A simple lesson from Proverbs

Graphic from Baptist Bible Hour.

For the past eight months or so, I've been trying to do daily Scripture writing each day, following various plans for doing so.  I think I started in November with a Thanksgiving Scripture writing challenge, and have sought out one for each month since then.  Some months, my friend who prepares our church bulletins will put a Scripture writing plan in the bulletin at the beginning of the month.  I've definitely found it a blessing to write out Scripture at the beginning of each day.

Usually the passages are longer, so I don't attempt to SOAP the verses, but simply copy them out into my notebook.  Today, however, there was just one verse to copy so I decided to take a few minutes and SOAP the verse, which was Proverbs 19:15.  This was a challenge and encouragement to me today, so I thought I would share it with all of you.

S (Scripture) = "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger."  (Proverbs 19:15)

O (Observation) = To be slothful is to be idle, lazy, and sluggish.  From there it is only a short step to loving sleep too much and spending too much time in bed.

The idle person who avoids work will end up (theoretically) without enough to eat, since he will have earned no money with which to purchase food.  However, in our society today, many who don't work have more than enough to eat, thanks to government programs.

I think the "idle soul" is hungry for more than just food.  He hungers for more out of life, more meaning, more satisfaction, than he is getting.

A (Application) =  Slothfulness is one of the character flaws I've identified in myself.  Here is another reason to avoid it.  God wants me to live a productive, satisfying life that fulfills His purposes for me.  If I sleep my time away or waste it in idleness, I will feel frustrated and dissatisfied with my life.  Worse, I will be useless to the Lord.

P (Prayer) = "Lord, I thank You for the practicality of Your Word.  I pray that You will help me each day to be conscious of the swift passage of time and the brevity of life, and to become serious about living each moment of life for Your glory.  I ask that You will help me also to show others something of what a truly satisfying life looks like.  I cannot do any of this apart from your help! I thank You for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

Pretty peonies

 This will be a brief post as life continues very busy for me.  But I thought I would share the pretty peonies in our backyard.  That is, this is how they looked last week.  Now, they are going by.  But thankfully Mr. T snapped a few pictures while they were at their best.

I can never forget my elderly friend Peggy who gave me a small peony plant she had dug up from her yard -- when she moved to a smaller place, if I remember right.  She cautioned me to be sure it was not planted too deep.  We did follow her instructions, but honestly, I have a brown thumb (if not black) and had little hope for the plant's survival, never mind its blooming.

But it did -- first one or two blossoms, then each year a few more appear.  We are always happy to see them!

Peonies seem to be everywhere in New England this time of year.  Hope you have enjoyed this look at our pretty pink specimens.

Sharing with Sandi's No Place Like Home and  Bernideen’s Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party.

A fun giveaway!

Photo from Pixie Faire

I just entered a giveaway for a sweet new doll from the American Girl® line.  The Wellie Wishers dolls are 14.5 inches tall, rather than 18" like the American Girls®.  The Wellie Wishers all wear "wellies" -- rubber boots.  Several of my grandkids practically live in their rubber boots, so I know my granddaughter would enjoy these dolls.  There are five different ones -- Willa, Ashlyn, Camille, Emerson, and Kendall.  You can read about them here: Wellie Wishers.  They are completely adorable, and Liberty Jane is adapting patterns to fit them.

This giveaway is sponsored by Pixie Faire and
Liberty Jane -- and it seems as if this is only the first of five giveaways for these adorable dolls.

You can enter this week's giveaway here: Willa Doll Giveaway.  I hope that one of my readers wins!

Our all-wise Creator

                              
  Each day during my prayer time I look at one of the attributes of God, or one of the spiritual blessings He showers upon His children.  Today I was looking at wisdom, and one of the verses I had written out concerning God's wisdom is this one:

"O LORD, how manifold are Thy works!  In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches."  

(Psalm 104:24)

This has long been one of my favorite verses about God.  Lately I have seen so many beautiful things: peonies, sunsets, a doe with a fawn, and much more.  Truly God's works are manifold and all that He does is done in infinite wisdom.

As I read this verse today, I was reminded of a graphic I made years ago.  My eldercare responsibilities continue to be heavy, but this season is being allowed by God in His wisdom.  I thought I would share this graphic again as an encouragement to myself and others.  

Taking a moment

Life has become very, very busy for me just now with eldercare responsibilities.  Still I wanted to take just a moment and share some pictures of one of my favorite wildflowers, which appeared in our wildflower garden again this spring.  This is fringed polygala, also known as bird-on-the-wing or gaywings.  To me it looks much more like a tiny airplane than a bird.

You can read more about how we happen to have this flower in our wildflower garden here: The bird-on-the-wing is back!.  And, if you would like more information about the plant, here is a great resource: Fringed Polygala.

I will leave you with a few more photos, the first two from this year and then some from previous years.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing this lovely little flower!  I'm always so encouraged when I see the wildflowers appear each spring.  They are such a reminder of the faithfulness and greatness of our Heavenly Father.

I am sharing today at Sandi's No Place Like Home and Bernideen’s Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party.