Jackson Hole - I Am the Gate

 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and  find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that they have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:9-10 NIV

Oxbow Bend - He will endure as Long as the Sun...

He will endure as long as the sun,

as long as the moon, through all generations.

He will be like rain falling on a mown field,

like showers watering he earth,

In his days the righteous will flourish;

prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.

He will rule from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

The desert tribes will bow before him

and his enemies will lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores

will bring tribute to him;

the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts,

All kings will bow down to him

and all nations will serve him.

For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

the afflicted who have no one to help.

He will take pity on the weak and the needy

and save the needy from death.

He will rescue them from oppression and violence,

for precious is their blood in his sight.

Psalms 71:5-14 NIV

God is with Us

 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalms 46:1-7 NIV

The Highest of the Mountains

 

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it.

Isaiah 2:2

In the Beginning

 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  And god said "Let there be light,"  and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.  and there was evening and there was morning, the first day. ...

Genesis 1:1-31

Lifting Away Sorrow

 It is the person, whom we want, not the grief.  "May I hold my grief lightly in my hand so it can lift away from me.  My connection to the one I have lost is inviolate; it cannot be broken,"

~Martha Hickman

Love Many Things

 The best way to know God is to love many things.

~Vincent Van Gogh

Trust An Unknown Future

 

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

~Corrie Ten Boom

No Act of Kindness is too Small

 "No Act of Kindness, No Matter How Small Is Ever Wasted."

~Aesop

Take Heart

 

In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.

~John 16:33 NIV

Find Rest for Your Souls

 Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give your rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

~Matthew 11:28-29 NIV

Steadfast Spirit

 Create in me a pure heart, O God.  And renew a steadfast Spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

Our Refuge

 God is our refuge and strength.  A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

"I am with you always"

 "I am with you always, even to the end of the age"

Matthew 28:20

"Before the Mountains were brought forth"

 

Before the mountains were brought forth,
 or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world. 
 even from everlasting to everlasting.  Thou art God.
Psalm 90:2

Unshakable

 The mountains may shift, and the hills may be shaken, but my faithful love won't shift from you, and my covenant of peace won't be shaken, says the Lord, the one who pities you.  Isaiah 54:10 CEB

Seek and You Will Find

Luke 11:10  "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

The Earth is My Sister

God created Heaven and Earth and God created us.  Creation is interconnected and is a mystery and so is death but there are clues and promises that we are children of God.  Romans 8:16  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God..."   Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers:  for they shall be called the children of God."  Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

The Moment of Creation

Beavers take dead branches, sticks, twigs and leaves and create a new purpose and breathe life into the decaying wood and debris. They are engineers as well as artists in gathering and building these structures. Creation is recycled and the beaver dams provide shelter and become a home for their young. 


Creating works of art fulfills you and is a positive uplifting outlet for your emotions.  Whatever the wounds that have to be healed, it is the moment of creation that assures us that all is well and that we are still in tune with nature and our surroundings. Creating something like a journal, poem, a drawing or painting, a splendid photograph helps me to work through grief and connects me back to something I enjoy. Photography is my artistic outlet and creating images of nature into wall art, cards, albums and blogging is my therapy. Like the beaver, I recycle nature into my own artistic creations.

The Earth is My Sister

"The earth is my sister.  I love her daily grace, her silent daring, and how loved I am."  The cycle of the seasons is alive with the promise of rebirth.  Creation is a mystery and so is death.  But there are promises, that we are the children of God.  "In Life as in death, we draw our power from the same source." 
Quote:  Martha W. Hickman, Healing After Loss

My mother loved the cycle of the seasons.  She knew about the death and rebirth of her garden and flowers every year.  She nurtured and watered her flowers daily. She had faith and believed in God's promises of everlasting life for those who believe in him.