Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Prairie's God-Beauty


I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart

I will enter His courts with praise

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made . . .



We sing this regularly at our little country church

on the wide and windy prairie of western South Dakota.




In my mind as I sang,

for so long it was like a declaration of what I would do

as I enter His gates and His courts.




But now as I list 1000 gifts

and think about how photography

has ushered my heart so often to a place of

worship



I understand

that

thanksgiving

and praise

is the key

to His gates

is the way

into His courts


it is the path

that takes me

into

His presence . . .


Thanksgiving

on this prairie that some have

branded

God-forsaken . . .

but that I have seen

God-beauty

in

wind-swept

and even

wind-beaten . . .

there is beauty

if I choose

to take the lead from my child

and really

see

into

His

presence.


*
*
Joining today
Finding Heaven
Jen hosts this gathering of bloggers
a sisterhood to glorify God.
Recently, she ordered a mixed media piece from me.
It was my honor to send it from
South Dakota
to
Texas.
She featured it here:  What Do You Believe?
And I featured it here:  Lemonade Stands.
It feels like a part of my heart is in her home now
. . .
so
fulfilling.

*Photos & text property of Jodene (Jodi) Shaw copyright 2011*

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful! What kind of eggs are those?

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  2. Beautiful post Jodi! There is beauty if I chose to see... so wonderful and so true. :) Love all the gorgeous photos!

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  3. Beautiful photos of gratitude.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

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  4. Oh, I so smiled when I saw you linked up! And do you know how many people that have come to my house just LOVE your piece. I need to take a picture of it (in it's entirety) on my wall and send it to you. Funny, it hangs under a piece that I painted many years ago in college. So, despite living so far away, we are still together on one wall.

    Okay, and I also love that you have discovered that photography is a way for you to enter into worship God. I want to more fully delve into this in my own writing and art. Thank you for writing it out so.

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  5. Wow - your photos are beautiful and praise inspiring! I agree with you that we need to take a cue from our children. They know how to be filled with wonder at God's creation, even the parts that are "wind beaten" as you put it. Love this post. Visiting from SDG.

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  6. I love this praise chorus. I do try to begin my time with God with praise. Your photographs are stunning in their vivid color.

    I have a nephew in South Dakota. Beautiful country.

    Praising Him,
    Pamela

    ReplyDelete

Welcome ~ share your beautiful thoughts.