Inspiration in the Mundane

Hi, Dina here. Recently during my local book club, one of my friends shared this poem. I found it kind of brilliant, so I wanted to share it with all of you. I think you will relate with it. Be blessed!

Hammershøi Dust Motes Dancing

ODE TO A KITCHEN FLOOR

by Angela Andrews

‘Tis wonderment to me

When I see heaven-honey

Pour through my kitchen door.

I look up to see The Source,

But He cleverly hides Himself

In the clearest light to ever

Touch our musty orb.


In His brilliant, pure invisibility,

He traces my face

with a whisper breeze

while touching the world wide.


Caressing me, the newborn babes,

The wee flower buds and their

chrysalis company – while shining

light where the helpless wait to

grasp His infinity.


At my kitchen door,

My heart responds just as hungrily.

Fill me up O Lord and also cover me.

Now on my knees the light refracts,

in its travels, travels over me.


I feel His arms encircle me.

Frothy mirth and rich delight ripple,

He and me. My eyes wide open

to search such beauty. Surprised,

the travelling rays have moved along,

almost from my periphery.

But there is more to see and

more to learn back here on my knees.


I drink the lingering rays.

Tho’ pure and bright while standing up,

From here that is not what I now see.

He gave me manna strength and clear vision

to see what my child–mind of long ago

said were crystal diamond jewelry.

The dust floats down, shimmers in His light,

But landing on yesterday’s gleaming floor

Instantly becomes wretched dust ----

Dirt to be removed once more.


Frustrated, I stand and clutch my broom.

I sweep the kitchen floor with His strength.

I sweep my heart even more.

I no longer dread this perpetual task,

Because of Him I know,

As I clean my kitchen floor,

He gently and daily cleans me.


Can you share a time when you unexpectedly found God in everyday life?

Mental Health Provided by Pinterest!

by Jennifer AlLee

At the end of last year, my mother got sick. Not "it's just a head cold" kind of sick, but seriously, "in need of 24 hour a day care" kind of sick. It started in October, and on December 28th, she went home to be with Jesus. Now, I know that's exactly where Mom went, and I know that she is having the time of her life. Me, on the other hand... well, it's been hard. Today, for example, I spent many hours dealing with financial issues directly related to her passing. Not fun.

BUT! That's not the point of this post. Believe it or not, by the time you get to the bottom of the screen, you will at least be smiling, and most likely, you'll be laughing out loud. Why? Because I'm going to share with you some of the random, goofy things I've found on Pinterest that have lifted my spirits after slipping into the dumps.

In case you can't read the little sign, it says, "Bill Posters is an innocent man!" This is like what happens in my head every time I hear someone shout, "Fire at will!" I think, "NO! What did Will ever do to you?"

It's an ear of CORN riding a UNICYLE... It's a UNICORN!  LOL 

Pop culture reference. Who gets it?

Finally, you can't go wrong with a wisecracking Minion!

Happy Wednesday to you :)

JENNIFER ALLEE was born in Hollywood, California, and spent her first ten years living above a mortuary one block away from the famous intersection of Hollywood & Vine. Now she lives in the grace-filled city of Las Vegas, which just goes to prove she’s been blessed with a unique life. When she’s not busy spinning tales, she enjoys playing games with friends, attending live theater and movies, and singing at the top of her lungs to whatever happens to be playing on the car radio. Although she’s thrilled to be living out her lifelong dream of being a novelist, she considers raising her son to be her greatest creative accomplishment. She's a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Christian Authors Network. Her novels include The Pastor’s Wife, The Mother Road, A Wild Goose Chase Christmas, Last Family Standing, and Vinnie's Diner from Abingdon Press; Diamond in the Rough, Vanishing Act, and Curtain Call from Whitaker House and co-written with Lisa Karon Richardson; the novella Comfort and Joy in the Christmas anthology, Mistletoe Memories from Barbour; and A Worthy Suitor from Harlequin's Heartsong Presents.

What Moves You? Compassion, or Wrath?

By Niki Turner

Something is moving us.

You can keep singing "I shall not be, I shall not be moved..." all you like, but you're still being moved. The question is what's moving you.

Jesus, throughout the New Testament, is recorded as being "moved with compassion" when he spoke, when he prayed, when he acted.

He was moved with compassion when he saw the sick, the poor, the forsaken, and He acted on their behalf... Feeding the hungry, healing the sick, restoring the lost.

And yet, today I see (and I count myself in this group, with shame) many of my Christian brethren moved not with compassion, but by wrath.

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20

We live in a time that doesn't permit us, without a conscious effort, to be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath. The Internet is instantaneous. As a result, there's a lot of wrath swirling around out there, both in the secular realm (where we should expect it) AND in the Christian realm (where we should know better.) It's been particularly bad in the last few months, and we haven't even entered into campaign season!

Most of the time we define wrath as a kind of vindictive anger (which isn't incorrect), but the Strong's Bible Concordance also defines wrath as "excitement of mind." In other words, one definition of wrath is simply being all stirred up in your head. That's the word James used--orge--where we get our word for "orgy." All this mental/emotional/spiritual input is like an orgy. Ew.

Just try reading James 1:19-20 like this, "...be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to excitement of mind; for the excitement of man's mind does not produce the righteousness of God."

Step back and look at everything going on in the media (Christian, conservative, liberal, or otherwise) and examine it from that perspective. Is what we're being fed simply causing excitement of mind, or is it moving us with compassion? The New Testament word used for compassion means "to be moved from the bowels." The Jews believed the bowels were the seat of emotion and feeling.

It makes for an interesting word picture. Being stirred up in the mind, mentally excited, produces a picture of someone with a lot of opinions. Conversely, a person who is "moved from the bowels" gets up and takes action. Ever been in the car with someone "moved from the bowels"? You  pull over. Ever been in the car with someone who's all stirred up in the head? You keep driving and tell them to shut up. Or argue with them for a few hours. Do you see the difference? Compassion DEMANDS action. Wrath is just a tempest in a teapot.

So here's our litmus test: Is what we're seeing and sharing stirring us up so we're like toddlers bouncing off the walls, unable to contain our personal opinions? And then getting us in strife with each other, and keeping us stirred up so that no one is accomplishing anything productive? OR, does what we're seeing and hearing and sharing propelling us to ACT in love and mercy and with the kindness and goodness of God?

Or, to put it more simply...
"Finally, my brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things."

Wait, you say, I'm expressing my opinion, that's my right!

No. Your right, and mine, as Christians, is to walk in love, whether we approve or disapprove, agree or disagree. Walking in love is, according to Jesus, the greatest commandment.

But, some have asked, aren't we called to judge? (Why do we even have to ask that? Are there really people out there who are so confident of their own righteousness and holiness before the Almighty God that they believe they can act as judge and jury for others? That's kind of scary. The folks Jesus was most indignant with, the ones he called "brood of vipers" and "whitewashed tombs" were those kinds of people.) I'm reasonably sure they were convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt their doctrinal stance was correct. Bummer.

Sure, you CAN judge... but I suggest starting with yourself (remember that whole 'beam in the eye' thing?), not with what pops up on our Facebook wall. If we objectively judge ourselves with the same measure we're using to judge and condemn everyone else, whether it's the Duggars or the Kardashians or Caitlyn Jenner, we probably come up short in the righteousness department. 

But that's HARD!!! 

Yeah, I know. That helps me keep my mouth shut and pray, instead of sharing and retweeting and posting everything that floats by. If it's causing (wrath) excitement of mind, it's not producing God's righteousness, if it doesn't pass those tests, then no matter how "righteous" it feels to our flesh/mind, it's not worth sharing. It won't produce anything good.

Something to think about this week.

His Perfect Catch

Welcome back to one of our former Inkies, and still dear and delightful friend, Narelle Atkins! Narelle is here to tell us a little bit about her newest release, His Perfect Catch. 

First, let's learn a little bit about Narelle:

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, NARELLE ATKINS was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia.

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com

Blog: http://narelleatkins.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NarelleAtkinsAuthor
Twitter: @NarelleAtkins https://twitter.com/NarelleAtkins

And now let's learn a little about Narelle's newest release:

Narelle, please tell us more about the Australian setting for His Perfect Catch.

His Perfect Catch is set in the fictitious town of Sapphire Bay on the South Coast of New South Wales. I love visiting the South Coast region, only a few hour’s drive away from where I live in Canberra. Sapphire Bay is a small seaside town with a pristine surf beach and a pretty bay. It’s a great fishing spot and a popular tourist destination, especially during summer.

How does your novella fit with the SPLASH! water theme?

Pete, my hero in His Perfect Catch, loves fishing. He regularly takes his boat out on Sapphire Bay to catch his dinner. Pete and Mia, my city girl heroine from Sydney, temporarily become next door neighbors. They live in beach houses that back onto the sand dunes and overlook the ocean. The relaxed Sapphire Bay lifestyle is closely associated with water and His Perfect Catch is a light summer beach read. 

Is your novella connected to a series?

I originally created the Sapphire Bay setting for Seaside Proposal, the third book in my Sydney series and my final book from Heartsong Presents. Seaside Proposal features Mia’s cousin, Billie, and the story opens in Sapphire Bay. I loved writing about Sapphire Bay, and I decided it would make a fabulous setting for a new contemporary Christian romance series.    

Congratulations, Narelle! Now let's learn a little bit about the SPLASH! Collection:

NINE Refreshing Romances Filled with Faith!

Nine beloved authors of contemporary Christian romance have banded together to offer this limited-time collection of all-new romance novellas perfect for your summer vacation reading pleasure. Come visit Scotland, Zambia, Australia, Canada, and several American states, including Alaska, in these inspirational romance novellas. You'll love each refreshing contemporary romance as the characters enjoy the water on hot summer days, whether it be in a river, lake, ocean... or a swimming pool!

His Perfect Catch by Narelle Atkins, author of the Snowgum Creek series
A holiday romance isn’t part of the plan when Mia Radcliffe temporarily moves to Sapphire Bay and lives next door to Pete McCall, her secret crush from years ago. Pete prefers the simple life. Can Mia leave behind her big-city dreams and settle with Pete in the seaside town?

Sweet Serenade by Valerie Comer, author of the Farm Fresh Romance series
Carly and Reed thrive on the rush of running rapids in a canoe until they capsize in both river and romance. Will secrets from the past drown their future, or can this idyllic summer romance lead to a lifetime of sweet serenades?

More than Friends by Autumn Macarthur, author of the Love in Store series
When nurse Catriona asks for help with her Vacation Bible School for disabled children, she never imagines how much could go wrong on a simple seaside day out — or that the colleague she's secretly loved for years might come to see her as more than his best friend's little sister.

Love Flies In by Heidi McCahan, author of the Emerald Cove series
He’s a seaplane pilot determined to honor his convictions. She’s a kayak guide who mocked his faith for sport. One small lakeside cabin in Alaska can’t house them both.

Testing the Waters by Lesley Ann McDaniel, author of the Madison Falls series
After breaking up with her ultra-critical boyfriend, Teresa decides to reinvent herself. She meets a nice guy named Curt on the beach in Crescent Cove, Oregon, and tells him she’s Terése from Paris. Pretending to be someone else is fun until the unthinkable happens — she starts to fall for him.

The Lifeguards, the Swim Team, and Frozen Custard by Carol Moncado, author of the CANDID Romance series
Lifeguard Alivia Collins looks forward to another summer on the guard stand at the Serenity Landing Aquatic Center. This year, she’s going to have to keep herself from falling for the cute, new guard - or realize it’s time to give love another chance.

Time and Tide by Lynette Sowell, author of the Lone Star Hearts series
When out-of-work fashion journalist Karyn Lewis uses the summer to regroup on the coast of Virginia, she plans to lie low at Pine Breezes campground. She doesn't plan for her heart to be on a collision course with old friend Brodie Reed. They must decide if the past that looms between them will be too much for them to have a future together.

Draw You Near by Jan Thompson, author of the Savannah Sweethearts series
Savannah artist Abilene Dupree keeps her personal life out of her commercial paintings except one. That one painting has now brought Londoner Lars Cargill back to the coastal town and into her art world. Can she hold him at bay before he invades her personal space and her heart?

Orphaned Hearts by Marion Ueckermann, author of the Heart of Africa series
His faith buried with his wife, Simon devotes himself to raising his daughter and orphan elephants. Lady Abigail postpones an arranged marriage, leaving England to teach the children of Africa. Will his past—or her future—keep their hearts orphaned?

Grab a tall glass of lemonade or iced tea and dip your toes into a cool pool of water on a hot summer's day while you enjoy the never-before-released Christian romance novellas in SPLASH! Click here and snag your copy today.