Finding joy in the everyday

So far I have written about Sarah , Ruth , Proverbs 31 and Esther  (click to read more) — all remarkable women but all very different women. We can learn so much from these women, they all had their struggles (as we do), life was difficult for Sarah, Ruth and Esther in particular—but by believing in God, they all came through their journerys stronger women in their faith. And they all learnt that they were never  alone in their troubles and that God is ALWAYS with us and  reaches out with His love. Today is Leah's story:  Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” (Genesis 29:15-18) I alwa...

Artist: Sven Nordqvist Swedish illustrator Born 1946, Swedish writer and illustrator of children’s books. Best known for Pettson and Findus, about an old farmer and his talented cat Findus,  who live in a small ramshackle farmhouse in the countryside. His neighbours regard him as a bit odd. However, he does have the company of a cat, Findus. Findus is dressed in a green-striped costume and wears a cap. However, Findus, unlike Pettson, is aware of other "small creatures" living in the house, who play havoc with Pettson's belongings. I think these illustrations will give you much enjoyment, do check out all the details in the pictures including all those "small creatures" that cause havoc. 

God created marriage. In His perfect wisdom, He designed man and woman to complement each other and to enjoy a permanent and complete union with each other. In Genesis 2:18 He said, “ It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” After the Lord created Eve, He then said, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” When you take time to nurture this oneness with your spouse, you bring honor to God and acknowledge His ideal design. As you love your marriage partner, you are showing love and obedience to God as well. And as an incredible result, you’ll experience the fullness and blessings that God designed for a married couple to enjoy! Take time now. Set aside five minutes and pray, “Lord, how can I express my love today?” Then write down every way you can think of to tell your honey, “I love you.” “Nurturing oneness” in your marriage should be something you think and pray abou...

Proverbs 12:4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones. "Behind  every great man is a great women" — I'm sure you have all heard this quote.  But it is true — a wife can either build her  husband  up or pull him down. She can be an encourager or  discourager, she can make him strong or make him look like a fool and as wives we play an important part in our husbands lives. I n other words, a wife can bring the greatest joy to her husband or the greatest misery.  In the verse, it talks about a crown which is conveying the idea of honour. A excellent wife will bring honour to her  husband but one that chooses the opposite will bring shame like the rotting of his bones (which sounds terrible and the smell would be far worse). In  Proverbs  31, verses 11 and 12 we also read about the virtues of an excellent wife " The heart of her husband sa...

I want to apologise to any non-cat people for this weeks Art Friday!! Todays art is all about cats drinking coffee (or tea). True!!  😂😂 Did you ever imagine there would be a collection of art out there that is dedicated to this topic.  If nothing else, I do hope it made you laugh and smile today! Ryan Conners' Cat Folk Art Becca Joy Campbell (1988-2014) — Cat Kitten Tea and Cake Chocolate Cats (Loki and Rothko) drinking Dragonwell green tea at Verdant Tea by artist Francesca Buchko

Esther  was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin who grew up as an exile in Persia. Esther was an orphan who was brought up by her older cousin, Mordecai. In Chapter one of the book of Esther we are introduced to King Ahasuerus who decided to display his abundant wealth for 180 days (a man who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia). As if not enough, it is followed by a seven day feast. A lavish display of his power indeed. On the seventh day of the seven day feast, King Xerxes summons Queen Vashti in order to display her beauty to all the people. She refuses to come and is eventually banished from the kings presence as a punishment. A new Queen is sought. In chapter two Esther is chosen to be Queen. She goes through twelve months of beauty treatments before meeting the King which sounds quite extraordinary  ( six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women ). Chapter two also records the good deed of her olde...

One thing which is common to all people is that we all fail. There is not one person who hasn’t failed – some more than others.  We can fail at many things — simple things such as a driving test; learning a new skill or to complete a project on time. Or much bigger failures such as a marriage breakdown or debt from overspending. For Christians however, there are certain things we need to avoid and these are much more serious failures — keeping away from sinful activities (ie drunkenness, gambling, sexual promiscuity etc.); love of money, failing to trust the Lord in all things, using the Lord’s name in vain and there are many other examples.  For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. (James 3:2) But the most important thing is how we handle failure. The Canadian actress Mary Pickford reportedly said “ To fall is not to fail, unless you fail to get up again” . The Bible also h...

Artist: Thomas Joseph  I think I have posted this guy before, but I can't remember when!! I have done so many of these art Fridays that I have lost track of who I have share and those I haven't!!  Anyway I don't think it matters a great deal as these are so much fun and cheery that they will be bound to brighten up your day.