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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Just yesterday I caught a faint whiff of my absolute, top-it-all favorite scent: orange blossoms. Not only is it an elusive scent to capture (it's not often found in lotions) but it only exists for a few short weeks in the spring. It heralds the coming of warmer weather, and the promise of sweet fruit next year.

I got to thinking about other scents I love, and here are a few more favorites:

Coffee
Roses
Rain on hot pavement or dirt in the summer
Baking bread

Just thinking about those scents makes me happy. Smells are powerful. They remind us of places and people. For example, can you bring up in your mind the smell of your grandparents' home? Hopefully that brings back good memories. Smells comfort and soothe our weary hearts and minds.

As I think about the various good smells in our world, I'm taken immediately to our Creator who designed it all, and incorporated these scents to bring us pleasure while being useful at the same time.

God loves scents too. The Old Testament speaks of the aroma of sacrifice as being pleasing to the Lord. The New Testement in 2 Corinthians 2:15 tells us, "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." That's a powerful image!

Today I'd like to encourage you to bring some of your favorite scents into your life. Buy some flowers at the grocery store, splurge on a plug-in room freshener, light a candle, put some cloves in an orange, simmer pot-pourri or citrus peels on the stove, or bake some cookies for your family.

As you do, think about our Creator who gave us the sense of smell. Share this idea with your family and find out their favorites scents. Use this as a family discussion over dinner. Then maybe find ways to bring these wonderful smells into your life more.



I'd love to bless someone today with the gift of a book I got. As an editor I often get preview books. It's called "Closer Than Your Skin: Unwrapping the Mystery of Intimacy With God" by Susan D. Hill.

To be in the running, please submit a comment with your favorite scent. If there's a why associated with why it's your favorite, please let us know. I'll do a random drawing on Friday afternoon of all those who submit their favorite and contact you to get your address.

In His Love - Glynnis

31 comments:

Pamela (His maidservant) said...

Hands down, my favorite scent is coffee! I could drink this day or night but have deen told to loosen up on it (hence the cause behind a health issue)-BUMMER! Remember that "we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing" 2 Cor 2:15.
Have a blessed day!
In His Graces~Pamela

Wanita said...

I would have to say coffee. I love walking into Barnes and Noble, getting a cup of coffee, and checking out the books and magazines. Of course, I really like the scent of coffee early in the morning, too. My husband often makes the coffee before I wake up, and I can smell it before I even get out of bed. What a treat!

Unknown said...

I love the scent of an approaching rain. Sigh...it is so clean and fresh and wonderful. I feel at peace.

I also love the smell of a home cooked meal...I'll even walk out of the house for a while and then come back in so I can smell the meal afresh!

Rebecca
tiggerdaisy@gmail.com

Amy Wyatt said...

Oh Glynnis... when you said the smell of rain in the summer - it so brought back memories of my childhood. My cousins and I used to sit on the front porch swing during a thunderstorm and watch it rain. We would always look for a rainbow afterwards. Thanks for bringing back this sweet memory. Rain in the summer is definitely my favorite.

Amy Wyatt said...

Oh Glynnis... when you said the smell of rain in the summer - it so brought back memories of my childhood. My cousins and I used to sit on the front porch swing during a thunderstorm and watch it rain. We would always look for a rainbow afterwards. Thanks for bringing back this sweet memory. Rain in the summer is definitely my favorite.

Michelle said...

One of my favorite scents is the combination of salt water, fresh air and sand at the beach. I have many happy family memories from my childhood and with my child at the beach. The ocean always centers me, so the scent is calming.

Laura said...

Goodness, I love the smell of honey suckle and rain in the summer. We had honey suckle growing at our front entrance court yard of the house I grew up in. I loved it!

Cindy W said...

I have 2 favorite smells

1- That smell that comes from the oven when brownies or cookies are ready to get out!

2- The beach, salty air and sand- it relaxes me immediately.

Cindy

Deb said...

My favorite scents are honeysuckle and cinnamon. Honeysuckle reminds me of spring and warm weather. The cinnamon reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen and the love expressed through home baked treats. Have a great day.

Deb

Cheri said...

The scent of a baby! MMMMMM.... there is no other! My baby who is 2now will probably be rubbed down with baby lotion until he turns
15. He is number 3 for us and he is our last. The smell of rain is a distant second.

Rae said...

My favorites are the following:

1. my daughter Evie
2. baby lotion--I use it instead of adult lotion;o)
3. lilacs--where I live this is really a sign that spring/summer is here
4. the first freshly mowed lawn of summer
5. fresh bread
6. my husband's cologne

Coffee With Char said...

Ah. . . freshly cut grass. . . that has to be my very favorite scent! When I was a child, we had a huge St. Augustine lawn. It was always special to be with my dad on Saturdays, spending quality time with him and helping him by cleaning up the grass cuttings after he mowed the lawn. To this day, I smile when I smell freshly cut grass because it brings back sweet memories of my dad and me.

May this bring back sweet memories to you and your readers.

Have a God-filled day!
Charlene

Anonymous said...

I love the scent of jasmine flowers. We lived in southern California for 18 months about 10 years ago. Jasmine grows everywhere there and the scent just fills the air. That's one of the things I miss most about California.

Anonymous said...

On of my favorite scents if Candid perfume by Avon. I don't particularly care for it, but it says "my Grandma" to me. When her house was destroyed by a flood, it had to be tore down. The first time I visited her new home, it just didn't "smell" right. I happened to open the door to the master bedroom closet...and there it was. All of my G'mas clothes hanging there and smelling like her!! I just walked in, shut the door, and enjoyed the moment.

Anonymous said...

My favorite scent is pine. It reminds me of my favorite time of year, CHRISTmas. I love the smell of fresh christmas tress, fresh christmas wreaths. It reminds me of so much joy as a child, laughing and having fun. Just the other day, I was walking near where I work and I smelled the wonderful scent! It was a CHRISTMAS Tree laying on the sidewalk....in Februay! I know God had me walk that way that day. It instantly brought a huge smile to my face.

Sherry said...

I have a few favorites:
- roses
- baked apple pie
- burning wood (fireplace or stove)

and a couple of fragrances:
Love Spell perfume
Tommy cologne

I am even more appreciative of our sense of smell as I am coming down with a cold or flu so my nose is not up to snuff... lol.

Anonymous said...

My very favorite scent is the way my 3-year-old son's hair smells of baby shampoo when I am drying it, with a nice fluffy towel, as he steps his beautiful little freshly scrubbed toes out of the bathtub. Ahh!

Celly B said...

I love the smell of wisteria; it's so short-lived but so sweet. I also love the smell of almonds.

Danelle said...

This probably sounds funny, but I love the Hazelnut scented candles from Walmart! Oh, and freshly baked cookies are wonderful, too.

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Clean laundry as its scent radiates from a neighbor's vent as I am walking by..."Gain" being the preferred aroma!

~elaine

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Clean laundry as its scent radiates from a neighbor's vent as I am walking by..."Gain" being the preferred aroma!

~elaine

24/7 MOMS said...

That is EASY..chocolate...I am a chocoholic...My 6 year old will say to me "MOM, what is that smell??" "Do I smell chocolate in your mouth AGAIN?" GREAT now I have to share my hidden chocolate with my 6 year old...then again its always more fun to share with one who appreciates the smell as much as I do.

MissGrace8 said...

I love the smell of baseball - not the ball itself, but the game. My boys play, and love to be on the field, and the smell of fresh air, grass and dirt reminds me of them and invites me to be outside with them. It's the same smell that comes through the open windows in the springtime or early summer when the grass is still green and has just been cut.

Laura said...

I absolutely love the smell of a brand new book! One time I was reading to my son's first grade class and I asked the kids if they could guess what the first thing I do with a new book is. Of course, they all said "read it?" At that point I opened the book and inhaled deeply and told them how much I love the smell of a new book. They thought I was nuts!

Anonymous said...

There is nothing better than the smell of fresh flowers as you plant them in the garden. Spring is in the air!

Glynis said...

* Old books (not musty, just old)
* Lavendar
* Coffee
* Hot chocolate chip cookies

Great post!

Alyce said...

Oh my..when you said rain on warm pavement..I have never thought of that and once I read that..my mind immediately went to the summer time and summer rains..Yes..what an awesome smell. And for me, the daughter of a farmer...the smell of summer rain is a praise..being in the south, where droughts in summer are common..we need those rains for the crops. I too love the smell of coffee..the taste of it too. I love love the smells of campfires. Its such a cozy warm smell and feeling. I love the smell of the ocean. I love the salt air and the sound of the waves. Its so wonderful to get up early and see the sun rising over the ocean and know that is GOD!!
I also love the smell of a clean baby. I don't have babies anymore..but its nice to smell my 7 and 4 year old once they've had a bath too.
Take care and thanks for taking us down memory lane w/ scents!

Blessings~Alyce

earthangel said...

definitely damask roses...can't remember who it was right now that said something to the effect that if you want to smell like roses, you have to spend time in God's rose garden...God has blessed me a rose garden right outside my office door to remind me of this every hectic and stress-filled day!

Laura said...

I received the book! So sorry it has taken me forever to let you know. Life has been a little crazy around here. No excuse though - I am sorry! And thank you! I can't wait to find a little time to curl up and read it!

Melissa @ Half Dozen Mama said...

I love that you wrote about this! I have always had an ultra sensitive sense of smell. It can be a blessing and a curse. But when I'm most blessed is when I smell...
--honeysuckle
--cilantro being chopped up for salsa
--coffee
--a fire burning in the fireplace with the awesome smell of pinon wood that dh cut himself.

Can't wait to read all the other comments! Enjoyed your blog.

Anonymous said...

I love the scent of my husband that lingers in our bed every morning. After he crawls out, I roll over onto his side and breathe in his aroma. It's heavenly!
Caroline