Sane, Simple, Sacred: Lessons from a Sage

Lessons from a Sage

I took this photo last night and posted it on my facebook page, adding: "While most of the flowers in our flower beds are looking kind of shabby, the Russian sage is just riotous with beauty this evening..."

I can't get its beauty out of my mind--maybe because it is an image of how I want to live the rest of my life. Though in the autumn season of my life, I don't want to fade, droop or wither like other "flowers" around me! I want to live joyfully and energetically; even wildly and unpredictably sometime.

The unexpected and uncontrolled randomness of this sage reminds me that the Holy Spirit of God Himself LIVES in me! His wisdom and power combine to produce unexpected and uncontrolled results. I yield myself to Him with confidence again today. I can't predict or fathom what He will fashion out of me any more than I could predict or fathom the extent of beauty that I found in our flower bed last night.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

6 comments:

Nellie's Cozy PlaceSeptember 6, 2013 at 10:55 AM
Morning Rebecca,
That is a lovely photo and I can only imagine how beautiful it is in person, cause photos sometimes just can't do it justice.
Loved your post, it is very well put..........
and I am still trying to find out what I am gonna be when I grow up!! lol
Probably good it's a surprise or just might scare the socks off of us............

Have a great day hon,
Blessings Galore,
Nellie
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NonnieSeptember 6, 2013 at 3:37 PM
That's a beautiful photo, but your thoughts and wisdom here are really profound. Thinking about what He is fashioning us to be is exciting, indeed.
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Janettessage.blogspot.comSeptember 6, 2013 at 4:54 PM
Well you nailed it...that is the verse I have for my next post on our Italy trip. I really like this post and my spirit just jumped with a loud AMEN! me too!!
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SueSeptember 8, 2013 at 4:02 PM
Russian sage one of my favorites, ours haven't done well because of excessive rains all summer, and now when it should be in all it's glory,...not pretty at all.~smile~

This analogy is so sweet and precious, I too have a desire to live more joyfully, energetic and precarious as I age. Thanks for the encouragement, a very delightful post.
Blessings,
Sue
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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

Lessons from a Sage

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