Staring at a Maple Leaf

Like the title? I hope so. Don't get it? Look up those five words in google. Still don't get it? You don't know me well enough yet.

Anyways, hello. I wrote this first paragraph back when I created my blog in 2009, amazing how it still can relate:

"As I begin to see the changing colors of the leaves, I also begin to reflect on my year. What did I do? Where did I travel? Who did I date? What new inside jokes do my best friends and I have? Time flies. I wish I could say that I am excited for fall to come along with the changing of seasons, but I absolutely love summer, and I never want it to end. Fall is beautiful, but just reminds me of what is to come, when it gets to winter all I see is ice and cold. I live in Minnesota, I should be used to bundling and just sucking it up, but I can't seem to get over how much I just wish it was still summer when I was free to lay in the sun..."

[funny, I just moved to Nashville, guess I solved that problem for a while.]

Now that we have been able to fast forward two years, we're still seeing fall colors change, time still flies, and there is still much to look back on about this year. How have I grown? What in my life has changed? Where am I looking to be next year at this time? So much life happens. It is insane to me how quickly it can travel. Blink your eyes, and it's a new season, even a new year.

A maple leaf is so distinctive because of its shape. Not only do the Canadians recognize it as their nation's symbol, but the rest of the world knows it from any other leaf out there. It's officially fall when the maple leaves change colors, and the crunching of the leaves is a benchmark of the path to winter.

Today my point is this, where do you want to see yourself a year from now? We know how time flies, so if you want to see a change in yourself when you reflect on the past year, you better start now. Before you know it, another year will have gone by, and you'll be looking back on the future (if that makes any sense.)

I hope this finds you at a time when you can relate and take something from it. Blessings always & much love,
V

S is for...

Scrabble. I've been struggling lately.

It's hard to make a decision and play when you just can't find the right word you're sure is out there.

Gosh, I wish I knew what it was. It's also pretty challenging to live life when you are searching for the perfect time to make a move with a bunch of Zs and Js on your tray.

Here's the parallel: S also stands for searching. If you continue to search for your vowels while you still have a full tray of Zs and Js, and try to have a seven-letter word before you make a move, you won't get very far.

You need a mix of consonants and vowels to come up with the perfect word. It is almost always necessary to purge the old consonants to get the 100pt word.

2 Corinthians says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."

K, read it once more. (that helps it sink in a little better) 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation. The OLD HAS PASSED away; behold, the new has come. All this is FROM GOD, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."

So what we've learned is that the old and new do not coexist. In order to be in Christ, to be a new creation through Him, we must throw out what does not represent Him. This is what I'll be practicing this week. Purging the habits that do not honor the Lord and making room for the ones that bring Him glory. 

Therefore, that is my challenge to you this week: look for your habits that are useless, and replace it with something that brings glory to God. That way, any move you make will be a good one.

Much love, 

V