Uncommon Sight

23 May 2019 1 Comment

by Barbara in posts

Uncommon Sense(s)

1_Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

Eyes brown, green, blue, and hazel

  • Eyes wide, set deep, round, aslant, lidded, lash-fringed
  • Eyes blinking, searching, reading, observing, watching
  • Eyes alert and asleep, squinted and open, seeking and peeking
  • Eyes, gifts from the Creator, revealing wonders and ways and what’s ahead

Spiritual eyes

  • Seeing God’s invisible qualities revealed in mountains, skies, and sea[1]
  • Looking to the Lord, radiant and unashamed, seeking His face, receiving His strength[2]
  • Seeing Him, believing in Him as the Lamb of God[3]
  • Perceiving and receiving truth and revelation that those before us longed to see[4]
  • Seeing with certainty what is yet unseen[5]
  • Beholding, as in a mirror, the glory of God, transforming us into His image[6]
  • Opening wide to see fields of need[7]
  • Watching, waiting, yearning for Christ[8]

Tomorrow’s eyes

  • Look at Him face to face, seeing the glory we now dimly glimpse[9]
  • Behold Him and become like Him[10]
  • See Him and wear His name on our foreheads[11]

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him… So shall it be! Amen. Rev. 1:7

[1] Romans 1:20, [2] Psalm 34:5; 105:4, [3] John 1:29, [4] Matthew 13:16-17, [5] Hebrews 11:1, [6] 2 Cor. 3:18 NASB, [7] John 4:35, [8] Rev. 1:7, [9] 1 Cor. 13:12, [10] 1 John 3:2, [11] Rev. 22:4

 

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

I love Ds

16 May 2019 1 Comment

by Barbara in The Lighter Side Tags: , ,

D2Image by Tatutati from PixabayI love daisies dancing on delicate stems, daffodils, and dragonflies.

I love my daughter and daughter-in-love and granddaughters.

I love diamonds—the ones that sparkle and those that define a ballfield.

I love darling dimples on cheeks and chins.

I love devotion, devotedness, dedication—to a spouse, a friend, a cause—to God.

I love delightful down comforters, dirigibles dawdling above, and denim duds—soft shirts and stretchy jeans.

I love the dawning of ideas that delight my mind, develop my imagination, and delve deep.

I love ducks & ducklings dipping in the pond, dolphins dipping in the sea, and dipping my toes in the ocean.

I love dipping chips in salsa, veggies in ranch dressing, and double dips of ice cream.

I love Dunkin’ Donuts coffee—dark brew, please.

I love dare devils who do what I only dream.

I love deer and dear friends and dearer memories.

I love seniors who dodder but determine to do life.

I love dark chocolate and devil’s food cake drenched in frosting.

I love dreams that direct my passion and demand my attention.

I love delivery trucks dropping off parcels.

I love dates and dinners and dinner dates.

I love dwelling—savoring where I am, when I’m there.

I love driving down the highway to happy destinations on delightfully sunny days.

I love difference makers who discard disgust and decide to do good.

I love dishes—china or porcelain with designs of deep blue.

The D I love best is discovery, the delight of detecting something different and dazzling and distinctive that draws me to further discovery.

Image by Tatutati from Pixabay.

Re-live your Miracles

09 May 2019 2 Comments

by Barbara in posts Tags: , ,

miracle_Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from PixabayOn her son’s second birthday, I wished my young friend a “Happy Birthing Day.” (Really, moms do the labor and babies get the attention!) Her response triggered something in my heart. She said, “I love thinking of what I was doing each hour two years ago.” I replied,

“I think it’s important to re-live our miracles and let the awe envelop us again.”

Those words nestled in my mind and I’ve been thinking about them ever since. So often I have rejoiced in a miracle, a special grace, a breath-taking beauty and let the moment fade. Life goes on, at a rapid pace, and so do I. But today I accept a challenge and extend it to you—

Let’s pause to remember and

re-live our miracles,

reflect on our special moments,

savor the grace,

feel the awe once again,

and allow our hearts to swell with gratitude.

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts! Psalm 92:4-5

Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay

I Love Spring

02 May 2019 4 Comments

by Barbara in posts, seasons Tags: , , ,

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come. Song of Sol. 2:11-12a

spring2_Image by Couleur from Pixabay

I love anticipating the explosion of tiny green buds into a verdant canopy and carpet that cocoon me in new life, seemingly overnight. Is the sky bluer or it does it only appear that way against the contrasting green?

I love the bursting brilliance of color that shoos away winter’s gray—golden forsythia waving in the breeze, bobbing yellow daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths and tulips flaunting petals of pink and purple, yellow and red.

I love leaving my bulky coat in the closet with scarf and gloves, donning a simple sweater instead.

I love days that stretch longer and seventh-inning stretches at Yankee games.

I love blossoming cherry trees, magnolias, and dogwoods.

I love stepping outside into sparkling sunlight shining from the bluest of blue skies, dotted with cumulus clouds, cheerful, puffy and white.

I love strawberries for $1.99, sweet and juicy, which promise to become sweeter and juicier.

I love spring rains that produce rushing streams, full reservoirs, and splashing puddles.

I love swaths of rich brown, freshly, plowed earth intersecting green farmland, ready for seeds.

I love spring because it’s a season of promise. It reminds me that winter—in nature and in my life—is not as harsh or fruitless as it appears. I have seen many winters pass, annually and personally, and each one was followed by a season of singing.

Spring. Promise. Hope. Beauty. Life. Singing.

Image by Couleur from Pixabay. 

“Just as He Said”

24 Apr 2019 2 Comments

by Barbara in Easter, posts Tags: , , ,

Image by TC Perch from PixabayWhen the women arrived at the empty tomb Easter morning, an angel explained that Jesus had risen, “just as he said.” His faithful followers saw for themselves that death could not hold their Savior. Death cannot hold us either, “just as he said.”

The stone that would seal our fate, entombing us in an existence of death and decay, hopelessness and fear, unsatisfied desires and frustrated dreams—that stone was rolled away. “Just as he said.”

What is the heavy stone you can’t move?

  • Fear? Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
  • Guilt? Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matt 26:28
  • Problems? Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…you will find rest for your souls.” Matt 11:28-29
  • Emptiness? Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.” John 15:5
  • Anger? Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

There are more stones—and more promises. No stone is heavier than the one on Jesus’ tomb, and it proved too weak to secure death’s victory. Because that stone couldn’t hold Him, your stone can’t hold you.

Live in peace, unburdened and fruitful, forgiving and forgiven.

Live… “just as he said.”

Image by TC Perch from Pixabay.

Between the Palms and the Cross

18 Apr 2019 2 Comments

by Barbara in Easter Tags: , , ,

Today I share a guest post that deeply touched my heart. It is an inspiring poem by a talented, award-winning poet and personal friend, Maude Carolan Pych.

Between the Palms and the Cross

It’s Lent—MaudePoemPic

I’m sitting here meditating

upon that final week

wondering what happened to H

is followers

after Jesus entered Jerusalem

riding astride a donkey

as people spread their coats before Him

along the dusty road

Wondering about those followers

the ones who cut branches from palm trees

and waved them at Him in homage, proclaiming

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Hosanna in the highest!

After all, He was their humble King

I’m sitting here wondering what happened

between then and days later

when Jesus stood before Pilate

amid a crowd of onlookers

persuasive chief priests and elders

and everyone began shouting

Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

Did they forget the taste of water

that He turned into wine?

Did they forget the healed lepers and the blind?

Did they forget Him preaching

to the multitudes, Blessed be the poor…

and the thousands He fed with a few loaves and fish

Did they forget He healed a pitiful demoniac

and the woman with an issue of blood

Could they have forgotten that he said to the dead girl,

Talitha kum, and she sprang right up and walked

And Lazarus? Could they possibly have forgotten

that Jesus called His friend out of the tomb

and Lazarus emerged, grave clothes coiled

around his body…after three days!

I’m still sitting here wondering about

how quickly they turned

from their hosannas

to calling for His death

Wasn’t there one clear-headed believer

one unable-to-be-swayed witness

one unshakable faithful-unto-death follower

to boldly shout out in protest…

No!

No. There wasn’t

Not even one

The Imbalanced Math of Easter

10 Apr 2019 4 Comments

by Barbara in Biblical Mathematics Tags: , , ,

Biblical Mathematics (5)

5-Easter-Image by Jo-B from PixabayThe principles of Biblical mathematics can be seen most clearly at Easter in the celebration of Jesus’ victory. He suffered the ultimate subtraction and division to add and multiply His grace to us. Think about it…

Subtraction : the act of taking something away

  • Jesus—stripped of His glory, dignity, clothing, and life
  • Us—the subtraction of guilt, shame, and debt—a zero net balance

Division : the act of separating

  • Jesus—separated from friends, from His Father, and then from the world, heaven and God when He descended into hell
  • Us—the temple curtain tore, closing our separation from God and offering us instead, separation us from sin’s curse, our failure, our debt, and our fear to approach Him

Addition : the act of joining or supplementing to cause increase

  • Jesus—added the weight of sin, human suffering and shame, to His blameless perfect life
  • Us—to our need, was added supply; to our debt, was added redemption; to our sin, was added forgiveness; to our despair was added hope

Multiplication : the act of increasing greatly

  • Jesus—bore the multiplied sin of mankind, past, present, future, and suffered pain and agony multiplied beyond comprehension for our freedom.
  • Us—multiplied, immeasurable grace, fresh mercy every morning, free and unending forgiveness

Lord Jesus, our words fall short. We cannot express the depth of our gratitude so we offer the only thing we can, our lives. Loving Spirit, grace us to walk away from temptation and subtract sinful attitudes and practices. Inspire us to live separate lives, dividing our time and treasure to serve others. Help us cultivate and produce fruit that reflects you. Multiply our love, for you and others. Amen.

Image by Jo-B from Pixabay

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