When we see God, the awe and wonder of the experience changes us, and we slowly become windows through which other people have their own God sightings.

Another year passed without seeing the Perseid meteor shower. Every year, I make an effort to see this cosmic display, and cloud cover obscures my view. It was over two decades ago that I saw them while working at a children’s ministry camp. The experience was breathtaking, and I keep waiting to see their beauty once again. I could just give up, but then I would settle for never seeing them again. Even though I cannot see them, I know they are there. So, I continue to look, trusting that one night, the skies will be clear and I can have another experience with them.

The Psalmist was captivated by the heavens as well. He wrote, “You have set your glory in the heavens,” and that revelation humbled him. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” he reflected, and then went on to declare the praises of God. His revelation continues to impact millions of people today.

God sightings are worth the effort and the time, because revelation makes a difference. It gives us fresh eyes to see ourselves and the world. Through the lens of God, we capture a better vision of God, understand ourselves better, and see others as God sees them. Sometimes, our vision is clouded, but that doesn’t mean that we stop looking. God loves revelation, and our persistence pays off in the end.

There are many things that can cloud our view of God, but one of the greatest culprits is us. We get in our own way through our choices and mindsets, and we obscure our own vision. It can be that we narrow our expectations of where such revelation will come, certain that we know how and where God will show up. It can be an untrue belief that God will not give us revelation. It can even come from the frenetic pace we choose to embrace, that keeps us from looking in the first place.

Recently, I took some vacation time with my wife. I was so excited to get away, and I couldn’t wait to reach our destination so that our vacation could begin. Of course, our vacation began as we pulled away from our home, but I was focused on our destination. I confess, I am too often, destination driven, and in my focus on my perception of the goal, I can miss what is right in front of me. When my GPS took me on an unexpected route, you can imagine my challenge as we passed through a long series of small towns, instead of being on the highway like I hoped. As the trip progressed, I wrestled with a lot of inner frustration, and kept looking for the fastest way to get where we were going.

My wife does not share my passion for destination. She is much better at living in the moment and appreciating where she is at the time. As I drove with purpose to shave a few more minutes off the trip, she was actively celebrating all of the new things she was able to see. I lamented the trip we were taking, while she kept pointing out beautiful homes, and the quaint communities passed through. When I mentioned the disparity between our thinking, she replied, “I am having such a great time! I am with you, and I am seeing all of these wonderful things I never saw before.” I was humbled to say the least, and I began to try to see our trip through her eyes.

Sometimes, we need a guide to help us see. Just as my wife helped to remove my own blindness to the blessings around me, the Psalmist, and others, show us the God sightings we are missing. God loves revelation because it gives us a better understanding of who God is, and deepens our relationship with him. As our eyes are opened, we see God more clearly, and the more we see, the more we train our spiritual eyes to see. One God sighting leads to another. Before long, we begin to see God everywhere.

So, today, lets agree together to let God guide us, through the Scripture, through others, or through whatever means God has for us, so that we can see the revelation of God that is right before us. If our vision is clouded, lets keep looking, for the revelation is there waiting to be discovered. If we keep looking, our persistence will be rewarded. We will see God and we will be changed. Then, like my wife did for me, we can help others see what they are missing. May today be filled with God sightings for us all!

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“Remember, I am with you always” – Matthew 28:20

Today, is a good day! It’s not a holiday, or a family celebration, and I have idea what it will bring. So far, the morning included a shower, breakfast, and some coffee, but I know it is a good day. You may wonder how I know and the answer is simple, Jesus is with me.

It is all too easy to let the external circumstances of our lives dictate our feelings and beliefs. We are often encouraged to believe that the quality of a day is based upon what is, or will be, happening. However, that is not the true test. There is something (someone) greater at work in the moments of our lives that matters far more than our schedules, our successes, or our obstacles.

On one of our international mission trips, I sat with a woman from the local area. It was clear that poverty was pervasive there, and there were numerous needs for everyone in the community. It was also obvious that the people were filled with great love and joy. I confess I was a little dumbfounded by the juxtaposition of those two realities, and apparently, it showed. My new friend looked at me and said, “You don’t get it do you?” I confessed that she was right. With that her smile grew and she replied, “We have everything, because we have Jesus!”

Life is full of challenges, numerous things that work to steal our joy, yet those things are not the final word. That privilege belongs to the one who says, “Behold, I make all things new.” Our creative God, who speaks things into existence, calls forth each day, and calls the creation “good,” promised, though Jesus, to be with us always.

So, as this day begins, it is not how we feel, or what awaits us that determines if this will be a good or bad day. Rather, it is the One who breathed into us the breath of life and is with us always that declares the goodness of today.

Today, is a good day, because, through Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit, God is with us. With that knowledge, we can all go forth and see the day for what it truly is.

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Watching nature transition from the luscious life of summer to the vibrant beauty of autumn, it is hard to miss that a deeper beauty is revealed in the process of letting go. As the nourishing light begins to diminish, trees struggle to keep their foliage, but even as they lose the battle again, a palate of colors is revealed. Each day loses more sunlight, but that light becomes more dramatic at the same time. Even the composting leaves and grass become richness for the future.

Too often, as we face obstacles in our lives we lose sight of what is on the other side of the challenge. Lost in the drama of the moment, we miss what beautiful thing is being created in us. The test we face is producing a testimony that will bring light to dark spaces and color the gray places.

I do not believe that God causes evil in our lives, but from the painful moments, God can create something wonderful. During an especially difficult time in my life, I shared my challenges with a dear friend. As I poured out the issues before me, he replied, “Just remember, God does his best work in chaos.”

What a wonderful truth. The biblical story even begins there, as the Spirit hovers over the chaos and God says, “Let there be.” In a moment, at the word of God, the disorder begins to take on the order and the beauty of creation. As the story goes on, we find places where Israel’s chaotic experience becomes the setting for God’s recreation. We read of people, great and small, who God leads out of their challenges to new beginnings. Even in the death and resurrection of Jesus we see God redeeming darkness and death to bring forth light and life, and the promise of his future return is the expectation of the ultimate re-creation.

The difficult places of life are never enjoyable and they can feel like they have no end, but God, who declares the end from the beginning, not only sees where our challenges are taking us, but is personally invested in seeing that we get there. When things get tough, it is easy to throw our hands up, sit down and give up, but that is precisely the time when we need to press into God, draw strength from the Spirit and push through the dark valley to the hidden beauty beyond.

Whatever you are facing today, God is more than big enough, more than able to redeem it by using the tough moments to reveal the hidden beauty within you. Have patience. Have hope. The God of all creation is with you, loves you and is speaking words of creation over your life even now.

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I expected to gain some understanding of artistic design, painting tools and watercolor techniques. What I did not expect included learning to see with new eyes and insights into living in the moment. The instructor repeatedly mentioned that taking this class would change the way we saw the world around us. From his perspective, becoming a student of art ultimately leads to asking of the things we see in our lives, “How can I paint that?” The answer involves more than color choices and techniques, it also involves truly observing what we see.

A classic example happened during a recent class on painting trees. As we began to paint the trunks and limbs, our teacher asked, “what color should we use?” Of course, we responded with browns and grays. His suggestion, “begin with blue.” I was sure I’d never seen a blue tree trunk, but I was patient. By the time the class was over, our blue tree trunks looked more realistic than I imagined possible. Since then, as I observed the trees around me, I’ve seen a number of blue tree trunks and a number of colors I never knew were there.

Attentiveness to life is a gift. Not only do we see surprising colors and details we never noticed, but our eyes are opened to life that is all around us. The great diversity of creations begins to unfold before us and some of the simplest, most common things become awe-inspiring wonders.

Similar discoveries await us in our emotional, relational and spiritual worlds as well. When we pause long enough to truly see and when we are willing to retrain our senses, a world of fantastic wonders open to us, filled with great diversity, new discoveries and unimaginable inspiration.

I love living with my new eyes on the world. I invite you to join me as you take the time to open yours to what is around you as well.

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This morning, I was in the office commiserating with someone who shared my sense that it just did not feel like Christmas. Sure, many of our presents are already purchased, and yes, the carols have been playing in the stores and in our car. There is even plenty of snow on the ground and more falling even now. In so many ways, the signs of the season are all around, yet, I still wasn’t feeling like it was Christmas.

I was blaming it on a busy November and the exhaustion that followed. There are still many preparations left to address, and programs to attend. Both factors only served to obscure my experience of Christmas even more.

Tonight, included one more activity to fit into a over-full schedule. My youngest daughter was performing in her last High School Christmas Concert. I was excited to support her, and a little melancholy about this season of school concerts coming to an end. I knew it would be fun to be there, but I really did not want one more thing to attend. I drove to the school with my wife and daughter, hoping that the concert would not go too late.

My daughter did a great job, along with the rest of her choral ensemble. The other groups also did a great job. It was clear they preparation was paying off and I was enjoying the concert.

Then, it happened, the final group entered the auditorium singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” The tune they chose was a form of Gregorian Chant and its power was very moving. I felt my heart begin to warm. A few more pieces and I was captivated. As the last selection began, in a moment I never expected, Christmas found me. There standing in the fourth row center, savoring the choir and the orchestra as they performed the, “Alleluia Chorus,” I was overtaken by the power, wonder and awe of the season. Suddenly, it was Christmas in my heart. With a smile on my face and tears in my eyes, the joy of the season flooded over me. It was wonderful.

Just when I though the concert was over there was a final surprise. All of the choirs returned, surrounded the audience and, as the lights dimmed, sang, “Silent Night.” it was the perfect ending to the concert, and the perfect beginning of my Christmas season. Who knew it would be a High School choral concert that would open my heart to God’s great message of Christmas this year?

So, where will you be when Christmas finds you; when God captures your attention afresh and inspires your spirit to soar in the season? What unexpected ways is the Holy Spirit using in your life to speak joy, love and life to you? Are you willing to be ready to receive the gift wherever, and however, it may arrive? This may be your chance to enter in and begin to experience the beauty and wonder of this holy season. May you be richly blessed as Christmas finds you this year.

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I find that art is a powerful tool for the contemplative life. It helps us to appreciate these pieces of beauty wherever they may be found and trains our senses to actively look for them. When we begin to appreciate such things, we find the world of creative wonder designed by the ultimate Artist.

I am currently rereading a book on creative writing designed on helping the aspiring poet develop their senses and their attentiveness to the world around them. One of the assignments is to go outside, turn over a rock and list three things you are surprised to find. While I have not yet turned over a physical rock, I have been turning things over in my mind. I wondered what I would see under the rock, would there be anything I did not expect? Could I heighten my senses to see what I so easily miss?

It is a good question, not only for me, but for all of us who seek to appreciate the beauty of God in the world around us. It is the heart of contemplation and appreciation, of thankfulness and wonder. To look deeply, beyond our expectations and assumptions, is to open our minds and our spirits to something more amazing that we first thought.

I intend to turn over some rocks, physical and personal. I cannot wait to see what treasures and surprises await me. Maybe, in the busyness of this time of year, you would join me in looking for the hidden wonders and opening your heart to the beauty of God that is all around us. May we be blessed on our question to behold the beautiful things of God.

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On Monday, July 25, 1984, I purchased a new journal and that evening I made my first entry. I was awed by an amazing electrical storm that took place as I drove home from the city that evening. Reflecting on the event, I wrote, “The highlight of the trip was a spectacular light show that we watched as we followed a major storm home from the city. We were entertained by this natural wonder for nearly two hours. It was a marvelous display of beauty and power. What an image of God.”

That experience sent me on a quest to be more attentive to the “little things” around me, things that often go unnoticed, or become the source of aggravation rather than inspiration. I realized that I often missed great opportunities to learn, grow, and experience because I was too busy, or blind to see. I wanted to view the world with new eyes that recognized the meaning and the feeling hidden in events, places and things.

My quest did not disappoint me. Two days later, I returned from a Finance Committee meeting to find an orphaned bird sleeping in a ball. It was curled up on a dirt pile next to our garage. If I had not been looking, I would never have noticed. In the morning, I looked again, only now the young bird was joined by another just like it. Neither of my new avian friends seemed able to care for themselves. I was humbled, wishing I do something to help these tender creatures, but I did not know where to begin. I even said a little prayer for them and in that moment my mind flooded with images of the God who’s “eye is on the sparrow.” That night, my journal read, “I am glad that the God I serve is even concerned about that little bird in my driveway. I pray that I might know that level of compassion for the world.” In contrast to the powerful image of Monday night’s storm, I now saw the expression of nurturing care.

We easily fill our lives so full, that there is little time to see the “little things.” Yet, it is often those overlooked experiences that can be the most rewarding. In them God is present in unique and special ways that do not shout for our attention. Instead, they invite us to know and experience more of His creativity and love, and then they way for us to respond.

We should be encouraged to look for the hidden moments with God, to keep our heart’s eyes open to God’s presence in the world and in our life. When we do, we begin to see the hand of God in the thunderstorm, the bird, and ourselves. Then we are able to give thanks for these gifts of God and the way they point us toward the Giver.

Even now, as I reflect on those events, I am awed once again by God’s attention to detail. I remind myself often that it is amazing what you can learn from a thunderstorm and two little birds in your driveway?

“What happened to the two birds?” you ask. One week later they flew away, without my help.

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It is easy to take such things for granted. We experience them every year and our attention is often on making preparations for the upcoming winter. Nevertheless, the rich blessing of God’s autumn art surrounds us, pointing to a God of infinite creativity and beauty.

Creation did not need to be designed with such beauty. Leaves could simply dry up, turn ugly and fall to the ground. Their decay could be putrid and offensive. Fall evenings could be overcast, dark and damp. It was not necessary that this season be marked with such wonder, but through the sights, sounds and smells of this season, God demonstrates his character.

I must confess that this is my favorite season. Yes, I look forward to winter and snow. It is part of why I chose to live in Western New York. I also love the warmth and joys of summer, and who could not appreciate the freshness of spring as life comes forth once again. However, if I had to pick a favorite time of year, it would be the fall. I love crisp nights, the sights and smells, the pleasure of apple cider and playing in the leaves. I love watching the dark clouds set against the bright sky, especially when rays of sunlight break through like beams connecting earth to heaven, and the golden linings on those clouds are stunning. With every new day, there are opportunities to enjoy the season’s beauty and to give thanks to God.

Throughout the Psalms, the psalmist finds reasons to praise God for the beauty and wonder of creation. He wonders aloud at how marvelous God’s works are and reflects on his place in such a beautiful and wonderful universe. In the face of the sun, moon and stars comes the affirmation of God’s creativity and provision. In the diversity of animals, birds and fish is expressed the limitless imagination of the Holy One. In the predictability of each day and the consistency of the changing seasons the God of order is displayed. Everywhere the writer looks, there is a testimony to the Creator.

Like the psalmist, you and I have an opportunity every day to see God. There are God sightings all around us, often too many to remember and record, but when we are attentive to what creation is saying, we begin to understand just what it means to have even, “the rocks cry out.” At times, like the autumn season, the testimony of creation is more evident. At other times, we may have to be more attentive and look more deeply, but at all times, there is evidence of the wonder, beauty and majesty of God. Everywhere we look, the is the opportunity to see God’s nature revealed in nature and God’s creativity to be seen in Creation.

May this new season awaken your senses to beauty and wonder and may it stir your spirit to sense the presence of God. May you receive the gift offered to you this autumn and may you too declare the glories of God in your thoughts, words and deeds. Together we can join with all creation in giving praise to God.

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One of the people I follow on Facebook posted this quote a few days ago and although he and I approach the issue of faith from different perspectives, I think we both find great resonance with Sagan’s point.

All too often, the Christian community seems to create a conflicted relationship with science, as if the two live in opposition to each other, but are they? Certainly, the Christian world-view impacts the way we understand the insight science yields, but shouldn’t our beliefs be strengthened by those same insights?

On a recent trip to the Museum of Science, I was profoundly struck by the awesome power and creativity of God. The astronomy section reminded me of the vastness of God and of creation. The biology displays proclaimed the tremendous diversity of God’s creativity. Even the geology section pointed to God’s ability to make rocks declare his majesty. Everywhere I looked there were testimonies to the quote, “God must be even greater than we dreamed.”

J. B. Phillips asked the same question Sagan asked from a decidedly Christian perspective in his classic book, Your God is Too Small. The Christian mystics throughout the centuries have also borne witness to a God who is far bigger that we ever imagined. Our God is the One who is able to do, “immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Today, open your eyes to the greatness of God. Everywhere you look there are opportunities to see. The plants, grasses and trees that make up your yard declare the greatness of God. The butterflies, honeybees and birds declare the greatness of God. Dogs, cats and livestock declare the greatness of God, as does the great diversity of humanity. Everywhere we look, from the foundations of the earth to the vastness of the heavens, the glory, wonder, awe and majesty of God are there to be seen.

Don’t settle for a small God. Open your eyes and see the amazing wonder he reveals.

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