Humble Beginnings

According to our tour guide on a recent visit to the Old Statehouse in Springfield, this little office tucked under a stairwell was home to Ulysses S. Grant during his first military assignment.  It reminded me of Samuel's rebuke of King Saul when the pride of position and office led to disobedience and ultimate downfall.  How true his words linking effectiveness and humility:

"When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?" (I Sam. 15:17)

High and Lifted Up

"I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." (Isaiah 6:1)

Contemporary church architecture doesn't seek to evoke the majesty of God as it once did.  Interesting to ponder how attitudes change over the years.

Capitol

What a difference a single letter makes.  According to Merriam-Webster, a capitol is a building where a state legislative body meets.  But if you capitalize the word, it becomes the building where the U.S. Congress meets.  Then change the "o" to an "a" and it's not a building any longer but a lot of other things:

• the crown at the top of a column,
• a stock of accumulated goods,
• an "upper-case" letter (used above as in "to capitalize",
• and, just to keep it interesting, a city serving as a seat of government; where, incidentally, you are likely to find a building called the capitol.  Or the Capitol.

Got it?  Aren't you glad you learned English as a primary language?

Old State House

We enjoyed a wonderful trip this past week to Springfield, our state's capital; touring among other things the Old State House which served as the legislative seat of government from 1839-1876 overlapping a number of years with Abraham Lincoln.

It's interesting to ponder the sheer volume of laws passed over the years as men have labored to rule themselves.  It makes me think of a favorite biblical phrase in which Paul articulates God's vision for a day when His law would be written on the fleshy tables of the heart, not in tables of stone (II Cor. 3:3).  Possible today as we yield to His Spirit.

Rose of Sharon

Jesus, Rose of Sharon, bloom within my heart;
Beauties of Thy truth and holiness impart,
That where’er I go my life may shed abroad
Fragrance of the knowledge of the love of God.
(Ida A. Guirey)

Salmon Mango Salsa

I should have taken more time with this shot but it was time to move this culinary delight from the grill to the table.  And my display was fogging up from the heat and humidity!

Anyway, credit Cindy for this delightful offering.  It tasted as good as it looks.

Geraniums

I hear that red attracts hummingbirds.  I suppose that's why all the feeders have a large splotch of red on them.  But there's no red like a geranium.  Now we need to find a feeder that doesn't leak so our hummingbirds hang around for a drink.  Then maybe I'll capture an image of one of them to share someday.

Goldfinch

"Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matt. 10:31)

Flowers aren't the only thing I can see from my porch perch; I love watching these brightly plumaged finches dart in for a repast at our feeder; God's eye on each of them.

Appointed for Seasons

"He appointed the moon for seasons:" Ps. 104:19

I admit I can't resist the glory of the moon. Its daily changes as the dark side slowly makes its rounds from our perspective while showing the same face to us because it somehow rotates exactly the same speed as the earth turns. I'm fascinated with its varied features of dry seas, Tranquility and Serenity most prominent, its cratered surface, and its faithful reflection of the distant sun as it fulfills its appointed duty to reflect the seasons to all Creation.

So this one is a just past First Quarter, waxing gibbous, that I took a couple nights ago.

Burst

This is mostly about keeping a promise from a previous post.

These beautiful Asiatic Lilies grow just a few feet from my perch on our front porch, a favorite summer Saturday morning refuge.  God is infinitely creative and it's a never ending challenge to find ways to capture images that reflect just a glimpse of that creativity.

"Consider the lilies how they grow:" (Luke 12:27)