HE KNOWS MY NAME

So, I am down visiting family again.

And when I'm in town, I like to visit the "chains," as I like to call them.

You see, our little mountain town has no chain restaurants or stores.  (It's a rule that’s even written in our charter!)  

Therefore, I must wait either for: 1) Errand Day – when we venture off-the-hill to do errands, or 2) Family Visitation Days – when I make the 2½ hour trek down the mountain to visit family.

I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I just might…

Peek in at IKEA or Costco.

Run into Macy's or Barnes & Noble.

Covertly sneak a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder.

Scarf down a Subway.

Indulge on a fancy dinner at Outback or Joe's Crab Shack.


But really and truly, my biggest vice is the nearly-daily run to the local coffee place – 

(*$’s…)

Which is what I did this morning…

Which is where, yet again, I was confronted with one of my biggest pet peeves!

My name.

I have tried and tried to get those adorable (?) baristas to spell my name right!!

Nope.

In fairness, sometimes I'll get an older wiser cashier, and they usually get it right.

But the other ones?!

Hardly ever, even when I spell it out loud and s-l-o-w-l-y.

(Refer to the photo at the end of this post for the latest version, AFTER I spelled it for them…GRRR!)

What is the deal?!

It's actually kinda humorous at this point.

But if I'm in a particularly *weird, sensitive, grumpy mood* – (which is why I am getting the caffeine boost in the first place) – I might just feel a little hurt and offended.

C'mon, people.

It's my name – it's who I am!!


Names are funny things.

They seem to creep into our very souls and become a defining part of our personalities.

Some people love their names, some people hate their names.

Some people even change their names.  (For instance, my paternal grandmother despised her middle name and had it legally changed to R!).

When I entered elementary school, I thought my name sounded too old-fashioned.  I can't remember which grade I was in, but I asked to be called Shari.

OK, if you think Sharon gets mangled, you should see the permutations of Shari!!

Years later, after entering "adulthood," I thought Shari sounded frivolous, so I changed it back to Sharon.

Interestingly enough, though, "The Hub" knew me in elementary school, and still calls me Shari.  So do my uncle and my cousins.  The rest of my family calls me Sharon.

I now like my name a lot…(I remember once having a conversation with my mom.  Seems that they almost named me Patricia!  Not sure what they had picked out for a boy's name!)  


What's in a name?

Evidently, a lot.

I got to thinking about my name, and about how much it bugs me when it's misspelled, and I realized something.

There is Someone who never forgets who I am…

And thinking about that pointed me to four Scripture verses that have something to say about our names:


Verse One:

"But now thus says the LORD, he who created you…he who formed you…: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.'" (Isaiah 43:1, ESV)


Isn't it rather amazing, and very comforting, to know that we are specifically and individually called by God?! 

Yes, I know this verse originally referred to the nation of Israel, but don't you think that it's perfectly applicable to us today?

He created us, and formed us in the womb.  

He knows who we are, and knows everything about us.

He has called us, by name, and we belong to Him.

I love that!


Verse Two:

"'Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.  Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.'" 
(Isaiah 49:15-16, ESV)


Again, though this was originally directed at the nation of Israel, I love the idea that God purposefully remembers us, and holds us close.

And our *walls* – the things that are part of us – our personalities, our thoughts and emotions, our failures and shortcomings, our joys and triumphs, our families, our concerns, our bodies, our health, our finances, our moments, all of the life that surrounds us – is constantly held in His omniscient thoughts, and centered in His omnipresent love.

Good stuff!


Verse Three:

"'The one who is victorious will…be dressed in white.  I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.'" (Revelation 3:5, NIV)


The Bible speaks often about the Book of Life – a record of all those who have given their lives to Christ, and accepted His gift of salvation.

It is an eternal record, and it is infallible.

A person's name is either in there, or it isn't – and that is a fact with eternal consequences.

I celebrate the fact that when I confessed Jesus as my Savior and Lord of my life, my name was written in this book.  

Sealed there forever. 

(I kinda like the image of Jesus taking a pen and hand-writing it!!)

One day, the book will be opened, and the names will be read.

And on that day, I will hear my own name, and I will enter into the promise of everlasting life!

I rejoice over that, don't you?!


Verse Four:

"'And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.'" 
(Revelation 2:17, NLT)


I remember when I first read this verse, I was puzzled by it.  

It is a bit mysterious, and I doubt that I'll ever fully understand it on this side of eternity.

But the more I contemplated it, the more excited I became!

Yes, in so many ways, the Lord is the only one who knows who I truly am.  

He is the only one who intimately knows the spirit that He created in me.

He's the only one who knows what I will look like with no sin, shining in His righteousness, complete in His perfection.

And on this day, I have a feeling that this Truth will be revealed to me, in an exquisitely intimate moment between just the Savior and me.

I picture it in my mind…


Jesus looks me straight in the eye, with one of His precious scarred hands on my shoulder.  

He says:

"Sharon, I have known you since before the creation of the world.  I know every part of you, even the parts that you have not known of yourself.  I love you beyond your comprehension.  I have been waiting for this day."

Then He gently opens my hands, and lays a beautiful white stone into my palms.

I stare at my new name, and tears flood to my eyes.

I look up at Him…

"Yes, this is who you truly are.  Forever this will be your name, and forever you will be My child."

In that moment, I will know what I have never fully known or understood before….

My very being will be defined by my Creator.

I can scarcely take that in!


So, friends, what's in a name?

It's a sign of identification, a touchstone of our personality, an emblem of who we are.

But so much more than that…


It's a personal call.

It's a stamp of belonging.

It's an assurance of love.

It's a promise of life.

It's the hope of one day becoming our true self.


Yup.

I am Sharon – no matter how it's spelled.

And my name is remembered where it counts!




What does it mean to you that God knows your name?

Close...

I think the barista was a pirate.

"Arrr!" 

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:13-17, ESV)

"'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…'" (Jeremiah 1:5, NIV)

"Know that the LORD, he is God!  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3, ESV)

"The gatekeeper opens the gate…and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." 
(John 10:3, NLT)

"'I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father…'" (John 10:14-15, ESV)

"The LORD is good…he knows those who take refuge in him." 
(Nahum 1:7, ESV)

"'Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.'" (Isaiah 43:6-7, NIV)

"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27, NIV)

"And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it.  The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.  I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne.  And the books were opened, including the Book of Life." (Revelation 20:11-12, NLT)

"You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven.  You have come to God himself…" (Hebrews 12:23, NLT)

"'…rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'" (Luke 10:20, NIV)



Linked with:

SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, MONDAY OF MANY BLESSINGS, THANK GOODNESS IT'S MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY, MUSING MONDAYS, MODEST MONDAY, MOTIVATION MONDAY, INSPIRE ME MONDAY, MOM-TO-MOM MONDAYS, MOMENTS OF HOPE, GLIMPSES LINKUP, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, RICH FAITH RISING, WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, WISE WOMAN, TELL HIS STORY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, CHRISTIAN BLOGGER COMMUNITY, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, FROM MESSES TO MESSAGES, GRACE MOMENTS, THANKFUL THURSDAYS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, 100 HAPPY DAYS, FUNTASTIC FRIDAY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, TGI SATURDAYS, FRIDAY FEATURE PARTY, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

ME, A DOG, AND AN AIR MATTRESS

Yup.

You read that right.

Lest you think that I'm writing a canine version of "The Princess and the Pea" – in which I share an air mattress with a dog and can't sleep because of an errant kernel of kibble underneath – let me explain.

My youngest son had to travel out of town for the last two weeks, and I volunteered to take care of my grandbeagle, Marty.

No one has to ask me twice to do that!

Sure, it saves money – but hey, it's MARTY!!!

I love my little furry guy.

Yes, I am biased, but he's pretty adorable.


Might I just regale you with some highlights of our time together?


1. Dog took middle-aged woman for walks three times a day.

2. Dog made middle-aged woman think about signing up for the Iditarod race.

(The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Settler's Bay to Nome [Alaska]…Mushers and a team of 21 dogs...cover the distance [over 1,000 miles] in 9–15 days or more).

3. The word "walk" is a misnomer – it should more accurately be called a tug, pull, roam, or wander.

4. Dog found the most awkward places and timing to do his "duty" – usually when people were walking by or retrieving the newspaper on their driveway.

5. Middle-aged woman snickered because dog sometimes chose to make his "deposit" in front of one of the two yacht clubs in the area.

6. Dog tried to eat a bouquet of roses.

7. Dog found random paper towels with delicious scents and dug them out of the trash.

8. Dog injured left arm – limped for two days ☹ – then recovered quickly ☺
– quickly enough to tug, pull, roam, and wander.

9. When dog saw someone approaching (anyone!), he came to a complete (and immovable) standstill – even if the person was a hundred feet away.

10. Middle-aged woman had to explain (often) that his stance was not a sign of his ferociousness, but only of his desire to jump up and lick and make new friends.

11. Dog is mistaken for being a puppy – which isn't too bad when you're 9½!!

12. Middle-aged woman was NOT mistaken for being a puppy…sigh.

13. Dog snored.

14. Middle-aged woman might have snored – dog didn't say.

15. Dog loved being chased around the room by middle-aged woman.  Woman panted, dog did not.

16. Dog loved string cheese *treats*.

17. Dog almost ate *string cheese fingers* of middle-aged woman as he bit ravenously into the string cheese.  (Note to self: do not hold string cheese in hand when feeding dog).

18. After countless hijinks, antics, and shenanigans, middle-aged woman is convinced that dog is not a dog, but a mischievous angel in disguise.


Yes, I do love dogs, and I especially love Marty.

My favorite thing of all is curling up next to him at bedtime.

Now mind you, on his *regular* nights, Marty sleeps in his own bed, all balled up, nice and cozy.

But when I am there, I like having him next to me.

Last year I tried sleeping next to him on some couch cushions, but that wasn't too comfortable.

Hence, the air mattress.

I figured that we could pretend that we were out in the wild, maybe Alaska, and *roughing it* together!

I rarely sleep as soundly as I do when Marty is curled up by me.

He usually starts the night at my feet, and then sometime around 4 AM, he wanders up closer.

If I've been sleeping especially deeply, I'll be surprised by a furry face right next to mine in the wee hours of the morning!  (The snoring is usually the first clue…!)

When my son returned home, he was most appreciative of my time taking care of Marty.

But perhaps he'll never know how much it means to me to spend time with my grandbeagle.

I have always maintained that when a human forms a bond with an animal, there is something primal about it, something *original* if you will – like an echo of Eden.


God intended people and animals to have a relationship.

And when we take care of them, we are fulfilling the original directive given in the Garden:

"Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" (Genesis 1:26, NIV)


How should this charge be interpreted?

First of all, I'd like to correct what I think is a misinterpretation.

Having dominion over something has a negative connotation in most people's minds.

I don't know about you, but I usually think of it as meaning domination, subjugation, or exploitation – like a dictator has over his kingdom.

I don't think of kindness – I think of cruelty and injustice, apathy and insensitivity.

But having dominion over the animals should entail a humane management of them, just as God intended.

I think it's very important to remember that God created animals in His original plan of creation.  He saved them in the Flood.  And they are mentioned in the future, too.

"God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind.  And God saw that it was good." 
(Genesis 1:25, NLT)

"'Bring a pair of every kind of animal – a male and a female – into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood.'" (Genesis 6:19, NLT)

"In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.  The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all." (Isaiah 11:6, NLT)


I'm not going to get into a discussion of whether or not individual animals will be part of the new creation, or debate the question of whether our pets go to heaven – (I personally hope so!) – but I trust God to do what is far better than what I can think or imagine! 

I love this quote from Billy Graham:

"God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there."

Yup.

But I digress.

The point is that we should consider the fact that mankind was given the task, privilege, and blessing of representing God in this world. 

We are appointed to be His caretakers.

And as His image-bearers, we have been charged with the serious responsibility to act as God would.


I like the analogy of a garden and a gardener.

The gardener has, in a sense, dominion over his garden – but this position of power is not to be taken lightly.

What gardener would intentionally harm or destroy his garden?

Rather, he tends it carefully – feeding and watering it, protecting it from weeds and invading pests, sheltering it, and promoting growth.  In short, the gardener does everything in his power to help the garden thrive.

I think it's the same with animals, specifically – and the same with all of creation, in general.

God gives us the weighty task of caretaking, of taking care of HIS creation.

We must always remember that creation does not belong to us.

It is not ours to use or abuse.

It is not ours to waste or squander.

It is not ours to trample or trash.

It is not ours to conquer or crush.

"The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours – you created it all." (Psalm 89:11, NLT)


OK, so you might not be an animal-lover, or a tree-hugger, or a swim-with-the-sharks kind of person.

But I'll just bet that you have had times when the beauty of creation has left you breathless and awed.

Why?

Because you felt God in that moment.

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." (Romans 1:20, ESV)


So, once again I had the joyous task of taking care of one special little dog.

And once again, I was taught a lot about God in the process.

About responsibility and caretaking.

About kindness and compassion.

About appreciation and respect.

About being God's representative in a world that rarely reflects His character – and doing it well.


All this, while lying on an air mattress with a small beagle in the middle of the night!

Well done, Marty!!




What are your thoughts about taking care of God's creation?

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.


(Cecil Frances Alexander)


"You care for people and animals alike,
O LORD."

(Psalm 36:6)

"The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it…So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky.  He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.  He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals." (Genesis 2:15, 19-20, NLT)

"'With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal.'" (Jeremiah 27:5, NLT)

"O LORD, what a variety of things you have made!  In wisdom you have made them all.  The earth is full of your creatures." (Psalm 104:24, NLT)

"'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'" (Revelation 4:11, NIV)

"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created through him and for him." 
(Colossians 1:16, ESV)

"'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 them all…'" (Nehemiah 9:6, NLT)

"'Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.  Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.  Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.  Let the fish in the sea speak to you.  For they all know…For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.'" (Job 12:7-10, NLT)

"For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse.  But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay." 
(Romans 8:19-21, NLT)

"'In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground.  Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.'" (Hosea 2:18, NIV)


"Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven!

Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!

Let every created thing give praise to the LORD,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
He set them in place forever and ever.
His decree will never be revoked.

Praise the LORD from the earth,
you creatures of the ocean depths,

fire and hail, snow and clouds,
wind and weather that obey him,
mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all livestock,
small scurrying animals and birds,

kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,

young men and young women,
old men and children.

Let them all praise the name of the LORD.

For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!"


(From Psalm 148, NLT)



Linked with:

SMALL WONDER, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, MONDAY OF MANY BLESSINGS, THANK GOODNESS IT'S MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY, MUSING MONDAYS, MODEST MONDAY, MOTIVATION MONDAY, INSPIRE ME MONDAY, LIVING PROVERBS, MOM-TO-MOM MONDAYS, MOMENTS OF HOPE, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE LINKUP, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, RA RA LINKUP, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, GLIMPSES LINKUP, TUESDAY TALK, WISE WOMAN, THE HOMEMAKING PARTY, TELL HIS STORY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, CHRISTIAN BLOGGER COMMUNITY, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, WEDDED WEDNESDAY, GRACE MOMENTS, THANKFUL THURSDAYS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, FUNTASTIC FRIDAY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP & FAITH, TGI SATURDAYS, FRIDAY FEATURE PARTY, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

CAN YOU SEE THE MOUNTAIN?

It never rains in California…

Isn't that how the old song goes?  

(FYI, the song was written and recorded by Albert Hammond in 1972.  I know, I had the same reaction…who???)

Anyway, rain…

So, let me answer the question – YES, it does rain in California!

And sometimes it sleets, and snows, and blows!

Last weekend we had some dramatic winter weather.

The winds were gusting, the rain was smashing into our windows, and an icy sleet covered everything with a chilly layer of white.

For a few days, it never got out of the 20's.

Now listen to me, you folks who live in the Midwest or Eastern part of the country.  Don't be getting high and mighty on me, bragging on how you deal with your winter weather.  I will gracefully concede that many of you face conditions much worse than this.

But, consider…

For a girl who's spent almost all of her life living near the beach, in sandals and shorts for most of the year, this mountain weather is a whole new story!!

Dealing with possible freezing pipes, and chipping out ice-encrusted cars, and shoveling driveways, and putting on and taking off chains, and any number of other winter challenges is brand new territory for me!

I digress.


So, last weekend we had a STORM!!

Sunday was the worst day of all.  

Yo, ho, blow the man (or woman) down!!

(Let me tell you, I am very glad for the protection of double-paned windows, a roof over my head, and good, solid carpentry!)

Monday morning arrived…

"The Hub" has a ritual that he goes through every morning.

He gets a big glass of iced tea (yeah, he grew up near the beach, too!), and stands by our huge floor-to-ceiling window.  You know, the one with the breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains, and one very impressive granite outcropping.

He's like a lizard – he loves to soak up the rays of the sun first thing in the morning.

I knew the sun was not shining this morning.

Because along with the storm, we'd had crazy fog!

Carl Sandburg wrote a famous poem called "FOG".  

Here's the first line:

"The fog comes
on little cat feet."

Yeah, well, this storm's fog hadn't come in like a little cat.  It had arrived full-force, roaring like a lion, and blanketing the entire mountain in a shroud.

So, I asked "The Hub"…

"Can you see the mountain?"

"It comes and goes," he answered.

As a little joke, I replied, "The mountain?  Or our perception of it?"

He chuckled.

"You know," I quipped, "it doesn't really matter if we can see it or not.  It's still there."


Throughout the rest of the day, I got to thinking about what I'd said.

And I got to thinking about how it applied to life lately.

I don't know what's going on with me.

Severe anxiety has plagued me for a couple of weeks now.

Personally, I think it has something to do with the fact that I am intentionally seeking to be grateful.  And when one makes an effort to mindfully incorporate gratitude into their everyday life, *someone* isn't happy about that.

You-know-who always seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.

Steal peace.

Kill joy.

Destroy hope.

I have felt his influence more than usual lately.  In some ways, it's sort of validation that this *journey of grateful* this year is indeed God's plan and purpose for me.

Sometimes God's work is confirmed by the counter-work of the enemy.

But, being grateful is made so much harder when you're fending off arrows of attack.


I sometimes often don't understand myself at all.

I get in these places, these moods, and I'm not always sure of how I got there – let alone how to get out of them.

And lately, that's just how I've felt.

Beleaguered, beset, bedeviled, bewildered.

Anxious and unsettled.  Afraid and rattled.  Discouraged and dismayed.

Off-kilter, overly sensitive, hyper-reactive – sad, mad, and glad in dizzying merry-go-round fashion.

Yeah, and also desperately out-of-control.

So, on this stormy morning, when I jokingly asked "The Hub" about the mountain, I saw a pretty appropriate lesson in it.


It is so easy to lose sight when surrounded by storms.

And sometimes, even though life might not be throwing a bunch of actual storms at us, the storm can still rage within us.

A fog of moodiness can blanket our hearts and spirits.

And we can lose sight of the mountain – The Rock.

It seems to me that there is a direct correlation between the state of my emotions, and my perception of God's closeness.

The more tossed and turned I feel, the less I feel Him there.

The more I am consumed with my inner tempest, the less I sense His presence.

If someone were to ask me, "Can you see the mountain?" – (Can you still see the Lord?) – my truthful answer would probably be, "It comes and goes."

But here's the thing.

The mountain – our Lord – never disappears.

He stands in the same place...

...strong and steady and sure, whether I see Him there or not!

Perception is never reality.

Feeling is never truth.

And moods never, ever change the position of our Mountain, our Rock.

God doesn't play cosmic hide-and-seek with us.

But we can certainly experience times when He seems distant, silent, hidden.

How come?

I'd have to say it's because we live in a world that is shadowed by sin. 

Where truth can be hidden by the vacillating challenges of circumstances.

Where emotions can fool us, and feelings can trap us.

Where it seems like God is here one day, and gone the next.

Where few things are in our control.


So yeah, I'm not entirely sure what's responsible for this recent roller-coaster of emotion.  This tumult in my spirit.

But, in the end, it matters not.

"Can I see the mountain?" I ask myself.

It's not the right question.

I do not need to see Him.

I do not need to sense Him.

I do not need to touch Him.

Fleeting senses, one and all.

I simply need to rely on what I know is true...

The mountain, My Rock, is there.

Unmovable, unchanging, undiminished by my lack of perception.

My emotions may ask the question.

But my heart will instead proclaim the Truth:

"It doesn't really matter if I see Him or not…

HE'S. STILL. THERE."


Yes, I will rest in that…

Gratefully.

Fixing
my eyes on
Jesus,
my vision
is focused
and my future
is clear. 

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." (Romans 1:20, ESV)

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation…" (Colossians 1:15, NLT)

"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." 
(John 1:18, NIV)

"No one has ever seen God.  But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us." (1 John 4:12, NLT)

"It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt…He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27, NLT)

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7, Bearean Bible)

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV)

"Then Jesus [said], 'You believe because you have seen me.  Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.'" (John 20:29, NLT)

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not even see Him now, you believe and trust in Him and you greatly rejoice and delight with inexpressible and glorious joy…" (1 Peter 1:8, AMP)

"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." (1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT)

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2, KJV)

"Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality – faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]." (Hebrews 11:1, AMP)

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.  And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!  I will see him for myself.  Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.  I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25-27, NLT)

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17, NIV)

***REMEMBER to check out DAILY GRATEFUL THOUGHTS here***

  
(Updated DAILY GRATEFUL WORDS, A WORD FROM THE WORD, A "MESSAGE" FROM GOD, and FOOD FOR THOUGHT can be found on the sidebar.  Thank you!)




In spite of the fog and storms in life, can you still see The Mountain?




Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE LINKUP, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, WISE WOMAN, TELL HIS STORY, THE HOMEMAKING PARTY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, GRACE AT HOME, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, GRACE & TRUTH, TGI SATURDAYS, DANCE WITH JESUS, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP & FAITH, WEEKEND WHISPERS, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, LIVING PROVERBS, GIVE ME GRACE, SOCIAL BUTTERFLY SUNDAY, INSPIRE ME MONDAY, MOTIVATION MONDAY



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

MY HOLIDAY DECORATING

Holiday decorating.

Love it!

I have a true confession to make, though.

Last year, I just never got around to it.

I didn't really have any good reasons.

Part of it might have been that it was the first Christmas after my dad died earlier that year.  Part of it might have been that it was just going to be "The Hub" and I together on Christmas Day.   Part of it might have been that I was just tired and lazy and stressed and discouraged.

Bah humbug.

But, let me tell you.  I regretted not decorating.  Big-time.  Something was lost by having the "same old house" for the holidays.

This year I determined that I would NOT repeat the same mistake.

So, a few days ago, "The Hub" pulled out the Christmas decoration boxes from the shed, brought them into the house, and we got to work!


We started with our tree.

For all of my life, I have always had a real Christmas tree.

I really enjoyed walking through the tree lots, searching for *the one.*

I loved bringing it home, and lovingly placing the trunk into water and putting a tree skirt around it to keep it warm, and smelling the delicious aroma of fir.

Finding dried out needles in August?

Did not love that so much…

But, I held on to my real-tree tradition like a dog with a branch to chew on.

However, in the summer of 2013, we were evacuated from our mountain home for four days when a wildfire threatened to consume our tiny community.

Later that same year, "The Hub" and I were in a certain home-improvement store when we saw a display featuring artificial trees.

We looked at each other.

I said, "Maybe this is the year we should make the change.  It would be so much safer."

He looked back at me and said, "I think you're right."

So, we purchased a "fake tree."

That's what I kept calling it in my head.

Fake.

But, you know what, after we had assembled the whole thing, and spread out the branches, and lit up the pre-strung tiny white lights – well, I was taken aback.

It looked beautiful.

Full and green and, well, REAL!

As for the delicious aroma of fir?

I just crank up my oil diffuser and fill the house with the wafting scent of *tree*!!


This year I eagerly looked forward to pulling out our tree.

Which I no longer think of as "fake" – it is now lovingly known as self-sufficient!

We have so many ornaments!!

Some that I have saved from when my sons were growing up, and some we've collected throughout our marriage together.

It makes for an interesting mix of Hallmark, cowboy, cabin, wildlife, Southwest, and Santa!

Isn't it interesting how each one of us has our particular *style* when it comes to decorating our trees?

Some like silver and shiny, others like color and bows.  

Some trees are green, and some look snowy.

(Sidenote:  Truly, does anyone miss that fiberglass stuff we used to stretch across the branches to look like snow, and then spent forever picking bits of it out of our fingers?  Or how about those strings of tinsel?  I used to carefully place one strand at a time.  Others, not mentioning any names (brother), might have thrown entire clumps willy-nilly at random branches).


And then, there's the lights.

Everyone seems to have a preference for that, too.

My mom used to have these bubble lights.  You know, the old-fashioned ones that had a little bulb on the end, and then a glass tube with different colored liquid in it.  When the lights went on, the liquid would heat up and bubble – all in living technicolor.

Whatever happened to those?

Probably not energy-efficient, and most likely a heat hazard for both tree and human limbs!


OK, so then "The Hub" and I spent two afternoons stringing outdoor lights.  (Yes, folks, when I decided to atone for last year's Scrooge Christmas, I decided we were going to go all out!)

We strung lights around our entry, and along the railings, and down the railroad-tie steps that lead up to our house.  And then, to complete our fantasyland, we wrapped six of our trees with strings of tiny colored lights.  (This took forever, and gave whole new meaning to the idea of being a tree-hugger…)

TA DA!!

Last night I walked outside and got into perfect position for viewing.

I shut my eyes, while "The Hub" went to plug it all in.

I sensed the lights on my eyelids, and waited in gleeful anticipation for the unveiling.

"Open your eyes!"

Oh, it was just perfect!

Do you know that I actually jumped up and down and clapped my hands?!

I felt like a child again!


Finally, I attended to all the inside decorations.

I like my inside stuff.

It's a weird, eclectic mix, too!

But all of it has a certain place to go, and a certain way to be displayed.

Especially my *vignettes.*

One of my favorite things is an Advent cabin!

Each day leading up to Christmas, I open a tiny door on either side of the cabin.  And, each day I add a small forest creature to the surrounding scene. This morning (the 10th), I added a tiny brown mouse.

I have some Peanuts sets, one depicting a nativity scene.  (Guess who baby Jesus is – it's Woodstock!!)

I have also collected Playmobil sets throughout the years.

I have one little scene with icebergs and Eskimos and polar bears and penguins.  With, of course, a Santa – who, fortunately, is used to the climate.

Then I have a scene depicting Santa arriving in his sleigh, complete with eight reindeer!  Next to that is a light-up Christmas tree surrounded by gifts and toys.  There's also a miniature calliope, which amazingly still plays its music after umpteen years!

I especially love my nativity set.

It gives me great joy setting this up.

Of course, I must have all the characters in just the *perfect* place.

The three wise men have to be in their proper order, and angled *just so* toward the baby Jesus.  Same thing with the shepherd and the little angels on the other side.  (Not to mention the camel, the sheep, the steer, and the donkey!)

And then, of course, I have added Santa.

Because in my mind, Father Christmas believes in Jesus!!


We finished everything last night, and I'm so pleased with the holiday touches to our "not just the same old house."

I've got to give "The Hub" a round of applause for his patience with me.

Because, you see, everything's got to be correct and precise.

And the process of getting everything perfect to my eyes can be tiring.

This year it just might have involved a few extra rounds of re-stringing around a tree trunk (or two…or six) until the lights were perfectly spaced.  And it just might have involved a few rearrangements of some ornaments.  And it could have possibly entailed a great deal of set decorating to get everyone and everything into their proper places in my vignettes.

But when it was all done, and I took it all in…

I smiled.

And you know what I thought to myself?

"I wonder if this is how God felt when He stood back and looked at His creation?"


Now, there's no way that I have reached that standard of perfection in my meager decorating efforts.

But, I think my satisfaction and joy was a taste of what He felt.

"God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good…" (Genesis 1:31, AMP)

I think He smiled.

I can only imagine His joy in creating life, in all its myriad ways of expression.

Did He hang the Sun and Moon with a shout, and then quietly whisper each star into existence by its own name?

Did He shape the Earth with the care of a Potter's hand, so that it would sustain the life He was bringing?

Did He chuckle at an elephant's trunk, and beam at the majesty of a whale?

Did He laugh at the antics of a chipmunk, and grin at the plumage of a peacock?

Did He take great pride in creating the big creatures, and delight in the tiny members of His newly created Kingdom?

And then, what of man and woman?

The culmination of His creation.

The image-bearers of His very being.

What must He have felt about that?!

How deeply satisfied He must have been at seeing it all *just so* – everything in its proper place, and everything functioning in its perfect role and purpose.  

How pleased He must have been to see the beauty His painstaking efforts had fashioned.

And then He rested, not because He was tired, but because creation was complete.


Creation – a miracle.

Yes, it was very good.


Of course, we all know the familiar and heartbreaking story about how sin entered the world.

Have you ever shattered a beloved keepsake?  Or crashed a car?  Or ruined a project?  Or lost a loved one?

Again, only a glimpse of what His heart must have felt.

But, of course, God is God – and so He had a plan, even for this.

And what did He do?

He created His very own vignette, the very first Nativity scene!

He directed the heavens to shine a bright light.

He fashioned the stable, and placed the manger in its proper place.

(I think He made sure that animals were there – so that just as they had witnessed the creation of man, now they would see the birth of the Son of Man!)

He made sure all the inns were booked up.

He orchestrated events so that Mary and Joseph arrived, at just the right time.

He sent an angel to speak to the shepherds.

And when the surroundings were all complete, when the whole world was angled *just so,* when everything and everyone was in its proper place, He did something incredible.

He brought forth the Savior.

Life.

The Life that would bring life in all its myriad ways of expression.

Abundant.  Full of hope.  Born again.  Eternal.

Yes, it was very good.

It was perfect.


I have so enjoyed decorating, and I derive great pleasure in the final result. I am delighted by the festive surroundings, and take great satisfaction in having everything *just so.*

And I am grateful for the insight it has given me into the heart of the Creator.

A chance to know, at least in part, His satisfaction, pleasure, delight, and joy – His enjoyment of His creation.

But more than anything, I am grateful for the scene that He created in a little town called Bethlehem.


Yes, I love His nativity best of all.

O Christmas Tree.

Long lay the world
in sin and error
pining...

His Light
is the cure
for our darkness.

The LORD God
sent His Son,
bringing
salvation
to the world.

And behold,
it was very good. 

(This is long, but I especially like this accounting of Creation as it's expanded in the Amplified Version of the Bible.  Might I encourage you to reread it again, with a sense of wonder at the miraculous beauty of it all…)


THE CREATION

In the beginning God…created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth.

Day One:

And God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light.  God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness.

And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.  And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Day Two:

And God said, 'Let there be an expanse [of the sky]'…And God made the expanse [of sky]…and it was so [just as He commanded].

God called the expanse [of sky] heaven.  And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Day Three:

Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place [of standing, pooling together], and let the dry land appear'; and it was so.

God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that this was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.

So God said, 'Let the earth sprout [tender] vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit'…and it was so.

The earth sprouted and abundantly produced vegetation, plants yielding seed…and trees bearing fruit with seed in them…and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

Day Four:

Then God said, 'Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs (tokens) [of God's provident care], and for marking seasons, days, and years; and let them be useful as lights in the expanse of the heavens to provide light on the earth'; and it was so, [just as He commanded].

God made the two great lights – the greater light (the sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night; He made the [galaxies of] stars also [that is, all the amazing wonders in the heavens].  God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to provide light upon the earth, to rule over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

Day Five:

Then God said, 'Let the waters swarm and abundantly produce living creatures, and let birds soar above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.'  God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves…every winged bird…and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.'

And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

Day Six:

Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures…livestock, crawling things, and wild animals of the earth'…and it was so [because He had spoken them into creation].  So God made the wild animals of the earth…and the cattle…and everything that creeps and crawls on the earth…and God saw that it was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.

Then God said, 'Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.'

So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.  And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, 'Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth…'

And it was so [because He commanded it].

God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely."


(From Genesis 1, Amplified Version)



(And then, of course, read these verses, with a sense of wonder at the miraculous beauty of it all…)


"For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah)." (Luke 2:11, AMP)

"For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16, AMP)

"[Jesus] said, 'It is finished!'  And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] gave up His spirit." (John 19:30, AMP)


"And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new…It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost.  He who overcomes [the world by adhering faithfully to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.'" (Revelation 21:5-8, AMP)




Have you stopped and pondered the wonder and beauty of God's creation, and the miracle of His nativity scene?!




Linked with:

SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, REFLECT LINKUP, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, SHARING HIS BEAUTY, CHRISTMAS JOY BLOG HOP, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE LINKUP, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, WISE WOMAN, TELL HIS STORY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, JOYHOPELIVE LINKUP, WORSHIPFUL WEDNESDAY, LIVING PROVERBS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, EVERYDAY JESUS, SHINE LINKUP, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FAITH & FELLOWSHIP, GRACE & TRUTH, TGI SATURDAYS, DANCE WITH JESUS, ESSENTIAL FRIDAYS, NO RULES WEEKEND PARTY, WEEKEND WHISPERS, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, GIVE ME GRACE, SOCIAL BUTTERFLY SUNDAY




BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"