I Love Spring!!!

I Heart Faces - Focusing on Angles

This week at I Heart Faces the theme is "Focusing on Angles".
Here is my entry...

Evidence

If you live in the Central Valley, then this is probably a familiar site to you...



It's a beautiful gift every Spring that doesn't last very long.
Soon those trees won't even have a hint that they were covered with flowers.
They will be completely covered with green leaves.
But sometime from June - September (depending on the type of tree), they will be full of delicious fruit.
This beautiful gift is just evidence



of the real gift that is coming.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:19-23

 

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

EVIDENCE



of the real gift that is coming.
 

The one who sows to please the Spirit,

from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Galatians 6:8

See more posts like this at Through The Lens of Worship

Simplicity

I have been thinking and praying about more simplicity in our lives.

And in doing so I came across Luke 18:16-17

“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them!

For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.

I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive

the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Have you ever considered how a child receives the Kingdom of God?

Simply.

Bruce and I took Molly out to get some pictures in the wild flowers last week, before they were cut down.

She had so much fun just noticing the flowers.

You can't really tell in these pictures, but there were little pink flowers mixed in with the yellow flowers.

She ran and spun and picked flowers - lots of flowers.

And she cried when it was time to go home.

She has asked me twice in the past week if we can go to the flowers again.

Simplicity lives in the wonder of a child.

Another post for Through The Lens of Worship.

Hands-On Fun for I Heart Faces

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is "Hands-On Fun"
I have been working on a "details" photo for Soar and happened to take this photo today.
I just LOVE what it says about Molly.
Notice the worn out nail polish and ink between her fingers on her left hand.
My baby LOVES to color and she LOVES nail polish.
She asks for "pretty nails" all the time.
And as soon as one chips, she tells me its broken.
(It's only been a week since my mom painted her nails.)

Reflection on a Worship Wednesday

About a month ago, the girls and I got together to take some pictures and worship God.
It had been a foggy week around here so the dew was heavy.
(Walking across the fields meant getting wet pant legs.)

We went to a particular field to photograph the beautiful oak trees there, but what caught my eye (and how God spoke to my heart that day) was the dew.

As the dew reflected the sun, it sparkled like hundreds of diamonds, like stars shining in the universe.
And God spoke to my heart.

That's what its like when you reflect my glory

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his 

likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 

2 Cor 3:18

Lord, I want to reflect your glory more!

Later that week, this was brought back to me again by an episode of 3-2-1 penguins.
(Gotta love those kid's shows!)
This was the verse that the episode was teaching:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 

children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, 

in which you shine like stars in the universe. 

Philippians 2: 14-15

Let's shine like stars in the universe!

Check out more posts from Through the Lens of Worship or add your own post here 

Doing the Deeper Work on a worship Wednesday

For Soar, our first photography exercise was about capturing the essence of ourselves - where we are now.
We had to capture two images
One of ourself and the other of an obect that represents who we are.

Wow was this difficult, but rewarding all at the same time.
It was difficult to put all of that into one image.
And I didn't anticipate it becoming such a time of worship for me, but it did.
To help me, I followed MeRa's example and wrote 3 I am statements

I am tired and worn down - running on empty

I am leaning on my only source of strength - Christ

Though many things may try to tear me down and get in my way, I will stand strong in Christ.

I am standing on the promises of Isaiah 40:28-31:

Have you never heard? Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Here are my images...

The day I was out taking these I couldn't stop singing this song:

With mercy You've shown me Your unfailing love

Your holiness purges my sin

Your blood has redeemed me, I'm washed in Your grace

With patience You cleanse me within

Make me like You - Take the pieces of my life and make it new

Make me like You - Make me wholly completely brand new

To love the unloved ones To count all but loss

I'll take up my cross for You

To picture You broken To see You as King

For You anything I will do

Make me like You - Take the pieces of my life and make it new

Make me like You - Make me wholly completely brand new

(Make Me Like You by Mike Busbee)