Tag: rock

Standing on the Rock

#Jesus, #inspiration, #faithMy sixteen year old granddaughter jumped up on a large rock in our front yard. “I haven’t been on this for years,” she said. “It seemed a lot bigger when I used to climb up on it.”

The rock has not changed. She however, has grown considerably in the ensuing years.

Her comments caused me to think of how my perspective has changed over the years. Obstacles that once seemed insurmountable can now be conquered.

The reason for this is my reliance on Jesus. He is the rock on which I stand.

As I grow in my relationship with him, the problems of life become easier to deal with. They have not necessarily changed, but I have. When my faith in him grows, difficulties seem to shrink.

I know Jesus will lift me from the slimy pit and set my feet on a rock, the firm foundation he provides.

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:4 NIV)

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:2 NIV)

My Favourite Crystals

crystal, cut glass,There are several types of crystals that I either own or have first-hand experience with.

The most common crystal is made from cut glass. When the glass is in its molten stage lead is added which gives it superior clarity and light refraction. Swarovski crystal is a well known example of this. I enjoy a few vases plus some jewelry pieces that are made in this way.

There are also natural crystals that are mined from the earth. These gemstone crystals are quite dull in their natural state. A lapidary artist cuts and polishes them in order to produce their sparkle. The diamond that my husband placed on my finger many years ago is an example of this.

Although all of these crystals are lovely, they require intervention to reveal their beauty. It doesn’t come naturally.

snowflakes, ice crystalsMy favourite crystals have a genuine beauty in their natural state. They are the ice crystals that fall from the sky. I see them sparkle in the freshly fallen snow. The elegance with which they softly blanket the earth still enthralls me.

Each snowflake is a delicately complex arrangement of ice crystals. No two are exactly alike. This uniqueness is part of God’s design.

Maybe the reason I am fascinated by these ice crystals is because they remind me of the way God made you and me. We are each wonderfully unique and beautiful in our own way. No outside intervention is needed. When we allow God to work in our lives, the beauty comes from within. It is then that we sparkle like the precious gems he created us to be.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13,14 NLT)

 

 

Why the Split in the Rock?

cleft in the rockI love the times when something starts out as an ordinary experience and then turns into an extraordinary blessing.

My friend and I were enjoying time together in a local nature park. We explored the paths and took multiple pictures of the creek, small waterfalls and towering trees. Next I suggested we climb a small rock face to see what was on the other side. It wasn’t much of a climb and we were soon at the crest. A few steps later I noticed a large cleft in the rock.

According to the dictionary a cleft is a crack, crevice or split. The split is only partial, usually no more than to the mid-point.

A cleft such as the one I was looking at would be a safe, sheltering space with the rock around it providing protection. I was in awe as I studied the cleft and thought about the story in the Bible where God placed Moses in the cleft of a rock and covered him with his hand to protect him.

Gazing upon this crevice was an example of God’s love for me. He is always willing and able to shelter and protect me when I call out to him.

When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. (Exodus 33:22 NIV)

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7 NIV)

A Life-Giving Rock?

life, God, inspirationA friend and I were enjoying a walk through a wooded area. We came upon a huge rock that that formed part of the hill side. It had some dry moss on the side and more vegetation on the top. I climbed up to get a better look.

Some soil must have been deposited in a small area because there was grass as well as moss growing there! This was amazing to me as there would have been no space for roots to take hold. I also wondered how the grass seed got there to start with.

All of this also got me to thinking about the rock in my life. Jesus is the rock that sustains me. He supplies what I need to not only survive but to flourish. When my roots are in him, I know I have the ability to grow strong no matter what my circumstance may be.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:6 NLT

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