Just Be

Gloucester Cathedral is such a beautiful place to just be. I could loose myself for hours here. These beautiful windows by Thomas Denny were made to mark the 900th anniversary of the Cathedral which was originally built as an abbey (Saint Peter’s) in 1089. The middle window depicts Thomas and the windows either side are based on Psalm 148 and the praise of God’s creation. The windows seem to bathe you in their warm blue light as you stop and gaze upwards at them. 

There is so much rushing around in this world the pace of life really isn’t healthy for our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The Covid-19 pandemic has been so difficult but one of the good things is that it has caused many of us to slow down and to reconsider our priorities in life. So what’s important to you? 

Thomas, known as ‘doubting Thomas’ had to put his hand in Jesus’ side to prove Jesus’ resurrection. He wanted to see those nail marks and where the spear pierced Jesus’ side, he had to be sure! Perhaps you to doubt God’s existence? Look around you and see his creation. The spectacular views from the hills and mountain tops, the flowers in the meadows, the streams meandering through the valleys, the ocean as it hits the rocks - can you really look at that and say for sure there is no God? 

Perhaps the pandemic has made you angry with God? I can understand that, God does to. It’s Ok to be angry with God, he’s big enough to take it. Life has been hard for so many of us. We don’t have to face those tough times on our own God is there with us. Take time to just be - to be with God with no agenda, just you and him. Try it. Invite him to talk to you through the wonders of his creation. And if you know him already then take a moment anyway and let his peace fill your soul. Just be. 

Photo every day, Lent 2016:see

Here is today's photo on the theme of 'see'. I see the sea!!! It is often the most simple things that bring us joy. This was the view from my hotel room whilst I was on retreat earlier this week. Isn't it amazing? God's creation never ceases to amaze me. 

The roar of the waterfall

I

Psalm 42

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    ‘Where is your God?’
⁴ These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
    the heights of Hermon – from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me –
    a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
    ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?’
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
    as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
    ‘Where is your God?’

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Saviour and my God.

(NIV 2011) 

There is something about the sound of water, whether it be the roar of a waterfall, a babbling brook or the waves crashing against the shore. I have been drawn to the sounds of God's creation of late, the sounds that can be so easily passed over. In the quietness of the morning the pitter patter of rain on the window pane seems to sing a different song than it does when you are running for the car on a wet afternoon. On mornings where it hasn't been raining, they have been few and far between of late in the UK, the dawn chorus breaks through the stillness as the darkness as night turns to day. A different song is sung again by the wind at night as it rustles through the trees and whistles through the valleys. Each song is beautiful in its own right. Each has its own mood as every song has, although perhaps the song we hear depends on our own mood? God speaks loud and clear in so many ways through creation and it's many songs. God continues to speak to us, and reassure us even when we fail to stop and listen. He speaks through the songs of creation even when we sleep.

What do you hear? What do you see?

Shhhuuuu listen.... what do you hear?

This morning there is the quiet pitter patter of rain drops breaking into the quiet. How often do we actually stop and listen properly? How often do we actually stop? The world is a busy and demanding place. We live amongst the noise. How can we expect to hear God unless we stop and listen? I am always blown away by the way he communicates. It is so easy to miss him if we are not careful. Is God in the rain? Now there's a question.


Wait, look.... what do you see?

I have been on holiday this last week and have had fun visiting different places and taking a few crazy photos, as you do. I have also been amazed at spotting both a kestrel and a peregrine falcon out in the wild (well I think that's what they were), oh... and a number of wild rabbits. Got to keep that food chain going. On a slightly different note, we also have a frog living in our shed, either that or my husband needs his eyes testing! I have no idea what he is doing there as we have no fish pond nearby. The frog, that is, not my husband.


What I hear and what I see often draw me to the scriptures. These are the verses that God has encouraged me with as a result of stopping to look and listen.  May you to hear the gentle whisper of God and see signs of Him as He encourages you on your journey.

The Lord appears to Elijah 1 Kings 19:9-12

And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’
¹⁰ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’
¹¹ The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 
 

^{Isaiah 40:31}

³¹ But those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

 

Severn Bore

 

Creation is a marvelous thing.  I cannot believe that this marvelous planet of ours just evolved.  For me there must be a creator God.  I took these photos today (2nd March 2010) of the Severn Bore - truely a magnificent sight!  Although I must admit to being disappointed it wasn't bigger.

  

Today's bore had a five star rating (the highest and therefore the biggest).  For those of you who don't know -  the bore is a 'natural phenomenon' that produces a wave up to 5 meters high that travels against the normal river flow and happens twice a day around the spring and autumn equinox.  

 

At the moment I am writing an essay on the Severn Barrage which has been proposed as a way of producing 'green' energy.  However, a 10 mile concrete barrage between Cardiff and Weston-Super-Mare would have an enormous impact on the environment.  Localized flooding would increase, mudflats would be lost thereby significantly reducing the feeding ground for about 69,000 birds, the passage of migrating fish would be blocked, etc, etc...  

Essays... now there's another story...