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Posts Tagged ‘Creator’

Ways He Says “I love you” (re-post)

Posted in WONDER, tagged Creator, GOD, psalm 19, when he says I love you on February 19, 2017| Leave a Comment »

18069-that-feeling-you-get-when-he-says-i-love-you_247x200_width

Are there any three words more delightful to hear than “I love you,” from someone who makes your heart skip a beat?

The best thing is when your ‘love’ knows you so well that he says it in ways that are definitely just for you. It is as though he is speaking your own unique language.

I had that happen earlier this week.

It was a typical Tuesday morning. I awoke at 6am, showered, dressed, and sprinted to the morning coffee. I grabbed a form of sustenance, climbed to my desk, and plunked away at the laptop for an hour. I then finished getting ready, kissed my love, and headed out the door.

I backed down our drive, feeling the ‘I love you’ in the fresh morning air filling my vehicle with the reminder of the gift in every new day.

Then, as I moved the vehicle from R to D, I looked up and faced the ‘I love you’ in the beauty of the sky … fog, moving to make way for peeking blue skies, telling me of the beautiful day to come.

I was awakened to His ‘I love you’s’, and began to anticipate what might be around the next corner …

… and as I turned that corner, the field, that I pass every day, was filled with fog, lightly laying within the confines of the fence that stretched around it, like roses confined to the safety of a vase … ‘I love you.’

I felt as though each corner would be another surprise, another expression of ‘I love you’ from my Creator … and He did not disappoint! More lifting fog, more revelations of hope of what was to come that day.

I smiled as I turned at that busy morning corner, whispering, ‘thank-you’ as I was sure that He had completed His ‘I love you’ message to me.

But, as I faced the tall trees framing the hill under it’s feet, the sky was shouting ‘I love you’ with that most constant symbol of love and hope … the prism of the skies …

… ‘I love you … with an everlasting love.’

“God’s glory is on tour in the skies,

God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.

Madame Day holds classes every morning,

Professor Night lectures each evening.

Their words aren’t heard,

their voices aren’t recorded,

But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

God makes a huge dome

for the sun—a superdome!

The morning sun’s a new husband

leaping from his honeymoon bed,

The daybreaking sun an athlete

racing to the tape.

That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies

from sunrise to sunset,

Melting ice, scorching deserts,

warming hearts to faith.”

Psalm 19:1-6

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Looking for Cameo Appearances

Posted in WONDER, tagged #lookingforcameoappearances, #marvel, #stanlee, Creator on April 14, 2014| 1 Comment »

Last night my son and I went to see the Marvel superhero movie, Captain America. I was at least as (and maybe more) excited to see it as my son was, and it did not disappoint!

In the midst of watching it, I got elbowed, then hot air blowing in my ear, as my son said excitedly, “that’s Stan Lee.”

To which I replied, “who is Stan Lee?”

I could feel ‘the look’ of disdain being emitted from my sons eyes.

Then I remembered, Stan Lee is, among other things, the creator or co-creator or writer of many Marvel comics. According to Wikipedia, “Lee … led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.”

From Spider-man, to The Incredible Hulk, to The Avengers, to Thor to Captain America (and more), Lee has appeared in Marvel major motion pictures since about 2000. He has also appeared in comic books, and narrated comic television programs.

Truly, the hunt for this creator makes his creations even more interesting, more personal. He has not only placed his name on what he has created, but he also places himself within it.

The only thing is, unless you are really, really clever at noticing this familiar face in minuscule cameo appearances, or someone else has to tell you about it, as was the case for me.

Outside of Marvel comics, there is a creator of our lives, and he too makes appearances.

When we know of God as our Creator, we look for him in the everyday events of our lives. This seeking leads us to see Him in the highs and lows of life. The knowledge of His hand in our creation, and of His presence in our very beings gives us purpose, security and hope.

The thing is, those of us who know of Him need to share that news of His appearances in life to those who are, as of yet, unaware of His cameos. So that, they too, might know to look for Him.

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Name Calling

Posted in WONDER, tagged 9 consequences of name-calling, Bullying, Creator, father, Galatians 3, Isaiah 43, name calling, sense of self, Sherri Gordon, sticks and stones on February 26, 2014| 4 Comments »

Today is Anti-Bullying or Pink Shirt Day. 3191069_f520

According to an article by Sherri Gordon, there are “9 Consequences of Name-Calling” (http://bullying.about.com/od/Effects/a/9-Consequences-Of-Name-calling.htm):

Erodes a victim’s sense of self
Causes kids to compromise beliefs and values
Affects sense of well being
Impacts a person’s identity
Opens the door to violence
Encourages internal criticism
Impacts mood
Affects mental health
Affects physical health

It is said that it takes anywhere from 2:1-6:1 positive messages to make up for one negative. Studies have shown that our human brains respond differently to negative messages than to positive ones, and some have even referred to how our brains receive negative messages as being like velcro, and that is why they stick, and re-play in our minds over and over.

As I read through those 9 consequences, I was struck by the first … Erodes a victim’s sense of self … and how that one consequence really impacts, or even creates the following eight. The words that others say about us, can change how we see ourselves, therefore impact the confidence (or lack of) that we communicate to others, therefore how we act in our relationships, our jobs, our future, therefore it impacts the direction our lives takes, therefore impacting our physical and mental health.

24c820409837ce84010841897dc8aeec But God calls us by the names of a Creator, a heavenly Father, and the names He has given to us are the names that affect our well being in a very different direction. He, our Redeemer, claims possession over us as His finest creation, His pièce de résistance, His child, the one who He loves.

Like Steve Jobs with Apple, like Bill Gates with Microsoft, like Sam Walton with Walmart, like Dave Thomas with Wendy’s, like Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company …

God puts every effort into loving and protecting His creation … you and I!

He has named us His …

… and the names that He calls each of us are imprinted into our very souls, with the power to change how we see ourselves and therefore therefore it impacts the direction our lives takes, therefore impacting our physical and mental health, and even our eternal life.

The sticks and stones don’t break our bones…

The sticks held our Redeemer until His final breath, and the stones were hurled at Him …

So that we might be called children of God (Galatians 3:26).

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Christmas Lights

Posted in christmas, WONDER, tagged Children, Christmas Lights, Creator, diwali, god shaped vacuum, Hanukkah, Isaiah 60:1-3, kwansaa, Light, Oh little town of Bethlehem, Wonder, Wonder-filled on December 5, 2013| 3 Comments »

images-1 At this time of year there is nothing more beautiful to see (other than snow falling … oh how I would love to see snow falling … maybe even snow falling that leads into a school cancellation … but, I digress) than a toddler or preschooler mesmerized by the lights of Christmas. Truly there is no more wonder-filled look than that!

The child stares into the lights, unable to break their glance. They are completely in awe, pulled into the mysterious power of color and light.

I tried so many times with our children to capture that look in a picture, but was never able to get it. As I looked through images online, I realized that I am not the only parent unable to capture that look of wonder, as there were so few photos available.

That light-memorizing wonder is one that parallels our innate wonder for light, but beyond the visual light. That “God-shaped vacuum” within us is one of longing to be filled by the light of the Creator of this world, of us. It is the light from our Creator that is contained in the brilliant lives of those who love Him, of those who allow Him to lead their lives.

Isaiah 60:1-3 says:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Our hearts are sensitive to the presence of light, and this is the season when light is celebrated. Ironically, not just among Christians, but also Jews (Hanukkah), African Americans (Kwansaa), Hindus (Diwali), and probably even more. We all long for the wonder of light to enter into our beings, so that we might all shine … as we were created to do.

“O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight”

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Ways He Says “I love you”

Posted in WONDER, tagged Creator, GOD, psalm 19, when he says I love you on September 27, 2013| 2 Comments »

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Are there any three words more delightful to hear than “I love you,” from someone who makes your heart skip a beat?

The best thing is when your ‘love’ knows you so well that he says it in ways that are definitely just for you. It is as though he is speaking your own unique language.

I had that happen earlier this week.

I backed down our drive, feeling the ‘I love you’ in the fresh morning air filling my vehicle with the reminder of the gift in every new day.

I was awakened to His ‘I love you’s’, and began to anticipate what might be around the next corner …

I smiled as I turned at that busy morning corner, whispering, ‘thank-you’ as I was sure that He had completed His ‘I love you’ message to me.

But, as I faced the tall trees framing the hill under it’s feet, the sky was shouting ‘I love you’ with that most constant symbol of love and hope … the prism of the skies …

… ‘I love you … with an everlasting love.’

“God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
Professor Night lectures each evening.

Their words aren’t heard,
their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

God makes a huge dome
    for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
    leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
    racing to the tape.

That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
warming hearts to faith.”

Psalm 19:1-6

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Quiet Wonder

Posted in WONDER, tagged Creation, Creator, dawn, itsawonderfilledlife, Life, Light, mornings, quiet wonder on July 5, 2013| 2 Comments »

800px-Keji_sunrise_trees I love to awaken before the rest of my family is up.

This is especially true in the summer time, when the windows are opened.

The house is so very quiet.

The only sounds are the sounds of my computer keys clicking as I start my day with God, through the ends of my fingertips, as my soul gets poured out in the daily reminder that it truly is a wonder-filled life.

But, in the summer my morning quiet time is less quiet, but even more wonder-filled.

The dawn chorus of many birds sing through the open windows.

I hear the crazy neighborhood woodpecker, who keeps mistaking the metal lamp standard for wood.

I hear the bark of one dog, leading to a frenzied conversation between all dogs withing hearing distance of each other.

On the rare morning the nearby coyotes call out their morning song.

And then there is the sun, something that is a rare sight during the winter months, but one that we see almost daily in the summer. Some mornings it’s brilliance through the trees beckons me to emerge from my house, and stand in wonder as it peeks from behind every tower in it’s path.

And the sun illuminates the magical creations of the spiders, webs edged in dew …

the brilliance of the colors of the flowers in my garden …

the vivid greens of the grass and leaves.

And I am drawn in to the creation

which draws me to the Creator

it truly is

a wonder-filled life!

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How I Need You

Posted in WONDER, tagged Creator, he is with us, how i need you, matt maher, memorizing, Nightmares, Psalm 139, Shadows on May 8, 2013| 4 Comments »

A few weeks back I wrote in the post Memorizing by Heart, about challenging myself to memorize Psalm 139.

I had no idea how fantastic this self-challenge would be. The more verses I memorized by heart, the more burned into my soul was the richness and depth of the message of them.

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I knew this recently as I stood among the beauty of creation, feeling a lacking in hope in an area of my day. Standing there, beneath the tall trees, hearing the birds chirp and the squirrels chatter, the message of that Psalm started to flow from my lips, as though an ‘on’ switch was pushed automatically.

“You have searched me Lord, and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.”

How comforting those words, which reminded me how intimately the Creator of these tall trees and carefree creatures knows me.

“You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.”

As those words came to my lips I sensed the communication that He is not just with me, but His presence is like a protective, fatherly embrace.

“If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.”

Even when I feel that I am surrounded by doubt, by discouragement, by darkness, He is the light that I can see in the shadows.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.”

He has been with me since before Creation, He knows what tomorrow, and every tomorrow after it, holds for me.

” when I awake, I am still with you.”

When the bad dreams, the nightmares of this present day, this season of life that you and I might be going through, and we awake … we will see that He is still with us. He never left our side.

But, before the nightmares end, the words hidden in our hearts can remind us of the promise of His presence … even when our eyes are too consumed by the dark.

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Teenage Girl

Posted in Guest Post, tagged creations, Creator, girl, gritty, guest post, lost childhood, social justice, Struggle, teenage girls, ybevoice on March 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Hum, this is a little awkward, but this guest post might be a little too … gritty for some of you.

This guest post is by a writer whose blog I have just recently subscribed to. She writes poignantly about whatever she chooses, often dealing with some of the daily plights that females might face.

The post I am providing a link to, today, is called Girl.

Girl reads something like a diary entry, written by a teenage girl. It is specific enough in it’s detail to let the reader understand the heart of this girl, yet leaves enough ‘holes’ where there is an absence of details to make you wonder.

As I read it I thought of the teenage girls I pass in the halls of the high school I work, every. day.

I thought of individual girls … girls who fake confidence … girls who ‘look’ tough … girls whose eyes … don’t … look.

Girls who struggle to fit. anywhere. with anyone.

Girls who were once …

cradled in their mother’s arms

cheered as they took their first steps

wondered at the bean seed they planted

smiled proudly as they were applauded at Christmas concerts

giggled with their girlfriends while swinging higher on the playground

What happened?

What is happening?

To our girls.

I say this as a mom who delights in the whimsical, beautiful, confusing, frustrating, magical, wonder-filled packages of hormone-filled females that my daughters are.

I say this as woman who works in a high school, and I see girls who are losing … have lost, all that they were created for.

I say this as a Christian woman, who knows that my breaking, broken heart for this beautiful creatures is breaking and broken like their Creator.

They were created for

SO MUCH MORE!

So, some of you might not want to click on the link I have provided today.

It might be too gritty.

It might be too upsetting.

But, I believe, it is the social justice issue that never gets mentioned, has always existed, and is within the power of all of us living in the First World to improve, impact, and maybe even … change.

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Working Among the Thorns

Posted in WONDER, tagged 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Creator, fester, greenhouse, long-stemmed roses, look above, pricks, roses, scratched hands, source of energy, the light, thorns on February 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

photo-3 In my work position I get to introduce students to various workplaces.

We work together, sharing the experience.

Lately the experience has been at a greenhouse, where we have deadheaded, pruned and attached bug packs to hydrangea plants and rose bushes.

On one day we were working in the greenhouse filled with short and long-stemmed roses. I could not wait to get into that greenhouse! I had driven by numerous times, wondering how delightful it must be in such an lush and warm environment. I had imagined the heady scent of thousands of blossoms, and colors to brighten even a gray, rainy Pacific Northwest day.

What I got were scratched hands.

The thorns were out to get me. They scratched the skin, they poked my flesh, they even left remnants into my epidermis to fester days later (see those bad boys in the photo to the right! Downright nasty!).

The thorns became my focus once I started through the rows of roses, getting scratched and pricked. I was grumbling under my breath, wincing with each sharp contact. Soon I was not considering the plants as roses at all, but just rows of thorns, and enemies as well.

Then, in irritation, I raised my head, to peer above the thorns …

photo-1

… and everything changed.

The thorns, the scrapes, the scratches, the punctured skin were all forgotten in a vision of beauty, glorious beauty.

Row on row of perfect white roses standing straight and tall, reaching for the heaven, as if that is what they were created to do …

And it hit me, that is what they were created to do … grow up towards the light, the source of energy for the rose.

And that is what we are created to do … grow and increase in energy by focusing on the light created by and through our Creator, Savior.

It is when our eyes drift away from our Creator that the thorns begin to prick and invade our days and our lives. God is the one who lifts our head, and shows us the beauty of the roses, despite a few thorns … and we all have thorns.

“He told me,

“My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your ~~weakness~~ thorn.”

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen.
I quit focusing on the ~~handicap~~ thorn and began appreciating the ~~gift~~ roses.
It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my ~~weakness~~ thorns.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

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First Breath

Posted in GOD, WONDER, tagged awakening, breath, breath of life, Creator, first breath, fist breath, fully living, Genesis 2:7, hibernating, living, Morning, waking the kids on January 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

As I entered the quiet room, I flicked on the light … no movement. images

I moved the blankets, still warm with the heat of his body, down off his chest … still no movement.

This man-boy sleeping before me is completely without movement, even the rise and fall of his chest with life-sustaining oxygen is almost indiscernible.

Waking my son recently gave me a birds eye view of the effects of God breathing life into man and woman.

When I entered his room he was completely unaware of my presence, of the bright lights being turned on, or that I had moved his blanket off of his upper body. He lay on his bed motionless, even the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed was almost without motion.

When we sleep our breathing slows immensely, because our muscles and organs are not needing large amounts of oxygen in their resting state. As our breathing slows, our body’s processes slow, it is as though the life within us were hibernating. We are still fully alive, yet we are not fully living our life.

Some of us live our daily lives as though we are still in that hibernating state of sleep. Our bodies function, we do all that is needed to be done in order to sustain our existence, yet we live as though we are asleep, our organs functioning, but not as though we are fully awake … not as though we are fully living our lives.

As I worked at stirring my son, the moment of his waking was discernible. He inhaled a deep and audible breath, and as that first breath of the day was entering his lungs, signs of life were also discernible in his body. His eyes moved behind the veil of his lids, his limbs moved and he stretched his body, as though making more room for the oxygen entering his lungs.

His awakening, heralded by his intake of the first big breath of the day stirring every cells in his body to be fully awakened, fully alive.

This is the freshness of each new day, of each new year. To take in the breath of life given to us by our Creator, and to make our days, our years, our lives worthy of the gift He has given.

“Then the Lord God
formed a man
from the dust of the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.
(Genesis 2:7)

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