surrounded by treasure...

 

Source: JOURNALLING with Donna Ashworth on Facebook

Walking Tall

 

Walking Tall

Yesterday’s steps you can’t retrace, by slowing down or quickening pace,
changing course, or turning back – You still will be on the same old
track. The only change worthwhile you’ll find, will be a change of heart
and mind – leading and directing you  - on towards that lovely view.

Keep to the rules and bear your load, along the rough and rutted road,
on that wayside seat awhile -  gathering strength for the second mile.
Keeping an eye on that distant height, that draws you on by day and night
- walking tall and walking straight – the better world to recreate.

Patience Strong

Patience Strong was a prolific English writer best known for her inspirational poems and prose. She published under the pen name Patience Strong, choosing anonymity to allow readers to focus on the message of her writing rather than the author's personal life.

ai art made by me in chatgpt

When we are young, we want to look older.

 

When we are young, we want to look older.

And when we are old, we want to look younger.

And there is a window in the middle of it all when we’re supposed to look as we wish.

But we waste that time wishing

we were taller or thinner or curvier,

our hair was longer or shinier, curlier,

parts of our body were firmer and perkier

and we’d started to use anti-wrinkle cream earlier.

And by the time we realise we were perfect just as we were,

the window has closed. It is too late.

Too late to realise that all those things never really mattered in the first place.

But it’s never too late to start letting go.

To stop wanting, stop wishing.

It’s never too late to accept yourself.

To look in the mirror and realise that all along, you never needed to look older or younger or anything else.

You just needed to look like you.

*****

Becky Hemsley 2023

Artwork by Lisa Aisato

Source: Bring Side on Facebook

Everyone is a house

 

Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual .

Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person..

Rumer Godden

Artist Credit: Miriam Bouwens

Source: Bring Side on Facebook

I put my thoughts into chatgpt and asked for help writing. My thoughts, chatgpt's beautiful rewrite:

Everyone is a house with four rooms— physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. I have two I never enter. I tell myself they are the physical and the spiritual— the rooms that ask me to be present, to believe, to live in my body. Instead, I wander the mental room, walls lined with restless thoughts, lights that never turn off. I sit in the emotional room, where the air shifts quickly— sunlight one moment, storm the next. The other doors stay closed, dust gathering at their frames. My house is whole, but I live in only half of it.

by debcd with the help of chatgpt :)

The world is full of wonders...

 

The world is full of wonders waiting to be discovered, shining brightly in every corner of our lives. 

Each day brings new sights and experiences that can inspire us, but it is crucial to notice what we choose to focus on. 

Our thoughts shape our feelings, and when we pay attention to negativity, it can weigh heavily on our minds and hearts. While staying informed about issues in the world is important, we must also find ways to balance this knowledge with positivity. 

By looking for beauty in small moments, like a blooming flower or a colourful sunset, we can nurture our well-being. 

This mindful approach allows us to become the best versions of ourselves, leading to happier lives. When we take care of our inner world, it, in turn, reflects on our external lives, making our surroundings brighter and more joyful. 

In this way, we create a cycle of positivity that enriches both ourselves and those around us ...

C.E. Coombes 

Art: Ariye 

Source: Serendipity Corner on Facebook

Rank Strangers - Ricky Skaggs

 

Be Careful!

 

Be Careful!

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

After years of struggle and crying out in prayer, Frank quit drinking. He attributes his continued sobriety to God’s work in his life. But he also made some important changes. He no longer kept alcohol in the house, watched for warning signs in his thinking and moods, and was wary of certain situations. He leaned on God and knew not to leave an opening for temptation or sin.

“Be alert and of sober mind,” the apostle Peter warned. “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Peter knew we needed to be watchful because the devil’s attacks are often unexpected—when it seems like our life couldn’t be better, or we think we’d never be tempted in a certain area.

James too warned his readers to submit to God and “resist the devil.” When we do, our enemy “will flee” (James 4:7). The best way to resist him is to stay close to God through prayer and time in Scripture. When we do, God comes near to us (v. 8) through His Spirit (Romans 5:5). James also offered this encouragement: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

We all face challenging moments in life when we’re tempted and struggle. We can rest knowing that God wants us to succeed and overcome. He is with us in our troubles.

By Alyson Kieda

REFLECT & PRAY

When do you seem to be more susceptible to temptation? How has God helped you in those times?

Dear God, please help me draw near to You instead of pulling away. I need Your daily guidance to keep me on the right path.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

In addition to the admonitions of Peter (1 Peter 5:8) and James (James 4:7) regarding spiritual vigilance in resisting temptation, Paul also had something to say about it. After noting how the Israelites had succumbed to temptation in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:1-11), he warned the Corinthians: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful . . . . When you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (vv. 12-13). The apostle lists two examples of how the “way out” can sometimes involve fleeing. He says we’re to “flee from idolatry” (v. 14) and “sexual immorality” (6:18). The Holy Spirit helps us to succeed in overcoming temptation.

Arthur Jackson

Source: Our Daily Bread daily email - February 13, 2026