Psalm 135:7 - God is in control

He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
     he sends lightning with the rain
     and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

This is such a beautiful passage. In this season of stormy spring weather, I am reminded that God is in control. He makes it, sends it and brings it.

Lord, thank you for the ferocious beauty of nature which you have created. Please help us to trust in you through all the storms of life. Amen.

Psalm 97:6 - God made it!

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
     and all peoples see his glory.

I saw this cartoon posted on Facebook earlier today, then I read my psalm for the day and the two went perfectly together. This psalm mentions the earth, shores, clouds, darkness, fire, lightning, mountains and the heavens rejoicing and proclaiming his name.

Lord, thank you for the gorgeous creation you have made. Please help all to see your hand in the majesty of this earth. Amen.

Psalm 93:3-4 - Pounding Waves

The seas have lifted up, Lord,
     the seas have lifted up their voice;
     the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
     mightier than the breakers of the sea—
     the Lord on high is mighty.

I thought this was such a beautiful passage. Reading these verses has the pattern of ocean waves breaking on the shore. David was such a great writer! This holiday week, I know several people who are spending time near the ocean. If you are, listen to the waves crash on the beach as you read this passage. If you are not near the beach, watch or listen to this video while you read the passage, then imagine yourself at the beach. The Lord on high is mighty!

Lord, thank you for your beautiful word. Please help us to relish in the glory of your word. Amen.

Ocean Waves You Tube Video
(There will probably be a commercial first.)

Psalm 33:6 - Starry host

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
     their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

I am going on vacation, so I won't be posting for a while, I hope to see many visions of the beauty of God's creation!

Lord, thank you for time to relax and rejuvenate. Please help me to keep you in my heart and mind. Amen.

Psalm 27:4 - Eternity now

One thing I ask from the Lord,
     this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
     all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
     and to seek him in his temple.

A reoccurring theme in my life currently is the idea that as a follower of God, I am in heaven right now, My eternal life has begun. Heaven is dwelling in the house of the Lord, and I do. I can talk to him any time I want to and I can hear and understand the answers he gives to me. I can gaze upon the beauty of his creation and because he is everywhere, I do not have to seek too hard to find him. He even lives inside of me!

Lord, thank you for allowing us to be with you now. Help us to realize that our eternity with you has begun and to feel the joy and peace this brings. Amen.

Joel 2:23 - Thanks for the rain

Be glad, people of Zion,
     rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains
     because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers,
     both autumn and spring rains, as before.

It is spring in Texas and we are receiving a huge amount of rain. Some years we are in almost drought conditions and are praying for rain. This year (and last) we have complained about too much rain, but "be glad...rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you...rain."

Lord, thank you for the rain you have sent to us. Please help us to appreciate your control of the weather. Amen.

Exodus 26:1 - God, the artist

“Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker.

When God told Moses how to build the tabernacle, he was very specific. Because they were wandering and on the move, the tabernacle had to be tent like. Because it was the house of God, the tabernacle had to be beautiful. I find it interesting how important the skilled artists and workers were to this project. God has a place for every one of us in his kingdom. He needs the artist just as much as the missionary, preacher, teacher and leader. God is the original artist who created all the beauty of the earth around us!

Lord, thank you for giving us a love of beautifully created things. Please help us to see your artistry in every beautiful thing around us. Amen.

Click here to watch a video of this post.

2 Poems - Transitions

The concept of transitions seems to be a reoccurring theme to my life right now. We have been studying this in the Sunday morning class I attend. In my Bible study, I just finished up Genesis, specifically the life of Joseph which is full of transitions. At work we have written a couple poems with the residents about Fall, but these poems have gone beyond the changes in nature and looked at the transitions in our lives. I would like to share these poems with you. 

Rainy November Day

There is a day that I remember,

Falling leaves in November.

My clothes are warm, the air is cool,

Working in the yard, a rake my tool.

Leaves falling from the heavenly sky,

Now it's raining, my oh, my.

Change of season, rain washes green away,

Wet leaves are here to stay.

Rain from above, the sky is grey,

A frustrating change in my plans today.

I'll go inside by hook or crook,

May as well balance my checkbook.

Should I read? Should I knit?

Should I throw a hissy fit?

The memory of summer calls my name,

Will I ever get that fall yard tame?

All of the facts, I find them taxing,

I must make a change and start relaxing.

A warm fireplace and my favorite clothes,

I now settle down as the memory flows.

Memory of the beautiful warm weather transitioning to fall,

And of the beauty of winter.  Oh, how I appreciate them all.

Transitions

When we think about Fall, we think leaves and pumpkins cute,

We think of orange and red and yellow to boot.

Orange is the color of love expressed.

Try it, put it to the test.

When we think about leaves and the raking, raking it takes.

Our backs are bent. Oh, how they ache.

It's a mixed bag of tricks,

Plants and trees are now sticks.

The whole transition of the trees,

The gorgeous colors of the leaves.

Also, transitions occur inside.

Time to let the mind decide.

Transitions occur while we sleep,

So wait till morning to make a peep.

Psalm 148:7-10

Praise the Lord from the earth,
   you great sea creatures
   and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
   stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
   fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
   small creatures and flying birds,

This verse is from my study on songs about God's creation. I feel like this lesson is preparing me for my cruise to Alaska. I am prepared to be awestruck by the beauty of God's creation.

Lord,  let me see you in the beauty of nature around me everyday and be  especially inspired by the beauty of nature I will see on my trip. Thank you for this amazing opportunity. Amen.