Ink Drawing

The sun was shining so bright and clear today.  And on my walk I noticed that the dark, crisp shadows of the leafless trees looked like ink drawings on the ground.  Just as I was thinking this, a few leaves drifted down right in front of me.  There aren't too many leaves falling this time of year so it felt as if God were saying to me, "Thanks for noticing!"  It made me smile.  He's quite the artist.

Chocolate Cake

I love dessert.  It's my favorite part of the meal.  Heck, it's my favorite part of the day!  But a few years ago I developed an itching and rash so extreme it almost brought me to tears.  What does this have to do with dessert?  I discovered I was sensitive to gluten and dairy.  What are the two main components in most desserts?  Yep, gluten and dairy.  But I had prayed to God for relief from my itching, and He gave me that; just with a few stipulations. So after a lot of research, I learned how to bake amazing desserts without gluten and dairy.  And today, in what was otherwise an ordinary day, I baked a fabulous chocolate cake with buttercream frosting - and nary a dairy or gluten in sight!  I felt pure joy and satisfaction in my first bite of that cake - and there I found God.

The Blow-Dryer

Okay, this is going to sound a little strange, but I found God today when I was blow-drying my hair.  I know what you're thinking (I would, too),  but hear me out.  Blow-drying my hair is one of my least favorite chores.  It's mind-numbing.  But today, while I was staring blankly at the wall with the dryer blathering away, I felt a nudge from God.  "Hey Tia, I'm here even now.  What are you going to do about it?"  And I was suddenly inspired to pray.  I've read about other people praying while waiting in line, at the doctor, etc.; it just never occurred to me to pray while I dried my hair.  But I did, and before I knew it, I was done and still hadn't quite finished my prayers.  So now I may actually look forward to drying my hair... or maybe not.  But I know I can always find God there as I did today turning the most menial task into something worthwhile.  Yet another little blessing in my life.

Cup of Tea

I was feeling very tired today for no good reason.  I had slept well. I hadn't done anything strenuous.  I even took a nap.  Still tired.  But then I sat down this evening with a hot cup of tea.  Ahhhh....  The steam rising off the tea, the warmth of the cup, the hot liquid warming me to my toes.  It was so soothing, so comforting... and there I found God.

Yoga

I was feeling listless and a little down over not being able to get outside for my walk due to the rain.  I always connect with God when I get outdoors.  So I decided to do yoga instead.  (I used to do yoga several times a week, but the past several months it's been sporadic.)  I got out my mat, lay flat on my back, took a deep breath, stretched my arms way overhead and...Wham!  There was God!  I didn't see that one coming.  What an amazing feeling!  I realized as I continued through the movements that when I walk, my connection to God is all around me - externally.  But with yoga, it's internal.  You focus totally on yourself and your breathing, and in doing so you become centered in God.  Try it.  Lie flat on your back, stretch your arms overhead and breathe God in.  In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 it talks about your body being God's temple.  I found God today in that temple.

Misty Morning

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I had to post this photo. There's no way I could do it justice with my words.   It was an absolutely gorgeous misty morning, and this is where I found God today.

Light and Shadow

When I decided to start this blog, I thought it would be easy to write about where I find God each day.  After all, I feel Him around me all the time.  But after just a few days, I started to struggle.  All the little ways I see God in my life seemed too insignificant to write about.  So I prayed for help... and I prayed some more.  And it came to me that those little things are the point.  I was never shooting for a literary masterpiece, but I suddenly felt pressured to come up with something "significant" when I knew other people would be reading this.  So my prayer was answered, and the pressure's off.  All these little ways I find God are what make Him a part of my daily life.  And that took me back to my original purpose.

Today I found God in the play of light and shadow outside my kitchen window.  There's an empty lot next door, and sometimes in the evening the sun shines through the trees in a way that's just beautiful.  The golden light and dark shadows turn an ordinary scene into a work of art.  It always makes me pause to take it in, and there I find Him.

Rain Puddle

I was taking my daily walk and skirting the rain puddles in the road as usual.  But not as usual, I took a closer look at the puddles and saw a perfect, clear reflection of the trees overhead.  So crisp was the image that I could imagine walking in the treetops - truly an amazing gift from God!  It occurred to me that if I had stepped in the water it would have blurred this perfect picture, and the verse from Psalm 46 came to mind - "Be still and know that I am God." I found God in the still water of a rain puddle.

Jigsaw

I found God today in a jigsaw puzzle.  It was a hectic morning - writing bills, doing household chores, etc. When I finally finished, I sat down and wondered what I wanted to do next.  I thought of my new jigsaw puzzle - one of a few that I'd received for Christmas.  I picked one with a pretty country scene.  And as I sat sorting the pieces and then fitting them together, I felt my mind rest.  And there I found God.

The Tree

I found God at church today.  Not too surprising, huh?  I guess that's where you should find God, but at least for me, it hasn't always been that way.  However, this church is special.  Our pastor is special, the people are special, and I feel a warmth and peace just being there each Sunday.  So I expect I'll be writing about it often.  But back to today.  There's a big window over the altar with a beautiful tree right outside.  This tree has inspired me many times - I even wrote a poem about it.  But I'm usually looking at it from our usual seats.  Today, we were ushers so we were sitting in the back of the church.  I was listening to the sermon, and something caused me to look up at the window.  Maybe it was just the wind in the branches -  I don't know.  But the sculptural design of the stark branches against the gray sky today was just amazing, and I don't know if I saw or felt a flash of movement.  It was there and then gone so quickly, I could have imagined it.  But it struck me in a way that caused me to catch my breath.  I blew it off as we tend to do with things we can't readily explain.  And I don't think I've done a very good job of explaining it here.  But I had to try.  Because I can still feel that quickening, that rush when I think of that moment.  So this I believe - I found God in that tree outside the window.

The Look of Love

I found God today in the way my husband looked at me this morning.  I'm 50 now.  Not ancient, but no spring chicken either.  I can see the age in my face.  I'm not depressed by it; in fact, I kind of embrace it.  It's a relief to let go of some of the trappings of youth.  So when I look in the mirror, I just see me - a regular person, nothing special.  But when Jeff looked at me this morning, his expression was a gift.  Suddenly, I was special.  And I found God there.

Day Two

Okay, so I jumped the gun yesterday.  The weather in Seattle turned out to be awful.  God may or may not have been in that weather report so I didn't stress out all day, but He was definitely with Marlayna in the airplane which landed safely in an ice-encrusted airport.  Then her flight from Seattle to Fairbanks was cancelled. And He was also there when she got what was probably the only hotel room left in the area due to a last-minute cancellation.  Everything else was booked - I know... I called everywhere.  We lost several hours of sleep last night worrying, praying, and working to get her somewhere safe where she could rest till her flight today.
So I was exhausted today and thinking I was already going to let my blog down.  I barely had the strength to function, much less write.  But something (God?) dragged me off the couch to take my daily walk.  I walked out into a beautiful afternoon.  The sun was hazy; softening the edges of the trees and marsh grasses.  The air was crisp and fresh. Then I passed a neighbor walking her bulldog, and he was carrying a green rubber toy in his mouth.  Apparently, he didn't want to walk without it.  He swung his head around to look at me, and I had to laugh.  And there He was - in that comical moment when that little dog looked at me; taking his walk with his toy hanging out of his mouth.  I breathed God in, and though still exhausted, I felt renewed.

Where I found God

God is within us.  God is all around us.  I started this blog to post where I find God in my life each day.  (Hopefully I'll post each day!)
Today I found God in the weather report.  Marlayna left for Alaska this afternoon.  She has to connect in Seattle and they had awful weather yesterday.  They were expecting it today also, but this morning the weather report changed.  It's forecast to end by the afternoon - long before she gets there.  I breathed a sigh of relief... and thanked God.
Please feel free to post where you find God in your day.  In small ways or big ways; in any way that lets you know He is with you.