Consider the lilies

I worry. I admit it. I know that I'm not supposed to be anxious about anything. I know God will provide and protect and work everything out according to His purpose. But I still often have a healthy dose of what my mother-in-law likes to call "God given concern."

We're told in Matthew 6 to look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field - they don't sow or reap or worry about what they will wear, but they are fed and clothed in splendor.

I have lilies on my front porch right now, and they are glorious. I love walking up to my house, and seeing beautiful yellow lilies on either side of my front door. They truly are one of the most beautiful flowers God created. The petals are delicate but strong, with those pretty little dots, and that pollen that will stain your skin for weeks!

But isn't my life just a tad bit more complicated than the life of a flower? I mean, the lily sits in dirt and does nothing but look pretty, so of course it's easy for God to take care of it! But what about my life? Can He really provide for me?

The answer, of course, is a resounding yes. If He can create and sustain the entire universe with just His breath, of course He can sustain me. And He will. My lilies are my reminder.

I also wanted to add a little personal note here that you won't find on the Through the Lens of Worship site. When this posts on Wednesday, I'll actually be up in the mountains, far away from cell phones and internet. Thanks to the magic of technology, I'm actually writing this on Saturday! Tomorrow is Father's Day, and tomorrow is also the day I leave for Royal Family Kids' Camp. This will be my second year working at this camp, and I am excited and overwhelmed right now. The week will be halfway over by the time any of you read this, but if you see this note before Friday the 25th, please pray for our campers and staff. The week of camp is exhausting, and challenging, and emotionally draining, and so, so very worth it because we are given the opportunity to show God's love to children who have been hurt very badly.

Happy Easter!

May we all remember the true significance of this weekend. Bunnies and eggs are fun, but nothing compared to the sacrifice of our Lord. He is risen, and we rejoice!

Beauty in Creation

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11-12

It is good, isn't it?

Detours

Last month road construction started in our neighborhood. Signs went up alerting people that 19 1/2 would be closed, and there are detour signs everywhere.

A few days after that, my pastor used an analogy about being in the left hand turn lane, and realizing you needed to turn right. He compared that to our lives, and how we often find ourselves in the left turn lane when God tells us to go right. The problem was that we were not listening to the signs. Well, I'm a smart girl, so I figured that God might want me to learn something from Bruce's message and from the fact that I now have to go the long way to get to the freeway.

I think that in life we often come upon signs - detours, stops, road closures, yields.... It's like that scene in Bruce Almighty where he asks God for a sign, and there are tons around him. Do we really pay attention to the signs God gives us? Do you? Do I? The thing is, I don't want to be in the left turn lane when God tells me to turn right.

I don't want to miss something great simply because I refuse to pay attention to God's plan for my life. I don't want to find myself at a dead end, wondering where God is or how I got there. I want to pay attention to those signs, so I can turn when I need to turn. So I can yield when it's time to yield. So I stop when I need to stop. So I go when it's time to go.

So I don't end up here:

Ironically, while I was out taking these pictures someone didn't pay attention to all the signs, and they ended up at this dead end and had to turn around. Thankfully God allows us to turn around and get back on the right track when we find ourselves here, but my prayer is that I listen the first time.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

For more go to: throughthelensofworship.com

Through the Lens of Worship - Week 2

If you've read my blog for any length of time, or if you know me personally, you know about the struggle my husband and I have been through while trying to grow our family. You may have prayed for me or with me. You may have cried with me. Or, you may be here for the first time and have no idea what we went through for two years. That's really not the point of this post.

The point is that the place I'm in now is a wonderful place to be. It's absolutely incredible when I think back to how things were this time last year. I have grown tremendously. My marriage has grown. My faith has grown. I'm learning to trust God's timing. I'm in a great place.

I'm now to the place where I am thankful that Kyle and I are childless. I don't see that as a bad thing any more. I love that our family is just me and my husband. I love that I am able to invest more in him, in my family, in my friends, and in my work than I would be able to if someone called me mommy. I especially love, love, love that I am able to be so present in the lives of my beautiful nieces (here's where the pictures start to come!). These two baby girls are so precious to me. They teach me things all the time. Their childlike innocence inspires me. Their behavioral issues cause me to think of the ways I continually disobey God. Their stubborn attempts to get their way with their parents remind me of how I react to my Heavenly Father.

Plus, they are just so darn adorable! These were taken on Monday when the whole Reynolds clan went up to the snow for a day of fun.

By the way, it's the little one's second birthday today! Happy Birthday, Ayla!

Go to throughthelensofworship.com to read the other posts!

Beauty in the busy-ness

I've felt rushed lately. I've been overwhelmed. Not stressed, just busy. There is always something else to do. Laundry. Dishes. Grading. Cooking. TV shows that need watching. (Okay, I'll admit that one is a want). In the midst of the craziness of life, God sometimes shows you something that takes your breath away. I had one of those moments while driving home the other day.

The sun was just going down below the clouds - not a complete sunset, but one of those times where the edges of the clouds are trimmed in a beautiful gold. As soon as I got home I grabbed the ladder, and with my camera in tow I climbed on my roof. As it always happens (Murphy's law, I suppose), it turns out my roof is not at the ideal angle for taking sunset pictures, but I still managed to snap a few that start, just a bit, to capture what I actually saw. Just know that my (slowly developing [no pun intended]) photography skills are nothing compared to what God does on the canvas of the sky.

This is an entry for Through the Lens of Worship. To see other photographer's posts, go to http://www.throughthelensofworship.com/

Through the Lens of Worship

Exciting news for photographers! Rhonda, Sarah, and I have been working on starting a new photo group, with the intention of worshipping God and bringing him glory through the talents he has given us. We started meeting together for worship, bible study, coffee, and photography a couple months ago, and now we're expanding! If you are also a Christ follower and photographer, please check out Rhonda's explanatory post on her Exposing Grace site.

Timing

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven.

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

I know that everything God does will endure forever;

nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.


Ecclesiates 3