I was traveling with my husband on business a little over a week ago, so I have gotten behind on my Five Minute Friday posts. I do not want to miss the opportunity to write on each word, so I'm playing a little bit of "catch up" this week. The word for Friday, January 20th was:
Vivid
Vivid imagination.
Vivid dreams.
Vivid colors.
My husband, David Nevue, is a solo piano artist and has produced thirteen CD's. He has a specific vision for each CD, from the music all the way down to the cover art. He discusses his vision for the artwork with his graphic designer, and after many phone conversations and exchanges of rough drafts via email, the final artwork begins to emerge. As David gets closer to the release date, he begins to get color mock-ups in the mail for his final review and approval. It is always a bit of a shock to see the artwork on paper, because the colors never look quite as vivid as they do on the computer screen. The colors on the computer appear more vivid because of the light behind them.
Each one of us is a beautiful and unique creation in the eyes of our Creator God.
How much more vivid our lives become to others when we allow His light to shine through us!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
One Thousand Gifts
151. Hearing her sing praise songs when she is supposed to be brushing her teeth
152. His cheery smile and wave as he heads to his classroom
153. That she feels free to add Cheezits and "lasonya" to the grocery list
154. Frosty mornings
155. The way empty swings sway lazily back and forth in the afternoon breeze
156. Hearing "I'm your biggest fan!" from my daughter
157. Having friends over to watch football
158. Cranes flying overhead
159. Clean drinking water
160. Podcast sermons
161. Sweet and sour chicken
162. Palm trees at twilight
163. Riding on a ferris wheel overlooking the ocean
164. Watching birds play at the edge of the surf as the tide comes in
165. The delicate underside of a palm frond
Monday, January 16, 2012
Awake
Last week was crazy for me, and I never got around to doing the Five Minute Friday on time. I don't want to miss a week though, so I'm posting it a bit late.
AWAKE
I always find it disconcerting when I'm driving and suddenly realize I can't remember the last five miles. Clearly, I'm awake because I haven't crashed (yet!), but my mind has been elsewhere. I haven't been alert and focused on the task at hand.
When thinking about things from a spiritual perspective, I strive to be more than simply conscious. I want to be alert, focused, and sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Having an active, living faith means more than simply knowing about His grace, mercy and eternity. My heart and soul needs to be alert to the quickening of the Spirit.
Am I truly:
AWAKE to His mercies that are new every morning, or after I have repented, do I carry around guilt for past mistakes and not forgive myself?
AWAKE to the all-sufficiency of His grace or do I continue to live in self-imposed bondage?
AWAKE to the gift of spending eternity with Him? Does this determine the choices I make on a daily basis in how I serve Him and spend my time?
I am reminded of the first verse to an old hymn:
Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key,
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Reader's note: I did exceed the five minute limit in order to accurately copy the words to the hymn, as accuracy is important to me when I'm quoting any other source.
AWAKE
I always find it disconcerting when I'm driving and suddenly realize I can't remember the last five miles. Clearly, I'm awake because I haven't crashed (yet!), but my mind has been elsewhere. I haven't been alert and focused on the task at hand.
When thinking about things from a spiritual perspective, I strive to be more than simply conscious. I want to be alert, focused, and sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Having an active, living faith means more than simply knowing about His grace, mercy and eternity. My heart and soul needs to be alert to the quickening of the Spirit.
Am I truly:
AWAKE to His mercies that are new every morning, or after I have repented, do I carry around guilt for past mistakes and not forgive myself?
AWAKE to the all-sufficiency of His grace or do I continue to live in self-imposed bondage?
AWAKE to the gift of spending eternity with Him? Does this determine the choices I make on a daily basis in how I serve Him and spend my time?
I am reminded of the first verse to an old hymn:
Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key,
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Reader's note: I did exceed the five minute limit in order to accurately copy the words to the hymn, as accuracy is important to me when I'm quoting any other source.
One Thousand Gifts
136. Glowing candles
137. Baking cookies
138. Watching the children frost cookies
139. Teaching them how to wrap presents
140. Remembering the greatest Gift of all
141. Lilac and mauve-colored sunrise on Christmas morning
142. Hearing my father read Luke 2
143. Taking a break from our crazy schedule
144. Having friends over New Year's Eve
145. Ringing in a new year with the love of my life
146. Sheep grazing in the morning mist
147. Beads of rain on the tips of barren branches
148. Surprise gift baskets in the mail
149. When she draws a picture just for me
150. Chocolate covered cherries
Monday, January 9, 2012
One Thousand Gifts
121. Warm blankets
122. Pumpkin Pie blizzards at Dairy Queen (oh my!!)
123. That my eleven year old boy loves all the music in the Nutcracker
124. Road trips
125. Snacks at the mini-mart
126. Braiding her hair
127. Watching a string quartet perform live
128. Light parades
129. Stocking hats
130. Kleenex
131. Hunting for the perfect Christmas tree
132. Unexpectedly running into friends
133. Decorating the mantel
134. When he lets me unload what's on my heart for however long it takes
135. Frost-tipped grass
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Five Minute Friday: Roar
I'm linking with Lisa Jo at The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday series. She encourages her readers to write for five minutes on a given topic, not worrying about editing, etc. Just write what comes into your mind. The word for today is:
ROAR
One of the names for Jesus is the Lion of Judah.
Regal…Powerful…Protective
Jesus knew the moments to “roar” (when he threw the moneychangers out of the Temple).
Jesus knew the moments to remain silent (in the face of abuse and false accusations).
I can’t help but think about the lions I have seen on the Discovery channel. I have seen great power unleashed when they roar to protect their own. Their power looks different, but is just as evident, when they sit in the hot sun of the savannah and quietly observe the terrain. That is the look of power under control.
Just this week I decided to make a one word New Year’s resolution. The word I chose was “courage.”
I would love to be able to roar, but because I struggle with fear and self-doubt, it feels like my voice is more of a “mew.”
My prayer and focus for this year will be to build courage.
It takes courage to roar.
It takes courage to remain quiet.
It takes wisdom to know which response is appropriate.
I will look to the Lion of Judah as my example, and find courage in Him.
ROAR
One of the names for Jesus is the Lion of Judah.
Regal…Powerful…Protective
Jesus knew the moments to “roar” (when he threw the moneychangers out of the Temple).
Jesus knew the moments to remain silent (in the face of abuse and false accusations).
I can’t help but think about the lions I have seen on the Discovery channel. I have seen great power unleashed when they roar to protect their own. Their power looks different, but is just as evident, when they sit in the hot sun of the savannah and quietly observe the terrain. That is the look of power under control.
Just this week I decided to make a one word New Year’s resolution. The word I chose was “courage.”
I would love to be able to roar, but because I struggle with fear and self-doubt, it feels like my voice is more of a “mew.”
My prayer and focus for this year will be to build courage.
It takes courage to roar.
It takes courage to remain quiet.
It takes wisdom to know which response is appropriate.
I will look to the Lion of Judah as my example, and find courage in Him.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
One Word
I mentioned in a recent post that I am not one to make New Year’s Resolutions. It just feels like additional and unnecessary pressure in my life that I don’t need. As I have been reading through Facebook postings this past week, I have noticed a number of my friends making one word resolutions and posting a link to the One Word website (www.oneword365.com). This caught my attention, so I began to investigate. I had never heard of the website, and was intrigued with the idea of choosing one word that would define a personal goal and direction for the year ahead.
This is a kind of resolution that I am willing to make. I try to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord on a daily basis, but this idea adds an element of focus. Unfortunately, I feel scattered most of the time on all levels…physically, mentally, spiritually. I need focus, and anything that I can do to focus my attention and goals in the right direction (toward Christ) is a good thing!
After giving it some thought and prayer, I have selected my One Word for the year.
Courage
As my first step toward courage this year, I’ll just “keep it real” here. All too often, I operate out of fear. I am very guarded about how much of myself I share with others for fear of judgment, or worse, rejection. When I think about this, I feel convicted, because fear is evidence of deeper issues…pride, self-reliance, and a weaker faith in God than I would like to admit. Fear causes me to hesitate, and sometimes not act at all.
Galatians 5:13 says, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
I cannot effectively serve my brothers and sisters in Christ when I am hesitant and fearful.
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love."
I need to pursue a better understanding of what it means to be perfected in love. I know that I am forgiven for my sins because I have accepted Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Now I need to walk in that with courage (and confidence!).
2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."
God is not the author of fear. He has given His children power, love, and the ability to be self-disciplined through His Spirit.
God has called us to be courageous.
Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 31:24 says, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.”
It is interesting to note that we are called to be strong, but take courage. The Greek word for courage in these verses is a verb.
I need to be strong in the Lord and take action in my life.
With the help of my Father in heaven, and under His abundant grace, I resolve to live this year with
Courage.
This is a kind of resolution that I am willing to make. I try to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord on a daily basis, but this idea adds an element of focus. Unfortunately, I feel scattered most of the time on all levels…physically, mentally, spiritually. I need focus, and anything that I can do to focus my attention and goals in the right direction (toward Christ) is a good thing!
After giving it some thought and prayer, I have selected my One Word for the year.
Courage
As my first step toward courage this year, I’ll just “keep it real” here. All too often, I operate out of fear. I am very guarded about how much of myself I share with others for fear of judgment, or worse, rejection. When I think about this, I feel convicted, because fear is evidence of deeper issues…pride, self-reliance, and a weaker faith in God than I would like to admit. Fear causes me to hesitate, and sometimes not act at all.
Galatians 5:13 says, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
I cannot effectively serve my brothers and sisters in Christ when I am hesitant and fearful.
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love."
I need to pursue a better understanding of what it means to be perfected in love. I know that I am forgiven for my sins because I have accepted Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Now I need to walk in that with courage (and confidence!).
2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."
God is not the author of fear. He has given His children power, love, and the ability to be self-disciplined through His Spirit.
God has called us to be courageous.
Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 31:24 says, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.”
It is interesting to note that we are called to be strong, but take courage. The Greek word for courage in these verses is a verb.
I need to be strong in the Lord and take action in my life.
With the help of my Father in heaven, and under His abundant grace, I resolve to live this year with
Courage.
Monday, January 2, 2012
One Thousand Gifts
106. Home fellowships
107. Tussling his hair
108. Playing Apples to Apples with the children
109. Chickadees peeking into birdhouses
110. The last quivering leaf clinging to a barren branch
111. How she gets distracted by a V of geese when raking the leaves and races across the yard, staring at the sky, arms flapping
112. Her excitement over a new piano piece
113. Pumpkin scones fresh out of the oven
114. A reliable car
115. Tried and true recipes
116. Chocolate Mint Truffle cocoa
117. Poetry Night
118. Frosting cakes
119. The soft whooshing sound of the heat coming on
120. Finding a new recipe for dinner that everyone loves!
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