"My Ears Had Heard, But Now My Eyes Have Seen"

I convinced Stephen to go up into the park with me, (Great Smoky Mountain National Park) this afternoon so I could take some pictures. I have never been much of a photographer, but I do like trying to be creative :) Sometimes life gets so busy that I forget to stop and breathe a prayer for the amazing place in which I live. I mean, I live IN the Smoky Mountains, NOT close to, but IN! I am so blessed!

I mean honestly, does it really get any better than this?

No. I think not :)

There is no way I can write this blog about this beautiful creation without giving credit for it to it's Creator! Although first I want to bring up another thought. When I was still a student at Wears Valley Ranch, we would memorize scripture as part of our school. My senior year, I grew very close to one of my mentors, who particularly seemed to favor the passages Job 38-42. She spoke on them during one of our evening devotions and I just couldn't help but feel in awe of how little we are and how BIG God is. It was after that, that I decided to dedicated my final scripture memorization project to these passages. And so I did, I memorized all 5 chapters. It never ceased to amaze at how every time I sat down to work on it how God would should me just one more area that He was in complete control over, and it was such an amazing feeling. A little background if you don't already know, in these specific passages, the Lord confronts Job about his incessant questioning of His perfect will and sets him straight. In the end Job repents of his unbelief and realizes how silly he had been to even doubt that the Lord had his best at heart. What a great reminder!!

So anyways, here are a few verses from chapter 38 and 42

The Lord talking to job...

"Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said:" 'Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like I man; I will question you and you will answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me if you understand. s Who marked off it's dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?' .....

"Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it's place, that it might take the earth by it's edges and shake the wicked out of it? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal. It's features stand out like those of a garment." Job 38:12-14

.....

Then Job replied to the Lord:

"I know you can do all things, no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel with words without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."