Splendor

When editing my photos, I'm always struck anew with wonder at the beauty of the flowers of the fields. May I never cease to be awed by the splendor of God's creation!


Psalm 148:7-14

Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the LORD!

To him who has no might...

As several of you have probably heard - we're expecting! We're very excited (ref. my April 1 post), and our daughter can't wait to find out if she's going to have a baby sister or a baby brother. This pregnancy has been much more difficult than my first and I've been sick for going on ten weeks now.

This week I received a thoughtful note of encouragement from a dear friend and she included the verses below. I must confess that although these are very familiar to me, I haven't given thought to them at all recently. This proves to me yet again how I can never read the Bible enough. A passage I might be tempted to think of as an old standard can become a source of new refreshment. I hope you will be refreshed as well.


Isaiah 40:28-31
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

Who was and is and is to come!

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!
Revelation 4:8b

As I mentioned in a previous post sometime just half a verse is enough to keep you thinking all day long. This verse from Revelation is quite simply nothing short of amazing. It gives me such a sense of joy and assurance to quote it aloud during trying times. How comforting it is to know our God cannot be contained by the constraints of time!

Slow Down

I haven't been feeling well this week and I've realized how hard it is for me to slow down. The song below by Third Day sums up my stuggle best. I'll post more on this topic soon.

Slow Down
by: Third Day, Revelation album, track 2

Tell me to slow down
If you think that the road that I'm on is going nowhere
Tell me to slow down
If you know that I'm going too fast for my own good
Tell me to slow down
If the way is leading to a dead end
Tell me to slow down
Turn around, let me change the way I'm going

Oh, I don't want to let go
Of all the things that I know
Are keeping me away from my life
Oh, I don't want to slow down
No, I don't want to look around
But I can't seem to work it out
So help me, God

Tell me to slow down
If you see that I'm running too fast in the wrong race
Tell me to slow down
If you think that I can't keep up with my own pace
Tell me to slow down
'Cause you know if there's ever any question
Tell me slow down
Turn around, and I'm changing my direction

Oh, I don't want to let go
Of all the things that I know
Are keeping me away from my life
Oh, I don't want to slow down
No, I don't want to look around
But I can't seem to work it out
So help me, God