Reflection

Psalm 104: 31-34

"May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountain and they smoke! I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord."

I love how my heart can be redirected through reflection. Today while worshiping I was singing about God's creation, and I was able to think back on the amazing views I was able to see while in New England. Some places so peaceful and serene it brought a stillness to my heart and mind. God used my past experiences to draw me back to him.

Lately I have been distracted. 

Distracted by activity, circumstances, objects, fashion and my own baggage. 

Activity that is not my own but experienced by everyone else. 

Circumstances that I can't control, change, experience or even relate.

Objects that I have made into idols, taking my time, energy or money.

Fashion such as my wish to appear beautiful and well versed in style. 

Baggage that I let go of only to walk back to and carry around, burdened.  

All these things combined lead to a big fail.

I have been trying to change and re-direct my own heart. I have been trying to live off of my own feelings and desires, which waver and change countless times in a day. Instead of knowing that my God is faithful, AND forgives, and it's not about what I can do, but what He does in and through me.

Deuteronomy 7:9

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."

I have to refocus and not to feel my way back to Jesus. But to know Him. To meditate on the God of Jacob to see that He has kept His covenant not only with Isaac, and Jacob, but also with me. He has given me victory over sin. He has forgiven my past,  He will allow me to put my sin to death. 

So now I reflect on God.... 

.... who sustains creation, and will sustain me.....

.... who has infinite knowledge and sees the smallest details.....

..... who forgave and will forgive....

... who calms the ocean and my heart.

Revelation 4:11

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created."

Snow and Joy

Who knew that desert plants could be so pretty in the snow?

Joy is my favorite. Can you tell???

Yep, cause we are those neighbors. Hubcaps and all. The snow helps lessen the East-side look. Right?

In the end, it is just snow. But man, does it make EVERYTHING beautiful. 

The Fork in the Road

While walking the streets of Boston I came across this fork in the road. Now it’s trashed, deformed, pitted, and discarded. It no longer serves the purpose as a useful utensil, but only a creative shot for my lens to behold. I keep thinking about this fork, with all the metaphors, symbolism and the visual appeal. When I saw this fork, I just took a picture and laughed to myself, about the irony of “the fork in the road.” Now I realize how this one fork, bent and disfigured is so representative of my “journey”.  

    Like this fork, my heart was pitted, deformed, and completely trashed, and destined for more abuse.  But praise be to God for transforming my heart, and saving me from the deepest of evils and my own depravity to ruin myself and stray from His Grace and Mercy. I was headed for His Wrath, and Judgement but through Christ blood and the Holy Spirits working I have been rehabilitated, and saved. Now there is no real hope for this fork to make its way back to the table, but for me, I am RESTORED. I am LOVED. I am CHOSEN. I am NEW. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” -2 Corinthians 5:17-18 ESV

    In the end it’s really just a fork in the road, but to me it was the picture of salvation.