Category: faith

Posted in compassion, Emotional, eyes, faith, God, heart, heaven, hope, Mental, mercy, Physical, prayer, scripture, Spiritual, temporal

A Heart Knowing

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

Do you ever talk until your blue in the face, like talking to a wall or deaf ears? Maybe the trouble is that the person you are trying to reach has a stoppage somewhere. Either the head doesn’t know, or it is that the heart doesn’t know, or both.

Uh, prayer! Prayer for me for more patience. And prayer for him to open up his doors to God’s heart of compassion and mercy. Look beyond what can be seen with the physical eyes. Big eyes of faith, I call to our Father for this because I lack right now.

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. ~ Hebrews 11:1 GNT

And for him, that he realize what is more important. The physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being of our loved ones or stuff, stuff that is temporal. Give each of us a heart knowing and then, living out God’s heart in these matters. Two hearts melting together for a heavenly purpose.

 For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18 GNT

Posted in faith, God, goodness, Holy Spirit, humble, Jesus, kind, love, patient, peace, power, prayer, rest, scripture, self-control, Spiritual

Our Higher Power

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

The Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. ~ John 14:26 NLT

I don’t claim to know everything. I am learning along the way. One fact I know is Jesus is alive today in you and me. The Holy Spirit resides in us. Have you made yourself aware, are you available to hear our God’s promptings? Are you listening? I know there is a higher power watching over the comings and goings of you and me. And that higher power is the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you and me as Romans 8:11 reminds us. Over 2000 years ago Pentecost Sunday brought the promise that we, too can live with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, comfort, and power.

And if the Spirit of God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, lives in you, he will make your dying bodies live again after you die, by means of this same Holy Spirit living within you. ~ Romans 8:11 TLB

The Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. ~ Romans 20:26 GNT

Some days I feel weak, I feel my hands are tied, my brain fried trying to figure it out, running at full speed, then brake just before hitting a brick wall. When I stop my motions long enough, pray, and listen to our Father God, and do what Jesus would do, then the fruits of the Spirit are evident.

“The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control …” ~ Galatians 5:22 – 23.

Posted in care, comfort, faith, God, Jesus, need, People, Physical, prayer, scripture, Spiritual

The Sheep of His Pasture

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

I need Your tender, loving care. The Good Sheperd, guide me the way I should go, provide for my every need. You know me better than I know me. We each are the sheep of Your pasture. Not one of us go astray.

The Lord Our Shepherd

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have everything I need.
2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass
    and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.
3 He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths,
    as he has promised.
4 Even if I go through the deepest darkness,
    I will not be afraid, Lord,
    for you are with me.
Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me.

5 You prepare a banquet for me,
    where all my enemies can see me;
you welcome me as an honored guest
    and fill my cup to the brim.
6 I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;
    and your house will be my home as long as I live.

Posted in Christian, eyes, faith, God, goodness, peace, People, quiet, quote, season, wisdom

Hold Your Peace

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” ~ Exodus 14:14

Do you ever feel like you are fighting against a mighty current? Not getting anywhere fast? You might see some progress, but if you don’t hold your jaw right, all goes to ruin. Much depends on another person’s faithfulness, or it seems anyway. Do you speak the truth in love with this other person?

The issues that bother me, the unfairness and unfaithfulness of others, most I have spoken to the persons involved. Now at this season, God requires me to be quiet, be calm, be still, hold my peace. This is difficult when I get my eyes focused on the offense. When I keep my eyes focused on God, being quiet is much easier.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 7 tells us “there is a time for everything … time to be silent, and a time to speak.” Wisdom is knowing which is best at this present moment. In the online article Zachary Groff states “There is power in holding your peace. For the Christian, ‘holding your peace’ means more than just being quiet. It means to combine restraint with expressions of awe at God’s majesty, and to replace outrage with joy at God’s goodness.”

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

~ Psalm 27:13

Posted in faith, Family, flower, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, life, love, Martha, Mary, prayer, season, Spiritual, thankful, works

A Season For Martha And For Mary

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

I am coming out of a very busy few weeks with St. Jude fundraiser and Asheville outreach projects. I finally am able to sit down and breathe deep breathes even though Thanksgiving brunch preparations started. Cooking for nine or ten family members seems easy compared to cooking for the hundred or double that many meal-on-wheels and seniors on any given day last week. I have a four-day weekend ahead of me. Nice.

As Christians, we cannot have Martha without Mary, and vice versa, Mary without Martha. This is the pull for each of us. “Faith without works is dead.” Then there is the contrasting scripture. “She has chosen the better,” Jesus tells Martha after her complaint about Mary sitting at our Savior’s feet. I sit in the quiet before sunrise, before steps are heard from any other eleven family members (including the furry creatures) in the cottage and meditate. So much to be thankful for. God, You give me life. You give me Jesus. You give me the Holy Spirit. You give me love.

My Novena Rose Prayer
O Little Therese of the Child Jesus,
please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly gardens and
send it to me as a message of love.
O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence in your hands…
St. Therese, help me to always believe, as you did,
In God’s great love for me,
so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day.
Amen.

Posted in blankets, clothing, comfort, community, donate, Emotional, faith, Financial, God, health, heart, People, Physical, provision, share, soul, Spiritual, thankful, warm, warm, weather

Warmth For Wear And Your Soul

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

Yesterday my 5-minute drive to my morning occupation was met with a cold fog.  I craved a hot cocoa and anticipated fixing a mug of frothy warmth and comfort when I got into work. No hot cocoa mix in stock at work and its now placed on the order list for next week. All day I was craving that chocolatey comfort which only hot cocoa can provide. After a long, busy week, Friday evening I finally sat down on my living room couch and indulged in a cup of warm cocoa. My daughter’s two dogs, Beatrice and Grimmy joined me for some cuddle time while I cradled the hot mug in my cold hands and my favorite blankie hugged my legs. This is comfort at its best. I am thankful to be given this comfort I craved. Let me not take this privilege for granted. 

October’s brisk mornings have led to November’s colder air arrival and the promise to get even colder, prepared or not. By the grace of God, Dean and I have several layers of clothes and warm bedding to prepare for the impeding winter season. Jeans, leggings, long underwear, long sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, wraps, ponchos, capes, coats, gloves, hats, scarves, socks, boots, slippers, blankets, throws; plenty to layer up in. Most of us go into the cold-weather season equipped to stay warm while about outdoors or living snug in our homes. But some folks have less for one reason or another, so why not share? How many people do not have these garments and blankets, wrought with poverty, calamity, crises, poor health, and a devastating hurricane?

“Know that all things of the heart root for you on this new day…Your heart knows what to do. Trust it.” 

~ SC Lourie, Butterflies and Pebbles 

My heart has been preparing for the people of Asheville, North Carolina. No way could these people have known what would happen with a tropical storm that started hundreds of miles away from them late in September. Preparations were none. Dean and I are traveling to Asheville in less than 2 weeks. We hope to bring the SUV filled with winter wear for the folks who are recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. This will be a very long recovery for so many. Their first full winter in the mountains will be a trying one. We have gathered some clothing items and a couple of throws but could use more gloves and hats of all sizes as well as blankets and throws. These provisions are a dent in the great need.

If your warm soul would like to donate, you are in the St. Louis area, and we are FB friends, please send me a personal message. Together we will figure out the best way to get your donation to us before we leave. Also, if you care to directly donate funds to the Asheville folks, I have this donation link to an established non-profit organization called BeLoved Asheville. This faith-based group has provided clothing, housing, food, job training, etc. to the community of Asheville for years. Here is a link to a news article about this wonderful organization. Pray, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

~ Saint Francis of Assisi

Posted in bible, comfort, faith, God, provision, scripture, Spiritual, trust, victory

Where Is My Trust?

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

Trust is a big word, because it induces big faith with big action. While I read the Word of God, Psalms says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord, our God.” Chariots and horses are not what most of us deal with in our everyday lives. But what or who do you put trust in for protection, comfort, and provision as you battle everyday life? Our talents, intellect, job, bank account, personality, heritage, health, and people we associate with can all change at any moment’s notice. Another version of this Bible verse says it like this: “Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.” What or who do you take pride in?

“Some people trust the power of chariots or horses, but we trust you, Lord God.”
~ Psalm 20:7 CEV

Here is a Pray The Word podcast where pastor and author David Platt goes into depth about this scripture. Platt summarizes this Bible verse, “our God is the only one who is worthy of all of our trust, all of our hopes, all of our plans, all of our dreams can be trusted with God. All of our lives, our family, our work, everything we have, everything we are, we can trust God with them.” Trust in our God, who is worthy of trust.

“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord.”
~ Proverbs 21:31

Posted in boundary, discernment, eyes, faith, God, Holy Spirit, Lysa Terkeurst, Physical, prayer, refuge, scripture, Spiritual, trust, water

Still The Waters, God!

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

Do you ever feel the ocean’s tide, the rough sea, or the stormy lake waters? For me that is my life right now. While reading Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa Terkeurst I am reminded that God spoke about this already in the Holy Scriptures.

"The waves may toss and roar,
    but they can never pass the boundaries I set."
~ Jeremiah 5:22 NLT

There are natural boundaries, spiritual boundaries, and emotional boundaries. Boundaries for every realm and situation we are placed in. I want to scream “stop” to the rough waters. Paddle my way to a quiet cove. As always it is God’s perfect timing and purposes that prevail. This morning the Holy Spirit spoke to me again when I read in my devotional.

"Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him.  
That is all the doing you have to worry about."  
~ St. Jane Frances de Chantal

As God has commanded, onto the shoreline I am, eyes on God. The boundary God has put in place is before me. “Watch how you are safe behind this line I have drawn. Pray for the others you concern yourself with.”

"Be still and know that I am God."  
~ Psalms 46:10 NLT
Posted in authority, believe, faith, God, love, nostalgia, quote, Spiritual

Nostalgia

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

This week bring some nostalgia to your Valentine’s Day. A little goes a long way. Wear red or pink. Type a love letter. Gift a bouquet of flowers. Bake some cookies to share. Give an old-fashioned Valentine card. No sweetheart to spoil? How about the friends in your life, or someone who needs a friend? Bring lunch to your elderly neighbor. Your sweetheart has not been so sweet lately? Be the example. And pray for him or her. Quoting A.W. Tozer, “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered His authority.” With faith, love and believe.

"Most of all, have a true love for each other. Love covers many sins." 
~ 1 Peter 4:8 NLV
Posted in art, atelier, battle, blessings, challenges, Christian, corner, creative, eyes, faith, garden, gardener, gift, give, God, heart, Holy Spirit, husband, mind, passion, path, prayer, road, share, time, walk, words, works, writer

Round The Corner

Posted on by deannagreensandgardenart

“Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Hard work can be disguised in a hobby. Passion and interest can occupy one’s attention, energy, and time. One starts on a project of great detail. Maybe a cup or two of coffee or tea to keep the momentum going. Then 5, 6, or 8 hours later you are scrambling for a bite to eat and cannot believe what time it is. This is how it has been with baking, gardening, birdwatching, crafting, reading, and writing for me. New brain pathways travelled, mysteries are discovered, prayers said, challenges are overcome, and beauty is found in whatever has been created.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas Edison

Still round the corner awaits another adventure. One that God has placed in my life, your life. A path waiting to be uncovered and walked on. There are bends and forks in the road, and the Holy Spirit is our guide and protector. With eyes of faith an atelier at the cottage here or elsewhere is in the making. A place designated to work on these projects the heart has passion for. A place of our own to create and bless others with God’s gifts. What is around your corner?