Dazzling creation

Photograph: Kenneth Libbrecht/Barcroft Media
Is each snowflake really unique? Says Hans Verlinde, associate professor of meteorology at Penn State:
"It depends upon how we define snowflake," says Hans Verlinde, associate professor of meteorology at Penn State. "Let's be specific, and define a snowflake as a single, vapor-grown ice crystal. I would say with a great deal of confidence that all crystals are different on a molecular level, purely because there are differences in the atomic structure of the atoms making up a water molecule, and hence, in the water molecules themselves."

He further states... "But we can address the probability of finding two identical ice crystals, which is vanishingly small," he notes. "The bigger the crystals get, the greater the freedom for different growth paths, and the lower the probability of finding identical crystals even at the macroscopic visual level."

Enough about the science! The point is, God could have just made them look like formless blobs, but he didn't! He is the original Master, and His Masterpieces are everywhere including you and me.

Last year I found a beautiful book at Barnes and Noble. On each page was a closeup of a different snowflake, about 200 in all. I just had to marvel again at the creativity of our Creator....nature speaks loudly for all who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear with....

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech or language, where their voice is not heard." Psalm 1: 1-3

Good advice from Brother Lawrence.....

My dear sister in the Lord, I sympathize with your difficult situation. I think that freeing yourself of your present responsibilities for a while and devoting yourself entirely to prayer would be the best thing you could do for yourself. God does not ask much of us. But remembering Him, praising Him, asking for His grace, offering Him your troubles, or thanking Him for what He has given you will console you all the time. During your meals or during any daily duty, lift your heart up to Him, because even the least little remembrance will please HIm. You don't have to pray out loud; He's nearer than you can imagine.....From The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

We are all going through some kind of "difficult situations" are we not? There are times when we can't seem to lift our head above water, we tread frantically, lots of motion but getting nowhere. Sometimes we struggle with an issue so long that we no longer have even the words to form for prayer. God knows your heart anyway. I take great comfort in this.

Sometimes we think our needs are trivial and we hesitate to bring them before God. After all, He sees the starving child in the streets, abused and alone.....Yes, He does. But He also sees us, and He cares about our every need. No prayer is trivial to Him. He takes our every concern to heart. Just the fact that we bring it up gives Him great joy.
Philippians 4:6-7 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

Stillness....

As I settled into my prayer shed yesterday I received a precious gift. As I lit my lantern and settled into my chair I heard the soft pitter pat magic of rain on the roof. I don't think anyone appreciates the rain quite like those of us living in the desert. To us it does seem like a miracle. I settled into prayer and as sometimes happens, I felt the blessing of God's own Presence. Though His precious Spirit is always with me, I don't always "feel" Him. But as Pastor said yesterday, in order to sense Him, we have to make room in our lives. And so I try to. I create small pockets of silence where I can hear Him when He speaks.

Yesterday's prayer time was a gift. Sometimes, He wakes me at night and I toss and turn, wondering if He is trying to speak into my soul what I cannot hear in the clamour of daylight's activity.

This happened the other night as I was worrying at my folk's house. Worried about the state of things, and my absence, among other things, worried about how I could fix things if I were there, boy what an ego I have!

I awoke in the early hours of morning and I sensed this deep quiet in my soul. It was much like the quiet of the woods in the snow, that insulated silence. I know that I know that I know, that this was the Holy Spirit's nudge. I felt that deep peace that He was absolutely there with me. He said, "I am still here." Then I prayed, and the peace lasted. Even now it stands out in my mind these many days later.

Sometimes we get that peace, today I am grateful for the gifts of His Spirit because without Him I can do nothing.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such thing there is no law." Galatians 5:22,23

This makes 141 of my One Thousand Gifts.....As I continue sharing gratitude along with others in the community at:

Peace on earth

Photo supplied by Google Images
I love finding great photos like this one! This 12-week-old macaque was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Goangdong Province, China, after being abandoned by his mother. Taken to an animal hospital, he was weaned back to physical health but still showed little appetite for life. It was not until a fellow patient, a white pigeon, took him under her wing and showed him love and affection that he perked up. Now the two are inseparable, say staff.

Micah 4:3 (New International Version)

3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

Can we even imagine a world such as this? Only one person and one person alone has what it takes to bring this about and we celebrate His birth this month. While this prophecy is looking ahead to a future time in history, we can be assured that while there is turmoil around us, we can recieve His eternal peace in our hearts at this very moment. The peace that reconciles us to Him forever. Click here to find out how.

Have you ever experienced an unexpected peace as a direct result of prayer....recently? I would love to hear about it.

Advent

Photo by Romeo Koitmae, Estonia
Advent
(A Poem based on Rev. 22:20) I am. I was. I will be.
I am not coming soon I am here.

I was born on a cold night in a cold place
Unnoticed, unheralded by cold people
Who turned my mother away.
On that night were you listening?
On that night the "least of your brothers" was me.
Now do you see, do you hear and do you care?
I am not coming soon I am here.
In your life do you see me
In the ragged men and women
Who search the cold street
Looking for my reflection in your heart?
Do you hear my voice in
Their muttered plea or in their tear?
I am not coming soon I am here.
Do you hear me when your friend turns to you
To ask forgiveness and trust?
Do I not forgive you always?
Do I not give you a merciful ear?
I am not coming soon I am here.
In this season I was born unto you
Fulfilling the promise of God’s care.
Look for me, listen to me…
I am not coming soon I am here.

by W. H. Smaw

I love the season of advent. Something about it always creates a stillness inside me. Something that makes me slow down, draw back, close in. While I may join the flurry of activity around me, my soul seeks quiet places of prayer. Something within me resounds with the rightness of reflection, especially at this time of year. Even nature itself seems to draw itself in, indeed, the whole creation waits and groans for the savior's coming as though it knows that someday it will be redeemed as well....We embrace the joy of His birth, while at the same time we are keenly aware of the suffering to come, and ultimately we can only kneel humbly with the gratitude and awe of the wisemen, He is born and we are reborn!

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." Romans 8:22,23

Seeking things above....

The image above is called "Sunlight on Snow," with the footings of the Granville Street Bridge in the background by Mark Hamilton, journalism instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

I was originally looking for a peaceful snowy sunrise, but this fits even more with what I wanted to capture with my thoughts today. Thoughts of my trip back home. As the out of state family member, I feel sometimes like I need to be all things to everyone when I am there, and of course I can't. I get irritated with situations and then frustrated with myself when I don't react the way I think God would want me to. It is so easy to get wrapped up and bogged down with "earthly" situations and heartache down here and forget who is in control. Moments become lost forever. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, "I am still here." I listened.

I stopped.....I prayed....I gave it back to God, and I felt my time redeemed. I had returned everything to it's rightful owner, at least for a time. Why is it sometimes so easy to "lose our religion" so to speak? After I gave it back, I started loving again. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving day spent together, eating, praying, enjoying the blessing of each other. It is fleeting, it is precious.

And over all too soon.

In looking again at the photo I have to remind myself to see not the graffiti on the bridge, but the beauty of the sunlight on the snow, and know where it comes from.

Colossians 3: 1-5 (New American Standard)
"If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

Coming home.....

Home to Arizona again.....No leaves here. In California there are leaves everywhere right now, on the street, stuck to shoes, blowing in the doorway.....magical, messy, colorful, God's artistry blowing down for us to enjoy. Watching my niece bury herself in dry dead old leaves, I saw them through her eyes....gleeful fun. The kind of fun we adults forget. We see mess, just imagine what could be lying in that pile raked along with all that color? But she sees only pure unadulterated joy. I let her bury me in it.

Reflection time now, sitting home. I let lose with a few tears. Tears that always must come when leaving ones you love. Knowing that it was helpful me being there, but also knowing when I leave the help goes away. My Mom and I said the same thing, we both started to give in to tears, and then prayed instead. Of course the only way, always and only. Prayer, our salvation, our lifeline when we are far apart.

So I pray....And as I pray, and feel sorrow breaking over me, I feel something else too. I see a scene in my mind of a summer day, boats bobbing off a green shore. A place where you would love to spend the Fourth of July. I see it, and I know it is God's way of anchoring my soul to His peace.

I find, and feel, hope. It is good to be home, and I know that I am not so far away from loved ones there. We are bound together in prayer.....God's hope.