Hospitality, Friendship, Encouragement

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Thursday Thoughts


I have a few different things rolling around my mind this morning, so I thought I'd talk about them with you.

I follow Sarah Clarkson on Instagram and she used a word picture today that really resonated with me.  She is feeling a bit squeezed with her studies, her husbands last year of studies, a baby.  She'd asked yesterday for people to share something of beauty that they either read recently, experienced, or learned.  Here's the lovely word picture - 

"Watching your comments pop up felt a little like watching that scene in the film version of The Return of the King where signal fires are lit across the kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan, each faithful, kindled light prompting another. The moments of beauty we all share are our signal fires, no less a call, really, to join the fight for hope. We make our fires of beauty and love and hope in the darkness of discouragement and depression, and we know that our small flames are a glimpse of a great dawn to come, one that glimmers in our moments of loveliness. "   Sarah Cl;arkson

Isn't that lovely?  Its true, too.  That's why we need each other and why its so important to speak truth in love to one another, to encourage each other, to care about each other!  We are lighting fires of 'beauty and love and hope in the darkness' when we do that!


 I knit Isla's winter hat and have just the pompom onto to do!  I'm starting Clark's today.  My parents and Lindsay are driving to see them this week and will be there for Isla's second birthday!  How I wish I could be there, too!  I love talking to her everyday and I am going to start reading books to her over FaceTime or Marco Polo!  We're sending some clothes and a fun Leap Frog learning game.



I got this sweet little tea pot from Lindsay.

She knows me well!  Isn't it the cutest?  I know the little ladies in my life will love having a little teapot all their own to use when they come for tea!

We went to dinner last night; Tim, Sarah, Kyle, and Wes.  Tim said we couldn't have Rachel here so we had Wes stand in for her. (grin)

I've been reading Ephesians and these verses are always like a 'beacon fire' of hope for me.  Paul says, in chapter one verses 15-19:

" For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers.  I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him, - since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened - so that you can know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints. and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength."

It encourages me so to think of Paul praying these things for the Ephesian believers and that they are for us too!  God wants to be known by us and wants to give us the same inheritance that Christ has!  Let that roll around your minds as the week comes to an end!

I am, as always, grateful for your friendship that you share with me here at the cottage, and for your lovely birthday greetings yesterday!  I hope that when you come here you find warm, welcoming hospitality, some encouragement, and friendship.

I'm leaving this bit of beauty with you for today.  




3 comments:

Vee said...

Oh that was lovely. It gives us much to think about. One of the thoughts that comes is that we are here to have a relationship with God and all other relationships are to that end.

Oh I can just imagine how you’d like to tuck yourself into a suitcase to go see Em and family. How good that your parents and Lindsay are going! Your day is coming.

Elizabethd said...

Ephesians has so much of comfort to offer us.

Cheryl said...

There are certainly fires of beauty here at Creekside Cottage!! Love those verses you shared from Ephesians!

I hope the days are coming when you get to visit with your dear ones and hug those babies and soak it all in! I know how difficult it is to be a mother/grandmother from afar. Some days, it's all okay. And then all of a sudden, like a lightning bolt you didn't expect, you miss them to your very core.

Happy Christmas Adam!

  We had a lovely Christmas service yesterday at church. Then we took the girls home, we came home and I made Monte Christo sandwiches for l...