Don't Touch the Gifts Under the Tree...Until it is Time

This time of year is a perfect tangible representation of God's promises to us, that we must yet wait for. We are called to praise and thank God for the gifts we have yet to receive. Sometimes, I find this quite difficult. But, all month long, as presents began filling up the skirt of our tree, it dawned on me how we practice this act year in and year out. Let me explain:

Kit saw the presents with his name on them the first week of December. He had no idea what lived within the wrapping paper, but...

he knew he was getting gifts! He also knew that he had to wait for those gifts...Wait for what felt like an eternity to a four year old.

Quite frankly, it felt like an eternity to me, as well! I just wanted to watch him tear into his gifts!

The amazing thing: Kit thanked his Mommy and Daddy for his presents - prior to Christmas.

That is how it is with God and His promises to us. We may feel that we are waiting for a perceived forever, but everything is in God's timing -- And, God's timing is perfect. Not just for Him and His purposes, but for us. How wonderful is it that God cares so much for our well-being that He waits until it makes sense to give us our gifts? He has told us He will provide us food, shelter and clothing. He will also give us rest, strength and patience when we need it.

The next time I am frustrated with waiting on God, I am going to praise Him and thank Him for all He has done, all He is doing, and all He will do.

Santa, Jesus, and Kit

We have been struggling with the whole Santa thing since Kit was born. I personally have fond memories of believing in Santa, and even realized while I was young that he wasn't real. My husband was devastated when he found out Santa was merely his parents.

And, what about Jesus? How does Santa fit in with Jesus?

And the questions to come: If Santa isn't real, is Jesus? Is God? How do we know????

So...what do we do? How do we allow our children the fun and experience of Santa, while retaining the truth about this holiday, our Savior, Jesus Christ?

We told Kit that the idea of Santa is the spirit of giving, based off of a man named Saint Nicolas, who inhabited the spirit of giving to the less fortunate; which ultimately came from the spirit of Jesus, who gave the ultimate in gifts.

I am hoping that without creating a physical person who represents Santa Clause, revealing him in more of spirit form, with the idea of giving, Kit will be able to take the complete truth with understanding. The rest is in God's hands.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never parish, spoil or fade... ~1 Peter 1:3-4

This gift of life after death began with the birth of a Holy Man, The One and Only Son of God.

Merry Christmas.

God Gave Me Tape

Interesting title, but it is truth verbatim. 

The house we are renting has mostly single pane windows, the storm windows missing. We have to put up plastic and tape to seal out the harsh western winds during this season. You should see the plastic when such weather transpires: our curtains bubble out, the plastic filling with cold air...it is quite an eye opener!

About a week or so ago, I had done the dining room windows. Prior to that, The Rustic Knight and I completed the upstairs. Yesterday, I did the living room, leaving only the kitchen. I ran out of tape upon completion of the dining room. I literally had enough to do those two windows. Praise God!

Yesterday, I was caulking around the molding surrounding two newer windows in the living room. We have four windows: two new facing front, two old facing back. The two newer windows were not insulated properly, therefore you can see through to the outside of the molding. Hence the caulking. In the middle of sealing these cracks, I thought to myself, "It would be totally awesome if God just miraculously placed a role of tape in our junk drawer."

Now, we were going to buy tape, but when we went to the store, we weren't prepared to spend what the stores were asking for. This was not because we didn't have the money for it, we just didn't want/couldn't bring ourselves to spend our money on the tape. It seems odd in hindsight, yet I also understand why we didn't buy it, because...

How would this have happened:

My Prayer For Today...

Lord, 

I ask you to forgive me for wanting things not meant for me. 

Please cleanse my heart and fill me up with Your will. 

In Jesus Christ's name, Amen. 

Outerbanks NC
Photo taken by Paisley Sept. 17, 2013

I have had a full week, leaving me feeling a bit depleted. 

This is of the good kind. 

I am spent from the Lord's use of me, and I love it. 

Today is a day for recuperation, of the divine kind. 

This led me to pray the prayer above. 

God revealed my need to pray for something I hadn't realized I needed to pray about. 

And to Him, I am immensely grateful. 

Praise be to God!

"God Called The Expanse 'Sky.'"

Outerbanks, NC.
Picture taken by Paisley Sept. 20th, 2013

Genesis 1:8-10

8 God called the expanse "sky."And there was evening, and there was morning -- the second day.

9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 

10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw it was good. 

"He Alone..."

Outerbanks, NC.
Picture taken by Paisley Sept. 20th, 2013

Job 9:8

He alone stretches out the heavens 

and treads on the waves of the sea. 

"You Rule Over The Surging Sea..."

Outerbanks, NC
Taken by Paisley Sept 17th, 2013

Psalm 89:8-9

8 O Lord God Almighty, who is like you?

You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea; 

when its waves mount up, you still them.

"His Splendor Was Like The Sunrise..."

One of my favorite pictures taken in the Outerbanks, NC
Taken by Paisley Sept 18th, 2013

Habakkuk 3:4

His splendor was like the sunrise; 

rays flashed from his hand, 

where his power was hidden. 

Doors Closing = Time For Prayer

Good Morning!

First sunrise in Outerbanks, NC
Taken by Paisley Sept 16th 2013

Life has been full this past month.

My gift to the Outerbanks was a blessing I will cherish for my entire life. The spiritual revelations God bestowed upon me during my time ocean side is still evolving within my heart. And, much has transpired since my return. 

"...I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses."

2 Corinthians 11:30-31

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.

Here, I, The Paisley Butterfly, have come to boast:

I AM WEAK. 

I have come to see a place where 

I have not invited God... 

Simply Christian

I was asked what doctrine I follow. I must be honest and say, I don't necessarily follow a doctrine. I believe in certain things, absolutely, though I am not a religious person. Actually, I could say I have no religion. 

I am Christian. 

I am very spiritual. 

I was raised Lutheran, though I currently do not claim any denomination. 

What 'Christian' means to me: 

I confess Jesus Christ as my Savior, The One True Messiah. 

I believe in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to absolve me of my sin, granting me the gift of eternal life. 

I believe in living in faith and choosing to be a child of God.

I believe in repenting my sins and asking for forgiveness. 

My Spiritual Tantrum...And How I Got In THE Way

I don’t want to do this. Point blank.

I find it ironic that I am doing a prayer study and I don’t want to pray about it, because I know I have to do it and I don’t want to.

I am acting like a child.

And, I know this.

I also know that I am just being stubborn, and that I am the problem here. I am choosing to throw a spiritual tantrum.

Please understand I am not sharing this with you for the sake of complaining. Actually, I am not complaining in the least: I am realizing my truth. I am being honest with myself.

This leads me to why I am sharing this:

Ah, So...Where Have I been?

I would like to start off by wishing Everyone a wonderful afternoon! Personally, I am kind of bummed out -- it is raining...AGAIN! I was hoping to take Kit to the playground today...maybe tomorrow?

So, where have I been? Good question. The past three weeks have been a complete whirlwind! Life has happened, and quite unexpectedly. There have been ups, and there have been downs. We went camping; The Rustic Knight got a promotion; My husband's birthday was a week ago; Kit's birthday was yesterday; We had some medical issues in between all of the above; I picked up extra shifts at the restaurant; Family has visited. 

LIFE has been lived. 

Discerning The Call For Action

God plants seeds within all of us from the moment we are created. He plants seeds to develop for His purposes. God developed Moses' character by molding his actions towards His will. Moses was a reactor. When conflict arose, he reacted. God taught Moses the correct way to react, to fulfill His purpose. This was possible because Moses chose to pray. Through prayer we are opening our hearts up to God’s will. 

Through prayer, Moses learned to obey God. This is not saying that Moses never experienced disobedience – he did, once. We see this truth in the fact that Moses was not permitted into the Promised Land. But through his obedience to God throughout his life, Moses became a better person, reacting in ways that aligned with God's will. The story of Moses – referenced within the prayer study, found under Paisley's Wings – shows us how God shaped Moses into a great man, but without changing who he was. In fact, God took the seeds He planted within Moses and fed and watered them until they were suited to His purposes. He nurtured the seeds planted within Moses’ heart.

Enduring Through Faith

I had a panic moment a couple of months ago. My faith was seriously tested, and to be honest, I have had some rocky moments since then. That is not to say that I have lost my faith, or that it has dwindled. It just means that I am human and I have to fight very hard to retain my faith, allowing it to grow stronger.

The area I live in has been berated with rain and thunderstorms. There have been high winds, loss of electricity, flooding, branches being ripped from the trees. Rainstorms have persisted for days on end, never ceasing. We get a day of reprieve, just for it to start all over again. This has been our reality since May. 

A couple of weeks into the unending rain, our roof began to leak. I don't mean just a drip. I mean, my living room wall was soaking wet. Water was pouring down the interior of our window, the ceiling was beginning to give way. When we looked at the outside of the house, we could actually see the exterior wall swelling with water. I had to move the furniture, put a bowl under the ceiling faucet, and place a towel over the window in an effort to protect our things. I called my husband, near tears, freaking out. He came home. 

Let God Change Your Mind...And Heart

Lately, I have been reveling in the blessings God has thrown my way: my marriage, my family unit, this house, my job, this blog…all is good…

I have more purpose. I am expressing my passion. I love my job. My family is strong and has come together in a way we never have been before our move to this house. I also feel fatigue, aches, and am at times wondering how to get more hours in my day.

So, why have I found myself wanting more? Why do I feel a sense of boredom? Why am I wishing I was already in my southern state living on my homestead? I know it’s not time. I also know I am really not ready, as much as I may think I am.

Christian Person Week

Upon checking my email this morning, I came across this lovely forward, sent by my grandmother. This is the first I have heard of Christian Person Week, and decided to share this beautifully written poem with all of you. I am not sure who the author of this poem is, but I give credit to him/her. I hope you enjoy!

When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that 'I am clean living.'

I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say 'I am a Christian', I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not claiming to be perfect.

My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Today is Beautiful Christian Person's Day.

Pretty is as Pretty does but, Beautiful is just plain Beautiful..

Be Blessed, Be a Blessing.

When you feel like you're drowning in life, 

don't worry -- your Lifeguard walks on water. 

The Lord's Prayer

If ever you find yourself in a place where words to pray escape you, remember the Lord's Prayer. This is given to us by Jesus, found in the new testament:

~ Luke 11:2-4 ~

Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 

Give us each day our daily bread. 

Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. 

And lead us not into temptation. 

The version I grew up with goes like this: 

Our Father, 

who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name. 

Thy kingdom come, 

thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread, 

and forgive us our trespasses, 

as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, 

and the power, 

and the glory. 

Forever and ever. 

Amen

My Mother's Day Bouquets

 Since I had to work Saturday evening and all day Sunday, The Rustic Knight and Kit left Saturday afternoon to visit my mother-in-law, resulting in our celebration of Mother's Day on Saturday. 

I came downstairs Saturday morning to a beautiful lily bouquet (my favorite flower) chosen and arranged by my husband :) The vase was surrounded by chocolate (Yum!) and two cards 

(one from The Rustic Knight, and one from Kit).

Seeking Silence And Solitude

~ Psalm 46 ~

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 

3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 

5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 

6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 

7 The lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on earth. 

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shield with fire. 

10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 

Being silent and seeking solitude go hand in hand with Being Still. By seeking refuge in silence, through the act of being in solitude, we are able to practice being still. There is much to gain by being silent with God and living in solitude with God. It allows us to discern His truth. It is not enough to just pray, or just have faith, we need to quiet ourselves to nothingness in order for God to be everything for us.