Creation's Wonders and Artisan's Beauty

If you've been following this blog for any amount of time you probably know by now that I'm a big C.S. Lewis fan. What you may not know is that my dad is a fan too. (Mom's a fan also FYI so I definitely come by it naturally.) Dad gets emails from a great organization called "Letters of C.S. Lewis" that send out excerpts of letters C.S. Lewis had written. A while back Dad forwarded me one of the letters, letting me know that there was a good blog post in there.

He was right, as usual, actually I found two blog posts in the letter excerpt but one thing at a time. Today's post involves the subject that Dad pointed out. C.S. Lewis wrote to his father about how Salisbury looked in the moonlight. He talks about the shadows and the light and how it's highlights the wonderful simplicity of the structure that makes it so different from Wells. I think it's those very differences that cause him to say that Salisbury repelled him at first.

He goes on to say "Doesn't Kipling talk of the Taj-Mahal as 'a sigh made marble'? One the same metaphor might say that Wells is an age made into stone and Salisbury is a petrified moment. But what a moment! The more one looks the more it satisfies."

The thing that Dad pointed out and that struck my interest also is the beauty of what the artist creates. Monuments, cities, paintings, statues, all these incredible things that are created and are absolutely beautiful. We talk about them, dream about them, we build entire museums to display them.

And yet all of these beautiful things pale in comparison of creation. Think about it. What else do we build in order to display beautiful things that fascinate us? Zoos. Aquariums. We have entire careers made of photographing and displaying pictures of people and landscapes. Not to mention the fact that when we look at some of these things that we call art the flip side of what we see is the depravity of some of man’s creation. Then we look at the creation of earth, the plants, the stars, the order and splendor and vastness of the universe and the things that man has created while still beautiful, pale in comparison to the vastness and splendor of our God and Creator. We will never be as fascinated with things like architecture as we are with creation because as amazing and beautiful as man made things are they will never compare to the wonder of creation.

So next time you're walking through a city look around, notice the beauty and thank God for the imagination and skill he gave to those who built it. But also take the time to notice the beauty of creation, everything from the people you're walking by to the clouds in the sky to the brilliance of the rivers, lakes, mountains, oceans or deserts that you come across.

He is to be worshiped in all of this not just creativity he has blessed people with and the beauty of what He has created but the unfathomable variety that he has created.  Everything from an earthworm to a human to an entire universe which Psalms tell us he suspends in the sky and holds it in place by his own hand. 

Memorial Day 2020

This Memorial Day my dad offered to write something for this blog. As a retired Navy serviceman he seemed like a good person to speak on the subject. Below are his words. Thanks Dad and I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day.

Memorial Day – This coming Monday is the day that we have chosen as a nation to honor those that have given their life in battle while defending the freedoms that we hold sacred in our United States of America.  For 244 years since the Declaration of Independence was ratified in the Continental Congress, these values have guided out Country.  The right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  The Declaration of Independence along with the Constitution of the United States of America have stood for a land that gives hope and light to the world.  In just six of the cemeteries in Europe there are over 35,000 American Servicemen that gave their lives to liberate Europe from the grip of dictators attempting control of the world.  

Those 35,000 American Patriots are just a tiny example of the Servicemen and Servicewomen that gave their live in one conflict, WWII. This sacrifice has been going on for 244 years.  And continues today.  Whether we agree with the way our country chooses to come to the aid of other countries or not, the American Serviceman has placed their life on the line since the inception of our Nation.  Let’s show our honor and respect for those that have died in battle.  

As a retired American Serviceman I think of the many members of my own family that have fought in every war and conflict in which America has participated.  When we take our oath of office we never know when we may be called upon to pay the ultimate price for the freedom that we are fighting for.  We freely give our time and in some cases our lives to bring that freedom.  

It occurs to me as well that we are following an example laid down 2000 years ago by the Savior of all humanity.  Jesus Christ willingly and freely gave his life to provide for salvation and freedom from death.  As we honor our fallen American Servicemen and Servicewomen let us also give thanks and gratitude for a savior that willingly died on the cross to offer the ultimate freedom to every individual in the world.

Please take time this Memorial Day to give thanks for the freedom bought with the blood of American Service men and women, and give some thought to our Savior Jesus Christ that will, if you ask give you freedom from death and an eternal life of joy and peace. 

John Kirk – US Navy Retired, and a Child of the Living God    

A Prayer for These Times

This week there's been a lot of talk of about whether or not the country should open back up. Some say that the Corona virus danger has past. Others say that by opening up again it'll come back. Still others say it's never left.

All week I've heard these opinions and I've noticed something. Most, if not all, of these statements seem to be driven by fear. Fear of not opening and the devastating effects it will have on the economy. Fear of opening and the devastation to our medical field and resources. And fear of people individual health and safety if this virus does still pose such a threat.

I have my own opinions on this but I'm not going to share those today. I'm not even going to discuss the merits of each argument. Instead I just want to pray. I hope you'll join me in praying that our leaders would not be driven by fear but would be given wisdom and discernment as they make decisions in the coming days, and that our citizens would use that same wisdom and discernment and they make decisions in which leaders to elect in the coming months.

Dear Lord,

Today I want to say thank you for your protection. As scary as this virus has been we know it could've been so much worse. Thank you for protecting us.

Thank you for the thousands of people who have stepped up to help combat this pandemic. Please bless them and their families for the sacrifices they have made and will continue to make until this crisis is over.

I ask Lord, that you would comfort those who have been adversely affected by this pandemic. So many who are sick, separated from their loved ones, lost their jobs or unable to find human connection during this quarantine. I pray for each and every person who has had a personal tragedy that may not have been caused by this virus but who hasn't been able to get the love and support they need because of the virus. Please comfort all those who are hurting and reassure of them of Your great love.

Lord, I just ask that you would give our leaders wisdom and discernment in what the truth is about how dangerous this is and about what is the right thing for our country. Please help them to weigh the risks and give them strength and courage to stand up against the naysayers as they move forward with the best plan for us, the people. I ask that you would be with all of us in the U.S. who have the right to vote. Please give us wisdom and help us to take into consideration all our leaders actions, both in this crisis and out of it, as we prayerfully consider who we should elect to lead us.

Lastly I just ask that you would help us not to be ruled by fear but to be led in Your Spirit. Please help us to take the lessons that we've learned from this crisis and move forward together, implementing them in our lives.

Thank you Lord,
Amen

Stages of Motherhood

It's always hard to come up with posts for Mother's Day and Father's Day. After all I'm not a parent. I can't share my experiences about being a mom or watching my husband be a dad. I'm not even married so I can't talk about planning a family. What I can talk about is the different people I know in different stages of life. This year I know way too many people who are going through their first Mother's Day without their mom. So for that reason this post is a little extra emotional. To start with I just want those who are waiting to be moms and those mamas with empty arms to know that even though right now is hard you're loved and you're in my prayers today.

This weekend I really want to remind all you moms out there how important you are, how much you're needed and most importantly how loved you are.

To the expectant moms please take care of yourself. You're not just an incubator, you are growing another human being and that's an incredibly important job. But it's not you're only job. You need to take care of yourself Moms. Yes, because taking care of yourself means taking care of baby but also so you're ready for baby. You are beautiful and you're already doing the amazing job of being a mom.

To the young moms out there. Take care of yourself. You may not being growing baby inside of you anymore but you're taking care of baby. And you won't be any good to baby or anyone else if you're not taking care of yourself. Moms you're one of the most important people in that little one's life and they need you. So take care of yourself and when you're beyond exhausted and ready to tear your hair out remember what it's like to watch your little one sleep. All the love will come rushing back to you. Hold on to those moments; they may be the only thing that gets you through the terrible two's.

Moms of kids a little older. I know it must be exhausting teaching those kiddos responsibility and how to think for themselves. It's probably tempting to just cook or clean for them all the time but remember that as frustrating as it is you're laying the foundation for the rest of their lives. And you and Dad are the best people to do that job. They need you Mom, and right now they still know it most of the time.

Moms of teenagers. Okay, I've spoken to enough of these moms that I know you spend a good amount of time feeling like you want to wring the kid's neck but I promise that kiddo still needs you, more then they want to admit. You're helping them become an adult Moms so hang in there, you're doing good work.

Moms of adults. Congratulations! You did it! You raised your kid and now they're not a kid anymore. But you're not off the hook. They may not be a kid but they're still you're kid and they still need you. You may not be washing their clothes or picking up their toys but you're still their mom and they're always going to need you.

Last but no means least moms who can't take care of themselves anymore. Moms whose kiddos are now taking care of you. Please know you're still important. You're still so loved and needed. You may not be taking care of them but don't feel guilty that they're taking care of you. They're only giving back what you gave to them and they do it out of love, not just duty. It may be hard for them but I know that my mom is in that position and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Whatever stage you're in Moms just know that you're loved and appreciated it. Happy Mother's Day!

Farewells Part 3

For the third and final part of the Farewells series I decided to switch it up and head to the New Testament. More specifically the first Christian martyr that the Bible documents after Christ's resurrection. For those of you who know the story, please stick with me, and let's look at the stoning of Stephen and pray that God gives us a fresh perspective.

Now Stephen is one of my personal all time favorite Bible characters. And the first reason why is found in Acts 6:8. It says "Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power..." can you imagine what it would be like to have someone describe you that way? Wow! That's a powerful description if ever there was one!

The story goes on and in Acts 7 Stephen is forced to stand trial before the Sanhedrin. What does he say when false accusations of blasphemy are brought against him? He testifies about Christ! Stephen doesn't bother to defend himself, he launches right into a history lesson! He begins with Abram and right on through to Jesus. Stephen's final words were not a plea for mercy but a speech designed to show these people, the ones putting him on trial, that Jesus was the Messiah.

I really, really wish that I could go through verse by verse with you Stephen's testimony. However in the interest of time and the fact that I couldn't do it justice I'm just going to stick to pointing out a few things.

1. How Stephen addresses them. Acts 7:2 "Brothers and fathers, listen to me!" One of my favorites verses is 1 Peter 3:15 "... Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." Stephen didn't hesitate to give an answer for the reason of his hope but he did it with respect. He didn't look at his accusers as enemies but fellow children of God and he desperately wanted them to come to know Jesus as their Savior. That's an amazing perspective to have. (Now I know when you get to verses 51-53 you might want to argue this point so stick with me, I'm getting there.)

2. Stephen's overall history lesson. One of the things I've always loved about Acts 7:1-53 is Stephen's concise account of the Jew's history and heroes of the faith and how God used all of these things and people to bring about the revelation of His Son the Messiah. He didn't rely on emotions or just tell them that he was pretty sure this was true. Stephen was a Jew who I'm sure was well versed in the Torah. He knew his history and he laid it all out for them step by step. When we are blessed with the ability to learn about what God has done in past generations we should soak up the opportunity because you never know when that information may come into play in the future.

3. His passion. In verses 51-53 we see a shift in the tone from laying out the facts to bringing the point home.
"You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One! And now you have betrayed and murdered him- you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it."
So was he gentle and respectful in this part of his speech? Maybe not in the way we would usually describe that but we see his passion come out. He was never disrespectful, he was frustrated. I would rather have that kind of passion for my faith then always be the nicest person and go too far to the extent of not saying what I mean. There's a balance there and I think Stephen is a great example of what it looks like. (Also, an important side note here, he didn't say anything Christ himself hand't said.)

4. Next we come to verse 55, as those trying Stephen begin to really get angry he looks to heaven. Verse 56, "'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'"
Now look at that again because there's two really important things here. One is that as Stephen is literally about to loose his life and his first move is to look up to heaven. Wow! I love that!
The second is that Jesus is standing at the right hand of God. I love that part. He wasn't sitting, He's standing because He's waiting to receive this man who is about to join Him.

5. Finally we get to verses 59-60 where Stephen says two more important things. One a plea for himself. "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Even as strong as Stephen's faith was he remained humble enough to ask the Lord to receive him. He never made an assumption.
And second "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Stephen's final words were a plea for forgiveness for his murderers. Now that is a powerful testimony.

So there are five of my favorite things about Stephen. Five things that I believe make his Farewell speech one of the best ever given. And some of the most powerful words that we should never forget.

I want to close this series by asking something I asked at the beginning. If you had the chance to say something, knowing it would be the last words you ever spoke, who would you say it to and what would you say? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!