ugly space

For all the joking we do about how bad our weather is, this area of Ohio is absolutely beautiful. A couple of my friends were saying today they could not live somewhere that stayed hot most of the year and I completely agree. I love our seasons. With all of our wooded areas, beautiful hills and valleys there is an abundance of wildlife and plenty of room for all the creatures to live.

This leads me to ask, why would any bird choose to live in this empty, ugly space in my wall when they could live in a gorgeous tree or bush? They had to tear through the covered area to even gain access...I have no idea how they even knew it was there. The mess they made below their new home was evidence of how hard they had been working.

AGAIN I ask, how could anyone not believe in intelligent design by an imaginative, creative, meticulous, perfect creator? The detail of God's nature is so magnificent I will never stop watching in awe of Him as I see all of His creatures preparing for spring. Very cool!

my senses awaken

I never thought about this until this morning. I wake up one sense at a time.

A typical order would be that my sense of hearing is first. The dreaded alarm clock. Then my sense of touch, pounding the snooze button on the alarm (did I stress the word pounding?) Then the rest following in random order.

So for me it isn't a sudden fully engaged awakening, but gradual each morning.

Today, God made me aware of this order of awakening, simply (I believe) to help me fully grasp the gift of each day.

It went like this...Sense of Hearing - alarm clock (not good yet) Sense of Touch (snooze alarm - only one hit! new record) Sense of Touch continues - shower

Sense of Taste and Smell - COFFEE (I'm am completely addicted!!) And then as I left my house the final sense, the sense of Sight Magnificent!!!

I stood in awe! "This is the Day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"...how could I not rejoice!

Then I received another gift as I headed to work, again the Sense of hearing. I have been previewing a CD that Pastor Tim gave me, it's a Passion CD. This was not planned, I don't even know this song, but this is the song that just happened to be on, listen to these words. ...rising sun awakening, the early dawn, they're risen up to give you praise. we have seen the stars and moon, have seen how they shine, they shine for You and you're calling us to do the same... you will never convince me this was all just by chance, no way! God knew I needed a creative beginning to my day in order to bring that creativity to His work at Crossroads. Thankfully my senses were fully engaged, I didn't miss it. He is magnificent, fully magnificent and fills my senses with himself. And yet like the words of the song says, "they're risen up to give YOU praise!" I just get to be on onlooker, a participant in creation giving its praise the almighty God of the universe.

blown away

The services are over for another weekend, all went really well! The hustle and bustle of greeting attendees, instructing volunteers, connecting with perspective members, hurrying across a busy lobby to touch a struggling sister in Christ and all the clean up afterward has ended for now. I am blown away by the obvious ways God was present at Crossroads this weekend. Now it is time for rest.When I need rest I go to my deck, no one talking, no music, no noise, just me and God and His fabulous nature!

I am sitting with my back against the side of my house to avoid flying debris and to avoid being blown away!! We are beginning to see the affects of the hurricanes, one of our trees just fell across the road. My husband is now moving all our cars down to our open field to avoid branches. Our dog just ran and hid in the barn! But I am memorized! I can't go in! The clouds are moving the opposite direction of normal, crazy but awesome! So maybe it is not exactly a calm serene scene, but somehow natures' chaos is still comforting. Maybe it is knowing I bare no responsibility for it.

Up to a minute ago it was just me the wind and my thoughts, but they have been disrupted by a familiar sound left over from summer. My son's band is practicing with garage door open. He is home from college and trying to squeeze in a quick practice before returning. I am blown away by my son...(Eric is on the left)

You'll have to excuse me while I soak up his sound before it leaves me once again.

my sunrise

God blesses me every time I see amazing clouds, oceans, storms, flowers, sunsets or sunrises. I never take them for granted. His artistic nature always delights me. This is what greeted me today as I arrived at church to begin my work day.

In CLASS 501 we are taught our worship shapes. My worship shape is 'naturalist'.

Romans 1:21 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

How anyone can see nature and not believe in God as creator is impossible for me to understand. I praise Him every time I look at his nature!