Words Exploring

Self-Reliance

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 20:48:00 +0000

A new season of reclamation has begun.

Excerpt from Self-Reliance - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever inly rejoices me, and the heart appoints.

If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions.

If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly, but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men's, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh today? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last.

What you love to think about, dream about, speak about, learn about and create about is your genius. Don't water down your natural style or contort yourself into some idealized version of who you think you should be. The impulses that come from deep within are your guide track to greatness. We want you as is. ~Marie Forleo

Pruning for Your Better

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 18:30:00 +0000

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a person remains in Me and I in them, they will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." ~John 5:1-5

REST

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 20:01:00 +0000

Rest...rest...stop...rest...peace...rest...refreshing...rest...

Recently I have been impressed upon to rest. Rest. Ironically, I wasn't really sure how to do that or what exactly it meant in this particular season. So, I looked up the word "rest"...

The word "rest" can have many meanings, but I have been led here:

In English, Rest:
A bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities,
freedom from activity or labor,
a state of motionlessness or inactivity,
peace of mind or spirit

In Greek, Anapausis:
An intermission,
cessation of any motion,
business or labour;
rest, relaxation

The Greek form of rest - anapausis - is used in the following scripture:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.~Matthew 11:29

In our humanity, God designed us to require rest.

Rest is a form of "inactivity" that affects all other aspects of our existence. If we work too long or hard at anything, we become fatigued, worn out physically and/or mentally. And If our mental state is worn, our ability to connect with God can become challenging. We most often see the need for rest when we are overworked at our jobs. We take a vacation, and afterward, even though our body is seemingly rested and refreshed, our mind and spirit are not. We return to physically being able to continue as we did at work, but mentally we may be suffering turmoil, stress, depression, and spiritually...well...some overlook the spiritual all together at this point as they try to deal with all that they have going on in the physical/mental.

Our intrinsic need to rest physically becomes a priority, a matter of survival.

Mental recuperation generally follows the physical; for example, when fatigue or pain is gone we can think more clearly, respond more appropriately, cope more effectively, but spiritual recuperation does not necessarily happen as easily as the physical or the mental. I would suggest that the spiritual aspect of rest is like an interconnected, dynamic umbrella to the physical and mental, protecting our body and mind from full on burn out or even death. The most important of rests. If your spirit is "right" (rested, at peace, refreshed), your mental and physical well-being tend to be on the right track also. To get "right" with your spirit means you need to do some soul searching and recognize where you are at with your relationship with God.

It is in the spiritual battles of life, (that oftentimes we are not even aware of) that manifest themselves as forms of physical and mental issues such as fatigue, brokenness, turmoil, etc., that God calls us to rest.
Jesus calls to us, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Rest is essential to the well-being of our souls, the spiritual aspect of our being.

Spiritual rest is something that is connected to the mental and physical.

When we engage in rest, we have an inner change...a refreshing.

Rest.

Have you heard the saying, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience" ?

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”~Jeremiah 1:5

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.~Psalm 139:13-16

God knew us before we were born, He knew us as individuals, He had a plan for our best life even before we were formed in the physical.
And in the physical, He knew we would need to rest, and more than that, He knew we would need to rest in the spiritual. He breathed life into us, the soul, to give life to the flesh. The spiritual and the physical are intertwined. It is the spiritual rest in Him that recharges us, that gives us strength, and Life so that our physical and mental well-being can prosper.

He knows us.

Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes though waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'~Luke 11:24

Luke 11:24 is not referring to human beings, but rather, what I will call fallen heavenly beings, and I include it to emphasize that rest is really a spiritual act that is not only essential but it is so significant it is sought after even by the fallen.
Rest...It is a blessing, a gift for us from a loving God.

Blessing.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.~1 John 4:8

God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.~1 John 4:16b

Love.

When chaos, confusion, despair, weariness, depression, etc., rears its ugliness into our world, this God of Love, who cares about us, who knows us even before we were born, invites us into His presence, into His peace, into His rest. We unload our hurts, our baggage, whatever it is we are carrying that is burdening our existence and hand it over to God. Let Him deal with it and then let Him deal with you. It is not a passive act where you dump your load and wait for refreshing; rather, He invites us to take His yoke and learn from Him. This is where the rubber hits the pavement so to speak, and this is also where and why many choose to continue to carry their loads and walk away from Jesus' offer. (It is a standing offer however...never forget that.)

Now, at this point, I need to rest. I would like to explore more what it means to take up His yoke, but in the meantime consider...

...Rest

A New Thing

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 21:54:00 +0000

...

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 17:42:00 +0000

Today

I want you to think about

all that you are

instead of all that you are not.

Word Waterfalls

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 20:52:00 +0000

I like to do this exercise where I write or say words that flow uninhibited in the moment. It is kind of like brainstorming except that there is no real goal, just words. Of course if you pay attention, you may find a theme.

Sometimes my heart speaks of the moment in ways I didn't expect.

I find this exercise relaxing. It can make me look at the world more deliberately, or hear sounds around me more intently, among other things. For example, last night I did this exercise during my walk and I realized that despite being in the outskirts of a small town, there was a plethora of noise in what I originally thought was a quiet night!
Mechanical noise...
So. Much. Noise.

I have documented some of these exercises in my blog. Poetic words, feelings, insight, peace, direction, revelation, flow, release...

It is a good exercise, and (generally speaking) you don't even break a sweat!

These days, I need release. There is so much tension, darkness, absurdities, lack of common sense, lack of courtesy...just so many things that I seem to be observing that draw all good energy and give only bad vibes. Letting my light shine is becoming more difficult.

Laughter, fun, calm, joy, song, bright light, love, peace, joy...obscured.

As I look to scripture, I find myself craving the presence of Jesus, not just words. Letting the Holy Spirit fill the gap between the Word written and the Word alive is essential, but some days I do not feel it. Like when you read "the joy of the Lord is your strength" and try as you might to bring forth that joy, it just does not manifest...
Perseverance, don't give up doing good, wait upon the Lord, no weapon formed against you shall prevail, run the race, rest in the Lord, when I am weak you are strong, sing to the Lord, exult His Holy name, the joy of the Lord is your strength...perseverance.

Word waterfalls.

Let the words flow, let the words flow..................

let

the

Spirit

the

Lord

wash

over

you,

and

let

Jesus

speak

your

heart

and

mind.

Let His Word flow...

Come, Lord Jesus, come...You are welcome here.

Stolen Moments

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 16:15:00 +0000

David encroached on a relationship, stealing moments and memories that would never be.

His far reaching effects, harmful and hurtful, only God knows the full extent.

My heart breaks for the stolen love and life lost. I know the pain.

Lost and driven away.

God, you know my heart, my sadness, my pain...Please bring Your healing rain.

After indignation and reprisal, David repented.

Regardless, it was too late. Memories and moments stolen away.

The future was changed, or the future became what was intended, only God knows.

New mercies falling.

God, you know my heart, my mind, my hope...

New mercies falling.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.~Lamentations 3:22-23

2 Samuel 11,12

The Lord is Not Slow in Keeping His Promise

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 15:50:00 +0000

1 Peter 3:8-18
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Quiet Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:29:00 +0000

disillusionment

disappointment

authentic

breathe

future

walk

scholar

evangelism

lies

self assurance

impatience

calm

redirection

Though the world around me ebbs and flows, sometimes violently,

Though the clouds hide the sun and rain falls,

The world goes on.

Jesus - a constant.

Divine and mundane

Revelation awaiting

Personal and corporate

...waiting...

A beautiful swirl of life, living, and death

A masterpiece yet to be completed, but finished.

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

~Psalm 111:2

Praise the Lord, My Soul

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 15:30:00 +0000

Psalm 103

1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Life And Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 17:12:00 +0000

Life.

I see it everyday in the mechanical sense.

People living life.

The good, the bad, and ...neither...people just living.

Today someone almost took me out as I turned into an intersection. The person didn't even slow down. He sped along with his arm casually out the window. He saw me. He didn't brake before, during, or even after the near miss. I can only assume he didn't care. Perhaps he figured there was lots of time, who knows? All I know is that within that second or two of avoiding a collision, I became even more grateful for God's protection and for my life.

Life.

Zoe

1. life

a. the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate

b. every living soul

2. life

a. of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through him both to the hypostatic "logos" and to Christ in whom the "logos" put on human nature

b. life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever.

In the Greek language, three different words—bios,psuche, and zoe—are translated as “life” in English, and each has a different meaning. Here are some examples of where each is used:

1. Bios, in Luke 8:14: “…anxieties and riches and pleasure of this life.” This Greek word refers to the life of the physical body and is where we get the word biology.

2. Psuche, in Matt. 16:25: “For whoever wants to save his soul-life shall lose it.” The Greek word here refers to the psychological life of the human soul, that is, the mind, emotion, and will. It is where we get the word psychology.

3. Zoe, in John 1:4: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Here the Greek word refers to the uncreated, eternal life of God, the divine life uniquely possessed by God.

Life is a beautiful thing. We desire it, we search it out, but oftentimes, we avoid it.

Life can be inconvenient, painful, frightening, and so sometimes we just exist.

In that moment of near-miss, I experienced gratitude for life. All of the things about my life in that moment that irked me became forgotten. I was just grateful.

Too often I complain about my life...I seem to hold myself to an ideal that is out of reach - whether this is good or bad...I want more life. My practical side often holds me back from doing more, and perhaps that is a good thing, but like an insatiable appetite, I want to live life more fully.

When I am reminded that God has a plan for all of us, I tend to wonder what that entails. Am I missing out on something because of my practical side? Am I avoiding life because it is too intimidating to take that step outside my comfort zone? Or is this it...my lot in life? Why am I still desiring more?!

As I grapple with my idea of what life should look like, I trust that God will continue to steer me to where that ideal life will manifest itself - moment by moment.

In the meantime, I am still mildly surprised at my response of gratitude in that near-miss moment. And despite my grumblings, I firmly hold to the belief that life is good, God is good, and I look forward to life after death with my Saviour and King...and my friend, Jesus.

For when we choose to believe Jesus is who He says He is and become Christians, our perspective on life and death changes...or it should change.

We have new life and new hope during our life as Christians, and we have hope because we believe there is life after death.

Life with God eternal.

Thank you Jesus!

word waterfall

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 14:28:00 +0000

healing

direction

love

pace

Spirit

vanilla

tropics

sky

blue

freedom

peace

alignment

minister

fulfillment

Everything Is Beautiful In Its Time

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 20:10:00 +0000

Read this carefully:

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. ~Ecclesiastes 3 (bold mine)

This is a very thoughtful and encouraging passage. And as I read these words, the line "He has made everything beautiful in its time" jumped out to me.

God has made everything beautiful in its time.

There is a time for everything, and in that time, God has a plan, a purpose, a moment where there is great significance. Sometimes we can't see it, or we ignore it, but there is no moment (and all that moment contains) that is overlooked by God.(It reminds me of the Butterfly Effect.)

God is in control.

When you are under dark skies, oppressed, or discouraged, recall this verse. There is a reason for what you are experiencing. Keep hopeful and vigilant to what God is doing in and around you, and look for the Spirit of God in times of trial. This may require deep soul-searching, particularly when times are bleak, but don't despair, "this too shall pass..."

There is a time for everything.

Live in the now,

Look for the beauty,

Do good,

Rejoice in the Lord - for He is good, and His love endures forever!

kintsugi

Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Sun, 29 May 2016 16:43:00 +0000

Live Well, Live Wise

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom?

Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly.

It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.

Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom.

Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom.

Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.

It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving.

Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others.

It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.

You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

~James 3:13-18 MSG

We've Got This

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 19:48:00 +0000

We've got this.
I've got You,
You've got me.
We've got this.

Frustration with being in the frame of mind that I am in hinders me from enjoying the now.
Fear, doubt, confusion.
Maybe God really doesn't have my best interest at heart; after all, His way and His thoughts are higher than mine...so, it would not be so absurd to think that what I want, or what I think I want is not the same as what He wants for my life?

Of course it is not the same. But, God is Love. (1Jn4:8) And if God is Love then I can postulate that being the source of love, God has my best interest at heart, and God having my best interests at heart means that I can rest in the knowledge that God will provide all my heart's desires...because He loves me.

And that's that!

Well...no, not actually.

I don't even know my heart's desires. And what if I think I desire something when really I would not want it at all?!

And what if I deny something that which I would actually want, because of not being able to see what it is at the moment?

Hardship. Hardship and anguish, that's what.

But then, what if through that hardship and anguish I become more aware of what I really want? And what if that experience makes me a better person and deepens my relationship with God, and then I am able to testify even more to His love for me?

Sigh...Ya see where this is goin'?

Sometimes, I get royally ticked at God. Thankfully, He is not only Love, but the God of mercy and infinite patience as well! That being said, He seems to want me to grow into this ideal He has for me by allowing me to make my own choices and then drawing the best and the worst out of me along the way. Sometimes, I can see what He is doing; other times, like recently, I have no clue what He is up to and I really have to struggle to keep my faith strong in the knowledge of His love for me. It can be very difficult...and quite frankly, I don't like it - not one bit! (Insert arms straight at sides with fists, scowl on, and stamping of one foot!)

It is all about relationship.
Me knowing Him.

He knows me.

He's got me.
I've got Him.
We've got this.

I can't do it without Him.

‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LordAlmighty.

Encouraged in Heart and United in Love

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 03:35:00 +0000

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ~Col.2:2

Who have you encouraged and shown love to today?

words exploring

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 17:26:00 +0000

the sun
the moon
love
hate
yours
mine
peace
struggle
running
remaining
look
see
know
watch
wait
...wait

'O God, you are my God, and I will ever love you.'

your light, your love, your mercy, your truth,...you

Darkness will not prevail, your light is to bright, too strong, too pure...darkness never had a chance.

whirlwind
confusion
light
truth
walk
walk with
...pause

True Confression

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 17:01:00 +0000

When I can't sleep at night, I think of you.
When I lose all perspective, I run to you.
When I want to be accepted, I turn to you.
When I am in awe and grateful, I sing to you.
There are many distractions, many road blocks to my Heart, but You...You wait, You urge me on, You guide me, You call me forth. You Are. You surround me with songs of deliverance.
When I have no one to talk with, You are there. You hear me, You speak with me.
I have an ache of pity for those who do not know you. If they only knew...
If they only knew.

Jesus: Saviour, Lord, King...My hope is in You. My faith is in You. My life is in You.

Jesus: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.~Acts 4:12

Please consider getting to know The One True God, if you don't know Him already...His name is Jesus, His story is all around you, but you can read about Him in The Bible.

check it out here or here or here

Rejoice...

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 15:40:00 +0000

Failure

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:43:00 +0000

It is always frustrating when you want to be a better person, but you fail.
I tend to be very hard on myself when I don't live up to my own standards. I withdraw, pull away, and internalize my failures. If left there too long, I will spiral downwards into a state of self pity - which is never good.

Climbing out of that pit of darkness is difficult. Admitting that I am in a pit is sometimes very difficult.

I would like to think that I am strong. 'I can overcome all that is thrown at me!'
{feet solidly planted, hands on hips, shoulders thrown back, chin up, standing on top of a mountain, wind blowing back my long hair, despite raging storm all around}

...Yeah. ...Not so true...nice image though.

I think of Christ. I think of scripture: ...when I am weak, then I am strong...my Grace is sufficient...

I really don't feel like praying when I am stewing in my pit of darkness. Of course, the enemy of my soul, I am sure, is loving every moment of my agony in this state.

I think of the enemy of my soul.

I picture creatures of darkness attacking, mocking, terrorizing me from all sides.

But the picture becomes broader, I also see soldiers, angels of God battling some of these dark creatures.

All of a sudden, I am in a movie. A battle, intense and fierce. I am lying, seemingly defeated, on the ground with this war going on all around me...And I am the one they are battling for...one side seeking to destroy me, the other side defending me!

Then, the realization hits me...By lying in the mud of this movie, I am actually helping the enemy!

I need to get up! Where's my sword?! Get up! Get in the battle!

I rise up.
Declare my battle cry.

JESUS!
.
.
.
There is power in the name of Jesus. Power that I really don't understand. What I do understand is that there is power. I also understand that when I chose to believe Jesus is who He said He is, and asked forgiveness for my sins, when I asked Jesus to come into my heart and fill me with His Holy Spirit, I received this power.

I think of scripture again...
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Take every thought captive.

I am not perfect. I fail - often. I constantly need to remind myself that though I fail, God still loves me and does not write me off...and I shouldn't write myself off. Some days it is harder than others to remember who I am in Christ, but those days, my God, finds a way to draw me out, to remind me of who I am. He reminds me of how much He loves me and how His plans for me are plans to prosper me, not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future...

...Perhaps I should review my standards for myself.

Know The Lord

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 16:30:00 +0000

by LJ. on Flickr

I will place my laws in their minds,
        and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
11     And each person won’t ever teach a neighbor
    or their brother or sister, saying, “Know the Lord,”
        because they will all know me,
            from the least important of them to the most important;

~Hebrews 8:10b-11

biblegateway.com

Another Check Off The Bucket List

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 19:59:00 +0000

For several years now I have been wanting to try falconry. I love birds. I have cared for canaries, chickens, among other birds in the past, but the larger raptors I have always found particularly majestic and enticing. A number of years ago, I found a place that offered falconry lessons but, in my attempt to contact them I found out that they were no longer in operation. I didn't give up looking though. There were other places that were just too far for me to travel to at the time but then I found a falconry opportunity at Mont Tremblant.

Mont Tremblant is about 2 hours north of Montreal and is normally known for downhill skiing, but it has reinvented itself into a four season playground - which includes falconry.

This activity takes up to six people. Marjorie was our fabulous guide and taught us about the history of falconry, modern uses for falconry, and details about the bird we were working with this day - a Harris Hawk named Onyx.

After a 15-20 minute information session we went right to work. Onyx was brought out of his box and his GPS tag applied in case he got lost. Marjorie left his bell on to discourage competitive prey while we were working with Onyx. We each took turns putting on the gauntlet and feeding Onyx. Onyx will eat 2 whole chicks and bits and pieces from our excursion to equal about 3 chicks this day.

We each don the gauntlet keeping our arm at our side while Onyx flies off into the trees. Marjorie keeps a close eye on him as she puts little pieces of chicken in the crease of the the glove before we raise our arm to beckon Onyx to land. Marjorie repositions the group so that Onyx - who is very clever - would have to navigate more skillfully through the foliage to land, basically making him work for his food. The speed and agility of this bird was amazing! Watching his wings avoid touching even a leaf as he navigated through the trees was mesmerizing. I informed Marjorie that she had the best summer job ever - to which, she agreed.

There were others where we were; hikers would pass by and some would watch a bit before moving on. Onyx didn't seem to mind; however, there were times when Onyx would all of a sudden make a warning call when there seemed to be no one on the trail...As it turned out, there were people there that we didn't yet see and also dogs. Coyotes, being a natural predator to this bird, caused Onyx to instinctively respond to the dogs as a threat - a danger that caught us humans completely unaware!
So, not only did we get to see and experience the talents of this bird, we also got to see the reaction to danger that this bird might encounter in the wild!

At the the end of it all, I was beyond thrilled by the experience...With a deeper appreciation for the raptor and for falconry, and the chance to share it with my family as well...I left fulfilled and grateful.

Another check off my Bucket List.

What is on YOUR Bucket List?

partner

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Sun, 31 May 2015 00:55:00 +0000

Partner

partner (n.)

c. 1300, altered from parcener (late 13c.), from Old French parçonier "partner, associate; joint owner, joint heir," from parçon "partition, division. portion, share, lot," from Latin partitionem (nominative partitio) "a sharing, partition, division, distribution" (see partition (n.)). Form in English influenced by part (n.). The word also may represent Old French part tenour "part holder."

equal

nature

strength

weakness

lost

found

wise

different

humble

unconventional

sincere

love

...

Our Journey Doesn't End Here...

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 16:39:00 +0000

Yesterday, we had a moment of silence for two colleagues that died at work this past week.
Now, I see death almost daily and yet, I am still quite emotionally impacted by the passing of others, even if I do not know them well. Even if I have assurance that a person knows the Lord Jesus, my heart still swells in mourning. This is a good thing, I suppose. It speaks to our humanity and our desire to live and see life thrive. But, we can't avoid death...and yet we try...boy, do some of us try!

As Christians, we are not to fear death. We have hope beyond the grave.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ~John 11:25

For me, life does not end with that last breath, or that last heart beat. As someone once said, "You do not have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body." Our journey doesn't end here...

How Do You See Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (MistiPearl) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 12:50:00 +0000

The King -

You, His Child,

A regal existence,

A foreign reality,

Learn The Way,

Embrace the Life,

Royalty

Love, Peace, Patience, Joy, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness, Self-Control, Faithfulness

See yourself as the King sees you.