The Motif

Have you ever noticed something beautiful. It may be little and easily overlooked if one is not paying attention, and yet, it is always there. Like a musical motif, this beauty is always there. It occured to me that I have a motif running through my life as well. It is the grace, mercy, peace, compassion and faithfulness of the One who gave me life. No matter where I am or what is happening in my day, it is always there. And I remember this every time I see a butterfly, a small thing of beauty that consistantly appears and reminds me that I am never alone. As I was walking home the other day a butterfly floated accross my path. Over the past few months I have learned a lot from these delicate creatures. And now they are a constant reminder to me that God keeps his promises. A reminder to be still and rest, knowing that the One who made me is always with me. A reminder to chase my dreams. A reminder that life is beautiful and that I am loved. I so easily forget these things and allow my mind to start believeing otherwise. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, a butterfly lands on my shoulder and I remember. So as you walk through life with all of its bumps and twists, start looking around you, I can guarantee that if you pay attention, you will begin to see His grace, peace and mercy in a lot of ways throughout your day, those little reminders that you are loved more than you could ever imagine. See it in the laughter of a child, in the hug of one you love. See it in the delicate beauty of a flower or in the elegeant grace of a butterfly. But always remember.

"It's a wonderful feeling just being in this creative motif." --Roy Ayers

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." --Michelangelo

Texture

Have you ever noticed that the road of life is often full of potholes, bumps and zig zags. As we are going through them we often get frustrated and wonder why it is happening to us. It is all to easy to get into the "why me" mentallity. We wish that all those bumps and thumps would just go away. I've had my fair share of these road problems, but they got me to thinking the other day. If we were to turn around and look back we would see that all those inconveinant and sometimes painful moments in our life, are exactly what give our lives, and ourselves, character and beauty. It's like when you look at a piece of art. Up close you see all the individual brush strokes, colors, mistakes and blemishes. But when you step back and look at it as a whole all those things come together to make it beautiful. If any of those steps in the process were missing, the art would not be complete. So, it is through the bumps and jolts of life, the things that make us cry and the things that make us laugh, the good and the bad, that we learn and grow to be the person that we are today. So when you look back on your life, don't sigh and think of all the hurt or frustration, think about the things that you learned through it, and the way that you grew because of it. And maybe, just maybe, when you look back you won't see caos, but a beautiful pattern that weaves together and gives texture to the canvas of your life.

"God doesn't put hard things in your path to hurt you, but to call out your strength and courage."
--Unkown

The Legacy

This week I had the privilege to spend some time with a truly amazing person, A woman who has touched the lives of many. She has seen many years and now she is stooped and moves rather slow. Her hand has a slight tremmer and her hair has turned the purest of white. To many who do not know this woman, she appears like any other old grandma. And sadly, most would probably over look her. And yet, when she smiles there is still a sparkle in her eyes and a hint of mischief in her voice. And when she begins to tell her stories, it as if she is opening a window into the past. A window from which we can learn, laugh and remember. As I sat there and listened, I was blown away. She reminded me that there is beauty everywhere, but especially in the little things about life. Like fun trips with friends, evenings spent outside around a campfire, and those little annoying things that in hindsight bring tears to your eyes because you cannot stop laughing about them. She reminded me that life is precious and ought to be lived to the fullest. That the One who has given us life is love. And that the people in our lives are our most precious gifts. Another thing that I learned is that life is not always fair. That sometimes we will encounter great pain, and yet, there is always a reason to smile. If the life of this great lady were laid out like a road map, I'm sure it would be full of bumps, hills and valleys, twist and turns, unexpected forks, wide open fields of sunshine and most likely some clouds. But it is these very things that have made her into the person that she is today. So I've decided something. I've decided that I don't want to just ho-hum it through life. I want to hold onto my hat and say, "Let's get going!" I want to experience life and all the adventures that are out there. And some day when I get to be old and grey, I hope to still have a sparkle in my eye and mischief in my voice. I hope to someday leave a legacy.


"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forewards."--Soren Kierkegaard

"The Legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example."
      --Benjamin Disraeli

The Colors

Today as I was standing in my room with the great debate of "What shall I wear today" playing through my head, I was overtaken with an urge to don as many colors as possible. My personal motto for life is that there should be no place untouched by color. I simply cannot imagine a black and white world. And so with this in mind, I proceeded to select a winner of an outfit. Starting, with pink leggings and a teal skirt. Moving up to a lime green and orange top. Yellow earrings and a string of multicolored beads add the right amount of flair, and to finish it off, what could be better than red and yellow high tops. Now tell me this, how can anyone have a bad day when it starts off with this much color and fun. And it was this that made me start to think. How often do I wake up and put on shades of grey for the day? It's not the clothes I choose to put on, but the color of my attitude, my thoughts, or my dreams. It is all to easy to allow grey into our hearts. To loose the joy of the little things all around us. To allow worries or fears to dull the true colors of the love of the One who has given us life and hope. When we allow cares, worries and burdens to have a part in us, we begin to mix grey into our hearts and the brilliant colors begin to dull. And oh, how sad a state this is. For that is not how life was meant to be lived. The One who breathed life into us is the one who gave us the colors. He created reds to be deep and purples to be rich. Blues to take our breath away and greens to sparkle. So today, whether your wearing a navy blue sweater and khakis, or all the colors of the rainbow, let the colors of your heart shine out and know the love of the One who gave them to you.

"Colors are the smiles of nature." --Leigh Hunt

The Book

Do you ever stop and think about how life is kind of like a book. A story full of adventures, love, tears, laughter, joy, sorrow and the unknown. Each page brings new twist and turns. And, as in all good stories, the plot is always moving forward. If we were forever stuck on one page, one chapter, the story would loose its interest. And so life moves forward and new adventures begin. I find myself at the beginning of a new chapter in my life. The page has been turned and an exciting new twist has begun. It started with a ring and a promise. With this change in the story, I took a new name, packed my bags, said goodbye to my childhood and took the hand of the one I love. And now as this new chapter of the story begins,  as I jump in the car and drive forward towards my new home and the great unknown, I smile and trust the One who is writing the story.

"Dream dreams and write them aye, but live them first. " --Samuel Eliot Morrison

Rest

A little girl is standing in the field and a tear of frustration rolls down her cheek. And she cries out, "Why? Why do I feel as though I am striving to reach your peace and yet, it is always just out of my grasp?" Then, out of nowhere, a butterfly floats by. It flits and flutters from one place to the next. The girl is mesmerized by this thing of beauty and begins to go after it, but it only seems that the harder she tries the less she succeeds. When suddenly, He is standing next to her. He puts his arm around her shoulder and says in a gentle yet firm voice, "Beloved, my peace is like the butterfly. It cannot be obtained by striving. You can't chase it down and catch it. Sit still and watch." The girl is unsure of this, but she trusts the One who tells her. And so, she sits and waits. And in no time, the once allusive butterfly, glides over and gently rests on her shoulder. The girl gasps in amazement and delight at the butterfly. He sits down beside her and chuckles ever so softly. Then He says, "Beloved, my peace is like the butterfly. It's yours to have, but striving for it will only frustrate and wear you out. Peace and striving will never work together. All you have to do is rest. Rest in Me, delight in Me, trust Me, and my peace will surround you like a song."

              

Psalms 46:10a

"Be still and know that I am God."

"You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder." --Unknown