Grains of Sand

I have a brush that I use every day. It is the kind with the plastic tips on the end, that eventually start breaking off with age. So every morning when I brush my hair, it is painful! The bristles that no longer have the plastic tip scrape and poke at my poor scalp. I was just about to complain about this when the thought occurred to me... crown of thorns. Jesus wore a crown of thorns on his head. One that poked and scraped his scalp. He did that for me. He suffered to save me from my sins. I will always be reminded of his sacrifice when I brush my hair.

The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; The vine still clings to the moldering wall, But at every gust the dead leaves fall, And the day is dark and dreary. My life is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past, But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast And the days are dark and dreary. Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary. We need rainy days to grow and change. We need to be challenged by them. Rain or shine, God is always with us. Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteous one will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:8)

Someone once said to me, "The average person is experience rich and relationship poor." Time and again I have come back to that comment. Pondered it. Repeated it. Pondered it some more. I think it is true. If we spent as much time and energy in our relationships with friends and family as we do going on vacation, playing sports, watching television and seeking new adventures, how rich would our lives be?

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday sweet husband, Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to my love, my friend. The man who catches me when I fall. The man who brings me a blanket when I'm cold or wraps me in a warm embrace. The man who is a hard working father. The man I respect. The man I am grateful to call my husband. My iron man. I love you.

I am an introvert. I am private. Therefore, I do not share my life openly with many people. Through various books that I've been reading, it has come to my attention that I need to try and be more public and extroverted. And again, this morning while reading Laced with Grace I read this, Naomi shared her life with Ruth. She allowed Ruth to see, hear, and feel all the joy and anguish of her relationship with God. Do you share your inner most thoughts and questions about God with your spouse, family members and close friends? Sharing openly about our relationship with God can bring depth and intimacy to our relationships with others. It can even bring them to know their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through Naomi’s openness to share her relationship with God, Ruth was willing to accept that faith as well, and in so doing became the great-grandmother of King David and a direct ancestor of Jesus. Let us not be afraid to share our life openly with others. We don’t need to sug...