Sane, Simple, Sacred: A CHRISTMAS FLOWER

A CHRISTMAS FLOWER

Last night I was wrapping presents while listening to Christmas carols and enjoying the romance and glow of candlelight when a friend and neighbor called asking if she come come over! As she came inside the door, she handed me this BEAUTIFUL Christmas cactus. "Happy Birthday," was her greeting.

I don't have the greenest thumb when it comes to indoor plants, but almost every year I treat myself to a poinsettia. This year I decided to forgo the disappointment of watching it grow increasingly forlorn as its leaves dropped during the month of January. I had looked longingly at other peoples' Christmas cacti but hadn't acted on my secret desire to own one. To be so unexpectedly gifted last night was a great blessing.

"Unexpectedly gifted" is how I feel about God's love. It continues to take me by surprise almost daily.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God..." (Ephesians 2:8). Later in this letter Paul would pray...."that you, being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the LOVE of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God...."

THIS is my Christmas prayer - for EVERYONE reading this and for those who never will..

Amen.

5 comments:

Wanda.....December 23, 2009 at 8:57 AM
I hope you have wonderful luck with your Christmas Cactus Rebecca! It's lovely!
It's been nice visiting your lovely Blog
these past few months. Thank you for your very appreciated friendship!
Have a Joyful Christmas!
Wanda
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AnonymousDecember 23, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Oh how Pretty :)

Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas Rebecca :)
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EileenDecember 23, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Beautiful gift! Beautiful post and a wonderful reminder of the Greatest Gift of all ~ God's Love for us!
Enjoy your Christmas cactus!

I won't be posting or visiting for awhile so I just want to take this time to wish you a Blessed Christmas and many Blessings in the New Year!
Love to you,
Eileen
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JackieDecember 23, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Rebecca...I hope that your Christmas cactus continues to thrive.
Your words are always encouraging.
Merry Christmas to you!
Smiles from Jackie
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Donna's Book NookDecember 24, 2009 at 8:18 AM
What a beautiful plant, and a wonderful surprise. Have a blessed Christmas weekend!
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"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized, but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time, but to eliminate hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Jesus Christ!" (Donald S. Whitney)

Dedicated to my sister-in-law, Beth--a TRUE home manager....

"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry,
and see a fine picture every day of his life,
in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Contentment makes poor men rich.

-Benjamin Franklin

"What I am gradually discovering is that in the writing I come in touch with the Spirit of God." ~ Nouwen

~~"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."~~Edmund Burke

C.S. Lewis: "To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in trusting a person if you wouldn't take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him."

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony." William Henry Channing

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Apostle Paul: "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand. It stops us from taking anything for granted. It has also taught me alot about living in the immediate moment. I am somehow managing to live one day, one hour at a time." Madeleine L'Engle

FIVE CERTAINTIES
WITH WHICH TO
START YOUR DAY

God holds you. Each day he carries us in his arms. Psalm 68:19 NLT
God sustains you. THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. Psalm 23:1 AMP
God covers you. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust. Psalm 91:4 AMP
God pours His love upon you. Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me. Psalm 42:8 NLT
God will not fail you. The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! Lamentations 3:22 NLT

THE BLOGGER'S PRAYER Lord, help me to learn to spell without spellcheck, manage to visit all that visit me, and post regularly - all in 5 minutes a day, so that I can clean house and take care of my family. Help me to not look at every occurrence in my life as a blog post, and to quit taking pictures of weird things to share as well. Please Lord, help me to stop talking about my blog friends as though they are next door neighbors or someone I have known all of my life. And help me, dear Lord, to think of something witty and wise to post tomorrow.
Love, The Dust Bunny Hostage

Sane, Simple, Sacred

Mercy

A CHRISTMAS FLOWER

5 comments:

Writing a Song a Week #3