I Want to be a Daisy

I want to be a daisy

unassuming, humble,

willing to share my joyful face

wherever I am found.

In a prairie of grass

unseen

and alone.....

Emily is a dear to let me share her space and guest post today. Won't you join us over at Chatting at the Sky?

Every week Emily hosts Tuesday's Unwrapped  and I've come to anticipate the opportunity to unwrap little daily gifts with words. Click here for one of my favorites on having tea with hot dog lunches.

Thank You Emily!

You Capture: Sky

Today's You Capture challenge inspired me to lay on the ground and include the sky in my shots. 

and along the way I discovered a few treasures

in addition to a fly by my chives.

Tomorrow stop by to see my favorite way to enjoy a blue sky.

Have a happy holiday weekend!

Spring at Sunset

Blooms at sunset and windblown little girls make me happy.

For more captures of spring go here, here, here and yes, here too.
I like spring, can you tell?

You Capture: Quiet

Quiet.

That's what I love about country life.

For a while now quiet has looked like this:

The wind whispers. The soft sound of snow blowing, drifting can almost be heard.

This profound quiet will soon give way to a peaceful drip, drip, dripping. 

And after the mud has dried, the sun returns and gives this country blooms.

The world will venture out of hibernation and the echos of cattle grazing across the fields will return.

This place is still.  Peace and quiet.

~~~~~
This is the last day for entering my giveaway
for a chocolate and cinnamon mill
to add flourish to your favorite drink!
Your chances of winning are good- only 16 entrants so far!
SO.... head on over and enter. NOW!
*grin*
~~~~~

This has been another edition of 

You Capture: Quiet 

hosted by

I Should be Folding Laundry

Unwrapping the Beauty of an Egg

On the way out of dance last week,

in the hustle of crowded hall 

filled with girls exchanging slippers for boots, 

a friend approached 

and handed me a grocery sack wrapped gift. 

A simple gift, given out of her surplus. 

And now, when I open that egg carton, 

I wonder at their simple beauty, 

their color, 

and the joy in little gifts.

Don't forget to check out my giveaway!
Where one of you will receive a gift to unwrap!

This has been another edition of:

To read of others' simple gifts unwrapped, visit Chatting at the Sky for Tuesdays Unwrapped.

The Lake

While two of my kids were at piano lessons on Wednesday, I stopped by my parents house, the house I spent 21 years of my life at, and caught this scene. I first moved away from home the day I got married. How I missed waking up and eating breakfast to this view those first years! I think when you grow up near a lake, you just get water in your blood.  I've adjusted now, and am grateful to be surrounded by wide open spaces once again. But I still love to go home, a place of quiet, peace and security.
He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.

An Esther Style Makeover

Recent homework for my current Bible Study, esther:It's Tough Being a Woman discussed beauty. Young, beautiful girls were chosen for King Xerxes harem, but evidently their young beauty wasn't enough. A full year of beauty treatments followed their royal abduction. The point is, beauty wasn't something to posses, it was something to be DONE.

Sound familiar? We're never quite done attaining beauty, are we? It's a never ending process. Hair to cut, color, wash, and style. Nails to file, paint. Fingers and toes! Skin to moisturize. Legs to shave. Every day. (Or not!) Eyebrows to pluck. (Just kidding beauty know-it-alls. I know the proper verb is TWEEZE) Eyelashes to curl. Makeup to apply. New clothes. New shoes. Soaps and creams and gels and sprays and deodorizers....you know what I'm talking about. Gosh, it's a lot of darn work! And a lot of pressure. And since not many of us are willing to give up even a brush-full of bronzer , how are we to escape self-absorption? Or avoid painful insecurity? I think you know. It's a HEART thing. Esther didn't rise from the likes of Persia's top model contestants to be queen solely because of her beauty. Those over her care were drawn to her inner beauty.

I wonder what Esther honestly thought of the beauty applications. I wonder if she judged them silly and pagan or if she enjoyed the pampering. I wonder if she remembered God's thoughts on beauty as she was subjected to each "treatment". I bet she did.

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7

Let us not be as Jesus called the Pharisees in Matt. 23:27: "... like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of bones..."

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment... Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."1 Peter 3:4

I submit to you a meditation for your personal beauty treatment.  As each product is applied, pray the corresponding prayer.

Cleanser: Lord, exfoliate my heart. Remove the deadness and hardness of my heart that is hindering your complete work in my life. "Create in me a pure heart, Oh, God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Psalm 51:10-12

Moisturizer: Lord, forgive my failures and soften my heart to do your will.

Day Solution: Lord protect me from evil today. Help me to stand up to temptation and remember that no temptation comes that is not common to mankind, and you will provide a way out of the temptation. 1 Co. 10:13

Foundation: Lord, I put on the shield of faith today. I believe you. I trust you. Ephesians 6:16

Lipstick Let the words of my mouth be acceptable to you today, Lord. Psalm 19:14

Eye color: Lord, let my eyes reflect the Spirit of Christ that lives in me. Let the light of your countenance shine through my eyes for your glory. Matthew 6:22, Luke 11:34

Fragrance: Lord, help me share the grace of your Son with someone today. "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:15

May our inner beauty grow and our focus remain, always, on our King.

I designed this post in a printable card to post on your bathroom mirror or tuck in your make-up bag:

 

Sacred Sunday

Isaiah 45:5-8

        I am the LORD, and there is no other;
       apart from me there is no God.
       I will strengthen you,
       though you have not acknowledged me,

     so that from the rising of the sun
       to the place of its setting
       men may know there is none besides me.
       I am the LORD, and there is no other.

    I form the light and create darkness,
       I bring prosperity and create disaster;
       I, the LORD, do all these things.

    "You heavens above, rain down righteousness;
       let the clouds shower it down.
       Let the earth open wide,
       let salvation spring up,
       let righteousness grow with it;
       I, the LORD, have created it.

Robb's home

Robb's home! When we talked by phone earlier in the day, he said he planned on going straight to the PRIME for some end of week office work before heading home late in the afternoon. Instead, he surprised me with flowers and mocha in hand for a short visit before backtracking to the office. What a sweet man. :)

Sunset on Snow

It's FREEZING!

The snow is gorgeous, though, and as the sun rises and sets, a pink halo forms on the horizon, and reflects on the white fields, causing them to join the pink parade.