General Revelation

God's general revelation to man is so obvious it is sad to hear people say otherwise. In bible study this morning at church where we have begun studying Romans, we were reading about the general revelation of God as mentioned in Romans 1: 18-20 and beyond...

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

As I hear about the death of a friend or gaze out at another gorgeous Tucson sunset, I am set in awe, wonder, and thoughtfulness about life here on earth. How precious it is. How short it is. How marvelously made it is. How it all works together for God's glory, even when we don't understand what is going on.

I've taken some photos of recent rainbows, sunsets, moonsets, and such and I would like to share them here. As I gaze up into these clouds or the stars at night (hard to take pictures of those :) ), my breath almost leaves me as I think about how awesome God is! I think on His rainbow that He has set in the heavens as a continual covenant to us.....the Lord keeps His promises for all time.....He doesn't break them. Thus, we still see rainbows today. The Lord's promise of eternal life in Christ also goes unbroken. A true faith in Him gives a believer the assurance that their life is held in the palm of God's hand and no one or nothing will take them out of it.

It takes my breath away that even though God is so awesome and powerful, above all creation and the heavens, that He cares to be intimate in my life as a believer in Him, as one of His children in Christ Jesus.

I've been using a 'read-the-bible-in-a-year-plan' and got behind by about 2 months, so with 2 1/2 more months left, I'm plowing through major sections of the bible a day at a time. I'm glad I am reading this volume and in various books as I see more and more the interconnection of all of these writings. It truly is amazing that as you feed the Holy Spirit that is in you, if you are a believer in Christ, how you hunger more and more to read and know the Word. The desire builds and grows and the Fruit of the Spirit lives out in one's life.

I'm really just trying to put rambling thoughts I've had this morning together in this blog, but these are the kinds of thoughts that sustains me in the challenges that meet me. It is what helps keep a smile on my face or my spirits lifted even in trials and hearing hard news of the death of a loved one or other pain someone is going through.

I just find that I cannot complain anymore because the Lord has delivered me from the worst fate I could suffer....eternal damnation in Hell. We don't speak this frank very much to our loved ones and we need to, and soon, as we are not promised to live tomorrow as I'm reminded by hearing of yet another tragic death of a family friend. Thank the Lord Mr. Maxwell was a believer in Jesus Christ....now he is singing praises to the Lord in person and is enjoying perfect health and happiness.

I don't know if the Lord will ever grant us children to parent. I honestly don't know and feeling a bit like that is going to be the case. My natural self tends toward the 'Debbie Downer' side, but I feel like I'm being prepared to handle this reality. Maybe I'm wrong, hopefully I'm wrong.

We have come to realize we have a different view of how open things should be in an adoption than what our agency promotes. We will be meeting with the coordinators next week to get some questions answered and see if we should be working together in the future.

Other than that, life is good, Jesse and I are blessed, we are better than we deserve!