Sunday, April 29, 2012

Things I wonder

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I wonder

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what it would have been like

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to watch God

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when He was thinking up all these different animals.

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It must have made him laugh

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a most deep and satisfying laugh.

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There had to have been a cosmic twinkle in his eye

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as he pronounced

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"It is good."

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I wonder

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whether we will one day

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get to hear him tell us

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what he was thinking as he added each detail.

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But even with all that I wonder,

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I know for certain that he had a purpose in each of those details.

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I love that scientists help us learn how animals 
are perfectly adapted for their habitats.


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  They all point to an amazing creator.
(I might have mentioned that once or twice before.
I think you can handle that.)

Friday, April 27, 2012

Photo of the Day

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I took lots of fun pictures of zoo babies today, but this was my favorite shot of the day.  More of the others later!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Percolating

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You might have noticed by now that this blog of mine goes in spurts.  For awhile you get splashes of photos of the beauty in the midst of the busy days.  Nothing too earth shattering, really.

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But all the while, the thoughts are turning around in my head, and you know that one of these days, out will come the words.  Oh, it is nothing to fear.  Unless you haven't had your coffee yet, and then you will just click along your merry way.  Lately there has been percolating going on.

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I am doing two book study groups right now.  One is Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright, and the other is King's Cross by Timothy Keller.  Each of them is tons of food for thought, but together, they are amazing!  They both express many of the very same truths that I needed to challenge me, from similar, yet very unique perspectives. Of course, the fact that they both came at the same time had nothing to do with any human planning.  But the plan for me to be doing them together is unmistakably a gift from God.

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I wish I could even begin to share the richness with you of the ways the two of them together have clarified my thinking, but I am not there yet.  One quote from Timothy Keller sums up the three perspectives that both books speak to in depth:

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"The gospel does not say, 'the good are in and the bad are out,' nor, 'the open-minded are in and the judgmental are out.'  The gospel says, 'The humble are in and the proud are out.'"

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This is such very good news for all of us.  I hope I will have more to share as we wrap up in the weeks ahead.  God is so good to give us what he knows we need!

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I highly recommend King's Cross to anyone at all.  It's a breathtaking look at the life of Jesus through the gospel of Mark.  Surprised by Hope is a tougher, more academic read, but it would follow King's Cross perfectly for anyone who wanted to dig even deeper.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Forties Top 40, #32

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#32:  Supportive women.

I cannot even imagine the last decade without the supportive women in my life. My sister, my grandmother and other mothers and sisters-in-law, the women in my Bible study, my Moms In Touch group, the other baseball moms and school moms and neighbors, the women on praise team, my former colleagues, older friends, younger friends, just plain tried and true friend friends and even blog friends.  Seriously.  Where would I be without them?  Where would my husband and kids be without them?  Not that there aren't a lot of supportive men in my life, because there are.  But you, supportive woman out there...I would not be HALF the wife and mom and child of God I am, were it not for you.  You 

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inspire me

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challenge me

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surround me with beauty

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help me laugh at real life

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understand me in ways my husband can't
(and shouldn't have to)

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remind me we're in this together

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and help me believe that God is stronger in me than I give him credit for being.

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I thank God for you.

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I am unbelievably blessed.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Through my window...

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...robins sing
while crab apples bloom.

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The albino scavenges for last year's remnants.

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Buds dare to reach through crisp, cold air,

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soaking up sun's rays.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Sunrise

"But thanks be to God, 
who in Christ always leads us in triumph,
and through us spreads
the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."
2 Corinthians 2:14

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There's just something about an Easter sunrise.

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So full of victory.

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And hope.

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I wish you could smell these.

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May God use me to spread his fragrance like this
everywhere I go.
Because Christ always leads us in triumph.
Amen!

He is risen indeed!