Praise Him!

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens;

Praise Him in the heights!

 

 

 

Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!

 

 

 

Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light!

Psalms 148:1-3

 

 



The Splendor of Spring

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty

And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

Psalms 145:5

 

 

 

I visited Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile, Alabama this weekend.  It is 65 acres of beauty!

 



 

 

 

Bellingrath Gardens was the home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath.  Walter was one of the first 10 people to distribute Coca-Cola. They turned a fishing camp on the Fowl River into a wonderous estate filled with thousands of azaleas and other flowers.

 



 

 

As I walked these grounds with special friends I kept finding my self focusing not on the vast expanse and beauty of the massive azalea bushes, but on the small details of individual blossoms.

 



 

 

That is not to say that the azaleas were not worth the look, they were, and I enjoyed them.  It's just that, for me, the real beauty and wonder is in the details of God's handiwork.

 

I pray that today you will see, and meditate on, His creation, whether it's in the vastness or in the detail.





The Glory of Spring

Spring is in full swing where I am.  New life is springing up all around. 

I hope all of us, as we walk through each day, will take the time to fully experience God's glory in this time of the year.

Get out there this weekend and see what He has done.

Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!"

Exodus 33:18

 



The Journey

Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.

Genesis 12:9

 

 

At the age of 75 God told Abram to walk out the door and take a journey. He left his country. He left his family. He left his home.  And, he didn't even know where he was going!

 

 



All of us are on a journey.  Now we may not be called upon to do as Abram did.  I don't know many who have left everything to "go".  But, I do know some. There are always new doors to open.  And, there is always an unknowing of what is beyond those doors.

The importance of Abram's story is not that God said leave it all behind and go.  The importance is that Abram went. In faith he obeyed. In trust he set out on a journey.

Each day we need to examine our lives and ask, "Where am I being led to journey today? What door should I open?"

The door and the path beyond it may be uncertain, even a little scary.

I would love to know how you face those journeys, those challenges, those changes, in your life.  Leave a comment and share.

Finding Majesty and Splendor in Smaller Doses

O Lord, our Lord,

How majestic is Your name in all the earth,

Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!

Psalms 8:1

 

 

The verse above is very familiar to many of us.  The first phrases are even part of a rather well known praise song.  I think when most hear the verse, or think of God's majesty and splendor, they have visions of soaring mountains or raging rivers.

 

 

 

 

I think of those too.  But, I have also learned to see God's majestic beauty in the smaller, simpler things of life.  Yesterday morning I went out to make photographs.  I had seen a Cherokee rose blooming along the side of a highway near us.  Since that is Georgia's state flower, I wanted to make a photograph.

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After I finished with the Cherokee rose I was drawn to some Wisteria blossoms hanging from a tree nearby.

 

 

 

I also discovered the small wild rose buds in the first picture.  All three plants were growing wild.  None of them have ever been pruned, fertilized, or cared for.  They just grow and bloom, sharing with anyone who sees them the beauty and majesty of God's creation.

 

I like that!











Choice Fruit

Isn't it refreshing to know that you are one of a kind?  There is something about each of us that is unique to only us. 

We all have special attributes to offer the world that are only available through us.  That is both a challenge and a blessing.

Always remember, even though you are part of the crowd, a member of the community, one among many, you are special and you are important!

Keep me as the apple of the eye

Psalms 17:8a

Chasing Perfection

Ahhh! The perfect, delicate, lotus blossom.  Isn't it lovely to look at?  To me it exudes beauty.

But look more closely and you may find that it is not perfect.  Some would find imperfection in the petals that seem to be bending more that the others.  Others might notice that one of the petals is turning brown on the edges.

Is it perfect? No. Is it beautiful? I think so.  In fact many of the flowers I choose to photograph are chosen because they are not perfect.  They have something about them that gives character, emotion, life! They tell a story.

Isn't that the way people are?  There is no perfect person.  We all have flaws. We all fail.  We all come up short in some way.  And yet we struggle and strive for that which is never to be.

 

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23

 

 

When we see someone or some thing that is not perfect, remember the words above.  When we realize that we are not perfect remember. Our lives will be better for it.