Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing


Butterflies!


"BLESS  YOU!
"[God said,] 'I will surely bless you.' GENESIS 22:17 (NIV)

"People say, 'Bless you!' when you sneeze.
'Bless' has turned into a bit of a feeble word.

"But in the Bible it's much stronger.
(And it has nothing to do with sneezing!)

"When God promises to bless you, he is saying,
'I'm going to make you into everything I ever meant for you to be!'


"It means God is taking every day and every
single thing that happens in it--good or bad--
to make you stronger, to mend whatever
is broken inside, to change you into the person you were always meant to be.

"Just as a caterpillar is totally changed into a
butterfly, being blessed means being totally
transformed.

"God is transforming everything--his broken
world--and you."

     ~from Sally Lloyd-Jones (with illustrations by Jago), Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing


Quietly continuing to give thanks to God for all His blessings:
God working everything together to change me into the person I was always meant to be :: made stronger :: broken places mending :: hope of total transformation for myself :: and for His broken world

pale moon veiled in grey clouds in early morning :: a wisp of cloud and a jet trail inscribing a cross in the sky :: watching the sun set on the way to pick Amore up at work (lots of red lights...not to worry, eyes on the road)

a degree of pain relief :: large portions of days this week with no ankle brace :: halfway through the extended therapy duration, Lord willing :: gift of an unplanned nap yesterday, falling asleep at my prayers at midday, sitting in the hard wooden kitchen chair! :: kind words from friends :: encouragement from the spouse of a sciatica patient

husband coming to rescue me when I inadvertently left the headlights on and killed the car battery at Bible study last week :: husband completing and filing tax return :: a couple of good nights' sleep :: participating in thrift shop donation drive at church :: "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" on Sunday morning and always :: this new book friend :: never outgrowing admiration for good children's books

moment-by-moment grace for hard things
(Joy Dare, #9102-9123)