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Hawk’s Bill Panorama

December 28, 2010 by creatorworship

I never get tired of mountain vistas, even if they are ones I’ve seen many times before. Today the snow and the atmosphere were exceptional.

Hawk's Bill Mountain

We had to stand off abit since the gravel road comes downhill, was snow covered, and I only have 2 wheel drive. That’s OK. We hiked in about a mile to the trailhead and then another 1+ to the top- quite pleasant.  The hiking was pleasant and temperature just below freezing

Catch the Drift?

 which is perfect when it’s sunny and the actvity level is high. The boys were acting crazy, running and wrestling and being random. I realized that they were literally running circles around me and I still couldn’t keep up. Did I used to do that? Have I slowed so much? Of course, yes, but I’m thankful to be able to get out at all. This is vacation for me, seeing the beauty of God’s Creation and putting forth effort to do it. Now for the views. The view of both guys is looking about 15 degrees west of north. The mountain just right of center is Roan and the very white one to the right is Hump Mtn.

View North from Hawk's Bill

The cliff they stand on has two levels, about 50 feet of drop to a ledge below which is a 200+ feet drop.  The effect from a certain perspective suggests the open beak of a hawk, and thus the name.

Hump Mtn., Carter County, TN

Hump Mtn. is one of my favorite places. I’ve been on top of it in every conceivable condition over 25 times. I really don’t get bored of being in the mountains and would be in many others if time and money allowed. 

Linville Gorge

The picture of Linville Gorge is due south from Hawk’s Bill. From left to right the mtns. are Table Rock, the Chimneys, and Shortoff (the flat-topped, blunt ended one).

  I put this one in for    perspective. This is a good sized gorge with cliffs along its entire length of 100-400 feet. When you get to the bottom of the cliffs through various steep draws you are not halfway to the bottom.  

Grandfather Mtn.

I used to think that I could see the contour of a bearded old man lying in bed that was the grandfather. That’s OK if you can’t see it because that’s not how it got its name anyway. There is a rock, called profile rock where a “face” appears.

Upper Linville Gorge

 

Babel Tower is just to the right of this section. The tower has cliffs on all sides and the river so surrounds it that you can see upstream and down while looking in the same direction. There are some good swimming holes down there (see earlier blog) but it looks abit frozen over today. We saw some bear hunters coming out in their trucks. There is no road into the gorge but they get close and hike down one of the many steep trails in.

Downtown Charlotte, NC

I hope it shows up on the blog. It is faint, but hey, Chalotte is also 80 miles away line of sight. Look on the horizon just above center. I wish I had taken several other pictures because

Snow Art and Black Mtn.

our compass readings for several sites were right on when I checked at home. Besides downtown Charlotte we also saw Pilot Mtn. which is about 85 miles away. The picture at right shows Black Mtn., the ridge that Mt. Mitchell is on.

The Guys on an Outing

We didn’t get tired of looking and the boys jumping around and acting crazy, but we did have to walk back. It was time to go. You store up the memories for the more mundane days and for fodder to be creative, but most of all to be thankful.

The Mad Icycle Murderer

 

Serious Drift

Ice Chicken?

Posted in Beauty, General, Outdoors, Photo | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

White Snow

December 26, 2010 by creatorworship

I’m happy that snow is white. In fact I don’t believe there is anything whiter. Paint store white, white white, ultrawhite don’t compare and everything else looks dingy.

Ibex sp.? (anyone know?)

“‘Come now, and let us reason together’, says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow…'” (Isaiah 1:18)

“Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.” Psalm 51:7

The wet Christmas snow comes down in the wind

The roadway with its sand and salt and slush is nasty but the snow reminds me that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

The White-headed elders guard town hall

Forgiven and reminded by snow and happy for its stilling and brightening effects I agree with the purpose of this messenger as with the one in the proverb: “Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his master.” (Proverbs 25:13)

White Christmas

White Christmas is rare in these parts but not so rare and fine as the time when the Glorious One comes Whose “head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and HIs eyes were like a flame of fire…” (Revelation 1:14). This whiteness will have been dimmed; this joy trivialized, but as it reminds me of my freedom from sin and the sight the pure in heart will one day see, I enjoy it all the more.

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Outdoors, Photo, Remembering | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments »

Perspective by Comparison

December 26, 2010 by creatorworship

As time passes I seem to have more, not less, on my mind than I can bring to the front burner and cook. I have so many incomplete questions and thoughts that sit on back burners and in warming alcoves that some will spoil before they ever get cooked.  Rather than a source of discouragement it reminds me that there are life times of ideas to explore in God’s person and works and I shan’t ever get bored  in this one. And it encourages me also that my mind is more active, albeit somewhat slower, than at earlier times, so that I am confident of God’s continued work in my heart and mind.

After college and some number of years of self study in “true science”, unbiased by evolutionism and naturalism (OK, highly and proudly biased by biblical thinking- what of it?), I had come to the conclusion that naturalistic thinking had only two difficult to confront evidences against 6-day Creationism. The first was radiometric dating which gave a clear cut way to measure time since the formation of rocks.  After years of study and a number of different evidences to the contrary, I feel confident in saying Creationists have overcome this difficulty. Polonium halos forming is less than three minutes in granite, the possibility of additive or subtractive contamination in parent and daughter isotopes, evidence for changing decay rates in carbon-14, and most significantly the absence of large amounts of helium from the alpha decay in the uranium series strongly suggesting the youth of the rocks (Don DeYoung’s Thousands . . .Not Billions (Master Books, Green Forest, Arkansas, 2005)) have given sufficient alternative evidence and explanation of this phenomena to render great age unneccesary.  The second difficulty I saw was distant starlight as inferred from redshift data. How could the universe be less than 10,000 years old if starlight had been coming from stars for millions and billions of years? The “appearance of age ” suggestion by some Creationists was never satifactory to me since it means practically that Christians could always retreat to a “miracle” to answer unanswerable questions. Now don’t get me wrong. I not only believe God has but does interfere with Nature for His purposes to accomplish great and actual, albeit rare, miracles. But if God is the God of order and reason then His Creation reveals Him and His work in reasonable and orderly ways, though incompletely without Scripture. And though I much prefer correct explanations, that is not the main point of giving a reasonable explanation, for we can no more know if our scientific explanation is right than can the Naturalist. Sorry, it is simply the limited nature of science. However, we now have a reasonable and convincing explanation for the “starlight problem”. And as such Naturalistic explanations are unneccesary. This fact does not mean that my faith was weak before and stronger now. God said it; that is all that matters, but since I was not created with fins or scales, I get tired swimming upstream in this Naturalistic culture. A little slowing of the downward current on occasion is pleasant . It turns out that the explanation is a matter of relativistic perspective. Einstein chose a convention (rule of thumb, reference frame, or perspective if you like) that was useful and convenient for his mathematical and scientific thought experiments but is not required. Einstein was concerned with observers at different locations. In order to retain this perspective he had to consider them going at the same velocity in the chosen frame of reference. If instead the location of the observers is forfeited so that they are at the same location then the velocity may vary. The result is a new definition of simultaneous that matches the Bible’s explanation for how starlight arrived at earth on the same Day Four that it was created. For considering the age of the universe, the author argues convincingly from evidence that Einstein’s convention is not the correct one. If you are neither faint of mathematical or logical thinking you may like to read it as well:   http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/arj/v3/n1/anisotropic-synchrony-convention    Even though I cannot revel in a complete understanding of every detail it adjusted my perspective by comparison to a new one and that is pleasant.

Posted in Creation Articles, General, Random thoughts, Science, Why?! | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Looking for Better

December 7, 2010 by creatorworship

A prayer more than a poem really, but the heart fixed on Jesus
finds reality in it.

 

Looking for better, a longing within,
God is the answer, the place to begin.
Oh, to be like Him, to gaze on His face,
Full joy and longing, to live by that grace.
 
But how the flesh pulls, it tugs on my heart,
Promises good times, it looks like it’s smart.
But, oh, it deceives, it robs you of joy,
Go ahead do it, no harm is the ploy.
 
The Spirit is strong, depend on His voice,
Listen, it’s quiet, His way the right choice.
Overcome the flesh, world, and the devil,
Peace and rest are found, vanquishing evil.
 
God’s Word is a sword, the truth in my hand,
It cuts to my sin, can heal all this land.
When with ears to hear, my cup is filled up,
The lost see Jesus, God is lifted up.

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Poem, Sustaining | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

Meaning of Well Educated

November 27, 2010 by creatorworship

I was asked the following in an interview recently: “What does it mean to be educated?” After clarifying that the interviewer actually meant “well educated” I directed him to Psalm 119:97-100 and Proverbs 1:7:

 
“O how I love Your law!  It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts.”

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

His summary question caused me to think of all that might be needed to be “well educated”: “Is it possible to have a large amount of schooling but not be well educated?”   I have made some small additions to what I responded to him but essentially here is the graph I came up with then to answer his question and explain what I considered “well educated” to mean:
x-axis: study includes both depth (specialization) and breadth (number and variety of subjects);  study may be acquired through schooling, tutoring, or self-study      
y-axis: experience involves interaction with the surroundings and skills training and practice                  
z-axis: moral training begins with God’s Word and proceeds to thought application to all of life events         
x and y axes begin a zero and may be positive however z-axis factors may either be positive or negative; factors are multiplied together.

Posted in Cultural commentary, General | Tagged | 6 Comments »

Ultimate Love Story Rap

November 21, 2010 by creatorworship

Yeh, you read it right, rap! You’ll need some bling, yo, ’cause this rap involves some “great and magnificent promises” says II Peter 1:4, “so that you may become partakers of the divine nature…” Yeh, that’s rich!
Begins within the trinity
In the far past eternity
Love expressed to infinity
Through interactive Deity

Refrain:
The Ultimate Love Story told
Love eternal never grows old
Reject it and your life will fold
Receive it for a new life bold

A story of marriage lovely
Of promises kept totally
Same and discontinuity
All patterned with typology

Father loves Son eternally
Loves rebellious humanity
Loves His people distinctively
Loves sinners that they might be free

God loves all providentially
He loves so sacrificially
Perfectly and perfectingly
His own want holy living see

God chooses to love us freely
Because God loves His Son you see
It benefits both you and me
Bring God much honor and glory

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Poem, Song | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

Warn a Sinner from his ways

November 14, 2010 by creatorworship

As I sought to choose hymns for the evening service at church I desired to choose one that suggested the text, II Peter 2:1-9.  I struggled to pick a song that spoke anything signifcantly about judgment. My wife said so simply, “Who wants to sing about that?”  Well, of course she is right, but people of the church did not always fear to sing about death and the consequences of rejection of Christ.  Having laid the foundation for strong faith in chapter one, remembering what makes for salvation and godly living, Peter sets out in chapters 2 and 3 to guard the believers against two threats to strong faith:      one within the church, namely false teachers, and the other outside the church, namely, mockers.  Early in chapter 2 reminds me very much of Jude who says in verse four of his short epistle, “Certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation.”  If their judgment is so certain, I wonder, why should we even discuss it?  It is a warning to others for God says through Ezekiel, “Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus you have spoken, saying, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?” ‘Say to them,”As I live!,” declares the Lord God, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?”‘” (33:10-11)  The following poem comes in lieu of the hymn that I did not find:

From hell to save my Savior came
To raise the dead and heal the lame
He taught of His Father full breadth
Of both eternal life and death

 

Second coming differs from this
Bought ones ascend to heaven’s bliss
While those who refused life in Him
Face an eternity that’s grim

 

Saints, pray and preach to your last breath
Hold them back who stagger to death                      Prov.24:11
O, Sovereign Lord lend us Your aid
Show us ones whose sin debt is paid

 

O, Sinners heed Christ’s pleading call      Ezek.33:11,Rom.10:13
Of rescue that goes out to all
Call for mercy with all your might
Escape your end of flame and fright

 

Jesus is the Savior and Judge
On His justice there is no smudge
Receive from Him payment for sin
Or ever hurt without, within

Posted in General, God's Word, Poem | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Gorging on Beauty

October 31, 2010 by creatorworship

Hawk's Bill in front of Table Rock

It is referred to as simply the Gorge around here.  I’ve seen it from all angles in every imaginable weather with any number of people, though mostly my children.  It is a miniture of some of the greater canyons of the world but it is a compact bit of beauty and extremity.  Some of the best rockclimbing in this part of the country or anywhere is on the sides of this “draw”.  Well, the day was unparalleled for temperature and better than average for clearness of sky, with no evidence of insects after a frosty night up high.  I had the afternoon off and went with my fourth  born to take a short hike, search out some climbing routes, take in the view and hang out with my youngin’.  Here is but a little of what we saw.

Linville Gorge

The sun angle was not conducive to landscape shots from our vantage point, but it did remind me of how awesome are the cameras we carry in our heads.  We had no problem discerning buildings and towers and people on adjacent ridges.  The camera was also quite good on zoom.

See the 5 people on Hawk's Bill Mtn?

We also saw a large black bird in a tree near where we sat on the rock, but the brush was too thick for me to get any decent picture.  Upon arriving home I determined that it was an American Coot which can occur at this latitude.  But what in the world was this predominantly water bird doing sitting in a bush on top of a ridge at about 4000′ elevation? I have no explanation.

The last bit of Fall colors at elevation

Autumn colors were not so extremely gorgeous this year as the past two years, but they were just as beautiful in individual trees and clumps of trees.  I certainly enjoyed these trees that I presume from this distance to be hickory trees.

The Sitting Bear

And I did find some new climbing along with seeing the starts on the Sitting Bear, a rock on top of the ridge that does indeed appear to be its name sake when far off at certain angles.  I guess I have numerous excuses to come back.  The stress of living is enough reason for me to keep coming, but there are challenges to rise to and beauty to see, and quiet to absorb, exercise to have, and long talks to be involved in.  There is much here to gorge the mind and spirit and body upon.  And I am privileged to know the Creator and Owner of it all Whom I can worship and thank for such blessings.

Posted in Beauty, General, Outdoors, Photo | Tagged , , | 5 Comments »

Part of the Image in Us

October 23, 2010 by creatorworship

It totally makes sense and points to His glory that we should be creative. Since we are made in His image and He is the Creator, then we should be creative.  We are not amazed at much these days because we think we’ve seen it all.  Well, we haven’t.  “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (I Corinthians 2:9). I can’t wait for glory!  But since I am, I can enjoy His creativity expressed in the creativity of people.  “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29) Maybe you’ve seen this and its a yawn to you but I was amazed. Check out the website:   http://www.theeggshellsculptor.com/Gallery.html

Cranes

 

//

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Fiber-Cement Siding

September 19, 2010 by creatorworship

Genuine boards on the new bedstead

Pass me the….the….board?  It was a 1/4 inch thick by 10 inch by 12 foot piece of fiber-cement siding.  It beats vinyl siding all over the place for looks and durability.  But in stumbling over what to call it I was reminded that name and form and similarity of a thing to the actual item does not mean it has its substance.  Such are many in the church and the world:  “And he said to them, “An enemy has done this!” The slaves said to him, “Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”” (Matthew 13:27-30)  “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where your are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.'” (Luke 13:26-27)  How should we react to such a word?  “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you- unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5) for “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”  “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) What is the substance of your heart, a believer saved by the grace of God exhibited on the cross by the death of Jesus to take away your sins, or a believer in name and assuming the form of a believer though not actually ever having had an experience with the living God? “Examine yourselves!” Are you the actual item, wood all the way through (as opposed to cement, or cork  (any baseball fans?), perhaps), or do you only bear the shape and name of the same?

Posted in General, Photo, Random thoughts | Tagged , | 1 Comment »

Washed, Rinsed, Eternally Clean

September 12, 2010 by creatorworship

I made a new aquaintence in church today. We exchanged interests and learned that one was classical music and another was potentially poetry.  He wrote down a poem from memory and gave it to me at the end of church.  At home I sat down to read the poem.  I was really enjoying it, but then I got to the last three lines and felt disappointed.  Perhaps the author did not know the good news that I know, or perhaps his focus was elsewhere. At any rate I include the poem here and two verses that I quickly added (in a different color) to, as they say in music, resolve the dissident chords, caused in me at any rate. In defense of both Dr. Stidger’s thoughts and mine, I remind you of what it says in John 13:10: “Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.'”  I believe Jesus means both that Judas was unclean and that His disciples can pick up dirt from this world, that though they are clean, “needs only to wash”.  Oh, how glorious, I’m clean!

  

 

I saw God wash the world
     by Dr. W. L. Stidger                                   

Junco

 
I saw God wash the world last night
With His sweet showers on high
And then when Morning came
I saw Him hang it out to dry
 
He washed each tiny blade of grass
And every trembling tree
He flung His showers against the hill
And swept the billowing sea
 
The white rose is a cleaner white
The red is more red
Since God washed every fragrant face
And put them all to bed
 
There is not a bird, there is not a bee
That wings along the way
That was a cleaner bird or bee
Than it was yesterday
 
I saw God wash the world last night
Ah, would He had washed me
As clean of all my dust and dirt
As that old white birch tree!
 
But oh, He has and cleaner yet
But not with rain and wind
He washed me in the blood of Christ
And I’m completely cleansed
 
Yet I will have dirt settle on me
As indeed will flower and tree
But my soul is cleansed of all its sin
And could not cleaner be

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Outdoors, Photo, Poem | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments »

The Word Before Your Face

September 11, 2010 by creatorworship

I was encouraging my healthcare provider and Christian brother  who turned and encouraged me even more by several comments he made.  The one that struck me most was him holding his palm before his face and saying, “If we keep the Word before our face it keeps changing us.”  We listen rather than work because our sanctification is by grace through faith as surely as our initial salvation experience.
 

 

Keeping the Word before your face
Concept and meaning ever trace
Continual changes in you
Please God and better run the race
 
Setting your mind on things above
The things of God you learn to love
Cleansing your heart so it is true
Undivided heart like a dove
 
Eternity within the heart
Begun in Christ and not depart
When I’ve sinned and turned away too
By His Spirit I may restart
 
Learn to live life by faith alone
No schemes and planning on your own
By His Word guided by each clue
To heed the Spirit’s call be prone
 
When in danger for Him you call
Secure in Him never can fall
Peace with God is ever in view
Assurance of heaven’s bright hall
 
The Word before your face again
Best deterrent to prevent sin
Knowing that all to God is due
Forgiveness, glory, life you’re in

Posted in General, God's Word, Poem, Sustaining | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Gorge Swim

August 13, 2010 by creatorworship

At least once a summer, the boys and I go to a great swimming hole and play until we are worn out or too cold to move.  The weather has been plenty hot enough to preclude the latter.

Falls at the swimming hole

There are many jumps into foaming deep water from heights of 5, 20, and 25 feet. There are gentle rapids to float in and rocks to sun on. And usually there are no other people there since it is a steep mile and half walk in.

25 foot drop

I forgot my goggles this trip and didn’t get search the bottom for trout and “crawdads”, but the jumps and swimming up near the falls and sliding through the rapids and taking pictures of plants and spiders and sunning and eating snacks was quite enough for one trip. 
The jump takes your breath and the foam ingulfs you and sweeps you away, but I’ve not found a way that it hurts (belly, back, face).

Forward Flip

I get dizzy trying to do a flip any more but some can still do it. I do advise that if you try what we are doing that you thoroughly explore what is under the water as we have. There are certainly places we don’t jump. The turbid water prevents seeing rocks that are less than a foot under. Other places are 8 to 12 feet deep right off the edge. The water was up for summer which makes it more turbid, more fun current and deeper pools. The only drawback of higher water is the turbidity that prevents seeing fish and formations under the water, but we couldn’t anyway.

I wander what caused the wilting of the blackberry leaves, a mildew, a smut, a rust. But the blackberries sure look good.

The grass spider builds a sheet with a funnel where it awaits prey. During windy times more prey falls but also more litter.  The spider knows the “signature” of falling prey and ignores the litter. Unlike orb weavers, some of whom eat, reprocess, and re-weave an orb every day, or least every few days, the grass spider may go most of the season only repairing the web and tolerating “camoflouging” litter.  If the site is good there is no reason to move other than another large spider running you off your web.

Grass Spider in the Entry-way

The lampshade spider is the hardest spider

Lampshade Spider

for me to take a picture of because it so well blends in with the rock it is on. Also, it is extremely difficult to show both the spider and the lampshade shape of the web though this picture is one of the better efforts.

Doghobble

The heat this summer has been accompanied by a substantial amount of rain in our area, so the vegetation has been quite green and much that the drought years had killed back is filled in. I include here but a few nice samples of what we saw.

Souther Shield Fern (Maiden Fern)?

A fern will not usually grow so tall and robust as this one on a rock shelf in full sunlight where this is located unless the rainfall and seepage supplies ample water as is true here. This sample was more than 3 feet tall. You naturalists can tell me if I identified it correctly.

Water spiders and their shadows

There was this pool at the side of the river at an incoming creek of spring that was relatively very cold. The boys and I had to dare each other to get in. While I was waiting for them to take their turns I noticed that water spiders

"Crawdad" exploring his domain

cast a shadow much larger than themselves. I guess I could to if I controlled the fringes (diffraction pattern at the edges of my person in the medium I’m in), but alas I am not supported on the surface tension of my medium or his. Yes, I did go into the pool and I was not the last one. I also jumped off the 25 foot jump several times but the picture of it was blurry.  A few final pictures of my boys. One I couldn’t pass up because it’s classic:

"The Look"

Where are we?

Peaceful, contemplative moment

Cardinal Flower

Posted in Beauty, General, Outdoors | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Glory of Christ revealed in His trial

August 10, 2010 by creatorworship

Last Sunday the pastor preached a Bible-based, convicting and practical sermon. The text was John 18:12-27.  Early on he said the theme of this intertwined story was “the glory of Christ in His trial; the sinfulness of Peter in his denial.”  As the sermon progressed this sentence kept working on me.  It rhymed and it showed great contrast. I began to think there was a poem here that might help me remember the sermon ideas reflecting the text.

Glory of Christ revealed in His trial
Peter’s sinfulness in his denial
Contrast Christ abiding in the Father
With Peter wandering, to then falter

  

Not shrinking from truth in the face of death
Fearing man when expectations a myth
If I spoke “rightly, why do you strike Me?”
One of His disciples? Not I, said he
 

 

Dependence on God and Christ is the way
Reliance on self will bring much dismay
Cohorts, commanders, courts could not dissuade
A slave-girl side-tracked allegiance once made

 

“I have spoken openly to the world”
Not a cold heart while warming hands unfurled
Boldly speak of Jesus the Son of God
Or rooster crow pierce your heart like a rod

 

Trust in the Father through Jesus the Son
Don’t shift allegiance to serve number one
Return to your first love, know of His grace
Don’t wander and falter, finish the race

Posted in General, God's Word, Poem | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

The Fall Abbreviated

July 25, 2010 by creatorworship

What happened?  In a moment from life to death, from intimacy to estrangement, from bliss to dread.  Oh that we, the beloved, might imbibe the last state of our soul as readily as the former.  His grace shines in the latter all the more in the light of our former. He has rescued us as “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21) 

Temptations rife
Hazard all
Indiscretions, fall
Shame, strife
 
Blame wife
Cover all
Oh the gall
Death not life
 
Pay the fife
Lost all
Darkness fall
Sorrows rife
 
Took the knife
Once for all
Order tall
Gave us life

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Poem | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

Energy Intertwined

July 6, 2010 by creatorworship

I am far from being a materialist but God has ordered a material world which is fascinating. It shouts of deep complexity and beautiful simplicity.  He is intimately involved and yet He set it to work. Oh, what a wonderful Creator and Sustainer is He!

Sunlight on the grass and trees
Photosynthesis within the leaves
Glucose stored in chloroplast
In the food web first, but last

 

Consume producers all day
Cell respiration at work and play
Glucose energy that may
Be used to keep death at bay

 

Up the chain energy flows
‘Eat or be eaten’ the saying goes
Predator and prey each knows
Watchfulness precludes dire woes

 

Top dog on a nonstop binge
Top of the food chain has its challenge
On catching the food will hinge
Life and on offspring impinge

 

Death comes to all in their time
Decomposers recycle the grime
The world would be full of slime
Life’s web would lose all its rhyme

 

In and out energy goes
Though inefficient transfer, life grows
From sunlight to plants it flows
Animals, then decompose

Posted in Beauty, General, Poem, Science | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

May the Blessing of God

June 14, 2010 by creatorworship

 Click on

May the Blessing of God   for an original song speaking blessing over you.

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Poem, Song | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

First Cause

June 10, 2010 by creatorworship

Bee on flower in mutual dance

Mare with colt on a beautiful prance

Sword fishes school marshal every lance

Not a chance

 

Four main forces balanced precisely

Fingers on key board glide adeptly

Sun, Moon, and stars trace paths exactly

Not likely

 

All of life programmed in DNA

Beauty and function have interplay

Complex fossils in low strata lay

Hey, no way

 

Unless an all sufficient first Cause

Transcendent of effect, without flaws

Made it all, His rule the written clause

Let give pause

Bumblebee on Woodland Sunflower?

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Outdoors, Photo, Poem, Science | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Pain and Pleasure

June 5, 2010 by creatorworship

I seem to be in an extended season of difficulty.  This time around I wondered what I could have done to cause the problem.  How had I strained my ankle?  Rain and responsibility had kept me from doing much activity for several days before the swelling and pain.  It turns out that it was not structural at all but rather inflamation.  It is yet another time to reflect on God’s goodness and man’s condition. 

Pain and pleasure juxtapose
First grow thorns and then the rose
Why these two rise side by side
One we cherish one deride

 

Must it be that we suppose
Foulness comes with the sweet dose
Neither so before the Fall
Nor in heaven eternal

 

Better does it good disclose
More thankful now more repose
By suffering our wants end
God does good superintend

 

Now I enjoy more the rose
Beauty of its top stem pose
Thorns diminish all one day
In His presence I will stay

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Poem, Sustaining | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

The LORD says to my Lord (part 2)

June 2, 2010 by creatorworship

In Matthew 22 Pharisees, Herodians, and Saducees were trying to “trap Him in what He said.” (v.15)  The issues they used were the poll tax to Caesar, remarriage, and the ranking of commandments.  The real issues were heart issues of authority, belief  in the resurrection, and the prioirty of loving God and your fellow man.  Since they were questioning Jesus’ authority the whole time, after His adept answers He turns the tables and asks them a question about authority from Psalm 110:1: “If David then calls Him ‘Lord’ how is He his son? (v.45) Both Jesus and the Pharisees would agree that this passage spoke about Messiah when is says ‘my Lord’. The Pharisees taught correctly that Messiah would be a son of David but their understanding of authority structure did not allow a son to rule a father.  However, the real reason they were unable to answer Jesus was because they were spiritually “blind men” and blind guides” (Matthew 23:13,14,15,23,25,27,29).  Jesus had no need of answering them because the answer had been repeated by three sources: Scripture, the people, and Jesus’ own works and miracles. Such Scriptures as Jeremiah 23:5-6 speak of the offspring of David who is “the Lord our righteousness”, and of His suffering when “Messiah will be cut off” (Daniel 9:26), and of the time of His arrival in 69 weeks of years (Daniel 9:25).  The people were positively identifying Jesus as the “Son of David” (Matthew: 15:21: 20:31; 21:15-16,9). In the latter of these verses the Pharisees see His works and hear the peoples’ declarations and effectively ask Jesus to silence them.  Jesus affirms that their praise of Him is praise of God and happens because “You have prepared praise for Yourself” (21:16).  And the miracles testified of His authority: “the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me” (John 10:25) and that they should “believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father” (v.38). So, Jesus does not answer His immediate question to them so that “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive” (Matthew 13:14; Isaiah 6:9), but so that we might search deeper and both hear and see.

Posted in General, God's Word | Tagged | Leave a Comment »

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Myrela

Exploring nature, ancient civilizations, art, photography, and written reflections through stories, visuals, and cultural inspiration.

Overflows from the Heart

"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart…" Matthew 15:18

CreatorWorship

Pointing to the One who made, saved, and sustains