“A Little Child Will Lead Them…”

I read that a “little child will lead them…”

watercolor by yours truly…

and as they go…let’s be sure and check them for stars in their pockets…

twinkles from their toes. Let’s take time to muse over

their innocent snuggles…in bare feet.

photo from Pinterest

And we can act  surprised to see them giggling, playing hide and seek,

in the Neverland that always is,

                                                                    (photo from Pinterest)

for children, that is…

You may watch them enjoying simple pleasures for the moment, the ones that have them wrapped in contented light…or

photo from Pinterest

maybe, tiptoeing in ballet shoes…

photo from Pinterest

And then there are the times to check behind the smiles, for crackled hearts,

 

photo from Pinterest

but most of all yes, MOST of all be sure and check their hearts…

for simply trusting (as children do best….)

in the One Who leads…best.

My friends, may we in our lives at every age, reflect that childlike and precious  faith.

(photo below from Pinteret)

Isaiah 11:6 NIV

When Country Sings the Truth

Country Time… in The Book

If they are not boozing it up or taking a bad father’s house out by storm, vigilante style, some country music lyrics may be  downright soothing.    If Taylor’s not reshaping the bad boys and if you are even thinking of two timing the lady, you can be sure that Little Big Town will spin out a tornado that rearranges all of  life. So if not tangled in the drink or wild women, (which is why I prefer listening to this genre of music when  the “switch” button is handy) country music often has down right soul.  Sometimes it even drags a theological thread…

I hope, hope, it reminds you of Kim Perry?

Take for instance the big hitter, Better Dig Two, by  The Band Perry, with lead singer: Kimberly Perry.  The sibling trio twills a valid point.  Maybe the premise goes something like this:

If you marry me, we are the one for each other, now and forever. They are singing along  the forest stroll, toting a rooster on a stick not to mention an eagle, butterfly and a big bad beetle. The creatures bobble through a silhouetted eery forest, (the video is a must see,  chairs hanging in the trees are one of the surprise starlights that draws you in.  The lyrics will keep you listening!) The song reminds us that the marital vows are those  taken seriously. It’s a lifetime commitment. It’s downright good theology.

This is not to say there lies a sea of grace for those living out the decision of a second marriage and His love extends to all, in every place of  life, for sure, in any stage.  But why have to pull that grace card if we can live out what we vow, the first time?

Just saying…not judging my friends, if at all possible, when at all possible, and even

photo from Pinterest

stretching into the impossible, when the marital union seems unbearable, lean into the truth:

  For with Him “all things are possible” and these are cases where you don’t have to see to believe.  You believe and then,

                                     See.

            I’m just saying..no, He’s just saying…

“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”  Mark 10:9

Words…and Their Strength

Words…and Their Strength

Words…here’s a passel of them, collected in this 1938…

Unabridged 20th Century Dictionary that has been passed down through the family.

It’s funny, I loved to read as a young girl and my Grandfather would always, ALWAYS make me look up the words I didn’t know.  We would read together in the living room and I’d stumble across an unknown word and ask him about the meaning. I was sent to a dictionary, a smaller version. I’m thinking, I know that you KNOW the meaning so why not just tell me…but I would look it up.

Perturbed, I’d look it up.  But I’m so glad that he did as it was probably the impetus that stirred my heart to appreciate words.

Words…Don’t you love them?   And sometimes hate them?

They bind. They heal, mame, bandage, slice, cut, infuse. There’s so much power behind a word.

Oh, but there’s another inspirational point of words the best one available.

For when The Word teaches on words…

the Teacher is the Ultimate of Professors…

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning.³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  John 1:1-3 NIV

Nothing no nothing inspires like The Word: refreshes, cleanses, sanctifies,

It’s Living Water.

May His Word infuse your life in Hope that refreshes…

The Big Difference of 1/8th Inch

The Big Difference of 1/8th Inch…In my Human Resources job I rarely brush with numbers, but in my art, now that’s  a different matter.  Though I don’t consider myself a portrait artist for I’m

S. Lugar with Simply Barefoot
http://www.simplybarefoot.etsy.com

more often scurrying around painting animals caught in good fun.  Donned in  quirky expressions they splash in rainbowed watercolors. But I also keep finding myself agonizing over the 1/8th of an inch on a mouth so that a portrait is balanced.

I sometimes want to cry and pull my hair out and it can be downright…painful.   A smidgen off on one side, throws the whole picture.  This ear does not match that one so for this, we have hair! Now thankfully people often have mismatched eyebrows and they are my favorites, but lips, that’s something you want to get right, exactly right. Even 1/8th inch will blow the smile!

Numbers…fractions, how many times have we heard a  surgeon say, “If  the wound had been 1/16 closer to the heart, he would have not made it!”  Or what if your curtains are ALMOST to the window’s edge?  YIKES! How about if we woke up one morning and the earth was hanging at a  different slant?  Or in that case, would we even wake up?  Hmmm…Now my circumstantial world slants akilter every now and then, hinged wapsided with troubles, but no matter what,

He still has the sun and the moon doing their thing, every single morning…no worries there.

How about some numbers trivia?

Cartoon character Bugs Bunny once correctly calculated 1297 times 142 in his head and said, “If there’s one thing we wabbits can do, it’s multiply.” *

The Earth’s axis is tipped over about 23.5° from vertical.

Because of this tilt, we have seasons…ah, loving that tilt this sping!

Multiplication anyone?

• 111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Albert Einstein mused:

“Do not worry too much about your difficulties in mathematics, I can assure you that mine are still greater.”

• “Not everything that counts can be counted. Not everything that can be counted counts.”
• “Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” 

We can be thankful that some numbers stay the same as the world turns.  And when our personal numbers are off and things appear to hang cattywacked we can be sure, in the real world, spring is on the way.

As for my gal in blue, she’s off in at least one place, about 1/8th of an inch. Oh well, somewhere, there must be a rabbit to paint! Surely there’s a lettuce patch nearby!

*from VirtueScience.com

Once a Year…or Everyday

Once a Year the flower Cereus blooms one late summer night…

and then,  the show is over-one bloom and the rest is history. It would be easy to sleep through the curtain call. The bloom opens and then it is over, once a year.

Somethings are just so fleeting…

And back in the day, once a year, only once a year, the High Priest could enter the temple…

that’s all…So that was then…and this is now, post Calvary and the Resurrection…

Now…

everyday,

EVERYDAY,  yes, EVERYDAY, my friend, we have access to God…

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of

God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Heb 10: 19-22 NIV

And the protocol to meet daily with the King?

To give Him,

our all…

The Virus That Paints

The Virus that Paints…

Recently we’ve spoken of things that are not what they appear…

Take the painted tulip for instance.  The variated petals are the result of a virus, yes, a virus.  One that geneticists now embrace.  Who would have thought that a virus would pitch out such interest in petal colors, striating the blossoms lengthwise with patterns?

It  often true.  That the unexpected surprises us with wonder…sometimes with love. The cross was an unsuspecting place to make a bold historical victory statement. Don’t you think?

But then again, from where  but from death can the resurrection cry, ring so clearly!

From a pitch that encircled mankind with a door of  choice, the King appeared, conquered. But the Cross was all part of the plan. The Chief Corenrstone hung rejected.  Ah, but only for a while…only for a while…

Let’s study the cross.  The tulip…

a way to see life’s difficulties as springboards for grace notes.  We are called to live life in the the song of the Resurrected King.  Do we find that it often requires seeing things as they are not?

Let’s live life open to the idea that a virus may unfold petals in lovely, colorful twists…but only if we don’t throw them away. It’s a choice.

A Memphis bouquet of tulips for you my friend…this beautiful spring morning…

“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone.” Ps. 118:22

“Consider the Lilies…” Even the Orchids, If You Will

“Consider the Lilies…” Even the Orchids

It’s the time of year in our home where splendor takes to her tiptoes in

wonder…This orchid plant rested through winter, in the bathroom, pretending I’m sure, that  the morning showers were its dip into a tropical rain forest.  It bathed in daily mists, soaked up some indirect rays from the small window, dreaming of Puerto Rico, no doubt…splashing in soft sunlight through the glass.. .

This is the same orchid, different lighting…go figure…

Honestly, if something is this gorgeous need they be anything else!?  Just sit around and be lovely…we can ask no more.  But there is so much more about these plants.

“Co-existing within the root structure of most orchids is a microscopic fungi (mycelium). This alliance forms a symbiotic relationship, whereby both the orchid and the fungus become completely dependent upon other for their survival….Most orchids have their own specific micro-fungi, so there must exist as many different fungi as there ae orchids.” *

Wow, just wow.  There are tens of thousands of different orchids, so are their matching fungi.  It’s an amazing thought!

So, if the Creator of the Universe cares enough about a plant to make sure there is a corresponding fungus so that both can symbiotically dwell, how much more does He care for you my friend.  For you are not just beautiful,

you  have a soul...

Consider the lilies if you

A New England beauty…lily

will…and the orchids, for sure.

“…Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and

tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?…..

³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you… Matthew 6

*”Growing Orchids” by Brain and Wilma Rittershausen