Olive Tree

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Walk Towards the Light

God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

-- I John 1:5


Life can feel like a complicated mess sometimes.  There is no clear path forward.  However, if we face the light and step in that direction, we can have hope. 

Lord, when I feel confused and entangled and the life's path does not seem clear, help me to walk towards the light.  With You as my Light and my Salvation, I have nothing to fear.

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Thanksgiving Sunrise

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

-- Psalm 102:25



 Lord, thank You for the breathtaking beauty of this earth.  Make Your awesome presence known in my heart as well.  Amen.





Thursday, November 18, 2021

Solace, if Staggering


 
                                 "Let
 it be..."  
                                       - Luke 1:38




                    

                                 



"Faith lifts the staggering soul on one side, hope supports it on the other, experience says it must be, and love says let it be."  -- Elizabeth Ann Seton

Lord, help me not to stagger in unbelief, but let me be strong in faith, hope and love.  Amen.


Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

The Greatest Power



But his answer was: "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak."

2 Corinthians 12:9 (GNT)


MY grace is all you need...

     My GRACE is all you need...

   My grace IS all you need...

       My grace is ALL you need...

        My grace is all YOU need...

           My grace is all you NEED...

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Sacred Strains


These were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the Lord.

--- I Chronicles 25:6 (KJV)


A world-class musician sits within the rubble of an iconic bombed-out cathedral, playing poignant music.  

With his heart and sacred surroundings ravaged by the wounds of senseless war, cellist Sevak Avanesyn resiliently tuned his thoughts and talents to produce beauty.  What he played -- a piece composed in the early 20th Century by a priest who once identified with this holy, now-suffering space.   .  

O God, our Help in ages past, when ruin surrounds us and the beauty of former times ceases to exist, grant us Your strength to produce worshipful sounds amidst devastation.


*Artwork as seen on armenpress.am



Friday, October 8, 2021

Beauty by Surprise

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
-- Ecclesiastes 3:11


I was surprised to discover this picture among my photos -- an accidental snapshot.  See my sneaker at the bottom?  Amidst the plain dirt and spotty grass are scattered beautiful leaves of various colors.  Creative bursts that add beauty and interest to an otherwise ordinary path.  I never would have appreciated this winsome, natural perspective had the moment not been captured by accident.  

How often do we barrel through life, not recognizing the subtle beauty which lies about us?  

Lord, thank you for showing me a special perspective in an ordinary moment.  Give me eyes for the small delights which You place along my path.