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Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Saturday 17 October 2009

Spiritual Sundays

Hello friends~ I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
Once again I am joining my friends Ginger and Charlotte and the other participants for Spiritual Sundays. Please click on the link http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/ or the Spiritual Sundays button on my sidebar to visit all these wonderful people.

Something has been grieving my heart for quite some time. Have you ever noticed how many Christians out there are disillusioned with life and church in general? They are those poor souls who are seeking a magic wand solution to their problems and if the answer does not come in the way they want, they get angry with God.
They don't trust God and some have unfortunately walked away from their faith.
Life has become too hard and they blame God for all their problems. Sadly, they have joined the thousands of hurting and lost souls who question God's mercy and compassion. They wonder about the times in which we live and the bad things that happen to good people.......

Some examples:
A father is sitting by his little girl and watches her slip away because the drunk driver who hit his little girl was not thinking about what he was doing and got behind the wheel of the car. The grieving father questions God about why He didn't protect his child.
Another questions God about why He allowed his child to be molested.
Still another wonders why God is allowing breast cancer to claim the life of his beloved wife and the mother to his three children. The little family needs her!
All they can think about is their loss and their pain, and their faith is like a pendulum, swinging back and forth. Some will raise their fist at God and threaten to live life without Him if He doesn't change their situation.

We are all sorely tested at one time or another. The earth is filled with violence, sickness, and disease, and will continue to be until Jesus comes back! As long as we live on this earth, there will be war and rumors of war. Now more than ever, we live in a society where man is totally self-centered; it's each man for himself. I shudder to think that there are those who actually live by that motto!

No matter what happens in our lives, the Lord wants us to trust Him. But sometimes, that is easier said than done when you are going through uncharted waters!

I came across this conversation in 'Hinds Feet on High Places,' a wonderful allegorical story written by author Hannah Hurnard, which I just finished reading again for about the fourth time. This conversation which takes place between the King and His child after her journey to the high places, is her explanation to all she had gone through. It went like this-

" Every circumstance in life, no matter how crooked and distorted and ugly it appears to be, if it is reacted to in love and forgiveness and obedience to Your will, can be transformed.
Therefore I begin to think, my Lord, You purposely allow us to be brought into contact with the bad and evil things that you want changed. Perhaps that is the very reason why we are here in this world, where sin and sorrow and suffering and evil abound, so that we may let You teach us so to react to them, that out of them we can create lovely qualities to live forever.
That is the only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil, not simply binding it so that it cannot work harm, but whenever possible overcoming it with good."

I liked this explanation and thought it worthy of sharing with all of you.
"Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." ROMANS 12:21

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Pink Saturday is Here Again!


Hello everyone and welcome to another Pink Saturday at Rose Chintz Cottage! I must thank Beverly for hosting again this week. She is the Queen of Pink and we so appreciate her putting this together for all of us every Saturday.

Today I have this pretty vase to share with you. I have several pieces like this one but I'm only showing you this today. Pinks, teals, and greens; some of my favourite colours.
Before I bid you goodday, I would like you to make your way over to see Mari @ Once upon A Plate http://onceuponaplate.blogspot.com/ for a most scrumptious blog. The first time I visited her blog was on a Pink Saturday when she featured Frozen Strawberry Yogurt with Pink Rose Petals. It was a stunning dessert! Her blog is unbelievably delightful to the eyes.
Just a reminder that there is only one week left before I draw the name of the winner for this cute pink Christmas ornament. If you want a chance to win it, please leave a comment saying so. Entries must be in by 7:00 PM Atlantic time on Friday the 23rd. I will announce the name of the winner next week on Pink Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by and please go visit Bev and all her pink participants by clicking on the link http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/ or the Pink Saturday button on my sidebar.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi