Sane, Simple, Sacred: The Sweetest Things in Life

The Sweetest Things in Life

Francis of Assisi in our flower bed

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

After reading this quotation at Lily-Rose Cottage, I felt less overwhelmed by the tasks ahead of me this week. (Don't worry about me! My week isn't any more demanding than yours. It's just that sometimes I try to ingest it in one big gulp rather than bite-sized pieces.)

This morning I'll take some time to break the week's tasks down into smaller, manageable steps. Paper and pencil will serve me well here. On this Monday, I want to live "deliberately"--finding the daily duties, daily bread AND all the extras to be the sweetest things in life.

Speaking of sweetness,
how about THIS!

Join me in praying for Ollie Faith's surgery on June 9th. You can read more about her and her sweet family HERE.

5 comments:

Sarah ForgraveMay 23, 2011 at 9:09 AM
Lovely quote, Rebecca! I started my weekly to-do list this morning, too. :)
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BrendaMay 23, 2011 at 9:37 AM
I love the quote! Yes, yes, the best things in life are nearest.

There are ups and downs, but life is good and so much to rejoice about! --Breath in our nostrils, light in our eyes, flowers at our feet (some of the time) and duties.

I am making a list and hoping that I do not forget something important. Hope your day is happy and profitable.
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Janettessage.blogspot.comMay 23, 2011 at 10:38 AM
Thank you for the quote and for sharing ...what a wonderful way to look at the week ahead...sweetest things in life, oh words to live by each day. Blessings.
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Janie FoxMay 23, 2011 at 9:55 PM
you are a dear and I love getting your perspective on things. The quote is great! I am jotting it down!
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Nellie's Cozy PlaceMay 24, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Morning Rebecca,
Funny but my hubby and I were just having a conversation about that very same thing this morning. Love that quote by Robert Louis Stephenson, gives whole new perspective doesn't it!!
Well, I actually didn't think I was going to be
that involved in this wedding, but back around the end of March the Lord told us we were to pay for the whole wedding!! Much to our shock....
and with our situation....but we told the kids what the Lord said, and they were more than shocked too!! and we said we don't know how but the Lord does so we are not worried cause they were!! That is why I think he has had one job interview after another and calls galore because it didn't start until we told them we were gonna pay for it, so think the Lord has been keeping us all encouraged this way. Hubby has another phone interview today, and a real interview on Thursday, and they have already discussed salary with him, so we are sort of feeling that the Thursday one just might be the real job standing up.....so we will see!! Exciting!!
Plus my daughter is going to school and working and she is not a detail person, but I am, so anyway, I am way involved now, and she is much less stressed now to say the least, of which I am very glad!!

You have a sweet sweet day.....sweet lady.
Love and blessings, Nellie
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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

The Sweetest Things in Life

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Writing a Song a Week #3