Beauty,Blessings,Bliss

I was blessed in many ways this week.It all came as a surprise which made it that much nicer.Early in the week I received my copy of the newly republished Victoria magazine!If you are not familiar with this magazine I urge you to check it out(www.victoriamag.com) .If,like me you are a lover of beauty in it's many forms,you will love this magazine.They had ceased publication a few years back.I was saddened by this.I'd enjoyed many years of reading pleasure and beauty each month as my dear husband had bought me a subscription.I am glad they have returned.

Then I received a CD in the mail from Ruth Wood(and friends)over at Comfort Cafe(www.comfortcafe.net) simply by telling them what Comfort Cafe meant to me.That,for me,was a simple task.They are a ministry dedicated to encouraging women who are hurting in any way.I have been so very blessed by their ministry in the last few years.It has been a source of comfort as we have walked through some really tough times since 2002.And,as I am sure you are well aware,women and men handle stress very differently at times.The CD I received is incredible(Eyes On You).I urge you,my readers to check out the ministry and the CD both.

Lastly,I was blessed in a way that could have had quite a different outcome.We had gone to get groceries on Thursday.On the way home we had noticed the temperature gauge on our van was getting up into the hot zone.So we drove into Lyons from Mill City and stopped at the ponds we had fished at years back.We got out of the van to check the radiator and add water and anti-freeze.I was stunned by the beauty that surrounded me.Apparently we had never been to these ponds in the fall.The trees around the ponds were golden and rust.The sky above cloudless and cerulean(my new word...hee hee hee).The wind was brisk and out of the north/northeast.The sun was warm.And I,while husband filled the radiator,was in sheer bliss.I sat on a sun warmed,flat rock.Soaking up it's toasty,golden rays.I joyfylly turned my face to the wind and let it blow on me full force(I've loved the wind since I was small).I wondered why we did'nt just get out like this more often.Some leaves skittered across the gravel parking lot.Like children rushing to get home from school to begin afternoon play.Steve thought it was an animal running up behind him.Huge grin.The van was fine.We drove home.And I pondered the beauty,blessings and bliss I had received this week.All gifts from God.Thank You Lord.

I'm Grateful

I'm grateful today.Grateful for the rain that is falling outside.It is refreshing and replenishing the earth that God has so graciously given us.I'm grateful for the antibiotics I'm on right now.They are ridding my body of the staph infection I have somehow obtained.I'm grateful for our apartment.Though small it is warm and dry.It is a shelter from the storm.I'm grateful for friends and family that I have been given in abundance.They are gifts to me from our Creator.I'm grateful today.Grateful to God for His goodness that flows in abundance upon our lives.Grateful to Him for salvation.We can look forward to eternity spent with Him because of the grace gift of His Son.I'm grateful today.Grateful for our black,fur covered clown.Our cat,Shadow.He provides a much needed source of fun and amusement in our lives.I'm grateful for Autumn.Our town is alive with a riot of Autumn color.Who knew that the passing of summer,a death if you will,could be so beautiful?If we stop,and really look at our lives,we will find so much to be grateful for.Gratitude in itself is a gift.Something to thank God for,don't you think?What are you grateful for today?

Photo courtesy of www.freestockphotos.com

The Glory of God

I awoke this morning to an angry looking sky much like the one in this picture.Rainy season has started here in Oregon.Thankfully such a dreary sky did not dampen my enthusiasm for my devotional time spent with the Lord.And even more wonderful than that is the fact that it did not impair God's ability to bless me through the following devotional writing.Smile.I hope you are equally blessed:

When God's power is manifested in the world,in His creation or in His people,God is glorified.When we pray that our lives may glorify Him,we are asking that the self may be put down,for it is not possible to show the power of God and at the same time to glorify what George MacDonald called"the bastard self."

We must be prepared to lose ourselves,whatever that may entail,that God may be all in all.Losing an argument for His sake,losing something we held dear,losing face,reputation,a position of power or superiority,losing a claim on someone or on his affection or respect-can these be a part of the answer to our prayer to glorify God in our lives?

Assuredly they can,for assuredly the Son Himself laid aside all such assets when He came to do the will of the Father.

"I have glorified thee on the earth"(John 17:4,KJV),He said-and that glory was manifested through weakness,loss and suffering.What a priveleged position we are called to share.

Lord,lift up our eyes,away from ourselves and our small losses,up to the glory yet tobe revealed.Teach us that it is only out of weakness that we are made strong,only as we suffer that we may reign,only as we lose that we may gain.

~Taken from"A Lamp Unto My Feet"by Elisabeth Elliot~

Photo courtesy of www.freestockphotos.com