Summer-Dry, Still Beautiful

SUMMER-DRY, BUT STILL BEAUTIFUL

A bit of broken curb in a parking strip. A swath of dried out grassy lawn. A sere but curious tuft of grass. So ordinary. Things almost dead. But still beautiful. The coloration, the inspired lines waving outward. This mini-scene could be ignored completely by a walker passing by. But how delicate the lines and planes. How intriguing the difference in textures. The scene is summer-dry, but beauty is there for the taking. I drink in to my soul the refreshment God has provided in this small cranny.

Soon the rains will come. The curb will color darker with the wet. The grassy lawn will take new heart and life; the dead will fall away and new green flash forth. All will shine with clean lines.

May you, and I, shine with clean lines as God rains his presence, His Spirit, on us. As we "behold the beauty of the Lord, [our] light and our salvation", may we realize how much we are blessed. Our many textures, and seasonal colorations, are admired by Him.

Ordinary but not taken for granted

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ORDINARY, BUT NOT TAKEN FOR GRANTED

A very small patch of sidewalk. So ordinary.

One might walk it every day and not see anything special about it. But closer inspection shows individually unique patterns in the gravel.

Evergreen needles, dead, turned brown. So ordinary.
One might not even notice them at all.
But a closer look shows tinges of red, and an artful scattering.

Tiny bit of lichen, wind-blown off its mooring where it once resided on a tree. So ordinary.
One could tromp it underfoot and never think of it again.
But close-up, see how beautiful the scrolly lines, the great and noble patterns and designs.

And then there's me! So ordinary.
Do others see me at all? Or care who I am or want to be?
Do they ever take a closer look and see the artful patterns within me?
(Do I look inside to find my beauty of unique individuality?)

God sees. He's not ordinary. He's a unique Creator who specializes in the ordinary made extra-ordinary.
He sees the patterns of his Creation, knows them intimately.
He sees the scrolls and designs and all the rest, including nobility!
How noble is ordinary -- he made all things, and he takes none of them for granted!

Thank you, Lord, for giving your children eyes to see the every facet of ordinary. May we not take you, or nature, or man-made fabrications, for granted. We bless you, for your holy creativity.

Call to Pray

The following came in my e-mail today from the Yahoo group "Devotions". Michael Inman is a pastor; he posts regularly on "Devotions" and I have found his devotionals helpful and inspiring. I don't know if his wife, Mrs. Inman, compiled the message below, or if she obtained it intact from another source. But I believe we always need to make a place for prayer in our lives. It's always time to ask God to bless the people in all nations. It's always time to ask His wisdom in understanding how to pray for all situations. And it's always time to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

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begin Fwd message:

From: "Mrs. Anita P. Inman"

Subject: Call to Pray

Please, pray today and tomorrow about this Durbin conference at the
United Nations in New York today and tomorrow. Israel is about to be
offered up as a sacrificial Lamb for false promises of peace. America
is on a prophetic countdown to the gravest days in our history. In
just a few days, a vote will be taken (if not already) at the United
Nations that will force America to choose between standing with
Israel and standing with her enemies. The Bible says we do NOT
wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and
powers. This is a spiritual battle, and it must be fought with
spiritual weapons. America needs Divine intervention that can only
come from God's people standing in the gap like Esther. This national
Campaign will cost $350,000. I am asking every christian who loves Israel and America to stand up to Jew hatred like Corrie Ten Boom as her family did in Holland during the Holocaust.
The terrorist organization, Hamas, is now part of the Palestinian
government. Its purpose is its plot against Israel. This is the
organization with which President Obama is negotiating and to whom
his administration is sending our tax dollars.
Prophecy is being fulfilled. The prophet Isaiah records Satan
declared he would rage against God (Isaiah 14) and do battle on the
'sides of the north' - the Bible description of Mount Zion. There is
a bigger picture than the headlines show. There is a spiritual
battle taking place between light and darkness... between good and
evil...and we are not observers - we ARE IN THIS FIGHT!
We must sound the alarm like the ancient priests blew the SHOFAR to
alert the Israelites to prepare for battle.
Please join the millions of Christine across America and other
countries who is praying against this vote to save there countries
from judgement. Please stand up for Israel today against this ugly
and evil tide of racism. We must not fail to do our part to deliver
the Jewish people. This is our "such a time as this." This is our
moment to stand and speak. This is our moment to kneel and pray.
This is our moment stand with Israel even if know one else will. -
Mike Evans 'Jerusalem Prayer Team'

Please watch, 'It's Supernatural' with Sid Roth, this week. His
speaker is Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and his new book called 'The
Harbinger", he talks about the foreshadows of future events, an
omens, and heralds and signs to come. Especially, about how Israel
is treated. And what will happen in the U.S. and other countries, if
we don't stand with Israel. Please, watch!!!!

" Dear Father, we know that Israel is the apple of Your eye and that
You hold her in the palm of Your hand. We know that soon Jesus will
make His triumphal entry through the eastern gate at His return to
the earth. Jerusalem will be the seat of government for all the
earth.
We love Israel because You love Israel. We know that we have been
blessed through her in the person of Jesus Christ.
Father, Jesus said that there would be unrest in Israel until He came
again, because Israel will never know any real peace until the Prince
of Peace returns. However, we are instructed to pray for the peace
of Jerusalem so our prayers can help facilitate the events of His
return.
In Jesus' mighty name, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem
continually. We set ourselves as a watchman and will not rest until
Jerusalem is a voice of praise in all the earth.
In Jesus' name we pray! Amen"

"I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never
hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do
not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He
makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth." Isaiah 62:6,7

"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
Genesis 12:3

Love and God Bless you all!
Anita :-*

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Michael D. Inman
- The Only Thing Necessary For Evil to Triumph is for Good Men to do
Nothing -- Edmund Burke...

[snip]

'IN GOD WE TRUST',

I will bless those who bless Israel.....Genesis 12:3

end Fwd message

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Further reference to this subject may be found at

http://unitedwithisrael.org/newsletter/NewsletterPage/09_19_2011.html

This post is also shared with L L Barkat's "Seedlings in Stone and Laura Boggess' "Playdates with God."

How I Worship

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How I Worship


There are so many people out there
Who are crying.
Or who are sighing.
Or maybe they are dying.

And I should be out there
On the front lines,
Showing that Jesus shines,
Guarding land mines.

Oh, I’m unable to be out there
Weeping with the crying,
Sighing with the sighing,
Breathing life into the dying.

But my prayers can be out there!
My tears I assign,
And I worship God Divine,
Showing Him just this one sign:

I can be creative, right here!
Offer myself up to Him!

I can paint ladybugs
from pistachio nut shells
while glorying in Him;

And arrange pressed
nasturtium vines
while praising Him.

And make a bright sun
While proclaiming Him.
Such is my humble offering
While remembering Him.

He is Lord of both here, and there.
His providence is bountiful,
His mighty strength is wonderful.
He acts, ‘till the times are full’.
Our God is still in control!

Creating a small, simplistic artwork seems such a trivial thing to do to help usher in his kingdom. But in the making of it, I’ve offered Him the very best of me that I know how to give. If this is my appointed work for today, then he will honor it. ‘Lord, bless all the people today. I’m unable to “do”, or “go”,. So please send your own dear Self to all who need a blessing. (And who needs you most? Why, every person everywhere!)’

“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable in God’s sight.”
(Romans 12:1)
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copyright 2011 by Marilee Miller
Feel free to link to this post, but please, no copying without permission.


This post is also shared with L. L. Barkat's "On, In, and Around Mondays"

and Laura Boggess' "Playdates with God"