Searching For Words

That's what I'm doing as I try to think of a title for this post of a photo that I took today of a hummer. It was almost sunset time but I didn't realize there was such little light, I should've used the flash. But I love the way it turned out! Light is a beautiful painter. I don't know why the wing turned out pink, maybe she was blushing because I was taking her picture.

                                                            

To Be Like Christ

This post will be a bit longer than usual, a bit different, too-not the normal flowers 'n blessings (although it has flowers and has been my blessing!). So please bear with me.

I was once told by someone that I needed to be more like Christ. I'd have to agree on that point, I do need to be that. We all need to! But the reason this person said that was because I was publicly bringing it to their attention that certain doctrines they were embracing were not Biblical. I guess they thought that we should be accepting of all doctrines, no matter what they are, kind of  the "let's live in love and peace since we're all God's children" sort of thing.

Anyway, that got me to thinking quite a bit about the subject of being like Christ. There are several Bible verses which mention this idea (or command), one being I Peter 2:21: "For even unto this were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." I'm not here to give a Bible study, although certainly ample time could be spent examining this subject. But I just want to point out that being like Christ is not just "love, joy and peace". It is also confrontation, rightous anger and defense of God's Name, Word, doctrines and morals!

In light of this, I recently did a study of Matthew, the first book of the Gospels which tell about the life of Christ. I listed every verse which told about Christ doing the above things, things which we normally think of as negative. There were at least 75 verses or occasions where Jesus was "negative" in His actions and words to others. And that was just the record of one book!

Should we be like Christ? You bet! Not only should we show the love and kindness that He certainly had, but we should also have His courage and strength of character to confront sin, show righteous anger and defend His Word and Name.
                                              
 May He give us wisdom to know how to be like Him,
 to do what He would do.

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep
     in the midst of wolves:
  Be ye therefore wise as serpents
    and harmless as doves."        
(Matthew 10:16)

Rain

Let the rain kiss you.

Let the rain beat upon your head

   with silver liquid drops.

Let the rain sing you

   a lullaby.

The rain makes still pools

   on the sidewalk.                    

The rain makes running pools 

   in the gutter.

The rain plays a little sleep song

   on our roof at night.

And I love the rain.

  (Langston Hughes, April Rain Song)

Last night the rain began, one of those "soft soakers", and it was still raining this morning. So I walked around the yard to take pictures of what the rain was doing, part of the "embroidery of the earth", a description of nature that a friend shared with me this week.

 

                                                    Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving;

   Sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

Who covereth the heaven with clouds,

Who prepareth rain for the earth,

Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

(Psalm 147:7,8)

Thirty Orchids-In-Waiting

What a lovely and very exciting surprise I discovered today! I was watering the plants and went to throw a drink on the "apple orchid" plant. There to my wondering eyes I beheld loads of orchid buds-at least thirty (that's 3-0, thir-ty) of them! Not only does it seem a bit early for these but that is a LOT of orchids on one little plant!

 Last year this plant produced around six orchids so thirty just seems like a huge amount! Oh, but I'm excited. This was definitely my "pinkest rose" for today. :) (In case you're wondering, one picture was taken with flash, the other without, but both within a few minutes.)

I don't find a spiritual truth for EVERYthing I post on here but this one definitely made me think of how the Lord has blessings just waiting for us. Sometimes they are BIG and totally unexpected, too! We may not recognize them as such just yet, but they're there, just waiting to be revealed at the right time. What a loving and generous God we serve!

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
 But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (I Corinthians 2: 9,10)

Mulling Around In My Brain

I have thoughts of SO many things I'd like to post here that sometimes I end up hardly doing any. Not of the main thoughts, anyway. Thus the favorite photos, wordless Wednesdays and such. I just like to post something, even if it's just a picture. Let's see, isn't it said that a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, then I guess I have said something, haven't I?!

I take photos like this...

...or this

...or this

and then end up wondering why I took it or what I'll do with it.  What can I say about it in a post that would show a blessing from the Lord or that could be of encouragement to someone? Other than saying that there is beauty in the light, color and lines of these and that God is the author of beauty...and that He chose to bless me with this beauty...then I have nothing else to say about them. Or not much. I could tell you the story behind each one, right? But I'll leave that to your imagination.

See you on a later day this week. And thanks for visiting here!

                                 "Now the God of peace be with you all, Amen." (Romans 15:33)

Wordless Wednesday: Sunset Splendor

(Later...I had to add some words to this. But they're not mine, they're God's.)

"The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken,

and called the earth from the rising of the sun

unto the going down thereof."

(Psalm 50:1)

"While You Were Gone..."

...we had a party!

We budded and bloomed,

we showed off our beauty...

and God looked down at us...

and admired our beauty and smiled for joy.

It was one awesome party!"

 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive honor and glory and power:

for Thou hast created all things,

and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

(Revelation 4:11)