Month: October 2026

Vintage Discovery: “The Bees Last Sip” October 27, 2026

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I have been blogging for over 13 years. Throughout that time, I have published hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces and articles. Some you may have seen before; some you may not have.

They say sharing is caring, and in Vintage Discovery, I am using this space to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

Presently, I am sitting here watching the bees and other pollinators enjoying the last of this season’s lavender. They are working hard, getting their last sip in while I just sit and watch. I have wanted to cut this lavender for a long time, but it gives me joy watching them enjoy it.

Come with me today as we revisit Porch Moments and let us enjoy the gift of these simple things in life that are before us right now.

 

At the time of this writing, I have a sink full of dishes waiting for me to tend to them.  Normally, my routine is to stay caught up on chores such as these, but this day, I decided the dishes could wait.

As we are coming down to the end of the warmer season, I have felt the drive in me to make sure I grab bits of it to savor before it all goes to sleep for the winter.  So sometimes, things I want done, according to my normal routine, can wait because the days of enjoying lounging with a book on the porch are going to be fewer, and then down to none, the closer we draw deeper into the changing seasons.

And that’s okay.  The book of Ecclesiastes tells us about a time for everything and of the different seasons under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1-13).  Everything has its proper place in our lives, including the enjoyment of grabbing these small but significant moments.

As we are coming into what I call our “tucking in” time, and as the days of their cold seem to hang around well past their prime, we will yearn and wish for these “porch moments”.  We will plan, dream, and look forward to revisiting these simple pleasures of life.

While each season brings its own pleasures and reasons for gratefulness, the ones we can’t touch during that time are the ones we ponder about, wishing we had grabbed more of those momentary pleasures.

Life really adds up to something beautiful when we find the value in every day we have been given, regardless of the season.  But while we are here, enjoy what’s before you today.  Invest in the time you have with those you love and spend time with them now.

It is inevitable that the seasons of life will change.  So today, step into whatever your “porch moment” is and enjoy the gift of that present time that God has blessed you with.

Life is not all about work, pursuing, or being all that you can be.  Those are important and have their place on our schedules.  But so do rest, and just taking a free moment to breathe, step back, and enjoy this beautiful life God has given.  We are here.  Look up from your work – not to be lazy or idle, but to make space in it all to simply savor your own “porch moment”, whatever it may look like.  For one day, you’ll wish you had.

There is good to be found in every moment God has given.

“I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” – Ecclesiastes 2:24

“Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 8:15

“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” – Psalm 126:3

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13

Isn’t life good?

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Words to Live By: “It is good for me to draw near to God…”

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Not only for the psalmist, but it is good for me, too.

My friend, this world will pull you in many directions, but when we draw near to God, we insulate our hearts against the harshness around us and, in Him, find our peace, our Rock, and our trust.

“But it is good for me to draw near to God…” Psalm 73:28

Blessings~

 

Vintage Discovery: “Every morning, come and be filled.” October 21, 2026

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I have been blogging for over 13 years. Throughout that time, I have published hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces and articles. Some you may have seen before; some you may not have.

They say sharing is caring, and in Vintage Discovery, I am using this space to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

There are a lot of things we can be frugal with, but faith isn’t one of them. Every morning we are reminded of our need for God, to pursue Him more, and again.  As a tummy rumbling for morning nourishment, we are drawn to come to Him and be spiritually satisfied. Come and revisit Every Morning| Pursuing God Daily, as we learn to lean on God every day for His holy provisions.

Blessings~

Mornings capture us with a sense of newness.  The freshness of what’s before us opens like a glorious flower that raises its petals to meet the sun’s rays.  Whether the pace of the new day starts out fast or slow, there is a certain level of invigoration that permeates the atmosphere.  It says life is here, meeting us again as we open our eyes and arise.  What we see before us we have not encountered before.  This moment in time, with the grace and mercy that comes with it, is unused.

I grew up during a time of hand-me-downs and leftovers.  It was not an unheard-of concept to rely on things that were previously used by another or putting aside portions of a meal that remained for later use.  “Waste not, want not,” is often what people would say.  It was frugal living before frugal living became popular.  We are seeing a resurgence of its popularity due to the current economy that is calling people’s attention to rethink how they approach money, life, and their stuff.

But for the children of Israel, there was one thing that God didn’t want them to rethink, and that was their faith and trust in Him.  Even though they were relatively new on their exodus journey from Egypt, God taught them a lesson He hopes will last a lifetime – they can put their confidence in His commands, in His promises.  They had no reason to doubt God’s goodness.

So, when the need for food arose, He instructed Moses on what the people should do: “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no,” (Exodus 16:4).

Further reading gives us a bit more detail:

  • Vv. 11, 12 say, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God” (emphasis added).
  • V. 15 explains, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.”
  • And in v. 19, Moses instructed them to “Let no man leave of it till the morning.”

Every morning, when they opened their eyes, they were expected to walk by faith, depending on their daily provisions from God’s holy hand.

When they chose not to rely on God and to take matters into their own hands, and to keep some behind so that they wouldn’t have to worry about the next day, “it bred worms, and stank” (v. 20).  When they decided they couldn’t trust God and believe that He would provide for their tomorrows, their personal, human efforts deteriorated right before their eyes.  Instead of being beautiful and nourishing, it became something that was disgusting and unpleasant.

There are a lot of things we can be frugal with, but faith isn’t one of them.  Jesus, in the Lord’s Prayer, called us to pray for “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).  Every morning we are reminded of our need for God, to pursue Him more, and again.  As a tummy rumbling for morning nourishment, we are drawn to come to Him and be spiritually satisfied.  We are leaning on the Father every single day for His holy provision: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him,” (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Every morning we get to reestablish our love for Him, reestablish our commitment to Him, and walk in His faithfulness another day.  We get to come to Him, seeking our “manna” for the day, reaffirming He is our source.  He is our God!  He is our Portion (compare Jeremiah 51:19; Psalm 16:5; 73:26).  He is the place where we not only find our holy sustenance, but it is where we trade the wrongs for what is right.  It’s where we exchange the ashes of this life for the beauty of who He is.

“Every day,” the children of Israel were commanded to go look for what God had for them.  Every morning, their expectation and hope were to be on God alone.  He, then, supplied their needs (Philippians 4:19) and sustained them for the day’s journey.

If your days seem limp and powerless, lacking the inspiration and sustenance for this time we live in, draw nearer to your daily Portion.  Every morning partake of the Bread of Heaven so that your life may be properly fed.

In your pursuit to be properly fed, do as the children of Israel were instructed:

  1. Come daily.  Every morning the promise of bread awaited them, but they were the ones who had to put in diligent effort to rise and go get it.
  2. Gather what was needed.  Every family was allotted a certain amount so they lacked nothing of all God’s provisions.  Don’t cut your time and opportunity short when you come to the Father.  The Bible says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart,” Jeremiah 29:13.  Wholly, go after your portion so that you lack nothing of all God has for you.  Stay before Him and gather what is necessary for the day’s journey.
  3. Come back tomorrow and do it again.  And the next day, and the next day, and so on.  This is a life of longing – a life that refuses to go unsatiated.  “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God,” (Psalm 42:1).  Drawing nearer to God is to be our daily desire. He is our holy pursuit. Daily I am unsatisfied in my soul if I don’t come to Him and fill my appetite upon Him who is “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:13).

The promise still remains: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

Every morning, come and be filled.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Word to Live By: Unmoved and Unfazed

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The winds of this life will blow, my friend.
Trials and struggles may come and try to uproot us.
But when we are planted in Christ, the winds may blow, yet we will remain unmoved and unfazed.
For even if we feel weak, thanks to Jesus Christ in us, we are indeed strong. 🙏
“…For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Vintage Discovery: “Ruth’s Loving Decision” October 9, 2026

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I have been blogging for over 13 years. Throughout that time, I have published hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces and articles. Some you may have seen before; some you may not have.

They say sharing is caring, and in Vintage Discovery, I am using this space to share pre-published treasures that are old but may be new to you. I hope you find them just as insightful, encouraging, and a blessing as when they were first published.

Come with me today as we revisit What Would It Have Been Like? – “To Be Ruth of the Bible,” as we learn the importance of our decisions.

Blessings.

“What now?” clawed at her throat, but the words refused to be uttered from her mouth.  Disbelief that her husband was dead locked those words in her troubled mind.  Numbness at the reality of it all would have made her swoon if it were not for the look on her mother-in-law’s face.

“This can’t be happening… Not now…” Ruth thought, grasping her new reality while trying with all her might to keep her composure despite the sadness gripping her own heart.  “Naomi needs me to be strong,” she silently willed herself, swallowing her sorrow.  “First, Elimelech, and now this.  How much more can we… No, how much more can she bear?”

After some time…

“Daughters,” Naomi spoke up, “it is time,” feeling greatly resolved at the decision that had to be made.

“What?” both Ruth and Orpah spoke in unison.

“It is time for me to return home.  Oh, girls, we moved to Moab these past years because famine ravished our homeland.  But Moab is not my home.”  Looking at their pleading eyes, Naomi continued, “It has recently come to my attention that the conditions we fled from are now over.  God has blessed my people once again with His favor.  There is now bread in Bethlehem.”

Sighing heavily, she said, “I have no reason to stay here.  It is time for me to go back.”

“But what of your life here?” asked one of the women.

“I no longer have a life here, dear,” Naomi cried as heartbreaking sobs broke through her words.  “In this land, I have had to say goodbye to the people I treasure most in this world.  This land has taken my heart; it has taken my family.  I have watched my husband die, and now I am forced to let go of my sons.  What is there left for me here?”

“Naomi, you have us,” Ruth spoke with pleading confidence.

“No, my daughter.  It is best if you two return to your homes, as I must return to mine.  I am old.  I have nothing left to offer you.”

“Mother,” that word caught in Ruth’s throat as she lovingly and gently tried to persuade her mother-in-law.  “We can do this together.  You don’t have to return to Bethlehem, and we don’t have to leave your side.  Somehow, someway we can make this work.”

Sighing once again, this time with the prayerful hope for understanding, Naomi turned to the face that bore the sadness of her own:  “Child, I love you both, and I would that for all the world to have things as they once were.  But it is not so.  Things will never be the same for me again.  Not here anyway.”

Holding the hand of this loving heart, she continued, unyielding in her resolve,  “Now, I must return to my own people where I belong to seek solace for this old, broken heart.”

“Then, permit us to go with you,” Ruth rushed to answer, Orpah nodding in agreement.

“Mahlon and Chilion were my only sons.  I have no more.  I am now too old to remarry.  It is as I have told you, I have nothing left to offer.  It would be selfish of me to ask you to give up the possibility of a better future in your parents’ homes to follow me.  Go, return now to your own people.  Perhaps God will be gracious to you, and you can remarry there and start over again someday.”

“You don’t mean that, do you?” Ruth’s broken heart questioned as she looked into the eyes of the woman whom she had come to love.  Sobbing at her side, Orpah could not speak.  Their world had indeed been shaken, but she believed Naomi was right.

A decision must be made that day.  Both Ruth and Orpah would choose the path of life they would follow.

What would it have been like to stand there that day and to make that decision?  Those times were not favorable toward women who were all alone.  Should they stay or should they go?

Walking into the unknown toward Bethlehem with Naomi, Ruth chose to go.  Orpah chose to return home to her people.  There she hoped to find some normalcy and stability.  Ruth, as the Bible says, clung to Naomi and refused to be parted from this woman who has meant so much to her.

That day, Ruth walked away from everything familiar with no promise of better.  Ruth turned her back on her own family to love and support this woman who is not even of her own flesh and blood.  Ruth chose a path most would not want to travel.  Hers was a path of self-sacrifice.  Lest one take her story too lightly, they should consider her life in comparison with ours today.

Before I go anywhere, I plan in great detail to be sure I lack nothing when I arrive.  Ruth had no such pleasure.  Not only was she not guaranteed any provisions for life, but would they even accept her in Bethlehem?  Surely by now, they knew that Naomi’s sons married Moabite women.  How would she be treated?  People would rejoice at Naomi’s return, but what about her?  In that place, are there those who would take advantage of her?  If any of those questions ever arose, they were not spoken for fear of thwarting the opportunity to follow Naomi.  Her only concern was for that very woman, not herself.

In every part of her journey, Ruth stepped into the unknown.  In her travels with Naomi, her arrival in Bethlehem, her work gleaning the fields to support Naomi, and her eventual marriage to Boaz.  Everything was new to her, and everything was strange.  But in everything she did, she did with love and care in mind.

What would it have been like to give up so much; to show so much love in making such a decision?  If we knew all the particulars of a woman in her situation during those days, we would see that hers was a decision of pure love.

She knew everything she was leaving behind.  She didn’t know anything about where she was headed.  But declaring God as her own, her mind was made up, and her heart followed.  Onward she walked the journey where life would lead her because of the decision she made that day.

In the end, God greatly blessed her life and the sacrifices she made on behalf of another.  So much so that she ended up giving birth to Obed, who is the grandfather of King David, the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It started with a decision.  Not knowing what we were stepping into, would we have been able to make that decision?  What would it have been like to be Ruth of the Bible?

Ruth teaches us our decisions matter!

*Creative license taken to explain the story of Ruth. I have tried to keep the integrity of the Scripture’s explanation of her story while filling in the blank of how their conversations may have transpired. For the full story, please compare with the Book of Ruth in the Bible.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Preparing for Special Visitors

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“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:13

While wiping down the stove after cleaning up the dinner-prep mess, I think to myself that I really need to pay attention to the small details and crevices. Not just here, but in other areas of the house, for my mom is coming to visit with us in a few weeks.

For the most part, I keep a mostly tidy home (mostly, lol). I don’t know if it’s just me, but when Mom comes to visit, I want things extra tidy. That’s when I start noticing the “undone” things from that mostly-tidy list. Areas that don’t make it into the weekly or even monthly cleaning rotation, but definitely need attention from my cleaning hands: baseboards, door frames, ceiling fans, and more.

For moms and all special visitors to our house, the desire is usually to put our best foot forward and create a well-represented, inviting space. That takes intentionality and preparedness.

And just like tidy homes, tidy hearts don’t happen by accident. They take intentional care by the one who owns that space. They prepare properly to encounter those who come calling.

In Matthew 25, we see the story of the ten virgins. Five were properly prepared for the visit of the bridegroom, and five were not. The wise, prepared ones were allowed to enter the celebration, while the foolish and unprepared were not (Matthew 25:1-12). Then Jesus spoke this spiritual truth for all to hear: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (v. 13).

Spiritually speaking, how ready are we for the visit? If Jesus were to come right now, are there areas that are undone, untidy, and unready?

When He does come, the door will be closed, and there will be no time to get things in order. May we deliberately use our days to make sure we are ready for His visit.

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”
Mark 13:32-33

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.