Hidden Wonders

A display of His love and marvelous wisdom,

God's beauty is everywhere...

surrounding our lives.

Around us.

As His grace embraces our lives.

Above us.

As high as His great faithfulness.

Especially beneath us.

Oh, the tundra is beautiful. So beautiful. I look out my window and the land looks so barren, drab, lifeless. But when I kneel upon the damp earth, God's beauty opens before my eyes, revealed to me like treasures that are hidden.   And indeed, camera in hand, I feel as though I am on a hunt for the most priceless treasures on earth... those which spring from the tundra. I feel desperate to find the beauty that I know is there. And I am always awed and delighted at the Creator's wisdom in placing such small, lovely flowers in such a harsh habitat.

If God so desired to place His beauties

in places where few would ever discover them

and appreciate them...

then surely He looks upon poor and needy sinners

in compassion without measure.

Who is like unto the LORD our God, 

who dwelleth on high, 

Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, 

and in the earth! 

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,  

and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 

That he may set him with princes,  

even with the princes of his people. 

{ Psalm 113:5-8 }

But God, who is rich in mercy, 

for his great love wherewith he loved us, 

Even when we were dead in sins,

hath quickened us together with Christ, 

(by grace ye are saved;) 

And hath raised us up together, 

and made us sit together in heavenly places 

in Christ Jesus: 

That in the ages to come he might shew 

the exceeding riches of his grace

in his kindness toward us 

through Christ Jesus. 

{ Ephesians 2:5-7 }

God's truth fills my heart.
I can only wonder, "Why?"
as I ponder the awesome position my Savior,
Jesus Christ, has granted to me.

 That God should love a sinner such as I...

There is no answer for my "Why?"
this side of Glory.
So I can only sing,
Such love! Such wondrous love! 
for all my days to my Jesus.

(More photos God's beauteous tundra to be shared soon)

Savior, I Want to Praise You for...

I began this list of thankfulness before my family departed for furlough. I'm thankful for these things still, so I'll post them anyway... and add a few new ones towards the end.

31. Fulfilling my hope and allowing me to to capture some photos of our snowbirds, a sure sign of spring.  I was so thrilled! They happened to be gathering some straw in our yard to take away to their snug little nest

Aren't they just beautiful? I wish you could hear their cheery, melodious song. How it rejoices my heart! I just learned that snowbirds are also called snow buntings, snowflakes, and snow larks. What sweet names for such pretty creatures. I like snow larks best. Their music is what I'd define as "lark-ish." =)

32. A camera with 20x zoom which enables my family to see the incredible. A little cropping and I was STUNNED. I don't care that the resolution is poor--we can see whaling boats on the open water across twenty miles of sea ice!

33. A preacher with a great burden and vision from the Lord... to help missionaries. For doing "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" in sending him to us. In the three days he has been with us, Brother Sutphin has encouraged my family in amazing ways. The Lord knows our needs and he is using Bro. Sutphin to meet them. God will use those who are willing to serve Him in ways we cannot measure. Please pray for this preacher during the next seven weeks as he carries our burden and does our work while we are away. (He did a wonderful work for us while we were away, indeed! Praise God! Bro. Sutphin was blessed by the experience and is excited about helping other missionaries in Alaska in the future.)

Be Sure of His Promises

From Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles Cowman

"Do as thou hast said, that thy name may be magnified forever." (1 Chron. 17:23-24)

This is a most blessed phrase of true prayer. Many a time we ask for things which are not absolutely promised. We are not sure therefore until we have persevered for some time whether our petitions are in the line of God's purpose or no. There are other occasions, and in the life of David this was one, when we are fully persuaded that what we ask is according to God's will. We feel led to take up and plead some promise from the page of Scripture, under the special impression that it contains a message for us. At such times, in confident faith, we say, "Do as Thou hast said." There is hardly any position more utterly beautiful, strong, or safe, than to put the finger upon some promise of the Divine word, and claim it. There need be no anguish, or struggle, or wrestling; we simply present the check and ask for cash, produce the promise, and claim its fulfillment; nor can there be any doubt as to the issue. It would give much interest to prayer, if we were more definite. It is far better to claim a few things specifically than a score vaguely.  --F. B. Meyer

Every promise of Scripture is a writing of God, which may be pleaded before Him with this reasonable request: "Do as Thou hast said." The Creator will not cheat His creature who depends upon His truth; and far more, the Heavenly Father will not break His word to His own child.

Remember the word unto thy servant, on which thou hast caused me to hope," is most prevalent pleading. It is a double argument: it is Thy Word. Wilt Thou not keep it? Why hast thou spoken of it, if Thou wilt not make it good. Thou hast caused me to hope in it, wilt Thou disappoint the hope which Thou has Thyself begotten in me?  --C. H. Spurgeon

"Being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." (Rom. 4:21)

It is the everlasting faithfulness of God that makes a Bible promise "exceeding great and precious." Human promises are often worthless. Many a broken promise has left a broken heart. But since the world was made, God has never broken a single promise made to one of His trusting children.

Oh, it is sad for a poor Christian to stand at the door of the promise, in the dark night of affliction, afraid to draw the latch, whereas he should then come boldly for shelter as a child into his father's house.  --Gurnal

Every promise is built upon four pillars: God's justice and holiness, which will not suffer Him to deceive; His grace or goodness, which will not suffer Him to forget; His truth, which will not suffer Him to change, which makes Him able to accomplish.  --Selected

Praise Him for Your Puzzle

It puzzles me; but, Lord, Thou understandest,

And wilt one day explain this crooked thing.

Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Thy best--

Its very crookedness taught me to cling.

Thou hast fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,

To keep my wand'ring eyes fixed on Thee;

To make me what I was not, humble, patient;

To draw my heart from earthly love to Thee.

So I will thank and praise Thee for this puzzle,

And trust where I cannot understand.

Rejoicing Thou dost hold me worth such testing,

I cling the closer to Thy guiding hand.

--F.E.M.I., from Streams in the Desert 

Sometimes a puzzle is a very challenging undertaking. You wonder if you will ever complete it. It seems impossible that those innumerable little pieces could ever be assembled to create one beautiful picture...

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 

The Lord knows. It is all working--not by individual "puzzle pieces"--but together for good. What is indeed impossible it that evil could have a part in His perfect plan! He "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will". He is working, piece by piece, bringing each one out of a confusing pile, to create a beautiful picture of grace in your life.

  

When you are making a puzzle with a friend, how much fun it becomes! My dear little friend is very clever. She did most of this Big Clifford puzzle all by herself! What a sweet time we had together. (Unfortunately, Clifford had a hole in his tent--aside from it being a tad too tiny. =)

Hidden Artistry

Do you enjoy making things and being creative? I never imagined I would take such delight in such a variety of crafts or even remotely achieve satisfactory results. I've always been rather depressed by my lack of artistic ability. I joke that my talented older sister somehow robbed me of mine. =) Working with my hands brings me such joy. I am pleasured to discover that I have a bit of artistry hidden in me. I love to find news ways of expressing it.

Perhaps you are like me. Maybe you have a sibling or a friend who excels at their every endeavor with (seemingly) effortless ease, while you, on the other hand, struggle along, mustering every ounce you've got in your frame and aspiring heart, only to fail time and again. (sigh) Such doomed failure is enough to discourage even Michelangelo, you muse in desperation. I must be daft. I simply do not get it.

Don't give up, young lady! Do you reckon--perchance, mayhap--you might be striving to achieve a task our gracious Lord has not given you a talent for? Well, that explains it! However, you are not excused to give up entirely.

Think, now. Is there any particular skill that catches your interest whenever you hear about it, or whenever you espy a glorious piece of that particular handiwork? Have you ever sighed, Oh, I wish I could do that. You will never know until you try if you might just have a talent in that area, bestowed upon you by the Master. Do some research online; find a few books with clear instructions and quality illustrations. When you begin you may take off like a bird on the wing--or you may become terribly discouraged and disappointed by failing efforts. True, true! your endeavors might run completely awry, leaving you to pull out your hair is frustration, eyes bugged out and nerves raw. (Trust me, I have been there and I have done that.) It might not be enjoyable at first but "let patience have her perfect work," dearie (James 1:4).  Remember, trying and usually failing the first--and second, and third--attempt is all a part of learning anything new, whether it be a new math problem or a new sewing technique. If you "do with your might what your hands find to do," the Lord will bless your efforts.