View the post for February 14 for an explanation of my Lenten Project We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. The first sign of spring in the mountains are the daffodils. They come when the trees are still bare and the grass is still brown. Yet here they are almost standing at attention, waiting. For me the daffodils are signs of hope. We will still have to wait a little and waiting is hard. Sometimes we find ourselves waiting on the Lord – waiting for him to reveal himself in his world and in his word. But we know like these daffodils that stand attention and bring me so much hope and joy that God’s unfailing love will be with us.
Prayer Lord God, Father of All Seasons We wait silently and expectantly in your presence. We put our hope in your unfailing love. Amen
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Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Expectations for interesting photographs were low that day since the weather forecast was for mostly cloudy skies. Yet when we stopped at the first overlook the sky put on a show. The sun broke through the clouds like a search light opening up the view in front of us.
God’s love is like that search light into our hearts. In our darkest hour when we have no idea what to pray, the Holy Spirit is there translating our hearts to the One who searches our hearts. With that light comes clarity, a way for us to step forward according to God’s will. Prayer Heart Searcher Search our hearts today. Show us your way through even the cloudiest day when we have no words. Amen For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. It was the edge of the day. The sun had set behind the hill and darkness was coming. But for the last few seconds the trees seem to have a golden, red spotlight on them. It was like they were praising God for the beautiful light as they would wait now for the morning light.
For me that light at the edge of darkness was a reminder to hope. It would be dark soon, a time when sight would be hard. We have times like that in our broken world. We also have a hope that will shine through darkness and brokenness. The light may not come exactly when we want it; but that is what hope is like. We have the love of Christ always there to give us hope at the edges as we wait patiently for the light. Prayer God of Hope Meet us today at the edges and shine your light on us as we hope in you. 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 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 Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” We had arrived at Ruby Beach just as the sun was rising. Some parts of the beach were already bathed in the golden glow of the morning sun while some were still in the shadows. After walking on the beach and watching the crashing waves we turned around to hike back to the car. As we walked below the rocky hill side at the water’s edge I looked up and saw the sun rising over the hill. Rays of sunlight streamed through the morning fog. The light had come and it was beautiful.
Zechariah and Elizabeth had lived through many dark years of Roman oppression and childlessness when the angel Gabriel came with astonishing news. They would have a son who would be the one to prepare the way for God’s salvation. We read these words of Zechariah, words of hope not just for a child but for the world. God was sending his light to those living in the darkness. No longer would the darkness win for the light was coming. There would still be dark days as there are now but there is hope. Jesus will guide us into his light and it will be even more glorious than the light was that morning. Prayer Father of Light Break into our hearts with your light when our days are dark. Fill us with hope and guide us into the path of peace. Amen For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; It was time to go find the spring wildflowers in the mountains. As soon as I stepped on the trail this little scene greeted me, raindrops from the previous night’s rain still sitting on the leaves. They glistened as they reflected the morning sunlight catching the water that gives life to the plant.
After a long winter, spring rains bring the promise of new life to the mountains. The water on the leaves became for me a sign of hope. It reminded me of the promise in the vision of John that Jesus, both our lamb and shepherd, will lead us to springs of living water. We all have times when the sadness and hardness of life seem to leave us thirsty and parched. In those times we can trust that Jesus will lead us out of the desert to springs of living water that only he can provide. If you magnify the image and look very closely you will faintly see an image of me with my camera reflected in the raindrop. I think that we need to remember that Jesus also called us to reflect his love. Is there someone day with whom you can share a cup of living water in Jesus’s name? Prayer Lord Jesus Shepherd and Lamb, Refresh our souls with your living water and give us hope to share with others we meet this day. Amen Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. The first time you look at this image it seems like it must be a sunset - the sun is bright and the sky is dark. Actually this is the picture of a sunrise. It was supposed to be raining that morning so I hadn’t planned to walk down to the lake to catch the sunrise. I woke up early anyway and the sky out the camper window looked strange so I got up an walked to the shore. This is what I saw, this odd image of light and dark.
Sometimes your life is just odd. You are walking along a path with many good things and then trouble and sadness appear. You didn’t expect this curve in the road. It makes you stop. It makes you weep. It makes you wonder why. In these times you need an image like this one. You need a bright light bringing beauty our of darkness and the promise of a new day. For me this light is Jesus’s love and promise that joy will come again. Prayer Lord Jesus I hold on today to your promise of laughter after weeping, of light out of darkness. Amen For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. This morning I was able to walk at the dam again for the first time in several weeks. It was one of those beautiful spring mornings with clear, blue skies filled with white, fluffy clouds. The leaves on the big tree are mostly out now and the daises encircle it in full bloom. The day was one of hope, a reminder of God’s new creation that he is making in each of us who follow him.
The past months have been difficult for my family as we have watched my mother enter hospice care after a long slow decline in her health over the past several years. With each trip to help take care of her, each hard thing or decision, I had friends who I could count on to pray for me. They have supported me with emails, texts, cards, and even meals. I will forever be grateful for their love and care. My mother’s long journey of illness is over now. Even in our sadness there is hope for we know that she is with Jesus seeing beauty we can’t even imagine. Prayer Lord Jesus Thank you for the hope we have in you and the new creation you have begun. Thank you for friends who encourage and support us during dark days. Amen Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. According to the tour book the Thunder Ridge Nature Trail leads to one of the most beautiful overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway. However when we arrived at the trailhead everything was just socked in with fog. We decided to take the trail anyway and while we didn’t see the amazing view from the overlook that we expected the fog created a serene, peaceful, and beautiful walk.
In those times in our lives when unexpected fog rolls in we can choose to stay the course and just keep walking. When we wait patiently Jesus will come to us. In him we will find a joyful hope because he has proven to be trustworthy every time. Patience is never easy but our best choice is always to stay the course and he will lead us out of the fog. Prayer Lord Jesus Develop in us a patient trust in your love. Help us to just faithfully keep on keeping on when we are surrounded by fog trusting in the promise of your love. 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 am grateful that I live in a place with four seasons, each one bringing its own gifts. This spring it has been a little harder to enjoy its beauty. The virus is keeping us in our homes. Instead of trips to the mountains to see the wildflowers I have been enjoying the flowers in my neighborhood. I am thankful for the flowers and the reminder they bring that God is in control. In him we find a hope that won’t fade; a hope that can fill us with joy and peace in dark times.
Prayer God of Hope Open our eyes to the beauty around us. Replace our fear with your peace. May the hope we have in you overflow to those around us. Amen The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. Sometimes it happens suddenly; the fog rolls in and bright sunny days turn cloudy. Sometimes it is predicted; you know the fog is coming. Either way you find yourself alone. We all have lost people that we love and sometimes at this time of year the loss stings more and you feel alone again. When those times come, turn to Jesus and let him mend your broken heart and tend to your wounds. It isn’t an easy thing to do, admitting that you need to be healed. The healing may take many years; but I have found God to be faithful and tender. It is through him that I can see the light in the distance.
Prayer Loving Father, Healer of Wounds May those who are brokenhearted today feel your presence in a special way. When they no longer see light help us shine your light for them to see. Help us to be your healing hands. Amen This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: A botanical garden for a macro photographer is truly an overwhelming experience. There are amazing images everywhere you look and it is hard to stop taking pictures. Sometimes there are things in the images you take that you don’t even see until you get the image on your computer. I took this image of the dew on some type of orange flower but it was not until I looked at it on my computer that I saw something amazing in what looked like a little black spot on the edge of the petal. As I zoomed in and cropped the image I saw that the little black spot was really a reflection of the orange petals and leaves of another flower in a single drop of dew. It was something I would never have seen without my camera.
Isaiah wrote to the people of something he saw that they couldn’t see. He wrote about seeing the mountain of God. When he wrote of what he saw the people were far from a mountain or a beautiful garden. They were living in a time of great injustice and fear of war. He was sharing the vision that God had given him with a people who had lost their vision. Isaiah looked to God and saw not the situation but, with eyes of hope, he saw the mountain of God. He saw a time when all people would walk in God’s light and be transformed into a people of peace. It is hard to look at our world today full of injustice and war. We need Isaiah’s vision of the mountain of the Lord’s temple. It is when we walk in the light of God that we can see with eyes of hope that God will bring all peoples to him to walk in peace. Prayer Lord God Give us eyes of hope to see your vision. Help us to walk in your light this day. Amen They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. The tree on this hill has stood for many sunsets. Its very presence is a testament to its ability to withstand the forces of wind and water. These words of Isaiah written to a people in difficult times brought a promise from God that one day their days would be like the days of a tree maybe like this one that stands so beautiful and strong on this hill. God promised that their needs would be met and their work would have purpose and something that they would enjoy.
These promises also bring us hope in difficult times for we are God’s chosen people. We will stand like this tree tall and strong because Jesus stood on a tree for us. When we follow him our work becomes full of purpose, his purpose, and brings joy to our lives. Prayer Strong and Loving God Make our lives like a strong tree. Show us the purpose for our work today and through it bring joy to our world. Amen For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. We decided to take the scenic detour over the mountains on our way back from spending the week celebrating our grandson’s birthday. The summer flowers were in bloom along the roadside and I saw these flowers of different types all together, each unique with even a lady bug enjoying them (you have to look close, I didn't see it when I took the picture). It made me think of my four grandchildren, each so very different and each so precious - one who shows every emotion on his face and runs into your arms, one young man who loves playing games that involve numbers, one sprite of a little girl who loves to run after bubbles and balloons, and another little girl whose sweet smile and dark eyes will melt your heart when she says “I love you.” Like the roadside flowers, each child made by God is unique and precious. I am so grateful for their presence in my life; but even more grateful for their parents and their other grandparents who demonstrate God’s love.
Prayer Loving Father I praise you for the hope you are in my life and for my parents that taught me to love you. I ask your strength and grace for my children as they seek to teach their children to love and praise you. Amen My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Fog limits our vision and brings a mystery to our world. We often use fog as a metaphor to describe something that we are having trouble understanding. God is so above our ways of understanding that he is a mystery. Knowing Christ unveils the mystery of God, lifts the fog. In Christ we find hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The more we know Christ the more hope we have that we can trust a mysterious God who reveals himself in Christ. One day there will be no more mystery. We will worship God and know him as we are known by him.
Prayer Great and Mysterious God Lift the fog from our hearts. Open our lives to treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ and renew our hope. Amen But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, I had never seen a blue heron on the lake at Fall Creek Falls until this early morning. It stood at the edge of the water watching for danger and for food. I was able to get an image from far away with a long lens but when I tried to move closer it saw me and flew to the other side of the lake. I thought about his watchful eyes. He was so still but he knew when I moved just the slightest distance. Knowing that we walk under the watchful eyes of God’s love we can replace fear with trust and despair with hope. When we face danger we face it knowing that we will forever live in Christ.
Prayer Lord of Watchful Eyes Teach us to look to you and to trust your watchful eyes when we face difficult times. Help us to move forward knowing that your unfailing love will give us courage. Amen And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. I have lived in sight of the mountains most of my life. I have hiked in them many times, yet I have never really hiked to the top of one until last week. We didn’t really go that day with the intention of hiking a mountain. We were just going to go a short distance up the trail to arch rock but when we got there I decided to keep going to Alum Cave Bluffs. As I climbed higher the view became more and more amazing. It was truly a mountain top experience. There were many people on the trail that day, seeking the clear views that can only come from the top of a mountain.
Climbing a mountain is a physical experience and also a metaphor for a spiritual experience. There are times when we see God more clearly; we catch a vision of what God has planned for his world. While it won’t be like John’s vision of the Holy City from the great, high mountain it will be the vision that we need to keep climbing. We won’t be able to stay on the mountain top. The vision that once was clear will fade at times while we are on this earth. But, as the book of Revelation promises, there will come a time when the mountain top experience will never end. We will see God and live in. his presence. Prayer Great King, Thank you for mountains - times when we see your world and you more clearly. Give us this day a vision of your radiance and glory and the strength to keep climbing. Amen Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. It has been stormy and cloudy for the past two days. I had hoped that this morning the weather would be different but the predictions weren’t promising. I just wanted to see a special sunrise this morning. I decided that it wasn’t going to happen and that I would not try to go to a special place to see a sunrise. Instead I would just get up before dark and read the resurrection stories. So this Easter morning I sat in my sunroom and read my bible in the dark (you can do that if you read your bible on an iPad). It was very cloudy but I just happened to look out my window that faces east and saw a slight bit of color. I grabbed my camera and put on my coat. I didn’t have time to change lens, get my filters, or tripod. I ran up the hill and through a neighbor’s yard that I knew wouldn’t mind to the field on the other side of my neighborhood. And there was this beautiful sunrise, unexpected glory. I was so glad that I didn’t just sit in my sunroom. It is cloudy again now with the sun behind the clouds. When the women went to the tomb that first Easter morning they only expected to see Jesus’s body, but that was not what they saw. I believe that Jesus still comes to us in unexpected ways. And when he comes he brings light to the darkest night. When we follow him, he will always show us unexpected things. He is Risen! He is Risen! Prayer
Risen Lord, Open our hearts to the unexpected and give us courage to follow you into new life. Amen Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. I have only had the desire to become a hiker since I started learning about photography. Hiking still scares me some. You never know what is going to be around the next curve in the trail because the mountains are filled with snakes and bears and other many other dangers. My fear has kept me from hiking a trail with a water crossing, hiking a trail longer than 8 miles, or solo hiking. (I tried that one time and after 20 minutes headed quickly back to the car.)
There are fearful times in our lives when we walk in the midst of trouble afraid of what will be around the next curve. We face enemies of many kinds - sickness, loneliness, loss, temptation, addiction. We don’t have to be paralyzed by fear because we can choose to walk with God who stretches out his hand to us. We can walk forward around the curve because we walk with a loving Lord who knows where the dangers are and delivers us from all of them. Even though I am afraid I still hike to see where the trail leads, be it a peaceful level path, beautiful waterfall, or a mountain vista, for each hike has its purpose. When we walk with God he will fulfill his purpose in our lives. He will sustain us with his steadfast love even though we walk in the midst of trouble. Prayer Steadfast Lord Let us walk with courage, knowing that you have purpose for the path you have set for us. Your steadfast love will sustain us in the midst of trouble. 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