Creativity

I read that Jarbas Agnelli saw a newspaper photo of a large flock of black birds sitting on the wires and recognized that their configuration looked very much like a musical score.



I think the Creator of the universe shows off His creativity in all kinds of ways if we will just open our eyes and see.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Psalm 19:1-3

The musician who saw the picture of those birds and also saw musical notes had his eyes open to more than a group of birds sitting on a wire.  I think God opened his eyes to see the arrangement. 

God shows off His creativity every day in every way, like gifts left to surprise and enchant us.  The sunrise He paints every morning is just the beginning...the mist rising from the ground as warm and cool meet...the birds singing...the dew shining like diamonds as the suns rays hit it. 

Even the rain is a symphony as the rhythm of the rain drops hit the roof, the clap of  thunder, the crashing lighting.  The smell following a rain is indescribable.

Ever seen the aftermath of an ice storm in the sunshine?  Ice storms can be very destructive but also amazingly beautiful, friends and family in Southeast Missouri have stories to tell of power outages that lasted for days but the pictures they shared were breath taking.

The silence as snow falls and blankets the world in white...then a cardinal landing on the deck railing, his bright red feathers in stark contrast to the white of snow.

I wonder how many times I've been too busy, too self absorbed, too focused on my own things, to stop and see the gift God had on display through His creation?  

A child's laugh, a new born babies cry, a puppies wagging tail, the silky feel of a kitten's fur, the colors of a sunset, the multitude of stars twinkling in the night sky, the glow of the moon rising over the peaks of the mountains. 

Birds lined up on a telephone wire...God music.

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

-How Great Thou Art

Counting my blessings

Today I'm thankful for...

21.  Our car is repaired and life can get back to normal...even if I will miss Sirius radio!

22.  My daughter's words of encouragement in a message she sent...it brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

23.  Prayer time with my friend Julie in VA...9/8 central.

24.  The dew on the grass this morning reminded me of the hymn "In The Garden".

25.  A no makeup day...the real me with no fuss or bother.

26.  The family news hot line...phone calls to my sister and sister-in-law.

27.  Chris Tomlin's song "Our God"...reminded me that "our God is greater, our God is stronger...God you are healer, awesome in power."  I need to be reminded of that.

28.  Scrap booking with friends.  One of the elements of a page was the word "Happiness".  We all laughed when the comment was made that we couldn't leave out the happiness.

29.  Sharing thoughts on prayer on my sister-in-laws facebook wall...it bled over into the comments...we have the same heart when it comes to prayer.

30.  A wonderful Monday full of blessing and reminders of God's love for me.

Photos: Daughter and I; VA friend and I; my sister and sister-in-law; the other Penny.

One Thousand Gifts with the Gratitude Community of Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience.

Shared prayers...

Sunday evenings our church holds a prayer meeting.  There was no evening service on Sunday and a few of us were interested in meeting for prayer every week.  Wednesday evenings every room in the church is used for other ministry so Sunday night became the night of choice. 

There aren't many of us.  We were 12 tonight.  Families are pulled here and yonder all week so I truly understand the desire to stay at home on Sunday night...choosing the better thing means different things to different people as we all are walking different paths in life. 

There have been evenings I dragged my feet to get ready to go...especially during bad weather.  Knowing that with God, the attitude of my heart is everything, I have silently prayed for God to prepare me for what He is going to do where two or three are gathered together...or ten or twelve.

Amazingly, no matter how bad the weather; how many or few attend; whether or not my whole heart is engaged as we arrive...God is always there. 

Not once in the ten months we've had prayer meeting has God failed to show up...Holy Spirit moves among us...in us...through us.  Bringing to mind needs, people, marriages, families, ministry, sin, the sick.  Our prayers for one another draw us into a holy communion with one another and our God.  The prayers touch my heart...I know they must touch God's heart.  I keep the tissue close.

We pray as a group, we may move to a quiet area and pray alone.  We may break up into groups of two or three.  No matter how we decide to arrange ourselves, it's all about the prayer.   

To hear someone speak on my behalf to our Father...

...humbling... 

        ...encouraging.

Prayer.  

Communication with a holy God.

His idea.

Changing us from the inside out.

Knitting us together.

Unifying the believers.

Awesome!

   

Simple Pleasures

Summer is nearly half over...time is flying by. If you're like me you need to make a list so you don't forget to do those things you want to do. Simple things...things that just fit perfectly in with the lazy days of summer. Just because I make a list doesn't mean I'm going to complete the list but if I don't make a list, chances are I'll never do them. Life is short, I need to be intentional about living it.

Have you made a list?  If you do make a list I'd love to know what's on your list...perhaps I'll like your idea so much I'll add it to my own!

I intend to check off each one of these simple pleasures. 

1.  Become more familiar with the bells and whistles on my camera..find the book.
2.  Have a picnic dinner by the lake
3.  Attend a St. Louis Cardinals home game

4.  Visit Scott AFB in IL and shop at the BX & Commissary - it's been forever!

5.  Drive down to our home town and buy fresh peaches

6.  Eat fresh tomato sandwiches

7.  make homemade ice cream

8.  catch a chick flick with my daughter-in-law

9.  make sun tea

10. go to the drive-in

11. visit my sister and get pedicures together

12. eat the center out of a fresh watermelon

*photos are of #7

Sweet Surprises

Three red roses. 

It's not my birthday.

It's not our anniversary.

It's not a special day...just a regular day.

Three red roses...just...because.

For me.

From my love.

He thought of me.

He made a plan to stop on the way home from work.

He took the time.

He paid for them with money earned with his strong, gentle hands.

He carried them home on the seat of his truck.

He searched for the small vase to place them in.

He trimmed them to fit and filled it with water.

He put the vase on the dining room table...where I like to display flowers.

He waited for me to come home.

Red roses...for me.

Love.

How I love that smile that also twinkles in his eyes when he is pleased because I am pleased.

Three red roses from my love, to me!

My nothing special day just received an upgrade to something special.

Thank you Father for unexpected expressions of love and affection.  Thank you for him.  Thank you for a love that has grown deep over the years.  Thank you for showing us early on that a marriage takes three.  You, him, and me 

And though a man might prevail against him who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Rest...

Rest is God's idea.  After creating the heavens and the earth and everything in them, God rested. 

When I think of rest I think of sleep...fresh sheets, pillows and sweet dreams. 

Rest is to stop an activity or motion...sometimes we need a rest from our vacation...definitely need rest from work.

Rest is relief from inner turmoil...quieting the thoughts running through my head.  Fear, doubt, and worry seem to speak loudest in the dark.

When I can't rest from the day, when the events are replayed over and over in my mind so that rest is chased away like a frightened lamb, then I need to pray.  It is only when I rest in Him, sharing my day's trouble, unburdening my heart and mind that I can truly rest. 

I remember when my children were babies and toddlers, holding them close at night, rocking them, singing to them.  I could feel the tension ease from their little bodies as they gave up the fight against sleep.  I savored the feel of their warm breath on my neck, the sweet smell of baby soap from their evening bath.  Their childish jabbering interrupted by deep yawns as their eyes grew heavy.  The rhythm of their heart beating close to mine as their breathing became regular and deep.  Is there anything sweeter than to have your child fall to sleep in your arms?

I used to think if I fell to sleep while laying in bed praying then I failed God in some way.  If that were the only time I spent in prayer then yes, God deserves better than my falling asleep during our prayer time.  But when I spend my last conscious moments resting in Him, giving Him my cares, seeking the peace that only He can provide; I can fall asleep just as a child falls asleep in the safety and comfort of a parents arms.  I am His child.  He is my Father. 

Wishing you rest from this days activity...praying you find your rest in Him!  There is no better place to be.  Sweet dreams! 

 

At Holy Experience we’re talking about The Spiritual Practice of Rest.

Hurting People Hurt People

When a child grows up in a family where the daddy uses a switch cut from a tree to whip her; where a slap from across the kitchen table is so hard that the blow knocks her out of her chair and does irreparable damage to her ear drum; where she is locked into a closet for trespasses committed; that child is going to carry the scars of abuse deep within for the rest of her life. 

My mom was an abused child.  Her daddy was mean. Her mother was powerless to protect her children.  While nothing to the degree of the abuse she grew up with, my mother carried traces of that abuse into her parenting. 

When I became a parent I couldn't imagine ever crossing the line between discipline and abuse.  Until I faced my own rage over something my son did or didn't do when he was about six years old.  I remember grabbing him by the shoulder and screaming at him.  I saw the tears and the fear on his little face and I was shocked that I was the cause of both.  I remember my man telling me to calm down.  I remember the shame and guilt as well as the grief I felt inside.  I remember the fear I felt...that I could be so angry.  

I ran to my room and cried...I cried for my son, myself and my mom.  I prayed for forgiveness and I asked for God's help.  I asked God to heal our family of the cycle of abuse that was about to overtake another generation.  I wish I could say I never went into  another screaming fit again but my children can testify that I did.  

My daughter and I were talking about parenting a few years back.  We were discussing how I was a different parent than my mother; she would be a different parent than I had been.  I reminded her that while my mom and I had been children of abuse, the cycle of abuse had stopped with me.  She and her brother were on the receiving end of God's grace when He answered my prayer to break the cycle.

I'm thankful that God heals broken people.  I'm thankful that His forgiveness flows through us so that we can forgive others.  I'm thankful that He uses our scars and brokenness to show others His healing power. 

Today is my mom's birthday.  God has blessed me with a love and compassion for her that I didn't know was possible.  He has given me spiritual eyes to see the broken, battered, abused child she tries to hide from the world.  I am so very thankful to the woman who carried me and cared for me.  I am thankful beyond words for a loving Father who excels at healing hurting people.

Multitude Monday
Ten things I'm thankful for this week:

11.  homemade ice cream

12.  my mom

13.  Forgiveness

14.  answered prayer

15.  Spiritual discernment

16.  Jordon's hugs

17.  Holly's new job

18.  back scratches

19.  naps

20.  three day weekends 

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