Imago Dei

'God created humankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them.' ~ Genesis 1:27 (NET Bible)

Paintings don't paint themselves. Sculptures cannot mold themselves. Neither songs nor poems are able to write themselves. 

You & I didn't create ourselves either. We didn't appear on this planet randomly, the circumstantial results of the Big Bang Theory. We simply didn't just materialize on this planet like the various 'away team' crew members did on weekly episodes of Star Trek. 

We were intentionally created, carefully woven & spun, lovingly molded & fashioned, with brushstrokes, fingerprints and lyrical storylines unique to us, by the Master Artist, the Creator Extraordinaire: God. Our Father. 

In The Living Bible, throughout the Creation story in Genesis 1, the phrase which pops up at the end of each day's descriptions is 'and God was pleased.' Except at the end of Day 6; instead, for this particular day on which man & woman were brought & breathed into existence, made in the ‘Imago Dei’ – the image of God -- these words were spoken:

'Then God looked over all that He had made, & it was excellent in every way.' ~ Genesis 1:31, TLB

Did you catch that? Don't skim over it. EXCELLENT. In EVERY way. 

So why, when we look in the mirror, do we hate what we see? We bemoan our freckles or lack of them. We're embarrassed over that gap in our front teeth or that much too prominent birthmark or our protruding nose. We complain about our eye color; our curly or poker straight hair; our too thin or too thick lips.

Millions of dollars are spent each year on products & services that promise to make us look better, younger, more attractive. Flawless.  And completely different.  We can suddenly find ourselves unrecognizable. Why do we desire to look like anyone but ourselves?

Could it be possible that the very thing which you so despise about yourself is that very thing which God wildly adores about you? Because HE created you that way? 

You are fearfully & wonderfully made. You are unique. You are beautiful. You are God's lovingly created masterpiece: His artwork, His sculpture, His poem, His song.

Never forget that you bear the signature of the Divine.

'For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully & wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.' ~ Psalm 139:13-16, NIV

A Noble Visitor

Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south? ~ Job 39:26, NLT

My family and I live in New Jersey, nicknamed 'The Garden State,' sometime back in the late 1800s. While our house is situated in a more urban area, located on the borderline of the city of Trenton (our state capitol), we do have many parks and wooded areas nearby, enabling us to enjoy seeing some of God's beautiful and majestic creatures -- like this one here. 

Surprisingly, this regal looking hawk has been making frequent visits to our backyard lately, and yesterday stayed long enough for my husband to grab these snapshots while it struck a pose or two on, of all things, our back gate!

And would you just look at those piercing eyes! Kind of gives new meaning to the term 'watching something like a hawk, doesn't it?

It's moments like these that I am so in awe of the beauty of God's creations. I think of what His Word says in Genesis 1:31:

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good

I hope that you enjoy seeing this beautiful bird of prey as much as we have!

God's Masterpiece

When you hear the word

Masterpiece.....

....what do you think of?

Do you think of a portrait painted by a renowned artist?

Starry Night, by Vincent VanGogh

A famous statue chiseled by a well-known sculptor?

The Thinker, by Auguste Rodin

Or how about an incredible piece of music created by a celebrated composer?

The Hallelujah Chorus, by George Frideric Handel

This past Sunday, our pastor preached a sermon about who God wants us to be and how He sees us.  He referenced Ephesians 2:10:

'For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'

As someone who has spent WAY too much time over the years comparing myself to other people and my circumstances to theirs, and has come up wanting each time, I'd like to share  a bit of what I took away from my pastor's sermon. I know there's someone out there in the blogosphere besides myself who needs to be reminded of these truths -- or perhaps needs to hear them and learn them for the very first time. 

When we don't accept who we are, or what we have, or our situation, we become depressed, dissatisfied, discontent.   But really -- who are we?

We are God's workmanship.  Some Bible translations say 'God's creation' or 'God's handiwork.' But the New Living Translation says it this way: 'We are God's masterpiece.' 

The word 'workmanship' in our English language is translated 'poemia' in Greek, which is where we get the word 'poem.'   So literally speaking, we are God's poem, a poetic statement, written by God.  

Think about that in regards to yourself.  Get up from the computer, go find a mirror and take a look at yourself as you think, no....as you say aloud: "I am God's masterpiece; a poem, written by Him."  Let that truth sink in for a few moments.

You are a unique individual, created by the Lord God; special, set apart for Him.  You were created in the image of God (check out Genesis 1:27).  He took time to form you, to knit you like a beautiful piece of tapestry, in your mother's womb.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

"For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth." ~ Psalm 139: 13-15, NIV

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born, I separated and set you apart, consecrating you;" ~ Jeremiah 1:5, AMP

God knew exactly how He wanted you to look:


*your height


*your skin, eye and hair color


*your birthmarks, beauty marks, freckles


*the shape of your face, nose, lips, eyes and ears




God knew exactly how He wanted you to sound:


*the tone of your speaking voice


*the timbre of your singing voice


*the lilt of your laughter

Listen -- stop trying to be somebody else.  Somebody you aren't.  Because you CAN NEVER BE who you're supposed to be if you waste your time and your life trying to be someone God didn't create you to be.  

God created you to be you.  

He didn't create you to preach like Billy Graham or Francis Chan or Tony Evans.

He didn't create you to write like Max Lucado or Neta Jackson or Priscilla Shirer.

He didn't create you to hit high notes like Mariah Carey or play the guitar like B.B. King or dance like Gene Kelly.

God created YOU to be YOU!

Are you getting the picture now? No pun intended.  But seriously, please don't look at yourself and merely see someone who is unattractive or who doesn't measure up with the perfect, popular crowd.  Don't keep reminding yourself of the poor choices you made ten years ago, or the mistakes you made yesterday.  Please STOP right now.  Because this is not -- repeat, IS NOT -- how God sees you when He looks at you.  

You are a beautiful tapestry, woven and spun by the Master Weaver -- carefully, intentionally.

You are a magnificent vessel, formed by The Potter's hands -- lovingly, tenderly.

You are a glorious poetic symphony, created by the Consummate Composer, sung by the Sacred Psalmist -- joyfully, passionately.

YOU are a masterpiece.

God's Masterpiece!

When There Are No Words

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork." ~Psalm 19:1

There are days when words just won’t come.

I don’t know what it is -- call it writer’s block or the less creative and much cruder term of a ‘brain fart.’

Or sometimes, there just aren’t the proper words to describe what I see, what I’m feeling and experiencing, what’s on my mind and heart.

It’s like that right now for me.  I currently have no humorous stories to share here.  No challenges to issue. No sage advice or wisdom-filled lessons to dispense here on my blog.  It feels a little odd to me, kind of weird.

So because I’m still ‘newly retired’ ( a mere 5 months), rather than trying to work through this dry spell by spending entire days attending to things like vacuuming, laundry, cleaning out the ‘fridge, purging and rearranging cabinets, closets, kitchen junk drawers and alphabetizing my book shelves, I’ve taken to going out driving and/or walking to places of beauty, quietness and serenity in my area (and with the cold, winter months looming on the horizon, soon I may not want or be able to go anywhere). 

But I can do it now.

I have the time and the availability; I have the good health and the ability.

And -- I’ve got a darn fine Canon PowerShot A590 camera to visually capture, the best that I can, the beauty and the loveliness of the Lord God’s creation in these places I often find on my drives and my walks.

Some of these spots are well known to me and to people from this area. Others are not. Some are places I’ve just ‘happened’ upon, places to which the Lord God has guided me. Places I had no idea even existed so close to me. They have become my 'hiding places', if you will.

I find comfort there
I find peace there
I find contentment there
I find joy there
I find the beauty and holiness and the nearness of my Lord God there

And so I’ve taken to carrying my little camera with me everywhere I go. Because I’ve found that, more often than not, when I’m not looking and I least expect it is when my Abba allows me to stumble upon some breathtaking, indescribably glorious or sweetly simplistic Kodak -- um, Canon -- moment in the sky or along the landscape:

A brilliant, Technicolor (almost double) rainbow

A show-stopping sunset or sunrise

Thick, swirling fog resting gently upon a lake or a pond in the early morning light

An astounding, eye-catching cloud formation

The surprise of colorful flowers in a drab spot

A sudden burst of autumnal brilliance in a grove of trees

Various winged, two and four-legged creatures and beings at work or at play or at rest

　
When I have no thoughts to share or I'm at a loss to verbally describe what I see--

There are pictures…..

Snapshots of life, visuals to share and to convey

The Awesomeness

The Beauty

The Holiness

The Sacredness

The Love

And the Glory of our amazing Father and Creator God!

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God  ~ Indescribable, by Chris Tomlin (lyrics by Laura Story)