Archives for June 2013

Midweek Morsel: Missed Opportunities, Silver Linings

June 20, 2013 by 4 Comments

Sometimes we let opportunities pass right by us. A few weeks ago, I wrote about seizing opportunities God sends our way, and I’m a firm believer in trying to do just that. However, for whatever reason, sometimes we miss out on them. And if you’re like me, you kick yourself over and over again for your goof up.

Instead of dwelling on what we missed, let’s find and focus on a silver lining to the botched opportunity. For example, I’ve failed to have my camera battery charged at times when I could have captured some awesome photos of unusual bird sightings in my back yard. When this happens, I try to remind myself that there can be a silver lining. Instead of focusing on taking photos, I’m now free to simply enjoy the sight and revel in the beauty of the moment.

Let’s not wallow in regret–even when the consequences of our failures are more serious than missed photos. Let’s choose to look for the positive. Spotting the silver linings can keep us looking up and moving forward.

“. . . if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 3:8

*What silver lining have you noticed after a missed opportunity? You might also like to read other perspectives on missed opportunities and foul-ups.

*Flickr photo by ninja gecko

Filed Under: blessing, disappointment, frustration, mistake, opportunity

Wedding Photo Idea: The Corner Shot

June 17, 2013 by 6 Comments

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Cool idea alert! Cool idea alert! Mother of the Bride, your daughter and her beloved will be forever grateful if you pass the corner shot wedding photo idea along to them. Not only will it turn out to be one of their favorite photos of the entire wedding, it will be a sweet and memorable experience for them as well.

Have them scope out the wedding site ahead of time and find a corner that will look good in photos and be relatively easy for them to get to before the wedding without seeing each other. So much fun for them to hold hands before the ceremony and know the other is just a few feet away. Talk about anticipation—and a great photo to cherish for years!

*What great wedding photo idea can you pass along?

*Photo by Will Flowers

Filed Under: bride, fun, groom, love, Mother of the Bride, photo fun

A Painful Mercy

June 17, 2013 by 6 Comments

Sometimes God says no to our most earnest requests. We plead, we bargain, we pour out our hearts’ deepest desire and still he doesn’t give us the answer we long for. Other times his answer is wait. And sometimes we’ve already waited an excruciatingly long time as it is.

These answers of no and wait—and wait some more—can really hurt. After all, we’re not talking about casual, wouldn’t-it-be-nice kinds of requests. We’re talking about earnest requests. Requests born of desperation, heartache, and deep need. So when our deepest desires are not granted, the accompanying pain and disappointment run deep as well.

What we may not realize is that God’s painful no or wait  may in fact be a painful mercy. He alone knows all the results a yes might bring. He alone knows the future. When it appears he’s withholding our heart’s desire, he instead may be saving us from an even greater grief.

Many of you know that our family has been experiencing a season of waiting for quite some time now. During this period, the answer no has been our portion time and again. We’ve dealt with heartache over and over and have not understood why God is answering the way he is.

But what if we—and what if you in your situation—could see into the future, could see what God sees. Maybe our family would see a turn of events that would be more devastating than the current answer of no or keep waiting. How about you? What might you see in your future? I think we all might see that God’s no may in fact be a painful mercy.

It all boils down to trust, doesn’t it? Even when the answers we want don’t come, will we trust God? Will we continue to believe that he loves us and has good things in store for us? Will we acknowledge that he may be planning to give us something even better than our original request?

Don’t get me wrong—trust is not a pat answer. Trust doesn’t negate the pain. But it does bring peace. It does keep hope alive. It does acknowledge that God alone knows the future and that he will indeed walk with us through times of painful mercy.

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

*Have you experienced a painful mercy in your life?

*Flickr photo by minniemouseaunt

Filed Under: disappointment, grief, mercy, prayer, trust, wait Tagged With: , , ,

Midweek Morsel: Summer Want-to-Read List

June 13, 2013 by 16 Comments

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Any season is good for reading, but summer conjures up images of indulging in a good book while lying in a hammock or relaxing out on the patio. And doesn’t everyone pack a good book or two when heading out on vacation?

I’m hoping to get my hands on copy of Carla Stewart’s new release Sweet Dreams as well as Jody Hedlund’s last two novels, Unending Devotion and A Noble Groom. And since the movie released, I’ve also been thinking of rereading The Great Gatsby. I haven’t read it since high school or college days, and I’m sure I’d appreciate the writing much more now.

To be honest, though, I may end up reading a few of the numerous books I already have on hand. Not only do I have a long list of Kindle titles to choose from, I also have a few hard copies of books just waiting to be read. (By the way, as nice as it is to have a Kindle, I still prefer to hold a real book in my hands.)

So how about you? What’s on your want-to-read list this summer? Let’s remember to keep the Bible at the top of the list daily. No other book ever published is as important and life-changing as the Word of God. And I want to be nourished by it—no matter the season!

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.” Jeremiah 15:16

*Photo from Pinterest

Filed Under: books, summer, Word of God

A Planner for Your Bride-to-Be

June 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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With all the wedding planning resources available online—and some of them free—you might wonder if you need to buy your bride-to-be a wedding planning book or binder at all. MOB, you know your daughter better than anyone else so I say think about what she would really like and go from there.

If your girl-in-love thrives on all the latest tech gadgets and keeps her life organized on her computer, she might actually prefer using the online resources exclusively. But if your sweet girl likes to hold a book in her hands or thumb through magazines, she will thrill at having all the info together in book form—if for nothing else, just to scan and get ideas for her own system of organization.

I bought wedding planner books for both my daughters within a couple of weeks of their engagements. The planners helped them get a grasp of all that wedding planning would entail, and then they went from there with their own organizational styles and methods.

So go ahead—give your girl a tool to work with and then let her fly!

*Have you found a planner you would recommend?

*Here is the planner I got for Kristin, and here is the one I got for Kelli. See other possibilities on this Amazon.com page.

*My photo

Filed Under: books, bride, Mother of the Bride, preparation
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