BRICK WALLS AND MOUNTAINTOPS

Oct3

Martha L Shaw - Poet, Writer, Author, Artist

 

Obstacles . . . we grow so accustomed to them that we are completely blind to their existence . . . and all too often, we created them ourselves!  Life brings us lots of “I wonder why” moments but it also brings us “no, really! I am fine!” discussions when folks around us try to help us breakthrough our prison walls and be all we can be. Take me, for example.  For years I was encouraged to attend a        Christian retreat called Cursillo.  I always politely said “no.”  Mythoughts were “I know who Jesus is” and “I go to church.”

After years of urging, I noticed folks who went on the retreat came back so happy . . . so changed.  Of course I knew I did not need to change, but decided it might be fun and my friends would finally lay off.  So I went to…

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Astonished With Delight – YOUR STORIES!

Aug6

Martha L Shaw - Poet, Writer, Author, Artist

WHO among us does not want to be astonished with delight!?

I recently challenged you to share a story about  time you were ASTONISHED WITH DELIGHT then, in the comment section, provide a link so we can share our blogs to new folks as they read the delightful example!   To Participate, click here for the original post.  I will add your post/blog link to this list!  These moments are sometimes earth shattering, but are often a small act of kindness.  Share your joy!

A great example comes from SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS who shows us that the flood from a hurricane can become a flood of joy in the following story!

 We went to NC one year right after Hurricane Katrina. The following Hurricane was still lingering. The hotel we booked was flooded, were told to drive inland 7 miles before attempting to find a hotel. All the diver shops…

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I AM ASTONISHED WITH DELIGHT! CHALLENGE!

Aug3

Martha L Shaw - Poet, Writer, Author, Artist

I was reading an article on the upcoming celebration of the FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION, which is when  Jesus goes up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John, and he is transfigured for them.  The word dazzle was used and instinctively I made a face . . . picture scrunched nose!

transfig

I never use that word and associate it with those plastic toys which are used to put glittery embellishments onfabric . . . no, I am not a fan.  lol   Me, being a-word -a- holic . . . I looked further and the dictionary defined dazzle including the phrase “to astonish with delight.”  WOW!  Silly me!  That so perfectly describes Jesus’ love for me, as I so often feel it!

CHALLENGE

PLEASE write a blog post describing a time or experience in which you were  ASTONISHED WITH DELIGHT and post a link to it in the comments so…

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An Open Door.

Aug1

the divine presence

Serving God, and I mean really serving God with your entire heart, your entire soul, your entire life, requires quite a few things. It requires sacrifice. It requires love. It requires faith. It requires a humble attitude. It requires a Biblical foundation. It requires a personal relationship with Jesus. A personal interaction with Him that begins on the day that you were saved and continues on into eternity. There is an open door in front of you. First, you must be saved. This is the first open door that we must go through in order to serve Him, but our life, our journey with God, does not end at salvation. That door closes after we go through with a blessed finality; God has saved us, and we can not escape His hand. We may backslide, but God has us tightly wrapped in His arms and we are safe, we are…

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MY PLEASURE!

Jul31

Martha L Shaw - Poet, Writer, Author, Artist

Where Do You Seek Pleasure?faithful

Pleasure – I love that word. Just saying it brings a smile to my face. It can’t be helped. Seriously, stand in front of a mirror. Relax your facial muscles completely, then speak the word pleasure or the other form of the word, which is please. Did you notice? Your entire expression changes. A smile forms quite naturally. The smile, however, is just the external manifestation of the feeling within. Where do you seek pleasure? Where do you find it? Are the two answers the same or are they in contrast? Psalm 147 suggests where it is not likely found, telling us “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior . . . “ and that’s all well and good, but where do I find it? The dictionary defines pleasure as that in which I…

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