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While visiting friends recently, I stepped outside to look around. Bushes were blooming; a lone bird was sitting on a power line. All was peaceful and calm.

Then I heard something.

As I looked up, a low flying airplane was approaching. It was so close.

My friend explained that there was an airport nearby----very nearby. This plane had evidently just taken off.

Commonplace now, the airplane has only been a part of civilization for a few short years in history. The Wright brothers successfully flew the first powered aircraft on December 17, 1903. True, this became the beginning of mans quest for the heights, but it was something else as well. It was the unveiling of Gods magnificence in a new way as we were allowed at this point in time to see His creation from above in a manner not known by man previously.

How privileged we are as a generation to see the vast expanse of planet Earth! Gods workmanship has been revealed to us in a way that others living in earlier times could only dream about:

What would it be like to stand on the moon and look at Earth?

What would it be like to look down on the planet and watch it spin in perfect order, set in motion by God Himself?

What would it look like to see the blazing rays of the sun envelope the Earths edge as dawn comes to mark yet another day granted by
God?

We know.

Gods glorious creation has been revealed to us in His timing.

As our eyes are blessed with the visons of the Earth and space beyond, can we keep our praise silent to the Maker of such magnificence?

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
       "I have loved you with an everlasting love;
       I have drawn you with loving-kindness."

Jeremiah 31:3

Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
      Gods Sunrise will break in upon us,
   Shining on those in the darkness,
      those sitting in the shadow of death,
   Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
      down the path of peace.

Luke 1:78-79

The Message

While visiting an elderly neighbor in the hospital last evening, we talked about various periods in her life--her career, her family, her faith.

One of the most significant moments of our time together came as a complete surprise. As we were speaking about her beliefs, she told of something she had experienced over four decades ago.

Because of a reaction to medication, she became unconscious. Efforts to revive her were underway, but before she awakened, she had what she called "a dream."

There was a bright light that she was moving toward. Family members were there, and even a beloved pet. They spoke to her; and then, quite suddenly, she was revived.

In relating this story, she said that she wasnt afraid; she knew she would be in Heaven with her husband someday. The genuineness of her gentle words were more than convincing. Her experience had rendered a peace and confidence within her soul. It was as if this very same peace drifted from her heart to mine as I felt a certain reassurance well up inside.

I had hoped to encourage my neighbor in visiting her last night. On second thought, this dear woman was the one who encouraged me.

God has drawn us with His loving kindness.

Those who do not know of Gods love may see it in our lives as we show kindness to one another.

Think about it--how can we show love to someone today?

As I sat in the group, we were told to close our eyes and think about how, when a couple has a newborn child, often they are speechless as they behold their child. We were to think about how the parents "delight" in their baby.

Next, we were asked to picture in our minds what God would look like delighting in each of us, personally.

The question? Had some never thought or felt that God would actually delight in us? In the quietness that followed, everyone in the room had to consider these words.

God loves us so very much. Jesus paid the debt for our sin, showing us His great love.

In the Book of Isaiah, chapter 53, verses 1-5 we find the description of what was to come:

Who has believed our message
       and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

  He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
       and like a root out of dry ground.
       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

  He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

  Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.

  But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.

Why would a person choose to believe that there is no God?

I have a friend that does not believe that God exists. What brought him to this conclusion? Im not sure.

Almost by accident, I found out today that my friends father is a Christian.

That means that at least two people are praying for him--his father and, of course, me.

What means everything to us as believers can appear to be foolishness to those who do not believe.

Can I force someone to believe in God?

No.

Yet, I pray that I would have the words to say to my unbelieving friend, each time the opportunity arises.

In most jewelry stores, one could find a large variety of precious stones to choose from.

"Do you have any sapphires?"  Yes.

"Any emeralds?"   Why, yes! Of course!

Have you ever wondered why God has permitted us to have these brilliantly colored jewels?

Have you ever wondered why He describes Heaven by referencing them along with gold, silver and pearl?

Could it be that He wanted us to have a glimpse of what was to come? To actually experience with our eyes here a small taste of what things would be like there?

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.   Revelation 21:18-21

What are you afraid of?

Last night, I attended a choral program. The music was engaging and meaningful. One of the selections was sung partially in the Swahili language.

"Grant us peace, give us courage," was the message of the song.

As I walked outside at the conclusion of the concert, the sun had set; the blue and gray hues of dusk began to envelope the far-reaching steeple that rose high above the sanctuary.

Deuteronomy 31:6 says,

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

In this passage, Moses was relating a message of encouragement to the children of Israel concerning those they were to encounter as they entered the Promised Land. They were not to be afraid. In matters of our own lives, neither are we.

Does the Lord our God go with us?

Will He ever leave us?

Will He forsake us?

He will grant us peace.

He will give us courage.

Amani Utupe Na Ustawi....

It was a perfect day for walking in the nature preserve area. Tiny drops of rain fell as an overcast sky illuminated the park with gentle, diffused light.

Various kinds of wildflowers grew within a few feet of the waters edge. The soil beneath my feet, though covered in grass and weeds, was sinking, at times, with each step as though I were walking on a giant, inflated pillow.

The most stunning flowers that I spotted were a brilliant white with golden centers. How delicate they were! Such beauty! The work of God, adorning the grass with contrasting color.

Who among the gods is like you, O LORD ?
       Who is like you—
       majestic in holiness,
       awesome in glory,
       working wonders?

Exodus 15:11

To "remain true to the Lord with all of their hearts."

This was an exhortation from Barnabas to the Christians at Antioch.

What does it mean to remain true?

Loyal?

Steadfast?

Faithful?

What does "with all of your heart" seem to suggest?

If that is too difficult to define, try describing, "with only part of your heart."

That sounds really negative, doesnt it?

Not only is it negative, it is contradicting.

How could one remain partly faithful?

Partly steadfast?

Partly loyal?

As humans, we all fail. There are times when we miss the mark. Our thoughts, words, and actions fall short of what God wants. At those moments, our loyalty may slide on the slippery slope of temptation. It is then that God draws us back to ask forgiveness, beginning again the firm allegiance to remaining true.

God knows our struggle and yet He loves us, still.

When he (Barnabus) arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.---Acts 11:23-24

My husband and I decided to take a Sunday afternoon drive to----well, wherever.

It was cloudy and overcast, with just a hint of a threatening storm.

We ventured to backroads and less populated areas, just to explore places wed not been.

We found vines with flowers growing in trees, lazy country roads winding between canopying trees and blackbirds searching for food in the spring grass.

Gods provision for the day was before them.

Isnt it also for us, His children?

We wait in hope for the LORD;
       he is our help and our shield.

  In him our hearts rejoice,
       for we trust in his holy name.

  May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
       even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:20-22

I had to stop.

My son and I were driving home down a small stretch of highway that connected to the main road that would take us home.

At this time of year, our county must surely sow wildflower seed along the many highways that connect us on our busy commutes. Every spring, the roadsides are filled with vivd color from the emerging plants.

With assurances on my part that I would be right back, I left my son to wait on me in the car as I treked back to photograph the lavender wonderland I had just passed.

A winding road led through thick bushes leading to somewhere. Hundreds of blooms flowed effortlessly along the ground in a sea of various pinks and purples.

I had stopped because I wanted to capture the scene. I wanted to capture it because, without really thinking about it, I knew that the gorgeous blooms would not be there for very long. In a few short weeks, they would be only a memory.

The Bible tells us that we are like the flowers of the field, at least while we are on Earth. As Christians, we have been born again of "imperishable seed."

The flowers remind us of what is to pass and what is to come....

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
   "All men are like grass,
      and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
   the grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of the Lord stands forever."

I Peter 1:23-25a

"Its going to be okay."

"Lets talk it over."

"Ill pray for you."

"Here. Let me help."

"Its never too late to call."

"Please forgive me."

"Im here to listen."

These are words of healing, are they not?

A young child trips and falls, scraping his knees. The comforting voice of a parent begins the process of moving away from the pain and fright of the fall.

A woman cries alone on the back pew of a church, ashamed and bewildered at the events of her life. The comforting voice of someone who cares reaches her ears and then touches her heart.

A man, recently divorced, grips his pencil tightly at work, anxiously hoping for encouragement and strength. The comforting voice of an old friend calms the storm in his mind as he picks up the phone and hears genuine concern in every word.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs, chapter 15, that "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life..."

Lonely.

You may be lonely now.

You might have been lonely in the past.

You may be lonely in the future.

But does anyone want to be lonely?

Being lonely is not the same as being alone. Certainly a person could feel lonely in a crowd---lonely at home, school or work. On the other hand, someone could be experiencing great connectedness and support sitting alone in a park, reading. Its not always about solitude, although it could be.

It is God who created relationship. The fabric of our human civilization is based on relating to one another. Most importantly, we have a relationship with God. He is our Maker, our Sustainer.

In the Book of Psalms, chapter 68, the writer tells us that, "God sets the lonely in families..."

God knows and understands the need for fellowship. If you can remember a time when you were lonely and without a family or group of friends, what does that memory seem like now? Do the images in your mind only appear as snapshots in a scrapbook? Have they been surpassed by the addition of loving people that God has now placed in your life?

If you are in a lonely state right now, pray and ask God for a friend. A good friend. One that would encourage you in your walk with Him.

Let God select the memories for the next page in your album.

He loves you.

You are never alone.

I received a card today.

The inscription read, Wherever you go, God is already there.

God reveals His plans to us a little at a time. Take this step. Now, take this one...

Isaiah 48:16a puts it this way,

Come near me and listen to this:
       "From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;
       at the time it happens, I am there."

In only a split second, the dragonfly came to rest on a leafless stalk emerging from the water. They are such interesting creatures.

Dragonflies don a variety of velvety rich colors.

Dragonflies have the ability to stop in mid-air and hover in front of you, contemplating your very existance in their world, only to warp into hyperspace before your very eyes, disappearing as quickly as they appeared.

They also have six legs.

And that is worth mentioning because.....

Dragonflies cant walk.

Their legs allow them only to stand.

If they are going to soar to the heights or simply hover in their dragonfly sort of way, they must fly.

They must fly with the wings that God provides for them.

A dragonfly could choose to stand and not fly, but it would do so at great personal loss.

After living a short, stationary existance, only eating the few insects that crossed its path, it would die, certainly not having fulfilled its potential.

The good thing?

As far as I know, all dragonflies choose to fly.

But what about people?

What if we had spiritual legs?

They would allow us to stand and to walk toward faith---but fly?

We would need spiritual wings.

Wings that could only be given to us by God.

Wings that would take us to marvelous places that we could never experience while standing.

Wings with which to soar to the highest heights as our relationship with God grew deeper.

Wings that would allow us to be still, hovering as we take in the wonder of His presence.

It is God who gives us these spiritual wings, yet  is we who must choose to fly.

In the past God spoke

to our forefathers through

the prophets at many times

and in various ways,

but in these last days

he has spoken to us by

his Son, whom he appointed

heir of all things, and through

whom he made the universe.

The Son is the radiance

of Gods glory

and the exact representation

of his being,

sustaining all things

by his powerful word.

After he had provided

purification for sins,

he sat down

at the right hand

of the Majesty

in heaven.

Hebrews 1:1-3