Friday, April 25, 2008

From the Ridiculous to the Sublime

I just got some film developed of some photos I took with a disposable camera I keep in my car for emergencies. My definition of an emergency means using the disposable to take interesting shots when my digital camera is not with me!

I’d like to share some pix with you now. You may be starting to realize I have kind of a warped sense of humor. I am always looking for the humor in everything, especially where the message and the picture don’t quite match up.

The first picture I took at a drive-through ATM at my bank. Take a close look at it. The instructions are in Braille to the right of the screen. Now just think about that for a minute. No walkups are allowed… Perhaps that’s what the message says (one can only hope)! Well, I suppose the blind person was being driven up to the ATM, and the bank, not wanting to be discriminating against blind persons, put the instructions there for them to follow. I can see it now. The blind person would have to crawl over the driver or sit on their lap or something in order to be able to read the Braille with their fingers. Then what? I should ask somebody what it tells them to do so I have this mystery cleared up in my mind. I think it probably tells them special assistance is available at the drive through window and tells them the hours. Because there are no interactive Braille buttons that come up on the touch screen at my bank’s ATM. Hmmm…!

Now to the sublime: I wish these pictures could capture the awe and amazement I felt at the huge vista of strong diffused light that pierced through the slight cloud cover in these photos. A panoramic camera may have been able to catch more of the breath-taking, heart-stopping wonderment at this amazing prelude to a sunset!

I find it so amazing at all the beauty around us in creation. Not only dramatic or color-drenched sunsets, but the wonder and joy on a child’s face, the love between a mother and child or two lovers for each other, and the wide array of colors, shapes, sizes and varieties of the plants and creatures (yes, even human creatures!) God has made for us to enjoy.

My faith lesson for today and charge to you is: continue to be better observers of the world around you. Look for unexpected blessings every day. They are waiting for you to discover them. God has as amazing a sense of humor as he does a sense of what awes us and draws us to him. So let your eyes and ears and nose and taste and touch keep you connected to him throughout your day!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Step Out of the Traffic!


“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)

One beautiful 70 degree day breaking through the usual cold of February I decided I had to get out and celebrate the sun and warmth! It seems that a few others had the same idea in mind also.

Here are a few pictures from my walk on the beach near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

In the calm I felt from being away from my routine and near the water, I found a stick and wrote in the sand words God brought to my mind.
“Be still.
Know.
I am.
-God.”
Just a different way of thinking about the above verse.

I drew a heart around the words. It looked like a loveletter in the sand. So I drew a series of “Sandletters.”

I just walked along, watching the seagulls and sandpipers gliding and diving, enjoying the friskiness and curiosity of a puppy, and interacting with all the smiling beach walkers who too were enjoying the warmth of this beautiful day. In doing so, I was struck yet again with God’s great love expressed through his creations. The feelings were enhanced by the sense of peace and calm and connectedness that came over me.

How important it is for us to regularly find that place of peace and calm in our busy lives, where we come apart to get centered again on things that really matter.

As I reviewed Psalm 46 today, I decided to compare the NIV translation above to The Message, which is the Bible translation restated in contemporary language. The complete verse reads:

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me,
your High God, [who is] above politics, above everything.”

So today I urge you to “step out of the traffic” with all the noise of your life.

Take the time to “be still.”

In the quiet you will begin to “know” the true things that are important.
You will begin to connect with God, who can help you see yourself in a different light.

You will begin to know “I am.” God is in the moments. He is always present. If you seek him in the now you will find him there. Always.

Make your quiet connection today…


Lois

Thursday, April 3, 2008

First Day Celebrations!




It’s my granddaughter’s 8th birthday today! What a special delight she is to me. Even though I don’t get to see her often, as she lives in Toronto, we keep in touch by email.

Here’s a link to the card I sent her. Maybe you’ll enjoy it also, if you’re young at heart. It is a fun interactive card and will take you on a high-flying journey! This is also one of my favorite sites for finding free inspirational e-cards.

http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/card.asp?ID=a165b6-bzm

Meanwhile, enjoy YOUR special day today too! Celebrate your own birth and the new life you are given everyday! Breathe deeply and thank God for his many blessings to you. Why not live every day as if it's your FIRST DAY?!

Do something special - just for you - to take care of your spirit, your soul, your mind, or your body! Write and let me know what you've done for yourself and how you felt about it. We'll celebrate YOU together! ;-)

Elephant Paints Self Portrait

Check out this amazing video! Hopefully, it will inspire you to either explore your artistic side further OR
appreciate the creatures in this world a little more! ;-)
If an elephant can be trained like this, think about the potential you and I have with the right help and encouragement!
This is what my passion is - to help you do extraordinary things and live an extraordinary life!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

God Whisperings

Think about it: God is at work day in and day out. There are signs and wonders that he sprinkles all around us.

We don’t always recognize his hand at work in our lives. In fact, he speaks to us in many ways that we do not even perceive. Charging around, often at breakneck speeds in our frenetic worlds, we barely have time to catch up with ourselves, much less hear that still small voice.

I have purposely chosen to scale my activities and projects down in the last several years. It’s been my desire to be quieter inside, to discover who I really need to be, and to reconnect with God on a more intimate level.

Since I have done so, my awareness of God communicating to me has been enhanced. I am more acutely tuned to hearing his whispers of hope and encouragement, feeling his touches of love, and perceiving the life lessons occurring in my everyday life.

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the basis for eternal truths. I have found that God can speak in the most interesting and individual ways – ways that especially have significance just for me. It could be a profound or simple insight, a specific answer to a fast-breathed prayer, some symbolic sign in nature, or just a dream that speaks clearly to me. It may be a speaker I hear, a message on TV, or just a friend’s comment or email. There are many ways God will intersect with our lives.

It is interesting to share these God messages and the faith lessons we learn from them. It is my hope that you will be encouraged to still your heart and mind and spirit. Look and listen for the lessons and love that God desires to shower upon you.

I want to hear how God is working in your life. It is great to encourage one another! I look forward to reading your comments. I will be happy to share the best stories with the readers.

Your friend in discovery,

Lois

P.S. Although this blog is titled “Daily Faith Lessons,” I don’t expect to be posting every day. My thought of "daily" is based on the awareness of God’s activities around us. When I have something interesting enough to share, I will post it. You are welcome to sign up for the email notification. Or sign up for the RSS feed so you can get a notice when I make a post if you prefer. I hope we can stay in touch, as I have some exciting projects I’m working on that I trust will encourage and benefit you further in living a more extraordinary life every day!