How Is He?

"In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him." -- 1 John 4:17

If we are like HIM, then we should be asking the question: "How is He?"

Since we are partakers of the divine nature of God, and bear resemblance to God, even in this present state of things; we are to be holy in all manner of conversation, as He is holy, and to be merciful to all men, as He is merciful, and to love the saints as He does, and to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgive one another, as He for Christ's sake has forgiven them; for as God is love, we should be all love likewise; or of Christ.

Generations

Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. -- Psalm 90:1-2

Praise to the Father of our four generations; for you have been our home! So grateful to have taken a beach vacation with my mom, daughter (& son-in-law), and my two grandsons -- four generations traveling together, sharing and bonding, while enjoying one of God's amazing creations -- the ocean!

Sand

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them;  they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up,  you are still with me! -- Psalm 139:17-18

I cannot even begin to count the grains of sand in one child-size sand bucket! And yet when I looked at the sand to my left and to my right, as far as my natural eye could see, the sand just went on and on. God says his thoughts about me outnumber the grains of sand. That's a lot of thoughts!

Boundaries

He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. -- Psalm 33:7

I love to watch the ocean waves hit the shore. Each wave knows its boundary and only comes that far. Only God holds the answer as to why some are permitted to come farther than the others. 

As I watched the waves at the beach this week I began to think about God's plan for us and why it seems some people's boundaries are set farther out than others. I have to believe that a God who numbers our hairs (Matthew 10:30) must surely work out the details of those boundaries for each child. Surely He knows just how far to let us wander before we crash. For me I prefer that He keep a tight rein on my boundaries for therein I find my safety. 

Today's Prayer: "Hem me in Lord, behind and before." (Psalm 139:5).

Ancient of Days

"As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." -- Daniel 7:9-10

When an injustice has occurred we can take comfort in knowing that our God is the Ancient of Days! He knows all and has seen all, including the hearts and intents of men. He was there in the beginning and He will be there in the end. There will be no need for "he said / she said." There will be no need to call on human material witnesses, their memory often spotty at best. There will be no mistrials or appeals; no exam and cross-exam by clever attorneys; no witness protection program; and certainly no excuses. Yes, with not even one glance the Ancient of Days knows all. Praise be to the Ancient of Days -- the only ONE worthy to judge.

The Ocean

"Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths." -- Psalm 148:7

I'm headed to the ocean and I cannot wait to get there. There is just something mesmerizing about the ocean that causes my heart to leap into praise for My Creator. The depths, who can know them? The treasures, who can fathom them? The pounding waves hitting the shore, who can measure their strength? Yes, there is something about the ocean that makes me rise up and praise; that makes me stand in awe again!

Ocean, by Ten Shekel Shirt

Lately, I've been thinkin' about You
And lately, I've been dreaming about You
And lately, I can't get You out of my head
Get You out of my head

chorus
There's something about the ocean
Makes me rise up and praise
There's something about the heavens
Makes me stand in awe again
There's something about the sunrise
Reminds me of Your faithfulness
There's something about the ocean (Your presence)
And I'm lost in love again

I'll sing until I sense a smile
Upon Your great and lovely face
Until I know Your glory's in this place
Your glory's in this place (yeah-yeah)

Point of View

While on vacation last week I texted this beautiful picture of the lake to my daughter. My caption read, "my view this morning" to which she texted back the second picture. Her caption: "MY view this morning."

Both views are breathtaking for The Creator made them both. He is worthy of our praise no matter what view greets us each morning.

"Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! His greatness is beyond discovery!" -- Psalm 145:3

Light My Way

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."- Psalm 119:105

This lighthouse, built in 1870, can be found up north in Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan. It is located on the 45th parallel -- or halfway between the North Pole and the Equator.

And who wouldn't enjoy a fire on the beach at sunset in the same town? These two sites are from my recent trip to Michigan. Both represent a form of light. God spoke to my heart through both of them.

Today's prayer: "Lord, please light my way, today and always. Be to me a beacon of light, a lighthouse in the dark, when the sea billows roll. And when you call me to the fire, I know you won't withdraw your hand. I'll look into the flames and search for you. You spoke. My heart heard. Now please light the path for this weary traveler. Amen."

Adventure

"You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve and give life to everything, and all the angels of heaven worship you." -- Nehemiah 9:6

From Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, this prayer warrior is heading out on an adventure!

Kiddie Menu

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." – Matthew 19:14

I love ordering off the kiddie menu at restaurants, mostly because of the small portion sizes. Unfortunately, not many restaurants allow “big” kids like me to do that. A group of us recently had lunch at Cracker Barrel and I ordered off the kiddie menu. One of my lunch companions said something like, “What are you, 5?” to which I responded, “Well, yes, considering I’m going to live for eternity I’m really pretty young.” And then I had to laugh.

As “mature” Christ-followers we tend to stop eating off the kiddie menu and we often stop having child-like fun. But, I’m not sure that’s the best plan. God loves kids. He loves those who come to Him like children. And I’m convinced that God wants us enjoy this life (John 10:10), so I’m going to order off the “kiddie menu” of this life as often as possible.

Picky Eater

What a blessing it has been to be on the move with OHOP - Mobile!  I'm getting to meet in new places, experience a variety of worship styles, and enjoy people I never would have previously come in contact with.

As we worshiped with New Vision Church in Harrison this past week, the term "picky eater" came to mind. I admit I'm a picky eater as far as food .... Sushi?  No way! Tried it once. Spicy? Absolutely not! 

And so I began to wonder what the Spirit might be saying through this term "picky eater." For instance, has the church become picky eaters in the spiritual sense? When you only eat at certain restaurants and always order the same food, your taste buds never experience anything new. When you never step outside the walls of your familiar church building and you only partake of the same worship experience week after week, does that foster a picky eater mentality? I'm just wondering, because this picky eater is beginning to understand the wisdom of God's command to "go into all the world ...."

Here's to some new tastes!