Fashion 'wants' detox

I have had the following two thouhgts roll around my thoughts lately:

• Stop signing up for store emails with sales or discounts.  Having those in your inbox will only give you the sense of want for things. If you did not see the emails then you avoid the trap of over spending on unnecessary wants. - Wendy Treat 

• It is only when I go to the mall that I feel like a need a particular shirt but if I stay away then I am content with what I have in my closet. - lady from church

 I find these two comments really valuable.  Many times after opening my inbox I feel like somehow I must go buy the item that is such a good deal.  In reality I would not even think of 'purple pants' from a hip store as a want until it is sitting in my inbox.  I am reminded and encouraged today to continue with the detoxing of stuff so that I can live clean in what God has for me.  Not loosing sight in the sea of ads telling me what to wear but keeping my eyes on Jesus.

Please know that I like to shop for trendy pieces and keep somewhat update but there is balance.  As of now I am finding balance and attempting to look fashionable by a fashion recommendation from Nina Garcia, Fashion Editor - Stick with classic shapes and reuse with accessories to keep updated. I have begun to  do this and I can see that I will save money in the long run.  It is a process to narrow our wants down to our needs, to the desires of our heart.

Many times we think that there is a delay in seeing our dreams fufilled even knowing that God will bring it to pass.  We, I can get lost with all the noise that comes at us distracting me from the real desire in my heart. Let's keep our eyes focused on Jesus....may seem 'out of context' but a good start in focusing our vision is detoxing from the emails or going stores. Simple. Practical.

Blooming even after a drought

It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working.  I Corinthians 3:7-8 (MSG)

Yesterday as pulled into our driveway from going grocery shopping I saw that we had a gardenia bloom.  My husband planted these in the spring so I thought it was odd to see it have a bloom now.  All day I had that flower in the back on my mind. how could there be a bloom now, after a scorching hot summer, after a summer of drought even though my husband faithfully watered it. 

Later that evening as we pulled into our driveway I saw not only the flower but another bud beginning to bloom. I heard in my heart "I am the one that brings growth regardless of time or seasons".  We go through so many 'events' in our life. Many times that we might feel like things are too 'hot' or seasons of drought. However I am encouraged and reminded that even if we have moment of dormancy in our life God is the one that still bring growth.

What do I mean? Think about the grass and how in the fall it begins to brown, it is going into dormancy for the winter.  We might water it still but really once the winter hits it is just there. Some how it knows when it is time to return to its color of green and then the lawn mowers come out because it grew! We might feel like things or just ourselves go through dormancy but then God brings growth into our life.  We need to continue to water our hearts, to be planted by the streams of Life - God life!

I just know that the blooming that I saw yesterday was not just the gardenias in our driveway but the new buds blooming in my heart!

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.  Psalm 1:3 (NIV)