TUESDAY TRUTH....

Tuesday truth through a kitchen window.....

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Last week our family witnessed the dry land Earth in new places  and the gathered waters he called Seas. (Genesis 1:10)

This morning as I sat by the kitchen window, I could gaze on the vegetation and plants yielding seed.....within as stone's throw. 

A place of grace!

God allowed me to "Be Still"----nothing open but my eyes to see what He had for me! "Less of me and MORE of Thee!"

AMEN!!!

OUR CREATOR!

On this misty mountain morning, I would feel lonely except for the Presence of the Lord and the blessings & prayers of friends from afar! 

Anne Brewer--November Calendar

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, 

for the love which from our birth, over and around us lies. 

Lord of all to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

 

Even with the chill of the mountain air, I feel warm inside. The sun brings warmth to my toes. They are tapping. I feel like dancing....a ridiculous idea from someone who has trouble staying vertical on most days.

But God.....in His love and mercy has me considering dancing as I hum to quiet my soul. Humming to diminish the  noise in my head and heart, especially for dear ones!

Delighting in the presence of our Creator, I now begin to pray for others!

May we hum and toe tap together, in a "dance" of sorts, wherever God has us today! 

FULL MOON NIGHT!

In the beginning God....

.....and so begins the beautiful narrative of God's creation 

*Cathy G shared her "light"

PATHS OF PURPLE!

Neighborhood Walk---from porch pansies to wild flowers and iris at every turn. 

Purple in yards............ 

along roadsides...........

along....park path, wild geranium growing in roots of a fallen tree 

and even in a crack in the asphalt.

Purple everywhere. I was blessed looking for it!

Purple, a royal color reminding me of the true King!

Purple to soothe my soul. I have heard the color purple is seen as "part and parcel" of Lent. Purple certainly nourishes my paths this time of year from the One who created Heaven and Earth! (Psalm 121:2)

SUNRISE--SUNSET

Thankful Thursday ( 9/20/18 without WiFi) had me thanking the Lord for travels with friends and remembering family travels from east to west this summer. Anytime loved ones travel, it seems I implore the Lord to open their eyes to see His creation and also to see the glory of the Creator.

The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Bowman Lake--Glacier National Park--August 3, 2018

From the rising of the sun to the setting....The name of the LORD is to be praised. (Psalm 113:3)

New Suffolk (Long Island) New York--July 13, 2018

All That's Good and Great and True

Mercies dawn with every day, 

Newer, brighter than before;

And the sun's declining ray

Layeth others up in store. 

(Geodfrey Thring, Anglican clergyman, 1863)

CHOOSE: TO SEE ANEW

WOW---I have walked this same path 3 days now and this is the first time I have seen this beauty!

I don't know the name but what a picture of a "seed-bearing" plant! It looks like it bears the seed in a "cup" and then the seed sprouts in its own cup. AMAZING!!

"God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth..." (Genesis 1:29)

He put this one right here in Texas. I just had to walk by it a couple of times before I noticed it!

God gave it.  I'll just have to search the name for myself unless some reader out there can supply this info. 

CHOOSE: TO SEE

Choose to see in nature.....scientific proof following God's truth about creation.

Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.
The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:11-12)

And it was so. 
And it is still so.
And it is still good.

God created the earth not to be empty but He formed it to be inhabited. (Isaiah 45:18) And what beauty He added to it for the inhabitants to enjoy!

And it is beautiful for me to behold as I choose to see His handiwork bear out His truth in nature.

And behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

Methodist Memories

The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof ...(Psalm 24:) The sea is His for He made it ...(Psalm 95:5)---both from my feeble memory.

Blue Mountain Beach, FL---first view captured on iPhone--too blue to even look real, but it is!

Those verses and the lyrics and melodies from these old hymns flooded my thoughts today as I was surrounded by the beauty of His creation.

All Creatures Of Our God And King (Hymn #62)

All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us sing

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam,

O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

For The Beauty Of The Earth (Hymn # 92)

For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth,Over and around us lies;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise.

This is My Father's World (Hymn #144)

This is my Father's world and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings, the music of the spheres. 
This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and sees; His hand the wonders wrought.

View from our table at the Vue on 30a where we had Sunday brunch. Restaurant had jazz musican but my heart kept humming the old familiar hymns.

Clari-TEA of Hearing

And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Mark 4:9, NASB)

Scripture teaches much about the Lord, our creator. From Genesis 1 to Romans 1:19-20. Words of truth can jump off the pages. Often the wonder of creation jumps out at me the minute I open my eyes in the morning.......if I "have ears to hear and eyes to see."

This week those truths have been exemplified visually and aurally as I have walked through the fields and in "The Garden" at Blackberry Farm. From pigs and birds to rustling wind and babbling brooks. What awesome reminders!

"This is my Father's world and to my listening ears, all nature sings and round me rings, the music of the spheres..."
from memory----also found in hymn 144 of the Cokesbury Hymnal.

May the Lord grant clarit-TEA in my cuppa as I walk among the sights and sounds of His creation, wherever I may be.

This is my Father's world----oh let me ne're forget! 

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: GOD'S WORD

12/8/13 One never know's when she'll "run across" God's word in the "South." How refreshing!

In the "washroom" at Phillip's Grocery in Holly Springs, MS. 

Story of Creation on the wall at the Delta Bistro in Greenwood, MS. 

God Speaks--- "Hearing God's Voice in Creation"

4/14/13 Last week's word search on "simple" lead me to meditate on Psalm 19 which lead me to an Old Testament reminder of God speaking in a general way through creation. His fingerprints are carried throughout nature. That speaks volumes to me. God speaks through nature. Springtime has His voice singing to me. In living color! A colorful melody.....but His voice all the same. No wonder this song was written by David "for the director of music." 

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 reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)

Mayapples covering the Greenline Trail

God also speaks through His people. As we worked all day Saturday at the Kingdom Camp, I thought of what our actions were saying to those who would enjoy the fruits of our labor. When we are the hands and feet of Jesus, His love to others speaks through us. I hope the kids who walk those trails and pathways we created will hear His voice and heed.

VISUAL MONOTONY

4/18/11 Have you ever been “caught” in the mundane? Traveling the same route to work? Going through the same routine in your workplace day after day, rarely even looking up as people pass in the hall? Life is passing by but some of us seem too self-absorbed or distracted to notice. Years ago in an “Aesthetic Education” grad class I “failed” a pop quiz. Questions missed; color of flowers at the front door, mascot on the school’s sign, location of the school’s mailbox and number of stop signs on the street leading up to the school. As I recall, the entire class ”flunked” our life awareness quiz. I think I need to re-enroll in life awareness---a remediation class for folks to whom life has become an obligation “to get through” not a “dance” to experience and savor.

This morning I chose to “look up” and try to see the “beauty” of life around me, whether in creation or in the faces and hearts of people who cross my path. Many people might do this naturally----lately, I have not. I tried to “see” on the way to work---granted it’s still dark when I arrive at work but I did “notice” some good things. A park crossing sign---new to me but maybe it’s been there and I just never noticed. It jogged my “thankfulness meter”----thankful that near home and work, I have access to some great open spaces. The dimly lit walkway had some blooming “knockout roses” and though I didn’t stop to smell them, I did appreciate the student hands that planted them. The eye-opening “biggie” was 4 planters filled with smiling purple and yellow pansies right by the front entrance. Wonder how long they have been there?

And God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. Genesis 1:31

This verse seems worthy of consideration today as I begin to see the visual feast that God in His goodness has created for me to savor. There is no monotony in creation.

Mount Ida

10/16/10 Reflections from a “little cabin in the woods”……and actually at one point, a “little man at the window stood”….and scared the buhgeebers out of me. In my panic, I even thought he had a gun. Ever the faithful friend, JoLynn went to the deck door to check it out. It was just the man to “clean” the hot tub----which I would have known, if I had read our “instructions.” I’m always telling students, “reading opens up a world of opportunities and information.” Hm-m-m. Think I need to practice what I teach!
That old girl scout song goes on to tell of little a little rabbit running by. Though we didn’t see rabbits, we saw lots of other fauna and flora. All a miracle of creation. Land that produced vegetation and trees bearing fruit. (Gen. 1:12) We saw waters that teemed with swarms of living creatures. (Gen. 1:20) Even when we couldn’t see the creatures themselves, rippling water told us when they were “schooling” past. Raucous “birds flying above the earth” (Gen. 1:20) and smaller songbirds nesting in the nearby trees were all part of our environs. The glory of God’s creation!
All around us on our daily hikes was more evidence of His creation. (and God saw that it was good, Gen. 1:12) From beauty berry bushes to white-tailed deer. It was good for us as well.
You don’t have to be in a cabin in the mountains with friends to appreciate God’s creation. Nature is all around us when we have eyes to see. It’s seeing the Creator in the creation that is the marvel----whether in Mt. Ida, AR or in one’s own backyard. Enjoy the scenery!