There are times in our lives where affirmation is especially helpful. At low points, when we are doubting ourselves, staking our identities in the wrong places, and feeling depressed it's encouraging to have someone come alongside us; to show us the way or to share the truth with us, in love.
Our words of affirmation, as trite and seemingly small as they appear to be, could touch a heart in just the right way and be a valuable treasure to the suffering one, for long years to come. Words of affirmation are steppingstones in our lives, aiming us in the right direction and helping us as we plod along this long road of hardship and suffering. I pray that the words and thoughts I share on this blog provide a measure of encouragement and affirmation to all who read them, to help light the way and provoke each other to keep fighting the good fight. :) I want to bring a simple truth to you today that I hope will be encouraging. It is in the form of an acrostic. Don't you love those lists of Bible verses that say how God says you are: unique, special, a treasure and so on? This is a similar approach to those kinds of lists. God says you are: Valuable - Matthew 10:30-31 Equipped - 2 Timothy 3:17 Set apart - Psalm 4:3 Sons and Daughters - 2 Corinthians 6:18 Enduring -2 Corinthians 4:8-10 Loved - Jeremiah 31:3 Saved - Matthew 1:21 Read that again. Do you see the word? We are His vessels. He will use us to bring encouragement, light, and hope to those who need it most. Let Him use you to your fullest potential, all for His glory. P. S. If you'd like a reference for this, look no further than 2 Timothy 2: 20-21. Till next time, Carolyn
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It's hard to describe in words what this amazing book was like to read. If you grew up watching Peter Pan, wishing you could fly off to Neverland and be a Lost Boy of Lost Girl, then this book is for you! This book is all the whimsical things you remember about Peter Pan's story, but with an added sense of growth since this is a YA book. :) Kara has crafted an amazing re-telling of Peter Pan's story and it surpasses all the assumptions you may have thought you knew about his side of things. It's a story filled with light and shadows, good and evil, finding a place where you belong in this world. It's about embarking on a search for a missing brother, an adventure that you won't forget, long after you've finished the book. The themes were spot on and well developed for this book and Kara's writing sucks you right in from the first page. I remember listening to the first chapter of the audiobook and thinking, "I need to get this book!" One of my favorite quotes from the book: "The stars shine brightest in the darkness, Claire. Pixie dust chases back the shadows. Maybe that's it--maybe that's what the shadows are all about. Finding the light through them, and. . . ." He tilts his head back. "We all have our shadows to fight, but maybe that's so we can grow stronger." Thank you for writing and re-imagining this wonderful tale, Kara. May your words continue to be a light to the hearts they reach. :) "My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." (Song of Solomon 2:10-13)
"Summer is. . ." There are many ways you can fill in the blanks to this statement. So much can be said about the adventures, vacations, holidays, foods, festivals, and special events that take place during this time of year. Maybe it's the weather you love, with warmer temperatures and the near-constant sunshine. A lot of my childhood memories have taken place in the summer. Running barefoot through the sprinkler, afternoon pool parties with my cousins, and chasing lightning bugs after dark. What is it about summer that we all love? Maybe it isn't the weather or the exotic vacations or the simplicity of roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Summer is time spent with the ones we love, creating memories that we'll remember for years to come. Family reunions celebrating a milestone anniversary, beach vacations with my Mom's side of the family, trips to the amusement park with friends. . . It doesn't matter where we are--it's who we're with that makes life (and summertime) all the more memorable. ;) Summer is getting our hands dirty as we help plant the garden, riding our bikes up and down the street just to feel the rush of wind in our face; it's sitting on the front porch late into the night; it's sitting on the swing, watching the sunshine and bright sky dancing through the tree branches looking, for all the world, like pixie dust. Through it all, the Lord is with us. Whispering to us in the breeze, in the melody of the birds, to rise up and to come away with Him. Summer is here. . . the time to seek our Lord, our Beloved, is here. :) May His voice stir your heart to rise up and to get away with Him. Time spent with Him is the best vacation of them all. ;) Summer is all these things and so much more. And I haven't even touched on half of the activities and events we tend to participate in during this season. Now, let me ask, what is summer to you? How would you fill in the blanks of that statement? I'd love to hear about your special memories tied to this season! |
AuthorHi! I'm Carolyn, a writer seeking to glorify God with my words. Archives
February 2024
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