Spots and blemishes,
ugly holes ripped into my being,
too often all I can see of me.
But when I look beyond the flaws,
get a glimpse of all of me created,
I see the unique beauty He brings to the whole.
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
~ Psalm 139:14 ~
PhotoArt created with Embrace by Kim Klassen.
Have you seen this video? It was all over the news awhile back.
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
“A collection of starlings is called a murmuration.”
I get chills when I watch this and I wonder, why? Why would God create these birds to behave this way?
I think the reason is much more than scientific. I truly believe the Creator likes to show off…to the praise of His glory.
“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…” ~ Romans 1:20
I also think He simply enjoys the wonder of His children…just like we do.
Sophie’s face at the end says it all.
To the praise of His glory,
brenda
We Love St. Charles is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing for the needs of people in our city, and our church partners with them in service to the community.
Last Saturday WLSC hosted a pool party for the families of St. Charles. Prior to the event, sponsors were paired with 174 students and purchased backpacks filled with everything for the new school year.
This personal connection with the needs of the community is one of the many reasons Scott and I were drawn to our new church, and this was the first event we were privileged to be part of. It was awesome to see everyone having such a great time, and to witness such love working at an individual level…providing needs, building relationships.
Grace in action…and of course I had my camera with me to capture it.
Water slides, barbecue, pencils, notebooks, crayons, and great fun for all!
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I woke this morning from a dream about my younger daughter. The scene was somewhere a tragedy had taken place. As Laura walked in, she saw another young woman, infant in her arms, collapsed on the ground, sobbing…whose other two small children had been killed. My daughter immediately went to her. She didn’t say a word…she simply gathered this grief stricken mother in her arms and held her.
This is the heart of my middle child…a heart of comfort to the hurting. But most don’t know this about her. That tender part usually stays hidden, safe behind a hard, defensive wall, built from nearly 21 years of not fitting in. Laura doesn’t experience the world like most of us. She’s literally wired differently. It’s subtle, and often rather difficult, and there are few who stick with her long enough to understand.
As I lay in bed thinking about this, I realized that unwittingly I had been handing her bricks for her wall all her life, simply by trying to help her relate to this world. I see now how a pattern of correction has defined our relationship, and who wouldn’t wall herself off from continually being told everything she did was wrong and needed to change?
Recently I’ve watched a new relationship pierce her defenses, unconditional love and acceptance breaking through and revealing the tender and vulnerable pieces of her sheltered within.
I love how gently my Father corrects me. It’s a wonder that I didn’t learn this from Him long ago, but while there is regret for getting it wrong, there is grace…
grace that my mistakes aren’t permanent…
grace that I get to learn from those mistakes and the example of another…
and grace that the next 21 years can be different…for both of us.
“…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…”
~ Ephesians 4:2 ~
I can almost smell them even now. Their scent that day was intoxicating, and if you’ve ever experienced the perfume of a hyacinth, you know exactly what I mean.
Funny how some scents linger in the memory…
A loved one’s cologne.
A baby fresh from the bath.
Wood smoke on the first crisp night of fall.
And although the physical sense doesn’t actually smell their aroma…
the heart remembers.
It’s the same with God’s love and calling and purpose. For even when we’re struggling in His hand or trying to flee from His presence, there really is no escape.
Thank God.
Because as He holds us tight against His chest, wrapped in the scent of His hope and peace and joy, the heart remembers…
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