Yesterday my husband poised a question to me and I have been searching for the answer ever since. He said what does Glory mean?
Is it a place? Or is it a place of well being? Or is it a thing or person?
We hear so much about "Old Glory" which is our flag. Then you hear the term "Glory Of God", and give "God the Glory".
The following definitions are a few of what I found:
Glory is the manifestation of God's presence.
Glory is also an optical phenomenon produced by light reflected toward its source by a cloud of uniformly-sized water droplets.
Glory can be an effusion of light around a saintly person; ex: Halo
Glory also means praise, honor, bliss,& splendor.
What would your definition be of Glory?
God is glorious! What is this glory? How do we conceive of this glory? The glory of God has surely been revealed in the Bible with brightness, light, fire, and shining.
The glory of God in essence is "all that God is!" Everything about God is glorious!
His love is glorious! ---it's glorious to be loved by God.
His forgiveness is glorious --- to be washed clean from our sins by the blood of Jesus.
His grace is glorious - - While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
His righteousness is glorious.
His truth is glorious.
His purity is glorious.
His kindness is glorious.
His universe is glorious.
His Heaven is glorious.
His way is glorious.
His creation is glorious.
His Word is glorious.
Glory, glory, glory - - - every quality that is desirable is God. His glory is all that God --- His fullness. From Genesis to Revelation the unfolding of God's glory is revealed.
Think on these things
~A~
Friday, July 07, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
"Our President"
I thought this letter I received today would be something of interest to most of you.
Story by: Bruce Vincent
For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our
President, here is an excellent piece--- worth every minute it takes
to read it. This is from a man, Bruce Vincent, from Montana who
received an award from the President. He writes:
I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award
ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but the White
House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the
photo comes I'll ship it out. When you get done reading this you'll
understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle
of close friends.
Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the
President and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the
President was told that we were from Libby, Montana, I reminded him
that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm
thoughts about Governor Racicot. I have to tell you, I was blown away by two
things upon entering the office.
First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later
shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared
to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering the
atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were "Oh,
my God."
I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones. Second, the man
that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that
can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged,
disarmingly penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think
all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is
worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them
through our vote.
I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the
moment - that the person and the place could not meet the lofty
expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem
for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may
not match my 'dream.'
Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and,
standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time
while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the
mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and
initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things
with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such
things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the
First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush
chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President
Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and
faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval
Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of
the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped
around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak
marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even
stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.
After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all
relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a
friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line
of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the
President shook my hand I said, "thank you Mr. President and God bless
you and your family." He was already in motion to the next person in
line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a
piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, "Thank you
- and God bless you and yours as well."
On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on
the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I
shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure to
tell Marc hello and give him your regards."
I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, "Mr.
President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also
know you to be a man of strong faith and have a favor to ask you."
As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it."
I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in
Kalispell, Montana, having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a
great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. He
grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So
that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart
today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it."
From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with
his seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?" He then jotted
a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength
of prayer. When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the
prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an
earlier cancer and that if it is they can get it all with this surgery.
He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now.
Would you pray with me?" I told him yes and he turned to the staff
that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or
leave.
He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer."
As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was
prepared to do a traditional prayer stance - standing with each other with
heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling
gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm
on my mid back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.
He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer
for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My
body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking
God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped
away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on
his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president. I thanked him as
best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for
he and his.
As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to
tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled
and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man
that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the
Oval Office. George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read Internet
stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other
such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hope them to be true
and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I
was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate
each day - and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he
'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to
care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple
man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son, husband-to-husband,
Christian-to-Christian prayerful embrace. He's not what I had hoped he
would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.
"Pray for our President".
Story by: Bruce Vincent
For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our
President, here is an excellent piece--- worth every minute it takes
to read it. This is from a man, Bruce Vincent, from Montana who
received an award from the President. He writes:
I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award
ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but the White
House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the
photo comes I'll ship it out. When you get done reading this you'll
understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle
of close friends.
Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the
President and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the
President was told that we were from Libby, Montana, I reminded him
that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm
thoughts about Governor Racicot. I have to tell you, I was blown away by two
things upon entering the office.
First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later
shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared
to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering the
atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were "Oh,
my God."
I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones. Second, the man
that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that
can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged,
disarmingly penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think
all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is
worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them
through our vote.
I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the
moment - that the person and the place could not meet the lofty
expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem
for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may
not match my 'dream.'
Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and,
standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time
while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the
mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and
initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things
with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such
things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the
First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush
chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President
Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and
faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval
Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of
the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped
around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak
marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even
stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.
After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all
relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a
friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line
of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the
President shook my hand I said, "thank you Mr. President and God bless
you and your family." He was already in motion to the next person in
line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a
piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, "Thank you
- and God bless you and yours as well."
On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on
the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I
shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure to
tell Marc hello and give him your regards."
I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, "Mr.
President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also
know you to be a man of strong faith and have a favor to ask you."
As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it."
I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in
Kalispell, Montana, having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a
great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. He
grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So
that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart
today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it."
From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with
his seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?" He then jotted
a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength
of prayer. When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the
prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an
earlier cancer and that if it is they can get it all with this surgery.
He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now.
Would you pray with me?" I told him yes and he turned to the staff
that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or
leave.
He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer."
As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was
prepared to do a traditional prayer stance - standing with each other with
heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling
gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm
on my mid back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.
He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer
for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My
body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking
God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped
away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on
his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president. I thanked him as
best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for
he and his.
As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to
tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled
and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man
that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the
Oval Office. George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read Internet
stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other
such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hope them to be true
and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I
was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate
each day - and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he
'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to
care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple
man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son, husband-to-husband,
Christian-to-Christian prayerful embrace. He's not what I had hoped he
would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.
"Pray for our President".
Monday, July 03, 2006
"Family Matters"
Yes, I know I haven't blogged on here in a year. I was pretty addicted to Xanga but have found I just don't read those blogs like I use to.
I love the family "feel" here and hope to gain some family friends of my own.
My 3 grandchildren from Miami are here for about a month or longer. Its been two weeks today.... whew are they a hand full and do I ever feel old. I have decided I don't care what my house looks like or I look like as long as I am doing something with the kids or watching them do something. Its been so hot they haven't wanted to ride their 4 wheelers as much because of all the "gear" their Dad makes them put on. ( He is a little "anal" about things like that!) If they were my children they could go with the helmet and that'd be great but their not and I have to follow some rules. But I don't hear myself saying, "not right now, or just wait a minute". Its, "okay, lets do that now" or "how about we do this instead?" My laundry room is full of 4 wheeler gear and shoes of all sizes and the hampers are full. I can't believe how many clothes these little people wear!!! I have two guest rooms but right now one is a play room and one is the "sleeping room". I don't think I have made a bed since they have been here!! Its just fun, fun, fun.!!
Isn't that what we want from our heavenly Father?? Love, attention and to have him listen to us right now and not in a few minutes or wait till I get time or I just can't do it now. Or my favorite, I promise you we will, but just not right now! My earthly Father was always there for me too and he always knew when I needed him or just needed to talk or to have a hug. He was the best Dad anyone could ever have. He was so loving and kind and full of joy, I think thats why I have such a great feeling toward God. I fear Him out of respect but I love him for the the pure fact he loves me and I know it!!! I want my grandchildren to know the love that I had as a child and an adultand more than that I want them to know and feel the love of God. I just wish my Dad were here to enjoy them with us. He would have been right in the middle of all of it. Enjoy your parents and your grandchildren while you still can, we never know what tomorrow holds!!
I love the family "feel" here and hope to gain some family friends of my own.
My 3 grandchildren from Miami are here for about a month or longer. Its been two weeks today.... whew are they a hand full and do I ever feel old. I have decided I don't care what my house looks like or I look like as long as I am doing something with the kids or watching them do something. Its been so hot they haven't wanted to ride their 4 wheelers as much because of all the "gear" their Dad makes them put on. ( He is a little "anal" about things like that!) If they were my children they could go with the helmet and that'd be great but their not and I have to follow some rules. But I don't hear myself saying, "not right now, or just wait a minute". Its, "okay, lets do that now" or "how about we do this instead?" My laundry room is full of 4 wheeler gear and shoes of all sizes and the hampers are full. I can't believe how many clothes these little people wear!!! I have two guest rooms but right now one is a play room and one is the "sleeping room". I don't think I have made a bed since they have been here!! Its just fun, fun, fun.!!
Isn't that what we want from our heavenly Father?? Love, attention and to have him listen to us right now and not in a few minutes or wait till I get time or I just can't do it now. Or my favorite, I promise you we will, but just not right now! My earthly Father was always there for me too and he always knew when I needed him or just needed to talk or to have a hug. He was the best Dad anyone could ever have. He was so loving and kind and full of joy, I think thats why I have such a great feeling toward God. I fear Him out of respect but I love him for the the pure fact he loves me and I know it!!! I want my grandchildren to know the love that I had as a child and an adultand more than that I want them to know and feel the love of God. I just wish my Dad were here to enjoy them with us. He would have been right in the middle of all of it. Enjoy your parents and your grandchildren while you still can, we never know what tomorrow holds!!
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