A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

"A Rose is a Rose is a Rose" is the saying.

It is a true saying for sure and does make a great point, BUT depending on where the rose came from dictates how much that rose touches our hearts. It can sometimes make our heart beat faster  or bring a warm and precious emotion within depending on where it came from. 

Ive been so blessed to have received many bouquets of flowers from my husband, my kids, and my friends. The roses in those bouquets have very rich  meaning.  Every time I walk by those flowers or catch the beautiful fragrance, my heart is warmed and I am touched in a special way.

This particular rose pictured here though was given to me by... drum roll please... An oil stop dude. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I didn't know his name nor did he know mine. I imagine the owner of the oil stop had a great idea, Tuesdays being a slower day, let's make it girls day and for every women that comes in, give her a rose and a discount.

Now while I think this is a great idea, and I try and go on Tuesdays for the discount and the flower, when I see this rose I think how pretty it is and I can enjoy it, but it doesn't warm my heart and it certainly doesn't make my heart beat any faster.  I'm aware they bought bulk flowers having no clue who these flowers were going to be going to that day.

So too, beautiful people, As we look around at creation and see the flowers budding on the trees in the spring or the majestic leaves color in the fall... Anyone certainly can enjoy it, but once we are aware of WHO put them there for us to enjoy KNOWING it was for OUR EYES that were going to experience it and realizing it was put there for specifically ME... It has a whole lot more meaning. 

In fact when I see creations glory, I know that the God who's very name is LOVE, created that for ME... Oh when I walk past these colorful trees, or take in the scent of the budding flowers, my heart is DEEPLY touched.

God didn't create bulk flowers for a random and generic group of people. He created every specific and glorious thing for every single individual alive. 

Know today as you see our Fathers beauty that it is for YOU today.  Let it touch and move you and draw you closer to our Loving Creator.

“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”

— 1 Timothy 4:4

Primo Path

Lithia Park - Ashland Oregon

There are many paths we can take.  We can take paths of regret. Or we can take the path of life.

Like for example the path of regret can be the path of gossip, listening to gossip, defending ourselves, putting others down, thinking about ourselves and not others, cheating, lying, deceit, bad attitudes, grumpiness, disbelief, negativity, hatred, etc... 

It's interesting how often we take this path and justify  it to ourselves thinking we will beat the "system," but because it is God that put the "system" into place, and He has told us this way WILL NOT benefit us even if there is temporarily a sense that the path is working for us... it will not end up working for us at all. no exception. 

God forgives. That's the good news. 

So let's talk about the other path we can take.  It's the path of Faith, Hope, And Charilty.

It's the path of life. It's realizing GOD is with us today and we get to live it with HIM.  It's trusting God will be our defender. It's finding the best in others. It's loving even our enemies. It's being truthful.  it's having a good attitude full of good cheer, it's lifting up our concerns for ourselve to God and trusting HIM with our lives (He proves Himself faithful every time), and then caring for others and showing love for others and putting our energy into others. etc... 

Let's take the path that is beautiful. 

“And now abideth faith, hope, and love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

— 1 Corinthians 13:13

God's Listening

Baby Ev has so much to say! 

I just got back from staying with my grandson Ev while my daughter Mary, Shea, and baby girl Rel went to a wedding in Portland, Oregon.  Hanging with Everett is one of my favorite things to do.

Ev is learning his words but doesn't know that many yet. You can tell by his expressions and the passion in which he says his almost words that he feels a lot but is unclear how to express it just yet. 

In a nutshell, it sometimes seems like Ev is speaking" gibberish." Even though I don't fully understand him, I try to catch what he is trying to say because I want to understand what he is trying to express and I just love him so much.

If you are like me...I can sometimes feel like when I talk to God I am just speaking "gibberish" too. But God wants to listen to us.  He wants us to talk to Him, even if it would not make sense to one other person. 

And the great thing about our Father in Heaven who listens to us, He actually understands fully what we are trying to say or ask.  And the other amazing thing is He has 100% ability and desire to bring about what is truly beautiful and beneficial in and for our lives.

So let's talk to God even if it seems like we are just speaking gibberish, because He hears us and loves us so very much.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

— Jeremiah 29:12

Review and/or Revert

Blossoms out my kitchen window 

Looking out my kitchen window during this season is so incredibly moving as I see bouquets from God through the blossoming of the trees. God's love and faithfulness is shown through creation. God's love and faithfulness is shown on the cross.  God's love and faithfulness is shown in our lives.

Today let's reflect on his love and faithfulness anytime we see the blossoms on a tree.  I think this can help us not to revert back to our old nature, because I think that can be our tendency to do.  When we feel like giving up or we can't see things working out, we can tend to revert back to our old ways.  It's at those times it's SO important for us to review that way of thinking and living. 

As we do that, I guarantee we will opt to not take the route of reverting back to our old ways.

Now let's pause and think about that bouquet before for us.  Let's pause and think about the big picture.  God has never let us down.  Sometimes when the story isn't over we can feel like we've been let down in all honesty.  BUT, do not give up!  Because He will prove himself faithful in our lives if we do not grow weary in well doing.

Let's review God's way and revert back to our first love.  Being amazed by Him. Opening up The Bible and being inspired by this Honorable Magical Domain being filled with hope.  Being blown away that the Creator of the Universe is asking us, no telling us, to talk with Him and ask of Him from our hearts. Now we get to walk today in the power of HIS might.

He's sending bouquets our way to remind us of this.  Let's look and listen. Review the faithfulness of God and Revert back to our first love.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; he will exult over you with loud singing. ”

— Zephaniah 3:17

Sow Bountifully

Flowers in Palm Springs California

Today is a great day for us to be cheerful givers.  It's a perfect day for us to sow goodness, kindness, and love.  It's a day to speak and think and act in love.  It's a day to pray, casting all our cares on God because He cares for us. 

It's a day to remember, for all the things we don't fully get or understand, or if we don't feel like sowing some more because we don't exactly know what the future holds It's a day for us to trust the ultimate Giver of Life with our lives!  

We have motivation to sow in all things God has called us to sow, because the Bible says we will reap what we sow.

So let's sow bountifully. It will not go unpaid by our Father.

““Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.””

— Galatians 6:9

Fresh Canvas

Beauty in Palm Springs 

Today is a brand-new day.  It is a fresh canvas.  It is a day that God is ready to paint a masterpiece.  I know it is likely that many of us don't necessarily feel that way though.  But it is true. 

We can feel we have messed up our lives or already splattered our canvas with all the wrong colors.  But because of the depth of God's love and forgiveness we do have a fresh start.

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Oh my goodness... Come ON... this is AMAZING! Why would we not want to grab ahold of this truth. 

As we do our eyes will be brighter, our days will be lighter yet richer.  We will accomplish things we never thought possible because it is this truth that gets us back on our feet again.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ”

— -Isaiah 43:19

God wants to do something new even if you feel you are in a desert season.  I think one of the most important things we can do, is to recognize our need for God today.  If we don't do that, we are going to just keep splatting all the wrong colors  in all the wrong places.

But when we talk to Our Father, get guidance from what I call "My magical honorable domain" (The Bible), recognize our need for forgiveness and quit blaming others for why WE choose wrongly, we will see a much more beautiful piece much quicker!

As we start investing today in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As we know and rely on the love God has for us. Because God is LOVE...We will be blown away at just what God creates in and through our lives. 

Time to let the Master Creator create❗️

Just a Page

The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A.

A couple days ago, my daughter Christy led us on an adventure to "The Last Bookstore" in downtown L.A.. It was super interesting and there were tons and tons of books. 

If I were to take out a page out of one of these books, then walk away with it, and read it and re-read it, I would be missing out on the full story and the actual purpose of that page. 

I wonder how often we do that with the stories God is writing for our lives?

Do we sometimes focus on one page?  Perhaps a page from the past. One that we have glorified or maybe one we regret. Maybe we are focusing on the present page that may seem a little monotonous, or maybe it feels a little tragic? It could be we are worried about a future page that hasn't even been written?

It is so important to keep the big perspective that God's got our story.  And because He is creating it, it is going to be a good one.

“...Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith... Hebrews 12:2”

You might be saying "But Tambo, I've messed up my story because of the mistakes I have made! I've added some super dumb pages to my story." But God would say to you, "If you love me, I will turn even that around for the good and create something beautiful out of it."

Our stories will be worth reading in the end.  Trust me. Enjoy the story being written by our Loving Amazing Father,  Don't focus on just one page because that page in the big scheme of things will flow beautifully with the entire story being written.  So walk with, and trust the writer of your story because he will write a much better one than if we tried to write it ourselves. 

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His pupose.”

HELP!

Baby sister crying...Ev plugging his ears 

My daughter Mary texted me this picture yesterday and it made me laugh.  

Ev loves his baby sister so much. He loves to give her kisses and place her blankets over her nice and cozy. She is a VERY good baby.  She rarely cries... BUT... WHEN she cries, she shocks us all with those lungs of hers. 😭😂.

Ev in this picture looks like he just can't even believe it.  The lungs on his tiny precious little sister is very hard to believe!

Sometimes when we are around someone, we wish we could do the same thing.  Their speech is mean and unkind.  It's critical and sometimes just whinny.  So often people can "house" their criticism in such a way to make it appear like they are trying to be helpful or learn from someone else but in reality, it's just criticism. 

Even though we may not be able to just plug our ears like Ev... We certainly can change the subject so we are not apart of this kind of action. 

Yep. It's hard to believe this little angel was the one screaming just minutes before this picture.

It also makes me think.  How often do people wish they could pull an "Ev" when they are talking to me?  Do I complain, whine, or worse yet scream?  Do I put others down? Do those around me wish they could just plug their ears?

“The Bible says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue...””

Let's be those today that bring L I F E through whatever our vocal chords decide to do today! Let's make it so everyone around us today hear words of encouragement and kindness.  Let's be those that speak words of  faith, hope, and all things loving.  Not JUST to others, but to OURSELVES as well. 

When and if we fail in this endeavor, let's thank God we are forgiven and move forward in words of life from there on out.

God has given us the ability to do this so let's take advantage of such a beautiful gift He has given us through all that we speak.

Let's laugh more today.  Let's bring joy.