~Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made.  I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.  Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art.  

And when I think of God, His Son not sparing sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.  That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin.  Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art.

When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation and lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart.  Then I shall bow with humble acclamation and there proclaim, My God how great Thou art!  (How Great Thou Art by Carl Boberg 1885)~

                                                                       _____________________________

                                       

I have realized lately that I have been failing to take the time to just look around at this world that God created and be in awe of it.  There really is so much to look at, even right here outside my window in my front yard.  A beautiful tree with long flowing willow like branches and leaves that are blowing back and forth like they are dancing.  The base of the tree has big, thick roots sticking up and intertwining one another like they are in a group hug.  There’s a yellow rope hanging from the tree that the kids like to swing on when the weather is nice.  On one side of the tree there are three small boards that were nailed up there by our neighbor 4 years ago so that Emma and his granddaughter could climb up into the tree and sit on the ginormous branches and read books or talk about life.  They have both since outgrown this adventure but the boards are still there as a memory of times gone past.  A beautiful tree that has been a part of so many memories and still has so many more memories to make.  God made that tree.  Each intricate part He thoughtfully crafted.  He knows just how many leaves are on that tree right now.  He knows how many rings are on the inner trunk telling us how old it is.  He knows each branch and how much weight it can hold.  And I am pretty sure that if one branch gets too much pressure on it He knows just what to do to bear some of the weight so the branch doesn’t snap.  Of course, throughout the 5 and half years that I have watched this tree in my front year, there have been times when a branch has snapped and fallen to the ground.  A couple of times we (by we, I mean Howie not me.  Well I was there for moral support.) have had to cut branches off because they were dying and weighing the tree down.  It is a beautiful tree.  How great Thou art, Lord, for making something so amazing.  

My favorite place to be in the entire world is San Francisco.  Ever since I was a little girl I have loved The City.  I recently got to drive over there (It’s about a 2 hour drive from where we live) to visit a friend who was in the hospital at UCSF.  As I pulled up to the tolls at the Bay Bridge something wonderful happened.  It happens every time I pull up to those tolls.  My soul is immediately at rest.  It’s hard to explain this feeling that I feel.  It’s like I exhale and my soul is calmed and over the moon happy.  As I pull up to the toll booth I am perfectly happy to hand the worker my $4.  That $4 buys me a trip to my happiest place on earth.  Heck, that’s a lot cheaper then that other place that claims is the “Happiest Place on Earth”.  I start the drive over the beautiful bay bridge.  A ginormous smile automatically appears across my face.  I look to the left and to the right and see the beautiful bay filled with barges and sail boats and ships.  It’s breathtaking to me.  I have to take a moment and there proclaim, “My God how great Thou art!”.  I drive through the tunnel and get to the second half of the bridge and there it is in front me in plain view, the gorgeous City skyline!  All the tall buildings.  I immediately look to the Transamerica Building, it has always been my favorite with it’s triangular shape.  My heart is literally leaping with joy that we are just about in The City, My City!  I look over to the right and there’s AT&T Park, home of the SF Giants, my baseball team.  Chills run down my arms.  My heart, my soul feel at home, they feel at peace.  It doesn’t ever matter where my final destination is in The City because I am just as happy with the drive through.  Yes, there is traffic, but I use that time to look around and take in all that there is to see.  Big, beautiful, tall buildings, the Golden Gate Bridge, an eclectic mix of people all created in God’s image and living their lives just like I am, tall hills to drive up and down, a million different types of restaurants to eat at, Mr. Holme Bakehouse (my favorite bakery), and so much more.  Every time I come to My City I see something new, I explore a new nook that I have never been to before.  It amazes me how much they have packed into the roughly 47 square miles of this City.  Each time after my visit as I drive away I look back to take in the skyline one last time and as that smile beams across my face from ear to ear I thank God for giving me this amazing place that soothes my soul and fills my heart and I think, “How Great Thou Art”!

What in your life makes you stop and proclaim how great God is?  Where is that magical place that God has made for you that soothes your soul and fills your heart?  When was the last time you just sat and looked around at all that God has created?  Can I encourage you to take just five minutes today and enjoy God’s workmanship in and around your life.  Take five minutes to proclaim how great He is!