I took this colorful photo of a monarch butterfly with my phone this week. Apparently, he was drawn to the butterfly weeds James planted in one of our front beds. The vibrant orange in its wings, coupled with the bright hues from the crepe myrtle behind it made for a striking shot.
Having lived in Texas for the majority of my life, I've enjoyed watching these beautiful winged insects as they make their way south to Mexico, heading for warmer temperatures. Often referred to as "The King of Butterflies", the monarch, with its highly recognizable orange and black showy display, always makes me smile anytime I'm fortunate enough to have one grace my garden.
And, Speaking of Wings . . .
In addition to butterflies, I'm also a big fan of angels. A few years ago I learned that, contrary to what I'd always believed, not all angels have wings!
I know, right?
Well, yes! According to the Bible, there are only two types of angels described as possessing wings: cherubin and seraphim.
In Exodus 25:20 it reads: “The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces to one another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.” In Ezekiel 1 and 10, the cherubim described also have wings—four each in his visions!
In Isaiah 6, the prophet Isaiah saw a vision from God that included angels called seraphim: Above him stood the seraphim. “Each had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”
Other Biblical passages speak of travel of angels as if they were flying (Daniel 9:21), however; a supernatural angel could fly with or without wings. This was also the case in Revelation 14:6 which describes an angel that clearly flew, with no mention of having wings.
Another example of a wingless angel would be the one who announced the coming of Jesus to Mary. She recognized him as an angel but gave no description of a winged-being. I find this particularly interesting since I grew up admiring the angels surrounding baby Jesus in the large ceramic nativity scene my father made. During the holidays, my mom would carefully set up the display on our dining room hutch. Her final touch was to add a tri-colored rotating lamp that would cast all the colors in the rainbow over the smooth, mother-of-pearl figurines as it spun around.
I remember there were several angels in the set, and all of them had incredible wings. However; as an adult, when I referred to Luke 2:13, I found this: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God.” Again, no mention of wings! Hmm!
Perhaps my favorite scripture on angels is found in Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
I’d say that the best way to go through life is found in First John 4:7-8: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and everyone who loves has been begotten of God and knows God. He who does not love has not known God, because God is love."
If we truly love one another, we’ll always find a way to be another person’s angel—with or without the wings!
Closet ClotheSure Challenge 2020 - Week 34 Recap
Monday:
Burgundy Jennifer Lopez capri pants with a short-sleeve Ann Taylor silk top - Gone! Why? There's just not much happening with this ensemble. I've had the top for years and the pants are getting faded after multiple dry cleanings.
Tuesday:
So, this is a little more involved! I love the designer top by V. Christina, but the blue trousers from New York & Co. will be hitting the reject pile.
Wednesday:
Zip--backed, white and black striped sweater from White House Black Market looks great paired with the short pencil skirt from New York & Co.! I'm ridding myself of both pieces because the sweater has an irritating nylon thread under the armpits that drives me NUTS! And, the skirt (a dreaded size 6) is a wee bit snug on my tush! For those of you wondering, James suggested I do something different with my hands for this shot. That's why I've got a different pose for this photo!
Thursday:
Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!!!!!!
I absolutely adore this hunter green, wrap-around dress from White House Black Market. (And, did I mention it has pockets?) I have the perfect shoes (Charming Charlie) and, thanks to my friend Janet, the perfect handbag to finish this look.
From The Garden -
My grand-dog Dallas is making sure that everything is in tip-top shape in preparation for the baby shower we're hosting next weekend! This red hound has added such joy to all of our lives! I can't even begin to tell you how many wounds his little puppy teeth have inflicted on me, but I will say, every one of them is worth it!
Friends, I'll leave you with this photo of some tall, purple Mexican petunias James and I planted down by the creek. I've always marveled at the hardiness of these profuse, perennials, and hope they'll propagate alongside the watershed below our property. Years ago, we discovered that in the heat of the afternoon, these plants making a popping sound as they release their seeds. It's kind of fun to listen to them go!
Wishing everyone a blessed week and please remember, God is in control and hope is on the move!
As always, if you need prayer, please reach out to me. I'm always here if you need a sounding board -
In Him,
Monica