Scatter the flowers

  Google image "The greatest glory in living lies in not never falling,  but in rising every time we fall." ~Nelson Mandela 🐕 It's raining cats and dogs outside my window right now.  Where did that phrase come from anyway?  I mean, I would be okay if it rained cats, but dogs ? That's just mean.  Unless upon landing their paws turned into marshmallows.  Cats would just go on with their barren lives upon landing.   🐈 Is that too vicious?  Anyway ... 🐕  Rain turns me into a 'grab a throw and another cup of coffee' kind of person.  Somewhere along the lines I made a decision to respond in that way, and I'm glad.  I don't want rain to make me grouchy.  Yes, it can damper some outdoor plans, but where I live as long as it's raining there won't be fire danger.   These past several weeks a lot of spiritual 'rain' fell across our world.  It was dark, storms raged between people, and suffering and sadness loomed....

  Crosswalk image Nothing makes Satan weak in the knees more than when we are on our knees."   ~ Skip Heitzig, Pastor Death.  Killing.  Violence.  What do we do with such heavy hearts in such a dark time? With the knot in our throats and the pit in our stomachs that are weighing on our souls?  When we look around us, nothing on this broken earth can fill our void of sadness and despair.   So we look up to the One who created all things and who alone has the power to bring light and help: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.   What does help look like?  When does it come?  How much will we get?  Anger, confusion, bitterness, hostility, helplessness and fear overcome us in different ways and at different times.  We want reasons- we ask, "Why, Lord, why?" We instinctively want a reckoning- someone to pay for the injustice that has happened....

The Hobbit "I killed a goblin or two with a flash." ~ Gandalf, from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien    🏡  I came across some fall villages I had bought months ago & forgot about.  When I unpacked them I realized I had a huge smile on my face.  Now I have been building a Christmas village for 39 years now, so imagine my heart leaping for joy when I discovered fall villages!  What genius soul created that- thank you!! 🏡 I know I have a weird fascination with fairy garden world.  Those cute miniatures just make my heart happy.  It's like a hobbit world without the bad goblins, trolls or wargs.  It's like a piece of the world where sin is not allowed, no mean people can live there, food has no carbs, everyone is kind, and each house has endless coffee brewing if you just happen to stop by.  And everyone has their own pumpkin patch. Hmmm.  That reminds me of a place we read about where sin isn't allowed, where love abounds, Jesus is K...