What a great book....especially when you are in the process of cleaning out and decluttering.  It's not just about cleaning out physical "stuff" ....it's so much more than that!

  P. 224 "Simplicity isn't about getting by on "what you need" instead of having "what you want," (such a hard distinction to make anyway); simplicity is about wanting something else."  We are not being asked to limit our desire;  we're being asked to tether our desire to the wild vision of God.  Simplicity isn't about having a smaller life;  it's having a bigger vision."

 I have too many distractions...pure and simple~!  I want clean hands and a pure heart...the road to get there is to focus my vision on God.  The less I am consumed by things...the easier that will be. 





Great quote for what I feel needs to be done in my heart and life....

Randy Alcorn

Every item I add to my possessions is one more thing to think about, talk about, clean, repair, display, rearrange, and replace when it goes bad. Acquiring a possession may also push me into redefining my priorities, making me unavailable for ministry. “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). www.epm.org/mgm

(http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/best-trails/photo-gallery/)

I am on a journey....

Do I have a sense of urgency?

Amy Carmichael, "We shall have all of eternity to celebrate the victories, but we have only the few hours before sunset in which to win them."

Is my lack of action desensitizing me to the issues?

C. S. Lewis, "The more often we feel without acting, the less we will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less we will be able to feel."

Am I willing?

K.P. Yohannan," Please don't misunderstand.  I'm not saying that a nice car or new clothes or anything like that is a bad thing.  If poverty made us more spiritual, then there would be a lot of really spiritual people all over South Asia.  No.  This is about seeing the little ways that Lord calls us to live simply so that others can simply live."

Best use of my time

Saw this on a blog today....seemed like some great ideas to focus prayer.
http://yearnforgod.org/2012/04/18/how-i-pray-for-my-sons/

Griping to Gratitude

(picture from Wikipedia)

"My loving God,  You have turned my griping into gratitude, my screams of despair into proclamations of joy.  How can I help but explode with praises and vow to spend eternity in thanksgiving to You? 

 You are my hope and salvation, the morning star and the evening star, my shade in the desert heat, and my warmth in the cold of the night.

You are the Bread of Life, the life-giving springs when my soul is parched and dry.  You are the answer to my agonizing questions, the fulfillment of my deepest longings. 

I am Yours, O God, Yours forever!

Make my life a perpetual offering of praise."

(from Book of Christian Prayer by Leslie F. Brandt)

Remembering....

Yesterday was my brother Robert's birthday, he would have been 43  years old.  I can't believe it's been almost a year ago already that he passed away.  I bought this shrub with memorial money from my husband's family.  In full bloom, it is a nice reminder  to appreciate LIFE.  You never know which day will be your last. I look forward to Easter this weekend and celebrating eternal life with Christ my Savior, who gave His life for me.



Palm Sunday

 

“Hosanna!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  Mark 11:9-10

 

As I celebrate Palm Sunday today, I am glad that this day was no April Fool's joke and that Christ really died for my sins.