This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Wrap yourself in a good book." In this case it's The Good Book.
What an amazing visual of John's Gospel. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
How distinctly we see the person of Jesus pour from the pages of His book, and not just through the Gospels and letters of the New Testament. Like a thread throughout history, He is also evident in the Prophecy books of the Old Testament, being the One of Whom they mainly speak. He is the loving bridegroom in Song of Solomon, the wisdom of Proverbs, and the muse throughout the Psalms. All of the historical books
Did you knowthat the Northern lights, Aurora Borealis, are created when the particles of solar flares make it to our atmosphere and are ground to a halt by the bubble that God put around us.
No, that's not the scientific lingo. I'm a writer. I avoided all the sciences at all costs, but I understood her explanation of this. (She even had graphs and diagrams to help walk me through it.)
But as I gazed at these pictures I mulled it over again. These pieces of light, actual bits from the sun itself, endure a chemical reaction that annihilates them to make the beauty that you see here. (Living in Texas, I can only hope to one day see them in person. Sort of the awe I felt when I saw my first tornado. Only without the terror.)
This burning away of the particles to set up the amazement of light started me thinking about the verses from Isaiah. Where the prophet emphasizes that God isn't leaving his people without hope.
For those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3
There was a popular Christian song written from this very verse about a decade ago by Crystal Lewis:
The song goes through three different ways that our "particles" my fall. Through sorrow and suffering, guilt and fear, or living without God. But in each situation, He is able to take the broken pieces and make something beautiful. It might take a while. It might even be painful, but in the end, the joy we'll have from bringing Him glory and spreading a smile across His face will be well worth the temporary discomfort.
Songs tend to stay with me and inspire me when I least expect it. What is a song that inspires you?
They rarely scare me, although sometimes I'll wake in a cold sweat. But they sure enlighten me to whats going on inside my head. Now I'm no psychologist, but I understand where these dreams come from.
I've experienced them over the course of more than a decade:
when a conflict comes up with a friend
when the school year is about to start
when I'm doing something that makes me feel terribly vulnerable or unfamiliar like planning a big party or scrapbooking retreat - especially the first time.
I know God speaks to us through laughter as often as He does through tears. In fact, I love the version of "Matthew" that I caught a glimpse of on DVD the other day. The actor portraying Jesus had a countenance ready to break in to a smile without warning. And all those phrases that sound like severe cuts to His disciples, they were delivered with laughter that gave the effect of chiding a small child. I tend to think it is much more accurate of how Jesus treated His followers. He wouldn't slam them; He adored them and counted them as His family.
