Be totally dependant

Glory to God, Glory to God! Glory to God FOREVER!!!

I'm in the midst of it here- in the last week of my current job, preparing for my missions trip, and trying to do my new job with very little direction and no tools.

Glory to God, Glory to God! Glory to God FOREVER!!!

I'm struggling today with stress levels. I'm trying to get it all done and I pause to try to give it to God, but as soon as I stop thinking about giving it to Him, I take it back. It's like I'm handing it to Him, but before I give Him a chance to take it, I turn around and then look down and see that it's still in my hands.

Glory to God, Glory to God! Glory to God FOREVER!!!

I decided to take my lunch early and go outside and pray and read the Bible (Psalms & Phillipians today) - today's verse of the day in my mind is Phil 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

It started to rain on me when I was out there, so I stood under a nearby tree for a moment and breathed. When I exhaled, I was just taken away from myself. I was left just marvelling at what I saw...

I saw the most beautiful tree EVER!! This tree had beauty that brought me into a new world- a new mindset. It humbled me and reminded me (even for a moment) of how AMAZING our Creator is!! The bark on the tree was absolutely SPECTACULAR- it was all peely and reminded me of ME - no, not my terrible skin, but my layers. My roughness. All the dead stuff that must continue to be shed. Oh, and the leaves!! The leaves were so perfect- their color and shape and the miracle of the veins of the phloem (<--leaf blood- I recently learned about it :)). Oh, and I SO love the way the leaves are layered and how the light shines through them differently depending on the leaves/layers/branches that are around them...Whoa! That's like me! God's light shines brightly or dully or not at all through me depending on the other people (leaves) around me! Cool realization. - And check this other thing out- He also created these cool little green things that pop out of the soil below it... they...

Green little things popping out of the soil?

[baah hahaha ha!] I just made myself laugh!  ... I wonder if that was grass??? Wow. Now I want to know. I'm gonna go take a picture with my stinky-quality camera phone. You've GOT to see this!  BRB <--be right back!

[pause]

Phew! I'm back! Ok. I went and got this picture, but realized that I totally forgot to inspect the green things in the soil beneath it. Oh well, I guess it's good to have a little mystery in my life! It's really like tree soil BLING, isn't it?
Wow! GORGEOUS!

Here's another one- I snapped a pic of a different tree that I was gazing at over my lunch break.

I love to pray through the trees. I wonder if that is bad or weird? Well- it's definitely weird. I'm sure all the people that drive by on the busy road that I work on think I'm a nut and a half when they see me lovingly staring up at the trees- oftentimes praying (which can look like I'm muttering to myself).

Nowadays I've been moved to praise God right out loud and in the open- arms raised, reaching for and praising our AMAZING Father in heaven! Ah well- I'm okay with looking crazy - God blessed me by giving me less filters than many people have. (I still have way too many- I still worry far too much about what people think- but I'm working on that. :)) I notice that just like sinning (which gets easier as you do it), praising and proclaiming my love for the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE is getting easier too! It's too bad that it's ever been hard.

Glory to God, Glory to God! Glory to God FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!

<3