Are we like vines?

Have you ever noticed how fast some vines grow? Some just want to literally take over the world, growing practically a foot a day as their branches make branches and reach out to everything they can find. Vines also reach out to other vines as well. When you watch them wind around their arbors, there will always be one that whirls out into the air looking to latch onto a strange vine not related. Once the two meet, they fall in love; as they twist themselves around each other tightly in the air.
Then, you have the small fern vines that grow quickly and surely, keep their eyes on their goal so that once they get to the top, they will bloom readily; showing the world just how fast they accomplished their goal.
There are the intensely fragrant vines that envelope those who walk by them with their seductive colognes that seem to capture even the strongest of hearts.
Moon vines, Morning Glories, Trumpet Vines, Pandora Vines, Honeysuckles, Bleeding Heart Vines and there are so many different species of them all. Vines and flowers are a lot like people when you think about it.
Take the Kudzu vine for example, that can take over many acres and trees in just one growing season in the south. Everyone was perplexed in how to deal with it. I could have told them along time ago to just let goats clean it all up. Goats love kudzu. Goats will die for kudzu. As if that is not enough, you will not believe how in demand kudzu is today. Go to Nancy’s Basket: and you will find out. http://www.nancybasket.com/ there is even kudzu soup. Anyone can turn something that goes crazy into something profitable if they think about it long enough. Kudzu reminds me of a very ambitious man. Just steer him into the right direction and he will make your company more money can you could ever dream.
There is a species of Morning Glory called “Blue Dawn” with breathtaking large blue flowers that would be the type of person who would like to control your house, your job, your marriage, you’re everything..if you allow it. The vine makes branches of vines and those vines make vines… I think you get the picture. How can something so beautiful be such a conglomerate unto itself? You meet someone and before long, they are controlling every area of your life. Aha! The spirit of blue dawn has entered into that person! No question about it.
The Pandora Vine does a lot of growing and gets might fat…with a few delicate blooms. In other words, it brags with little result. Like a few people we all know and don’t take too seriously.
The Bleeding Heart vine blooms and blooms and keeps on blooming and takes a long time to vine out. It reminds me how there are those who have such potential and keep right on showing their potential, because when given a job, they do it right and so perfect; yet are fearful of going any further in their lives.
The Trumpet vines grow vigorously and hardy, determined that nothing will ever stop them, because their roots travel underground and you never know when one is going to pop up. People who are Trumpet Vines are unstoppable and strong; they are full of confidence and will only bloom when they are ready. They climb over fences, grow up trees and will choke the leaves if allowed. Any obstruction in their way will only make them stronger.
The Honeysuckle Vine woos us with their lovely smell as it takes over your large oak tree. Even though you may cut it back, it smiles back at you; just waiting for the time when rain comes to reach out and climb again. The person who is a honey suckle vine has honeyed words oozing from its mouth as it seduces you with its fragrance while all the time wrapping its tentacles around to squeeze the life out of the victims.
Could our personalities truly be something like these vines? I think I’d like to be like a grape vine and produce a lot of good fruit.

Nothing is ever as it seems

The object of your affection has something else that comes along with it. Haven’t you ever noticed? If you finally land that dream job, only to discover you are stationed with a person who gossips against you through their green eyes. Perhaps, the dream job has placed you with a 6X6 room that you can barely move around in or maybe the company Is expecting you to get paid for 8 hours but work 12. Many of us have already been there and understand where all that is coming from. Nothing is ever as it seems.
The object of your affection was a romantic link and you finally walked down the aisle with him. But after 6 months, the honeymoon was over and he suddenly chooses a football game over your company. Maybe he has roaming eyes and you thought they were only for you, or maybe all he can think about is money….and how big of a paycheck you can make. What happened?
You noticed the house for sale online and thought this could be the perfect place. It was everything you wanted and you signed on the dotted line. A couple of months later, you heard screaming outside of your window, only to find out your “good” neighbors” were having a knock out drag out fight. Later, you discovered 2 very friendly dogs using your lawn as their own private place to empty themselves. As if that wasn’t enough, the people down the streets didn’t care enough to control their dogs.
You got it! Nothing is ever as it seems. There will always be a slight cloud over the sunshine to dampen our enthusiasm if we allow it. Cannot we look at this type of negative as a positive and begin to turn those very things around?
For example, if a husband prefers his football game to your company, wouldn’t this be a good time to get together with your girlfriends? After all, if he is so enthused with the game, he won’t even know you are gone. Lunch with the girls is a refreshing time needed by everyone.
If your dream job places you into an inconvenience of stifled quarters and overwork; why not rise up to the challenge and become invaluable to your employer. A raise and promotion would soon be in the upswing as you would have proved yourself as dependable, trustworthy and most important, one who didn’t complain when the going got rough.
As for your bubble bursting when you moved into your home. Just remember, people will always be who they are and they aren’t going to change because of you, so you may as well accept them as they are. Everyone is going to make noise and mistakes. Dogs are going to continue to roam the streets just as sure as taxes are sent out. One thing we can always count on and that is change.
Before you buy, marry someone or take that job; ask God to show you what always goes along with it. It might surprise you and be a new challenge in the chapter of your life.

Know Yourself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself

I believe it was Socrates to urged us to know ourselves. Our limitations of love, adventure, work and ethics. He was right on the mark. If we can know ourselves we can begin to understand ourselves and with that is forthcoming with not just an acceptance but a delightful freedom of happiness with

I am Blessed

There isn't any other way to describe it, I am blessed! I am not called lucky or fortunate but, I am very very blessed. You might be asking in your heart what is the difference with me being blessed and someone else being lucky? I believe that being blessed is someone who can still see through the eyes of a child and when they see a rose or a dolphin they take great delight over this creation. This delight brings a real surge of joy in your soul and right then and there, you know without a shadow of doubt that the world could crumble today, but you will be taken care of, because the rose and the dolphin will still be there for you to see.

As I see it "luck" is something that happens to a person who doesn't see how he is being blessed. He recognizes it as a random act and not from the Creator. Everything I see I give credit to our Creator. It is all from His hand, except the evil we see. I firmly believe that if our leaders followed through on overcoming evil with good, there would be no more wars because the opposition would be totally befuddled and humiliated.

We were created to love, not destroy.

Let the Rain Fall

Let the Rain Fall

We pray for rain and when it comes we hear moans and groans. I say let the rain fall. How could we appreciate the sun if the rain never falls? Our character cannot grow without the rain falling, but we’d be as dried up as old prunes without the rain. There is just something rich about a good rain. Ever notice how your flowers perk up as if to say “this is exactly what I needed, boy, do I ever feel alive today!” With this attitude they promptly put out a new light green shoot that otherwise wouldn’t have come upon this most enticing scene. Yes, of course all of your pet plants communicate just like we do, only differently. They say so much and yet without all the mumbo jumbo that fills our daily yarn. Right about now you could be asking yourself how plants communicate? Good question. As I briefly described in the above is one of the ways. Another way is when a plant needs rain, you can see it begin to shrivel into a lifelessness dull entity of thirst. Observation is the key to understanding the plant kingdom. And, doesn’t that also work with people as well? Aren’t we supposed to care enough to listen with our hearts?

Rain can be good, as long as there isn’t too much…then we find ourselves drowning in a good thing. If it makes the roots of a plant weak and begin to literally rot and able to fall over, what does too much of a good thing, do to people? Do they fall over too? I think so. All we have to do is look at some of the sad lives of the famous people we use to love, such as Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Janis Joplin. They had it all. Lots and lots of rain, but they couldn’t deal with it. All they wanted was love. I bet Elvis would have gone back to his truck driving days in a minute to find someone who would have just loved him for who he was, not for his name or what he could give them. They say he was very close to his mother. Perhaps he discovered his mother was the only person he was able to trust and would not take advantage of him. Maybe Marilyn just wanted a man to love her for who her spirit was, not for her body. Judy was seeking love too and felt there was no more hope when she took her life. The basis of most people who take their lives is the belief that no one really cares or understands their hurt. No one loves them and they give up. They have lost their hope. If they had hope inside of their heart, they would be able to be revived. Yet, there were those who saw the life of goodness inside of these people and really loved them. Did they hear a recording over and over in their mind filling their minds with lies? Can we learn from these people?

I think we can learn from everything if our spirit is sensitive enough to be still and listen to what it is saying. We turn a deaf ear to the things we do not wish to hear and try to ignore the truth when it makes us uncomfortable, until like the plants getting too much water, we begin to fall from having too much rain. One of the biggest life lessons I have discovered is to be thankful for what you already have and enjoy where you are at the moment. If you have too much, how can you have a thankful heart? If you do not have a thankful heart, how can you be happy? How can you enjoy the moment, because you will always be reaching for something and not know what true love means? The world will always tell you to put yourself first, but that isn’t the real path toward happiness. If you place others first, you will discover your kindness will come back to you in multiples and unexpectedly too. It will be like needing rain and just knowing that the exact amount will be sent in the perfect time.

One of the greatest things we can do in our lives is to honestly care for other people and become a giver in everyway we possibly can be. We will experience joy, love and so much more. We shouldn’t have too much of a surplus of things when we look around at those in need. Yes, we really are our brother’s keeper.

Just a thought

3601.1

I do alot of thinking while I am lying down and as I see the political verbage going on today; I have come to this conclusion:

Why are Christians trying to change the world? Why are we pointing fingers at them and their sins? I'll be honest with you, we Christians are the most judgemental people I have ever met. The world has an excuse, but we do not.

Homosexual marriages? Most believers are against this, but the world is going to do it anyway. Can you stop the world from sinning? Why are "we" having such a fit over this? If they do not know the Lord, how can they even think of having a "holy marriage" anyway! Why are we so self rightously outraged? If they do not belong to the Body of Christ, why are we pointing our fingers like this? If we are so headstrong about this, why aren't we in the bars evangelizing?

Partial birth abortion? I don't know any believer who is for this atrocity. But truthfully, what is the difference in giving orders to go to Iraq or Iran (many times to test our latest weapons) and bomb homes, hospitals, schools where there are innocent people and babies. Let's face it, sin is sin. If you've broken one commandment, you've broken them all. Ask yourself if you've ever broken a commandment? That is what the Word says. God says there isn't any difference, but Christians put sin on different levels. This one is worse than that one etc. That is the way we think, and we cannot help it, because so many of us become "relgious". In doing it, we actually are putting God on our level. How small our minds really are.

Granted, we've crossed the line along time ago; accepting the things that the "supreme" court brings down. The world is going to do that. We grow side by side with them. The wheat and the tares. Can you actually see the difference? When you look at wheat, can you tell that it isn't a tare? Or, has the wheat taken on such an appearnance of the world through their thinking and actions that you just cannot tell anymore?

We blast away at the present candidates faults and make lists of how liberal they are and bombard others with these emails. Is this really Christian? Didn't God say "love always thinks good?" The main truth is, they all have faults and are going to make mistakes. What is worse, a candidate professing God and being a wolf in sheeps clothing or one who doesnt talk about his faith? Everyone believes differently and sees things differently. This is why there are so many interpetations of the Word. Either way, the Christians are going to judge and judge. When we do this, how are we different than the world? We aren't.

There are a lot of things I am against with both the present candidates. The world will put in who they want. I am not even sure a revolution would be able to stop the way the states are going. But one thing we know, God is still in control and in order and does things for our good. Can you believe that?

Whatever cup we drink from is the nourshment we recieve. Isn't it time we cleaned up our own act?

Jesus sat with the tax payers and the publicans and drank wine and ate with them. Who accused him of being a sinner? The relgious people of the day! The hyprocrites accused him of being a wine bibber and a glutton. They just refused to see the planks in their own eyes. They had a throttle on God. Do we really have the authority to point fingers? Jesus said for us not to judge anyone before our time. He said, "judge not, lest ye be judged."

I don't know about you, but I've discovered that when we judge another, we end up doing the very thing we just judged another about. Even when we judge by our thoughts. Then, we ourselves are judged by another. What a tangled web we weave for ourselves. It is called "reaping and sowing" and you know about those godly principles.

luv7

Confession is not Always Good for your Soul

Relationships bring out the best in us or the worse. Acceptance of this morsel of truth, we can also say; all intimate unions are different. We are all distinctively special and because of this, what would work for one couple would not work for another.

Skeletons in our closets may haunt you from time to time and for the sake of your conscience you may feel compelled to tell all to your mate. Ask yourself how this new bit of information would affect him? Does he literally see you as his angel? Do you really want to mar his image of you, and would this be worth it? Honesty does not always mean a confession.

Perhaps you have an understanding mate and you’ve discovered that you can talk to each other about anything. All in all, there are still some things that you would be better off keeping to yourself, to respect each other’s heart and prevent hurt feelings. For example; if you dreamt about an ex lover or mate, there isn’t any reason to tell your mate about this. A little bit of empathy can go a long way in a relationship.

Everyone becomes nostalgic from time to time, and when you have gone through the highs and lows that life brings, you yearn to be able to talk to your mate about the wounds in your heart. This can be a testy situation. Test the waters first. Sometimes, it will be to your best interest to have a good friend whom you can talk to about anything, one that will not judge or be critical when you begin to pour out your heart. In this way, you have your confidant and you haven’t burdened your mate. Your soul will feel lighter.

We’ve all seen the horror stories on television about the groom bedding down the brides best friend the day before they are to get married. Is this some kind of perverted joke from the “friend” you thought you had? Should you find out, would you ever be able to trust either one of them again?

When two people are committed to each other, they respect each others feelings; especially when they break down and cry in front of them, leaving tidbits of their past upon the carpet. Hope comes when they see the crumbs gently picked up without any judgment and placed inside a golden jar to be set up high upon a shelf. After all, it’s part of their life. Wisdom says fewer words can be a gift from God.