My feet are buried in the sand! We are "suffering" in the Bahamas for a week! I have a glorious announcement ~I have no where else to be or any reason to look at the time. I have set high goals for the next 7 days... to simply bask in the beauty that I'm surrounded by,
love on my family,
and build LOTS of sandcastles (or the dribble kind as Lily would call them)!
I love exhaustion from the sun when it is combined with sand and the sea! I also thought I would reunite with YOU blog! Having time to relax and reflect makes me think this catch-up may not be a short one. :)
Retreats are soo sweet to the soul. They seem to be a Rescue from the Familiar. You know, from the "road well traveled"...the familiar we are surrounded by on a daily basis. The drive that seems to be mundane from home and back and forth to work. A familiarity that can so often cause spiritual blindness and numbness that usually cripples us from hearing Him speak and seeing the Power and Glory of God displayed.
I was recently challenged and convicted about this very thing through a Bible study lesson titled: The God Who Speaks from The Gospel Project material.
"In the beginning GOD created..."
Genesis 1:1
"For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20
I have been asking God once again to awaken my heart and shake me from my own numbness that comes from living on my own "road well traveled." Looking past the familiar and not stopping to Know Him in what is seen!
HE has been completely gracious and kind! Actually, right before we left I caught myself looking outside our bedroom window and finding my eyes fixed on the tree that is planted only a few feet away. I found myself studying it like my eyes were being introduced to a tree for the very first time...experiencing newness! It made me want to pick up the phone, call a friend, and ask if they had looked at a tree lately. I know, you are probably calling me a nature nerd right now. The fact is though, that what we know to be "just" a tree, was designed with a purpose to speak of our Creator! It is tangible Truth fleshed out! It times like this when I'm able to stop and "smell the roses"that I am awed by God's grander. I started thinking about how a tree can only withstand high winds according to the strength of it's root system. A tree with a shall root system will be effortlessly pushed over in high winds. You and I can only withstand the trials of this world if our root systems spread deep into the Truth of God's Word! The tangible is All around, are we stopping to hear the Truth that is being proclaimed about our Savior and Redeemer?
He says, "I AM...
- THE ROCK OF ALL AGES
- STEADFAST
- A TOWER OF REFUGE
- COVENANT KEEPER
As I've been walking the beach and watching the ocean tide come to a halt, I know the seas boundaries are obeyed because of the One who has spoken them.
He says, "I AM...
- ALL AUTHORITY
- DOMINION
- POWER
Why can my brain not process or comprehend the crystal clear emerald water my eyes have been gazing at for almost a week? How is it that the reflection off a white sandy ocean bottom can appear as if its been lined with a turquoise/teal bottom?
We spent our morning this morning snorkeling. I'm thinking I should have been a marine biologist. :) Put my head under water and you mine as well leave me to be pruned! If you don't already know, I am very inquisitive. Yes, I am that person who would completely drive you insane watching a National Geographic or History channel. The thrill and frustration of questioning for me, is that most of the "why's" of creation can not be humanly explained...WHY?
He says, "I AM...
- INCOMPREHENSIBLE
- UNEXPLAINABLE
- INDESCRIBABLE
What about the fish I saw today while we were snorkeling that swam out from the coral ledge? He looked like he was wearing a tuxedo, or the one who was circling Mr. tuxedo that looked like he had been playing in a can of yellow and blue paint, or the sea urchin that looked like he was having a bad hair day! Do we know, or can we name all the sea creatures that team the ocean? Will man ever be able to plunge to the deepest unknown depth of the sea? WHY? WHY? WHY?
The beauty is found in this answer...
The beauty is found in this answer...
He says, "I AM...
- UNSEARCHABLE
- LOFTY
- GREAT
- MIGHTY
- INEXHAUSTIBLE
BUT YET, the most minute details that we behold through His creation says....I AM personal! I see and care about that which is infinitely small.
Therefore, my heart will believe and my lips will declare...
Laine's name has been sculpted in the sand, but I am heartbroken that you won't see any pictures of her sweet face. :( Around 2 weeks out from our trip we realized that we never applied for her passport. We looked into getting one expedited, but we would have had to sell our first born in order to afford it. Michael's parents graciously volunteered to love on her for a week. We have all missed our smiley head terribly, but we have also cherished the personal time we have had with Lily. It has been incredible memory making sweetness!
Our Bahama Mamma in action!
I think chases from her daddy are one of her ultimates! It does't matter where we are, she will turn around with a sheepish grin as she looks into her daddy eyes and say, "You can't get me!" and takes off running!
And see, I think you even began to enjoy it!
Lily is taking gymnastics this year, so she will find anything that can become her "balance beam!"
Our new silly face!
Ok, so one of the many "funnies" that has been communicated from this bathing beauty...
Every morning she and the sun rise together along with her papa! She always seems to convince him to suit up for an early sunrise swim in the pool. The first morning we were here papa attempted to put on her bikini all by himself while the rest of us were sleeping. Well, all I know is that the frustration that overcame him trying to put on her top led to her going topless!
I found all of this out when she ran into my room soaking wet and woke me up with no top on. Lily, "Where is you top?" "I don't know mamma, papa told me it was okay to go topless!" With her hands out in the posture of asking a question, she responded with her eyes cut to one side..."I'm soooo confused!!!"
One of God's fascinating creatures that my dad found on the bottom of the ocean. This slimy creature is still a mystery. The locals weren't even sure what it was. So a prize to anyone who knows!? Amazed once again!
I would love to hear how God is teaching you of His attributes and character through all that He has spoken! May you see with new eyes today! :)