A Clean Sweep

This is just one section of the many leaves my sons and I raked up this past Sunday.  There were more beyond the fence in the driveway, in the front yard...basically EVERYWHERE!

I took a picture because this is what I encountered the DAY AFTER I had just gathered the same amount of leaves!  Now, initially, I thought raking/sweeping leaves is an effort in futility, but I'm one of those weird person's who loves the mundane (think washing dishes, vacuuming) because it is the perfect time for me to pray and commune with God. This was one of those times...

As I swept, and swept, and swept, God began to show me how my initial reaction to sweeping leaves the day after I had just raked and swept is much like how the Christian walk feels at times--an effort in futility. Let's say your being a Christian who's trying to follow God's precepts and live a life worthy of the faith you profess represents the broom.  And, let's say the continual mocking of your faith, wickedness you encounter, and the advancement of people around you who don't follow the Lord represents the leaves.  You are seemingly the continual lone frontrunner constantly working to clean up around you that which you know needs tidying.  Yes, it's hard work. Yes, there are many more of them than there is of you. Yes, you wonder if your efforts are futile and your energy is wasted.  Yes, the very thing you cleaned up yesterday may return ten-fold tomorrow....sweep anyway! Do it anyway!

Why? Because your presence, your efforts, swept away those leaves hanging around THAT day--no matter that they would return tomorrow.

Life Words: Day 4- "Clearly Seen"

Love

This is my final word...for now.  :)  It is so amazing to me how a small activity can stretch you and give you a greater outlook than what you had before.  Searching for words in their untouched, natural state started off as a fun game with my sons, but became a personal challenge to stretch myself and an opportunity to understand the Lord a little better.

Huh? How did looking for words stretch me and help me understand the Lord better?

Well, I'm glad you asked! :)  It was hard y'all!  Some of the letters took forever!  And, I at times became like the boys with, "We can't find 'E'!!! Mommy! WE DON'T SEE THE LETTERS!!!!!" Then something amazing happened...I prayed.

Life Words: Day 3

Faith

Can you see it?

Life Words: Day 2...

Hope (from the Science museum)

Can you see it? Okay, so my abstract "p" was a stretch, but it works! :)

I think I've found my new calling... :)

I recently read an article about finding words in nature with your children.  A while back, the boys and I read a picture book by a photographer (whose name I've forgotten :(  ) who found letters and numbers in random items.  It was amazing!  This project reminded me of that book, so I decided we could look for letters in a word on our various excursions.

This, our first one, was at a park. The word is "Thanks!"  Can you see it? I posted our findings to Facebook, and now it's just become a thing!  So fun!

The "T" shot is my favorite.  I just think that's an absolutely fabulous shot of the boys playing together. My second favorite is the "!". Some tweens were having cheerleading practice, and it was so awesome to see an exclamation point!

1 = 5; "Where, O death, is thy sting?"

I went to a funeral this past Friday of someone very special to me.  He was like a father to me, and he was just a great guy! As I stared at his body--like I have stared at the frame of many others I've buried--I couldn't help but have a flood of memories. There lay the frame of a man which was the antithesis of his character.  There lay a silent frame. Mr. T (as I affectionately called him) was always full of life and making me laugh.  There lay a cold frame. Mr. T was literally warm and figuratively warmed everyone who was blessed enough to be in his presence. He looked so much like his lively self I kept expecting him to sit up any moment and make me laugh!

I have a funeral ritual that I began almost twenty years ago when I lost my close cousin.  I take home one of the plants from the funeral just to keep and take care of in honor of the person I loved and lost (with the family's permission of course). When I brought Mr. T's plant home, I watered my other plants...one being a plant I brought home from Mrs. T's funeral, who preceded her husband in death a year ago.  As I watered the plants, I began to knead the soil and pray for the families connected to the love one of that particular plant. And I cried. But, then I glanced over at my smallest plant.

A Prayer Revolution

³ And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

⁴ And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

⁵ And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

⁶ And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

⁷ The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. [Revelation 8:3-7]

And there it hit me!  BOOM! The power of prayer.  Did you catch it?  Read the scripture again.