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| Blue pottery operates like a magnet to me! |
Remembering this statement by a blogger friend, I passed up several other goodies: You're building a wardrobe and furnishing a home not opening a museum. (Vintage Vixen)
I frequently need to remind myself that I'M NOT OPENING A MUSEUM...and of what Jesus said! Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Matthew 6:19-21, The Message)
Dr. Warren Wiersbe warns: "Materialism will enslave the heart (Matt. 6:19-21), the mind (Matt. 6:22-23) and the will (Matt. 6:24). We can become shackled by the material things of life, (when) we ought to be liberated by the Spirit of God.
If the heart loves material things, and puts earthly gain above heavenly investments, then the result can be only a tragic loss. The treasures of earth may be used for God. But if we gather material things for ourselves, we will lose them; and we will lose our hearts with them. Instead of spiritual enrichment, we will experience impoverishment."
Heavenly Father, show me how to use the treasures of earth for You.
Keep me from being shackled by them.
Thank You for the beauty in Your creation
and in the works of these (unknown) potter's hands.
Help me remember I'm not opening a museum here! Amen.
I like this post, Rebecca. It reminds me of a message I heard recently, about this very subject.
ReplyDeleteDeanna
Heavenly Father, show me how to use the treasures of earth for You.
ReplyDeleteKeep me from being shackled by them.
Thank You for the beauty in Your creation
and in the works of these (unknown) potter's hands.
Help me remember I'm not opening a museum here! Amen.
amen amen amen...I love this post. Just yesterday I was 'talking' to God our Father about getting rid of some of the items I have. To go around my home and start simplifying, decluttering and organizing. This post was perfect.
I read a convicting comment the other day. It said that the more spiritual we are, the less we need material things - OUCH! I can spend my paycheck on flowers and/or quilting fabric - this is not an exaggeration. In answer to your question a while back, my yard art is things like an old manure spreader filled with dirt and flowers planted in it and around it. We have two large hay wagons (one in the front and one in the back) with very large pots of flowers on them and, of course, around as well. An old oat drill with a clematis vining on it and yep, you guessed it, flowers around it. I have an old outhouse in the yard (love that thing). We had an old claw foot tub with a small sink mounted on the end of it and made a water feature out of it. The pump took the water up through the sink and spilled over into the tub. We had fish in the tub but the thing got to be a pain to keep free of that green, stringy stuff. Arbors, old fence, and all that primitive, rustic stuff is right up my alley. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI remember the saying..."it is ok to have stuff as long as the stuff does not have you." Good post!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy that you enjoy repurposing others' discards. I like that you like old things. It is a comfort to know that there is an appreciation and joy today in things that others may consider "has beens." I like that you see beauty in the common.
ReplyDeleteYes, our possessions begin to own us and then we purge and give and determine not to collect so much again. It is more of a battle for some than others.
Your post, a very good reminder, takes me to another tangent, "balance."
That IS some beautiful pottery. I like Dee's comment! My older son calls our small sitting room a museum because of the way it is decorated and it isn't a flop-out room (ouch). I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with being creative in decorating at home, enjoying beautiful things, etc...as long as we hold them with very loose fingers, and remember that our true treasures are those that will last forever. It IS good to do a sanity check every now and then and take inventory of what it is that consumes our time, talents, and money. When we built our home 16 years ago, we felt blessed by the amount of space we had, and dedicated it to using it for God's glory. It has been such a blessing to be able to do that through the years by hosting all kinds of events and people.
ReplyDeleteI've heard Dee's comment before and like it
ReplyDeletea lot. We are meant to enjoy our "stuff"
and especially to engage in the wonderful
creativity of making our houses homes. That
said, there is of course no greater treasure
than knowing Jesus. Balance is key in all
areas of life.
The plates are lovely, a soothing color.
Good morning, Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteLove this post... it really spoke to me ~ I love your "magnet" and "museum" descriptions.
Perfect!
I have such a difficult time passing by beautiful vintage plates. Yesterday, a very old glass broke and I had to remind myself that it's "a glass" not a Michael Angelo {although to me, I elevate them to that place if I'm not careful!} Thank you for your words... perfect for today!
~Maria
ps. I do love that color in your vintage pottery! {sigh}
I like what Dee says. It is a struggle for us collectors to not let the stuff take over. I had a time after I closed my antique shop where I kept things too long. Having grown girls who now have homes helped that a lot!!
ReplyDeleteI need to tell several people in my life this. I throw away, they save, I throw away, they hoard, I throw away, they buy more. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI *love* this post! A hard lesson for someone like me who grew up in the home of one (my Grandmother)who lived during the Great Depression and felt the need to keep everything 'just in case'! I need to rely on God, not things! This post is a beautiful reminder!Thank you, Rebecca.
ReplyDelete*You're building a wardrobe and furnishing a home not opening a museum. (Vintage Vixen)*
ReplyDeleteOh me Oh my! That is so right. I have done a fair amount of de-cluttering in the past few years.
If you have too much STUFF, you can't enjoy any of it. It seems to be a never ending process in this land of plenty.....stuff comes in, things go out. Sometimes unevenly.
But IF you build it, I will come!
ReplyDeleteOH! what a beautiful read, and reminder Rebecca, Enjoy Dr Wiersbe's writings. Thanks for sharing.Always blessed by your posts.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend
Sue
Hi Again,
ReplyDeleteLove that quote........very good!
What a great reminder of where our treasure truly needs to be, and to make sure we
are using the earthly treasure we have to bless
the lives of others.....
A great post Rebecca!
Thanks for coming by as always and leaving your precious comments, they bless my heart.....
Love and Blessings, Nellie
Hello Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteSo glad I happened upon your blog - I completely agree! The things we have should not have us - Our LORD should have first place in our hearts and minds. So blessed to visit you,
Kathy
"...we lose our hearts with them." A frightening statement for me. I love beautiful things but I never want to "start a museum." A timely post and reminder.
ReplyDelete