Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Isaiah 28:2 “Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, he casts down to the earth with his hand.” Exodus 15:2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
As summer gives entrance to fall giving Autumn a golden glow;
Wingless Caterpillars gives Butterflies wings to fly,
So does seasonal life stories have the potential to nourish the soul.
Awee, we have such a one from Jennifer Walker Smith, the daughter of Esther Walker, the skilled Biblical storyteller.
Jennifer writes and shares unfettered in every way. Take a couple of minutes and listen if soul food seems needful for your day.
“But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. Psalm 92:12-14 NLT”
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB).
“The same Greek word for “glory” is used twice in the phrase from glory to glory, yet each usage refers to something different. The first “glory” is that of the Old Covenant—the Law of Moses—while the second is that of the New Covenant, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both have astonishing splendor.
The Old Covenant was given to Moses directly from God, written by God’s own finger (Exodus 31:18). That root of our Christian faith is glorious indeed; it’s the glory we’re coming “from.” Yet the New Covenant, the glory we’re going “to,” far surpasses that of the Old.
“But, as we move from glory to glory, there’s something even more important about the glory of the New Covenant that Christians must understand: its supernatural power to transform us. And that brings us to God’s ultimate purpose and destination for every believer, to transform us into the image of his own beloved Son (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:28–30; Philippians 3:20–21)
“Before he finishes with the topic of being transformed from glory to glory, Paul presents yet one more astonishing claim: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Online Ask Recommended Resource: 1 & 2 Corinthians, Holman New Testament Commentary by Richard Pratt
I’m still trying to take it all in! The photos are breathtaking because I’v heard the end. Glory to Glory! This is the invitation the Lord makes to all that call out to Him (Psalm 145:18) to have our lives radically transformed here and now, by opening our eyes to see the glorious journey He is taking us on “from glory to glory.”
“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:5
The United Methodist Hymnal Number 382
Text: Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934
Music: George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945
Tune: ADELAIDE, Meter: 54.54 D
“1. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.
2. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Search me and try me, Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow.
3. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
4. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me! “
I grew up often hearing this hymn while attending church. It was always about myself. Or, those in our little church that may have been in a difficult spot at the moment. Today, I awoke with the words from this hymn springing up from within and singing the words for our nation, USA!
https://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh382.sht
*This photo was from a shared photo …we don’t know the photographer as it was shared with us to see ears of a Jack Rabbit. Congrats! It’s a beauty.
“This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you.”
John 15:12 AMPC
“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.” Galatians 6:14
This morning walking through my glorious garden laden with blooms of various kinds the fragrance of rain and its cross proof was green leaves dripping in dew and a sunflower bloom. The visual thought seemed to incite the inner soul to sing with joy from deep within, “glory in the cross.”
The joy of thinking on the cross as I gasped from the beauty began to awaken God as a ground of being present throughout creation—including in the human soul—each Christian is invited to give birth to Christ within one’s soul. The beauty of the gardens inspired my recognizing the divine presence within me, and in so doing to be “wonderfully united” to God through Christ Jesus and The Cross!
“The entire spectrum of color is always present in the light all around us. Rain doesn’t create rainbows; rain reveals the colors that are already present in the atmosphere. This color spectrum is usually hidden from our sight and only revealed under special conditions. In the same way, we may have moments of insight and revelation that reveal to us—or at least suggest to us—the presence of the Divine that is often hidden but no less real.” Christopher Maricle, “Growing in God”
Hi, My name is Willow, today Lady Landlord allowed me to have show and tell in class. So here we go! Our scripture from Big Book to give us eyes is found in Genesis 9:16. As you can see in my photo I am busy seeing and I have discovered the truth from author, Maricle, which I’v published for you. Hope you are beginning to see the Divine revealed.
One more thing, [After seeing the risen Christ,] “Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me” (John 20:14–18).
🪔🕸🐛🕊🌿💚Willow
“May the One who can scoop the ocean with one hand—
the One who is profoundly present to each grain of sand—
hold you firmly
and carry you gently
this day.” —Sam Hamilton-Poore,
Joy comes in the morning! …weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. – Psalm 30:5
I love words and symbols. One might attest to the idea words are symbols. I do! When I see a colorful rainbow circling my world I hear you are a promise and, I God, have a promise for you. 🌈
Not sure whom we can contribute this great art and thought to. But, love when we drive or walk by a home or business and words are painted on rocks, carved in wood or sewn in a greeting flag.
This garden greeting brought a bubbling up spring in my soul singing 🎶spring up O well within my soul and give to me that life abundantly.🎶
And, out of abundance of joy I was reminded of words recorded by the prophet Ezekiel.
“And I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.” Ezekiel 34:29
“A garden of renown.”
