Thursday and Friday were good but super busy so I am just now posting. These pictures are from both days and are just a bit of what we enjoyed.
We continued with our bird theme, made robots from cardboard, and worked in our workbooks when we were inside.
I read a quote recently that seemed to just jumped off the page and into my heart. I am a dreamer. I read and plan and dream and read and plan and dream. But then I get insecure. I doubt my ability to follow through. Who am I to dream big? Who am I to think my plans will succeed? And, if it's all up to me, and all about me there is a lot of reason to have these doubts. But when I remember that I am a child of a Heavenly Father who loves me, and who places these dreams in my heart, for my good and His glory, then I know that He will walk with me to bring them to fruition.
So here is the quote:
~ Bishop Bronner
As I was reading and thinking about this I decided to do a bit of a Bible study on the subject. Here some of the verses I found and a few thoughts on those verses.
John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Not only is this abundant life a promise for the future, it is available now. There is abundant peace, courage, wisdom, love, joy, and creativity available now if we are willing to reach out and receive them.
Isaiah 58:11 - The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
We don't have to figure it all out on our own. He is our guide, and He refreshes and nourishes our souls when we become tired. His desire is for our lives to be full of growth and fruit, and for life-giving refreshment to flow from them to others.
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God has plans for each of us. And He has no desire for us to be miserable. His cares about our welfare, He cares about our future and already has a beautiful plan for it.
Matthew 6:25, 33 - Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? . . . But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Sometimes, when pursuing a dream, I find myself pulling back because I am afraid - afraid it will not be fruitful, afraid if I do not pursue more "practical" things, I will not have enough money. But when God puts a dream in one's heart, a dream that comes from Him, that is for the good of others, and would bring glory to Him, He will supply what is needed as well.
Psalm 16:11 - You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
He wants to show us the path, He wants us to have joy in His Presence as He walks the path with us, and He wants us to sit with Him, converse with Him, and listen as He speaks to us, filling our minds and hearts with pleasure as we learn from Him.
John 1:4 - In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Not only is He the source of life, both physical and the life of our dreams, He is the light that illuminates the path for us to follow.
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Sometimes as we follow the path He shows us, we don't understand how or why He is leading in a particular direction. But when we acknowledge that He knows best, that His plan is trustworthy, what looks like an impossible bend in the path, miraculously straightens as we near it.
Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
The really cool things is that we do not have manufacture our own feelings of hope, joy and peace as we follow Him. He gives them to us! His Spirit within us responds to our willingness to follow His lead by giving us the peace, hope and joy we need to continue on the His path.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
There are times on this adventure when it seems that things are going all wrong. There are times when we make mistakes. And then there is the temptation to feel discouraged, to begin to doubt that there can be any success, and beat ourselves up for our missteps. But God already knew, when we began walking this path together that these things would happen. And His plan is not derailed but what we would look at as certain disaster. Instead, He uses those very things to further us along the way, and as stepping stones to continue to take us forward.
Psalm 28:7 - The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.
He is our strength, our shield, our hope, our completely trustworthy guide and protector on this path, this adventure. And as we see this, experience His trustworthiness, and continue to move forward in this confidence, we cannot help to laugh with joy, and our hearts fill with songs of thankfulness for His love and guidance.
And now, with so much encouragement I think it's worth repeating . . .
Stop living vicariously. It's time to live your dream and create a life worth writing about. Tell your story. Live your passion. Change your world!
~ Bishop Bronner
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