Irishmen and he was taken to Ireland as a slave.  He found a deep faith while being imprisoned and had a vision of escape that he followed and made it back to Britain.  🍀After several years of evangelizing in Britain, he believed through a vision that God was leading him to a ministry back to Ireland- back to his captors.  He made the hard choice to return with only a Bible in hand....

  "Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe." ~ Augustine "I doubt they'll get my order right." "I doubt it will be here on time." "I doubt my voice will even be heard" "I doubt they'll notice." "I'll believe it when I see it." ⁇   Look at all the ways we doubt during a typical day.   Doubt is such a powerful word.  According to the Oxford dictionary, that's when we are uncertain or don't have a lack of conviction.  Of course there's so many frivolous times it doesn't matter, but when it has to do with our faith, it's life-changing. ⁇  The devil loves to sow seeds of doubt and despair.  From the Garden of Eden, he loves us to question what God has promised to us, what God's intentions are, who God is.  Just as Jesus answered the devil in the wilderness, we can always look to God's word for truth and answers.   From the devil: Does God...

  "The most basic of all human needs is to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them." ~ Ralph Nichols, Author, aka "Father of Listening" 👀  Remember Highlight  (yep, that old)  magazines ? One of the things I used to love to do in them is to examine two pictures that were essentially the same but contained a certain amount of differences between them to be identified.  These days, of course, you can play it online or in an app.  But you had to really pay attention to the detail and concentrate.  Here's an example: Printable.com 👀 It's all in the details.  Think of that person who, every time you see them they remember something about your life, or something you said, and it was just so meaningful because it conveys that you are important enough to them to be thought of.   Our God notices each and every one of us.   "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the ...

Google image "To love another person is to see the face of God." ~ Victor Hugo, Les Miserables  💗  In a week where love 💗 love 💘 love 💖 is all anyone is thinking and talking about, how come there is so much angst and sorrow surrounding us?  Why is there loneliness when we are able to be so connected?  Why do people consider themselves unlovable, or afraid to be vulnerable?  While I don't consider the Beatles any kind of authority on love, it is true that 'all we need is love' - but, what kind of love do we really need? 💗 The butterfly-inducing flutter of being romanced and made to feel special?  The satisfaction of having a special someone so we're not lonely?  The thrill of receiving cards & flowers to affirm we are thought about?  Yes, yes and yes - all those are so lovely and delightful.   💗Who doesn't want someone who has never ending, unfailing love for us, rejoicing over our very being, protecting us, lavishing over us, a...

  God's Fingerprint "Religion: My identity is built on being a good person. Gospel: My identity is not built on my record or my performance, but on Christ's." ~ Tim Keller, pastor 🪪  It was just a matter of time.  Thrice (never in my life used this word but doesn't it sound intelligent and British) this month we have had someone steal our identity by using our credit cards fraudulently.  Twice was for airfare, so we suggested we meet them as they board their plane, but the credit card company didn't go for it.   I'm enraged, panicked and feel vulnerable.  How did they get it?  We didn't lose our cards, so is someone on the dark web going to cause more damage?  I guess w e just have to be more vigilant.   Do we also need to be more vigilant with our Christian identity?  No. Never. We don't ever have to worry that our identity in Christ will ever be stolen. Here's why... 🪪  We are new creations formed by God, who mak...