Grow!!!

For the last two weeks it’s been raining/blowing cotton all over the patio, plants and ground!

Probably a 70′ cottonwood tree is still covered with hanging cottony puffs from the ends of every branch. It will be a while before it quits dropping cotton. Each individual puff of cotton has only one tiny seed attached…kind of reminds me of a badminton birdie design.

Why do we need 4 million seeds flying around from one tree? Stuff is meant to grow and provide more than enough. This one tree provides not only seeds for new trees, but also seeds for birds to eat, plus the cotton provides soft lining for the baby birds’ nests. Left over cotton turns back into dirt to replenish the land. I have a love/hate relationship with the tree because of the cotton flying everywhere, but the upside is the terrific shade it provides and the rustley sound as the wind blows through it.

I think all of nature tells us we are to grow, increase, do better, strive for more, become stronger, in turn becoming more helpful…just look back at all the great things mankind has done to better the lives of themselves, creating more beauty, making life easier from what we’ve been given by the earth.

Let’s not digress and diminish what we do. There should be no guilt or shame for making/creating/having abundance. God intended it to be this way. He says, “Grow”! and remember Me while you do.

Life-2

Live today! Live your life today. Take a good honest look at your surroundings, and find the life in them.

It might be one sprig of grass turning green, one small bud on a tree branch, a brand new shiny baby calf, or the ruby red horizon starting a brand new day.

Everywhere you look there is life going on…even your eyes looking at this text are evidence of life. We have been made for life to live, to enjoy life and express life to others.

Yesterday, the thought came to me, do we point others towards the beautiful, towards life? I want to be a pointer out of beauty, not pointing out the ugly, the distasteful, the unhappy things in life.

There is enough in the negative realm spoken; we need to counteract it with the truth of all the good that is really happening.

If my only commonality with you is talking/agreeing with how bad things are, that is part of a negative/destructive mindset not uplifting and building you up.

Today, let’s look and find good and beautiful life-filled things to notice, to talk about, to build ourselves up with and then point them out to others so they will be built up also.

The sun will be coming up in about an hour…we have time to get ready!

Let’s go!

Beauty Makes You Feel Good!

Have you ever noticed when you look at something you really like it makes you feel good?

I think God made us that way because it infuses us with power and strength just by looking at something beautiful. It actually energizes you!

Have we shut ourselves down under a form of denial…self denial or stoicism where we prevent ourselves or will not allow ourselves to look at and enjoy what God has made for us, and placed around us?

I think it honors God when we notice and appreciate and are grateful for the beautiful things in life he has given to us and placed around us to enjoy.

It’s not a form of pride, but like we as parents are happy when our children enjoy what we’ve given and have picked out for them, that’s the same way God is with us.

Don’t be afraid to notice and enjoy the beauty around you. Because really you are noticing and enjoying God, and that makes him happy!