by Alisha | May 22, 2013 | Uncategorized
(Photo credit: Romantic Homes, June 2013 Edition)
“I love him…he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same… If all else perished and he remained, I should still continue to be…He’s always, always in my mind…”
— Cathy, in Wuthering Heights
While waiting on my son, Alec, to get out of the orthodontist today, I browsed through the magazine section at a nearby store. I should never have picked up the English Home issue because it *really* made me want to be in England again.
Then, I opened up the latest Romantic Homes issue and inside was the picture above with the Emily Brontë quote. This not only added to my longing for England, but also made me miss my husband (who is currently out of the country) something fierce!
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
This quote describes the two of us perfectly! We are so much alike — maybe it’s because we married young (I was 19 and he was 20) and sort of grew up together. We share the same desires, dreams and vision for our life, we have many of the same tastes, and yes, the same annoying sense of humor! (To all our friends and family, we apologize!)
Happiness truly is being married to your soul mate and best friend!
Okay, enough of the mushy stuff…
Since I’m in an England/Brontë sort of mood, I thought I’d post — for your viewing pleasure — some [very grainy] pictures from when we were in Haworth several years ago. It is the village where the Brontës grew up:
Brontë Parsonage, where Charlotte, Emily and Anne lived…
Haworth Parish (left) where the Brontë sisters’ father was minister; a plaque (upper right) in memory of Emily and Charlotte; me, with very bad hair, (bottom right) in the parish cemetary. Loved the beautiful tombstones!
These are the “headstones” used in the 1992 movie version of Wuthering Heights. (By the way, this version, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, is THE BEST EVER!!! Excellent actors, beautiful cinematography and an incredible film score!)
Statue of Charlotte, Emily and Anne outside of the Brontë Parsonage Museum…
Lovely walk to the moors, where the sisters (and their brother) spent so much time…
And we go from this beautiful walk (above) to the wild and barren Yorkshire Moors…
Yes, it totally was a bad hair day…but at least the landscape was AMAZING!!!
And below is the Bed & Breakfast that we stayed in. It was actually the home of the Brontës’ personal physician. Cool, huh? The bottom two pictures are of our room. In the bottom lefthand corner, you can see part of the huge picture window we had that overlooked the village below.
The first night we were there, I was so tired from the long drive from Bath. As I lay down to sleep, I jokingly told Jason that if “Cathy” came rapping on the window sobbing in “a most melancholy voice, ‘Let me in — let me in!'” to please ignore her.
I must admit, that I actually FREAKED my own self out after I said that! I could hardly sleep that night! (What does that say about me?!?!)
Our time in England was incredible! And Haworth was just a small part of it. I can’t wait to go back again, but right now I’d settle for going to the airport to pick up my love! Thankfully, he’ll be home in a few days! 🙂
Subscribe to Flourish so you don’t miss another post!
by Alisha | May 13, 2013 | Uncategorized
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJ) Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
Have you ever had one of those days where you mess up, slip up or flat out sin? You feel like a complete and utter failure. You may even wonder if you reached the limit of the mercy of God.
One evening as I was getting ready for bed, I found myself going over the day’s events in my mind. And I realized how I had behaved – how I had missed it. I don’t remember the exact details, maybe I hadn’t walked in love to someone or perhaps I didn’t fully obey the Lord in something. Whatever it was, I was inwardly chiding myself for it.
I remember thinking, “Thank God, His mercies are new every morning…I wish it were already morning!” And as I was having this conversation in my head, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “It’s always morning somewhere in the world, so just receive My mercy now.”
That was so basic, but it came as such revelation to me! I had never thought about that simple truth.
It’s kind of like the plague of frogs in Exodus chapter 8. In verses 9-10, Moses told Pharoah to set the time for when he wanted Moses to pray that their houses would be rid of the frogs and Pharoah said, “Tomorrow.” Huh? Have you ever wondered why he didn’t say, “Right now! Please, I beg you!” ???
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have wanted to spend another night with frogs all over the place!
So why should I have thought that I had to spend another night before receiving the Lord’s mercy and compassion for my failures?
I’m so thankful that I didn’t! Aren’t you glad that He is always faithful and that His love is unfailing? I know I am! He is kind and gracious and compassionate and forgiving. Not only are His mercies new every morning, those same mercies endure forever (Psalm 107:1)!
In fact, the Bible tells us that the Lord delights in showing mercy and unfailing love (Micah 7:18). Click here to find out how mercy is God’s “specialty.” When we hope in His mercy and love it thrills Him (Psalm 147:11)!
So, if you’ve messed up and are in desperate need of a do-over, then just receive the beautiful mercy and compassion of our wonderful Lord! We never have to wait for the morning for it to be renewed, because it’s always morning somewhere in the world!
Subscribe to Flourish so you don’t miss another post!
by Alisha | May 6, 2013 | Uncategorized
Proverbs 13:12, 19 (NLT) Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy…It is pleasant to see dreams come true.
What is the greatest dream in your heart? If finances and time were no object – if you were financially free and had all the time you wanted – what would you be doing with your life? How would you spend your time?
Think about that.
What are you truly passionate about? What is that burning desire that has been with you most of your life? What consumes your thoughts and vision for the future?
Many dreams and desires come and go, but the ones that stay with you for years, the ones that just won’t go away, are usually God-given. And those dreams can help you determine your calling and purpose. (Click here for further reading on Discovering Your God-Given Purpose.)
But too often, the passage of time and the reality of an unfulfilled life steal those dreams. Too many people have given up on the dream and vision for their future that they once nurtured and cherished. Due to discouragement and disappointment, they have allowed their dream to die.
Don’t allow your dream to die while you are still living! It’s never too late. God can restore to you what you have lost over the years (Joel 2:25) if you will ask Him and trust Him to do so. If circumstances beyond your control have destroyed the dream you once had, ask the Lord for a new and better dream!
John 10:10 tells us that it’s the enemy (Satan) who comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus came to give us abundant life. The Message Bible says, I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
In fact, the Lord has promised not only to give you the desires and dreams of your heart, but to exceed them – to go far over and above them:
Ephesians 3:20 (AMP) Now to Him Who…is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams.
But you have to push through the discouragement and disappointment. Never allow yourself to wallow around in self-pity. Don’t be so quick to give up on the thing the Lord has placed in your heart to do.
Take the dream in your heart and lift it up before the Lord, then submit it to His will and plan for your life. If it is truly part of His purpose for you, you will know. Keep the fires of it burning by praying about it on a regular basis. Practice faith and patience until you see it fulfilled.
When your dream is fulfilled, as Proverbs 13:12 says, there will be “life and joy.” And you will be so glad you didn’t allow it to die!
Subscribe to Flourish so you don’t miss another post!
by Alisha | Apr 29, 2013 | Uncategorized
How do you smell? I’m sure you’ve probably had a shower this morning – or if you’re a mother of small children, hopefully you’ll get one sometime this week! 😉 But that’s not really what I’m talking about.
What sort of spiritual fragrance are you giving off?
Have you ever hugged someone wearing really “loud-smelling” perfume, then afterwards walked away reeking of it? Perhaps you regretted that embrace for the rest of the day!
Or a much nicer scenario: Maybe you’ve put on your husband’s jacket to warm up and the moment you wrapped yourself in it, you smelled his cologne, so strong and masculine, like him! The jacket smells like him because he’s worn it close to his body on a regular basis.
The same thing can happen to us as we spend time in the presence of the Lord. By being close to Him on a continual basis, we can become “fragranced with His presence.”
Let’s look at a verse from the Song of Solomon. Remember that this is a story of marital love, but it is also an allegory of God’s love for Israel and Christ’s love for the Church (His Bride). So, when we read of the man (or bridegroom), we can apply those words to Jesus:
Song 1:3 (GNT) There is a fragrance about You, the sound of Your name recalls it. No woman could keep from loving You.
Jesus has a fragrance about Him. And Ephesians 5:2 (AMP) speaks of His fragrance: Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and it is a sweet fragrance to God the Father. The New Living Translation says it is “like sweet perfume to Him.”
2 Cor. 2:15-16 (NLT) says, Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God… a life-giving perfume.
As we spend time in the Word, fellowshipping with the Lord in prayer, being obedient to His will, and walking in love to the people around us, we become more and more like Him. We pick up that sweet fragrance of Christ which is a life-giving perfume to others.
When we live our lives in union and communion with Him, we become fragranced with His presence. People around us may not realize that fragrance with their physical sense of smell, but they will sense His sweet presence and peace emanating from us.
We will radiate a confidence, an assurance, a peacefulness, a joy – even in the midst of trials and tribulation. Why? Because we’ve been in His presence. We know He will care for us and provide for us no matter what. We don’t have to worry or be afraid. We know from being in His presence that He loves us and will always be faithful to us.
Determine to spend time in His presence so that you will be a sweet perfume to the Lord and to those around you. Become fragranced with His presence!
Subscribe to Flourish so you don’t miss another post!
by Alisha | Apr 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
Spring has finally arrived, and I am one happy girl! I love spring with all its warm sunshine and cool rain showers, the beautiful green leaves growing profusely, blooming flowers in pinks, lavenders, blues, and yellows, and colorful birds at my feeders. (Oh yeah, and Atlanta Braves Baseball!)
Spring is a time of intense growth – a “rebirth” of things that have been dormant for months and months.
Proverbs 11:28 (NLT) says, “The godly flourish like leaves in spring.” If you look around outside in the spring and summer, you can see just what it means to flourish in the natural.
But what does it look like when the godly flourish? In order to find out, let’s examine the various meanings of the word flourish:
Definition #1: To grow luxuriantly; to be in a vigorous state; THRIVE
Luxuriant, vigorous growth is what we see during the spring – a profusion of everything in nature. And just like Proverbs 11:28 says, we, as Christians, should be experiencing that in our lives!
Our relationship with Lord, our love walk toward others, our health, our bank accounts, our businesses – every area of our lives should be continually growing, thriving, and flourishing.
Definition #2: To achieve success; PROSPER
We already know that it is God’s will for us to prosper and be successful, and Joshua 1:8 (AMP) tells us how: “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”
Genuine success involves doing what the Lord has called you to do, not just occasionally, but continually. It has to do with persistence rather than perfection. If you are persisting in following the Lord’s plan for your life, then you will succeed, prosper, and flourish!
Definition #3: To be in a state of activity or production; to be in one’s prime
Psalm 92:12,14 (AMP) says, “The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]…Growing in grace they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and rich in the verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].”
As believers, we are always in the prime of our life, and we should always be producing fruit for the Kingdom of God no matter what our age.
Definition #4: To reach the height of development, influence or excellence
Genesis 26:13 (NET) speaking of Isaac says, “The man became wealthy. His influence continued to grow until he became very prominent.” Just like Isaac, we have the Blessing of Abraham.
We should be constantly improving ourselves, growing and developing spiritually, intellectually, physically, and exemplifying excellence in everything we do.
Definition #5: To be very healthy
Proverbs 4:22 (AMP) says that God’s Word is “life to those who find [it], healing and health to all their flesh.” If we’re taking care of our “temple” and walking in divine health, that means we’re flourishing physically.
Now that we understand the word flourish better, you might be wondering, “So, how does one flourish?” The only way to truly flourish in life is to remain vitally united with the Lord, to stay firmly planted in His house (His presence) through the Word and prayer.
Psalm 92:13 (NKJ) “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.”
Jesus put it another way in John 15:7-8 (AMP). He said, “If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.”
From this passage we see that:
1. The only way to truly flourish (thrive, be successful) is to abide in Him.
2. When we bear fruit (or flourish) in every area of our lives, we honor Him.
3. Flourishing in life is a sign that we are truly following and obeying the Master.
God desires that we flourish in every area of our lives: spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, relationally, etc. He wants every area of our lives to be growing profusely like leaves in spring.
We were created to flourish, because we were created for His presence. Are you abiding in His Word and in His presence? Are you honoring and glorifying Him? Are you proving yourself to be a true follower of Him? If you are flourishing spirit, soul, and body, then you are!
Subscribe to Flourish so you don’t miss another post!
