Stay Awhile

Stay Awhile

Stay Awhile
And see what I have to say.
Toads, frogs and crocodiles
Know the value of staying awhile.

Wait at your post gate,
for entrance is only seconds away.
You’ll hear the sound
And straight through you’ll go.

Your gait and my harness
Will train the soul.
Soothe the emotions.
Heal the psyche and
Set your spirit free.

Splashes of color
From rays of the sun
Begin to form crystal beads
That glimmer like the seas.

When only you stay awhile
You will see
Awhile is rest in the bosom of God.
The sound you will hear is the
Gentle tick of the Father’s Heart.

Yes, stay awhile and love
Will implode while negatives float away.
It’s worth the life of toad, frog, crocodile
To stay awhile and find your Doll.

(C)Sara Craddock 10/3/13

art by Deborah Chaves, see books at Amazon.com

Karen Langford Brown ‘s Story

HI SARA,

I have read and reread your book, “The Doll Within Me,” for several weeks, and asked God to send me His message for me to write. You see, I have to wait on the Lord and not try to go ahead of Him. 🙂 The ego likes to suppose things that aren’t necessarily so. I have always loved that Dr Dyer described the ego as “Edging God Out,” so I try to go slow and easy before proceeding.

Very, very surprised at the writing that came after much contemplation. Hope you enjoy.

Love & Blessings,
Karen

Twin meaning: one of two offspring born at the same birth. A counterpart.

THE TWIN WITHIN

When I was young and there was no money
for frivolous things such as a doll
Actual needs were so much greater
as I look back and do recall.
But then I was but a little girl
wishing for just a Barbie doll
Not understanding or realizing that
my wish was Oh, so small!

God has brought me to a time in life
where He showed me that within
He had created a beautiful doll
that was actually my twin!
He said that when I was born
her spirit was with me
She would abide with me forever
and one day I would see…

The beautiful doll that is my spirit
was always there to comfort me
Because she was sent from Heaven
to always help me be
All that He created and
that He would have me be…
Has always been in His Hands
and I am really three!

(c) 2013 Karen Langford Brown 
http://www.MySpiritWind.com

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit
gives birth to spirit.” John 3:6 NIV

Psalms of Promise

91:1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,

91:2 will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

91:3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;

91:4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

91:5 You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day,

91:6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

91:14 Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.

91:15 When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.

91:16 With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.

Monroe Technology Center FFA Fundraiser

Monroe Technology Center FFA

We are supporting The Monroe Technology Center FFA T-Shirt campaign. Buy and wear your shirt to show your support:
https://www.booster.com/monroetech

The Monroe Technology Center FFA is proud to be the only FFA representing Loudoun’s students in agriculture curriculums such as Biotechnology, Environmental Plant Science and Veterinary Science.

The National FFA Organization was organized as the “Future Farmers of America” in 1928 in Kansas City, MO. In 1988, the official organization name was changed to The National FFA Organization to reflect the broadening field of agriculture, which today encompasses more than 300 careers in everything from agriscience to biotechnology to turf grass management. In 1950, Congress granted FFA a federal charter, making it an integral, intracurricular part of public agricultural instruction under the National Vocational Education Acts. Two of the FFA top three executives are employed by the U.S. Department of Education. FFA operates on local, state and national levels. Student members belong to chapters organized at the local school level. Agricultural education instructors serve as chapter advisors. Chapters are organized under state associations headed by an advisor and executive secretary, often employees of the state department of education. States conduct programs and host annual conventions. Contact The Monroe Technology Center FFA is proud to be the only FFA representing Loudoun’s students in agriculture curriculums such as Biotechnology, Environmental Plant Science and Veterinary Science.

Contact Deborah.Chaves@lcps.org for any questions you might have.

Thanks to Chris Mar and CustomInk for helping us raise funds for the Monroe Tech FFA.

Fall Makeover

Fall Makeover

Are your summer plants looking worn, tired, dull or just looking ‘out of season’? Then its’ time for a fall makeover. Why not pull out the summer annuals and replace them with hardy fall mums, pansies, ornamental cabbage or kale, asters or some new perennials that will add color, texture and life to your garden, porch or patio? If you want your mums to come back next year then choose ones with tight buds that are not yet blooming. They will root out and take hold in their new garden bed. Pansies will hold their heads high even on cold winter days. Ornamental cabbage and kale adds color and texture that should last until next spring in a pot or bed if you keep them watered. And fall blooming perennials such as asters, black-eyed Susans, anemones and plumbago make great additions to your landscape design. If deer are a problem, then consider planting ornamental grasses or some new and different boxwoods as there are so many interesting varieties in each category.
If you are in the Leesburg, Virginia area September 18-20, be sure to visit the Monroe Technology Center’s Fall Plant Sale where you will find all these plants mentioned above and many more. Happy fall planting!

Prayer for my day;

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 KJ)
When I was a young child in a Methodist Church, The Reverend Smith, the most wonderful reverend that ever walked the earth in my eyes, would give his benediction after each and every service. His arms outstretched in benediction as he lifted his hands to God and his congregation and prayed the above words the Psalmist prayed.
Each day these words of blessings and prayer embrace me like warmth from a wood-burning stove when a chill is in the Fall and Winter air.
When the meditation of my heart drifts like driftwood among waves of the ocean shores and my words are like raw meat without heat. I walk close to this warmth of Reverend Smith’s words of blessings and I silence my tongue. I am reminded of the words recorded by James in the Holy Bible;

 ”…the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (James 3:6 NLT)
We so often check our waist-lines, our calorie-intake, our walking-metrics, count the wrinkles on our face and neck while letting the tongue wage with idle words flying smoother than a kite in the wind of soon coming hurricane.
Count our Words for good or for evil, for life or death, and frame them in the benediction of Reverend Smith is just a bit uncomfortable for some of us. Yet, they carry more power weight in the Eternal than waist-line, calorie-intake or face in wrinkles. One might say; really! Well, I would like to agree with the really’s but I need someone to show me the scriptures to back it up. OK, glutton, yes, living godly, yes, body the temple of God, yes. I get the point to be and live holy in unison of mind, body and spirit. But, that little tongue still rages like a fire out of control way to often. And, not only an earthy fire that destroys all that is in its path but the eternal reward haunts the soul shared by Matthew;

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”  (Matthew 12:36 NIV)
Today, I make it my passion and goal to move close to the warmth of God’s embrace and receive from Holy men and women that God has placed in our lives to afford us the blessing of a Benediction! Will you join me?

Peace, Love, Art, Joy

Peace, Love, Art, Joy

I love this art by Dawn Collins! Now what encourages me the most about her ‘brilliant lady’ in the art? The Peace within her that flows out from the  throat (a voice of a person or a songbird). It gives me the visual image of Paul as he prays from Ephesians 3:14, “… I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Does Dawn’s art say; Peace must come from within? Does Paul pray, peace must come from within? Just thinking? Asking? Hoping? Peace and Love to all today as I pray Paul’s prayer for each one that visits The Daily Lily!