The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. As I looked down into the valley from the overlook on Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, the sun broke through the clouds to light up the valley below. Even through the dark cloud, it was as if the valleys were shouting for joy. It made my heart sing that morning.
I am grateful for these times when the light breaks through and I see God in his world. My heart overflows with the joy of his presence in my life. Prayer Great God Give us songs of joy this day. Fill us with your love and beauty to overflowing. Amen
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Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We had hiked the Stony Man Trail the trail on our last trip through Shenandoah National Park and knew this would be a good one. It is a short hike to a rock outcrop that looks out over the valley below. The skies were mostly blue with just a few clouds in the early afternoon of this very windy day. When we got to the top I set up my camera on the tripod and got ready to take a shot of the vista in front of me when all at once a rainbow appeared. This were not the type of sky or weather in which you would expect see a rainbow. I stood there in total amazement to see something so beautiful and so unexpected.
As I walked back down the mountain I just couldn’t get over the amazing and unexpected view that I had just seen. And then came to my heart something even more amazing, the grace of God. Amazed! We sometimes use this word so much it looses its power, everything is amazing. I think we can do the same thing with the grace of God. This is especially true for those of us who have known the story of Jesus most of our lives. We need to be reminded again and again how amazing is the love of Christ, knowing that he sits on the heavenly throne where we can always find grace and mercy. Prayer Amazing God Bring us reminders of your grace this day and help us to never loose a sense of how amazing is Your love and grace. Amen And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. When I stepped out the door to see if it has stopped raining I saw the raindrops on my clematis. I decided to get my macro lens and try to capture the fresh raindrops. After I took the image I loaded it onto my computer and opened up my editing software. I first had to crop the image so the drops and detail would be more prominent. Then the colors were a little flat so I increased the luminance and saturation of the yellows. To make the flower stand out more I darkened the blacks and shadows and lightened the whites and highlights. For a finishing touch I added a slight vignette. So I ended up with this transformed image, one that I hope brings out the beauty of the raindrops on the flower.
The amazing thing about following Christ is that we are on a journey of transformation. The more we think about him, the more we read his words, the more we stand amazed at his glory, the more we are transformed into his image. We become the person God sees, the person he created, the person we are now and will be in the future. Prayer God Who Transforms We humble ourselves before your glory. Transform our lives this day as we walk in your light. Amen I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees. Since my first visit to a botanical garden our our road trip to the Great Lakes, I have come to love them and seek them out every chance I get. Even though each one that I have visited is unique they each share some of the same characteristics: they are highly planned, have a variety of plants, are well maintained, and have something of beauty for every season. Botanical gardens are designed for a community and open to the public, some with a fee and some are free. Either way any one who wants to visit is welcomed.
I have come to see the Psalms like a botanical garden. The book of Psalms is highly planned and organized, although it is a little hard to see this if you just read a few. There is a whole gamut of emotions from joy to sadness, from fear to trust, from anger to praise. No matter your age or what emotion or struggle you are facing you can find a psalm. You can find beautiful word pictures even if you are not a poet. To really understand the Psalms you have to meditate on them which takes the kind of daily work that it takes to maintain a garden. So the next time you get a chance to visit a botanical garden or read the psalms, enjoy their beauty and learn the lessons of each. Prayer Great Creator, Thank you for the Psalms. Give us the discipline to study them to see their beauty and through them to see you. Amen Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. These are just the regular wildflowers you see in abundance in fall meadows. Some would even call some of them weeds. Most people drive the loop in Cades Cove in hopes of seeing wildlife or to see historic buildings. They drive right past the fields of these small wildflowers. This day I stopped to just look at both the beautiful clear blue skies and the fields filled with the nothing special but still beautiful wildflowers.
We all experience times in our lives when we feel small and unimportant. I think that maybe this is how the early Christians of Asia Minor felt. They were probably small in number and living a lifestyle that was radically different from their society. Peter wrote to remind them that even though they were looked down and even persecuted they each were important enough to have been given a gift - not a gift for themselves but a gift to use to serve others. They and we are useful in God’s eyes. We each have been given gifts to use to serve others. Our service may not ever been noticed but each small act of love makes a difference. Prayer Lord Jesus Speak to our hearts and show us how we can use the gift you have given us to serve others today. Remind us that we are loved and important in your eyes. Amen I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; We had gone to the top of the mountain to see the sunset. Since we got there in plenty of time I found a good position and sat down to wait. I hadn’t come here with any thought of taking images of butterflies, but a Monarch landed right in front of where I was sitting. Most of the time butterflies never stop moving so getting an image of one is not that easy. This clover must have been just what the Monarch needed and so it stayed on the clover for quite awhile. As I looked through my camera with my lens zoomed in, I was amazed at its intricate design of this butterfly. It reminded me that the God who made this beautiful small creature loves and cares for me. Not only does God love us but he promises to teach us his ways. He always counsels us and looks at us, no matter how small or unimportant we feel, with loving eyes.
Prayer Great God Today may we seek your instruction, trust your love and be open to your counsel. Amen Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High It had been a beautiful day in the mountains so we decided we would go on up the mountain to catch a sunset. The closer we got to the gap the more the clouds rolled in. We almost turned around but decided to drive on through the clouds. When we got to Clingmans Dome the clouds cleared away to the west. We had the most unusual sunset - with high clouds and then some low clouds gently touching the mountains with a bright sun in a clear sky between.
As I watched the sun go down behind the clouds this great feeling of home and safety came over me. I just knew that I was watching God create something beautiful in that sunset - the one I didn’t expect. I don’t live on top of the mountain but I can always rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will put my trust in God and he will be my refuge, my home. Prayer Almighty God I want to always live in your shadow. Wherever I live, on top of mountains or in deep valleys, you have been and will always be my refuge, my strength, and my home. Amen For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. The beauty of the clouds and their reflection in the lake at sunrise filled me with awe and wonder at our God. As I watched the sun break through the clouds I felt as if I were seeing God’s glory. God’s love for us is so great that it goes beyond any barrier. Sometimes we just need to stop and remember this.
Prayer Great God We exalt you for your love and faithfulness. Help us to reflect your glorious love this day. Amen Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Last week the full moon was a “super moon”. What that actually means is that the moon was at its perigee, its closest approach to earth. At its perigee, the moon will appear to be about 13% larger and about 30% brighter than normal. Luckily we were camping on the lake and I got to watch it rise. In this image you will see that the moon is the focus and purpose of the image. When you see the image your first reaction will be to the size, brightness, and color of the moon. It is placed in the image according to the compositional rule of thirds. You see the clouds and also the mountain ridges but these are just in the background.
In this image it is easy to see the subject is the full moon, but sometimes in our lives we can loose the main point. We can easily get lost in the routines of everyday life. Even the stories and foundation of our faith can become routine and taken for granted. We get lost in the details of a lesson or study and forget the main point of our faith, God is Love. When we loose our focus then Bible study becomes an intellectual activity. We fail to live the message of the gospel - God Is Love. Prayer Loving God, Help us to love one another and to keep the main point, the main point, for all love comes from you. Bring to our minds in the routines of this day this definition of who you are, “God is Love.’ Amen O LORD, you are my God; The Great Smoky Mountains, some of the oldest mountains in the world, have always been a part of my life from my earliest memories until now. I am grateful that something so old and so beautiful has always been there. They remind me of a God who has always been faithful and sure.
After the prophet Isaiah spoke words of judgement to the people of Israel and Judah, he spoke words of hope. He wanted the people of Israel to know that they had a God who was faithful and sure. Even though they had turned away from him many times, he had always had plans to bring Israel, and through Israel all people, back to him. Prayer Lord God We exalt and praise you for your plans formed of old, to bring us to you through Jesus Christ. Amen Even though I walk through the darkest valley, We knew the day was going to be stormy but we hadn’t been to the mountains in a long time. We went anyway. If the storms kept us from hiking we could drive to our favorite places. Having the safety of our car close by allowed me to see familiar places in a different light without fear.
Our world can be a fearful place. Evil is real and there are real dangers. How do you walk safely through stormy days? When our trust is in God and not in ourselves we can walk through the darkest valley without fear. We find safety and comfort in his presence. Prayer Lord of the Darkest Valley We put our trust in you and walk in your light knowing that in you we can fear no evil in your presence. Amen But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. There have been several times in my life, when for one reason or another, I couldn’t walk. I think this makes my morning walks even more special. Many days the morning light is golden and soft and the skies are filled with color. On days when I walk alone I find this a good time to just be quiet and listen to God. On days when I walk with a friend I am nourished by the fellowship of someone who listens and I have the opportunity to listen.
Walking with some one means that you go at the same pace. That isn’t always easy. Sometimes you have to speed up and walk faster to keep up. Sometimes you must slow down and walk a slower pace. Walking with Jesus means you keep his pace; you follow his lead. It isn’t always easy but when we do walk closely with him we find peace that we can then share with those who are walking alone. Prayer Lord of Light Help us to walk this day in the golden light of your love; keeping your pace. Give us sweet fellowship with one another. Amen May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I hadn’t planned on taking pictures of anything except my grandkids and maybe an animal on our trip to the zoo. It never even crossed my mind to bring a tripod or a macro lens, but when we sat down to have a snack there was this beautiful, unusual flower just on the other side of the little wall. I have never seen a flower like this so I have no idea of its name. With the only lens I had I set the ISO high enough to get a fast shutter speed and quickly took this image while the children were finishing their snack.
Today when I downloaded all the images from my trip to my computer I was surprised by the image that I didn’t expect to take. I wondered if any other zoo goers even noticed this beautiful flower along the walk. There it was this little flower bringing me such joy that day and then today when I saw it again. Even at the zoo, where it wasn’t the focus of attention as it would be in a botanical garden, it brought me joy. The person that planted it will never know the joy it brought me that day and still brings me when I look at it and I hope brings joy to you. We can be like the person that planted the flower bringing joy and hope to others when we live our lives the way Christ taught us - when we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that we overflow with hope. We may never know what little bit of joy we brought through a small, simple gesture like a smile or a kind word to people we pass along our way. The flower reminds me that even the small stuff matters. Prayer God of Hope Fill us this day with joy and peace as we trust you. In some small action may we share you love. Amen He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” I stooped down to take a picture of this ordinary blade of grass, coved in dew, on my ordinary morning walk at the dam. On this morning this ordinary blade of grass, transformed by the dew and light, served the purpose of reminding me of the beauty of God’s world in even the smallest things.
Jesus was a storyteller of ordinary things - a mustard seed, sower of seeds, and shepherds of lost lambs. His used these stories, based on these ordinary things, to tell the world he was the Messiah, Son of God. We all have stories that seem ordinary. Most of us aren’t famous or well known for some great accomplishment. Yet still we have a story that is part of a bigger story of God’s story of love and grace. Each day we do ordinary things that, if we let him, God will use to tell the story of his love for his world. What ordinary thing can you do this day that will show God’s love? Prayer Extraordinary God Show us the small ordinary thing we can do this day to share your love with our ordinary world. Amen Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. As I sat inside the camper looking out the window waiting for the big storms to end, suddenly the sun came out and there was this kind of light that I call rainbow light. It is a kind of light with gold and green hues that happens when the sun is low in a sky filled with clouds and moisture. I grabbed my camera and hurried down to the lake and sure enough there was a rainbow. This one was unusual in that you could see the rainbow, the rain from the lower dark cloud, and white fluffy clouds and blue sky above.
As I edited the image I thought about how all rainbows require sunlight and rain - sometimes after a hard storm or sometimes after a gentle shower. All of us have days filled with white fluffy clouds as well as dark stormy and rainy days - sometimes even at the same time. When we have our foundation firmly fixed on God then we can withstand the rain and storm; look through to the white fluffy clouds; and see the beauty of a rainbow. Prayer God of Light Thank you for being our strong foundation and guiding us through the storm to see your beauty. Amen Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel. It was just an ordinary morning at the campground. The fishermen were putting in their boats and there was some color in the sky but mostly clouds. It wasn’t the kind of sunrise over water that a photographer hopes to capture. But I had still gotten up early just in case there was a chance for the spectacular. While I didn’t get the prize winning photograph I did see beauty and I had some time to just sit quietly in God’s presence.
I have come to see following Christ like this. Most days are just regular days with routine daily activities. The important thing is to just stand firm in all you do knowing that the standing firm is a way of sharing the gospel to all those who happen to see you even when you don’t see them. I have seen some spectacular sunrises and for those I am grateful; but I am also grateful for the ordinary days when I just walk quietly through my day trusting in Christ’s love for me. Prayer Lord of Ordinary Days Fill us with your Spirit so that we can simply stand firm whatever happens conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Amen You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, On the drive up to Newfound Gap we stopped at the pullout with a clear view of the Chimneys. According to my grandmother, these mountains got their name because they looked like the chimneys of two houses. As I looked up, you could see the spring green gradually working its way up the mountain, with the lower elevation trees much more green than the ones at the top. Right after the 2016 fires you could only see the burned tree trunks and the rock outcrop but gradually the vegetation is taking the place of all that was lost. The mountain remains in spite of the trauma of the fire. Now the green is gradually returning to heal those wounds.
These mountains are formed by the power of our God who stills our turmoil; who answers our questions with awesome and righteous deeds; and who brings hope to all the ends of the earth. We have wounds too, brought about by many and various traumas, but like the green returning to the mountain, because we serve a living God there is hope, a new day dawns, and there will again be a time of singing songs of joy. Prayer God Our Savior We see your mountains and we are filled with wonder at our salvation. Fill us with your hope and give songs of joy in your presence. Amen But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. I found them again in the same place they were last year. Lady Slippers are a much sought after wildflower in the spring. The way my grandmother used to talk about them they were much easier to find in her time then they are now. I would not have found them the first time if there hadn’t been some other wildflower seekers who pointed me in the right direction. As I walked the trail again I looked for things I remembered about where they were last year. A little off trail I found my reward, the secret place where they were hidden.
We need secret places where we can go to find hidden things. We know that Jesus spent much time in secret places. So when he was teaching his disciples about what prayer is he told them to find a secret place and close the door. This is hard to do in our busy world filled with distractions. Like my hike, you have to work at it. It also helps to have guidance from the scriptures, from a mentor, from a friend. I don’t know how long I sat in front of the Lady Slippers with my camera, nothing else mattered at the time. We need times like this when we go to our secret place and sit with open hearts in God’s presence. Great are the rewards - peace, confidence in a God who loves us, clarity of vision, strength to face the challenges of the day. Where is your secret place? What do you find there? Prayer Lord Jesus Meet us today in our secret place. We open our hearts to you. Amen Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” As the temperatures begin to warm, green shoots rise through the ground. Gradually, one by one, each small flower opens up to the new light and warmth of spring. The opening buds of this trillium bring the promise of new life.
So it was for the followers of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem. They had seen Jesus die and then heard the miraculous news that he had risen from the dead. Jesus then spent 40 days with them, each one opening their hearts to the risen Lord. As they gathered around him for the last time before he ascended to be with his Father, Jesus instructed them to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that he had promised. After 10 days as the followers of Christ were gathered in one place, the Holy Spirit came with wind and fire as Jesus had promised. Jerusalem was full of devout Jews from all the known world to celebrate the festival of Pentecost. The followers of Jesus went into the crowd, each follower speaking the language of his or her listener. Some were amazed and opened their hearts to hear more. Others only laughed and rejected the story. Each day I must ask myself, will I be one open to the Holy Spirit seeking to learn more of Jesus or will I close my heart to his presence? Prayer Holy Spirit We open our hearts to you. Make us new and give us the courage and strength to share the gospel with all those around us in ways they can hear. Amen And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. As I stood before these mountains I was filled with awe at their beauty and danger. Climbing these mountains requires special gear and training, something that I will never have to do.
As Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives and looked toward Jerusalem he saw a mountain that he would have to climb, one we call Calvary. True it was physically only a hill but it was a much more difficult mountain to climb than any mountain on earth. He didn’t need to climb it for he knew no sin. Yet he climbed Calvary - the mountain of our sin - for us. He endured all for us for the joy set before him. Prayer Lord Jesus We bow in awe of your sacrifice on the cross for us. Forgive our sin. Amen |
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan