Note & Quote

Hi Readers,

I wanted to write you a quick note today. I’m letting you know that I am working on a post series for the blog. I will not be posting anything this week; I’ll return next Monday. I want the series I’m working on for you guys to be right, which means I need to give it attention and not just slap it together; Please excuse my absence. I speak beautiful experiences and blessings over your week. Thank you for coming to my blog, and I hope you enjoy the series I’m working on for you. Since I don’t want you to go away empty handed today…I give you today’s inspirational quote:

"Since no one is perfect, it follows that all great deeds have been accomplished out of imperfection. Yet they were accomplished, somehow, all the same."
~ Lois McMaster Bujold

Scripture Sunday

Jeremiah 17:7-8

⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
   whose confidence is in him.

⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
   that sends out its roots by the stream.

  It does not fear when heat comes;
  its leaves are always green.

  It has no worries in a year of drought
  and never fails to bear fruit.”

Workin’ the Gift

Do you know your gift? Hope so! You are filled with wonderful gifts and talents. We all have something to contribute to this big rotating world we call earth. You may be well aware of your gifts, and others still have talent that is about to bubble to the surface; at any rate, you have talent.

Even though talent is a big grace, talent still takes work. It’s natural to look at someone who is famous for their talent and feel small and immeasurable. It’s natural to look at someone who is famous for their talent and wish you had that particular skill. What’s wrong with these natural tendencies? One, never measure yourself against someone else, because when you do that, you are really saying that God doesn’t have a special individual plan for you…and obviously HE does. Secondly, if God wanted you to have that particular skill, then HE would have given it to you; don’t wish to have someone’s gift, because you have your own, which is the right gift for you to contribute to this world.

As stated earlier, talent is given and maintained by grace, but it still takes work. Let’s look at an amazing singer for example. We’ve all had that favorite singer of ours that we sing along to in the shower, car, and karaoke bars. We buy their CD’s, go to their concerts, and we memorize the lyrics to our favorite song. Have you ever watched one of those competition shows (you know the one’s I’m referring too)? Every year they get contestants who come for the audition believing to the core that they are the next Mariah or Whitney. Why do they believe this? Apparently, everyone in their rolodex has told them how amazing they sing. You know the next scene. They open their mouth and it sounds like a tortured cat. They can’t sing. They don’t have the ear to sing. And then their dreams get smashed with a reality check from the judges.

The point to the example is this:

You have to be yourself. Don’t ever try to be like someone else. The gift was given to your favorite singer, in the same respect, your gifts were not given to your favorite singer. Be happy for their gifts as you are for your own individual gifts.

When you have a specific gift, all your fans have to do is enjoy it. I can’t sing to save my life, but when I buy that CD…all I have to do is press play and enjoy. For the talented artist who is gifted for song, has to work really hard to maintain that gift…they can’t just sit back and enjoy it. They have vocal coaches and vocal warm-up exercises. Some singers don’t talk all day before a performance in order to save their voice for the show. Some performers like the temperature of the room to be at a certain degree to sound better. They have to memorize song after song after song. They have to work on musicality. They have to rehearse. They can spend months in an expensive recording studio with high tech equipment and song writers and producers, just to make that CD…that same CD you own and only have to press play to enjoy. It’s work for the artist and pleasure for you.

Enjoy your gifts and allow others to enjoy yours, because at the end of the day…we’re all workin’ the gift!

"If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all."
~ Michelangelo Buonarroti

  

Forward Friday

I encourage you to forward some hope today. Find a way, either big or small to help someone today.

They say you’re never more like Jesus, than when you help someone.

It feels good to help someone…so don’t be shy.

Forward a good deed on this Forward Friday.

~Elle

Quote and Thought

“Believe that your life is worth living, and your belief will help create that fact”

 ~ William James

Who are you looking towards to give you that nod of validation? The answer is within you, not outside of you. You have to believe that your life is worth living, because it simple and perfectly is. God does not make junk or mistakes. Why wouldn’t you believe in yourself…the whole universe does!

Scripture

A great scripture to focus on today!

1 Corinthians 13:7

"Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]."

Any Age

I invite you to watch this short video clip. The lady in the video is Ilona Royce Smithkin; she is a small package of inspiration that should lift your spirits and give you hope. She is 90 years old and going strong! She’s a reminder that inspiration can be found at any age!

http://youtu.be/RlqBRHBJZCo

Scripture Sunday

Joshua 1:8 plus footnotes

^{8 "}This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success."

Footnote:

1. “This is the only place in the early English versions where the word "success" is found. The secret of success is given in verses 5 through 9. Joshua accepted Moses' place of leadership without misgivings. God's will for him was his will, and he did not hesitate. To go "all out" for God was already habitual with him; it is the unfailing prerequisite of eternal success (Deut. 6:3-5; Ps. 1:1-3; Luke 10:25-28).”

Source Provided by: biblegateway.com

Say A Little Prayer

Prayer is just talking.

I find that sincere and simple prayers can be just as impactful and powerful

as a long scripture filled prayer.

If all you ever say (pray) is help and thank you…know this:

That little prayer traveled to heaven and was heard.

Sometimes all you need to do is…

say a little prayer.

Forward Friday

Hi Readers! Happy Friday!

It’s Forward Friday for us Readers. Is there something you want to forward this Friday that might make someone smile? If so, forward it!

Sending you well wishes for the weekend! Are you up to anything fun or exciting for the weekend?

Until we meet tomorrow…Happy Friday!

~Elle

Quote

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

~ Thomas A. Edison

Hound Dogs

Can you hear Elvis whaling one of his infamous tunes? You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog! Who says it’s nothing being a hound dog, Elvis? Hound dogs have some serious skills; their overactive nose is baffling and far more superior then any human nose. Tracking, chasing, and pursuing are some descriptive duties for a hound; which is one reason police departments use them for special cases. Look to man’s best friend for some inspiration.

Are there things in your life that you need to hound? You have senses; granted they may not be as strong as a hound’s nose, but at least you don’t have to worry about fleas. Use your senses to pick up on things that you need to track, chase, and pursue.

Look beyond the trails when you’re doing your tracking too. What do I mean by this? Well. When we think of tracking, chasing, and pursuing something, it’s usually in the form of something seen and tangible. Look beyond the depths of the seen realm and start to track, chase, and pursue things like, hope, peace, forgiveness, and kindness.

Detect what needs to change, and sniff your way to a better you. You can even swivel your hips like Elvis while hounding your chases…top that hound dogs!

Quote

“We are all capable and worthy of greatness, so let’s not let our lives become the story of what could have been.  Let’s keep on pushing, keep on believing, keep learning in the face of our failures until we succeed and see our dreams come to life.”

~ Chris Assaad

Shout Out

Happy Monday, Readers!

I want to dedicate this post to a specific reader. I had a post ready for today, but as I went to bed last night, it was put on my heart to give a special shout out to someone!

Now, I know that all my readers are important and special. All of you have had such a wonderful impact on me. Creating a blog and connecting with all of you has been a very fulfilling journey. YOU are loved and valuable…however, I need to give my reader from Indonesia a little extra love today.

Indonesia, thank you for visiting my blog. You are wonderful, special, and most of all, loved by God. You have great days ahead of you, and the Lord has you in the palm of HIS hand.

Everyone, please give a big loving Renewed Corner solute to my reader in Indonesia!!!

Stay blessed and thankful everyone. Let’s make this a great week!

Scripture Sunday

Proverbs 3: 5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ In all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.

I realize that comforting words or scriptures can seem easier said than done. However, scriptures are a lifestyle that you must continually breathe in.  Root yourself in this scripture because the Lord is instructing us. The Lord will direct your path. Do not look at your situation; look at your God. ALL things come together for good when we trust in the Lord. Your path will straighten out.

Quote

"Character may be manifested in the great moments,

but it is made in the small ones."

~ Phillips Brooks

Forward Friday

Grace provided the inspiration for today’s Forward Friday. Whenever someone says to me,

“How do you do that?” I always think….by grace.

Music is a great universal connector. Forward a good song that gets your soul to clap. I’m going to forward a song to you, and don’t be shy to forward a song to someone you care about too!

Happy Friday, Readers!

http://youtu.be/hEU86TsUDWE

Quote & Thought

"How we spend our days is, of course,

how we spend our lives."

~Annie Dillard

Please apply this to how you spend your day thinking and talking too, because that is a reflection to how you will spend your life!

Next Post

I’m still here!

Have you missed me???

Have you been checking to see when

the new post will be up?

Just because you haven’t seen a new post in a couple of days doesn’t mean I’m not working or that I’ve forgotten about you.

In fact, this is a great reminder of

our relationship with the Lord.

We may not see the Lord, but HE is always there.

Sometimes we wait on the Lord, and just because we can’t see any of HIS work (yet), that doesn’t mean

He’s not working.

Keep checking in with the Lord, because

HE never forgets about you.

Sometimes the Lord gives you something when you least expect it…just like my next post.

Expect good things and stay in faith!

Scripture Sunday

He replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice."

~Luke 11:28 NLT

When you hear God’s word, pause and reflect.

When you hear God’s word, and feel HIM speaking to you through HIS word, pause and reflect.

When you have your pause and reflect moments, ask yourself how you can put that word into practice.

It’s one thing to read the word and it’s another to put it into practice.

Remember, God only tells you to do something,

because HE knows the beauty it will produce in your life.

Quote and Thought

"I have always believed that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value."
– Hermann Hesse

Remember that God is bigger than anything you ever experience. God sees everything and has a plan and a path to bring good out of every situation. Like the quote says, whatever comes in your path, you have the ability to bring meaning to it, and transform it into value.

Quote

"I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success,

but I can give you a formula for failure:

Try to please everybody all the time."

~ Herbert Bayard Swope