Rest, Rejoicing and Realization, And an ‘Ink Re-Cap

Rest, Rejoicing and Realization and a Kim & Ink re-cap.
When you need to recapture the meaning of rest,
realize God has your back,
and rejoice in the music He is always playing.

A lot of people are asking, “When will this Covid thing be over? When can we go back to the way things were?”

Have you heard any good answers to those questions?

Please share with me if you have,

because some days,

I’m so tired of all the questions and not knowing the answers.

Then, today when I was pursuing rest about this,

And anxiety overwhelmed and blocked out rejoicing

I found the realization of these verses.

Zephaniah is practically an unknown book of the Bible. To me, anyway.

I don’t remember hearing or reading these verses before:

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem,
Fear thou not: 
and to Zion,
Let not thine hands be slack.

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy;
he will rest in his love,
he will joy over thee with singing.

Zephaniah 3:16,17

Today God gave me these verses, because I needed them.

So comforting.

Don’t fear. Clap your hands, because God is mighty, and He’s saving and singing right now, this minute,

and all the time.

I can rest in His love, His music is in the air all about us. All we have to do is lift up slack hands.

Remember when Aaron and Joshua held up Moses’ arms so the Israelites could win the battle?

God provides the right people, the right verses, the right songs

to hold up our arms in all these Covid, election, and cash shortage battles.

And He sent the rest, rejoicing and realization of this poem, 

so I could know deep down that I won’t fall apart without His knowing.

The pieces that fall are the pieces He wants me to leave behind.

Because He has new, stronger pieces to place in the gaps.

Me: Hello God

God: Hello…

Me: I’m falling apart. Can you put me back together?

God: I’d rather not.

Me: Why?

God: Because you’re not a puzzle.

Me: What about all the pieces of my life that fall to the ground?

God: Leave them there for a while. They fell for a reason. Let them be there for a while and then decide if you need to get any of those pieces back.

Me: You don’t understand! I’m breaking up!

God: No, you don’t understand. You’re transcending, evolving. What you feel are growing pains. You’re getting rid of the things and people in your life that are holding you back. The pieces are not falling down. The pieces are falling in place. Relax. Take a deep breath and let those things you no longer need fall down. Stop clinging to pieces that are no longer for you. Let them fall. Let them go.

Me: Once I start doing that, what will I have left?

God: Only the best pieces of yours.

Me: I’m afraid to change.

God: I keep telling you: YOU’RE NOT CHANGING! YOU’RE BECOMING!

Me: Becoming, Who?

God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light, love, charity, hope, courage, joy, mercy, grace and compassion. I made you for so much more than those shallow pieces you decided to adorn yourself with and that you cling to with so much greed and fear. Let those things fall off you. I love you! Don’t change! Become! Don’t change! Become! Become who I want you to be, who I created. I’m gonna keep telling you this until you remember.

Me: There goes another piece.

God: Yes. Let it be like this.

Me: So… I’m not broken?

God: No, but you’re breaking the darkness, like dawn. It’s a new day. Become!! Become who you really are!!”

John Roedel from “Hey, God. Hey, John.”

Stories we found around the inter-web

where people found rest, rejoicing and realization

that God provided music at the right time…

WEDDING:

2020 hasn’t been a very good year for weddings, so we’re praying for better days ahead. This wedding blog has optimistic predictions for great 2021 trends. One trend predicts continuing with smaller weddings. We love that idea.

BABY:

If you could use the same stroller throughout raising your whole family, with a baby bassinet, later a sidecar for big brother or sister, would you be willing to pay almost as much as a down payment on a car? This brand is super popular right now.

CRAFTS:

With teachers and students heading back to the classroom, every kindergarten or early grade teacher should know this trick.

KITCHEN:

I want my next appliance purchase to be this wonder machine.

INSPIRATIONAL:

There’s a reason why this post went viral.

And now the ‘ink re-cap of events on the blog this week.

WEDDING:

Wedding Colors for fall weddings were the topic this week Monday. There’s awesome color combos, some new, some traditional. Don’t miss the free Wedding Program Printable download.

BABY:

Our shower hostesses and mommy-to-be’s got a new Baby Shower Design especially for fall. It’s all about Mr. Rusty the Squirrel showing up with his cheeks full of acorns. How fun is that? Another woodland critter added to our menagerie.

KITCHEN:

With fall comes harvest and new apples and preserving. The best time ever to try these two recipes from my family’s cookbook, “I’m Thinking Jam.” The cookbook that my youngest niece put together has proven super popular, and I’ve listed in here in our Kitchen Shop.

CRAFTS:

With big brother or sister going off to school this week, the pre-schoolers are going to miss the activity at home. To help keep them occupied we designed these free color-by-number printables you moms can download. The littles can match color names to numbers, making it a fun learning opportunity.

INSPIRATIONAL:

Our Friday inspirational post is a Children’s Bible Story Lesson about Saul. The man who was blinded by a bright light on his trip to Damascus. God had to stop him from doing the wicked thing Saul was going to do. And, God had other important plans for Saul.

May your weekend be filled with
rest, a little realization and lots of rejoicing.

Until next time,

Love Kim & Dorothy