Keep A Steady Gaze....God Is Always Up To Something Good

Psalm 119:83(MSG)
There's smoke in my eyes--they burn and water, but I keep a steady gaze on the instructions You post.


Hiding behind this tree, I had a rare chance to observe wildlife
and the beauty of God's creation today. 

 

 
 
 
                                             What a beautiful morning here in the Ozarks! 
We have an overgrown field complete with a pond and lots of thickets next to our house.  It provides a constant source of nature viewing pleasures.  Today, as I sat in our office staring out over the water where we often see wildlife sneaking out for a cool drink, I got a rare chance to see some new fawns interacting with her Mama!

I grabbed my camera and sprinted out to this hiding spot behind the tree and kept a very "steady gaze".  It definitely paid off to keep the camera in focus and not move a muscle!  I got to partake in some rare interactions between this doe and her new babies!  What a treat!   

She could hear me, however, she never could find me.

Mama knew I was there.  She kept looking for me, but never did spot me.  Each time the shutter clicked, I could see her freeze and listen, but my hiding place was secure.









Cleaning her little one and giving some words of wisdom.

Here she's stopping to clean the water off her sweetheart and perhaps whisper some motherly
advice about not going to far into the water. 

I think she sees me here, but doesn't seem to sense
that there is any danger, so she continues
her breakfast...as does her fawn.

I'm pretty sure that she saw me at this point, but barely breathing and holding my position steady, she went on to finish eating.  As you can see, I caught her fawn eating, too.  After this shot, I snuck away undetected to allow them to finish their morning drink! 








Most Wonderful Creator,
Thank you for this incredible gift today!  I know that I am surrounded by Your beauty...help me to keep a steady focus on You, so that I can forever see the world through Your lens.
In Christ's name,
Amen
 

The Shape Of Your Life

Psalm 119:41(MSG)
Let Your love, God, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised;

This is a hand blown glass bowl from SDC.

This verse draws my thoughts back to the wonderful trips I took to Silver Dollar City growing up!  If you've been there before, then you probably visited the glass blowers shop a time or two.  When we would visit the shop, I found myself, even at a very young age, standing mesmerized as I watched the craftsmen spin the hot glass on their sticks shaping and forming incredibly fragile works of art!  They would drop in tiny drops of color during the process and that liquid would transfer throughout the piece.  The artist knew exactly how much dye to add and exactly which way to tilt the glass to create the effect he wanted. 
Our lives are like these delicate creations that the glass blowers were creating.  If we allow His love to touch our lives, He will shape us into a beautiful work of art.  It will be a life that will glorify His name and build His kingdom just as He promised!  

God, 
Thank You for Your love that is so powerful it can change lives and shape future generations!  Empower us today to stand strong in the face of adversity and live a life that reveals Your glory and draws observers to You!
In Christ's name,
Amen  

The Cosmos

Psalm 136:5(MSG)
The God whose skill formed the cosmos, His love never quits.

It's pretty hard to gaze up at a beautiful starry night and not think of our incredible Creator.  Yet another way for us to visualize His overwhelming love and unmatchable skill.  His voice spoke into existence all of this!  Genesis 1:1-2(MSG) "First this:  God created the Heavens and Earth--all you see, all you don't see.  Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness."  

Thanking God tonight for His expression of love to us through the wonder of this world!