Let Each Snowflake Remind You...

Did you know

that man-made

snowflakes

from snow-making machines

are a jumbled glob of moisture?

But that God-nature created

snowflakes

are

unique,

one-of-a-kind,

beautiful,

intricate 

crystals?

Interesting.

Man-made snow

cannot replicate

the Creator's nature

patterns.

Kind of makes me

think about us.

About each individual person.

God.

Creator-nature.

Because God created nature.

And He has that creative nature about Him.

Creates each one

with unique

beauty

to

live

and

be

and

share.

Makes me think of a chapter in this favorite book of mine:

Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

you can find it here:

Ransomed Heart Ministries.

It is all about living as an authentic woman.

How each one

is meant to grace the world with her dance,

and the way we find our own dance

is to find Jesus,

and when we find Him

He leads us to Himself,

and it is in Him

that we find ourselves,

and that we find out who we are,

and we find the passion

He has for each of us,

and we find the unique good works

He has

for us

to live

for Him,

and for others.

Being you.

Being authentic.

Comes from finding

the

Creator

of

the uniqueness.

And living the life

He

designed

for

you.

It is a gift.

It is your calling.

It is needed.

It takes

each one

to be the Body of Christ.

Because each one

is

unique.

Each one sings differently.

Each one dances differently.

But each one's sparkle reflects

the

glory

of the One

who

creates

the

true

snowflakes.

Photos and art property of Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

2012.

Like Nobody Else

From the movie P.S. I Love You

"Find that thing that makes you like nobody else."

I love that line.

Makes me think of birds.

Yes, birds.

Embracing my bird fascination started with my grandma, yes,

but also this that I wrote a couple years back:

Grandma Marj had a unique appreciation for birds that became a natural part of my heart as well.  Growing up next door, affection for birds seemed like a normal part of life.  It never occurred to me until I went to elementary school that it was odd to call a bird by its proper name.  After all, a black capped chick-a-dee was not a nuthatch, nor was a slate junco an evening grosbeak.  Furthermore, to call it simply a bird was to disregard its unique identity.  A bird has a name after all.  The name was an intricate aspect of the masterpiece that each bird was.

A name.  A unique identity.

We all have a unique identity.

And things that make us like nobody else.

We are not the same.

And that

is

good.

The thing that makes you and me like nobody else . . .

some people will

like it,

some will love it,

some will need it,

some will ignore it,

some will think it is foolish,

some will not even see it.

But what others think of it

is not as important

as being true to who each of us is made to be.

Even if those we want

to

notice

and those we want

to

celebrate with

are not interested.

It is ok.  It may not be for them.

And that is ok.

And it does not mean we should stop

being what makes us like nobody else.

If I waited for everyone

I loved

to see and embrace and encourage

me to

write,

create,

photograph,

and to put it all together . . .

I never would have started.

And it is nobody else's responsibility

to find, to see, to embrace, to encourage, or to live

the thing

that makes me like nobody else.

The thing

that gives joy

to my heart

like nobody else.

It is for me

to be,

to live,

even

if

others

think it is weird or foolish.

"Find that thing that makes you like nobody else."

And embrace it.

Be it.

Live it.

*

This was a sneak peek into my studio for this week.

I have been taking these photos of birds

through the windows of my home.

See what others are creating in their "studios" here

at Jennifer's blog:

Studio JRU.

All photos in this blog are property of Jodene Shaw.

Copyright 2011.