Petals from the Basket

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The Simplify-Your-Life Rose

Reminder: For the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “Wise men and women in every major culture throughout history have found that the secret to happiness is not in getting more but in wanting less.” —Elaine St. James, Simplify Your Life

Petal 2: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion (under pressure, NLT), for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV)

Petal 3: We often think of this verse from Corinthians in reference to how much money we put in the offering plate and the smile that is supposed to be on our faces when we put it there! However, a few years ago, I realized that this applied to my activities as well. All too often, I gave my time in “service,” but I did it reluctantly (“grudgingly,” KJV) and under compulsion. At that time, I chose to weed out those areas that were merely “forced service”—after all, God wasn’t going to honor my “non-cheerful” heart—and I decided to simplify my service by doing what God places on my heart and what He gives me joy in doing. Please note: I’m not condoning not serving; I’m proposing that you step away from obligatory actions and ask God to let you serve him with a joyful heart!

Petal 4: Though it was published in 1994, the ideas and suggestions in this book are timeless: Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter (by Elaine St. James). [Affiliate link]

Petal 5: List three activities or “obligations” that you dislike doing and choose one to eliminate. Take the first steps today to simplify your life (ex., call the group leader of the sewing group you dread attending and tell her you’re going to step back from extra activities and focus on helping one church service a month in the nursery ministry).

By Petals from the Basket | March 5, 2013 | Bible Reading, Ideas, Life Changes, Organization |

The Gratitude Rose

Reminder: For the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

 

Petal 1: “The grateful heart that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment; it is the fruit of a thousand choices.” —Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Choosing Gratitude

Petal 2: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:18, NLT)

Petal 3: It’s easy to read “be thankful in all circumstances,” but it’s difficult to do, isn’t it? Yet, how can I not be grateful when I stop to realize that everything I have—down to the very air I breathe—is from God? No, I won’t always be happy, but I can always choose joy—a joy which is the result of a grateful heart.

Petal 4: I would go so far as to say that Choosing Gratitude, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, is a must-read book for every Christian woman! (Order your copy from Amazon here or a copy for your Kindle here.) [Affiliate links]

Petal 5: Be intentional about expressing sincere gratitude for at least three of “the little things” today!

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I’m excited to get to be the first to show you the awesome Christian greeting cards

(Easter, Thank You, etc. —blank inside; Christian message on back)

at a brand new Etsy Shop: Ed G. Biv (click here to view). 

 

By Petals from the Basket | March 4, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Family, Ideas |

The Rose of Worship

Reminder: For the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

 

Petal 1: “His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can’t contain Him. Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?” —Francis Chan, Crazy Love

Petal 2: “Honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.” (Psalm 29:2, NLT)

Petal 3: Using our various native languages, we can come up with every possible name, character quality, attribute, or action of God; yet, they don’t begin to contain the magnitude of our indescribable God! Today, most of us will worship God “corporately” with other believers. However, I encourage you to take time privately to give Him the honor that He is due (worship Him)—in “the splendor of His holiness.”

Petal 4: It’s been around a few years now, but I am in the midst of my annual “re-read” of a book I highly recommend: Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. (Click here to get a copy from Amazon; click here to get a copy for your Kindle.) [Affiliate links]

Petal 5: Today is the perfect day for a Praise Walk!

The Rose of Worship The Rose of Worship The Rose of Worship

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Thank you for reading “The Rose of Worship.”
Were you able to worship with others today? If so,
I’d love for you to leave a comment and
simply share the passage of Scripture
your pastor used to share God’s truths with you today.
 
By Petals from the Basket | March 3, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Ideas |

The Letter-Writing Rose

Reminder: For the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “When sitting down to write a letter, try to visualize the person to whom you are writing.” —Alexandra Stoddard, The Gift of a Letter

Petal 2: “Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.” (Luke 1: 3-4, NLT)

Petal 3: Just as Luke wrote to Theophilus in a way best-suited for his specific needs and learning style, God saw each of us when he had the authors of Scripture pen the words that we have today in the Bible. He knew, for example, that when David wrote many of the Psalms, their words would be a comfort, a guide, a help, a joy, and much more to specific people at specific times throughout history—including 2013! That’s why I can trust His word to be “a lamp for my feet [and] a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NIV)

Petal 4: One of the best secular books on the topic of letter writing—at least, I think so!—is Gift of a Letter, by Alexandra Stoddard. (Click here to order yours from Amazon.)

Petal 5: Even though WRW Month is over, take a moment today to send a handwritten letter or postcard to a family member, friend, pastor, teacher, etc. Remember: you’re not perfect, so your letter doesn’t have to be perfect either!

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Thank you for reading “The Letter-Writing Rose.”
I’d love to hear your comments about
sending or receiving a handwritten letter!
 
Disclosure: I receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links on this site.
 
By Petals from the Basket | March 2, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Family, Friends, Ideas |

Five Petals in the Month of March

Yesterday, I thanked you for an awesome February, but I have to say it again. We can breathe a collective sigh of relief, because we made it through the hardest (but shortest) month of all! Thank you! Can I get a “Woo Hoo,” please?

March is an exciting month: St. Patrick’s Day (and my three traditional Shamrock shakes), Spring “officially” arrives, and this year, we get to add in the joy of Palm Sunday and Easter! And of course, with a blog title that includes the word “petals,” I love the promise of fresh blossoms right around the corner!

Because this will soon be a super-busy month for most people, I’m going to do something a little different to help me keep these posts brief. (Hey wait, I didn’t ask for a “woo hoo” on this, but I’m pretty sure I heard some!)

My favorite flower—far above all others—is the yellow rose. The natural rose has five petals (according to wikianswers, domestic roses have additional petals that were bred from the stamens). So, during March, I will simply list five “petals” on each post: (1) a quotation, (2) a verse for the day, (3) a very brief thought to help us apply that verse, (4) a favorite book I think is worth recommending for further thoughts on that day’s topic, and (5) the “idea” for the day.

The goal is to keep each post to approximately ten sentences! This is going to be a big challenge for me! Oh—the only exception to this is when our “contributing blogger” (apparently bloggers are no longer supposed to have “guest posts”) shares her post with us. She’s my mom, so I’ll let her post be as lengthy as she wants it to be. I love reading the stories and lessons she shares with us on the last Friday of each month!

Hello, March—we’re sooo glad you’re finally here! This truly will be a month filled with “Petals from the Basket!”

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Thank you for reading “Five Petals in March.”
Feel free to leave a comment!
By Petals from the Basket | March 1, 2013 | Bible Reading, Guest Posts, Ideas, Life Changes, Organization |