Miraculous Signs Revealed

His miraculous signs ...revealed his glory 

and his disciples put their faith in him. 

John 2:11

Miraculous signs [sometimes] and day to day blessings [often] .... they present themselves with increasing abundance with intention focused on the seeing of them. The anniversary of a full  year marking in a journal these daily blessings and sometimes-miracles arrived and I am not done with the looking for them. I am not done anticipating them. I am not done noting what God has wrought this day that is working for good. I am not done believing there is more joy coming from his hands. I am not done building faith based on the Holy Trinity's presence in my life. I am not done being  certain that
he is not done with me.

Prayerfully noting with thanksgiving:

954 ~ tender stories shared among faith filled women in Beth Moore Bible Study

955 ~ rain , thunder, wind; moving winter out for spring's reign

957 ~ machines and tools and those blessed with the gift of creating them

961 ~ kind professional affirmation

962 ~ public parks, green spaces, boulevard medians, nature preserves, arboretums, gardens; all displaying spring's ethereal green 

963 ~ momentary lull in tasks, hours to regenerate

 Click on the links below to see more photos

 posted by faith filled photographers: 

SUNDAY , Snapshot and Scripture, Still Saturday, 
and more gratitude being offered at:

Take Heart! He has overcome the world!

Walking in the spring of upstate New York, along a fence line my eye following it’s undulating rise and fall . This cross section caught my eye. It’s rough hewn, hole pierced post wrapped with cold steel wire.  Austerity and beauty wrapped in one meeting of limbs. A concentric hole at the outer edge, revealing a scence at a distance beond. So much here symbolically suggested the journey and the sorrowful events of our Lord’s Easter story. 

Joining with all those sharing faith inspired photos gathered over here:

SUNDAY  and Snapshot and Scripture.

Royal Hue Heralds Our Lord's Love

Royal Purple 

Hue

 Herald's  

Our Lord's Love!

Surveying spring's emerging color, I find ample evidence of purple's royal hue. Iris, Clover, Tulip, Lupine, Pansy... blooms in various shades of purple's range brave the vacillating temperatures between winter's end and spring's arrival. 

Shades deep, shades pale, shades rosy-red, shades nearly black; announce the season of Lent.
The season of honoring our Lord's sorrow, suffering, and sacrifice offered in love for all of God's people.

The imperial  purple hue derived from the sea, historically obtainable only by those of wealth and royal position, and reserved for occasions of important celebration. Ranging from
deep magenta to indigo blue,
purple reigns in its velvety richness of dense color. 


The early church acknowledged the color's royal, favored status and assigned it to represent the sacred season of Lent. Sanctuary, alter, and clergy may be appointed with elements of purple during worship in this season of the church calendar.

Surveying the emerging spring, my soul recalls the Prince that has given all for me that I may be one  of his people, one of his dearly beloved, one of his chosen ...

“...you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, 

that you may declare the praises of him 

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 

1 Peter 2:9

Joining stories and pictures gathered over here:

SUNDAY , God-Incidences, and Snapshot and Scripture.

His Royal Blue Stole

Artist: S. Burns 1913

Light dawning 

far on the stormy horizon,
his royal blue stole; 

those always caught my eye first. 

I am the good shepherd; 

I know my sheep

and my sheep know me ~

John 10:14

I recall the painting hanging in the upstairs hallway at one time and then later... was it near her small secretary? A familiar portrayal of a favorite Psalm. Most likely a replication of an illustration found in a Bible. But the paint, the rich color of oil luster in rising ridges of brush strokes, the shade of blue, the bird of prey hovering overhead: all drew the eye and the heart into the the perilous moment of the shepherd’s determined rescue. 

It is a simple hand painted work, dated 1913. Found in an antique store somewhere up in the far north woods. Over decades of time, after the chain of legacy settled, this painting of my mother’s came to be mine. After more time and a maturing of my aesthetic sensibilities, hanging such an overtly religious painting in my home studio, became the right thing to do.

I have wondered, did mother see herself in this image as I see myself? 

Did she see herself just as I have clinging to the cliffs of life’s desperate moments; 

rocks slippery, body bruised, hands and feet cut, the struggle raging so long?   

I know she had her share of storms, as every life does. 

The Lord is my shepherd... I will fear no evil; for you are with me;

  Psalm 23: 1, 4

I know too, that she honed a deep faith across the years. Studying diligently, serving compassionately, and teaching faithfully. In sum I know it was faith that gave her the wisdom to lift her eyes in search of her Lord’s outstretched hand in every challenge. 

Knowing that, is precious knowledge,

as much a part of her legacy to me, as was this simple painting of faith. 

For the former I am bone deep, heart full, grateful.

Below; my recent recordings among the mounting pages that list the gifts bestowed on my life each day. Counted along with Ann and those linking at Holy Experience

920 mother’s legacy of faith, her example, the momentos passed down that evidence of her belief

924 laughter shared with daughter over her babies’ humorous antics

928 spring green, tender, new grass spreading across the earth

929 opportunity to kneel, bare my heart’s errors, receive grace

930 iris petals, lavender transparency against dusky light

...with humble gratitude to the Lord

I Am the Vine

I am the vine,

you are the branches.

He who abides in me,

and I in him,

he it is that bears much fruit,

for apart from me you

can do nothing.

John 15:5 RSV

 I link here atSUNDAY  and Snapshot and Scripture.