Day 31 of my beautiful journey.

Over the last year I have had some great moments and some very ugly and painful moments. My beautiful moment today is watching 2010 pass into 2011. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me this year. I am very excited about these new beginnings. Thanks for the last year Father, I can't wait to see what you have in store for me in this next one.

Day 30 of my beautiful journey.

my beautiful moment today came in the form of moutain dew. I am a pretty big dew fan and no matter how crummy I feel it always seems to help me feel just a bit better. I am in the begining stages of a cold and I had a nice ice cold can of Dew for lunch and it was remarkable how much better it made me feel. Mountain Dew is beautiful.

Day 29 of my beautiful journey.

Sorry last night was a late one. Yesterday I found new friendships beautiful. The hardest part of starting at a new church is getting to know people. But last night I was blessed with the opportunity to just hang out and laugh with some students. It was good. I love my job.

Day 28 of my beautiful journey.

My old wedding band has become a real pain as of late... literally. It has begun to develop a rather sharp edge that has been slowing carving its way through my flesh. During the summer it was nearly unbearable to wear. So my wife decided to surprise me with a new wedding band for Christmas. It is beautiful and I love it!

Day 27 of my beautiful journey.

I love hobbies... I love my hobbies and I love hearing about and seeing the hobbies and collections of other people. Well one of the hobbies most near and dear to my heart is an activity only done during summer time so as a result some of my most treasured items spend a few months every year (November through March) packed up. Well this has been especially hard this year because normally they are packed up at my house where I can get them out and go through it all, but this year its all packed up in storage while Kendra and I look for a new house. But today I got to go to where we have everything stored and just spend a couple of hours working on and fixing some of my most favorite possessions. Hobbies are beautiful... and they make me smile. :)

Ok for those of you that don't know I will post a picture or two of me engaging in my most favorite hobby.

Day 26 of my beautiful journey.

Playing this game with family on a nice Sunday afternoon is beautiful. I don't know if you have played this or not but its really a lot of fun. I didn't win once but I had a whole lot of fun laughing with them!

Day 25 of my beautiful journey.

Family is so beautiful. Gifts are fun, but its the time with family that is truly beautiful. Laughing together and watching the smile form on their faces as they open their gifts is just awesome. Pure beauty.

Thank you Jesus for your gift. We are not worthy of the sacrifice you paid for us oh Lord. I love you Father thank you for the ultimate Christmas gift that gets better each year. You are the most beautiful of all.

There is just something beautiful about a wrapped gift. The wrapping paper, the ribbons... its all so... beautiful. Now I am TERRIBLE at wrapping Christmas presents... I always use more paper than I should... but this year I think I did ok :)

I realize it isn't the best ever, but its pretty good for me.

Day 23 of my beautiful journey.

Todays moment of beauty was in watching the show Community. If you saw it tonight, it was the chloroform scene. I laughed so hard! It has been a long time since I laughed that hard. It was refreshing.

Day 22 of my beautiful journey.

Looking back over my life, since high school there has been a long list of youth sponsors, both volunteer and paid, that have invested in my life in a huge way. Tonight I had my first youth sponsor meeting with my new youth sponsor staff, and they are awesome wonderful people. I know that these people will leave a huge impact on the lives of students in the years to come. Youth sponsors are wonderful and beautiful people. I know that my life wouldn't be the same if it weren't for them.

Day 21 of my beautiful journey.

I missed a day... sigh.

Yesterdays moment of beauty was when it ended. Sleep is a wonderfully beautiful thing. There is nothing better than waking up and feeling refreshed and ready for a new day!

Day 20 of my beautiful journey.

My wife and I have been going through a rather stressful transition in our lives, and there hasn't always been alot of happiness in the midst of it. But just laughing with her and enjoying each others company when everything else really stinks, is wonderful. My wife is beautiful and so is the time we spend together (usually! lol)

Day 19 of my beautiful journey.

Whew! Another close one! This whole finding time to get on the computer everyday is tougher than I anticipated!

Todays moment of beauty has been with me all day :) It was this morning during church. I found myself enraptured listening to the church worship. I was so caught up listening to the body praise our King that I almost forgot to sing too! Then to top it off they performed the cantata this morning! Oh it was glorious! It has been a long time since I was blessed with the opportunity to worship with more than 40 people! It was beautiful.

Day 18 of my beautiful journey.

Whew almost missed a day! But my sterling record continues unscathed!

Today, I found beauty in warm blankets and fireplaces. Do I really need to clarify that? lol

Furthermore the USB is quite possibly the greatest invention in the last 120 years. Seriously, those little guys can do anything!

Day 17 of my beautiful journey.

This post was inspired by Alyssa. So give her the credit. This is God's love letter to us, it's long but very powerful!

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

I know this is long, but it is so cool! It's beautiful.

Day 16 of my beautiful journey.

my beautiful moment happened last night in a very un-beautiful time. We had an incident at youth group with some students not being so nice to another girl (jr. high drama) she became so upset that she went home. She returned later with her parents who were fuming angry and we all had a sit down and worked it out. This was my first youth group on the job by the way. lol. What a lot of the issue came down to was gossip and rumors being spread. As I reflected upon this I never truly understood why God takes such a hard fast stance against gossip, even to the point of likening it to murder. At least not until last night. When I saw that girl with tears in her eyes expressing her pain because of what others had said about her. Now I understand.

God your law is beautiful. Your scripture magnificent.

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Jeremiah 31:33

People of God may the Lord's law be on your heart today, meditate upon it, for in it we find true beauty.

Day 15 of my beautiful journey.

My beautiful moment happened yesterday on my commute home from work. Yep you guessed it, it was a sunset. The picture above does not do the experience justice. The clouds one the edges were a dark blue that lightened and turned to a pink the closer they got to the sun. You could not see the sun at all at this point in time so it was all just ambient light. It was beautiful.

Day 14 of my beautiful journey.

Today I had a friend share an insight with me, it gave me chills. This is his story...

"As I was praying for this lady God gave me his eyes, he gave me a picture. It was of a rose planted in the dirt. God then revealed to me that This lady had been viewing herself as the dirt and not the rose. She was missing the bigger picture. She didn't understand how beautiful she was to her creator."

How often do we do the same thing? Today, remember you are the rose, not the dirt.

Day 13 of my beautiful journey.

I know yesterdays was short and today's will be short as well...

I started my new job today, I have been unpacking and putting things in place. Memories are such a beautiful thing. I have different little memories all around my office of the spiritual journey that brought me here. Thank you to all that have helped make that happen. This includes you Mr. Prenkert, love ya buddy!

Day 12 of my beautiful journey.

Today my moment of beauty was in Sunday school. Innocence is beautiful. Try explaining the importance of virgin birth to a child that doesn't understand that a mommy AND a daddy are required for the conception process. My wife and I had a lot of laughs for sure!

Day 11 of my beautiful journey.

Almost missed this one! Made it in just under the wire!

I have been watching a lot of Narnia lately. I took my wife to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader for her birthday (in 3D :) It was a good movie, but if you've read the books you will be disappointed. I have read the entire series multiple times. I love C.S. Lewis, and no matter how hard the movie makers try they cannot seem to cut out C. S. Lewis's true intention for the entire Narnia series. That intention being Lewis's Savior. Allow me to illustrate with some quotes.

"It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"
"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.
"Are -are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.
"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

— C.S. Lewis (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

— C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia)

What C. S. Lewis created in Narnia is beautiful.

Day 10 of my beautiful journey.

I am not much of a musical guy... I enjoy the occasional musical but it has to be pretty fantastic. But one of my favorites, I believe is one of the most misunderstood, and that is Don Quixote. I have the cd with all of the songs from the musical and every so often I will put it in and listen to it while I drive. What moves me about this musical is that although many people make fun of Don Quixote and in many ways the musical is designed to be humorous, Don Quixote himself probably understands the world better than most of us do. He sees beauty and potential where everyone else sees failure. Take his side kick for example, he would be classified as mentally handicapped at best, yet Don Quixote refuses to go anywhere without him. How about the woman that He falls in love with, shes the nastiest of nasty prostitutes named Aldonza, but not to Don Quixote, he only sees Dulcinea the most beautiful woman he's ever known. Still not convinced about the beauty here? Read the lyrics to his quest.

It is the mission of each true knight...

His duty... nay, his privilege!

To dream the impossible dream,

To fight the unbeatable foe,

To bear with unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go;

To right the unrightable wrong.

To love, pure and chaste, from afar,

To try, when your arms are too weary,

To reach the unreachable star!

This is my Quest to follow that star,

No matter how hopeless, no matter how far,

To fight for the right

Without question or pause,

To be willing to march into hell

For a heavenly cause!

And I know, if I'll only be true

To this glorious Quest,

That my heart will lie peaceful and calm

When I'm laid to my rest.

And the world will be better for this,

That one man, scorned and covered with scars,

Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,

To reach the unreachable stars!

Imagine if the rest of the world thought this way...

Day 9 of my beautiful journey.

I will warn you that todays post is going to be rather mushy... so if you are faint of heart do not proceed.

Sometimes in life we get so used to something that we never stop to enjoy the beauty of it. I suppose that is a huge part of what this entire project is all about. Well last night I leaned over to kiss my wife goodnight, which is something I do every night, and it struck me how wonderful that is. I mean I kiss my wife all the time, but it happens so frequently and on such a regular basis that I haven't taken the time to stop and think about how awesome it is, at least I haven't stopped to think about it in awhile. Sharing that intimacy with someone is such a special gift from our Father. So now I'm brought back to the first time Kendra and I ever kissed. For anyone that is married it seems almost like a natural progression. (ok at least it does to me!) I won't go into details, but the song below was playing, so this song has always been a little special to me. What a beautiful gift memories are and even more beautiful is the gift of a wonderful spouse.

I love you Kendra.

Day 8 of my beautiful journey.

I took this picture a year ago and it still resonates deeply in me. I came across it as I was removing images from my phone and I thought wow... that is beautiful. It was around this time last year that I was helping to serve communion at the church that I was employed at and as I approached the front to pick up my tray I was awestruck as I looked at the communion plates next to the nativity. And I thought to myself then, what a beautiful image of our savior. In that moment I was celebrating the entirety of his life, his birth and his death. The beginning and the end of his life on earth were each overwhelmingly powerful. Let us not forget this season not only the birth of our savior but his ultimate sacrifice for us. Jesus my savior, you are so beautiful.

They gave him a manger for a cradle, a carpenter's bench for a pulpit, thorns for a crown, and a cross for a throne. He took them and made them the very glory of his career.

~W.E. Orchard

Day 7 of my beautiful journey.

For the past couple of days God has waited until later in the afternoon to reveal His beauty to me. But today He revealed it to me late last night/early this morning. It was the beauty of God's provision. I have been unemployed for the last three months, this is the longest I have gone without a job since I was 13 and quit my position at the Oil Lamp (anyone remember that old dive?). It has been a time of great struggle for me. It was one of the reasons I began the beauty project so that I could get my mind off of things. I found my days filled with lots of waiting and lots of xbox. But alas it appears that this period in my life has finally come to pass. God has blessed me with the opportunity to serve at Gretna Community Church in Gretna, NE. I am so excited about serving the Lord there, for many reasons. So today I am reveling in the beauty of God's provision. He is wonderful, and his provision is overwhelming.

"We can be certain that God will give us the strength and resources we need to live through any situation in life that he ordains. The will of God will never take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us."

Billy Graham

Day 6 of my beautiful journey.

Alright I will confess that todays entry isn't particularly spiritual... But it was a moment of beauty for me none the less. I love converse all-star shoes, the Chuck Taylors. They are beautiful to me. I have been wearing chucks on a regular basis since high school and I never buy the same looking pair twice. Today I was forced to retire yet another pair of chucks. I have pictured here from left to right my first, favorite and newest chucks. I have kept every pair that I have ever owned. Even though I will probably never wear some of them again. I have so many memories attached to each pair. So I just continue to add to my 'collection'. They are beautiful shoes and the memories each pair holds is beautiful to me.

Day 5 of my beautiful journey.

Recently I helped my father in law install his Christmas present, a brand new surround sound system complete with blu-ray player. Ever since we have been 'testing' to see how well it performs on the myriad of programs it will be used on. Football, movies and standard television. But it wasn't until today after church that we found where its greatest talent lies. We put in a Christmas DVD of a travelling singing group called "Celtic Woman". Normally my preference for music is a bit louder with more tattoos and electric guitars, but hearing those four women sing on his new system was mesmerizing. I felt as if I was sitting in that auditorium experiencing the show. Now my moment of beauty wasn't really his sound system (although it is completely awesome), it was the gift that God has given us to "make a joyful noise". My beautiful moment was experiencing the beauty of song. Below I posted a video of one of their songs. I hope you enjoy it, I know I did.

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”

Jamie's beautiful moment.

A good friend of mine shared this story with me. My day 4 is below this post.

jfergy said...

my beautiful moment was at midnight. my hubs calls & says that they were just outside of town & his car had blown a belt. He asked me to look up the number for the towing company. I asked him if he remembered the name of the company we used last time & then he remembered that he had their card in his wallet.

so after i hung up my mind is racing: how much is this going to cost? i'm going to have to get my 4 month old out of bed to go get him. who can i call & wake up so i don't have to get my baby out of bed in the middle of the night. i was srsly freaking out.

then the hubs texts me & said the tow driver was right behind them so they didn't have to wait. he'd dropped them at Close's car & they were on their way to work so i didn't have to go get them. It was a fan belt that blew so it shouldn't be too expensive.

Then i remembered that we had gotten a check in the mail that morning for $300 so we prbly wouldn't have to pay anything to get the car fixed.

the beautiful moment was realizing that God had already answered my questions, even though i didn't stop to ask Him in the midst of my worrying.

December 4, 2010 11:26 AM

Another comment from my friend Holly

Holly Bowles

Taking care of and teaching these sweet kiddos in my class reminds me today on a deeper level, that my precious Savior, Jesus, came into this world as an infant, and had to grow and develop just like these kids. Today I'm just reveling in the beauty of that. ♥

Day 4 of my beautiful journey.

My wife loves Nativities, they are her favorite of all her decorations. So in 2008 I got this crazy idea to find the best nativity in existence. I got more than I bargained for... I discovered Fontanini nativities. They are some of the most elaborate and extravagant nativities I have ever seen. Not to mention expensive. So I decided that I would simply begin by getting her a starter nativity set (non-Fontanini) and a Creche (also non-Fontanini) and slowly over the years replace the old pieces with new Fontanini pieces.

Unfortunately this year we are living in her parents basement (temporarily) and all of our stuff including her Christmas decorations are in storage. Well, I knew this would break her heart so I dug through all of our stuff to find the box where the Fontanini nativity was stored, and while she was at work I put it up to surprise her.

As I put it up I found myself slowly becoming more and more enthralled with the whole scene. Everything about the event that we celebrate as Christmas is miraculous. Can you imagine what the shepherds thought as they were just doing their job then a whole host of angels appeared to them?! I bet they had a hard time deciding whether they were more awestruck or terrified!

How about the wise men, they traveled for years just following a star, to meet with this baby king. I can't imagine traveling for a week let alone years! But there they went by faith seeking out Jesus.

Then of course there is Jesus himself. Born from a virgin women. A women that had never known a man. A baby destined to change not just the world but everything beyond it, forever. I found myself awestruck by the beauty of it. That it was all more than a tale, it was real, and it happened here on this earth. I find myself constantly drawn to just sit and stare at my wife's nativity, just trying to take it all in. The beauty contained in those few painted figurines is truly extraordinary.

Thank you my King, your birth was beautiful.

Day 3 of my beautiful journey.

Yesterdays quote from C.S. Lewis got me thinking a lot about science, and how much we miss as a result of science. As humans we want an answer for everything, thus science began as man sought to explain the world away. Now understand that I am not railing against science, the contributions it has made to society are too numerous to recount, but as a result I think we over look many of the simple beauties in our world. Why? Because we 'understand' it now.

Let's take a simple fruit, like this kiwi here. Anyone else out there love kiwi's? I do. I think they are wonderful. But how often do we miss the beauty that is inherent in this tiny little gem? Outside of its marvelous color inside it contains dozens of tiny seeds that allow it to replicate itself and those seeds are surrounded by a wonderfully delicious material. What are the odds of a plant evolving to not only be edible, but nutritious, and furthermore delicious? Not only that but Kiwi's are only one of hundreds of tasty edible plants! Just think of the delicious plants that we have available to us, strawberries, potatoes (I love potatoes), oranges, bananas and the list could go on and on! What an amazing creator we have that he provides such wonderful treats for us!

And what beauty is within those treats! Many contain vibrant colors from the entire spectrum! And the flavors of each are so unique and wonderful! Today I have been enthralled by the Lords creativity in providing us with food, he could've made such things simple, plain and bland, but instead he made them marvelous to behold and wonderful to experience.

I will declare the beauty of the Lord

Nothing compares to the beauty of the Lord

Jesus Your love takes my breath away

Now I'm living everyday for the beauty of the Lord

The beauty of the Lord

~The Beauty of the Lord; Desperation band

Day 2 of my beautiful journey.

Wow... Day 2 hit me like a ton of bricks... I've decided to commit to not just viewing Derry's posts on this journey but everyone's. Which I realize my become a huge time commitment. But after today I know it is exactly where my time should be spent.

After reading 7 entries on beauty that people found around them I found it difficult to hold back the tears. How many moments of life have I wasted on negativity and pessimism? What have I done with my time? There is so much beauty in this world that our Creator put here for us, and we are squandering it! As Jamie mentioned in his blog this song needs to be my prayer for the next 60 days. God give me your eyes, just for even one second, so I can see. Today I found this project beautiful.

In science we have been reading only the notes to a poem; in Christianity we find the poem itself. - C.S. Lewis

if you want to follow the others as well I have a list to the left.

Oh! and I almost forgot my friend Jamie saw this and shared her beautiful moment with me... Ill post it below.

@blckspdr my beautiful moment...standing in my living room after cleaning it & relishing the smell. Even as my dogs made a mess.

Day 1 of my beautiful journey.

Allow me to preface this by saying that as a man using the word beautiful and going on a journey to discover beauty is very strange to me. Perhaps its our culture, perhaps it is how God created men, but this is something that I am not entirely comfortable with, which reassures me even further that it is definitely the Lord's will that I continue.

So today I went forth from my abode with a burning passion to see beauty in a new way. As I left the house I went to the Lord and asked him to help me see the world through his eyes, that he would help me to discover beauty as he sees it. The results surprised me...

At first I felt overwhelmed as I began to find beauty in the most minute of things. Then I felt discouraged as if I was simply forcing myself to see what I wanted to see. So I began to seek the Lord even more fervently praying that he would open my eyes to see as he sees. Then as I headed home I saw it. I never before had truly seen beauty in a place such as this. How many times had I simply passed by without another thought. But today I turned off my road and entered.

This is not intended to be macabre or twisted, I truly saw beauty here, and more than what was portrayed on the surface. More than the flowers, trees and other landscaping. But I began to see the beauty of life. Within this cemetery there were hundreds of lives represented. More than that there were hundreds of stories that were told, of how people lived, of what mattered to them and of how they wanted to be remembered.

This then caused me to ponder about legacies. What will my legacy be? What will others say of Justin whilst his bones lay rotting in the ground? What will they say of you? As I looked at these stones set in the ground I saw the legacy left by these men and women. Some their faith, others their service to their country. I saw favorite sports teams, masonic emblems, marriages, fishing trophies, and more then I could begin to recount. The last earthly vestiges of men and women who wanted to leave one last mark on the world. As I pondered further upon this I found that the inconspicuous headstones were the most beautiful to me. The large ones for all their grandeur simply spoke vanity to me. I looked upon the large gravestones and saw greed and pride.

And then I saw this one...

I have no idea who Chester and Freida are, but as I stood staring at it the Lord began to speak to me. I began to see a story here. Let's start with what we know. Chester and Freida were married, The Weber's both clearly served the Lord, to what extent or in what capacity we do not know, Chester served our country in World War 2 and has now passed away. I see in Chester a man that lived to serve others, he served his country and God, from all appearances it seems as though he was a man that put others before himself. Okay back to what we know, Freida still lives, and is the ripe old age of 89. I would presume that she is still a widow and has not remarried (although that is only an assumption it seems a fair one.) Further more in the next week we are coming upon what would have been Chester's 89th birthday. Assuming that Freida still maintains her faculties I can imagine that a week from tomorrow will probably be a painful day for her as she remembers the lost of her best friend. I don't know about you but I plan on remembering her a week from tomorrow, I will be lifting her up to the Lord for renewed strength. Now naturally much of this is speculation, but as I stood in the brisk air gazing upon the tombstone set in the ground the Lord spoke all of this to my heart, and in it I saw beauty. The beauty of a life lived to serve others and the true strength of the covenant of marriage.

Perhaps one day we can all share the same epitaph as Horatio Carter. "Well done good and faithful servant." I know that is my aim.

Where did you find beauty today?

I will attempt to be a little less lengthy tomorrow... sorry bout that :)

So... I'm a copycat...

I have decided to join with my good friend and mentor Derry Prenkert on his journey to find beauty everyday for 60 days... Here is what he had to say about it and I agree with him whole heartedly.

A few thoughts:

• I sense, more than ever a deep level of negativity, frustration, anger, and criticism around me.
• I sense, more than ever a deep level of negativity, frustration, anger, and criticism inside me.
• Although the Holiday season has its bright and warm moments, the winter months can tend to press in with feelings of depression and hopelessness.
• I have been wrestling on finding something "fresh" to do on the blog.

These thoughts have come together for me to come up with an unprecedented series on the blog. I am going to look for at least one time where I am able to say, "That is a thing of beauty" for 60 straight days starting December 1 (running through January 29). I may not It may come in the form of a story, a picture, a video, a scripture, a quote, a principle, or whatever.
Some may be sappy.
Some may be humorous.
Some may be skin deep.
Some may be much deeper.
Some you may identify with the beauty.
Some may be far from beautiful to you.

My hope is to put up a post daily on my previous day's encounter. Reality tells me I may not do this 100% of the time. I will, however seek to identify at least one thing of beauty for every one of 60 days.

Why am I doing this?

1. I need it. I need to stop and smell the flowers. I need to break out of my "stinkin' thinkin'" I have found myself in.
2. I think along the way as you read, you may be able to find some inspiration or fresh perspective on the amazing beauty of God's creation and the actions of his created where we may, at times, overlook.

Beauty, more than bitterness, makes the heart break.

-Sara Teasdale (America Lyrical Poet)

I will begin my journey today as well. I encourage many of you to join us.

oh and you can find Derry's blog here.