Forgetting former things

Fall is on it’s way!!!  It is my favorite time of year, the weather cools down, buses run, and autumn colors begin to appear along the roadsides.  Change is in the air, I can feel it.

When I homeschooled my children, this was the time of year that we as a family would re-group and refocus our attention at home.  Summer was fun, and we enjoyed the long days playing hard in the sun.  We made some wonderful memories with friends, but now, there’s work to do at home.  Meal planning, school books, and schedules replaced the happy-go-lucky days of summertime.  My kids are all grown and graduated now, but I still feel this need inside me to pull away from the busy-ness and carefree days of summer and hunker down with a renewed focus at home.

I’ve been working to develop the gifts that God has given to me as well as organize my prayer life,  It seems that just when I get the desire to do this, distractions are thrown at me from left and right.  I am sensing a real spiritual battle in this area specifically, and it only serves to turn my attentions to the One who gives me strength, dig in my heels and strengthen my resolve.  The enemy is pulling out all the stops, but God has already won the victory. Yes?

Facebook seems to take up most of my time, and I’m in the process of changing the way I use my social media.  Because I cherish it for the sake of keeping up with my family, and especially growing grandchildren, I don’t feel it necessary to completely eliminate it, but I am reorganizing my notifications and friends lists.  My personal facebook page will become more private, content posted publicly on my NewThings fan page will be more carefully selected, and the amount of time I spend in groups, and online in general will be limited greatly.  I appreciate your prayers as the “housecleaning” commences.

Things they are a-changin’.

Evening promise

Canyon Flowers

Sharing with you today word from my favorite devotional Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles Cowman.

Flowers in the Canyon

“For our profit” (Heb. 12:10).

In one of Ralph Connor’s books he tells a story of Gwen. Gwen was a wild, wilful lassie and one who had always been accustomed to having her own way. Then one day she met with a terrible accident which crippled her for life. She became very rebellious and in the murmuring state she was visited by the Sky Pilot, as the missionary among the mountaineers was termed.

He told her the parable of the canyon. “At first there were no canyons, but only the broad, open prairie. One day the Master of the Prairie, walking over his great lawns, where were only grasses, asked the Prairie, ‘Where are your flowers?’ and the Prairie said, ‘Master I have no seeds.’

“Then he spoke to the birds, and they carried seeds of every kind of flower and strewed them far and wide, and soon the prairie bloomed with crocuses and roses and buffalo beans and the yellow crowfoot and the wild sunflowers and the red lilies all summer long. Then the Master came and was well pleased; but he missed the flowers he loved best of all, and he said to the Prairie: ‘Where are the clematis and the columbine, the sweet violets and wind-flowers, and all the ferns and flowering shrubs?’

“And again he spoke to the birds, and again they carried all the seeds and scattered them far and wide. But, again, when the Master came he could not find the flowers he loved best of all, and he said:

“‘Where are those my sweetest flowers?’ and the Prairie cried sorrowfully:

“‘Oh, Master, I cannot keep the flowers, for the winds sweep fiercely, and the sun beats upon my breast, and they wither up and fly away.’

“Then the Master spoke to the Lightning, and with one swift blow the Lightning cleft the Prairie to the heart. And the Prairie rocked and groaned in agony, and for many a day moaned bitterly over the black, jagged, gaping wound.

“But the river poured its waters through the cleft, and carried down deep black mould, and once more the birds carried seeds and strewed them in the canyon. And after a long time the rough rocks were decked out with soft mosses and trailing vines, and all the nooks were hung with clematis and columbine, and great elms lifted their huge tops high up into the sunlight, and down about their feet clustered the low cedars and balsams, and everywhere the violets and wind-flower and maiden-hair grew and bloomed, till the canyon became the Master’s favorite place for rest and peace and joy.”

Then the Sky Pilot read to her: “The fruit–I’ll read ‘flowers’–of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness–and some of these grow only in the canyon.”

“Which are the canyon flowers?” asked Gwen softly, and the Pilot answered: “Gentleness, meekness, longsuffering; but though the others, love, joy, peace, bloom in the open, yet never with so rich a bloom and so sweet a perfume as in the canyon.”

For a long time Gwen lay quite still, and then said wistfully, while her lips trembled: “There are no flowers in my canyon, but only ragged rocks.”

“Some day they will bloom, Gwen dear; the Master will find them, and we, too, shall see them.”

Beloved, when you come to your canyon, remember!

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;

he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
    thy rod and thy staff,
    they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil,
    my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Life’s like a backroad

Alabaster Box

So yesterday I had a lot on my mind and I was overwhelmed with emotions.
My sister, understanding everything I’m struggling with decided to take me for a drive. To clear my mind. So we hopped in the pickup truck, and drove. Taking turns whenever we pleased. Well we ended up on this back road, with the most potholes I’ve seen in my life. So my sister is doing her best to dodge them, because the last thing we need is to blow a tire on some random back road. As she was dodging the potholes she says “This drive wasn’t supposed to be such a challenging thing.” That got me to thinking about how sometimes in life we take a turn onto a road that we think is going to be easy, no traffic, nothing to deal with. But there’s always the potholes on the back roads in life…

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Come Away

Mark 6:³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.”

I’m still on a bit of a high after my retreat…so naturally, verses like this and little snippets of conversations overheard in the course of a day, remind me of what I have learned and make me wish I’d have seen/heard them earlier so I could have included the thoughts in my retreat.

And just as that thought is processing, I’m remembering the recent thoughts I had on a quiet time/devotions…followed by another already “thunk” thought regarding my need to study out contemplative prayer; originally I had intended to define and process the different kinds of prayer for inclusion in my virtual retreat.  I started on contemplative, and got a headache from all the information.  Maybe I’ll try again now that I don’t have a deadline for getting it done.

 

Another “New Thing”

I’ve joined the Association of Catholic Women Bloggers! You seriously should check them out, there is such a sweet Spirit among these ladies.

I’m excited to be in the company of such a diverse group of women who love the Lord!  Thank you again, Melanie for welcoming me in.  I look forward to sweet fellowship, and learning from the knowledge and experience of others.

❤ Lyn

The Sunshine Award

I am honored to receive this Sunshine Award.  Thank you, Jay at 52 Sundays for the kind words in your participation here at New Things.

The Sunshine Award recognizes bloggers whose writings “light up the dark corners of our minds”  The rules are simple and provided below:

(1) Thank the person who gave you the award in your blog post.

(2) Do the Q&A below.

(3) Pass on the award to 10 – 12 deserving and inspiring bloggers, inform them and link to their blogs.

* * * * * * * *

The Questions:

Favorite color? Purple

Favorite animal? Sheep…I can relate to them in so many ways

Favorite number? 8–the number of new beginnings

Favorite nonalcoholic drink? Charity’s Alabama Sweet Tea

Favorite alcoholic drink? Pina Colada

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook…have not figured out the Twitter scene yet

My Passions? Faith, Family, Friends, Facebook and Frugality

Giving or Receiving Gifts? Prefer to be on the giving end, but have found myself immensely blessed by receiving from others who also love to give.

* * * * * * * *

My Nominations:

The Mother of Nine

Reinkat

One Little Sail

A New Hope in Christ

Dyslexic Chic

Let it Begin Anew

Renewed Hope

Keen For God

Gracie’s Quest

Grow The Roses