Snapshots For His Glory -- 1 John 1:7

For anyone keeping up with me here on the blog, you may have noticed my posts have been sporadic for many months. I just haven't felt many 'nudges' from the Holy Spirit to share any lessons or messages via the written word as much as I used to.

However, that's not to say that He hasn't been moving and inspiring me in other ways and through other venues -- like photography!

I didn't grow up with a desire nor a love for taking photos. Oh sure, I took pictures of friends, concerts and such growing up, using my dad's Brownie camera or my own Polaroid One Step (showing my age here!); and then of course, years later, loads of pictures of my children with those lovely little disposable cameras. But to be honest, I was notorious for blurry pics and shots with people's heads chopped off (for me, disposable cameras = disposable photos), so more often than not, if someone placed a camera in my hand, I was more than happy to pass it right on back to them or to someone else! 

It's not to say I didn't enjoy capturing those 'Kodak moments' in life -- I just knew I was really lousy at doing so! 

There was no 'Aha!' moment for me; nor did I experience some grand epiphany where a chorus of angels sang and I suddenly realized photography was to become some sort of 'calling' for me. I do, however, remember that after my husband let me borrow his digital camera several years ago while on a beach vacation, I became aware I was actually ENJOYING capturing the beauty all around me on land, sea and sky, and found myself looking forward to seeking out more and more of these peaceful and joy-filled instances.

My husband took note of this, and to my great surprise (read TOTAL SHOCK), bought me two digital cameras and accompanying equipment last year.

Gradually and quietly came moments when, after downloading a bunch of photos and viewing them, a Scripture verse would suddenly come to mind for a particular shot. Or, while reading, I'd come across an inspiring, meaningful quote and think, "Hey, I've got a picture somewhere that would go along perfectly with this!" 

Hence, my most recent delight in combining God's Word, as well as the words of godly people, with His glorious works of art. 

Devotional times of worship with a camera -- who knew??

No, I have no intentions of turning In The Shadow Of His Wings into strictly a photo blog. But hopefully, once a week or so, I'd like to share one of the sights and Scriptures (or faith-filled sayings) that God has inspired me to create.

Sometimes -- along with me -- you'll find in certain photos that God is practically SHOUTING AND SINGING OUT LOUD of His love for you and His desire to bless, captivate and encourage you, through the vivid colors of a bird's feathers, a flower's petals or a rainbow, and the glorious brilliance of His sunrises, sunsets and radiant moon risings.

And other times, He'll gently take you aside, sit alongside you, and reveal Himself quietly to you in the most mundane and common pictorial moments -- a door, a table, some rocks, a tree stump or a concrete pathway through a park.

Call it a ministry, if you like. Whatever it is, it's my great joy to be able to share these little snapshots and snippets of faith to encourage, inspire, offer hope or to bring comfort, peace and God's blessings to anyone who stops by here to visit. 

Silence Before The Shearers

Just a few moments ago, I was audience to a 'war of words' taking place between quite a few folks on Twitter.  At one point, even WITH a scorecard, you wouldn't have been able to tell who was who among the players. Some professed to be Christian, but with the temperatures rising and the 'Haterade' flowing like a mountain spring, you seriously could have fooled me.

Earlier on Facebook, someone made a comment on a friend's page how they were struggling to 'like' Christians over a particular heated and much publicized debate; a debate where the more people weigh in with their opinions on it, the more they seem to fan the flames of hatred. And this person who made the comment was a Christian themselves. 


With social media such a huge part of everyone's lives these days, doesn't it seem that more and more, we feel we can say whatever we want -- Christian or not -- and we always MUST have the last word? That's just how it seems to me anyway.

And then two Scripture verses kind of popped into my head (I say 'kind of' because since I'm not Barbie Bible Scholar, I didn't remember them word for word, I actually had to look them up):

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open his mouth. ~  Isaiah 53:7

Credit

When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted himself to Him who judges justly. ~ 1 Peter 2:23

Credit

As a result of all of this, I got to wondering just what my life would look like if I truly followed Jesus's example here and applied these verses to my everyday interactions with people -- face-to-face and online.


How would your life look, dear one?

Just some food for thought today.

Let My Words Be Few

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens....a time to be silent and a time to speak. ~ Ecclesiastes 3: 1:7 (NIV)

Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. ~ Ecclesiastes 5:2 (HCSB)

What if --- I only spoke if I truly had something worthwhile to say?

• Something important and relevant
• Something inspiring and encouraging
• Something helpful and hopeful
• Something loving and grace-filled

No more biting sarcasm dripping from my fangs; no more ugly, hurtful, wasteful words rolling off my tongue. 

Gone would be the back-handed retorts, the underhanded, snide remarks that I've perfected over the years.  

What would life be like if I removed every useless, unnecessary utterance from my lips?  Would people think the proverbial cat had gotten my tongue, or that I was giving everyone the 'silent treatment,' or maybe that I'd FINALLY lost my mind and forgotten how to speak?

Over the years, I've gone from being as quiet as a church mouse (so much so that I STILL run into people who tell me, "We went to school together? I don't remember you at all") to the gal who always has to have the last word in conversations. 

And when I'm on Facebook (which continues to be WAY too often -- it has become my Achilles' heel), I find that I can best be described as a well-known tea bag:

Constant Comment

Why? Why do I feel the need to do so?  I don't know. Lately, though, I'm (thankfully) catching myself and either removing my witty, yet caustic and sometimes downright STUPID comments before I post them -- or I don't even bother to create a comment at all.

My biggest problem is that I don't think before I speak. Words just pour out, like verbal vomit.  That 'quick to listen, slow to speak' admonishment from James 1:19, and trying to become that woman who displays a gentle and quite spirit (1 Peter 3:4), has always tripped me up and has been difficult for me to actually put into practice. So often I feel like such a failure as I find myself regressing into Chatty Cathy mode. I feel like giving up. 

But what if I didn't give up?  What if I persevered and tried again? And again? Focusing continually on this question:

What if I only spoke when I truly had something worthwhile, positive, encouraging, inspiring, kind and life-giving to say?

Would it make a difference in someone else's life?  In my own life?

"When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need -- 

words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you." 

~ Ephesians 4:29 (NCV)

Currently, I'm re-reading the classic book, 'In His Steps,'  by Charles M. Sheldon.

It tells the story of a small town where a church congregation resolves to conduct their lives by applying Jesus' behavior to their own, always asking this question

What would Jesus do?

in each and every situation they are confronted with.  This book is truly so much more meaningful to me than the very first time I read it some years ago.  Yet for me, it's not enough to challenge myself with that same question of "What Would Jesus Do?"

When I am confronted daily with particular situations, circumstances, and by people with their not always pleasant nor predictable reactions and responses towards me, I need to also be asking myself a second question:

What would Jesus SAY?

Especially when I'm tempted to respond by saying things that I KNOW will only serve to get me in trouble and that I will most definitely regret later. While I'm unable to go into details, suffice it to say that I've recently caused a bit of trouble for a friend and added a few more dents in my reputation as a result of, once again, failing to think before I opened my mouth and inserted my foot. 

Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.

Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear.

God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better. ~ Ecclesiates 5:2

Throughout the gospels, Jesus spoke carefully. His words were never belittling or thoughtless, but instead, they were always meaningful, life-giving and life-changing. He spoke words of encouragement, comfort, wisdom, healing, conviction, love and truth.

Today, will my words provoke anger, pain, discouragement or hatred?  Or will what I speak promote peace, healing, hope and love?

How about you, dear ones?  Do you struggle with keeping a guard over your mouth as much as I do? Does a torrent of words seem to burst through your lips on daily (or moment-by-moment) basis, like water bursting through a dam?  Or are you able to keep your tongue under control? Do you indeed think before you speak?

For the next 31 days, the church I attend is doing something called The P31 Challenge. We've been encouraged to read a proverb a day, along with a previously prepared, corresponding daily devotional that we are sent through email, or which can be found on a handout that was made available to us this past Sunday. 

There is much wisdom to be found in Proverbs, and many have to do with words and speech. I'd be wise, at this point, to not only mark those particular proverbs, but to take them to heart and live them out, as I continually ask myself these two questions: 

"What if  I only spoke if I truly had something worthwhile to say?"

"What WOULD Jesus say?"  

"When words are many, sin is not absent; but he who holds his tongue is wise." ~ Proverbs 10:19

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." 

~ Proverbs 12:18

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." 

~ Proverbs 13:3

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

~ Proverbs 15:1

The Power of Words

The right word spoken at the right time is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl. ~ Proverbs 25:11, NCV
 
Words - where would we be without them?

They are a vital part of our lives. We learn to speak and read, to communicate with each other by hearing and seeing words.

I have a love affair with words. Yup -- I am a “word nerd.” I love to read and, like the true nerd that I am, I’m thrilled when I come across words I’ve never seen or heard before. And of course, I love to write, so give me a dictionary, a thesaurus, some paper and pens or a fresh, blank laptop screen and I’m a happy camper.

No, this is not my home.  But maybe someday, I'll have a cool room with a view like this one.

Words are powerful, too. Whether they are spoken or written, words have the power to comfort, heal, encourage; to bring  joy and truth and to be a soothing balm to the wounded.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones ~Proverbs 16:24, NIV

It’s a beautiful thing to receive a love letter, isn’t it? We treasure it,  keeping it in a special place; or maybe we carry it around with us, taking it out often to read over and over, astounded that someone loves us THAT much and was able to put into words what’s in their heart. Those words can encourage us when we are downcast, calm us when we are anxious, reassure us when we are uncertain or afraid, make us laugh or cry tears of joy and perhaps brighten an otherwise dull day. That person may not be with us at the moment...they may not even live in the same town or state....but just by reading those words, our whole demeanor or outlook on life can change. It’s like a lifeline to the author of those words, making them feel near, even when they are not.

But words also have the power to hurt, deceive, discourage, frustrate, bring sorrow and fuel the raging fires that burn within.

I remember when I was growing up and would say something hurtful to someone else, but I really hadn’t meant to or didn’t realize at the time the effect those words were going to have, I’d say right away, “I take it back!” But once a hurtful word or two or twenty come out of our mouths, we can’t take them back. The same goes for written words. An irate letter or email, a hurtful diary or journal entry, a sniping, sarcastic Facebook post or comment...once written, seen or sent, it’s too late - the damage has already been done.

Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise. ~Proverbs 12:18, The Message

One of my favorite books growing up was called “Harriet The Spy.” 

Copyright 1992 by Lois Anne Moorehead
First published by Harper & Row Publishers Inc. 1964

Harriet M. Welsch is 11 years old and aspires to become both a writer and a spy. She practices for her future careers by observing her family, friends, neighbors, teachers and classmates, and writing down everything she sees and thinks in a notebook, which she takes with her everywhere. One day during a game of tag, Harriet loses her notebook and is mortified when her friends find it and read it. They’re appalled at some of the hurtful things she’s written about them. Harriet’s friends band together to form the Spy Catcher Club. The club meets almost every day to think up ways to make Harriet pay for what she wrote, including stealing her lunch and destroying her art class project. Harriet’s words have caused pain and started a campaign of meanness and revenge. Words can often do that.

We must choose our words carefully, because words have power.  They can give life or they can destroy it. They can lift up a soul or break a heart.

The words of his mouth were smoother than cream or butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. ~ Psalm 55:21, Amplified Bible

I’m simply overwhelmed by how many hurting people there are in the world…and sadly, many within the body of Christ. Over the years, I’ve heard from men and women, from ’tweens to the elderly, almost daily, who are exhausted and in pain, whose tank of hope and faith is just about empty, and who just want to give up. The lies they have received from the enemy of our souls and from negative people in their lives are reflected in the words they speak that pierce my heart when I hear them:

*No one cares

*I’m worthless

*I’m stupid

*I’m such a loser

*I have no purpose

*No one loves me

*I give up

They are desperate to hear a few simple words of affirmation, acceptance, acknowledgment and of agape love in time of need. Simple words from like-minded, compassionate, grace-filled Jesus people who speak as His ambassadors with words like:

*I understand

*I’m here for you

*I’m listening

*I care

*I’m praying for you

*You matter to me

*You are loved

*Don't give up

　
We need a circle of friends who are ready to come along side of us at any given time; to cry with us; to cheer us on and encourage us; to walk with us through the dark times; to offer their hand to pick us up when we’ve fallen down; to pray for us, to pick us up and carry us to Christ, when we are too weak and exhausted to run to Him ourselves. 

It's a privilege to be able to do all of the above for the precious people, male and female, whom God has placed in my life, and to have them do the same for me. What a joy and a comfort it is, knowing when I’m at the end of my rope, they are out there to offer me theirs!

The power of words from loving, godly people at just the right moment can help to bring healing, hope, comfort, strength and encouragement into our lives and into the lives of others.


There will be times when we have no idea what to say to someone who is in crisis and is hurting or grieving.  And that's when we need to look to our loving Father God and ask Him to speak for us and through us.

God's Word says this in Colossians 3:16, (NIV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."  And this in Ephesians 5:19 (NIRV): "Speak to each other with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs."

When our mouths are full of the Word of God and our praises of Him, there is no room in them for deadly, discouraging and damaging language.

Are we, as people of God, speaking and singing words of life, love, comfort, hope and encouragement into the lives our family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, church and coworkers? 


"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." ~ Ephesians 4:29 

What are YOUR words doing today?

Every brief encounter that You send my way 
Is a chance to show the love You gave me. 
I see their troubled faces, a hunger deep inside 
But I depend on You to touch their lives. 
Light what burns within me, let Your truth shine through my life. 


Speak for me; this my plea. 
Say the words I can't express. 
Sing for me a heavenly melody 
That the people will be blessed. 
Speak for me. ~ Speak For Me, by Jaci Velasquez

A Prayer To Christ Our Teacher

Christ, our Teacher,

You reach into our lives

not through instruction,

but story.

Open our hearts to be attentive;

that seeing, we may perceive,

and hearing, we may understand,

and understanding, may act upon Your Word,

in Your Name.  Amen

(This prayer, by Janet Morely, is taken from the book, 'The Beginning of Wisdom -- Prayers for Growth and Understanding.')

During this season of Advent, may our eyes, ears and hearts be open and attentive to

His Voice 

His Word

His Mercy

His Grace
His Forgiveness
His Peace
His Joy

 His Love



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)

Something To Say

The other day a friend emailed me, encouraging me to not give up writing my blog, after I'd let it be known that I was struggling with this thought.  She said, ‘The world needs to hear from Pam Manners.’ I’ve been thinking about that this morning and wondering ‘Why? What can I possibly say that a thousand others out there haven’t already said as well as or more eloquently than I ever could on blog or devotional sites and in books?'

   
Yet, that should be of no concern to me, because my friend is entirely correct -- the world does need to hear from me. Ok, let me step in immediately here to assure you I am not saying this to brag or boast about myself. Actually, what the world needs to hear or read is God’s message through me, through the words with which He provides for me and inspires me to place onto this blog.  God speaks. I am merely to be His humble, obedient scribe.

In the Bible’s Book of Numbers, there is the story of Balaam, a man summoned by Balak, king of Moab, to put a curse on God’s own people, the Israelites, after they had encamped nearby. In my study Bible, Balaam is described as a prophet who always relied on God to guide his words. When confronted by Balack to do his bidding, Balaam answered him by saying, “But can I just say anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth” (Numbers 22:38) and “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?” (Numbers 23:12)

And in the Book of Jeremiah, when the young, would-be prophet gave God his fearful, hesitant and lame excuse as to why he couldn’t do what God had asked of him -- “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child” -- God reprimanded him by saying, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you” (Jeremiah 2:7), and “Stand up and say to them whatever I command you.” (Jeremiah 2:17)

And so it must be with me. God’s called me to be His wordsmith and He’s given me this gift of writing to share His messages with those who need to hear them. He doesn’t want to hear my laundry list of Moses-like ‘What if?' excuses:

*What if someone gets offended by what I write?
*What if people think what I’ve written is dumb and make fun of it?
*What if no one likes my blog?
*What if no one reads my blog?
*What if I I’ve got nothing to say?

In God's grand scheme of things, all of that really doesn’t matter. So what if someone’s offended by what I’ve written? Maybe what they’re actually feeling is conviction instead:
’For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’ (Hebrews 4:12) So what if people think what I’ve written is dumb and make fun of it? I’m in good company, for the apostle Paul told the Corinthian church that ‘the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing’ (1 Corinthians 1:18), and ‘For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe (1 Corinthians 1:21).

So what if no one likes my blog? Paul says, this time in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 & 6, that when we speak (or in this case, write) with God’s approval, we do so to please Him, not others, nor are we to seek or expect praise for it. And so what if not many people or nobody at all is reading my blog?  God has made it crystal clear to me that I’m to continue writing  anyway. In Ezekiel 2:7, God told His prophet Ezekiel, regarding the Israelites, to ‘speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen.’  And those times I feel I’ve got nothing to say?  Not to worry. Look, if God can put words in a donkey’s mouth (flip or scroll on back to Numbers 22 and check out THAT part of the story!), He will certainly put the right words in my heart and head and allow them to flow from pen to journal, from fingers to keyboard to blog site. I have to say, I’ve been utterly amazed at and humbled by how God has done this and how He continues to do this with me. I had absolutely no intentions of writing what you're reading here today…..it was completely Holy Spirit inspired.

So, there you have it.  Thanks to my friend's email and God's persistent nudging me towards these eye opening verses from His Word, I'm pressing on with my writing, no matter what. 

Today, what is God inspiring YOU to blog about, speak about, sing about, write a prayer about (and perhaps send along to someone to bless and encourage them)? Sit quietly, wait patiently and listen to what He’s telling you. And if He’s given you something to say -- then just say it -- because someone, somewhere needs to hear it.

Come on and let your life be heard today,
You’ve got something to say;

If you're living, if you're breathing
you’ve got something to say,
you know if your heart is beating
you’ve got something to say;
and no one can say it like you do
God is love and love speaks through
you got it, you got it,
you’ve got something to say ~ Something To Say, by Matthew West