Tuesday, January 12, 2016

When Days Become Memories

Seconds become minutes. Minutes become hours. Hours become days. And inevitably, days become memories.




2015 has now become a dynamic collection of such memories, and I thought I'd share a few snapshots of those with you!

January 12, 2015, "Stars Upon the Ice"
          "Be still, and know that I am God." Ice. I love ice. It's so clean and clear and cold and beautiful. Whether hanging in frozen droplets from the barbed wire, falling from the sky in intricate crystalettes, or creating wild formation on the fountain in Centennial Park - ice holds a strange attraction for me.
          The other day I went out into our woods. It was beautifully worth the windchill of 7 degrees. I could see the water of the tiny trickling creek running and falling under a thin window of ice. And I discovered a pool covered in 2 inches of crystal clear ice.
           The truly mesmerizing thing about this pool was that on top of the ice were dozens of 3D white "ice stars." I have no idea how they formed other than that the Brilliant Artist created them there for me to discover.
          Somehow I feel so much closer to God out in nature. Perhaps that's why I love the outdoors so much. Even if I don't hear the still small voice, I can be still in the stillness of creation and rest in the knowledge that there is a good God who designed all of this to praise Him.
           He is there amidst the silence of the barren trees, the crisp winder air, and the stars upon the ice.

March 13, 2015, "Drawing Worship"
          I've been drawing lately. Drawing pictures; graphite on paper; left hand slightly and inevitably smudging the gray. Coloring. Resurrecting the long-forgotten colored pencils, the old-fashioned pencil sharpener. Buying a box of 64 new Crayola crayons - nostalgia in wax.
          I stay up late, drawing in the lamplight. The life of artistic expression energizes me and enlightens me, helping me see within myself and uncover thoughts, feelings, desires, beliefs. 
          Because the pictures have meaning. The one with space, tiny earth: God distant. The one with the path, the butterflies: God with me. Like words on lines and notes on clefs, pictures, too, can convey meaning. 
          Can I use art and music to spend time with Abba? Can creativity be worship? Can I read and pray . . . and write? and sing? and play? and dance? and draw? Can this all equally be worship?

May 27, 2015, "21"
          21. Forever 21? No. Only for a season. A few hundred fleeting days to embrace. Enjoy. Live. Breathe. Smile. Count. Notice. Love. Serve. Sacrifice. Change. Adapt. Hold. Be. And perhaps the last on is most important . . .
          21 is a gift. Another year of living in this world to be the unique me God designed. Be a part of creation. And most of all just be God's beloved daughter. He paid the adoption fee with His perfect blood. I am His forever.
          21 has come so fast. I don't want to mourn the inevitable passing of time. I want to experience God in each new day. Every day, every year I live is a gift.

June 2, 2015, "Night Beauty"
          Night is beautiful. I look out my window and don't see a world of dead emptiness or fear. Well, maybe a little fear . . . but also living beauty.
          Moon. Perfect found, implanting white on my retinas. Brilliant reflected light of the sun.
         Faint stars peeking out from between gray wisps of lunar-lit cloud.
         Fireflies making the black treeline glitter green.
          Night is beautiful.

November 12, 2015, "Elements of Life"
          Today was filled with the stuff of life.
          Tiredness and stomach ache. Blue sky and breeze and dryness in my nose. Classes and homework and stress and Netflix. Peanut butter, and Dove chocolate, and grilled cheese. Finishing Avatar for a class project. Feeling like we botched choir dress rehearsal under the scrutiny of glaring lights and blaring orchestra and the conductor's baton. Worry for tomorrow and wondering whether my paper will be turned in on time and if my dress will be hemmed.
          These are the elements of life. Life is crazy, and chaotic, and beautiful. I just want to be able to stop the spinning for a moment and rest in the beauty of life.



2 comments:

  1. AMBER. This was such a lovely post. It's so cool to look back at what you learned in 2015... I especially love your idea of worshiping God through creativity... makes me think of 1st Cor 10:31. :)

    I've so enjoyed reading your blog, dear!! Keep up the beautiful work. Miss youuuuu ^_^

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  2. Miss you too! And I enjoy reading your blog as well :) I actually made some blogging goals for this year, so HOPEFULLY I'll get in a good habit of posting more often!

    Have you started school yet?

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