One of the photos I saw while sorting my aunt’s HUGE collection of extras still in the bags, came from my wedding and reception and clearly I can recognize this lady – her name is Ann – and she is holding a dollar and in front of the DJ. Ann is about to get the dollar dance from the groom – and I can see her laughing in the photo – and I can hear her laughing in life – even though I was not seeing her that day (I was dancing myself as the bride), I know her and know her laugh – and the photo was a nice memory for me.

I can hear the whirrrrr of my sewing machine too – from this photo – 1989 or 1990 – my friend at my summer work had just given it to me – I brought it to my aunts’ house to see how it worked and got it oiled and 35 years later I am still using it all the time – still oiling it like my aunt taught me – still appreciating it being a durable machine. I can feel that machine in my hands then and now.

But the machine (like a car turning over) is truly a mechanical sound and activity – not life from the Lord – but still an action roaring into “life”. But we can tell the difference can’t we – we can HEAR life and we can FEEL life. Real life. Like a hug – like a laugh – like the petting of an animal – just hold your hand on the animal and feel a tingling of life in the transfer. Life is not artificial nor accidental. And if you ever hold a baby – either hold a baby’s eyes locked on yours – or hold a baby in your arms, you have to recognize the God-given life within them connecting to you.

When I was at the agricultural fair last weekend, I had a moment of marveling – there were tiny guinea pigs – there were massive cows and towering Belgian draft horses – there were fuzzy alpacas (or llamas not sure) and there were such tiny tiny creatures and massive massive creatures – all filled with life. How diverse and yet sharing similarities in an amazing digestive system – circulatory system – and everything else. My friend went to touch a bunny’s fur and the bunny turned around – the bunny knew someone was there. We are filled with life and it IS amazing. And on Friday night, watching the young kids try to roll a big bale of hay – one gentleman motioned to me to watch on the ground – and this little field mouse would jet out to grab some food someone placed there – or a piece of grass – and jot back in – I remember the cute mouse – he must have been scared – and I remember the man’s giggling glee – it was a connection of life to life to life that only God could put in our hearts.

How much MORE amazing is both the life AND the spirit that God puts in us. How much amazing processing we can have – how much LIFE we get out of LIFE… Can you hear life? Can you feel it? It is deeper than the cool breeze that we can feel – it is more alive than an accidental activation. Life is God-given and intensely interesting and completely more complex than our minds can conceive. God works at God level – don’t ever try to pigeon hole God into what WE think of Him… God is infinitely bigger than that.

SO THANK YOU LORD – FOR TODAY – FOR LIFE – FOR THE SIGHTS SOUNDS FEELS AND LOVES.

Thank you also for the cool of this morning to feel the moments when You are reaching us – awakening us – all while holding us close.

May we always FEEL and HEAR and KNOW God.

Amen

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PS – and one photo I entered was of the scene of the cross – because I wanted something of faith displayed – and I put this image (from a Vienna museum of the carving) displaying Jesus turned toward one crucified thief who was engaging with him in asking forgiveness – vs the other thief who was turned away in darkness and disgust. I put it in the “Altered Images” category because truly that is what Jesus does for us – Alters Life – gives LIFE eternal and now…

Psalm 8 – NKJV

The Glory of the Lord in Creation

To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen – Even the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

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One last grange photo – that mouse we saw