This flower stamp has given me so much enjoyment, it makes a card in minutes.
Talking about birds... (see above picture), I have something for some of you to ponder on. When I read it, it fit into everything I believe about our spiritual life.. I wonder what you will think!
Quote:
Of Parrots and Eagles, Part One
by Charles R. Swindoll
We are running shy of eagles, and we're running over with parrots.by Charles R. Swindoll
Content to sit safely on our evangelical perches and repeat in rapid-fire falsetto our religious words, we are fast becoming overpopulated with bright-colored birds having soft bellies, big beaks, and little heads. What would help to balance things out would be a lot more keen-eyed, wide-winged creatures willing to soar out and up, exploring the illimitable ranges of the kingdom of God . . . willing to return with a brief report on their findings before they leave the nest again for another fascinating adventure.
Parrot people are much different than eagle thinkers. They like to stay in the same cage, pick over the same pan full of seeds, and listen to the same words over and over again until they can say them with ease. They like company too. Lots of attention, a scratch here, a snuggle there, and they'll stay for years right on the same perch. You and I can't remember the last time we saw one fly. Parrots like the predictable, the secure, the strokes they get from their mutual admiration society.
Not eagles. There's not a predictable pinion in their wings! They think. They love to think. They are driven with this inner urge to search, to discover, to learn. And that means they're courageous, tough-minded, willing to ask the hard questions as they bypass the routine in vigorous pursuit of the truth. The whole truth. "The deep things of God"---fresh from the Himalayan heights, where the thin air makes thoughts pure and clear---rather than the tired, worn distillations of humanity. And unlike the intellectually impoverished parrot, eagles take risks getting their food because they hate anything that comes from a small dish of picked-over seeds . . . it's boring, dull, repetitious, and dry.
Although rare, eagles are not completely extinct in the historic skies of the church. Thomas Aquinas was one, as were Augustine and Bunyan, Wycliffe and Huss. So were G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, Robert Dick Wilson, J. Gresham Machen, W. R. Nicoll, and A. W. Tozer.
Many of the reformers qualify, as do John Newton, George Whitefield, and a long line of nonconformists---original thinkers whose lives were interwoven through the treasured tapestry of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries.
And in our day? We could name some . . . but they are increasingly rarer, as the "Entertain Me" philosophy of the public outshouts those who plead, "Make me think!"
Have you fallen prey to a similar mind-set? Do you find yourself contentedly sitting on your perch, pecking at dry morsels rather than longing for the skies? Think about it.
Unquote
I will quote part two the next time I post. In the mean time we have something to think about :) I can tell you that I long for the skies!
The weather here is super hot - a French summer in the making. As long as it doesn't get humid I am enjoying this weather!
Wonderful card and a wonderful post, Jo x
ReplyDeleteWonderful post Jacqueline!! I enjoyed it very much!! TFS!
ReplyDeleteYour post is the only one I am commenting on today. It is right up my alley. First off, Your card is a beautiful creation. They always reflect a searching and beautiful heart. Your post is a reflection of that. Our gift is God and Jesus, our wings. If we listen we soar and challenge others to do the same. It is the reason for my blog. Sharing what I am given is reflected in what is shared. I am eager to hear the rest of your quote.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Jim
Love the delicacy of your card Jacqueline, it's really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIra’s Crea Corner
beautiful card. Love the way this flower is stamped. So pretty
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful card - I love the muted tones.
ReplyDeleteThank you too for those provocative words - we need them!
Blessings
Maxine
Beautiful, so love these colors!!
ReplyDeleteSaw your link over at Irish Cherokee and was able to zip over for a lovely visit. The card is so subtle with the pretty flowers, birds and those wonderful inspirational colors. How skillful you are to take a Pinterest inspiration and translate that to such a wonderful work of art. Enjoyed the post read too, some very thought provoking words to ponder. (I fear I might be a Parrot! Definitely not an eagle, but wish I had the courage to be!) Also wish I had the gift of words to express these thoughts so intensely as the writer did, as those flights into courage and exploration and willingness to make a positive difference are ideals we should all try to do. Looked for a place to become a follower, but did not see one. Thanks for such a super post and a beautiful card! Have a great wkend
ReplyDeleteI love the soft pinks and dreamy greens on your lovely card Jacqueline! What a thought provoking extract and so well depicted. I too long to soar in those open skies and shout out my thanks for all the beauty it contains.
ReplyDelete