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Thursday, August 29, 2013

God's Creation

One of my hobbies is taking pictures--my camera goes with me everywhere and I snap away until I get something I likeI love to take pictures of food and write about recipes and the people who prepared the dish.

One day I was out and noticed the clouds forming in the sky which were breathtakingly beautiful.  

I took several shots--here are a few of my favorites--









One of the ways I feel the power and presence of God is by looking at the beauty of His creationSeems like the psalmist agrees with me. 


Psalm 8:1-4

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?[c]




Psalm 104:1-3

Praise the Lord, my soul.
Lord my God, you are very great;
    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
    he stretches out the heavens like a tent
    and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
    and rides on the wings of the wind


   
 joy



Friday, August 16, 2013

"Say What"




I started this bible study What Happens When Women Say Yes to God because I wanted to start saying yes to God more often.  You see--I believe God speaks to us frequently…very frequently.  I know that I let the distractions of the life I  have created make it easier for me to use selective hearing with  God.    It is easy to say Yes to those things that I want to do and easy to turn a deaf ear to those things that I don't really want to do.  Sometimes God asks me to say yes in a big way and sometimes he asks me to say yes in small ways.    

After our youngest daughter graduated from high school, my husband and I had an opportunity to say yes to God in a "Say What" kind of way.  

After some back and forth, we plunged forward with the opportunity.  Seemingly overnight I stepped into a world in which I was completely out of my element. Like a spoiled child, I told God  that since I was doing this, He was going to have to hold my hand.   I like to think that He just laughed at me like a parent laughs at a child with love and understanding.  Now I know  that Isaiah 41:13  says "For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."   

The first few months I proved to be irritable, moody, difficult, crabby and grumpy.  Ever so slowly I began to change.  Saying Yes to God allowed me the opportunity to leave some old things behind and start anew.  I started reading a daily devotional by Sarah Young entitled Jesus Speaks.  Now I eagerly start the day with my quiet prayer time and bible reading.

Saying Yes to God allowed me to participate in an online scripture memorization group and helped me to find the online bible study series by Proverbs 31.   

Saying Yes to God allowed us to meet people who graciously have given us advice and encouragement, people of great faith, people God has placed in our path. 

Saying Yes to God allowed me to spot the distractions I have created that keep me away from God's will.

Saying Yes to God in a big way opened my mind to saying Yes to God in small ways like offering a helping hand when I see someone in need or just talking to the cashier at the grocery store.  It seems that my eyes have been opened to the needs of others and not so focused on my needs.

Saying Yes to God allowed me to look in awe and wonder at His magnificent creation.