Early Morning Dew Collects on Arched Grasses Backlit by Rising Sun. Closeup.Papamoa, Tauranga, New Zealand
Photo by Brian Scantlebury
Used with permission
One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:4-7
I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:4-7
Tomorrow I will be going to Manila again.
It has truly been a wonderful twelve days here in Bacolod City.
Because of the heavy rains that fell last weekend, all the plants in my garden have begun to sprout new leaves!
We also had light rains on some nights, so the weather has cooled off considerably.
The truth is that it does not really matter much to me whether it is hot or cold, dry or rainy... When people around me would complain of the heat, I'm not bothered as much as they are.
Nevertheless, I am truly grateful for the rains.
And what a blessing, what a delight these past days have been to me.
Since Worshiper brought his wife home on December 31 to live with us, I have not really had much time with her. These past five months, it was only in February that I was home for a whole month. All the other months this year, I was home in Bacolod City only for a few days.
What a joy it was to be with my family again. I got to know Chosen One a little bit more this time. It's not so much the talking...but the being together...and doing things together. I enjoyed her child-like heart, so gentle, so kind, so quiet, so honest.
God-given, my other daughter in law, and I have had many opportunities to bond over the past two years or so. She is already confident and secure in my love, and I have sensed that our relationship with one another has deepened and matured over the past months. God-given is sensible and practical. And she knows I love her.
My grandson Forerunner is fast growing to be such a sweetheart. He's talking a lot now, and he is like a sponge, taking in everything that we try to teach him. There is so much laughter in our midst whenever this little boy is around!
Upon awaking, my natural response is to lift up each of my family members before God's throne. I have often thanked God for bringing God-given and Chosen One into my life.
I ask my heavenly Father to always put a special shield of protection around the little one, Forerunner.
The past days the message that God has written on my heart is His generosity.
Such a generous God we have! So freely does He give what my heart desires and longs for.
He knew I needed to be re-fuelled, and to get a fresh perspective on my journey.
He knew how much I wanted to get near to Him, and to hear Him speak new things to my heart... let Him tell me things I need to know about myself... let Him reveal to me some of my blind spots.
He knew how I longed to be refreshed...
I know one doesn't expect much to happen in just twelve days... but the surprising truth is that... I got the refreshment I needed.
Fresh bread for the journey.
God impressed to me that I needed to slow down, and to rest, just enjoy the scenery and the companionship of my family and friends.
Getting my hands dirty, sweating it out in my little garden, playing with my grandson and my dogs, eating out with my sons and their wives, reconnecting with my sisters in law Sue and Leila, and their husbands.
I enjoyed the time I spent with the Women of Purpose, the group of women in our church who have become such dear friends to me. For two Thursdays in a row, we met for our usual mentoring sessions over lunch.
Then this past weekend, we went through Craig Hill's Building a Strong Financial House seminar together at Dan and Jing's lovely home...learning Biblical principles while enjoying one another's company in a relaxed setting.
We have often enjoyed the hospitality of these dear friends of mine.
Menchu, one of my friends, also came on both days to bring something for us to eat together!
Such generosity, such grace, such kindness!
While searching the internet for a photo to post with my last post, I came across a breathtaking picture taken by Brian Scantlebury.
It was entitled Early Morning Dew.
I am quite a visual person. Beauty just takes my breath away - a beautiful sunset, a majestic sunrise, flowers, mountains, dewdrops ... somehow beautiful scenes like these speak to me of the generosity of a loving Creator.
The picture was intended for my last post for May... but I quickly decided that it will go well with my first blog entry for this month ..assuming, of course, that I will get the permission to use it.
I gave it a try.
The day after sending an email to Brian, asking his permission to use his lovely photograph on my blog, I got this gracious reply:
"Hello Lidia. Thanks for your request. Yes, you can certainly use that image, or any others on my site...Kind regards. "
Wow! What a personal, affirming response.
Such generosity...such kindness...such grace!
For some reason, these past few days my heart has been filled to overflowing with the kindness of God, and of people.
Just yesterday after church, someone gave me an unexpected cash gift.
A friend gave me three lovely blouses and a beautiful tote bag to go with them.
Last week, my friend Lourdes invited me for lunch at her beautiful home.
The other day I even had the opportunity to watch a great movie Prince of Persia with a friend.
Beautiful, gentle, gracious, and kind... these are the adjectives that come to my mind as I write these lines!
So, as my friend Trudi and I prepare to leave for Manila tomorrow, I am feeling quite refreshed, and renewed, ready to face the next level that God has in store for me.
My heart sings with joy at the new things that God has brought my way.
Definitely, He spoke to me in a tangible way about generosity.
Generosity is one of the marks of a meek person. Craig Hill defined a meek person as someone who knows how to live with margins in his life - margins in his time, margins in his finances, and margins in his relationships.
Power under control. When you're meek, you don't use up all your money, or your time, you leave some of it for others. A meek person isn't self-serving in his relationships, rather he is a blessing.
Generosity is God's response to selfishness and self-focus.
If we are faithful to till it, the earth is generous, buds spring forth everyday, plants turn over a new leaf regularly... the heavens open up to give dew every morning.
Generosity is the mark of a gentle heart.
Generosity is willing to give, as opposed to keeping back and withholding good.
Generosity isn't all about me, but the other.
Generosity:
...is a willingness to share of one's time, resources, gifts, abilities, opportunities.
...is willing to be inconvenienced, and interrupted.
...doesn't chafe when things don't go as planned.
...gives without asking back in return, or keeping a record of the gift!
Generosity doesn't make a big deal out of another's imperfections, inadequacies, and shortcomings. It leaves room for people to change, grow, and mature!
Generosity is having a large heart and a broad perspective, enabling me to be kind in my judgments and opinions about others!
I believe that when I am critical about other people's shortcomings, I reveal a shriveled up heart and a narrow mind!
Ultimately, generosity is all about faith... how much faith do I have in God?
Generosity is all about trusting God, allowing Him, to take care of the outcome of our life circumstances.
That is why Paul, from prison, was able to pen these beautiful lines:
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything,
When the Lord is near, it isn't hard to rejoice and give thanks in everything!Gentleness and generosity are so intertwined in my understanding. When I am gentle, I can be generous...when I am generous, my heart is flexible, soft, pliable.
Gentleness and generosity enable me to live with such a deep sense of rejoicing!
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands!
Isaiah 55:12
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands!
Isaiah 55:12
When I know that the Lord is near, I can be generous. Selfishness is rooted in fear, and in living from a sense of not having enough.
But I am not in fear, and I have more than enough!
Craig Hill reminds us: I don't live in a lake, I live in a river!
There's more of that where it came from!
Oh yes, there's more of those good things where it came from! My God is such a generous God.
Psalm 145, one of my favorites, extols the generosity of God!
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
The thoughts tumble out, and I don't have time to organize them. My heart bubbles up in praise for a generous God, and generous people, like Brian, and Lourdes, and Dan and Jing, and Menchu, and Ruby and William...
...and the maids who serve us, with such willing and cheerful hearts, to make our lives so much easier...
...and oh so many many generous friends and loved ones - this page would not be enough to mention all of them by name.
Thank You, my Father, for sending the rain of Your goodness, kindness, gentleness, generosity, and grace, into my heart!
Your mercies are new every morning!
This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad!
Here are some pictures that I want to share on this post:
Forerunner: Look, Nana, I am learning how to count my fingers!
Forerunner is such a happy soul!
This is a dear friend, Lourdes...she and I had lunch at her lovely home last Tuesday.
Here below are some of the shots I took of her home:
This is an antique beer mug, just one of the many interesting decors in her home!
A view of her back garden.And here are some splashes of new life in my garden:
13 comments:
Lidj,
I just love the look of the tropical plants springing forth new life much like yours each and every day we awake to see the promise of what God has yet to unveil for us that day.
This is such a beautiful post and I love that you have shared so many pictures with all of us while you spent precious time with your family.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
It is good to hear you are now refeshed and renewed. Your service to the Lord will be much more affective and pleasurable.Your little forerunner is so adorable. Love his chunky little cheeks.I am blessed like you with a good and loving daughter -n-law. Some are not so fortunate. Your friend Lourdes indeed does have a beautiful home. The flowers in your garden are lovely. Thank you for showing them. I am sure the Lord has some special plans for you my friend in Christ. Have a safe journey to Manilla. Dee
I was struck by the photo on your blog today, before I even read it. I went back and looked at Morning Dew and it is also beautiful!
I'm so glad you are getting to know Chosen One better. What a blessing for both of you. I also enjoyed the photos of your sweet little grandson. He is so blessed to have a Grandmother who prays diligently for him!
Hi Lidj, Forerunner is a doll . . just a cutie! I can see why he brings you so much joy . . I'm glad that you feel refresh, God always hears us, doesn't he? I love how each member in your household have a special name, so unique and loving.
Have a safe trip to Manila. Hugs and Blessings, Sandy :O)
While walking Yuki in the park and woods this morning, I saw how numerous, unique and beautiful the wild plants and flowers that sproted everywhere and were all around us. I thought, one day I'd bring a camera and take pictures. Maybe a coincidence but at that moment I remembered you and your beautiful pictures, and I thought, I better do it right, even thinking to lie down on the ground with my camera to get a better angle. So, to cut my story short, here I am reading and enjoying your pictures in this post, all of them (photographs) looking perfect works of art.
Thanks Lidj for another beautiful piece, got a little teary eyed, as happens when one gets older and overly sentimental. Truly, you're a gift from God, sharing with us your eye for beauty, your loving heart and inspirational faith in Him. Have a safe and happy stay in Manila. Take care.
You said, "Such a generous God we have! So freely does He give what my heart desires and longs for." And my immediate thought was, "I don't deserve it and often take these things for granted or forget the Giver."
Generosity is one of the marks of a meek person. I meditated on the beatitudes in Matthew when I was gone this past weekend...."Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." My ESV Study Bible note says, "those who are meek or gentle do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strength." I can see a generous person in this and God rewards with a similar and very generous gift in His eternal kingdom.
"Generosity doesn't make a big deal out of another's imperfections, inadequacies, and shortcomings. It leaves room for people to change, grow, and mature!" A willing heart to even suffer by being sinned against by another's shortcomings and praying and waiting and watching for change...all the while, trusting in a very big God. I find when I'm critical of others, I have reduced my belief in God's abilities. We serve a God where all things are possible. Do I have the trust and belief that He can work in another's life and give me the endurance to persevere in the midst of their stuff? Being in church leadership has tested this in me.
Psalm 145 has always been a favorite of mine. I often use it as an outline to help me pray!
I was so encouraged by your last comment on my most recent post. If I am beginning to learn what you gleaned from your month retreat with Burki...I am blessed. When you have posted about that time I've tried to search for Burki and your experience. I was interested and very curious...desirous to learn and apply what you gleaned. And you were prompted to remember a lesson you did glean from there. My heart did a rejoicing leap when you connected my thoughts of living in the present to a deep life lesson you are applying. You are like an online accountability partner and I value you!
Love to you, dear Friend!
Amy
Dear Lidj,
I love the beautiful photos. The beauty of nature and God's creation. That little one is simply adorable as he counts his fingers. Too cute.
I love how you wrote:
"Generosity is all about trusting God, allowing Him, to take care of the outcome of our life circumstances."
I needed to be reminded of that tonight.
You have such a grateful heart. I'm so glad to be getting to know you better.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Isn't it wonderful how God generously gives through our friends? He is the gracious, kind, generous one...and through Him, we can bless others. God obviously knew you needed the love from others.
I loved the pics--your grandson's grin is adorable. Much love, Lidj.
I knew I was going to follow your blog when I read the content of your profile. I hope you'll follow me as well.
Thanks for the follow...it makes it so much easier to return to visit by clicking on an avatar.
Thank you for such an uplifting and inspirational post. Lovely pictures.
I really enjoyed reading the posts on your blog. I would like to invite you to come over to my blog and check it out. God bless, Lloyd
Dear Lidj,
It's inspiring to read your praise of our generous father, and how we, ourselves owe one another generosity.
My soul is singing with you.
Your flower pictures speak volumes about God's abundance.
How I love the lilies on the field, not sowing or spinning, created just for beauty.
Even so, I feel being under attack lately.
Things were going so well, and I kept praising the Lord for all his gifts. Then arrows started falling from places I'd never expect.
I believe in the power of prayer, and I hope you will remember me when you are bringing your family and friends before the throne of God.
Thank you on before hand. For your fidelity and willingness.
From Felisol
Your time of refreshing sounds similar to mine. Much of my time was spent alone. Woven between the seven daily times of prayer/Psalms, there were morning conferences with none other than Father Carlos(!) and tapes playing during meal times about the meditation practices of Thomas Merton. Otherwise, I spent the time in silence--reading, praying, walking, or simply sitting.
The beauty of your garden and lovely portrayal of your time with your precious family minister to me.
Your words re. generosity instruct me.
Father Carlos! What a wonderful generous person he is. Joyful and gregarious. I didn't attend all the conferences but I especially enjoyed stories of his family & home. Oh, Lidj! I pray that one day you can visit the Abbey.
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