Beautiful Blessings - 7/30/16

~ finding the perfect cards for birthdays and just cause

~ finding the perfect trail to hike

~ finding the biggest leaf we could today

~ finding abstract scuplture on the trail

~ finding at least 35 frogs in the pond

~ finding friends to talk to and make you laugh

~ finding friends to talk on the phone and encourage you

~ finding the perfect boyfriend who comes over and lets you cry

~ finding that the same boyfriend is great at scooping much needed ice cream

~ finding blessings even when life feels blue <3

God is good :~)

Beautiful Blessings - 7/29/16

~ watching Zootopia with John and Mom

~ a quiet morning at home to get some computer work done

~ decreasing excitedly on my knitting project

~ an unexpected blessing - dinner unexpectedly provided for me tonight while I was working

~ encouragement to save aside for a rainy day

Beautiful Blessings - 7/28/16

~ adventures involving timing oneself to safely escape a sprinkler at the library

~ adventures involving a playground

~ adventures involving finding the Good Dinosaur 

~ adventures involving finding the perfect books you need for a completing the beginnings of a project for work

~adventures involving intergalatic lands in the Romulan neutral zone with knitting and iced tea as your weapons

Beautiful Blessings - 7/27/16

~ a much needed iced coffee fetched by John

~ working on a surprise for the upcoming blog-iversary

~ many guest posts coming up! (I asked among my friends and acquaintances if they were interested in doing a blog post to celebrate! I have many ones in queue that will be posted in the next week or so, and some other exciting posts coming up as well!)

~ learning a new card game together with him this evening

~ counting down the days for something exciting I am heading up at work!

Beautiful Blessings - 7/26/16

~ a perfectly poised portraiture of a kitty

~ always looking for my favorite book - War and Peace - at libraries I visit

~ the beauty in old books that match

~ finding a selfie on my phone left to make me smile :~D

~ a clock that tells the time and the date

Beautiful Blessings - 7/25/16

~ the majestic sound of a thunderstorm

~ much needed rain after nothing much since May 22nd

~ finding gifts of raindrops after the storm

~ writing many letters after work

~ picking out special journals for a couple friends <3

Beautiful Blessings - 7/24/16

~ new sunglasses

~ worshipping at John's church this week

~ getting the first half of my ServSafe training done

~ a quiet winding ride home to decompress

~ 279 blog views within the past 48 hrs!

Beautiful Blessings - 7/23/16

~ going swimming at the Y on a hot sticky day

~ trying out my new swimsuit!

~ coming home from work to find an insanely cute kitty waiting for me

~ finding a book from a store my Mom used to get books at

~ an evening of Star Trek and knitting ahead

Resuming Beautiful Blessings - 7/22/16

So after putting up my post yesterday, I saw that I have only 50 more posts until I reach 1000! On August 17th, I will be celebrating 4 years of my blog! Soooooooooo I decided to resume Beautiful Blessings (especially since I miss it) and seeing if we can reach 1000 on the 17th! :~D Think we can do it??

Here is today's blessings:

~ making a surprise for a friend

~ plotting one for another friend

~ the surprise of remembering the rhythm of knitting

~ seeing ways work out to surprise others with blessings

~ special surprising friendships being built at work

Why do I headcover?

(sporting a new one I purchased recently)

I have blogged in the past about my reasons for wearing skirts (you can read them here and here), & now I'd like to blog about my reasons for wearing a simple headcovering. I've been led to do so for many years, but it wasn't until a year and a half ago that I began to do so all the time. Every time someone wishes to discuss this, they go straight to 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. I encourage you to read it, although I will not be using that passage. Instead I will be using Ephesians 5:21-24.

Ephesians 5:21-24 (ESV)

"...Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands."

I wear my headcovering to show I am under the authority of my parents, my beau, and more importantly, the Lord. I am quite stubborn by nature, and several times God has reminded me of my headcovering & why I wear it, which changes my attitude. Am I flawless at this? By no means. I am still a sinner saved by grace, but it is an action that I can do to let those with authority over me, lead me when that needs to happen. Now I listed three people with authority over me spiritually. My father and mother, & my beau (aka boyfriend, but in this case beau is a better term to use). As I am still in my parents' household, I honor their spiritual wisdom and discernment. My beau John, however, may make you raise an eyebrow. 

We are simply dating, & we are not engaged. Why would I list him? Simply because I know someday I will marry him & will then be under his headship. By covering my head, I submit to his authority as I regard him as the leader in our relationship. We work together, but he has final say, even regarding ideas or opinions that I may have. I value and trust his decisions in leading us. It's not easy some days as the Enemy gets to us, but it is worth it in the end. God's ways and plans are much better than my own.

I encourage you to read the various verses with the words submit and submission if you so desire to pursue it. I hope you understand why I cover my head. It is simply in reverence and submission to my glorious King!

Purposeful Pain

Recently, I've been getting some nasty knots in my back due to work. Usually they're in my shoulders, so after a few days of stiffness, and if I remember, I'll ask John to rub them out for me. Sometimes it just needs a little rubbing, and other times it needs quite a bit more. After all is said and done, my shoulders are relaxed, my back feels better, & my neck as well. I'm very thankful for John removing the knots. The pain from rubbing out the knots can be nothing, or rather intense. Occasionally I will squeeze his other hand to death so he can keep going. I know deep down that if I just wait until he is all done, I know that I'll feel right as rain again.

Now, keeping that in mind, why do I forget that important truth when God does the same thing? 1 Peter 4:12-13 (ESV) says "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." The painful trials we may face in our life, whether it's a paper cut or a deep wound, God will work it out the rest of the way. Sometimes we just need to have patience and wait it out. Sometimes we just need to squeeze his hand and cast our cares* upon Him. I encourage you today to remember this as you go about the rest of your day and into your week. You may be going through something painful, but it's for a time, and God will work out those knots the rest of the way for your good!

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 (ESV)

*Isaiah 41:13 and Psalm 55:22

Write Them On Your Doorposts

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

~ Deuteronomy 6:5-9