Awe

Awe

Pause today…read slowly…savor each thought…and worship!

God, You live forever—You have no beginning and no end.

fire punchBy Your word, the foundations of the world were laid.

Mountains tremble, and the heavens bow at Your command.

Your lightning reaches the ends of the earth. Your thunder roars wondrously.

The heavens are telling the glory of God, and their expanse declares the works of His hands.

From Your breath ice is made, and the great expanse of the waters is frozen.

With moisture You load the thick clouds and change their direction.

Beautiful cloudscape over the seaWho else can spread out the skies like a molten mirror when the sun goes down?

Who else could lay the foundation of the earth, setting its measurements in perfect balance?

You enclosed the sea with doors, placing boundaries on it, saying here your proud waters stop.

You have entered the springs of the sea and walked in the deep recesses of the earth.

Dollarphotoclub_701202421-1024x787You have seen the storehouses of the snow and hail, and know their time of release.

You bring rain showers on the desert and satisfy the desolate land.

You create dew, making the seeds of grass and grain to sprout.

photo 7You lead forth a constellation in its season, binding the chains of Pleiades and the cords of Orion.

You arranged the ordinances of the heavens and fixed their rule over the earth.

You satisfy the appetite of the young lion, and know the time the mountain goats give birth.

horseGod, You see the ostrich flap her wings joyously, and have given the horse his might.

By Your understanding, You made a hawk to soar and caused the eagle to nest on high.

Your voice shakes the wilderness but also makes the deer calve.

All this speaks of Your wonder and majesty, things too wonderful for me!Continue reading

Cadence

Cadence

cemetery fallen soldiers in World War I Flanders BelgiumYears ago, I had a dream where wounded and dying people covered the landscape as far as the eye could see. A great battle had taken place. I stood in their midst and felt despair. Shaking my fist, an angry primal groan rose up in my spirit against the enemy. I wanted to scream, “Leeavve themmm alonne!” but could not form any words. My groaning startled my husband out of his sleep.

Even when I’m awake, my prayers for broken and wounded people often amount to the equivalent—deep wordless groans. I believe God understands.

“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together…In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”     –Romans 8:22,26

So one morning, I asked God for His perspective on the brokenness of the world. As I quieted my thoughts and waited, the word CADENCE came to mind.

Cadence Chords

Hmm. Something to do with rhythm? I wondered. What could it mean?Continue reading

Drinking from Fire Hydrants

Drinking from Fire Hydrants

Ornate downtown storefronts in small town in the MidwestIn 1979, when we first moved to Bozeman, the police reports were comical and often ridiculous. For example, officers were summoned when a porcupine became stuck in someone’s spare tire! Even this week the report said a deputy responded to an anonymous call about a sad dog that howled a lot. “The deputy found the dog to be healthy-looking.” Seeming trifles, yet over the past few decades more serious crimes have increased in our area.

Even so, what if your town or suburb was the limit of your concern? Think of a ten-mile radius around your home or apartment. How many tragedies, crimes, and community problems would you endure over your lifetime? Maybe a few murders, a score of petty thefts, several suicides, a few businesses going bankrupt, some accidental deaths and crop failures. More than a stuck porcupine or a howling dog, but not more than you could handle.

A hundred years ago, that would’ve been normal life.

tv news media backgroundThe truth is, our sphere of reality is far greater now. Advances in technology and media have brought a boatload of problems into our living rooms—every day, all day. And as Christians, it’s as though we are asked to care and give money and pray for the whole world. As someone said, it’s like trying to sip some water from a fire hydrant.

But how many problems are we really designed to handle?

Some would argue that modern people have developed an ability to cope with many things at the same time. Yet, consider the fact that 60% of Americans are sleep deprived with emotional stress as the primary cause. Also, 70-85%Continue reading