Worship His Majesty

One of my favorite songs was on my mind this morning when I awoke.  Majesty, worship His majesty.  And, as I sang I began to remember some of the very majestic scenes I have been blessed to witness in this land I call home.

Please enjoy His majesty today wherever your are.

These scenes are from California.

 

 

 

 

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty

And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

Psalms 145:5

 

Clinging to the Past

 

 

I love to photograph Americana.  That's right, I enjoy taking pictures of old stuff!  It always seems to have so much character, so much depth, so much history.  I find myself wondering about the people that once used the objects and places I am photographing.

 

 

 

 

Perhaps some of us cling to the past a little too much.  But, change is hard!  I had a friend comment recently that she almost didn't make a major career change because the idea of change was so unsettling.  She did change and I am sure the rewards will be great.

 







Some churches are slow to change. They cling to the past.  They only sing the same hymns, they only read from the same Bible translation, they cling to the trappings of religion.  And, sadly, they diminish and die. 

My daughter had a coach who said, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be what you've always been."  There is truth in that.

Now don't get me wrong. I love tradition.  I love the old hymns. My point is we must not cling to those things of the past and refuse to change.

Do not call to mind the former things,

Or ponder things of the past.

Isaiah 43:18

In the Shadows

As a photographer, I love shadows.  Shadows can add depth and drama to a picture.

 

But, today I am writing about being in a different kind of shadow.  The shadow of the Almighty is much more than depth and drama.  It is life itself.  My prayer is that you will dwell there.

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalms 91:1

Who Do We Work For?

Whatever you do, do your work heartily,

as for the Lord rather than for men,

Colossians 3:23

 

 

 

Pleasant Hill, Kentucky is located near Lexington.  It is a wonderful, peaceful, historic site that we love to visit as often as possible.  The village was built in the 1800's by the Shakers.

 

 

The Shakers were passionate about their worship.  They believed that one could worship ALL the time.  For the Shaker, even work was an act of worship.  The sign below is on display in one of the buildings there.

 

 

 In the 30+ restored buildings of Pleasant Hill there are over 30,000 pegs.  The Shakers used these pegs to hang things on the wall.  Every peg that was created was offered as an act of worship!  Wow!

 

 

 

 

Where and how do you worship when you are not in a church?  Please leave a comment and share.

 

 



The Benefits

 

 

Sometimes I am just overwhelmed.  There are days when it's the world that overwhelms me.  Those days I just try to "press on".

 

 

But, more often, there are days when the goodness of God overwhelms me.  Days when I really see Him around and in my life and the life of my family.  On those days I am reminded once again of Psalms 103.

 

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all of His benefits;

 

Today I will choose to remember His benefits and I will choose to not let the world overwhelm me.

Seed Sown

As he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, . . .

Other seed fell on the rocky ground . . .

Other seed fell among the thorns, . . .

Other seeds fell into the good soil, . . .

Mark 4:4a, 5a, 7a, 8a

 

 

 

 

I heard a song recently that reminded me of the story of the seed.  And I wept as I was reminded that I am like one of those seeds.  Which one is up to me!  Unlike the seed sown by the farmer, I have a choice about where I grow. I can live my life in the harshness of the rocks; in the crowded, choking weeds; on hard ground; or in good soil.

 

One line from the song: The seed which falls on rock will wither and will die. The seed within good ground will flower and have life.

 

We all have a choice.  I choose to seek the good soil. I know that life will be fuller and happier if I  do.

 







We Are One

So we, who are many, are one body in Christ,

and individually members one of another.

Romans 12:5

 

 

 

We had the privilege of sharing in one of our grandchildren's 1st Communion Service this past weekend.  It was a beautiful experience to see all those young second graders process into the sanctuary. The service was different from the way we usually worship. But, the presence of His Spirit was very familiar.

 

There are many different ways to celebrate communion.  There are many different traditions of worship.  Some of us worship one way, others another.  I was really struck by a line from the hymn of Thanksgiving that the children sang during this service.

And though there are so many here today,

we are all one:

One family, one body and one Church.

We are Your own.

 



How wonderful it was to worship the one God with our family.

Consider It All Joy

Consider it all joy, my brethren,

when you encounter various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith

produces endurance.

James 1:2,3

 

 



 El Capitan is a wonder to behold.  This vertical rock formation is about 3000 feet straight up!  Standing at the base of El Capitan can take your breath away.  Now consider that some people are not satisfied with standing at the base.  They actually climb that monolith!  I know many people, me included, who think the idea of dangling from the face of a sheer 3000 foot rock is ludicrous.

Why do they do it?  The answer to that eludes me.

But this I do know.  We all face mountains to climb in our lives.  We often find ourselves standing at the base of something that seems insurmountable.  Yet, with God's help we press on.

I pray for those who are looking at a mountain today.  May God give you the courage to overcome.

 

Look closely at the picture above.  Those two dots about one third of the way from the top center are persons climbing the face of El Capitan.

 

You too can climb your mountain!



Use Your Life

 

 

New life is all around us.  Blossoms, leaves, new shoots pushing through the ground.  They all are reminders that things are growing again and preparing to bear fruit. They remind me that I too should be growing and bearing fruit.

 



 

 

My life is a gift.  I remember a dear pastor sharing about receiving a guitar for Christmas one year.  It wasn't what he wanted! So, for some time the instrument sat useless.  He realized that he never really accepted the gift until he picked it up and began to make music with it.  Because he did begin to play, God has used the pastor in wonderful ways to minister through music. Think about how your life, and the talents you have, can be grown to be used by Him to minister to others.

 



 



 

You have granted me life and lovingkindness;

And Your care has preserved my spirit.

Job 10:12

Thank You Friends

For the sake of my brothers and my friends,

I will now say, "May peace be within you."

Psalms 122:8

 

 

Where do I begin?  How do I find the words?

 

We completed our move this past weekend.  And, it could not have happened without the help of dear friends.  There they were, without being asked, loading boxes, hauling off trash, lifting, sweating, scrubbing.  Whatever needed doing, there they were.  And, the best part was the joy with which they ministered to us.

 

Thank you seems so inadequate.  But, I have no other words.

 

Thank you Jeff and Sue Shick and Robbie and Ann Hyde.  You are the best!

 

 





In the Middle

 

 

I love the ocean.  There is just something so peaceful and relaxing about being near the water.  However, I am usually experiencing the ocean while standing on the shore, the edge of the ocean.

 

I hear a lot about Grace. Through the years I have heard many people try to describe Grace.  That's not an easy task.

 

Some years ago I heard a pastor on the radio give this explanation of Grace.  It remains my favorite to this day.  He said, "Grace is like a bottomless, shoreless sea.  And, no matter where you are, you are in the middle of His Grace."

 

Isn't that a comforting thought. In the middle! I like that it doesn't say I need to get in the middle.  It doesn't say that I must seek the middle.  And, my favorite, it doesn't say that I can get myself more in the middle. So, unlike my visits to the ocean, I can never be on the edge of God's Grace.

 

 

 

Then why do we sometimes feel like we are alone?  Why do we feel like the storm of life is about to consume us? 

 

 



I believe it's on us, not Him! We get so overwhelmed by circumstance and situation that we forget where we are and, more importantly, whose we are.

 

 

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace,

so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

 





Draw near today knowing that you are in the middle of His grace.

Clear the Way!

Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;

Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3

 

 

 

 

Moving makes you realize a lot of things! You see clearly how important friends are and how important family is.

 

You also see, too clearly, just how much STUFF you have.  Now I am not saying that stuff is bad, just that when you have a lot of stuff it makes moving a much more interesting experience.

 

 

 

As you empty drawers, clean out the attic, and begin to put your life in boxes, you gain a new perspective on all of it.  You discover artifacts of your life that you haven't thought about in years.  Memories come rushing back as you hold a picture of your mom or dad or play with one of your child's favorite baby toys. And, you ask yourself a lot of questions.  One being, WHY?

 

Why did you save that newspaper? Why didn't you dispose of that broken dish? Why did you ever even have that in the first place?



 

 

And, for me at least, you relate the clutter of the attic to how you allow the clutter of life to clog your mind and distract you from what is really important.  You examine, with fresh insight, your life and the relationships in it. 

 

Suddenly the things don't matter nearly as much as they apparently once did.

 

I think we do that with our faith too.  We let life's clutter get in the way of who we should be focusing upon.

 

I now have one more reason to be grateful for this move.  It has caused me to refocus and readjust my priorities. Once again I am answering three important questions. Where do I spend my time? Where do I spend my thoughts? And, where do I spend my money?

 

Seek the simpler things, the purer things, they are what truly makes life worth living. clear the way!



Peace

Landscape photographers always try to do their primary work during what are called the golden hours of the day.  That is the one hour of time just after sunrise and just before sunset.

Usually those are the times of day when the light is the most pleasing.  You get long shadows, still water reflections, warm color in the sky.  All of those contribute to better images.

I personally am a sunrise shooter.  I love to be out there in the still quiet moments just before sunrise.  There is just something special about the quietness of that time.  Much of the world around you is still sleeping, or just beginning to come alive for the day.  The air is crisp and fresh.  It is special.

There is a peace about the beginning of the day.  Your mind is rested, your thoughts are uncluttered, your mistakes and/or struggles are ahead of you.  May your day begin with a time to be filled with His peace.

The Lord lift up His countenance on You,

And give you peace.

Numbers 6:26

Here We Go!

The picture above is the remains of the train station in Columbus, Ohio.  Countless people passed through that archway going somewhere!  Some may have been returning home, others simply going on a short trip for business.  But, I imagine there were some who passed through that arch on the beginning of a journey that was life changing.  Perhaps even some immigrants traveled here on the trains from Ellis Island.  The life ahead of them outside that arch was a mystery to be unfolded,  a new chapter in their lives.

 

This week we will take one of those journeys.  Our home is sold, the final boxes are being packed and the movers will soon arrive.

We are moving, going on a new journey. It will be for us, at times, a mystery.  And, I must admit, at times a little unsettling.  But, it is a journey we have chosen.  It is a journey which will bring us much joy and contentment.

Unlike the Hillbillies, we are not "loadin' up the truck and moving to Beverly".  And, we certainly didn't discover oil!  We will be moving to the Nashville, TN area to be closer to our children and our grandchildren. 

It is a move we have considered and prayed about for two years.  There are parts of the future that are still to be decided, but we go with full and grateful hearts knowing who leads us.

He said to me, "The Lord, before whom I have walked,

will send His angel with you to make your journey successful. . ."

Genesis 24:40a

We are ready, we are excited, we are hopeful.  And, we hope you will all come to see us now and then!

The Bounty of Bellingrath Gardens

They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion,

And they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord-

Jeremiah 31:12

 

 

 

Enjoy more pictures from Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile, Alabama.

 

It truly is a  place that is radiant with the bounty of the Lord.