No Anxiety – Blisswood

Rejoice!

Thank you Juliana T. for sharing your beautiful, inspiring Scripture Photo Art!

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. ~ Psalm 96:11-13

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice always,pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thess. 5:16-18

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12

I like to start and end each day with thanking God for at least three blessings… even including sorrow, for it’s truly a blessing to remember He hears all our prayers! By relinquishing heartache back over to Him, helps one to let it go… For everything is in His Hands!

The Juices of Gratitude flow abundantly this morning!

With love, peace, and joy in Christ.

Sprigs of Prayer

Thriving in Son Shine!

A drop of prayer is worth more than a sea of worrying. ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovic

There is no need at all to make long discourses, it is enough to stretch out one’s hands and say, “Lord, as You will, and as You know, have mercy.” And if the conflict grows fiercer say, “Lord, help!” He knows very well what we need and He shows us His mercy. ~ Abba Macarius

Since God is continuously present, why do you worry? For in Him we live and move. We are carried in His arms. We breathe God; we are vested with God; we touch God; we consume God in the Mystery. Wherever you turn, wherever you look, God is everywhere: in the heavens, on the earth, in the abysses, in the trees, within the rocks, in your nous [eye of the soul], in your heart. ~ St. Joseph the Hesychast

Lord, I do not know what to ask of You. You know better than me what my needs are. You love more than I know how to love. Help me to see clearly my real needs which I do not see. I open my heart to You. Examine and reveal to me my faults and sins. I put all trust in You. I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray. Pray in me. Amen. ~ Prayers For All Occasions

In Every Test

Cave Monastery in Bulgaria – Image by falco from Pixabay

If we always see God in our minds, and always remember Him, everything will appear tolerable to us. ~ St. John Chrysostom

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ~ Philippians 4:6

In preparing for an upcoming parish fundraiser, some plans had changed. Feeling a bit apprehensive, I sent off revisions with (what I hoped to be) an encouraging response to the flurry of emails, and with a heavy sigh, signed off, “Love in Christ, m Barbara.”

Or – so I thought.

Actually, I’d signed off saying, “Live in Christ, m Barbara”.

A note to self. Yes! Live in Christ! Quit sighing!

Guardian Angel had gently reminded- Everything’s in God’s Hands – not mine.

And those pesky, anxious, tummy butterflies?

Vamoosed!

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. ~ Proverbs 16:9

Live in Christ!

m Barbara

St. Basil of Ostrog

Parish icon of St. Basil of Ostrog

Today is St. Basil of Ostrog’s Feast Day, (May 12/April 29) and he is very dear to many.

We are so blessed! God pours out His great, abundant mercy and miracles through His saints– the heavenly great cloud of witnesses!

Through the holy intercessions of St. Basil of Ostrog, may we continue to receive spiritual consolation and healing of physical and mental infirmities.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. ~ Luke 20:38

Holy St. Basil pray to God for us!

Rejoice in the Lord

A local paddle-boarder, rejoicing … October 2020

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7

This passage remains in my heart, thanks to Verne Margaret Scott.

I met her as a young teen, during my old Baptist church days. She was an amazing youth leader… and made the deepest impression.

Verne lived in God’s Light joyfully, and particularly loved the book of Philippians. She encouraged us in scriptural memorization, to keep God’s Word close in our hearts.

I have often thought of Verne (with gratitude), over the years, and noticed her recent obituary. She passed away on July 1, 2021 in her 96th year.

May God rest her soul!

With Thanksgiving

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.~Psalm 100

Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.~Philippians 4:6

When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator. ~St. Basil the Great