Sayings – Page 6 – Home's Cool!

Believe it or not!, Inspiring, Photos, Rain, Sayings

Weekly Photo Challenge: Down – 3

Posted on February 21, 2012February 20, 2012 by Katharine

We have a lot of dead trees after last summer’s drought and have been marking them for a sale. Since I was keeping the tally while someone else did all the work, I could spend time looking around. I have seen a LOT of trees.

Some of these poor things are real troopers and remind me of myself and some of my friends. They have been wounded down near their bases by ice storms, insects, buck deer, and other invaders of their quiet domain. I wonder if I am imagining things here, or if others can see themselves in these trees, too.

This first type is the sheltering type:

This tree will never make fine furniture grade. It is a humble, struggling entity, but has a spot to share with any other humble, struggling entity. Can’t you imagine a wee mouse family finding comfort here?

tunnel to safety — Tunnel Down to Safety

Here is another. Don’t you love the way this tree, though obviously dealt a heavy blow in early life, has risen to the occasion by developing an upward-reaching lifestyle in non-standard ways? It ‘s almost like a life motto: Always reach up!

And because of their flaws, they will never be part of a paladian palace. They may not even possess health enough to live as long as other trees.

But they do make a grand shelter from a snowy wind.

This one is similar, but look: Perhaps it was a bit older when it’s down days came, or the damage was heavier, but this one is able not only to help a bit larger creature, but also to provide guaranteed dryness during storms. Who couldn’t use a friend like that!

But here is my favorite:

I knew I remembered this one and looked a long time to find it for you. I named it “Drama Queen” because of that look of surprise all over it. I imagine a friend I normally would not hang with a lot, because she is loud and pushy. Yet, I know I am safe with her and if I needed anything, big or small, she would be so glad to help me, to draw me in with what might seem like five or six arms, and would have a large base of resources to draw from.

Wounded? Yes, they all are.

Fine, straight, high dollar? Nope.

Just invaluable to someone and absolutely necessary in this ol’ life.

Inspiring, Photos, Sayings, Wisdom

Weekly Photo Challenge: Down

Posted on February 20, 2012February 19, 2012 by Katharine

The starlight of heaven above us shall quiver

As our souls flow in one down eternity’s river.

Thomas Osborne Davis 1814 -1835

Blessings of Habit, Good ol' days, Inspiring, Photos, Sayings, Wisdom

Weekly Photo Challenge: Hope

Posted on January 28, 2012January 28, 2012 by Katharine

hope like a candle — Hope, Like a Candle

Hope, like the gleaming taper’s light,
Adorns and cheers our way;
And still, as darker grows the night,
Emits a brighter ray.

Oliver Goldsmith, The Captivity, Act II

This candlestick was in my mother’s bedroom when she was a young girl. She told of forgetting to blow it out at bedtime, once, and nearly burning the house down. Scorch is still visible on it, in places.

We must always be cautious about hope, not to let it burn too long without checking on it. Let’s always remember the purpose of hope is to lead us to something better. Let’s never merely hope for hope’s sake.

It’s all about follow-through. Yes, hope lights the darkness, but those who sleep don’t need it.

Believe it or not!, Inspiring, Photos, Sayings, Scripture, Wisdom

Questions About the Bible – Part 1

Posted on January 26, 2012June 26, 2015 by Katharine

What about the “Testaments”?

Once we are used to the idea that there may be a God and He could inspire people to write, we begin looking at the Bible and wonder all sorts of things about it.

For instance, what about the two main “halves” of it, the Old and the New Testaments?

The Old Testament contains 39 books written from the time of Moses to about 400 BC, and tells of the old covenant, the old contract God made with man. It contains lots of history, rules, and explanations of God and His purposes and our relationship to Him, among other ideas.

Jesus quoted many times from the Old Testament. After all, He wrote it through His prophets.

While much about the Old Testament may seem too long, boring, or confusing to some readers, those who have devoted their lives to studying the Bible can readily show how EVERY word in it has life-giving meaning.

The 27 books of the New Testament, however, open for us the covenant or contract that Jesus established with His own Blood, and takes precedent over the Old Testament. It tells the story of Jesus’ life on this earth, explains how love fulfills all God’s laws, and shows us how to be in right relationship with God.

“When you were dead in your sins [ . . . ] God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us: he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14

Jesus established the New Testament (covenant) when He said “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28

When we trust in Jesus’ atonement (his blood) we are saved. Then the Old Testament is not binding on us but remains a wonderful schoolmaster, as we already saw in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

When we don’t know WHAT to do, what God might want, the Old Testament is a good place to start. When we don’t know HOW we will manage ever to do anything right, the New Testament is the go-to section.

But it’s all good! More than one preacher has said, “If you only read the New Testament, you’ve got your hand on your sword handle—but your blade is missing!”

The Old Testament is full of glorious history of people who could hear God:

Noah spent a hundred years building a huge boat on dry land, while trying to talk folks into joining him in it.
Abraham left a wealthy existence to wander around looking for a place his family could live without distraction and interruption, close to God.
Joseph saved all of Egypt and much of the surrounding world from a huge famine.
Moses, almost single handedly, rescued an entire people group from slavery.
Young David killed an enormous man with only a slingshot and grew up to become king of God’s people.
His son, Solomon, built the gold-appointed temple.

As God’s people began turning from Him (amazing, I know) His true believers still existed, still did the miraculous with His help, healing the diseased, calling down fire from heaven, making the sun stand still, etc.

As I said, full of glorious history.

More tomorrow.

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Herbs, Inspiring, Photos, Sayings, Wisdom

Saturday Sayings – Simple

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Katharine

“God wills but ill,” the doubter said,
“Lo, time doth evil only bear;
Give me a sign His love to prove,
His vaunted goodness to declare!”
The poet pointed where a flower,
A simple daisy, starred the sod,
And answered, “Proof of love and power
Behold, behold a smile of God!”

—William Cox Bennett A Thought

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Believe it or not!, Inspiring, Photos, Sayings, Wisdom