Sweet Sunday Blessings!

Around my home these days......

There are lots of white pitchers...

and I do mean....

LOTS!

 Yep....

I admit it loudly....

My name is Patty....,
 and I am a "Pitcher addict"........

seriously.......

 You could say.....
 I have a little "collector's craze" going on......

I do not know what you like...
~~~
As for me.......

There is a special beauty around the really "used" ones......

Through the lens of my camera....

I become more aware of the details........

The beautiful Patina......

Small chips....
some even have cracks.......

Others have a beautiful crackle that has formed from age and use.......

How is it that being "used" could make something more beautiful?
 ~~~~

I cannot help but wonder........
~~~~~~~~

What were they used for......

~~~~~~~~

Fresh milk for a family.....

Sweet tea........

Maybe flowers.........

Used with purpose....
 time and time again........

Filled up and then emptied....

 Being poured out....

Refreshing someones life...

With cold drink....
~~~~~

Maybe a weary traveler...

A special guest...

or

as service for an ordinary family supper......

 Then to be put away

waiting to be filled...

To be used again.....

or perhaps used up.......

 Ending as a display...

Sitting on a shelf.....

 

Believe it or not.....

My time looking at......

and  taking pictures of these beauties

actually challenged me.....

~~~~~~~~

You should know me by now...

God has a way of turning everything into a life lesson for me.....

The question for me.........

 ~~~~~~~~

Am I willing to be used? 

Am I  willing to sacrifice myself for the work of another believer.........

to pour out my life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? 

Or do I say, 

“I am not willing to be poured out right now,
This is not a good time....

 I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him........ 

I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice.
And to whom I serve.....

It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if it is convenient...

perhaps easy......

But........

to be so totally insignificant.....

 To be used in such a way

 that no one remembers you..
or says...
"Thank you"....

gulp....
that sounds difficult......

No body wants to be the pitcher on the sink...
holding the cleaning utensils.....

Am I willing to sacrifice?
 To be poured out time and time again.......

 until I am used up and exhausted—
used in a place of insignificance.........

not seeking to be ministered to,
but to minister?
Gulp....
again!

I guess we all want to be the pitcher that holds the beautiful arrangement of flowers......

But we can't.......

Paul was a great Biblical example........
He lived a life of service....
Most of it in Jail.......

He willingly gave his life for the sake of the gospel.......

He said this from a prison in Rome....

Philippians 2:17

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering

 on the sacrifice and service 
coming from your faith, 

I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

As the Lord fills you with His love and power this week.....
Look for others to pour into.....
No matter who they are.....
~~~~~~~
Where they may be.......
~~~~~~~~~~
No matter how different or difficult it may seem for you......
~~~~~~
or how insignificant.....

Remember the one who "pours" into us...
He is more than able to help us to pour into others.....

~~~

Beautiful Blessings to you !

Sweeet Sunday Blessings......

All around my yard you will see this fence......

As I was mowing very close along the fence boundary a few days ago....

Something caught my attention.....

Can you see it?

With a closer look....

You can see these beautiful clusters of white flowers....

Trying to cross the boundary.......

Trying to make access into the yard......

Peeking through....

As if saying....

"let us in".......

Or perhaps they are waving....

inviting me.....

enticing me.....

To come on over.....

To come see what is on the other side.....

These lacy clusters are called Queen Anne's Lace........

Queen Anne's lace is found in fields, meadows, waste areas

roadsides and disturbed habitats...

They are very hardy and thrive in a dry environment....

Each beautiful round cluster is made up of tiny white flowers...

resembling a crocheted piece of lace....

Such perfection.......

When you look over the fence.....

 you will see entwined among the Queen Anne's Lace

This beautiful sky blue blossoms 

They are call wild chicory.......

Both of these beautiful flowers are in full bloom in the fields

 and all along the roadsides in Kentucky.....

Who would have thought....

On the other side of my fence

I would find a garden....

A garden....

 I did not plant.....

One I did not expect....

One of complete perfection and beauty.....

Even the Thistle is a standout on the other side of the fence...

Look at the beautiful pink color...

The shape of the dried thistle....

If I worked tirelessly..

I could never get a flower to do that on its own....

No, this was at the hand of a Master Gardner

Flowers to remind me......

Matthew 6:38-30

"And why worry about your clothes? 

See how the lilies of the field grow. 

They do not labor or spin. 

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon 

in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

 IF that is how God clothes the grass of the field, 

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,

 will he not much more clothe you.....

Thanks Father....

For the Flowers....

and the reminder....

Be reminded today!

He Cares for you!

BLESSINGS!

Time....is on my mind......

 Do you ever wish you could just make time stand still?

As I find myself getting older...

Time seems to pass by so quickly...

There is not enough hours in the day 

to accomplish all I want to..

Oh.. I have great ambitions........

or should I say, "great intentions".....

To walk through the day......

 doing so many enjoyable and productive things....

and before I know it.....

the day is gone...

I go to bed determined to make the next day count...

make it count spiritually...

Make it count physically

Make it count emotionally...

 A Bible study and prayer time....

Read a book....

Do a little painting...

Gardening.....

to enjoy my new/old home....

to sit awhile on my back porch.....

and listen to the birds sing....

To do more than water and prune my roses...

To actually
"stop and smell them"......

mmmmmmmm

I have decided....

Its "time" for me to stop focusing on "time!

To enjoy life.....

To see the beauty around me..

To be thankful for another day!

To seek the Lord.....

After all, 

He is the one who gives us...

Time......

Take Him along with you as you walk through your day......

Enjoy your Week!

Blessings!

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

 and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Sweet Sunday Blessings!

I am finding that my flower garden is full of wonderful

blessings of encouragement.....

and lessons for life...

These are not always about the things growing in my garden.....

Among my garden are several small stones I have purchased

throughout the years 

They are hidden among the flowers.....

In unexpected places.......

Just when you need them.....

Little reminders of who I am to be....

FAITH........

Faith is a must for every believer in Christ.......
Faith begins our journey....
and we need it daily....

"without faith it is impossible to please God"...
Hebrews 11:6

And then there is HOPE........

Hope for the believer means....
"Confident expectation"!
~
Hope for me is not a wishful thinking....
~
As a believer....
My hope...
My "confident expectation" is in the Lord!
This confidence comes from believing
what His Word says ..
(The Bible)
about Him....Jesus
and about me......
Trusting that every word of it is truth!
Living it out daily in my life......

And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? 
My only hope is in you.

Psalm 39:7 NLT

And then there is LOVE.......

Love in this passage refers to Agape Love...

A sacrificial...

unconditional love...

Jesus showed us the greatest 

example of agape love...

"But God showed his great love for us 

by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners"

Romans 5:8 NLT

As a follower of Christ...

I should have the same kind of love for all......

even the unlovable....

It would be impossible to exhibit love like that 

without the other two..

faith and hope...

I want my life....my blog...my home....my garden...
to reflect what I believe......

And now these three remain: 
faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love

I Corinthians 13:13

Be Blessed today!
May you have faith to endure...
A Hope that is everlasting
and A Love that touches others..


BLESSINGS!
~