A Painting and a Book
The aforementioned snow was just a blanket covering our crocuses. With the snow now melted and the crocuses still pulling for dear life the idea of having my children turn them into a Spring portrait came to fruition this afternoon. All I did was provide the paints, brushes, canvas and crocuses for their models. Look what they came up with! The Creator created them and they created this.
As mentioned in a post of 2009 I now have a stash of my Granny's books she graciously gave to me. It will take me a while to read through this treasure trove, but having some down time last week I picked up The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond. The back cover mentioned the scripture of 1 Corinthians 13, the passage on love, which I do love, so I thought it would be worth perusing. This is a little book being just over 100 pages, manageable for my busy schedule.
Well, the first chapter is about 1 Corinthians 13, but instead I was intrigued by the chapters on The Programme of Christianity and Pax Vobiscum (Peace With You). I won't give an entire treatise on this little book, and I shouldn't since I haven't read the entire work yet, but I will give you a few quotes that have been meaningful to me.
"The tendency of the religions of all time has been to care more for religion than for humanity; Christ cared more for humanity than for religion - rather His care for humanity was the chief expression of His religion."
(from The Programme of Christianity chapter)
And then Pax Boviscum... Last year was a busy year for our family. My husband and I have learned from that busyness and although Providence might have another year as busy as 2009, we have dubbed 2010 a year of Rest (and it seems to be lending itself in that direction so far...). This chapter, Pax Boviscum, is a teaching on the Scripture, Matthew 11:28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
I'll just put 2 quotes from the chapter. On defining Rest: "It is only when we see what it was in Him [Christ's life] that we can know what the word Rest means. It lies not in emotions, nor in the absence of emotions. It is not a hallowed feeling that comes over us in church. It is not something that the preacher has in his voice. It is not in nature, nor in poetry, nor in music - though in all these there is soothing... [It is] the repose of a heart set deep in God." On defining Yoke: Did you ever stop to ask what a yoke is really for? Is it to be a burden to the animal which wears it? It is just the opposite. It is to make its burden light. Attached to the oxen in any other way than by a yoke, the plough would be intolerable. Worked by means of a yoke, it is light. A yoke is not an instrument of torture; it is an instrument of mercy."
How simple. Come to Jesus. He gives Rest. The Yoke is to Learn of Him (which learning gives Rest to my Soul)...and that Yoke/Learning is easy and Light.
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