How God Made The World...And Stuff...

I don't know about you, but I have never really thought about 'how' God made the world.  I know seven days, I know what for each day - but not the how.  Have you?  Well someone in my house has been thinking about it alot, and the other day he told us all about it.

Luke turned 4 this summer, for context, and has a very interesting way of thinking and viewing the world.  He believes with his whole heart that God is the 'Greatest Worker' ever seen. Can't argue with that.  He has this intense desire to know not just what something does (lately the question starts with "What does/do ________ usually do?") but HOW it does it.  Not good enough that a transmission makes a vehicle drive, but how does it do that.  So I shouldn't have been surprised when he started telling me about God's construction company.

"Mama, did you know how God built the whole world?," Luke inquired taking off his boots and coat at the back door.  Looking down at his serious face I answer, "Uh I never thought about it, how do you think He did?"

Arms fling wide, eyes open large and I hear, "With a hugest biggest construction company ever seen with Jesus driving the bigger mixer truck and the hugest dump truck.  God gets to drive the big loader or the big excavator."

And the tale went on how they, along with their 'holy workers' constructed the whole world, and that they even painted all the colors on everything.  I was amazed at how his mind works, I never thought of how God made the world, but leave it to Luke to picture the Holy Construction Company at work.  No wonder I love talking with him, he makes everything look different just by running it past his wonderfully crafted mind.

Later that night, when we were saying our prayers (known at our house as talking to God) Luke told me about God and Jesus painting sunsets and leaves, and how they stirred the sky and oceans to make clouds, storms and whirlpools.  His faith in the world around him, and his joy at each discovery being something special humbles me and gives me great joy.

He believes that God's shop is run by someone almost as smart and strong and 'fix anything' as his Grandpa.  I'm only too happy to agree, because you see, after hearing how he 'sees' things I too want to put on the Lukey 'wobble goggles' and view it from his angle.

I am so thankful for the blessings of my family and my friends and for the created, wonderful world around us.  I humbly pray that I can be a good and faithful steward to them all.  Thank you God for Earl and Luke. Amen.

A Grateful Heart - Journal of Gratitude, Joy and Beauty

I found a pretty journal the other day, it was in with my books, and I have had it for a long time but never used it. I don't 'journal' in the traditional way and I was saving this pretty purple journal with the cream pages for something special. What would be a special 'job' for such a pretty journal. (psss...how long have I had it? Long enough that the matching pen has dried up entirely! It is still with the journal for looks only)

The Holy Experience blog by Ann Voskamp has inspired me to seek joy, appreciate beauty and express my gratitude as often as I can...and I've decided to do it through my hand written journal as well as here on my blog. Her blog gives me pause and takes me to the word, and brings me to meditation and prayer. I thank her for it. Another inspiration is the women at (in)courage and their wonderful, faithful blogs. You are my sisters!

Writing by hand, for me, leaves a record not only of our words but our way of writing - how it looks, how it feels to fill a page perfectly blank with words imperfect, smudged and uneven yet full of wonder, joy and gratitude. I have invited my family to share in the journal and when they have something to share they should write, in their own words and 'letter' their grateful moments, the results of their joy hunting or the beauty that they appreciated.

So I write, I keep my journal and the working pen close at hand. I have them numbered starting at 1/1000. I will probably have photos, labels, stickers and other things pasted in as well - I am a scrapbooker so everything should have some sort of embellishment at some point! :-) I want to have for my family a legacy of what mattered to me, what brought me closer to grace and what strengthened my faith. What was lovely in a day of dirty and messy. What was joyful in a moment of tearful hurt and frustration. What made me grateful doing the ordinary things of the day.

I will be sharing some of my random numbers from the journal here on my blog...and I invite you to do the same. Comment on what was beautiful today, what brought you joy and what made you pause and say a grateful prayer.

Right now I am looking at the beauty of a Lego town, the joy of a husband and son who love each other and I am grateful for all the little things that are the world to me! I'm grateful for the poems that I've thought of but never got a chance to put on paper, they will return from their flights fuller and better.

I'm grateful for warm days and the smell of horses. I'm grateful for endless reruns of favorite DVD's. I'm grateful for clean pirate comfy pants. I'm grateful for little hands and dirty feet. I'm grateful for every photo I can take that keeps these moments in time. Mostly I'm grateful for my faith, for the grace and love of our Lord.