~ The Gift ~

I try to ignore it, but I feel it coming ... something.

Change.

Something big. 

A test of Faith perhaps.

A life-moment of challenge.

And then the other day, I came across this amazing

life-changing quote that spoke deep within the fibers:

“When God moves us out of our comfort zone —-

 into places that are way bigger than us,

places that are difficult, hard, painful —- that even hurt —

this is a  gift. We are being given a gift.

These hard places give us the gift of

intimately knowing God in ways

that would never be possible in our comfort zones.”

- Ann Voskamp

... out of our comfort zone ...

I sense it coming ... you know - that feeling of unrest,

as if life itself is whispering

clues
... winds of change

to your spirit?

And the daily counting gratitude's - gifts,

I have been doing, I feel are preparing me for whatever moment it may be

to help keep me strong.

Grounded.

Keep the Faith.

Life is interesting indeed.

A mystery.

Yet, I know Who is holding me ...

my Faith.  Hope.

And because I know this,

- come what may -

out of my comfort zone ...

to blossom into what He created me to be,

He is always there.

And if my #1  gift  listed every day in my daily gratitude's is

Him

carrying me along ... step by step -

cocooned in the gift of "intimately knowing God in ways

that would never be possible in our comfort zones ... "

that surely will be

more

than enough.



~ He Is Not Here ~

Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.....
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.


"Here was the greatest miracle of human history.
Earlier He had told them, 'I am the resurrection, and the life' (John 11:25).
But they had not understood. Now they knew.
He had died in misery and pain and loneliness.
Now, on the third day, He arose in power and beauty and life,
the firstfruits of all who slept, the assurance for men of all ages that
'as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Corinthians 15:22).


On Calvary He was the dying Jesus.
From the tomb He emerged the Living Christ.
The cross had been the bitter fruit of Judas's betrayal,
the summary of Peter's denial.
The empty tomb now became the testimony of His divinity,
the assurance of eternal life,
 the answer to Job's unanswered question:
'If a man die, shall he live again?'"
-Gordon B. Hinckley


He Lives!!  Celebrate the joyful news of our Savior who died
for us, so that
We all may live with Him again
someday.

And He did it completely alone.
For us.
To fulfill everything He was born to do.

Perfect message in this video.

Have a wonderful, meaningful Easter Celebration of His life.

~ Hands ~

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness,

to pull another hand into the light".

~Norman B. Rice

Have you ever considered the endless facets
of which hands do
every second of the day?

My hands.  Your hands. Those around you  - everywhere.
Heaven's hands.

Giving hands
loving, caring, soothing.
 Hands of service
unselfishly administering without a second thought.
Meals shared. Hands of embrace.
 Unconditional comfort.
Physical and spiritual nourishment.

Working hands

awakening in the dark, quiet hours of the morning
before dawn has unveiled her face,
and until the sun surrenders
with nature's pallet streaked across the sky
into its final slumber.
Providing. Laboring. Hammering. Measuring.
Cooking. Cleaning.
Washing. Folding.
Packing lunches. Making beds.
Teaching. Nurturing. Disciplining. Preparing.
Hands that button.  Zip.  Tie.
Hands that bathe giggling babies.
And brush through long locks of shiny innocent hair.
Hands clasped in sincere prayer.
Hands with extraordinary talent in all myriads of life -
sharing their gifts with the world
for us to partake - with joyful spirit.
This list is endless.

Hands of Love

Hands that wipe tears -
Caress.  Encourage.  Support.
Hands that clap for inexpressible joy!
Hands laced through that of another. 
Hands held in quiet solitude ...
just because.
Hands of unity - wedded for eternity.
Hands that tenderly cradle a newborn baby
still lingering with heaven's scent.
Hands of sincere loving concern
for the well-being of another ...
those we already know -
and those of a stranger.


Let us ever be mindful and never cease to forget

His Hands

Healing. Lifting.
Touching other questionable hands
when no one else would.
Hands of guidance.
Hands of gentleness.
Hands of teaching.
Hands of patience.
Humility.  Obedience. 
Hands reaching upward to Heaven,
in prayer and supplication
for our wandering souls.
Masterful, powerful hands to calm a mighty,
violent thrashing storm -
yet
Tender, and gentle enough to
bless children - the lame - the blind - the deaf -
the lost ones.
Hands with the deepest searching of compassion.
Hands of unquestionable love
for every single last soul.
Understanding.  Heaven's perception.  Unconditional.
Hands of thy Father's will.
Hands that beckon with divinity:
"Come Follow Me."
Hands of Mercy.
Hands of sacrifice.
Hands of suffering.
Hands of unequivocal forgiveness.
Hands of eternal life.
His hands reach far beyond our
finite comprehension
of even a fragment of
His Love -
unremitting, without end.


Let us embrace
hand in hand today ...
all of the
offerings

of those around us
as well as ours giving hands
extending - reaching - embracing
unselfishly ... unconditionally ...
in remembrance of
His,
to pull another hand from the darkness
into the Light.



~ Chasing Beauty ~

Light ... shadows ...
clouds ... color ...
movement ... stillness.

Beauty.

Every second changes -
sometimes too soon ... too late ...
and if I'm lucky - right on time.

And I found myself
chasing the sunrise again this morning,

yearning for that
"perfect picture" ... just one more time.

Hundreds of
sunrise and sunset photographs have been captured
and fill empty spaces in
my computer.

 

 

 Along with life frames of the endless liquid diamonds of the sea,
majestic mountains, golden desert.

Seasons in all their magnificent wondrous glory.

So many moments chasing beauty.
I - merely the instrument - photographing the Masterpieces.

My camera has a memory - completely free of alzheimer's.
It has the eyes of my eyes within all of its genius inventive functions
and captures what my soul passionately is attempting to say
that words lack - of any definition - or explanation to the
Beauty mirrored glass in the depth of retina,
melting within the very
fibers
of my being.




It is in these moments - this sphere. Realm. Transparency to Divine,
that I wonder ...
why do I feel this need - this unexplainable depth of
desperate yearning
to chase Beauty?

I see the world daily - as if through the
eye of a camera ...
framed forever in the moment.

My spirit
is on a constant hunt - discovery
for that "masterpiece" - and because my
eyes
continually search ... I see thousands of
masterpieces
everywhere around me.

In nature. Love embraced. Family. Friends. Laughter on faces. My dog.

Beneath a black canopy sky - studded with a zillion starry diamonds.
Under a full ethereal moon hovering against a violet canvas at twilight.
Or billowing clouds - a window right into heaven.
Some brushed like feathers ... others dotted against sapphire sky like cotton balls.

And others, obvious shapes created directly from heaven above
just for me.

Endless masterpieces.

Why do I chase the beauty?
Am I wired to seek after these things?  Aren't we all?
Is it simply because in this, I feel
His
love for me
when completely enveloped in Beauty?
Transcendent proof right there, before my eyes.

Home. Awe. Wonder. Love.

If life is clearly a matter of perspective, 
why then, do I choose Beauty over the alternative?
My addiction, yearning, craving, appetite for
Beauty
fills my soul with immense joy - life - existing in the very moment ...
at times when nothing else can.

It is here - in the chasing - I feel one of many of life's puzzle pieces -
completing the picture. My picture.

It is here I have found -
that chasing Beauty ... finds God.

"The secret to joy is to keep seeking God where we doubt He is.

We don't have to change what we see. 

Only the way we see it."

-Ann Voskamp

"Nothing here below is profane

for those who know how to see."

-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

~ Down-Time with Heaven ~

Within minutes - not hours - I felt it coming on.

That ache that starts in the weary bones, joints, head in vice and becomes

visible

in glassy water blood-shot eyes.

Throat scorched fire, can't swallow.  Cough wracking every fiber of the body.

Ears piercing plugged shut.  Fever beading hot on forehead.

It had overcome me before I even knew it ... whatever this sickness is ...

it found mom. 

I don't have time to be sick.  What mother ever does?

It's down time for me, when so many responsibilities
are swirling up - in my little world. 

Dog to walk - bills to be paid - piano lessons to teach -

kids to pick up from school -

dinner to be made - homework - housework ...

Who takes care of mom when she's sick?

It is in times like this that simplifying takes precedence
as my body slowly heals. 

I give in. 

What else can I do? 

I give in to Him.

He who whispers gently to my aching:

"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands"

-Isaiah 49:16

He knows what I am going through right now ... and

I am a beggar to Him, petitioning in desperate prayers of quick healing

for my weary, broken body. 

A beggar to Him - who lends me daily breath. 

Who blesses me with everything I need and have. 

He - who envelopes my feeble soul and body when nothing else can.  

Are we not all beggars? 

And then I wonder - how did He do it all?

Not only suffering my pain right now, but all of ours. 

I can't even fathom it. 

Right now in this moment of enduring pain,

how did He endure a million times more  -

than what I am and ever could?

Cocooned in softness with my loyal dog right beside me - while kids are at school - 

helps aid in the healing process the best Lucky knows how to do. 

Animals sense these things...

As  Heaven heals not only physically but

my heart and soul as well.

I rest in His comfort. 

This is who takes care of mom when nothing else can.

My own down-time with Heaven.

 "I will not leave you comfortless:

I will come to you."

-John 14:18