Tonight is Halloween. Many are celebrating with all kinds of activities. One of the fun parts is to wear a costume or a mask. Ideas can come from store-bought to homemade. Decorations take many forms, some from nature, such as pumpkins and hay bales. There are many forms in creation that can have a different look from just what we might think of on the surface.

These pictures show some trees that seem to have a hidden image in their shapes.

Some of you may not see anything but a tree. Others may see a face (of sorts) or a body, as I did. Creation may surprise us at times if we take the time to look.

What do you see?!

When we did our original landscaping many years ago, the Bradford pear trees were very popular, so we planted two in the front yard. The white blooms in the spring, the dark green leaves in the summer, and the red and orange colors in the fall made them seem to be the perfect trees for many places.

However, there are two drawbacks. One is that the spring flowers have a terrible smell. The other more serious problem is that the trees are prone to split, especially in bad weather. As our trees grew, we knew the danger existed, and one day the tree near the road split. It fell toward our red maple tree and tore the branches on one side.

This happened years ago. The maple tree survived, but it never completely recovered, as you can see in the picture. It is not as full as it would have been had it not been harmed, but it continues to have beautiful color in the fall.

When we are young and growing, we encounter numerous things that harm us. Some of these come from people we thought we could trust. Others come from circumstances we find ourselves in, or as the result of choices we make. They may take the form of actions, words, or even our own thoughts that can leave us with scars.

Like the tree, those scars may never really go away as we grow. People may not be able to see our hurts on the outside, but we all experience them. They make us who we are. God knows every arrow that has been shot at us. Psalm 139:1-18 (NLT) reminds us that He knew us before we were born and continues to watch over us all of our days.

The maple tree is still beautiful in the fall. Even with our “scars” we can reflect the beauty of God’s love and forgiveness in our lives, and allow Him to use us to bring peace and hope to those around us who may be hurting.

² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2 NIV)

¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal. 6:10 NIV)

Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. (Eph. 4:32 AMP)

It finally happened! We were walking up the hill and as I turned to go back down, I heard my husband yell. My first reaction was that something had happened to him when I wasn’t looking. But then he informed me that I had just stepped on a little caterpillar.

I was very sad that this had happened because we had been enjoying watching the little creatures and trying to avoid stepping on them. The sound he had made was his way of warning me that I was about to step on the little one—but it was too late!

The day before we had seen a very small caterpillar near the edge of the road. We assumed it was a young one. My husband had observed that its mother should have warned it not to “play in the street”. Maybe she did, because we didn’t see it again.

What mother doesn’t warn her child of danger—from stoves, fire, traffic, strangers, etc. Fathers, grandparents, teachers, leaders of all sorts, have a responsibility to guide those under their care. As a matter of fact, we all should be aware that we have an obligation to care for one another, warning others of dangers in this life. The prophet Ezekiel (Ez. 3:16-21 NKJV) was told that if he did not give the warnings to his people, he would suffer the consequences.

Most of us are familiar with John 3:16. However John 3:18 gives a warning for those who choose not to believe. In between, in John 3:17 is the reinforcement that God’s purpose in sending Jesus was to save the world.

My prayer for all who read this is that you would heed the warning and choose to believe and be saved.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

This spring and summer there have been times we have walked in the mornings and times in the evenings. Within our neighborhood some houses have lights on at night, but there are areas of the road we walk that remain in the shadows because of the trees.

At the end of the cul-de-sac we pass into the shady areas and over time we have realized that we need to shine a flashlight on our path so that we don’t step on the frogs! There are different sized ones, but I don’t want to step on any of them. How wonderful to be able to carry a small light that shines in the darkness and keeps us from harming one of these little creatures—or hurting ourselves if we squashed one!

Light is a powerful resource, depending on the amount of light that is needed and the purpose for the light. A small nightlight can provide comfort at bedtime. The light at dawn can bring hope for a new day. Bright sunlight brings warmth to our skin. When evening comes, a lamp can give us light to read or do other activities. Christmas lights bring joy and fireworks bring excitement.

John chapter one (John 1:9 ESV) talks about a true light that was coming into the world. Verse five says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Much of our world today is dark, but the light of the world, Jesus, has always been here (John 1:2 ESV). Jesus called Himself the light of the world and said we would never walk in darkness (John 8:32 ESV).

What a marvelous promise!

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:1-13 ESV

When I came out to the sunroom this morning, I looked up and saw a beautiful yellow chrysanthemum hanging basket.

It brought me joy! I do love flowers and like to have some kind blooming at all times. There are so many varieties of plants that produce blooms. Some last for months like the orchid. Other blooms last only a day or maybe two like the hibiscus.

Back to the idea of joy. In one sense joy can be a temporary feeling, such as when I look at flowers. At times joy comes through relationships, such as a wedding, the birth of a child, or the celebration of someone’s birthday. In the last few months we have been blessed to be a part of ten birthday celebrations—from eight-years-old to eighty, plus a special ninety-fourth!

Each of these celebrations was different. Some were with a crowd of well-wishers at a restaurant, a church hall, or a home. One was a quiet gathering at a health care facility. Another was at the residence of one who is homebound. At least four of those being honored had significant challenges to their health, but they all were joyful, at least in the moment. However, the daughter of the eighty-year-old impressed me with her joyful laugh and delightful smile, in spite of her numerous physical challenges.

The title of this post comes from Psalm 30:5. The phrase that comes before the joy is “weeping may endure for a night”. Another verse (Psalm 126:5 NKJV) says “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”  We all go through struggles in this life. Some show this through their expressions and their words. Others choose to keep a smile and a positive attitude.

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross and the shame for the joy that was set before Him. When you feel that life is stealing your joy, look to the promises Jesus gave us that we can have joy in His presence.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 NKJV

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. John 16:22 ESV

This morning my husband and I went for a walk, or really more of a stroll. We were blessed with clouds and a cool breeze. We noticed the granddaddy dandelions growing by the road that were already white and ready to spread their seeds. There were many blooms on the one stalk, as opposed to the usual single blooms.

We read of the fields being white unto harvest (John 4:35 ESV), but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37 ESV). This made me think that there are workers who are actually “white” and ready but maybe they are still on the stalk—sitting in homes and churches. Being together on one stalk implies a unity and purpose. However, the seed of the gospel must be spread by each of us as we go out in our daily lives, as well as in our churches (Mark 16:15 ESV).

As we walked on further, my husband asked me if I had seen the squirrels playing in the neighbor’s yard. I had noticed one on the porch, another one running away, but he had seen something different. The next time around our little walking loop, he told me what to watch for that he had seen.

When we drew near, one squirrel ran up a tree on the back side away from us, but stopped after a few feet and peeked its head around the side! It was as though it was checking to see if we were there and if we were going to bother it. We began to talk about how we sometimes do the same thing. We see someone coming and we hide, either physically or emotionally putting up walls, and peek to see if he or she is there to hurt us. We miss out on the blessing that could have been ours if we had been more open to what was coming our way.

Unfortunately, we do the same thing to God. Like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8 ESV), we hide from God, thinking He won’t know where we are or what we are doing or have done. But just as with Adam and Eve, God seeks us in His love and clothes us in His righteousness so that we never have to fear being found by Him.

As I sit here, it is just past sunset. The sky in the west is bright, but darkness is quickly coming. Many people hate to see the night come. Some fear darkness, others feel loneliness closing in. For those who work at night, the shift may be just beginning. For day workers it may be a time of reflection upon the day that has passed.

This past weekend was the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. In order to see these shooting stars, you had to be willing to go out into the dark of night. The farther you were away from light, the easier it was to see the show. In other words, the darker the better!

Even though there were lights around, my husband and I got out our lawn chairs and made our way to the back yard. We turned the lights off inside to let our eyes adjust and felt our way to the outside door and down the steps.

We settled in our chairs and began watching the sky, hoping for a burst of light. While we were waiting, we were being serenaded by the night creatures. Some may find these sounds to be a nuisance, but I love the songs God gave to these unseen musicians.

Hoping to see as many as one meteor each minute, after forty minutes, I was blessed to have seen two shooting stars, one especially bright, but my hubby did not see any. Even though we were sitting side by side with the same goals, he was not looking in the direction that allowed me to see the light.

Thankfully neither of us was afraid of the dark. We all go through dark times in our lives, some darker than others. But in the physical and the spiritual, God says that the darkness is as light to Him. (Psalm 139:13 NKJV)

So, when you find yourself in a dark place, look for those shooting stars of light and listen for the song the Creator is singing over you.

The Lord your God in your midst,                                                                             

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

(Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV)

As I rode my bicycle this morning, I saw most of the same things I usually see in my cul-de-sac. But I know that there are new things each day. (Lam. 3:22-23 NIV) I can feel a fresh breeze that helps to keep me cool. I can hear the wind rustling in the trees. I hear different bird songs. I even hear a rooster crowing somewhere in the distance.

The neighbor’s dogs are in the yard. They bark at me as I ride by the first few times. There are three dogs, three sizes, and three different sounds. Later I hear another sound coming from their direction—a pet toy the largest dog is squeezing in its mouth! From the main road, I hear the sound of an emergency vehicle. I pray for those first responders and the people they are on their way to help.

Then I hear and see another vehicle coming my way—the garbage truck. As I pass by it and circle around and pass it again, another sense comes into play. You guessed it—smell! Even though I had ridden by the one trash container multiple times already, I had not noticed any odors. But the combination of all the containers they had picked up made a much stronger assault on my nose.

One good thing is that there is a magnolia tree right across the street from where the truck stopped. As I rode by it, I could take in the delightfully sweet aroma of its blooms.

A thought that came to me that, in this case, one container or one magnolia bloom was not noticeable to my senses, but when they were combined with other trash or many blooms the smell was more obvious as good or bad.

As an individual we can make a difference in this world, but when we unite our efforts with other like-minded believers, our influence can become stronger. Just as the combination of flavors in food enhances its taste, our working together makes the world “taste” better to others.

 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1 (NIV)

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5 (NIV)

Sounds are everywhere. Today the most obvious sounds I am hearing are from machines. Outside as I walk, I hear a riding lawn mower and a weed eater. Two vehicles pass by. The delivery van has a different sound from the truck pulling a trailer. A motorcycle roars off for a ride. My peaceful little cul-de-sac isn’t always quiet.

As I walk, I am also listening to my phone. This time it is one of those ads that promise amazing results if you will buy their product. They always tell you about their problem, their research, their findings, their battles, etc. I do listen sometimes in case they truly do have a solution for a problem someone I love is having.

Even with all of these sounds I can still hear the birds singing. As I close my phone and listen to the birds, I can hear several different calls. Each bird has its own unique sound, just as each one of us does. No two people sound exactly the same. We have our own feelings or opinions as to which voice is more or less pleasing to our ears. Our feelings for an individual also influence how we perceive each voice.

Parents can recognize the cry of their child even in the midst of many children. We know the sound of our loved one’s voices even when they are in another room or on the phone. In our mind we can gain comfort from the voices of those who are far away or who are no longer with us.

Try this sometimes: sit still and listen to the sounds around you. You will be amazed at all the things you hear! Better yet, take time to listen to the people around you. You will be amazed at what you hear!! And best of all, set aside time to listen, really listen, to God. You will be amazed at what you hear!!!

“Oh, that my people would listen to me!” Psalm 81:13a (NLT)

“God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 (NLT)

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! The skies are blue—not a cloud in the sky—as my mother would say. The trees and the bushes are green with the fresh color you only see in the spring.

This bush was fully in bloom with little white flowers.

The bigger spirals are made up of very small white flowers that look like a star.

The stars are very small and would hardly be noticed by themselves, but together with all of the others they attract attention from passers-by.

Each one of us in our own way is a star. God created each of us in His image and likeness (Gen. 1:27 NKJV). We show forth in our lives those qualities given to us, some days better than others. But sometimes He wants us to join with other people to bring out a beauty that we may not be able to accomplish by ourselves. Working with others can also attract the attention of those who are seeking community and fellowship (to get them out of their loneliness).

When you look at the first picture above, do your eyes see the little yellow flower at the bottom left? Can you see it in this closeup picture? Does it take away from the beauty of the white flowers? Some would say yes, some no. Even though the yellow flower is pretty, it is not the star of the show like the white flowers are.

Some people would like to be the star, even when they are in a group setting. This can be a distraction in some cases. In a choir or group, one voice can change whether we perceive the singing as good or bad. One person who is dressed differently from the rest, or who acts out during a performance, can affect the perception even if the sound is pleasing.

There are times when we can and should be the star by using the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. Then the right kind of attention will come to us. At other times we will shine best as part of a group working together for a common goal. Whichever the situation, our goal or desire should always be to bring glory to God.

P.S. I later realized that the single star flower did not come from the same bush. The single bloom on the bush has four petals instead of five. That could represent the cross instead of a star. But that is a story for another day!