A Mighty Fortress
I stood in awe, the enormity, and beauty overwhelming me. Then I heard the statistics—the nave is ten stories high, the center tower is as tall as a thirty-story building, the heaviest stone is 5.5 tons, and it is only one of 762 elaborately hand-carved stones in Washington DC’s National Cathedral. As I stood there I dreamed about seeing the five other, even larger, cathedrals of the world, and I wondered how the first temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem might have looked. How it must have inspired God’s people to sing praises to God, as this place was now influencing me.
For 400 Years
Today, through the eyes of a child, I saw what pure and innocent joy in the Lord must look like to God. Twenty-seven children participated in a praise and worship workshop in which they learned all forms of worship beginning with liturgical dance. As the workshop began, they were uncomfortable and self-conscious. I could tell several of them were not too sure of this form of praise.
Running on Empty
We don't like running on empty, do we? And yet, sometimes that's exactly where God wants us to be, because that's when He can show Himself for who He really is.
The Garden
Today I strolled through the Butterfly House and Gardens at the Adult Probation Department in Paris, Texas. The experience left me refreshed and relaxed. There's just something about nature—the greenery, the flowers, the scent of a recent rain that overrides any stress and burden. The probationers work hard to keep up with a vegetable garden used to feed people in special programs. The process of gardening has the capability of changing lives for the better. No one can be involved with God's green Earth and not be touched by His hand of blessing. Anytime a person witnesses the plant breaking through the seed, the bud opening into a beautiful flower, or a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, they are changed.
The Gift of Music
Paris, Texas boasts one of the few municipal bands in the land. My husband, Russ, played baritone for the band, and he found rehearsals and performances both a challenge and a joy. We enjoyed spending our summer going to the open-air concerts.
