Lost in Wonder, Love, and Praise

Last Sunday I forgot to join the church.

While driving with Victor to the later service where he plays the piano,
he asked me,
"Did y'all join the church this morning?"

Pause. A bit of embarrassment.
"No. . . I forgot."

"You forgot to join the church?!"

Benjamin and Margaret and I had planned for weeks
to transfer our membership
to the church where they have been involved now for several years.
We talked about it.
I phoned the pastor.
I reminded the children the night before.
We even all got up on time and got ready.
(Though we were still a little bit late.)

All through the service,
the singing and announcements,
the praying and offering,
the preaching of the Word,
I anticipated going forward at the end of the service.

And then the last song came.
I sang.
My eyes closed.
The words penetrated.
My hands lifted.
I forgot.
I forgot myself.
I was "lost in wonder, love, and praise."
And I forgot to join the church.

But, for the moment, something better happened.

I found God.
I found myself in God.

"Finish, then, thy new creation;
Pure and sinless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Til in heaven we take our place,
Til we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!"
(from Charles Wesley's hymn "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling")

Thank You, God, for these wonders of Your love:
161. a new way of seeing: The Artist's Way
162. miniature watercolors marking gift list
163. "still life" slowing, stopping to see
164. waking just before the alarm and turning it off
165. walking into the Wellness Center
166. Fay's ready, "Yes, of course."
167. realizing all the reading I've done recently
168. looking up directions/locations on Mapquest
169. the possibility of a place to stay already offered
170. Joseph applying
171. Victor having time to stop along the way
172. Margaret's generous sharing of Sonic gift card
173. birthday cards
174. calling Dad
175. BBQ brisket, kettle-cooked chips, and fresh fruit
176. little silver basket of chocolates

With gratitude,
Sally

Wonders of His Love

Let's Remember today:
God's love is wonderful.
God's power is almighty.
God's riches are unlimited.

And:
God's love is pouring out to us today in countless wonders.
God's power is promised to us today for every challenge.
God's riches are plainly available to us today to meet our needs.

Will we:
Open ourselves to the wonders of God's love?
Connect our lives to the source of promised power?
Rely on God's limitless riches?

"For the Scripture says,
Whoever believes in Him
will not be disappointed...
for the same Lord is Lord of all,
abounding is riches
for all who call on His name."
(Romans 10:11-12)

All who call!

Today,
let's call on the Lord
who is abounding in riches
and receive the
wonders of His love.

Thank You, Lord, for these wonders of Your love:
145. the way warmth can be felt over the phone
146. fresh produce
147. our fruit stand full
148. a little cushion of savings
149. knowing we have a plan to pay
150. Victor's strong work ethic
151. rental cars
152. Margaret cleaning Bertha's cloudy windshield
153. healthy children
154. Paula introducing me as her "sister"
155. "Come with us."
156. an activity center overflowing with activity
157. ice cream to offer
158. putting new socks on his pillow
159. folded towels
160. Benjamin's pulse slowing down

With gratitude,
Sally

The Wonders of God's Ways

"Oh, the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom
and knowledge
of God!
How unsearchable are His judgements
and unfathomable His ways!"
(Romans 11:33)

This morning I wrote and I wrote and I wrote.
I thought back on last year
and I wrote about how
one thing led to another
and how God called to me during disruptions
and led me in the midst of interruptions.
And I am amazed.

Oh, the wonders of God's ways!

When we take time to think back,
When we take time to wonder,
we will be amazed.

Oh, the wonders of God's ways!

Thank You, amazing God, for these wonders of Your love:
129. looking back and seeing the wonders of God's ways
130. Victor leaving pretty place mats and napkins on the dashboard
131. trying out "my K-cup"
132. working out after writing "Wonder Workout"
133. a certificate of completion on the fridge
134. a dean's merit list letter on the fridge
135. Sarah's interview scheduled: January 23rd @ 9:00 am
136. talking about cleaning taking time with Sarah
137. the offering of a new recipe by a daughter
138. Victor saying "Let's go to lunch!" two days in a row
139. following Victor to places I've never been
140. delicious chicken salad on cranberry bread
141. a "welcome" email
142. seeing that I've already read some of the books on the reading list
143. Victor's enthusiastic encouragement
144. beauty to bless a funeral luncheon

With gratitude,
Sally

Wonder Workout

"Work out your salvation
with fear and trembling;
for it is God who is at work in you,
both to will
and to work
for His good pleasure."
(Philippians 2:12b-13)

Since last June
I have been working out
at our Wellness Center.

I really didn't think I needed it.
I really didn't think I would like it at all.

I love it!

Each workout
(training session of exercises
to maintain or improve one's physical or athletic skill)
is invigorating.
Each workout makes me feel more fully alive.
After I workout, somehow, I am no longer worn out.

A workout is a wonder!

Perhaps, what we are doing here at Entertaining Angels Everyday
by continually offering up a sacrifice of praise
is a wonder workout.
Perhaps, giving thanks for the wonders of God's love
is a training session of exercises to maintain or improve our living skill.

This wonder workout
might just be a way of
working out our salvation
with fear and trembling,
of being awed by
God at work in our lives,
of feeling astonishment,
of marveling
at God at work in us
to will and to work
His good pleasure.

I am finding that
in this daily wonder workout,
in this training session of giving thanks for the wonders of God's love,
in wondering at God working His good pleasure,
I feel His pleasure!

I love it!

I highly recommend a daily wonder workout
to maintain or improve one's abundant living skill!

Thank You, God, for these wonders of Your love:
113. finding I already have the right cards to send
114. the richness of words
115. the richness of God's Word
116. before dawn moments with Victor in the parlor
117. someone with whom I can share the burdens
118. a second reading
119. beginning a new Bible study
120. faithful Miss Bernice
121. walking in and sitting with an old friend
122. sharing updates on our children
123. Spirit-filled teaching
124. the blessing of a baby
125. continued confirmation of the call
126. envelopes of books in the mail
127. a big box of book delivered to our door
128. spaghetti and meatballs

With gratitude in Christ,
Sally

Radical Wonder

Radical Wonder.

"Radical" means:
-of or from the root or roots;
going to the foundation or source of something;
fundamental;
basic;
extreme;
thorough
-in Chemistry: a group of two or more atoms at acts as a single atom
and goes through a reaction unchanged, or is replaced by a single atom:
it is normally incapable of a single existence.
-in Math: the indicated root of a quantity or quantities
-in Botany: coming from the root

In my "1000 Gifts Devotional" for this morning,
Ann spoke of the radical wonder:
Romans 8:32
"He who did not spare His own Son,
but gave Him up for us all-
how will He not also, along with Him,
graciously give us all things."

This is the radical wonder that
we have just experienced in the incarnation of Christmas
and we celebrated yesterday in Epiphany
and we will remember in the days and weeks leading up to Easter:
God "gave us Jesus. Jesus! Gave Him up for us all". (1000 Gifts Devotion)

Ann says:
"The counting of all blessings is ultimately summed up in One.
The radical wonder of it stuns me happy,
hushes me still:
It's all Christ.
Every moment, every event, every happening.
It's all in Christ and in Christ we are always safe."

So, Christ is the radical wonder.
Christ is the root,
the foundation,
the source
of all these wonders of God's love.
The gift of Jesus is the radical wonder
that causes extreme, thorough change in our lives.

Just like a radical in chemistry,
when we are joined to Christ
we can go through a reaction-
any circumstance or situation-
unchanged, undisturbed, in peace,
because we are joined to Him.
We are, like the chemical radical,
normally incapable of a single existence,
because we are now in Christ Jesus
and in Him we have peace.

As a radical in math is the indicated root
of a quantity or quantities,
Jesus is the radical root wonder of
all the wonders of God's love.

Like the botanical radical,
these wonders of God's love
grow out of,
stem from,
have their source in
Christ Jesus.

Thank You, God, for the radical wonder of Jesus!

Thank You, Lord, for these wonders of Your love:
97. Sunday morning cinnamon rolls
98. singing in the shower
99. Margaret saying "I'll sit with you"
100. the construction setting for worship
101. hearing that God is the builder, not me
102. being "lost in wonder"
103. forgetting to join the church
104. a hug from sweet Tracy
105. coming home to Sunday dinner almost ready
106. time alone in the chapel during Margaret's piano lesson
107. a Sunday afternoon nap
108. Ashley's deep love for our children
109. a roomful of parents
110. watching Victor play the piano
111. the elusive green pocketbook
112. monopoly laughter

With gratitude,
Sally

There Is Wonder

There is wonder.

When we watch, there is wonder.

When we take time, there is wonder.

And, when we wonder, we worship!

Wonderful God, I praise You and thank You for these wonders of Your love:
81. Joseph getting up early for his class on his own
82. email
83. grocery shopping with Benjamin
84. the lowering of the laundry mountain
85. a slight chance
86. Victor's "Yes, you should do it."
87. trying a new chili recipe
88. a fictional character feeling like a friend
89. wonderful Margaret cleaning her wonderful room
90. singing at the piano with Vic
91. polishing wood with Old English lemon oil
92. fresh, clean sheets
93. a goodnight kiss
94. blue-lined envelopes
95. printing a scripture memory project
96. brisket slowly cooking overnight

With gratitude,
Sally

Arrested by Wonder

How did we already get to Saturday?
How did we already get to the fifth day of this new year?
Time flies.

In my "1000 Gifts" devotion this morning
Ann uses the phrase "arrested by wonder".

Could it be that when we wonder,
when we are filled with amazement, astonishment, and admiration,
time stops?

Could it be that when we take the time
to remember and record
the wonders of God's love
we redeem the time?

Being "arrested" is:
-"to stop or check the motion, course or spread of"
So, when we are "arrested by wonder",
do we stop the motion, course or spread of the time of our life?
-"to seize or take into custody by authority of the law"
So, when we are "arrested by wonder",
are we seized by God,
taken into God's custody and keeping
by the authority of
Who God Is
and the law of
God's great love for us
received through
wondering at His everyday good gifts?
-"to catch and keep (one's attention, sight. . .)"
So, when we are "arrested by wonder",
and, especially, when we "write wonder",
when we remember and record and return thanks for
the wonders of God's love,
are we caught and kept by God?

Is this what Philippians 4:4-7 tells us about
the secret to slowing time, to lingering over life?
"Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say, Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to everyone.
The Lord is near.
Do not worry about anything,
but in everything,
by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving,
let your requests be known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus."

When we are "arrested by wonder",
when we stop to rejoice with thanksgiving,
our hearts and our minds
are guarded
by the peace of God
and God's great love for us
in Christ Jesus.

Instead of time flying,
time is filled with wonder.
Life is filled with love-
the wonderful love of God!

Thank You, God, for these wonders of Your love:
65. the movement of "Bodyflow"
66. hugging a new friend
67. breathing deeply
68. meditation and relaxation
69. reaching high and bowing low
70. "cuties" (sweet, easy, little oranges)
71. Benjamin and Margaret getting the job done
72. a lunch date with Victor
73. an unexpected gift certificate
74. a tableful of laughing ladies
75. "Quesadilla Explosion"
76. the touch of a son's hand on my shoulder
77. sweeping clean
78. slice and bake cookies
79. the colorful glow of candlelight through red and blue and green glass
80. a husband who gives good gifts

With gratitude,
Sally