A Root Out Of The Ground

Many times I wonder, why things just stop me as I walk? Why do they move me to take a picture? Why, when it seems there’s no reason, no purpose, no clue, yet the sight hollers at my heart?

I’ve learned to take the picture anyway. The reason, the purpose, the meaning will come. And when one of these or all three flow to me, I will then ask the Lord to guide me to the picture to express what is bubbling within me.

At other times it’s the picture which jumps from the collection of photos and it moves me to write a phrase or two.

There’s something beyond my understanding that tugs at my spirit and connects me with the picture then words begin to flow from somewhere in my soul.

Even though I know this, I still wondered why the root of this tree stood out to me. It seemed like a toenail of giant beast. What’s so appealing about it? Why was I moved to take a picture? Who, if anyone, would find it pleasing to look at?

I ask God why did He lead me to take this picture? What’s the message that I need to hear? What do I need to write regarding this idea of an exposed root? Is there a verse to point me to a truth?

God never fails. He never fails to lead me to an answer. Never!

Isaiah 53:2

“He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of the ground.”

What I read left me in awe. I knew whom the verse described. I knew who the words were about. It was my Lord. My Savior. I love how God answers.

So I read the rest of verse.

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”

I was blown away by what I read. Because that’s how I felt regarding the picture of the root when I took it. I honestly didn’t find it attractive at all. I told the Lord. I see no reason or beauty or uniqueness that makes this root stand out. But I will obey. I quickly took the picture and walk away.

Something tickled my interest after I took several steps away from the root. I turned around and took the picture of the mossy roots which led to the tree. I did find the roots intriguing. I knew something interesting will come from that photo.

Wanting to understand where the Lord was leading me with this post, I went and read more of Isaiah 53.

Verse 3

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

God in a manner of speaking, unearth his Son slowly to man’s heart. In time, he revealed his heart to those who needed compassion, answers, meaning and guidance. He sent his Son as a lowly person not as a high branch from a towering tree.

Jesus came to us with a humility of understanding rejection, sorrow, loneliness. People stumbled of who He really was, for they were expecting a king. Jesus began to build his roots in peoples hearts with the lowly and grew into other hearts

He became the tree of life pointing to the one and only true God, His Heavenly Father, our Heavenly Father.

Just like these exposed roots reveal their source, the giant evergreen tree, so did Jesus Christ reveal the source of whom sent Him.

Jesus came with a great message that brought physical, emotional and spiritual healing. And He still has that power today through His Holy Spirit.

Like an evergreen tree, Christ will forever be with us. Therefore, let’s not reject, despite or deny Him today. Together in heart, in worship, in sharing let’s esteem him every day of our life.

From an unattractive root on my walk, I am reminded that God never waist a thing. All things have a purpose. They’re there to point to a greater truth. Let’s be the source for others and point them to the truth of a forgiving Love.

I will continue to listen and obey to what moves me and stops me to take pictures. For I know a purpose from a Higher Power has a reason for its existence.

They’re there to point all of us to the source of our existence, the existence of God.

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My Daughter’s Roses

Cees-photo-challenges-flower-of-the-day-fotd #photography Close-up flowers Cee’s Fun Photo Challenge ~ Beauty On The Ordinary

Individual petals

Soft like silk

One before the other

Carefully placed

Revealing detailed

Characteristics as

Colored petal tips

Bleed inwardly

Framing each

Developed rose

While their center

Glow with warmth

Like the high noon sun

On an late summer day

Their essences spread

An unspoken invitation

Come close and smell

What no one can ever see

Enjoy my fragrance and beauty

Before fall comes and I must sleep

© 2022 Lidia Hu

Emboldened by The Lord

EMBOLDENED BY THE LORD

“I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.”
Psalm 138:1-3

Embolden – to give someone courage or confidence to behave a certain way

My sweet Lord
I’ll praise you
All day long
With all my heart
For all you’ve done
Before man
Or any god

My loving Lord
I’ll sing of
Your praises
From the depths
Of my soul
Before man
Or any god

My forever Lord
I’ll bow down
With all my being
Praising your name
Before your throne
Before man
Or any god

After I praise you
After I sing of you
After I bow down
I then will dance
Out of gratitude
And love
Before man
Or any God

Your unfailing love
Your faithfulness 
Your forgiveness 
Your healing
Your comfort
Your mercy
Your grace
Are forever

You are
Exalted
Dignified
Sanctified
You’ve 
Surpassed
Your fame

With all your
Glorious deity
You lower
Your heart
To me and
When I call
You always
Answer me

You my Lord
My loving Lord
You and 
No man
Or any god
You alone
Lavishly
Embolden
My heart

Lord, I will 
praise you 
With all 
My heart, 
My soul, 
My being, 
All the days 
I shall live

A Strip Of Beauty Gives A Sense of Purpose

A STRIP OF BEAUTY GIVES ME A SENSE OF PURPOSE Life circumstances caused my husband to a go to a place he only dreamed about.  While my husband planned details, God prepared the way unknowing to the both of us.

I, personally, didn’t want to do anything with Anchorage Alaska. But, God knew what would be good for me. He knew how the beauty of this place would give me a sense of purpose which I didn’t hav

My husband and I wouldn’t be exploring such beauty without the hardships we faced. Troubles push us to move instead of sitting still, physically speaking. While Chester likes to work out, I love to roam among Alaska’s wilderness.

Nature lifts my spirit when troubles come my may and try to pin me down with distress, worry and hopelessness. As soon as I step out in the grand outdoors of Alaska, my chest seems to open and the pressure of my emotions escape.

Seeing how everything in nature has a cycle, hope refills my heart and I can return home, knowing that the present troubles of living life will soon pass.

In the mean time, I will show you what catches my eyes and wr write my thoughts. But without my family, friends and faith I would not be able to get out and taste the goodness of each day.

This strip of a photo is a part of a picture I took. This part lifted my sight away from what life brought my way. There I focused on God and how His Holy Spirit reveals the good from the bad.

Because of my faith and what I’ve experience, I know without a doubt that God is watching over my family, Chester and me. Without Him, I wouldn’t be here and breathing in such beauty. Which I so desire to share it with you.

Below is the whole picture I took the strip from, plus a few other’s from our Sunday drive.

Have a joy filled day and God bless you

Woke-up Apprehensive

Lord, calm my troubled spirit.

Apprehension woke me. Why? I had no clue.

When my spirit sends alarming signals before my brain fully awakes, panic usually follows. Worry sketched out memories of past hurts, disappoints or troubled times. Like a bulging suitcase, those experiences erupted screams in my head, causing a migraine. Before I knew it, they run rampant like rudely, undisciplined children. Past disasters resurrected, wracking my morning with darkness. I didn’t want to face the day.

In a prayer, I sent and SOS to the Lord before worry dresses my heart with apprehension. But panic opened the gate and I began to wonder, what have I forgotten to take care, which child is facing hardships, or will an  old issue poke its head to destroy the peace and joy I have?

I wondered, why was my spirit troubled?

Then I asked the Lord, “What should I have done to prevent this unsettling feeling within me? Would being more watchful over my self instead of others, praying instead of playing, listening instead of photographing nature, time meditating instead of social media?

Something within me said, you should have been more astute. Astute, is not a word I use. I knew it was the Holy Spirit talking. I looked up the word, for I really didn’t know what it ment.

Then I heard, “Prepare yourself for the turbulence that’s coming.”

I asked, ” Lord, is this message from you?”

A confirming feeling came over me. Then, I knew why my soul was troubled.

The unpacked past issues came to mind again. I couldn’t stop them from painting their sketched images and adding a new possible scenario. Once, I sat down to journal the annoying voices were hushed away.

I was thankful, my Lord warned me or else apprehension would have come along and chained me with the heaviness of fear and the cloud of confusion.

A question entered my mind, is this really from God?

I stopped writing, I prayed, if this message is from you Lord, keep me astute, Then I will be watchful and ask you to help me when worry, apprehension, anxiety, confusion and fear crowd to enter my mind and fall into my heart. Please don’t allow me to become crippled by these hindrances and enslave me again.

After my prayer, my room became brighter as if the sky became bluer and the morning sun shined bright into the space I sat. Yet, the light gray blanket of clouds covered the sky and blocked the sun. Then I felt a warmth, much like the sun in summer landing on my back.

I told myself, if God permitted this disturbance to come my way today for my growth. Then I reminded myself of who held me, Jesus, He will protect and guide me as I lived on. Then the Holy Spirit led me to the verse in Philippians 2:13  “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Today, May 6, I remind myself, trust God’s process, remain faithful and give no room for doubt or fear to reign. As soon as they show their presence, run to Jesus for help.

Fear was a god in my life, who I would obey without me realizing it. I listened and reacted to its triggers. But now those triggers send me to Jesus.

REVELATION LIGHT“Whatever the revelation-light exposes, it will also correct, and everything that reveals truth is light to the soul. This is why the Scripture says, “Arise, you sleeper! Rise up from your coffin and the Anointed One will shine his light into you!” Ephesians 5:13-14 (The Passion Translation)

~ ~ ~

Three questions for us:

What is our current position of our heart, our mind, our will?

Where do we find ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically?

Whose light is shining into our thoughts, our choices, and our actions?

There are three things we need to do according to the verses above:

One is to arise. In this passage the verb, arise, can mean to get up or get going. Some of us need to get up from where we are sitting and waiting. While others need get moving from where we are standing just looking around. Then, there are those who need to be awaken and get out of where they are laying.

Second one needs to wake-up or else we may not know where we are. Warning, we need to be aware of our position. Don’t allow self to deceived us. We may be partially in the coffin. We may be sitting in it. We maybe standing in it. We still yet to set ourselves completely out of its barriers.

Third, let’s make sure we are out and faraway from our coffin. We need to check daily if any part of us went back to sleep in the coffin. In other words, which part of our heart has died again, letting go of the Lord’s resurrecting spiritual life. Or maybe, the newness that come from our Lord has not touched this part of who we are.

Why? What are we afraid of? Is it exposure to God’s revelation light because of our shame, our embracement, our guilt? Or is it plainly out of our stubbornness of not wanting to get rid of that we enjoy, even though it saddens our Lord’s heart and separates us from God?

Even though our Lord’s light exposes it also reveals truths about ourselves and how God, our heavenly Father thinks of us and how he sees us in Christ. Let’s trust God ‘s word that He knows what is best for our all-around well-being, our hearts, our minds, our will, our spirit, our body.

Can we hear to the advice in the verses above? Let’s arise, be awakened, get out of the coffin. Why? Because our Lord, the Anointed One, wants to shine through us. Let’s keep the coffin out of the way of our Savior and receive His Revelation Light to see clearly.

Then with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can encourage and guide others in these dark, confusing, and misleading times.

Yahweh Conquers Valiantly For Us

YAHWEH CONQUERS VALIANTLY FOR US

“The joyful songs I now sing will be sung again
in the hearts and homes of all your lovers.
My loud shouts of victory will echo throughout the land.

For Yahweh’s right hand conquers valiantly!
The right hand of Yahweh exalts!
The right hand of Yahweh will never fail.

You will not let them kill me, but I will live to tell the world what the Lord has done for me.” Psalms 118:15-17 TPT

At the end of the day, when fatigue, apprehensiveness and maybe even hopelessness come like dark clouds ready to pour a storm in our mind and into our heart of mistrust and unbelief, SING a song.

Sing the words of this psalm.
“Yahweh’s right hand conquers valiantly!
The right hand of Yahweh exalts.
The right hand of Yahweh will never fail.”

Then make these words the chorus of your daily living; “His constant, tender love lasts forever!”

Repeat this truth, this fact, this hope until you fall asleep.

When you wake and the storm remains, may the hope of the Lord give you a step to dance of what is yet to unfold, His Victory.

Then call someone, text someone, send a message, encourage others, for we will persevere.

If it’s difficult for you to see the Victory, then take time to revisit how other believers in their great evil trials endured, held on and stood firm.

May the good Lord, Yahweh, give you endurance during this quarantine with stories of His goodness.

May your words reflect the light of Hope for others to visualize the new norm. Ultimately see how the mighty hand of our Savior never fails.

His constant, tender love does last forever.

Yet, He fights for us. His fight is fureiously. He will fight fiercely for you, me, us.

Dare to Come

DARE TO COME

The path
Whispered
Enter but
Be aware

Hidden
Secrets
Will be
Found

Tears
Will fall
Wounds
Will heal

Do
Come
Do not
Fear

A Little After Seven A.M.

A LITTLE AFTER 7A.M.

What’s keeping you awake through the night?

Children, spouse, parents, extended family, a soul friend, your beloved pet, concerns for our world?

Worry, anxiety, fear of the future, anger of what has been your lot?

You’ve prayed, trusted God, stayed faithful to Him, repented when you’ve fall away, loved and forgiven others and self as much as it was possible, yet life still hands you sour grapes, lemons and tomatoes are thrown at you, again!

You wonder, how Lord, how am I going to make it through the night this time?

I had enough.

Every step forward, I end five steps back.

Lord, it may not be that way, but it sure feels as others get somewhere, while I find myself back where I have been over and over again.

Even during the day, night holds the light from me.

Why?

Love one, if this is how you feel, I tell you, I know where you are. I understand your perplexed soul. I feel your dry tears, silent cry and cold loneliness.

Call someone. Tell them what your facing. Ask them to pray for your concern.

After the tears fall, I pray what has been said to you brings a smile, a giggle or even laughter for you load has been shared and you, now, can sense hope of what’s on the way.

Prayers are whispers of wind that come to lift the darkness away, allowing the break of God’s goodness to be felt, seen and grasped.

If you’re still in the dark of your night, may the Light of morning dawn find you soon, where the Lord trades your burden for hope.

When the pain, fear, anxiety, worry, anger returns to stop you from trusting, speak out, “God is working things out for me, my family and keeping a watch over our lives.” It’ll hush uncertainty away.

Let’s pray for one another, even if that one soul hasn’t call. Especially when God places them on our radar.

Let us not ignore the opportunity to be a servant of the Lord through prayer and help someone move out of their dimmed, hopeless, lonesome day.

With Open Minds and Hurting Hearts

WITH OPEN MINDS AND HURTING HEARTS

One can see God’s truth inspite of sickness and death sweeping love ones from our grasp.

“I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have.

You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious.

And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe.”
(Ephesians 1:18-19 ERV)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His power can comfort without human understanding.

His power can heal hearts without human involvement.

His power can strengthen without human encouragement.

Know the hope, God chose for us to have.
Know the blessing, God gives to us freely.
Know the great power, God uses for us as believers.

Even when one is not healed and the Angel of the Lord comes to take love ones from this world, we can know the hope, the promises the power of God are all available for each one of us, his holy people.