Fabulous 50 and Fall Foliage

Yesterday was the big birthday -- I am now officially 50 years young! My husband and I are celebrating by taking a road trip through the forests of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, culminating in a focused few days in Yellowstone Park and the Grand Tetons. We are armed with binoculars and digital camera, and ready to scope, spot and shoot as much wildlife as God lets us witness. I completely love this brand of hunting :)

I love the Fall season -- the air is crisp, the trees are beautiful shades of gold, red, and just a touch of green. The rivers are running cold, the mountains have just a dusting of snow, and the animals are busy preparing for the winter months. And, 28 years ago, my husband and I celebrated our wedding day; this truly is a special season for me.

Truly the heavens do declare the glory of God, and the skies truly do show forth His handiwork; I love being allowed to witness the Master Designer's masterpiece!

The Mighty One

The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God shines forth.
Our God comes; He does not keep silence;

before Him is a devouring fire, around Him a mighty tempest.

He calls to the heavens above and to the earth,

that He may judge His people:

"Gather to Me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice!"

The heavens declare His righteousness, for God himself is judge!

Selah

(Psalm 50:1-5 ESV)

I've been reading through the psalms; the attempt is to read at least one every morning. Recently I read Psalm 50, but I couldn't get past the first two verses. I was stopped dead in my tracks with these words:

The Mighty One ( the all-powerful, all-'everything' God)

God (Elohim, the Creator, the Sustainer of the entire earth)

the LORD (Yahweh, the Covenant-keeping God, the God who has committed to relationship with His people

speaks (converses with, relates to)

and summons (a specific call to a specific people expecting a specific answer)

the earth (the planet and its inhabitants)

from the rising of the sun to its setting (all the time, continually, day after day)

Can you imagine?! This God, Yahweh, the Creator, the All-Sufficient One who needs nothing, wants to speak to me! He wants a relationship with me! This God is terrifying, and majestic, and awesome, and He chose me!

He loves me.

He saved me.

She's home!

Yes, my daughter is "home" from Kyrghystan!

As I think about "home" and what that looks like. . .not the physical house or the town, but the safety; the comfort; the warm acceptance; the joy. . .maybe all this "waiting time" and the intermittent unrest; the physical pain and the struggle with discontent;

maybe it's because I'm not "home" yet . . .

". . .and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6b NIV)