Mother's Day Tribute

I would like to share my Mother's Day Tribute with you. Click here to see it on my other blog:

http://thingsienjooy.blogspot.com/2012/05/mothers-day-tribute.html

I wasn't raised by devout church going parents, but they were good people. They owned a restaurant and were hard working people. They tried to take us to church a while when we were small, but we were only dropped off to Sunday school. We didn't pray together as a family, or before meals, etc. I did feel loved by my parents, grandparents and all the family, even though most of the families didn't attend church regularly, or at all.

The Lord had His hand on me from the beginning. I remember vividly as a child walking down the lane at my grandparents house and looking up to the sky to see a cloud in the shape of Jesus' face! During high school I always had the right kind of friends, who were good kids. Some of them went to church regularly and they invited me to go with them. Eventually I went each Sunday with my best girlfriend. I always seemed to make the right choices and decisions. I know the Lord blessed me with all this. I married in a church and always took my children to church regularly and would read them bible stories each night and say prayers with them. Today they are fine Christians, married to Christian men and have raised their children to be Christians, putting Jesus first.

I did get to see my parents become church going Christians in their latter years and I know they are in Heaven and I will see them again someday! Praise the Lord for eternal life!

Thank you for reading this, if you are still with me and want to see the Tribute I did for my mother, click here:

http://thingsienjooy.blogspot.com/2012/05/mothers-day-tribute.html

I'm linking to Charlotte's Spiritual Sundays, thanks to her for hosting! Click on her name for more inspiration. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Katherine

Mad at God?

Today I'm joining Charlotte and Ginger on Spiritual Sundays. Thanks, ladies for hosting! Click on their names for more inspiration.

I received this message last week in a newsletter I subscribe to and wanted to share it with you. I haven't posted in a long time, but kept feeling like I should post this one, perhaps there's someone out there who needs to read this.

THIS THANKSGIVING

This Thanksgiving holiday may be the only one some of us have left, or it may be the most important one some of us will ever have. Let’s make the most of it.

From the beginning, this mostly secular holiday has had a somewhat “holyday” dimension to it. After all, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God, mostly for surviving, but surely for the food they had that helped them to survive and ultimately prosper.

Taking things for granted is an occupational hazard of the human condition. It is easy to forget that all things come from God. Whatever we have is a gift from our Father, “Who art in Heaven,” and on earth, and in every heart and mind that permits him entrance.

This Thanksgiving some of us are having our own personal struggles, and it is not as easy perhaps to be thankful. Millions of people are nowhere near as well off as they once were. The lines at the local food banks and shelters are longer than they have been in recent times many places. Those of us who are able must help those less fortunate when we can. I spent one Thanksgiving homeless, roaming the streets of Los Angeles when I was younger. I can tell you it is a cold and desolate feeling.

Some of us are mad at God this Thanksgiving. I can understand that, although it doesn’t do any good to bang your head against the rock wall of Reality. Some of us don’t have what we had last year. I know dozens of people who have lost more than 40-50% of their wealth this past year. I lost my best friend this year. I know what it is to be mad at God too, although it isn’t the right thing to do, and it certainly doesn’t help. God gave us what we had to begin with.

The Prophets got mad at God at times. They got over it, and so will we.

Some people lost wives, husbands, and children this year. I can’t imagine the depths of their suffering, but I sympathize with it. I don’t have a wife or children in the normal sense. I acquired a dog ten years ago at a very dark and painful time in my life. He saved my life when he was a puppy by giving me a reason to live. Years later he saved my life from two intruders who broke into my home early one morning. He was my best friend for years. He died tragically from cancer a couple of weeks ago. He bled to death internally and died as I held him on the examination table of the veterinary clinic. He was scared and could hardly breathe as he looked into my eyes.

I was mad at God for taking the only real friend I had for many years; the only one I lived with and could be close to through many dark and troubling years. He was always the same, day in and day out. He loved me unconditionally, and every morning he greeted me as though he hadn’t seen me for years, although he slept on the same bed that I did every night of the ten years he was with me.

It’s hard to lose things, harder to lose what we love. Yet, it was God who gave us these things from the beginning. I remember that there were over 3,000 sunrises and sunsets that I spent with Sage. He loved to walk with me anyplace we went. He loved to swim more than anything else. He was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and it was in his genes to be that way. He was loyal and he was loving, and he is gone, but I am thankful to God for the years He gave me to live with Sage. He always slept with one back leg over my ankle, as though he wanted to keep track of me through the night. He liked to watch football games on television, and sat next to me on the sofa with one paw draped over my leg.

He would often steal my shoes or socks and race joyously through the house and prance and dance until I told him to hand them over, which he always did as though it was his highest and happiest mission in life.

Loss is hard, but sometimes it is only in loss that we realize what we’ve had, the greatness of the gift and how much it has contributed to our life. It’s easy to give thanks when everything goes well. It’s easy to love when all is comfortable. It’s the highest and best thanks and love when we can do it from a place of loss. Be thankful for what you have, and for what you had, even if it was only for a little while, for as a wise man said, “Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.”

So, this Thanksgiving let’s be thankful indeed for all we have, and for all we’ve had. It is all evidence of the love and care of God our Father.

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving,
Father John Corapi

Posted by Katherine

Independence Day Message

I haven't participated in Spiritual Sundays in a while, but would like to share this Independence Day message today. I hope you like it.

Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting. Go here for lots more inspiration.

Independence Day Message

I have fond memories of the 4th of July going back to when I was probably only four or five years old. We remember the parades, the picnics or barbecues, and the happy gathering of families. During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain actually took place on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the resolution of independence previously put forth by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After debate and revision Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4th.

Of note is the letter John Adams, one of only two Founding Fathers who went on to become president, wrote to his wife Abigail:

…This day ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forever more. (Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society)

Like so many of the Founding Fathers, Adams recognized that the day of deliverance came from the providential hand of almighty God. I am not sure about large numbers of duplicitous politicians and other so-called public servants today, whether elected or appointed.

Freedom is a great thing, and we do well to celebrate it on the 4th of July. That being said, it’s something rooted in truth, and apart from the truth there can be no authentic freedom.

If you continue in my word [truth] you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8:31-32)

An individual, a country, or a world that does not remain rooted in objective truth cannot ultimately live in freedom. If you are serious about your faith, my dear friends, I strongly recommend that you read #1730-1748 as we approach the wonderful celebration of Independence Day, or the 4th of July.

Some highlights of this reality:

1731: Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude [true happiness].

1733: The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes…

One of the most common errors of all time is to confuse freedom and license. Today, frequently under the specious pretext freedom, mankind acts in a manner that is really license. We are not morally free to do whatever we choose to do. Only when rooted in truth and acting in objective truth can we hope to be free. No one has the moral right to do evil. No one has the moral right to choose to take an innocent life or to engage in actions that are out of accord with right reason or any objective standards of morality we have ever known.

The inevitable consequence of abusing freedom is losing freedom. Soon, if we do not alter our present course, the United States will no longer be the home of the brave and the land of the free. Loss of personal freedoms, one at a time, is already well underway. One day we shall awake from our moral slumber and find that we have become slaves.

We must live in truth and act in truth if we are to remain free. Abuse it and I assure you we shall lose it! Wake up America! God is not a disinterested spectator. Let’s thank God for our freedom, but let’s not sit by idly while the forces of darkness divorce freedom from truth. For, as Jesus says, “The man who sins is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34)

I’ll leave you with the motto of the United States Army Special Forces on this 4th of July:

De oppresso liber! (To free the oppressed)

Indeed, Jesus came to set the captives free. Let’s do our part for our country and our world that we might all remain free in the glorious freedom of the children of God.

God bless you,

Fr. John Corapi

Happy Easter!

Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays weekly. Go here for lots more inspiration.

I would like to extend to you best wishes for a very Happy Easter.

I give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for drying on the cross for us so we may have eternal life with Him forever and forever!

I'm sharing a few of my Easter decorations in our home this year.

My childhood bible with a twig cross on top. A friend made the twig cross for me.

My husband made the crown of thorns from the vine off our bouganvillia bush.
The nail was given to us at church a few years ago.

I like the shadows on this and the next few pictures

Especially the shadow from the candle below:

The picture below has the true colors

The old bible above, has been in our family almost a hundred years!

My childhood bible below:

The twig cross displayed in a cloche with thorny roses, pearls and a baby's pink bible:
This represents Jesus dying on the cross for us after leaving His words for us to live by. A bittersweet representation.

If you would like to see more of my Easter decor, go to my other blog The Yellow Rose Arbor, here.

Have a very blessed Easter.

He is Risen!!! He's Alive!!! Thank you Lord!

Katherine

The Holy Alphabet

I received this alphabet by email today and wanted to share it with you. Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays weekly. Go here for lots more inspiration.

The Holy Alphabet

A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know
I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking Him for all the things
L ove imparts to thee
M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone
Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
T o "thank" is a command
U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

"I AM Too blessed to be stressed!" The shortest distance between a
problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the
floor.

The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. Love
and peace be with you forever, Amen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

We are especially thankful today for answered prayer about the heart catheterization my husband had yesterday at Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville, FL) He didn't need to have any stints and the doctors said his problem could be "fixed" with medication. He is home now! We've been praying and our pastor anointed him with oil a few weeks ago.

Praise the Lord!! Thank you Lord for answered prayer!! Thank you for being there with us!

Katherine

Devine Intervention

When I came to my Power of Prayer blog with an idea of what to share I noticed the last time I posted on Spiritual Sundays the title was Detours.

My husband and I had one of those detours just recently. In December he was planning his annual skiing trip to Breckenridge, CO. For the past five years I haven’t gone with him because the last time I went I spent the week in bed with altitude sickness. He asked me to go again this time and I reluctantly agreed to go hoping I wouldn’t experience the altitude sickness again!

A friend offered to loan us his timeshare condo the first week in January. My husband contacted the company several times and had difficulty getting the confirmation papers we needed. Our friend kept telling us to ask for “Mike” he had the confirmation number, etc. Finally my husband said he wondered if all the difficulty was a sign that we shouldn’t go. In desperation, he cancelled all the plans, he was very disappointed.

Our reservations were to be Jan 3 through Jan 10 -- this week. Several things happened this week. My husband’s sister died this past Wednesday (from ovarian cancer) He also received word from his doctor that the stress test he had last week revealed he should have a heart catheterization. Something else that occurred was the new airport security that would have been a big hassle! Don’t forget all the bad weather all over the country, Colorado had bad snow storms!

We are praising God for His Divine Intervention! He goes before us to prepare the way! I’m so thankful He blocked our plans. If we had continued on with our plans, my husband could have endangered his life skiing, we would have had a lot of problems at the airports, traveling in bad weather, plus we would have had to cut the trip short and return home when his sister died. We will miss his sister, Angela, but we will see her again – in Heaven! Praise the Lord for eternal life!

My husband goes to the doctor Wednesday to discuss the stress test what steps he is to take next. Your prayers are appreciated! Charlotte, I hope we receive good news the way you did! PTL!

Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays. Go here for more inspiration.

Katherine

Detours

Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays each week. Go here for more inspiration.

Merry Christmas!

My daughter sent me this today and I’d like to share it with you. It’s from Desiring God blog:

http://www.desiringgod.org or:

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2138_joseph_unplanned_detours/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DGBlog+%28DG+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

JOSEPH (Un)Planned Detours

| By: Jon Bloom | December 14, 2009

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

As Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, discovered in Matthew 1-2, that’s just another way of saying that when your plans are detoured and redirected, you find out who’s really charting the course.

* * *

Nazareth. It felt good to Joseph to be back home. The same old market and the same old merchants. The same old neighbors with the same old complaints. The same old synagogue and the same old rabbi.

Oddly, though, the normalcy felt a bit strange after the unexpected adventures of the past couple of years. What an odyssey this simple Galilean carpenter had been on.

It had all started with Mary’s world-shaking pregnancy announcement that took an angel to help him believe. He had hardly stopped reeling from that news when he was hit with the census decree from Rome.

Joseph recalled the anger he had felt. Some vain emperor a world away was ordering people to go to their ancestral cities to register. As a descendent of King David, this meant for Joseph a royal 100-mile walk to Bethlehem. It seemed outrageously unjust. Not only would this disrupt his business and incur travel expenses they could not afford, but Mary would be in advanced pregnancy!

He remembered venting his exasperation to a friend who had replied, “Surely the Messiah will come soon and deliver us from these tyrants!” And then to cheer Joseph had added, “Hey, maybe you’ll see the Messiah there! You know what the prophet said,

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” (Micah 5:2)

His friend might as well have hit Joseph on the head with a plank. All at once he saw it! Augustus in all his imperial pomp was merely a tool in the hand of God to fulfill Scripture. His anger melted into awe-filled joy. Yes, Joseph most certainly would see the Messiah in Bethlehem.

In fact, after Jesus’ incredible birth, Joseph had fully expected to make Bethlehem their new permanent home. Surely that’s what Micah meant. And he had just started to get his business going when the angel of his dreams came again, shortly after the Persian magi visited. “Flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you.” Herod wanted to murder their baby!

Joseph had felt anger rise against Herod. And he felt a stab of fear. The Egyptian border was another 100-mile foot journey for his wife and child, mostly through desert.

But he quickly remembered. If Augustus was God’s tool, what was Herod? God had his reasons to send his Son to Egypt. So Joseph snuck his family out of town in the cover of night.

Egypt. That was one place Joseph had never expected to see, much less live in. He hadn’t had any idea how he would feed and house his family there. But he need not have worried. God provided wonderfully for them like he had all along.

And then after a few months another dream and another commission: Herod had died and he was to take the child back to Israel. Joseph assumed this meant returning to Bethlehem.

But he soon learned that Herod’s son, Archelaus, was ruling over Judea. Archelaus was a sharp chip off the cruel block. If he got wind of a Messiah in Bethlehem, no doubt another assassination would be attempted. One more angelic dream visit and it was back to Nazareth.

And who knew how long that would last…

* * *

The Holy Family’s first few years were not tranquil. They were filled with grueling travel during the hardest part of pregnancy, a birth in worse than a barn, no steady income, an assassination attempt, two desert crossings on foot with an infant, living in a foreign country, waiting on God for guidance and provisions just in the nick of time. It was difficult, expensive, time-consuming, career-delaying and full of uncertainty.

And it was God’s will.

The unplanned, inefficient detours of our lives are planned by God. They are common for disciples, and they commonly don’t make sense in the moment. But God’s ways are not our ways because our lives are about him, not about us. He is orchestrating far more than we know in every unexpected event and delay.

So when you find yourself suddenly moving in a direction you had not planned, take heart, hold tight, and trust God’s navigation.

May you have a very Merry Christmas!

Katherine

Spiritual Sundays - Veteran's Day Message

Since some of you enjoyed the message by Fr. Corapi last Sunday I thought I would share the one he posted this week since it's about Veteran's Day. Fr. Corapi was a soldier in the Army, now he is a soldier for the Lord. He is also a former boxer, former millionaire, former drug addict, former alcoholic, formerly homeless, etc., the list goes on. He is a miracle, he was saved from all of the evil, and became a man of God. You can see/hear him weekly on Eternal Word Television Network. We saw him in person a few years ago when he came to our town.

Veterans' Day Message from Fr. Corapi

Every year in the United States of America we celebrate “Veterans’ Day” on November 11th, which historically marked the armistice (originally Armistice Day) ending World War I. If you are interested in the history of this American holiday, you can easily find it using Google, or any web search engine.

We should all be very thankful for the service of our veterans. Our country and the freedoms we sometimes take for granted were won by, and constantly protected by, the veterans of our Armed Forces. My grandfather served in the US Army during World War I; my father in the Navy Seabees in the South Pacific, some of my uncles served in the Marines, the Navy, and the Air Force during the Korean War. I enlisted in the Army in the late 1960s myself.

“Those who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace.”

It is the obligation of all of us, individuals and governments alike, to work assiduously for peace. As my Grandmother often said to me, “war is hell.” She knew as she had a husband and son that fought in both world wars, had nephews and a grandson go off to faraway places. She prayed, worried, and suffered because of war. Nonetheless, she knew, like so many of us do, that without the sacrifices of themselves and their loved ones, there would be no enduring freedom.

There is always something to be learned from the natural order that can be applied to the spiritual and moral life. One of the most common underlying misconceptions and fallacious presuppositions is that there is no evil in the world, that no one will hurt you if you just don’t hurt them. Wrong! There is evil in the world, there has been since darkness entered into Eden, and there will be until Jesus comes again in glory.

There is good and there is evil; there is truth and there are lies; there is life and there is death. Being neutral is a myth. Sitting on a fence is an accident waiting to happen. In the end you will be “for me or against me,” as Jesus says.

We are at war and “our battle is not against flesh and blood,” as St. Paul asserts in his letter to the Ephesians. A good soldier is ready to shed his blood, sweat, and tears for the cause of freedom. Jesus tells us, “I’ve come to set the captives free.” The servant is no better, no different, than his Master. The bottom line of war is victory, and this war is for an eternal prize.

We honor our veterans this week, and rightly so. Let their sacrifices for our country inspire you to even higher things. You and I are called to fight the good fight and run the race to the finish line. Performing our mission as good Catholics and Christians affects countless other souls, some we know, some we don’t. So, as St. Paul cautions us, “Don’t shadow box. Fight so as to win.” Don’t imagine there is not a moral and spiritual war either. This fight results in victory or defeat, Heaven or hell, forever.

God bless you,

Fr. John Corapi



Thank you, Ginger and Charlotte for hosting Spiritual Sundays weekly. Go here for more inspiration.

May God Bless You,

Katherine

Spiritual Sunday

Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays, go here for more inspiration.

I'm posting this on Saturday night, Halloween. I hope you don't mind that I'm posting something heavy for Spiritual Sunday. Well, to think of it all things of the Lord are "heavy" - with importance! This one is something some people don't like to think about or talk about.

We enjoy watching Fr. John Corapi on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) on Saturday and Sunday nights, and Mondays at 1 p.m. We have also seen him in person a few years ago when he spoke at a church here where we live. He is truly a Man of God. We receive weekly email from his website and this was part of last week's. Katherine

The Battle Between Good and Evil

As Halloween approaches, we are surrounded by themes of the occult, ghosts, demons, curses, and hauntings. Demonic and occult themes permeate the media at this time of year. Most of this material is pure fiction, yet the part that is not fiction is an acknowledgment that angels and demons exist.

One cannot understand reality if one brackets out a large portion of reality - the preternatural order (angels and demons). If you try to arrive at valid conclusions concerning reality, but have left out a good part of that reality you are engaged in an exercise in futility. So many things today can only be understood in the light of this spiritual reality. Have you ever wondered why so many apparently educated and intelligent people just don't get it, especially with respect to such life and death matters as abortion?

There is a battle that goes on in the spiritual order between the forces of God and the forces of Satan, "the adversary." This battle between cosmic good and evil, between angels and demons, has man caught in the crosshairs. Man is an active player in his own salvation. We need the help of our allies the angels. To fail to enlist their help is reckless. To fail to realize the reality of the enemy forces, the demonic legions, can be ultimately and eternally fatal.

We are at war and our battle is not against flesh and blood, as St. Paul warns us in Ephesians 6. The battle between good and evil, truth and lies, life and death involves these angelic legions - good and evil. We are soldiers in God's army, like it or not, believe it or not. We must be aware of these fundamental teachings, learn them, and live in accordance with them.

God bless you,

Fr. John Corapi

Spiritual Sunday

For today's Spiritual Sunday I'm sharing one of Joel Osteen's devotional from this past week. Thank you, Ginger and Charlotte for hosting SS weekly! Go here for more inspiration from many lovely Christian people!

Katherine

In Due Season

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field yield their fruit"
(Leviticus 26:4, AMP)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God has set up seasons in our lives. It's easy to get frustrated when our dreams aren't coming to pass on our timetable, but every season is not harvest season. There are plowing seasons. There are planting seasons. There are watering seasons. Sure, we would love for every season to be a time of increase left and right, good breaks here and there. But without the other seasons, we wouldn't be prepared. For example, it's during the plowing seasons that God brings issues to light that we need to deal with. He's getting us prepared for promotion.

If you're not making as much progress as you would like, the key is to not lose any ground. Don't go backwards. Hold your position. Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it's hard. When you do that, you are passing the test, and God promises that your due season of harvest is coming. Be encouraged because your appointed time of increase, favor, and promotion is on its way, and He will fulfill every dream and desire He's placed within your heart!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father God, I bless You today. I thank You for preparing me for the blessing and promotion You have in my future. I surrender my heart, mind, will and emotions to You so that I can live as a testimony of Your work in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Pumpkins

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin.

God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.

He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.

Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

I liked this enough to share with all the pumpkins in my patch.

Happy Fall, Ya’ll!

I haven't been able to participate in Spiritual Sundays in a while. Last week I posted this on my other blog and decided to share it with all of you that didn't see it. I hope it hasn't been posted before!

Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays. Go here for more inspiration.

God Bless,

Katherine

IGBOK

I haven't participated is Spiritual Sundays in a while, but have something to share that I haven't heard about before, maybe you have. David Arms - a friend shared this artist and his website with me a few weeks ago. I had never seen his paintings, or heard of him. I want to share his thoughts that I took from his website, I hope he doesn't mind. I really like the acronym IGBOK, it is easy to remember when things aren't going well.

The acronym is for "It's going to be okay."

(From http://davidarms.com/ ) It's gonna be o.k. The universal language of hope. When a child skins a knee or gets their feelings hurt; when the medical tests aren’t good; when our hearts are crushed and disappointment overwhelms; when the money is short and the job is gone; when fear rolls in like a storm and anxiety hovers like fog; when dreams die and hope seems to evaporate; when life is not going the way we thought it would – these are the words we long to hear ... and believe.

"igbok" is a fresh, provocative look at my life message - hope. Real, authentic, trustworthy and life giving hope.

Over the years I have been drawn toward a message of faith and hope, trying to convey them using everyday ordinary things in my paintings. If hope is anything, it's accessible - just like the ordinary things of life.

Similarly, it seems most of my work flows out of ordinary conversations. Lloyd Shadrach and I have been discussing the nature of faith and hope since our friendship began in 2004, and this past summer one of those conversations birthed the idea of "igbok."

We both began to connect this phrase to the promises of God and have come to believe that God's promise to fragile, fearful people when life overwhelms is quite simply..."it's gonna be o.k."

When the rain was over and God wanted Noah to understand that He would never forsake us, He made an unbreakable promise, a covenant. And guess how He signed His name? A rainbow.

I think in those six colors arced across the heavens God is saying - "it's gonna be o.k."

As you contemplate these "igbok" paintings, look for God's signature. In a few it shouts, but in most it's simply a whisper, a subtle but sure reminder that whatever is troubling you... God is with you and makes a promise only He can keep...

igbok

The only way to know that "it's gonna be o.k." is to know and believe God's promise. He made an unbreakable covenant to us that He will make all things right one day. In this life, His promises come amid the darkness where we reach out in faith.

"Ultiimately "o.k." is not about circumstances in this life which is temporal. It's really about God's promise to make everything o.k. in the life to come which is forever." — David Arms

One of his paintings has a floating lid with "the invisible hand of God" Go here to see them: http://davidarms.com/

"For me, I have to know that hand is there for me. It is that invisible hand that keeps, holds and fills me." — David Arms

A floating lid represents the hand of God - you cannot see the hand, but you can see what the hand does. He fills us with fruit not to stay contained, but to overflow all around us.

If our heads stay down, it can feel so hopeless and too much to bear. It is when we lift our eyes that we see hope." — David Arms

Fear has a way of keeping our eyes on the horizon where dark clouds gather into darkness. Hope, on the other hand, pulls our eyes upward off the horizon to see that the clouds are breaking and light pours through.

http://davidarms.com/

igbok

"it's gonna be o.k."

I love this familiar phrase because I believe it is the universal language of hope.

Think about it...

When a child skins a knee or gets their feelings hurt; when the medical tests aren't good; when our hearts are crushed and disappointment overwhelms; when the money is short and the job is gone; when fear rolls in like a storm and anxiety hovers like a fog; when dreams die and hope seems to evaporate; when life is not going the way we thought it would...

Aren't these the words we long to hear...and believe? (From http://davidarms.com/ )

Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays, go here for more inspiration.

It's going to be o.k!

Katherine

Spiritual Sundays

I haven't joined in on Spiritual Sundays in a while. Thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting the SSs each week. Go here for more inspiration.

I hope this story hasn’t been used on SS before.

Today I would like to share a portion my former pastor’s book. The book is Bless and Be Blessed, How your words can make a difference, by Peter Lord. I was in Peter Lord’s Baptist church for over 20 years. Below is a story he used in one of his sermons back in the 80s, it was one of my favorites and has stuck with me through the years. I am so glad he added it to one of his books that was published a few years ago.

The Johnny Lingo Story

The Johnny Lingo Story has been made into a short move, and it has been told and retold in many publications, but it is worth telling again.

Johnny was a great trader and the richest man in all the Caribbean Islands. Besides this, he was good looking and a very eligible bachelor. All the girls wanted to marry him. In fact he could have had anyone he wanted. No one could understand why he chose Lucita.

A person with the gift of mercy would describe Lucita as plain. That would, in fact, be a very generous description. For years her father had verbally abused her. The marks of a bad self-image and low self-esteem were written all over her.

It was customary on Lucita’s island for a man to give a dowry for a wife. The dowry was always in cows. An average bride would bring three cows. Very attractive women were worth four to six cows. Lucita’s father knew he would be lucky to get two cows for Lucita, especially because he was up against the smartest trader on the island. So he decided he would ask for two cows and settle for one.

The day of the engagement was a very important day on the island. When Johnny came to ask for Lucita;s hand in marriage, the whole community gathered at the home of the bride-to-be. After the necessary introductory formalities, Lucita’s father asked Johnny what he was offering for his daughter. Without hesitation Johnny offered eight cows.

The crowd was stunned. Lucita’s father could not believe his ears. Had Johnny gone crazy or blind? Why did the smartest trader in all the islands offer eight cows for someone who could have been had for one? Lucita’s father quickly accepted Johnny’s offer.

Johnny Lingo and Lucita were married, and in a short period of time, Lucita developed into t he most beautiful woman in the islands. The townspeople were amazed at the transformation. So was Lucita’s father, who accused Johnny of cheating him. “You should have paid me ten cows,” he claimed.

What was Johnny Lingo’s secret? What did he know that could transform a person so radically? He had learned that if you treat another person as though she were what she could become, that is what she will become. Johnny wanted an eight-cow wife, so he treated Lucita like one from the beginning.

Isn’t this the way God has treated us? Despite our ugliness, our sin, he traded very highly for us? He gave his only Son for us. And now he treats us as his children. This is very hard for us to grasp and accept because of the negative world in which we live, but it illustrates the power of eulogy no matter how it is given.

At the end of each chapter is a Blessing Exercise, this is at the end of this chapter: Can you recall a time when someone spoke a good word to you that strongly impacted your life? Can you remember doing that for someone else?

Katherine

Rain

Since we've had so much rain here in Florida in the past weeks I think these two messages, both by Joel Osteen, are very appropriate and food for thought.

Go here for lots more inspiration. Thanks, Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays! I've missed a few Spiritual Sundays due to vacation and we will be gone again soon.

Living in the Rain

Today's Scripture

"Just as the rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, making things grow and blossom…so will the words that come out My mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do" (Isaiah 55:10-11, Message).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Rain is symbolic of God's blessing, favor, and refreshing. His Word is like rain that causes us to flourish and blossom in every area of life. The scripture says we should live like a well-watered garden, vibrant and growing. We should live under God's cloud of blessing. How do we do that? In the natural, a cloud is formed when moisture vapors rise up from the earth into the atmosphere. Eventually, the moisture is so abundant that the rain begins to fall. In the same way, your praise is like the invisible vapors that rise up to heaven and form a cloud. Eventually, your praise will activate an outpouring of God's blessing, favor, and provision in your life.

Do you feel like you are in a dry season? Begin to praise and thank God that He is bringing you through to a place of refreshing. Magnify and bless Him for His goodness in your life. As you turn up your praise, God will turn up the rain and you will experience His abundant outpouring. You'll experience His blessing and provision and live as an overcomer in every area of your life.

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, today I choose to bless and honor You. Thank You for this day. Thank You for giving me life. Thank you for making me new. Thank you for saving me and filling me with Your peace and joy. Rain on me today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Living In The Rain of God's Favor

God longs for us to be like a well watered garden, flourishing, full of joy, always in blossom. Yet many times, due to situations that are happening in our lives, we don’t necessarily feel like we are in full blossom, rather we feel like we’re in a dry spell.

When this happens, instead of giving up and accepting your present circumstance as your lot in life, decide to praise God more than you ever have. In the Bible, the psalmist said, “I will keep on hoping for You to help me. I will praise You more and more.” When we decide to give God praise, something powerful and supernatural happens. Peace, joy and divine favor begin to rain down over our lives.

By praising God at all times, what happens in the natural with rain, will be the same spiritually over your lives; a cloud can only hold so much condensation, so many vapors, before it releases. In the same way, when you keep sending up praise, you keep singing, “God is good all the time,” that cloud can only hold so much before the blessings come bursting back down. When you stay full of praise, God’s blessing will begin raining down, making sure that you are always in blossom; causing you to bloom where you’re currently planted, even if you’re in a dry spell!

Thank you, Lord, for rain!

Happy Mother's Day!

Your mother is always with you.
She's the whisper of leaves as you walk down the street,
She's the smell of certain foods you remember.
Flowers you pick, and perfume she wore.
She's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well.
She's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day.
She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a Rainbow, She is Christmas morning.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She is crystallized in every teardrop.
A mother shows every emotion...happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow,...and all the while, hoping and praying that you will only know the good feelings in life.
She's the place you came from, your first home and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you…not time, not space....not even death.

Someone sent this to me and I want to share it with you. There was no author listed.

In memory of my mother who passed away January, 1991.

I hope you enjoyed my Spiritual Sunday contribution today. Go here for lots more inspiration.

Thanks, Charlotte and Ginger for hosting the Spiritual Sundays!

Have a Happy Mother's Day!

God Bless.

Katherine

P.S. - We are on vacation this week (Marco Island, FL) so I may not be online very much.