Swoon

Street art by Swoon. Photo by Atomic. I like the combination of cut paper and drawing.

A thousand different colours

“People observe the colours of a day only at it's beginnings and ends, but to me it’s quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colours. Waxy yellows, cloud-spot blues. Murky darkness.”

- From The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I haven't read this book, but i read the quote and like it.

North Iran

by Icy & Sot

Waiting...

"All the days of my struggle i will wait, until my change comes." - Job 14.14

Here is my truthful confession... Sometimes it's hard to wait. I was at Church this morning, and every bit of my soul was bursting with a longing to praise God... every bit of me wanted to dance and sing and be free in my expression of worship.... there was worship deep in my heart, seeking a release...... but my body is weak... my limbs were trembling.. my words were being blocked before they even escaped from my lips.. it was as much as i could do to get a few words out in the songs, let alone anything more...... and i knew i wasn't strong enough to dance.. if i did, i would almost certainly have collapsed and had a fit.

I don't want to endulge in self-pity.. i don't want to seem ungrateful, when i know that i'm blessed to have eyes that see, and ears that hear, and limbs that allow me to walk and draw... I am blessed.. everything i have is a gift.. the simple fact that i am alive is a gift.. and i am so grateful for that. But sometimes, i yearn to be fully free. I yearn to be able to express my worship to God. I yearn to be able to be strong enough to go and be amongst the people my heart bleeds for, and to serve and love others without being so limited by my feeble body.

And sometimes, like today, it feels hard. I would be lying if i pretended it didn't feel like a struggle.

"You are the living word, You are glorious and righteous, I shall be satisfied when i wake in Your likeness. I will wait for my change to come, til i wake more like the Son. I'm satisfied to be like You Lord. You're faithful, You are good. You abound in love and mercy. How awesome is Your name. You're the Christ, the hope of glory. You never tire nor faint, You strengthen those who wait, hoping in things unseen, I will trust in Your name." - Song lyrics by Christ Our Life

Even the stones...

Each rock had a hundred thousand stories etched into it's being. Each rock was a silent witness to the activities of the World. And each rock had a multitude of songs it could have sung; laments, ditties, lullabies, psalms, serenades, anthems, hymns. Yet the cry that must be heard, the cry that can't be contained, is the cry that declares who is King.

".. the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." " - Luke 19. 37-40

A little bird

Photo by Kurt Tong

I quoted this once before, but i'm going to quote it again. I like the truth of it, even though i don't always feel it.. my heart doesn't always feel free.. but today it does and i'm grateful:

“A little bird I am, Shut from the fields of air; Yet in my cage I sit and sing, To Him who placed me there; Well pleased a prisoner to be, Because, my God, it pleases Thee. Nought have I else to do; I sing the whole day long; And He whom most I love to please, Doth listen to my song; He caught and bound my wandering wing, But still He bends to hear me sing. My cage confines me round: Abroad I cannot fly; But though my wing is closely bound, My heart's at liberty." - Madame Guyon

Being present

"Neither go back in fear and misgiving to the past, nor in anxiety and forecasting to the future; but lie quiet under His hand, having no will but His." - H.E.Manning

Open eyes.

"It's all a matter of keeping my eyes open, Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will sense them. The least we can do is try to be there... So that creation need not play to an empty house." - Annie Dillard

Tear it out.

"The role of the will in sanctification: How intentional must you be to tear out your eye? Totally. It's never spontaneous." - John Piper

Challenging, but true...

Chinese Totems

Photos taken from the 'Totems' series by Alain Delmore. They portray Chinese men carrying vast loads across the city of Shanghai. I find them pretty fascinating.

All in a day's work

"If i may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole." Mark 5.28

I've been marveling at Mark 5 this evening. It contains three incredible stories showing Jesus' power; power over the enemy, power over sickness, power over death. And it's all in a day's work:

Jesus frees a mad man from a legion of demons and restores His health and sanity. Then He heals a lady who's been sick for 12 years. I am in awe of her simple faith.. She had spent all she had on seeking a remedy, only to have gotten worse. Yet when she sees Jesus she says with complete and absolute certainty that if she just touches His clothes then she WILL be made well. She touches, with a trembling fearful hand. She's made whole. And then with humility she declares to everyone the full truth as to why she had touched Him. Straight afterwards, Jesus raises a child from the dead, with the power of His simple tender loving words: "Little girl, arise." She arises. She lives.

Honestly, this chapter blows my mind. This chapter points to the absolute beauty and power of Jesus - power over the enemy, power over sickness, power over time, power over death.. and beauty that invokes faith and love and humility in sinner's. This God-man is incredible.

Your hands.

"Jesus, let me see Your hands. I wanna see the holes, where You felt Your Father's plans. Jesus, let me see Your feet. Never was a man's suffering so sweet.... Those who have ears, let 'em hear... those who have eyes, let 'em see.... There will be a day when the King will come, separate the weeds from the wheat.... Scoffer's scoff, skeptics smirk, don't you see a sinner's just like me... There will be a day when every knee will bow... So Jesus, let me see Your hands. I wanna see the holes, where You felt Your Father's plans. Jesus, let me see Your feet. Never was a man's suffering so sweet."

- Josh White