Enjoying His Handiwork

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered. Psalm 111:2-4, New International Version

Oriental Lily

Driving around the country, I am always amazed at the majesty and splendor of all of God's creation. Everywhere I look, I see His handiwork--in the fields and in the mountains, along shores and streams; even the flowers in my own garden possess a beauty that cannot be recreated by the human hand, although men have tried.

One of my favorite places on earth is Multnomah Falls, just a short drive east of Portland, Oregon in the Columbia River Gorge. It is one of many sites of natural beauty that can be found in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest and probably one of the most photographed by visitors from around the world. The falls are fed from an underground spring in Larch Mountain and run highest in winter and spring. The water cascades down the side of the mountain, dropping 542 feet to the first level and an additional 69 feet to the bottom, into a small pool, where the water continues to runoff into the Columbia River. The falls continue to drop year-round due to the underground spring, rainfall, and snow pack.

And God's most wondrous creation of all? Well, no words are needed for this one.

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Mark 9:36, 37 (New International Version)

Ugh! It's HOT!!!

Squirrel resting in a tree on a HOT day.

Summertime is in full force, creating scorching temperatures all across the nation.  Even in the city I live in, where the temperatures rarely exceed 100 degrees more than 3-4 days a year, we are experiencing excessively HOT temperatures and lacking the usual cool down temperatures at night.

We have already seen five straight days of temperatures over 100, topping out at 108 degrees. So far this month, we've had a total of 8 days of 100 degrees and higher, and we are only half-way through summer. Temperatures continue to stay in the upper 90s during the day, and rarely drop below 65 degrees at night. It's HOT...and I hate HOT!

The other day, I was sitting in my comfortable chair gazing out the window, when I realized there was a squirrel sprawled across the branch of a tree in our backyard. The temperature was 99 degrees, and it suddenly dawned on me that, just maybe, the squirrel was trying to stay cool on the tree branch. I don't know if he was successful or not, but I was very comfortable in my nice, air-conditioned house watching him through the window!

Big Wheels Keep on Turning

This really brings back memories--watching my grandchildren ride a Big Wheel ride-on toy. When my children were little, someone gave them a used Big Wheel, which they played with constantly. The front wheel was cracked and many of the decals were peeling, but they had more fun with it than they did with a bicycle. Oh, they loved their bicycles, too, but the Big Wheel was something they could all play with, regardless of their age. It was also more stable and less likely to tip over than their bicycles and tricycles. We had other ride-on toys as well, so they would mount up and ride around the neighborhood on their Big Wheel, tractor ride-on, wagon, Cozy Coupe, roller skates, skateboards, and whatever else they could find that had wheels.

Big Wheels have been around for nearly 50 years, although I don't remember seeing one until I had children of my own. I do remember how much fun they had, and the many hours they spent outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and playing with each other. 


Nowadays, most children spend their time in front of a computer or television screen, playing video games and watching videos. Those activities have an important role to play, especially in the development of hand-eye coordination. But they can't take the place of good, old-fashioned, outdoor activities. As parents and grandparents, we need to find the balance in the activities we find for our children and grandchildren. They only live once, and we can't go back and recreate the early years. We have to make them the best years of their lives. 


So, keep the Big Wheels rolling and encourage activity. We will all be healthier for it. 


The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there." Zechariah 8:5 (New International Version)  

Molded Images

Children take an intense interest in everything they do. Spend a few minutes or, more likely an hour, watching a child play with Play-Doh and you will see intense concentration as they strive to create objects.

Their creations appear in many forms. Some of their creations emerge from their imagination and don't resemble anything tangible. Other creations come from their limited experience and vaguely resemble bicycles, snakes, turtles, and anything else that they can create with their hands.

If they don't get it right the first time, they smash it all up and start over, rejuvenating their thought processes and drawing from millions of thoughts going through their minds. The final product may not really look like anything to anyone else but the creator.

Is this how God saw the world when he started the process of creation? Did He look at a mass and decide that he wanted it to look like this or that or something else? How did He know what the end product would be? What thoughts were swirling around in His head when he started creating the birds, the animals, the flowers, the trees and, eventually, man and woman?

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them....God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  (Genesis 1:27, 31, New International Version) 

Lumpy Beds?

I recently had the opportunity to stay in a very nice hotel in Walla Walla, Washington.  Now, I won't mention the name of the hotel, but suffice it to say that it cost just over $100 for the night. To my estimation, that would be considered a very nice hotel for that area. What I could not figure out, however, was why the beds looked so lumpy. 

This "lumpy-ness" did not set the tone that I am sure the hotel was striving for. It just plain looked weird. I finally had to raise the coverlet from the bed and look underneath, and I discovered that the lumps were coming from the comforter encased in the duvet cover. The bed itself was very comfortable and I slept relatively well, considering that I was in different surroundings and not in my usual comfy bed at home.

All other aspects of the hotel were great--the room had great appointments, the bathroom was very attractive and modern, the free continental breakfast was more than adequate, and you could access the wireless internet from anywhere in the building. Everything was clean and well cared for.

But...the beds looked lumpy. 

Tea Party & Dress-up Time

Kids, dress-up clothes and a toy kitchen make for imaginative play for kids of all ages.

Daughter:  Try it, Mommy. It tastes really good; you'll like it 'cause I made it myself.

Son: Don't do it Mommy. It doesn't look very good to me. 

Son: Mommy, you'll be sorry. I really don't think you should drink that stuff.

Son:  Hmmm, you look okay to me, Mommy. Okay, I'll try some.

Son:  "Aaaaagh!  Mommy, I told you not to drink that stuff! Yuk!

His Infinite Sight

You are probably asking yourself, "What is in that photo?"

I took the photograph nearly a year ago when I was on an airplane bound for Texas. This was taken somewhere over Idaho at about 15,000 feet above sea level, and the only thing you can see is the highest peak of a mountain surrounded by clouds. It made me think about God's view of our world from His throne in Heaven.

With my finite sight, I can barely see this mountain peak, but the Bible says that God knows when a sparrow falls and he has numbered every hair on our head. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31, King James Version)

Are we truly so important to Him that he knows the minutest detail of our lives? Yes, we are that important to Him and He wants to be involved in every aspect of our day-to-day activities and decisions. He stands ready and willing to bless us when we include Him in our decision-making process and in our celebrations.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7, 8, New International Version)

When we trust in God to lead and be the guiding light in our lives, great things can happen. It doesn't mean that life will be a bed of roses because, let's face it, Satan tries to lead astray those who are close to God. But it does mean that even in those difficult times, God is there beside us, walking each step of the way with us so that we are not alone.

I love the "footprints" poem. You know the one, where the author asks why there was only one set of footprints when he was at his lowest point in his life. And God replied that when you saw only one set of footprints, that was when God carried him.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33, King James Version)

Faces

I heard a sermon at church this morning about how we are all created in God's image. Have you ever really stopped to think about that concept? I mean, if we are ALL created in His image, what must God be like?

We can be serious, funny, emotional, angry, calm, crafty, temperamental, dictatorial, obnoxious, loving, critical, devoted--our personalities run from one end of the spectrum to the other and all spots in between. I found a website that listed 348 character traits, and I am sure that at some point in time, each of us has exhibited most, if not all, of those traits.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, New International Version)

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:31, New International Version)

So, do you suppose that God is sitting up in Heaven and enjoying a hearty chuckle at this moment?

Fun with Food

Mmmm, good. Have you noticed how children never seem to be bothered by licking their fingers, messy faces or goo all over their hands? On their first birthday, we shove a birthday cake in front of them and let them dive into it with their mouth, their hands, and eventually, it is everywhere. And then we stand back and take photos....and we laugh. No wonder kids think it's funny to be covered in goop and goo and icky stuff.

Now, as adults, we are much more refined in our eating--we have a napkin handy and dab at our mouth after every bite, making sure that not one morsel remains to be seen on our face. Unless, of course, you are carnivores who enjoy eating ribs, in which case your face is covered in goop and goo and icky stuff.

Now, who do you think has more fun eating?!

Okay, so maybe it's a toss-up. I guess it doesn't matter what age you are.

Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him. (Ecclesiastes 5:18, New International Version)

Flowers and Fragrance

Soft, fragrant, delicate, fragile: A rose by any other name is still a rose. As William Shakespeare put it, "That which we call a rose by any other name is still as sweet."

On the third day of Creation, the Lord 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." (Genesis 1:11) The variety of plants created by God were phenomenal, each one unique in its own way. Roses, tulips, lilacs, poinsettias, sunflowers--all designed by the hand of God.

Each flower brings beauty, fragrance and color into the world. Pink, red, white, purple, yellow--every color imaginable is reflected in God's handiwork.

The hills of Palestine were bright with spring flowers during the Passover and fathers and mothers told their children of God's wonders. (The Desire of Ages, Ellen G. White, page 76)

"The things of nature are the Lord's silent ministers, given to us to teach us spiritual truths. They speak to us of the love of God and declare the wisdom of the great Master Artist. I love the beautiful flowers. They are memories of Eden, pointing to the blessed country into which, if faithful, we shall soon enter. The Lord is leading my mind to the health-giving properties of the flowers and trees." (The Adventist Home, Ellen G. White, page 147)

Flowers are also a blessing to those who are ill or shut-in as they lift the spirits and add a touch of beauty to the room. "In nature may always be found something to divert the attention of the sick from themselves and direct their thoughts to God." (Ministry of Healing, Ellen G. White, page 265)

Bon Appetit

Traveling presents many opportunities to expand the culinary palate. We recently traveled to the Oregon and Washington coasts and agreed before we left home that we would try to sample food from restaurants that were unique to the areas in which we were traveling rather than dining at chain restaurants.


Our first stop was in downtown Long Beach, Washington, where we sampled fare at a nautical-themed restaurant called "Benson's by the Beach". The restaurant was under new ownership and offered breakfast and lunch every day. We sampled a vegetarian sandwich with onion rings and a breakfast omelet, both of which were excellent.

We also enjoyed lunch at "Dooger's Seafood and Grill", which was also located in Long Beach, Washington. The menu choices for vegetarians was much more limited, but we were able to enjoy a vege-burger and a salad. We later found out that it was a family-owned chain restaurant specific to the north Oregon coast (Cannon Beach, Seaside and Warrenton) and one on the Washington coast in Long Beach, Washington.

Later in the week, we journeyed across the bridge into Astoria, Oregon, where we enjoyed an interesting meal at the "Bridgewater Bistro", where 80% of the menu is gluten-free. Many of the foods on the menu were very unique and somewhat expensive. We sampled a very small house salad with organic greens and hazelnuts, served with homemade bread, and a Mediterranean veggie wrap with french fries. We were told they were adding a vege-burger to their menu the next day but they weren't prepared to serve it early.

Our final stop was a family-owned Mexican restaurant, Casa el Mirador, in The Dalles, Oregon, where we enjoyed fresh guacamole, warm tortilla chips, enchiladas and burritos.

Yes, traveling opens the door to culinary opportunities if you take the time to find the little, out-of-the-way or unique restaurants and avoid the major chain restaurants.

Awesome God

Walking on the beach, breathing in the ocean air, watching the sea gulls hunting for food along the shore, reveling in the expanse of the ocean and the wonder of God's creation. It is amazing how small we are when we stand on the beach and look out over the ocean, watching the massive waves roll in and break against the shoreline. Imagine the power in the water as it gathers speed and rolls toward the beach.

God's power is amazing. He has set everything in motion and everything is in His control.

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours." (1 Chronicles 28:11)

We truly have an awesome God. When you look at the amazing creatures that roam the earth, swim in the oceans and fly through the air, it's easy to see the vastness of God's power. Do you ever stop to think about the fact that all of God's creatures function without batteries? There is no power cord that has to be plugged in to keep the motor running or the batteries charged. Instead, God breathed into each of us the breath of life. He keeps us charged and our motors running. Amazing! Awesome!

Family

I read a quotation earlier today that really gave me some food for thought: "Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." (Jane Howard, English Novelist)

Families come in many shapes and sizes. Some are small, some are large. Some have two parents, some have only one. Others have children being raised by grandparents. Some families have small children, others have adult children, and still others have no children at all. What would we do without our families?

We have an even greater family tie--to our heaveny Father. He says, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters." (2 Corinthians 6:18).

Christmas Tidings

"...she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:6,7)
Once a year, the world celebrates the birth of the King of Kings. Once a year, people search their hearts and look for ways to reach out and help others less fortunate. Once a year, we remember that without Jesus, we would have no future, no eternal life.
Wouldn't it be great if we could celebrate Jesus every day instead of just once a year? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to reach out to those less fortunate every day? Wouldn't it be terrific to have the promise of eternal life every day?
We do. By accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we have all of these things and more. While the Christmas holiday itself is celebrated once a year, the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ is ours every day.
Promises are found throughout the Bible. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)
Call on Jesus and make Him the center of your life today.

Antiques?

The older I get, the more I realize that many of those things people are trying to sell as antiques are really things that I remember from when I was younger. A couple of months ago, we spent some time walking through an antique shop in Walla Walla, Washington. It slowly dawned on us that many of the objects we were looking at were things that we played with when we were little. There was a pedal car, a doll stroller and even a set of play dishes that looked just like ones I remembered playing with. They were not only old, but they were asking ridiculous prices for them. It made me feel really, really old.
However, being old is not necessarily a bad thing. The Bible says, "Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" (Job 12:12) Of course, now the problem is convincing others that I have wisdom and understanding!