Tag: praise

Overflowing Joy

On By Charis PsalloIn Music, Photography2 Comments

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I like Mary, the Mother of Jesus. I honour her and call her blessed.

Her response to receiving a promise beyond all imagination was to allow the joy within her to overflow in the beautiful prophetic poem recorded in Luke.

Once the “how” was explained to her she said simply, “Yes. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” No argument, no self-deprecating false humility, no skepticism. Just yes.

Many composers have set her words to music. Bach wrote this song (often called The Magnificat) using the phrase, Et exultant spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo  -and  my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

That same chapter records the account of her cousin Elizabeth’s miracle story of conceiving and giving birth to a huge promise as well.

It makes me wonder what Mary’s and Elizabeth’s mutual grandmother must have been like. There’s a person I can’t wait to meet.

One Grace After Another

On By Charis PsalloIn Flowers7 Comments

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For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. (John 1:16 Amplified)

Dazzlingly

On By Charis PsalloIn Art, Flowers2 Comments

 

Daffodils impasto

“God made you to love him supremely, but he lost you. He returned to get you back, but it took the cross to do it. He absorbed your darkness so that one day you can finally and dazzlingly become your true self and take your seat at his eternal feast.”
―Timothy Keller

 

A New Day Dawning

On By Charis PsalloIn Photography6 Comments

IMG_8108 moon clouds

 

A first day of the week song of praise, “Forever” by Kari Jobe

 

 

IMG_7459 clouds over Mt. Baker

 

 

 

break through clouds

 

 

 

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bird silhouette pink clouds ch

 

 

 

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prairie dawn vertical IMG_5060

 

 

 

IMG_2377 steeples sun stripe

 

 

 

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sunflower forest ch

 

 

 

DSC_0021 looking up yellow flowers

 

 

 

My beautiful picture

 

 

 

 

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Double Flowering

On By Charis PsalloIn Art, Flowers5 Comments

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You are my God, and I give You thanks;
You are my God, and I praise You.
Give thanks to our Eternal Lord; He is always good.
He never ceases to be loving and kind.
(Psalm 118:28,29 The Voice)

Away With Sorrow

On By Charis PsalloIn Flowers, Mountains6 Comments

Eager Hill May IMG_9192
I look forward to this week here in the mountains. The sunflowers are in bloom on Eager Hill. The minor surgery I had last week has knocked the stuffings out of me a bit, but taking the climb slowly allowed me to appreciate the scents and sounds and changing light as spring showers shifted through the sky. I took frequent breaks and simply breathed in joy.

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Mein gläubiges Herze,
Frohlocke, sing, scherze,
Dein Jesus ist da!
Weg Jammer, weg Klagen,
Ich will euch nur sagen:
Mein Jesus ist nah.

My faithful heart,
delight, sing, play,
your Jesus is here!
Away with sorrow, away with lamenting,
I will only say to you:
my Jesus is near.
-J.S. Bach

IMG_9070 Eager Hill May

Release your heart’s joy in sweet music to the Eternal.
    When the upright passionately sing glory-filled songs to Him, everything is in its right place.
Worship the Eternal with your instruments, strings offering their praise;
    write awe-filled songs to Him on the 10-stringed harp.
Sing to Him a new song;
    play each the best way you can,
    and don’t be afraid to be bold with your joyful feelings.

 For the word of the Eternal is perfect and true;
    His actions are always faithful and right.
 He loves virtue and equity;
    the Eternal’s love fills the whole earth.

(Psalm 33:1-5)

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I’ll Recognize the Sound of Your Voice

On By Charis PsalloIn Mountains, Sky, Water4 Comments

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I’m homesick, God, for your salvation;

I love it when you show yourself!

Invigorate my soul so I can praise you well,

use your decrees to put iron in my soul.

And should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me!

I’ll recognize the sound of your voice.

(Psalm 119:174-176  The Message)

Done!

On By Charis PsalloIn Photography, Sky2 Comments

near Longview

He who was seated on the throne said,

“I am making everything new!”

Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

He said to me: “It is done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the Beginning and the End.

To the thirsty I will give water

without cost

from the spring of the water of life.

Those who are victorious will inherit all this,

and I will be their God and they will be my children.

(Revelation 21:5-7)

Christ is Risen!

Brooding

On By Charis PsalloIn Art4 Comments

1Holy Spirit brooding ch

This is another quick painting from an evening of worship art. I call it “Brooding.”

Sometimes we are not privy to what God is doing. Sometimes the seed deep in the earth, or the new life in the egg stirs when we are unaware of its existance.  One translation of the creation story talks about the Spirit of God brooding over the chaos that He was to  transform by His Word.

It can feel like a very long time between the darkness of the Day of Crucifixion until the light of the Day of Resurrection. This is the time of perseverance. This is the time of clinging by faith to the promises of God.

This is the time when we strain our ears in the silence for the sound of the Spirit taking a breath before he begins to blow  life into that which appears dormant.

The hours, days, years, decades between promise and fulfillment is the time, when in agony of disappointment in our own sense of timing, and stretched beyond what we ever thought we could endure, that we choose to walk by faith and not by sight.

This is the hour we stand, and stand some more and, when we have weakened, rise to stand again and sing, “I trust in Your faithful Love.”

How long, O Eternal One?

How long will You forget me? Forever?
How long will You look the other way?
How long must I agonize,
grieving Your absence in my heart every day?
How long will You let my enemies win

Turn back; respond to me, O Eternal, my True God!
Put the spark of life in my eyes, or I’m dead.
My enemies will boast they have beaten me;
my foes will celebrate that I have stumbled.

But I trust in Your faithful love;
my heart leaps at the thought of imminent deliverance by You.
I will sing to the Eternal,
for He is always generous with me.

(Psalm 13 The Voice)