Chosen Vessels

There is a story, beautiful to hear. It is the story of an Artist. Some would tell you that there's nothing special about this Artist. That he's a myth and a fantasy. But I know different. Why? Because I've seen His creations. This Artist takes great delight in his creations. He forms and fashions then with his hands, perfecting every detail. Perfect. Every stroke of His paintbrush is performed with a smile. Every freckle is placed with His hand. Every hair color, eye color, skin color is chosen with joy. Perfect . Oh, did I fail to mention that? Each of His creations are perfectly created. Not flawed. Not messed up. Not broken or cracked or marred. Perfect . If someone went to this much trouble to create you, wouldn't that make you feel special and oh-so loved? Because, Someone did, dearest...  Wouldn't it break your heart to have someone nit-pick over supposed flaws in something you'd poured time and love into creating? ...

This week, while reading in the book of 1 Samuel, I came across a passage in chapter 30 that really stood out to me. So since I didn't already have a post in mind for today, y'all are going to get some Faith-ramblings. ;) I'll beginning with a bit of context to get y'all up to date... While on the run from Saul (who wanted to kill him), David and his men had been living in Ziklag among the Philistines. Chapter 29 tells us that they had gone out with the Philistines to war against Israel. This concerned many of the Philistines (except for Achish—king of Gath who had welcomed David in in the first place) because they feared that these Hebrews would turn traitor and fight for Israel once they were in battle. To satisfy the others, Achish asked David to take his men and return to Ziklag. Now that we know the background, let's take a look at what these men found when they returned to their homes and families... And it came to pass, when David and his men...

As y'all may have noticed, there was no post this past weekend. I'm trying to catch up on my Camp NaNo goal. See y'all next week! :) ~ Description Having left the Amish life for the English world, Amanda Dienner is shocked when she learns that her mother has passed and left her Lancaster County's most popular Amish bed-and-breakfast. The catch is she has to run it herself for one year, acting as hostess. Amanda accepts the terms, but coming home to people she left behind won't be easy. ~ My Rating 4 stars ~ My Review  Oh my goodness, what a precious story! I have yet to read a Beverly Lewis book that I did not enjoy, and The Proving was no exception.  From the first pages, Mandy's story intrigued me. My mind filled with questions as to what had transpired between her and her twin sister, Arie (who was super sweet!), and why. Picking up hints along the way was pretty fun. :) Catrina entered the story near the beginning of the...