Recount: To Relate in Detail; Narrate

Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare. 
(Psalm 40:5 NIV)


As I put together a page recounting our recent adventures on the Erie Canal, I thought about how wonderful it is to relate in detail God’s faithfulness. To write down God’s blessings, to speak grace to one another, to retell the story of Calvary, these are just a few ways to recount God’s wonderful deeds in our life. To read the narratives of Moses, David and Daniel or to immerse ourselves in the account of the gospels, these, too are ways to reflect upon the goodness of God. 

If you didn’t get a chance to read about our adventures or want to find them all in one place, now you can by clicking on the header or here.
Where do you see God at work, 
 accomplishing wonderful 
things these days?

Look: To Gaze in Wonder or Surprise

We look for the Saviour. . .
(Philippians 3:20 KJV)

First Grade Photo of Moi

My mother told me that as a child, riding in the back of the car, I would point and say “See!” To this day, I love pointing out things that I notice. Like this phrase from Philippians, which popped up on my cell phone screen this morning.
How appropriate, as I leave for a few days to recharge and relax with some girlfriends in the country. I wonder how God will surprise us this week as “we look for the Saviour . . .”
Won’t you look for the Saviour with me this week?
I would love to hear  about your encounters with God. Leave a comment later in the week and we will compare notes!
(I plan to post on Friday, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise! Then I am committed to Ant Kamp. Who knows maybe the kids and I will send out dispatches once in awhile to let you know if we turn into vegetables or not!)

Wonder: To Be Curious or In Doubt About

Advent{ures}: Let’s Go to Bethlehem

I wonder as I wander. I wander as I wonder. My mind wanders to how I should spend my time, my money and my gifts this season. I wonder what I should give to others. What I want for myself. I wonder how much my wandering thoughts take me away from the One who inspires awe. Will I wander to Bethlehem or will I walk with intent?

How does one wander and wonder without doubt? How can this wonderful season cause so much tension in me? One minute I marvel and witness the miracle of birth. The next I wander into doubt and fear, wondering if I will ever be still and know. Will I ever trust completely? Or will I meander off into self-pity or selfish pride? Will I pretend that everything is wonderful, when in reality the world rubs off and keeps me wandering into fields where there is no Shepherd?

A sheep lost without a Shepherd is my deepest fear. Yet, I marvel that He finds me every time. He leaves the flock and I am found once again.
 

 

 
 
We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins,
everything we’ve done wrong,
on him, on him.
(Isaiah 53:6 The Message)
 

 Linking up with:

Wonder and Delight

 
My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
Psalm 62:5 NKJV
 
 

 
 
 
 
This weekend I was wondering if I should take a couple weeks off from blogging, so I gave myself persmission to do just that.
 
 
Then this morning, I noticed the two chairs I recently placed around the table, painted with the words: Wonder and Delight.
 
I chose delight last summer, so I decided to paint another word on the second folding chair. I thought to myself, what word goes with delight? Moments later, wonder popped into my mind. I was delighted.
 
Always needing more definition in my life, I went to the dictionary to search out the meaning.
 
wonder (n): a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar or inexplicable. (New American Oxford Dictionary)
 
Ahhh…the joy of words strung together like jewels on a necklace. As I marvelled over the depth of wonder, I began to worship the One who delights to reveal Himself through words.
 
Here is a little poem to our Wonderful God, who delights in our praises.
 
Why,
O, Lord, do such
New and amazing
Discoveries
Enter daily into my
Reality?
 
May this be your experience today:
 
Wide-
Opened eyes delighting in
New
Discoveries.
Embracing ever-widening
Reality.
 
 

 

Wonder: Rapt Attention

 
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.

Psalm 65:8

 
The Intuition Diaries 

Another morning has dawned, and soon the evening will fade. We have enjoyed another spectacular day out on Lake Michigan. Once out of the harbor of Port Washington, we knew we had a choppy ride ahead. I remembered that I could move our dinette seat and make a forward facing seat, much better way to observe the wonders of the lake. I knew we would see more lighthouses, but I wasn’t expecting all the silos. On the coast of Wisconsin, the farms sit above the lake on the bluffs overlooking the water.

We went past Sheboygan making our way to Manitowoc, one port of S. S. Badger, a steam driven car ferry from the 1950s that goes between Michigan and Wisconsin, across the lake each day. We weren’t sure if we would see the famous boat. Wonder of wonders, it was arriving at the harbor at the same time we were approaching. It was pretty daunting to work our way into the harbor without getting in its way. Courteous as we are, we pulled back the throttle and gave way for the legend.

S. S. Badger
 

 

As we were bouncing our way over the lake to Manitowoc, I was thinking.

Yep, I really can’t stop. But this time I was wondering. (My sister’s Facebook status has “wonder” as her occupation.) Oh, to be occupied with wonder! As I was recalling her clever status, one thought led to another.

I thought of all the things that cause wonder, like the clouds in the sky. How do they hang there and why do they come in so many shapes? I know there are scientific reasons, but I was wondering if God delights in making them so varied or if some days He decides to have a cloud art class with the angels and they hang them in the sky for us to observe. Silly– sure, but fun to think about.

God has given us so many ways to be occupied with wonder. We can marvel at the feats of history, like the fact that during WWII, a small community in Manitowoc, WI, made submarines. Les was able to tour one today, while I was surprised by another one of God’s wonders. (Have you ever noticed how God times things in such a way that we know He is thinking of us?)

One of my desires while on this trip was to buy fresh produce from a farm stand, rather than the grocery store. Wonder of wonders, the Farmer’s Market was open right across the bridge from where Les was touring the submarine. I walked over. I browsed each booth, and then bought some fresh peaches, cherries and raspberries, as well as corn on the cob, a bunch of carrots and string beans. God knew where we would be on our itinerary, which by the way was one day behind. So here we were in Manitowoc on a Tuesday instead of a Monday, and the market is only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

That evening, we grilled chicken, zucchini, summer squash and peaches on the grill with a wonderful view of the lake and the Manitowoc lighthouse. Another wonder-filled day with the God of the universe directing our way!