I have a new header, thanks to my niece, over at A New Hope Through Christ, who said that when saw the picture, she thought of New Things. When she sent it to me (of course I begged her to let me use it for my blog, and she so graciously consented), we had a wonderful chat about how new things often spring forth in our lives from hard, broken places, and where we receive the strength that is needed to push through.
It’s true in my life. Some of my greatest spiritual growth has happened in the middle of extremely difficult conditions.
I learned about and developed patience in the middle of very trying circumstances;
I learned true love and forgiveness through hateful, harsh, and excruciatingly painful verbal abuse and rejection;
I learned joy through sorrow, faithfulness through disappointment, and fortitude through those nights I just knew I was at the end of my rope, and still woke the next day to another chance to grow some more.
I learned about generosity through poverty;
I learned to walk in victory through intense spiritual warfare,
and I learned about peace that passes understanding through the midst of it all.
Like my banner picture, those good things developed in cold, dark, deep places and sprung forth out of harsh, dry, cracked conditions that you would never guess could produce wonderfully abundant, healthy, mature growth.
New Things 
Beautiful header!
For reals, it’s often we have to reach the bottom of the bucket and have nowhere else to turn, but to the Lord, before we ever truly, deeply, and desperately do.
Have you ever read the Morning Story and Dilbert blog? He has a great story about how he didn’t know his family was poor when he was young, until his church gave his family money. Here’s the story I think you’ll enjoy, if you haven’t read it: http://morningstoryanddilbert.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/the-rich-family-in-church/
Thanks sf. I have Morning Story and Dilbert on my reader, I remember that post, I read it first when I was in Canada…what a beautiful perspective.
Hey…how come I can’t see your stuff anymore?
Lyn
I’m currently taking English Composition as one of my college courses this semester. I had been putting it off ’til the very end because it’s one of my toughest subjects. Although I love to write blog posts and eBook-sized emails to my friends, writing essays and research papers are a whole different thing! Well, I found myself blogging (whether reading or writing ’em), instead of getting my papers done in a timely manner. So I decided to close it to see if that would help. But I instead found other ways to procrastinate on writing my papers. I always had wondered if my blog was even worth having at all because it was so time-consuming, although a whole lotta fun (reading other blogs too). I just hope that I had made the right choice to continue with it and that it helps to become an encouragement for someone – like your blog most certainly does!
p.s. In regards to your comment about running, when I was a kid, I lost a pair of flip flops trying to run away from a pack of dogs.
There was also one time when I had told my Pops to run for it if he ever saw me running because I kept getting stung by bees as I was trying to machete-chop some branches on our land back home. But when I had hollered to him to run, as I was trying to run away from a bee that had stung me (and its family that was after me), my Pops just stood there. I thank God that nothing had happened to my Pops and that he didn’t get one sting that day. But it’s hilarious for me to look back on it, how I was whizzing by him and yelling “Run! Run!”. But he just stood there and watched me pass by him, running for my life. Haha! xD
LOL, sf! Your stories make me smile!!! I’m so glad you’re “back”! It’s worth it to me, for sure, I enjoy your perspective!
When I came to stay with my daughter for her surgery, our stay turned into a move here, so I’ve been a bit MIA in my reading and writing as well. Hopefully that will soon be remedied, prayers for our own place are greatly appreciated!
Lyn
Lyn, Beautifully written truths. The header does, indeed, provide a great visual for the idea of “New Things” and growth. I am so pleased to be following your blog. Keep up the good work.
Thanks very much, Kathy.