When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ~John 8:12
Danny and I are on one of our regular shopping trips to Aldi when I spy an entire endcap loaded with fresh tulips. With our anniversary right around the corner and Easter, too, we decide to purchase two bunches to adorn our dining table. Their cheerful yellow hues are an embodiment of the warm spring sunshine and the vibrant, new life emerging all around us.
As I'm seated right in front of them, working on my laptop, I have a front row seat to these beauties. That's why I witness how the morning light, ever shifting as we move toward summer, streams in from the windows behind me, drawing my attention to them as a spotlight aimed at actors on a stage.
"Light" is my one word for 2026. The thought of how the presence of light, or lack thereof, changes the tulips' appearance inspires the following photos.
The differences are obvious, aren't they? But you can tell, too, that the essence of what the tulips are remains the same.
That's what we experience when we choose to follow Jesus. We may go through dark times of uncertainty, yet because we know He is the light of life, we can trust completely in Him to guide us through any storm we may face. We, who are made in God's image and made anew in Jesus', carry the essence of the One who willingly came to die for us and for our sins. We are fully reconciled to the Father through His Son's sacrifice on our behalf.
The day of Easter may have come and gone, but the eternal promise of light and life lingers. May we resolve to greet each new dawn with renewed hope because of Jesus. He is the light of the world and the light of our lives.
Amen!
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This is so true!!! And the tulips are beautiful, like indoor sunlight.
ReplyDeleteThat's a perfect description of the tulips, Ginny. Indoor sunlight . . . They've certainly been brightening my mornings.
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What a wonderful reflection for Easter time. Thank you so much, Martha. Christ is the Light of the world.
ReplyDeleteGod bless always.
Amen, Victor! Jesus is and always will be the Light of the world.
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Lovely tulips. I may have to plant some more this fall.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Glynn! I tried planting tulips here soon after Danny and I got married, but it turns out that deer enjoy eating them. I had to stick with daffodils.
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The Light of the World's presence is evident in the life of the person who either claims it or not. Light dispels darkness. The contrast in pictures illustrates that difference.
ReplyDeleteYes, Bill, the light of Jesus does shine in and through those who believe. May we all be those lights that dispel darkness in our world.
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I love taking photos and lighting makes such a difference in the way they turn out. I appreciated your words on light, and knowing who the Light of the World is!
ReplyDeleteTulips are so beautiful!
I do enjoy seeing your photos, Mari. Lighting can and does make all the difference in how objects appear. So happy that we both know in whom we have light and life.
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Gorgeous tulips!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christine. I think so, too.
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I absolutely love this, Martha. You not only unveiled the beauty of those tulips (one of my favorite flowers, by the way), but you pointed out a profound reality. The beauty of the blooms did not reside in the positioning or intensity of the atmosphere around them. It lives in the flower itself. That profound insight was such a blessing for us to contemplate this morning. I see so many people who seem to evaluate themselves on their success in adjusting to the "light" in which they hope to display themselves. What an exercise in emptiness that turns out to be for so many. The Apostle, Paul, said that he did not judge himself. What wisdom is found in those few words. We have neither the perspective nor the prorogative to be our own judges. It's obvious that our fallen human nature can find a way to justify the most depraved and destructive behaviors imaginable. Thank you for reminding us that we, like those tulips, are His design. Whatever our particular color might be, we are bearers of His image and are here to bring the beauty He designed into us regardless of the tone or intensity of the atmosphere around us. God bless you, dear sister, and may you and Danny have some wonderful table fellowship around those beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteI'm so appreciative of your kind and deeply reflective words here, Ron. We certainly don't have the perspective nor the privilege to be our own judges. And when we shine our own light upon something we've accomplished and are proud of, we miss the mark and mislead others by our false image of who we really are. Let us keep our focus on being our true selves - God's children.
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Beautiful reflection, dear Martha. And your photos are absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your sweet words here, Linda. Glad you liked the flowers!
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Are you reading my mind, dear Martha! I've been pining for tulips -- yellow, to be exact, for several weeks now. Maybe it would behoove me to actually go inside a Garden Center (lol).
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these joy-full beings!
How does that saying go? Great minds think alike? Yep, they do in this case, Myra! I still can't believe we found these at Aldi and for such a bargain price. Yellow, especially in spring, is a favorite of ours, too.
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The flowers are beautiful and yellow is my favorite color. Love the words that you shared about Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words, Debby, and I'm glad to know that yellow is your favorite color. So cheerful! Jesus always brings light and life into our hearts just as the tulips do.
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Beautifully said. The tulips are lovely and I agree with your analogy on light and the absense of light. Made me think of "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" Psalm 119:105 Have a blessed week ahead, Martha!
ReplyDeleteThat's one of my favorite verses in Psalms, Terri. How did you know? So glad you enjoyed this post today.
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thecontemplativecat here I haven't seen beautiful tulips in a long time. the ones in Lowe;'s look pretty miserable.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that, Susan. You would think a place like Lowe's would have the best plants you could find. We were so surprised to find these lovely tulips at Aldi, of all places.
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Light makes such a difference! In the third photo, the tulips appear lit from within, a lovely image to accompany Matthew 5:16 about letting our light (our God-enhanced character) shine!
ReplyDeleteI so love the observation you made regarding the third photo, Nancy, as you have called our attention to the God-enhanced character within us all. Light does make a difference and the light of Christ makes ALL the difference.
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Those tulips are so pretty, to me yellow is a happy colour
ReplyDeleteYellow is a happy color, Jo-Anne, and one that always makes me think of spring sunshine and God's loving warmth in our lives.
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The tulips were so pretty. Happy anniversary! I like how you tied all the 'light' together. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" !!
ReplyDeleteSandie, I love how you've posted this verse from Psalms which, as I told Terri, is one of my favorites. The tulips have certainly been a delight in this Easter season and for our anniversary, too. Thanks for mentioning it!
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These are so beautiful and very pretty color.
ReplyDeleteYellow is such a cheerful color, Nas, and the tulips have certainly brightened our days.
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Beautiful tulips, Martha something we dont see here, enjoying them. And a lovely thought on our beautiful Jesus too, Shaz in Oz.x
DeleteThanks so much for your kind words here, Shaz. I wasn't aware that you don't have tulips in Australia. They embody spring here.
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I’m so thankful for Jesus’ light and life.
ReplyDeleteSo am I, Diana! Where would we be without Jesus' eternal light and life?
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Bom dia, Martha
ReplyDeleteLinda reflexão. Parabéns pelo aniversário de casamento. Que Jesus abençoe sempre vocês. Ele é a Luz do mundo e brilha em nossos corações. Belas tulipas. Um forte abraço.
Thanks for the anniversary wishes, Lucinalva! Jesus is most definitely the light of the world and we our hearts should always reflect His light.
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Absoluetly beautiful, Martha! The tulips and the light-filled message. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you like the tulips and the message, Deb.
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Wow, Martha. Those lilies are so beautiful indeed. Love the analogy and how you said, "We may go through dark times of uncertainty, yet because we know He is the light of life, we can trust completely in Him to guide us through any storm we may face." Jesus and His light is the essence of who we are. Hope you have a great anniversary. We celebrated 41 years this week on April 6. God bless.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to you and Mike, too, Karen! I'm glad that you liked the analogy here and took the time and care to quote me back so thoughtfully. Jesus is the essence of who we are and who we are becoming.
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Tulips are beautiful and the message that accompanies it is a beautiful reminder of God's light in our lives.
ReplyDeleteTulips are beautiful, Bill, as is your affirming message here. May our lives ever shine the light of Jesus to everyone we encounter.
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Praise God for the hope we have in Jesus. Your tulips are so pretty! I like to buy daffodils this time of the year but we couldn't afford them this year. Everything is so expensive. Have a blessed evening.
ReplyDeleteDaffodils are lovely, too, Regina, but we have lots of them that bloom in the yard each spring to enjoy. The tulips at Aldi were surprisingly inexpensive. And yes, our hope is in Jesus always!
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Oh yes! Light does make such a difference in our lives...the Light of Christ is the biggest and best difference of all! I had my eyes dilated the other day, and it was amazing to me how bright everything was, so bright that I had to wear dark glasses even indoors because of the bright lights of the TV, the computer, the lights everywhere in the house! I was very thankful when the pupils finally went back to normal and I could see things with the proper light. Jesus helps us see things more clearly too. Thank you for this "inSIGHTful" post!!
ReplyDeleteI read your recent post about having to have your eyes dilated and having to wear those sunglasses even indoors, Pamela. Been there, done that! I love how you tied your own experience to the brightness of Jesus' light and how He helps us to see the world more clearly. He is the light of the world and light of our lives. Thanks for sharing your "inSIGHTs" with everyone here.
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He is the light of the world indeed Martha Jane. And those tulips... they might come from Holland as we export 2 to 3 billion bulbs each year!
ReplyDeleteBillions??? Wow, Marja, I didn't know that. How impressive! I'm so thankful, too, that Jesus is the light of the world.
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The tulips are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteI love how you connected their changing glow with the constancy of Christ’s light.
Such a beautiful reminder that even when shadows fall, His essence never fades.
Blessings, Martha!
Thanks, Veronica! I'm glad to know the analogy presented here struck a chord with you. Yes, Christ's light is the same yesterday, today and forever.
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Boa tarde irmã Martha, essas tulipas, são muito lindas. Acho que eu nunca tive a oportunidade, de ver algumas no Brasil. Uma excelente tarde de sexta-feira e um grande abraço do seu irmão em Cristo Jesus, do estado do Rio de Janeiro, no Brasil.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to hear from you, Luiz! I do believe that tulips are mostly produced in the Netherlands and aren't native to the Western Hemisphere. The USA imports many of these from Europe.
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Stunning beauty, those bright tulips! A work of art by our Creator.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
God never cuts corners, does He? Yes, the spot light shone on these beauties immediately drew my attention to the Light of the world, Debra.
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These photos are beautiful and truly do show the effect of light! Just as you said, our lives should reflect the light of Jesus shining in us and reflecting to others. Beautiful, Martha!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words here, Pam. Yes, our lives certainly should shine the light of Jesus to others and I always hope I'm just one of His beacons each and every day.
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Yellow tulips (and yellow roses) are some of the most cheerful flowers of creation!!
ReplyDeleteAren't they, Barbara? I simply love both.
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Boa tarde minha querida Irmã Martha, sirvo como um Evangelista, numa Assembleia de Deus, aqui no estado do Rio de Janeiro Brasil.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that, Luiz. Thanks for sharing with all of us here today and for coming by my blog.
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Ah what a wonderful teaching tool about light Martha. Yes He is the Light of the World. Thank you for reminding us. Adore your tulips and hope your anniversary is wonderful as well. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know this post resonated with you, Debbie. Yes, Jesus is, and always will be, the Light of the World! We enjoyed both the tulips and our anniversary, too.
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Dear Friend;
ReplyDeleteThe longer we live and the more we experience changes in life, and the loss of people, places, and things that we love, The more we appreciate what it really means that God is unchanging and will always be there and will never leave us.
I couldn't have expressed this sentiment and reality any better than you have here today, Cloudia. I'm so very grateful that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
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Beautiful flowers! And from Aldi:) I enjoyed the lesson learned through your flowers, too! Happy Monday -
ReplyDeleteWe were both so thrilled to find these tulips at a bargain price at Aldi, Jennifer. The flowers made our Easter and anniversary even more valuable and meaningful. Thanks for coming by!
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Beautiful images and message! Thinking of a friend who asked me to lift her up into the light as she is going through a tough time. Light is so healing isn't it? A great word of the year!
ReplyDeleteIt truly is, Jean. And what a wonderful image your friend created when she asked you to lift her into the light. Wow! May she find that light to be healing.
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I love spring yellow. Temperatures have not been stable. Take care.
ReplyDeleteSpring yellows are some of my favorites, too, RC. Sorry that your temperatures have been all over the place. Hope everything settles down for you weatherwise.
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