Stop And Smell The Rose's

     Sometimes, in life, we get so busy and preoccupied with things, that we forget to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.
     That being said, me planning a wedding, has made me realize, that I don't enjoy the littlest of things sometimes... for instance, my little brother asked me the other day, "Caitlin, can you play a game with me, or read me a book?" I told him no at first, and then he started to get teary-eyed, and said, "No one ever plays anything with me!" While, I knew that what he said wasn't true, at the same time, I couldn't help but ask myself, "How many times have you spent with Elijah, just you and him recently?" It's true, life had been so busy that I somehow, missed playing games and reading to my siblings.
     Many have heard the saying "Stop and Smell the Rose's"... slowing down, and taking a moment to enjoy life's many blessings is something that I don't do as often as I should.
     "Here it what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.."
 ~ Ecclesiastes 5:18~
     I remember taking my siblings for a walk last year during the summer . It had been a day that I just wanted to be back home, and get stuff done at home. I was hurrying, when I realized my siblings weren't following me closely behind anymore. They had stopped to look at a bug on the sidewalk. You can imagine my reaction wasn't pleasant as I had the wrong attitude. When I told them to hurry up, you can imagine the look on their face was of pure disappointment. It was then that I realized that I, myself, needed to slow down. I needed to appreciate the little bug running across the path, and the look my siblings had of pure joy. I needed to appreciate the warm, sunny day, and the blue sky above me. Appreciate the little things, stop and smell the rose's... after all, the rose's aren't there forever, enjoy them while they're in bloom. :)

ARE WE TOO BUSY?

Another beautiful sunrise is shining,
And casts sparkles among the trees,
The sun rises higher each moment,
Have we taken time, upon our knees?

Do we hurry through, with God, in Prayer....
So we can rush about, this day?
Do we take time....for others, to care?
Or, are we "too busy"....to even Pray?

The way of Life goes so much better,
If we spend time with our Father,
Remember Jesus...and ask for Guidance,
And always Praying, daily, for one another.

How quickly the day comes to an end,
And the sun sinks...in the Western sky,
God Loves us...and walks with us,
And He will be with us...when we die.

Leona I. Miller

Have you ever had one of those days when your life was so chaotic, and you're so grumpy, and yet when you go to the store you go with a smile on your face any way and you say, "Everything's fine!" ?

I had done that recently...I was babysitting for some friends of ours, and when I came home that day, I was...grumpy. I yelled at everyone in my way, and didn't care what they thought. It wasn't until later that day that I was convicted in my heart what I had done that day.

Life is like that, isn't it? We hate it when people treat us badly, so why do we turn around and do the same thing? I found this poem online, and I thought it fit
perfectly to what I'm talking about. Enjoy!

Family

Author: Unknown

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
But the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."
By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found them, out by the tree.
I picked them because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like them, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Poems

God’s Hands

Sometimes we must be
hurt in order to grow,
we must fail in order to know,
we must lose in order to gain,
Some lessons are learned best only through pain.
Sometimes our vision
clears only after our eyes are washed with tears.
Sometimes we have to be broken so we can be tender; sick, so we
can rest and think better on things more important than work or fun.
Trip near death, so we can assess how we’ve ran.
Sometimes we have to suffer lack so we can know God’s provisions,
feel another’s pain,
so we can have a sense of mission.
So take heart my
friend,
If you don’t understand today,
instead of grumbling,
ask God what he means to say.
In order to learn, you must endure
and learn to see the bigger picture.
In Order to grow, you must stand.
Look beyond the hurt, to God’s loving hands that takes what is good
and gives what is best.
And on this blessed
thought rest, as your anxious heart with questions wait.
God’s hand only gives what his loving heart dictates.

Your Cross

Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine after the rain.
Perhaps you may
stumble, perhaps even fall,
but God’s always ready to answer your call.
He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
a word from his lips can calm every fear.
Your sorrows may
linger throughout the night,
but suddenly vanish at dawn’s early light.
The Savior is waiting somewhere above,
to give you his grace and send you his love.
Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
God always sends rainbows after the rain.

One Nation Under God?

What do we mean when we say, "One Nation Under God"? Think about the words, "Under God"?

Romans 13:1, "Let every soul be subject to the
governing authorities. For there is no authority except from
God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
Maybe this can give us a little guidance as we realize that God is above all.

Below I have posted a poem that Judge Roy Moore from Alabama wrote.
He was sued, and taken out of office for displaying the ten commandments
in his courtroom.

America The Beautiful:

America the beautiful, or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride; I'm glad they'll never see.

Babies piled in Dumpsters, abortion on demand.
Oh, sweet land of liberty, your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly poisoned by cocaine,

choosing to indulge their lust, when God has said abstain.

From sea to shining sea, our Nation turns away
from the teaching of God's love and a need to always pray.

So many worldly preachers tell lies about our Rock,
saying God is going broke so they can fleece the flock.

We've kept God in our temples, how callous we have grown
when earth is but His footstool, and heaven is His thrown.

We've voted in a government that's rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless judges who throw reason out the door.

Too soft to place a killer in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby before he leaves the womb.

You think that God's not angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait before His judgment comes?

How are we to face our God, from whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do, but stem this evil tide?

If we who are His children, will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face and mend our evil way:

Then God will hear from Heaven and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land and those who live within.

But, America the Beautiful, if you don't then you will see,
a sad but Holy God withdraw His hand from thee.

~Judge Roy Moore