Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts

Good Tidings of Great Joy
Letters of Love Designs


Scripture reading:
Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. - KJV


Thoughts to ponder- 
In scripture, joy is an inner result of our outward expression of our relationship with God in service to those around us. God sent Jesus to live with us and eventually to die on the cross for "the joy set before Him".  It was His outward expression of the Father's love for us.  Our reconciliation to a personal relationship with God was the joy Christ was willing to leave heaven for, to live and be tempted as we are and to ultimately die for in service to us while we were still undeserving. "Good tidings of great joy"! 

In like manner, we are to be in such a close relationship with the Father and Christ that we experience joy in serving others and revealing God's glory to them.  Joy is all about what God has done and is continuing to do in our lives and the lives of those He loves.   Joy differs from happiness in the sense that happiness is often rooted in our circumstances, our personal desires and hopes. To truly experience the calm delight of  joy, we must look beyond our selves and our hardships and walk closely with God for the sake of His purposes.  

Christmas is a difficult season for many, let’s do our best to be so full of joy that it overflows to those around us.

Challenge/Action Step- 
Since God puts people in our live for a reason take a minute to think about the people you know that are the most joyful, how are they different from other people you know and what can you learn from them?  Ask God to reveal to you ways you can practice joy and make a list of the things He shows you.  Please share one of those things with us in the comments below.


Prayer for today-

Jesus, Lord of all,  thank you for coming to this earth as a child, living like as we do but without sin, and dying on the cross for us.  I pray today that you would give us a deep understanding of your great love for us .  Help us to know the joy of making a difference in the lives of others for your glory. ~ Amen
Many Blessings to you and your families this Christmas Season,
Cherry Fargo
Being ReMade
9:06 AM | Category: , , , , , , | 0 comments
Christ Our Shepherd



Everything Jesus did while He walked on the face of this earth in human flesh, He did out of great love for us and as an example of how He wants us to love others. He came as our shepherd, putting himself between us and the perils of Satan and sin. He left us the Holy Spirit and the inspired word of God as the Bible that we would know His voice and heed it.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/62503585/psalm-23-sheep-good-shepherd-baby

There was a purpose for every word Jesus spoke, every place He traveled to, every miracle He performed, every one of the 40 days and nights of temptation in the wilderness and every moment of pain He endured upon the cross. That purpose was to reconcile the lost with the Father who loves us beyond comprehension. And so also there is a purpose for every trial and every blessing in our lives, every triumph and defeat. God wants to work in each of those things so that His glory will be made manifest to those around us and that they too will be reconciled with Him. In order for that to happen we must become ever more Christ like, willing to endure those trials for His name sake, willing to share His victories in our lives with others, willing to empathize and minister to those whom God places in our lives and our paths daily.


http://www.etsy.com/listing/43579894/needlefelted-lamb-magnet

1 Peter 5:2-4 puts it this way “Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”


http://www.etsy.com/listing/30396698/god-an-archival-print

Who is the flock under your care? Your own children and their friends, your spouse, your friends, your coworkers, your brothers , sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, the clerk at the grocery store, the teller at the bank, the person who cuts your hair, your doctor, very simply put: whomever you might cross paths with today.

by Cherry's Creations

3:00 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , , | 5 comments

Thorns

by Diana of beantreedesigns

142 times. That is the number of times my Bible study program shows the word “thorn” in the Bible.

What I , and I expect most of us have in mind when we think of thorns in Bible terms is the crown that was placed on The Savior’s head during the time leading to the crucifixion.

Matthew 27:29 (KJV)
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

I suppose the crown of thorns seem a small thing when thought of in terms of all the other things involved. The spear in his side, the nails in his hands and feet, thirst and hanging from the cross had to be so much more devastating to the physical pain He endured than the prick of thorns in his skin. A lot of people, I suppose, think of rose thorns when they visualize this “crown”.

I have a different view. In our area we have thorn bushes. I think Hawthorne is the official name. I’m not sure, but I am sure they are nasty.


When I was a child my father ran one into the palm of his hand while clearing out some land, and it caused him months of problems. It was if the thorn had poisoned him. They are a thick, dense bush which is pretty in the spring and summer with it’s leaves and blooms on but shows it’s true colors in winter. The thorns are often 2 inches long, tough and hard and a demon if you are unlucky enough to have one pierce your skin.



Whenever I come across one I think of the crown of thorns. I think of What Jesus endured, and what his gift was to us. How he suffered. If the crown of thorns was a small thing, which in comparison it was, how the rest of the suffering is amplified when viewed alongside the crown. And how looking at the thorns brings home just how painful and significant the crown was. How he wore one on the way to the Calvary. How he knew that the worst was yet to come.

And then I come across a thorn bush with something else.



Some birds will build their nest in the middle of a thorn bush. They are protected. Not many predators will brave the thickness and wicked thorns to get to the nest. The birds build their nest, lay their eggs, and raise their young nestled in the safety or the thorns. They know that the thorns will protect them.



I am struck with the feeling each time I see this, that Jesus has done the same for us. Protection, security, the knowledge that we can be safe from the things in life that threaten us and cause us pain. The birds can rest knowing that their young are safe. As we can rest knowing that we are surrounded by the love of our Father to protect us.

by Diana of beantreedesigns


Diana was so gracious in offering to write this wonderful blog post as a Guest Blogger and to share her photos. If you have an idea for a post you would like to write for the CAST blog, please contact me SueRunyonDesigns.
9:40 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , , , | 10 comments

Earthquakes in Life
by Phyllis Ducey
pfdoriginalartworks
Lighthouse painting by derekcollins


I'm writing this just a few days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan that also effected other areas of the globe. Not long ago New Zealand had an earthquake. A year prior was the killer one in Haiti. I just went to a website called USGS - Earthquake HazardsProgram which stated that in the last 7 days there have been 507 earthquakes. I think what makes earthquakes so scary is that they shake the very ground that you walk on. I don't know about you but I rarely worry as I walk that the earth may be pulled out from under me... that buildings may crumble around me.

I like the illusion of being safe... of my world being secure. I was walking outside the other day and thinking how blessed I am to live a mundane peaceful life. Our world is not a world of peace. It is of turmoil, warfare, disease, floods, tsunamis and earthquakes. In a matter of minutes my world could change. All it would take is a fire, storm or an earthquake. All I own could be gone. My loved ones could be gone. Life as I know it today could be gone. If I did not put my trust in God, I think I may want to curl up in my bed, read some sappy fiction and get lost in another world.

The same with the spiritual world. It could all crumble around you when some unexpected tragedy quakes your life or you get lost in the monetary things of the world. Without even realizing it, we can shift our focus from God to the things that fill a superficial desire. Maybe it is decorating your home, collecting items, clothes, jewelry or our pets. None of those things are wrong but when we shift our focus from God to anything else... tragedy or things of the world... we can loose our footing. Little tiny earthquakes can shift us in other directions without us even totally realizing it until one day we wonder where is God?

Come near to God and he will come near to you.
James 4:8

That is why it is so important to keep our focus on the Lord. He tells us to meditate on His word day and night. This was not always easy for me and I must admit that there are times I have to get recentered, refocused on the Lord. I found that prayer, meditating on the Word of God and focusing on Him is like exercise. You need to practice and strengthen yourself for it to be effective. If I were to get the urge to lift weights for my workout, I would not start with hundred and fifty pounds it would be more than I could handle and I would get discouraged. (Don't worry I have no urge to lift weights...no muscle strain going to happen here!)
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:8-9
With prayer it is often the same. We start by wanting to hit the heavy weights and get discouraged or think this is a waste of timeI . We may feel that like we are not getting anything out of it. God commands us to pray and does not promise it will "feel good". (I personally think it does.) If we start simple and practice... we will be amazed at how God honors that and grow in the depth of our relationship with Him.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Matt 7:25-27

That is how we stay secure in an ever changing world that is filled with uncertainty... filled with shifting ground. We build our foundation on the Rock of Jesus Christ. Then we put God's word into practice... and we need to practice and practice to constantly strengthen our relationship in order that we may weather the storms and hold firm in the earthquakes in life.

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I wish to encourage you to be in prayer for this latest tragedy in Japan. I can't imagine how the devastation must be effecting them. Pray that they may find the steady foundation that is in Christ during this traumatic time.
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Check out some of these great shops below. There are a few here that I just recently discovered and they are wonderful!!






Lampwork earrings by eversoDear



















Scripture verses card by mingogardens
















Scripture photo by InspiringInterludes







10:00 PM | Category: , , , , , , , | 12 comments

CAST Team "Migrating" to new team format on Etsy !

ROSE of Sharon -- Stretch Ring -- Sterling Silver by LoriDelisle

The new team format is LIVE on Etsy as of yesterday and the CAST Team is in the process of "Migrating" members to the new format.

All members from the old CAST Team list on Etsy should have received an invitation to join the new team list. All you have to do is confirm that you wish to continue with the team.

If you have not received an invitation it may be because of several things. For instance, if you were one of the many shops with broken links on our old list you will not have received an invite. If you joined the team within the last month or so when Etsy was not adding new members to the old list due to the upcoming migration, you will not have received an invite. If you have more than one shop, you will have to sign into Etsy under all shop identities to receive your invite for each. If your convo notifications normally get sent to your junk e-mail folder you may have to check there.

If for any reason you have not received an invitation to migrate, simply go to our new CAST Team Home Page on Etsy, click the "Join This Team" button and then click the "Apply" button. It may take a few days to get you approved, but we no longer have to wait for Etsy to add members to our list so it should be much faster than before.

There are many benefits to the new format. We now have our own centralized location with our own homepage and our own discussions (forums) that we can mark as either public or private. Also, our Captain can now add new members to our team list without waiting for Etsy to add them. If you wish to leave CAST or any other Etsy team you may now remove yourself. The Team Captain and Leaders can now moderate our discussions instead of having Etsy do it. Individual posts can be removed without closing a thread entirely.

Please keep all of our discussion threads public this week so that those who are still finding us on the new format are not excluded.

Thanks!

Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

12:36 PM | Category: , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments

Get Legit ! #5 Your City and County
This is the fifth and last post in a series about how to get all the proper licenses and permissions for your home business.  To read the previous posts click the links:

Get Legit ! #1 Get your EIN#
Get Legit ! #2 Your neighborhood
Get Legit ! #3 Do your research
Get Legit ! # 4 Your State


If you've been following along in the series and taking the baby steps to get your business legally established, almost all the work is behind you and you'll soon have your home occupancy business permit. To celebrate this I'm scattering a few CAST items for your home throughout this post.

County:

At this point you will have contacted your county (or parish, burough, township, etc) and you'll know if you have to do anything at all for them. The most likely requirement at county level is to file a Fictitious Name Statement. See previous posts for more information about that.


City:

You will also now have the required forms to fill out for your city license. The good news is that with a few exceptions, they are much the same as your State forms and will most likely also use your State Business License and/or Sale Tax ID#.  The main difference will be in the area of City Planning and Zoning. If your city is small, the Business License Office will likely share space with the Planning and Zoning Offices and probably one application will handle both requirements. If you live in a larger city, you may have to obtain permission from Planning and Zoning before being approved for a business license.

This is where it may be beneficial to do some extra research by talking to the people at the offices to find out what the planning and zoning requirements are for a home business in your city. Different cities have very different laws and different neighborhoods have different zoning. In general, low profile home businesses are encouraged. Just think of all the home day care, piano teachers, tutors, designers, caterers, telecommuters and other individuals that work out of their homes in your area. Many of these have official home occupancy business permits.


Be aware that your City Planning and Zoning Commission will be interested in how your business will effect the community and will want to make sure it is legal and safe. They will be particularly interested in things like:

Will you have employees?
Will you have customers coming to your home? If so, how many per day?
If you will, where will they park?
Where will they enter? Is there a separate entrance for customers?
Will there be any signs?
What product do you manufacture?
What percentage of the area of your home will be devoted to your home business?
Will there be any additional noise from things such as power tools?
Will you be storing your inventory on site?
Do you use toxic chemicals?

It is helpful to know how your neighborhood is zoned before you make the decision to ask for permission to have customers on site. If you do have customers on site, you may be required to have a separate entrance, adequate parking and get a fire inspection.

My business license has the restrictions of :  No Employees, License Limited to Residents of the Home Only, and No Objectionable Traffic/Parking

Note that if you deal with food you will very likely be required to have (or rent space in) a certified catering kitchen and be subject to random inspections.


And that's it.  We took baby steps along the way and I hope this has been helpful to those of you taking those steps to get your business license.

Blessings,
11:48 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 comments

Three Cs and a R
by Phyllis Ducey
pfdoriginalartworks




My dear friend Janna got married Sunday September 19th. It is hard to believe she is old enough to be married but she is. I'm not sure how long I have known her but I have watched her grow from a charming young girl to a beautiful young woman. And when I say beautiful, I mean inside and out. She is strikingly pretty when you meet her and then as you get to know her you find an incredibly humble God-loving heart inside.

One of Janna's friends suggested that some women who have known her well share their personal insights on marriage. I was unable to attend the wedding but did want to share a little of what has worked for me and my husband. (This past Saturday we celebrated our 39th anniversary.) So Janna... this one is for you! (Hopefully a few others will be blessed by it too.)

Simply put three Cs and a R:
Christ
Commitment
Communication
... and Respect

Love is overwhelming for your husband when you first get married. It feels like it will never fade and you both will be together always. But with divorce statistics that say almost one out two marriages end in divorce, we know that it is not what holds people together. At least not that kind of love.
"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. "
Eph4:14, 15
Christ
Our marriage did not start with Christ as the head of our household but I do think His hand was on us all the way. As the currents of life pulled us one way then the next, we eventually discovered the joy of having Christ our central focus. First and foremost I believe that is what held us during the times when the blissful feeling of love faded in and out. When Christ is your central focus you both are drawing to Him then you are moving in the same direction. Without Christ, it is easy to be drawn any which way and more times than not they are opposite directions.

For those women who love Christ and your husband does not know Him personally... keep praying. It was many years before my husband came to know the Lord after I had. The principle is the same though, follow Christ and the rest will eventually fall into place.
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Eph 4:2

Commitment
The love that the world bases relationships on comes and goes (thus so many failed marriages) but know that love is not the key ingredient to marriage. In my mind, it is Christ first then commitment. Commitment holds you together when you are not sure you even like your spouse at that time. It holds you in place when the times are so rough and so intense you are not sure you can even breathe without falling apart. It holds you when you feel misunderstood or neglected... Christ brings the comfort and strength to you during those times but your commitment not only to Christ but to your marriage is what helps you bridge the gap until you are past that phase. And yes, there are many phases to marriage... both good and not so good.

Communication
With Christ as your focus, commitment holding you in place communication will bring you back together. You would think after 39 years of marriage we would have this down pat but we have found that over the years our communication styles change periodically. Since the time we have been a marriage where we both have chosen Christ first, our communications have improved greatly but we still always are working on it.

A simple example is that one day I told my husband I was fixing stew for dinner and mentioned it was one of his favorites. He said no it wasn't. Huh? When did that change? Somewhere along the line he no longer liked it and I had no idea. I assumed that I knew everything he liked but it had changed... the rest of life is like that too. We change our personal goals, our likes and dislikes and without realizing it our methods of communicating. It is always a challenge but certainly is worth the effort to rediscover how we can best communicate and build on our relationship.
"However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."
Eph 5:33
... and Respect
In God's word, He tells men they are to love their wives as themselves. He tells women we are to respect our husbands. God is the head of the church and He designates our husbands as the head of our household. We live in a society of women who are strong willed and very able to live easily without a man in their life. I sometimes think that world view permeates our marriages in such a way we do not allow our husbands to be the head of the household. I am a strong willed woman and it is often a struggle when I think I am right and my husband is wrong. I do express my opinions (hopefully lovingly) but when a decision has to be made and we are not in agreement, my husband gets the final say. (Then I do a lot of praying to convince God I was right and He needs to change my husband's mind... usually the end result is my mind gets changed!)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Heb 12:1

In our marriage we have struggled through some rocky times and I can remember at least once when I looked upon my husbands opinion with disdain and had lost all respect at that moment for him. He said he was going to do something that I thought was totally wrong. It was an evening and I had to leave for work right after the conversation. I turned off the car radio and had a talk with the Lord. I told Him that I had lost my respect for my husband and if I was suppose to have it, He better show me something to respect. God immediately did. He showed me that though the statement my husband made was wrong it was a sacrifice my husband would make to protect his children. He gave me the image of a papa bear protecting his cubs. In the meantime while I was at work, God must have worked on my husband's heart too and he changed his mind. The next several days and weeks were very tough but we were committed to each other, we worked on communicating our feelings (I told him that I respected his desire to protect our children) and drew closer instead of further apart.
"Come near to God and he will come near to you."
James 4:8
Three Cs and a R... that is how I think our marriage has stayed together. After 39 years I love my husband more than ever and enjoy being his wife. Before Christ came into our lives I often think it was a fluke that we were able to stay together. But in reality I know it was because Christ had His hand guiding us towards Him. And as we still strive daily to be closer to Him, we grow closer to each other.
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Vinyl decal by ARareTreasure








Sterling silver pendant by CarolMaschlerJewelry












Wine glasses by HandPaintedPetals









Save the date magnet by mavaro








Wedding favor pouches by NECESSARYINDULGENCE











Eventide sterling silver necklace by PiedBeauty











Boutonniere pacifier clip by RhondaDdesigns
10:04 PM | Category: , , , , , , | 10 comments

God's Recipe ??
by Helen of HelensCorner 
So the other day I was making brownies for a birthday party and I clearly heard the Lord speaking to me. 

"Helen, pick up your Bible!"

I knew it was the Holy Spirit.

Who else would tug, nag, and constantly push me to open the Bible at such an odd moment??

So I did... I stopped stirring that chocolatey, creamy, filled with wonder brownie mix, and opened my Bible. 



I continued my reading from 2 Peter:
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
(2 Peter 1:5-8)

Did you just read that?  Is that a Recipe from God or what?  I guess it wasn't such an odd moment afterall.  Right when I was baking... and if you know anything about baking, YOU KNOW that every ingredient is vital... and measuring each ingredient is even MORE vital than the ingredients themselves. 

So, here's what I picked up from that passage:

Recipe for an Effective and Productive follower of Christ

Ingredients:
Faith
Goodness
Knowledge
Self-control
Perseverance
Godliness
Brotherly kindness
Love

Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients together.  If you're able to increase the quantity of each of the above ingredients, the more EFFECTIVE and PRODUCTIVE in the knowledge of Christ you will be!  Remember that EVERY INGREDIENT IS VITAL to the "success" of this recipe.

Enjoy in Abundance!!!
by Helen of HelensCorner 


See more on Helen's Blog

6:00 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , | 7 comments

Looking Ahead : September




Hi CAST Team,

Fall is coming very fast and we need to get ready.The next three months are full of great selling and creating opportunities. I have searched to find you the best observances for fall that will benefit us all.

by Miranda of MirandasPlace 

SEPTEMBER
Birthstone: Sapphire
Flower: Aster

Monthly Observances
* Baby Safety
* Childhood Cancer
* National Coupon Month
* National Ovarian Cancer
* National Prostate Cancer
* Pediatric Cancer
* Women's Friendship

Daily Observances
* Sept. 5 - Father's Day ( Australia & New Zealand)
* Sept. 6 - Labor Day (US & Canada)
* Sept. 12 - National Grandparents Day
* Sept. 13 - International Chocolate Day
* Sept. 21 - International Day of Peace & World Alzheimer Day
* Sept. 22 - American Business Women's Day

OCTOBER
Birthstone: Opal
Flower: Calendula

Monthly Observances

*Polish American History Month
* Breast Cancer Awareness Month
* Pastor Appreciation Month
* Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month

Daily Observances
* 2nd Monday - Thanksgiving Day (Canada)
* Oct. 2 - World Card Making Day
* Oct. 16 - National Boss' Day
* Oct. 18 - Alaska Day
* Oct. 24 - Mother - in-Law's Day


NOVEMBER
Birthstone: Topaz or Citrine
Flower: Chrysanthemum

Monthly Observances
* National American Indian Heritage Month
* Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Weekly Observances
* 15 - 21 Children's Book Week
* 21 - 28 National Bible Week

Daily Observances
*Nov. 3 Culture Day(Japan)
*Nov. 4 National Unity Day(Russia)
*Nov.11 - Remembrance Day (Canada)
*Nov.11 - Veteran's Day

by Miranda of MirandasPlace
6:00 AM | Category: , , , , , | 8 comments

So Where is Home?
by Phyllis Ducey
pfdoriginalartworks


If you are a person like me, you may have been planted in one location for most of your life. I was uprooted several years ago (5 to be exact... actually I relocated my roots, no one yanked at them... except maybe God?) and now am working towards crystalizing the concept of home. Living in only two homes in one town for 30 years, I always felt rooted. When we moved from one side of town to the other I realized that the new house (and it was brand new) did not feel like home. After almost 6 months, one day I sat down in the living room and let out a sigh. I was home. (Up until then I always felt I was sitting in someone else's house.)

When we moved to the northlands of Minnesota, after being so long in one place I felt up rooted and worked hard to create "home". I put out my favorite decorations, painted walls, cleaned corners, and rearranged furniture every week or two while I waited. Waited. Waited. The sigh did not come from the house. It did come each time my grandkids arrived. And that was a sigh of blessing... of feeling like royalty, like I live in a grand palace!

There was a time in my life when I was very attached to my house and my possessions. I highly valued them and considered them very important to who I was. Not anymore. I realize they are pretty meaningless is the whole scheme of things.

The meaning of home to me has been changing.

I just got back from a trip to my home town area in Illinois. But though I did not stay in my old house, I was home. I went to my former church; my best friend sat next to me (felt like it was what I did every week); visited with old friends; and spent wonderful time with my family. I was at home... that sigh would ease out as I spent time with each person. I spent a good part of that week driving my 85 year old mom (technically mother-in-law) to places and even more time helping her with computer stuff (Yes, I said computer! She is quite impressive.) Being with mom is my home... all my family are my home, my friends are my home, and my church family is my home.

Home is no longer tied to a location for me.

And each version of home produces its own types of sigh. Some generate sighs of warmth, some of peace, some of joy, some of contentment, some of fulfillment, and some are occasionally of relief.

I now think that the saying "home is where the heart is" is very true. Family, friends, and church... that is where my heart is when it comes to this world.

Though there is a deeper sense of home that extends beyond what we experience here. The true home of my heart is with my Lord, Jesus Christ. When I am "with Him" I heave a deep, sweet sigh of relief. (That is when He is my central focus and I am spending my time in prayer and in His word.) He comforts, teaches, carries me through the good and bad, He creates within me that peace that surpasses all understanding.

"Now all has been heard; this is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl 12:13

Whenever I am with people who love the Lord, I am at home whether I know them well or have just met them. Because we are related through Christ we are brothers and sisters in the same family. It is a wonderful feeling to sit down with a total stranger and feel that special family tie... to feel that sigh slipping out because we are bonded.

"So in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to one another." Rom 12:5

It is not unlike my Etsy CAST Team experience. We communicate and support one another because we all have that common bond... a love for Christ. If He is in our hearts and home is where your heart is... then we all share the same home. And one day, when we have left this earth, we will all be together with Christ.

"In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." John 14:2

Won't that be a great celebration? I think at that time my heart's sigh will be a song! (I bet I will be able to sing in tune!)
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Ps. Wow...we are already in the middle of July! When I started writing my weekly posts I made a commitment with the Lord to do this for a year. You will find that many of my writings contain similar themes (usually with a different bent). Often I intend to write on one subject but seems that (I pray as I write) the Lord changes my direction (and often the whole subject). A while back I wrote a post that works well with today's. Click here if you are interested in viewing it: "Desires of the Heart"


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July is traditionally our six month warning that Christmas is just around the corner. Here are some wonderful items that somewhat relate to today's post. These shops have some talented artists. Check them out!




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