WONDER

Tonight, while test-driving a "spring soup" (oh Pinterest), I played another Isaac Anderson sermon like I have been the last week before dinner. I've been working my way up the archives list of Jacob's Well audio sermons, specifically Isaac's. I enjoy his unique perspective and vast references he seems to insert into every sermon. Isaac's creative writing background becomes obvious as he illustrates every story and scripture that exits his bearded little mouth. It's hard to describe the impact of a good sermon, so I hope that you'll listen to it to understand what I'm babbling on about. It spoke so directly to me that I scribbled some quotes that he used to illustrate the importance to continually be in sincere awe of God. I love the idea and the imagery of a child's wonder as it observes the of the grandeur of the world. 

As a recovering painter, I find myself wallowing in self-pity...a lot. Feelings of inadequacy, regret and disappointment seem to suck the living daylight out of any attempt to create artwork. Those feelings shut me down to a full halt, creating huge time gaps between works, which adds more discouragement. Remember Bob Ross's show, The Joy of Painting? Well, he was right. It IS A JOY and those trees ARE HAPPY!! Why is it so hard to remember, that when I paint, I get thoroughly wrapped up in it? I fall in love with the challenge, the mystery and I just feel privileged that I get to do it at all. After hearing this sermon, I doubt that I'll fall into my own traps of self-pity nearly as often. It was like an introduction or an articulation of the purpose that's written underneath all the crap that has accumulated on my heart.
 (click here for the sermon)

While waiting on my soup I doodled "wonder", the sermons title on the front of my sketchbook. Then I filled a page with these quotes so as to not forget that we are as Jurgen Moltmann say's "eucharistic beings", created to observe the glory of the beauty and grace of God and His creation.

"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
-Jesus (Mark 10:5)

"It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”
- G.K. Chesterton

"How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them."
-Psalm 111:2

"Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now."
-Bob Dylan

"THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God."
-Gerard Hopkins

“Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there.”
-Annie Dillard

"All creatures of our God and KingLift up your voice and with us sing,Alleluia! Alleluia!"
-hymn by Francis of Assisi

"Watching, if you do it well, watching leads to wonder, which leads to worship. Then that leads to more watching and more wonder until one day you see it.. This whole world is in fact charged with the grandeur of God"
-Isaac Anderson on Wonder