Mountains, joy-bursts, and glory

       "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." (Ps.90:2)
       "'For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you." (Isa.54:10)

        Early this morning, glory--

       And then just a couple of minutes later, more glory--

        Thank You, Father, for the beauty of the mountains.  I hear it's sweltering back down in the valley, but up here on the mountaintop?  Well, pretty near to perfection, if you ask me.  Cool, breezy mornings, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets over the blue hills, green everywhere, birds soaring over gigantic trees, and quiet, serene stillness.  Yep, clearly a tiny foretaste of heaven.
       There's just something about the majestic mountains that reflects the wonder, glory, and faithfulness of our Creator.  Makes me want to break out singing "Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"
       Oh my, this was so worth all the waiting and delaying of a few days ago--something I need to remind myself every single time I get frustrated with waiting.  God works in our waits!
       He uses all our waiting in so many varied and powerful ways.  That may not make it much easier at the time, but if we could just counsel our hearts to be patient and to trust Him it would make all the difference in the world!  As James says, "You also, be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord." (James 5:8)  That's what we have to do--establish our hearts in Him.  Strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees (Heb.12:12) by looking to our forever-loving Father, trusting His ways and His timing.
       Because in the end, His plans are always best...and the waiting only magnifies the joy.  But sometimes we simply have to give ourselves a little serious talking to so we'll remember!  Oh forgive me, Father, for how quickly I forget this!  Amazing what an amnesiac I can be in the midst of the wait.
       But my joy is redoubled--no, actually quadrupled!--not only by the magnificent glory all around us, but by having all our children here with us!  A rare and wonderful occurrence.  Oh thank You, thank You, Father!
       Isn't it funny?  The older we get, the more we experience deep and abiding joy and happiness in the simple but far more important and meaningful things of life: spending time with the people you love, savoring friendships, walking your dog in the early morning, singing a beloved song, enjoying a great meal with family and friends, sitting quietly reading a good book,  laughing (always the best medicine), communing with the Lord of the Universe and holding His living and powerful words in your hands.  Priceless treasures, every one of them.
       Joy-burst moments.  Yes, that's what they are: joy-burst moments.
       Do you know what I mean?  Joy-bursts are those seemingly small, sometimes insignificant incidents when it suddenly hits you--this is Life with a capital L.  This is a gift from God--this moment, this person, this meal, this time of laughter or fellowship or beauty or love.  And you feel overwhelmed with thankfulness and want to sear the moment into your memory for all time.
       Can I mention a couple of examples of such joy-burst moments from the last 24 hours?
       Loved this joy-burst yesterday--watching all the boys hitting golf balls...and what a backdrop!

          Or hiking on Stone Mountain today with the girls.  Glory, glory, glory--how I wanted to freeze the moment (especially when we finally made it to the top)--

       Or all sitting down together last night for a simple meal of chicken and potatoes, served with laughter and much discussion over the Warriors and Cavs game...and all of sudden, just out of the blue, I wanted to weep for happiness.
       So today, a simple thank You for the goodness and glory of God as revealed in His creation and in His children.  Thank You, Lord, for eyes that can see, for a heart that can love, and for a mind that can savor Your many, many gifts. Thank You for all those joy-bursts that come to us in all shapes and sizes. Thank You for each irreplaceable moment of time You give us to spend with the people we love and cherish.
       Open our eyes this day and everyday to Your glory and goodness surrounding us at every turn.  Oh Father, don't let us miss it.  Please don't let us miss You.  
       Keep us grateful...and remind us of the mountaintop when we are still down in the valley.
       To God be the glory.