Thankfulness and Gratitude | Gloryteller

That “Thin Place”

30 Oct 2013 2 Comments

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Sometimes,
Writing a message from My Light,
Or reading one,
Hearing His music,
Kneeling in His worship,
Sitting at His feet,
Or under His cross,
Or walking with Him in this thick here-and-now,
In wonder,
In humility,
Gratefully,
I approach that thin place.
Gracefully,
He allows me to perceive it,
To touch its elusive, wispy certainty,
Delicate, like a hint of misty fragrance,
Even to weave my fingers through it
To sense where The Father is.~
~That holy thin place which, so lightly,
So fleetingly, separates;
So gently lies between
This weighty place,
Where I am,
And eternity.
~ ~ ~

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Previews, Glimpses, Sips, And Samples

29 Jun 2013 2 Comments

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At a food show, the chef fed us morsels from each course of his famous ten course gourmet dining experience.

The wine steward poured us sample sips of his oldest vintage.
But the actual meals and drinks were beyond our means,
Our ability to fully appreciate,
Beyond our wherewithal…

We were left with our dreams and ‘air-filled’ beans,
Not that beans aren’t good, mind you…

At the homemade ice cream store, the clerk gave us delicious samples of exotic frozen wonders, but there were too many and we had to decide upon one or two…

We watched the trailer – actually a teaser – of the new blockbuster movie. We could have watched it right then, but it was a month from release in theaters…

We looked at paint swatches, but they were too small to get the full visual picture of how the whole room would look with those colors…

We saw photographs of architectures and landscape designs for our new home, but each was more beautiful than the last and we couldn’t wrap our head around them, couldn’t decide…

We saw photographs of paintings, which, of course, couldn’t do justice to the real works of art…

We heard samples of music which we knew were not a fair representation of the complete recorded songs, which, themselves, failed to convey the complete experience of watching and hearing the artists play and sing the music before us “live”…

Perfume samples faded too soon…

The smell of lilacs.
We just want them to keep blooming all year
So that we can have the real thing
And not just a pleasant memory…

We saw the digital computerized results of the collisions of subatomic particles moving at nearly the speed of light. The pictures are digital because the particles are traveling so fast, their trails are very short, and their “lives” are less than flashes. The researchers are reasonably certain that they have found the elusive Higgs Boson — the “God particle” — that confers mass upon all matter. Those particles border upon the unreal in our local timespace, but their effects and their existence is, in a sense, eternal…

So it is to live here in the world of the created universe.
We see but a glimpse of the immense and the miniscule.
Of the quick and even the slow.
Of the true hues and created colors.
But we’re glad to have eyes.

We hear but a whisper of the eternal symphony.
But we’re glad to have ears.

We get only a momentary, fleeting taste of a magnificent feast.
But we’re glad to have the sense of taste.

We are thankful to have senses, but
We’re left with a longing for more,
No, not just more, but a longing for The Real Thing.
The big, full, complete, Real Thing.
All of it!

The thing is: that God gives us the capacity to experience Him through His created works surrounding us here in our temporary home, the incompletely restored universe. We have sensory organs, limited as they are, and we have minds which seek to understand, all the while knowing that the completed “big picture” will not be ours. The complete fullness of God’s Mind, His Power, Majesty, and Glory is beyond our ability to experience. Not here, not now, not yet.

What is it like to chase an electron?

What is it like to see all the countless wavelengths and hear all the countless frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum?

What is it like to hear the choir of all the stars in all the galaxies singing at once to the Risen Creator-King while all the angels’ voices soar in counterpoint?

What is it like to taste a ten-million-course banquet assembled by a host of angel chefs while the Persons of the Trinity dine at the table with us?

What is it like to see Your face,
Oh, Lord?

We likely will not know these things while alive on this world, but we have faith that we will know when we all hear the worldwide trumpet note that accompanies His returning shout as He comes at last to finish the redemption of all creation and all His people.

Until then, we are blessed, privileged, and gifted
With all of His
Sips,
Hints,
Nudges,
Samples,
Glimpses,
Whispers,
Previews,
Foretastes.

~ ~ ~
^^^^^

Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2

But as it is written in the Scriptures, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him and wait for Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
[ There are things God hath prepared for those that love him, and wait for him, which sense cannot discover, no teaching can convey to our ears, nor can it yet enter our hearts. We must take them as they stand in the Scriptures, as God hath been pleased to reveal them to us. –Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary]

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He Returns On Fire In The Third Person

22 Jun 2013 4 Comments

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Gloryteller has returned in the third person, on fire to write. (Who even missed him or noticed a lack of recent posts?)
He was “on retreat” in The Mountains once more.
He is, once more, humbled.
He is humbled beyond his usual daily state of humbled-ness.
Unexpectedly.
Surprisedly.
Hiking and climbing joyously with his youngest son, “College Guy”,
who is such a one that there should be no surprise at being humbled by him — by him and of course by Creator God, Who lets Gloryteller,
and indeed helps him,
do what he can’t do,
go where he can’t go,
see what he can’t see,
and be what, and whom, he can’t be.

As the mountains caught fire, he did too, in the spiritual sense.
Humbled, yet on fire? Yes, like the lightning-sparked blazes in the forests, it was completely natural.
Fire is a muse to him.
So is driving.
So is hiking.
So is lightning.
And thunder-like-a-cannon is a muse to him.
And sitting on a peak, and watching the clouds, and living a life.
So are many writers a muse to him. (You might be one of them)
So are extraordinarily ordinary people, and not so ordinary,
like Tim The Waiter, who most likely will never read about his genuine, inspiring self here.
Sources of inspiration —
Muses.
Nothing more than types and shadows of The One Source of his true inspiration.
He’s back, yet still away.
Humbled.
Emboldened.
Muse in his own right.
Blazing with ‘musement.
‘Mazement.
He contemplates.
He ruminates.
He wonders.
He ponders……..

What fire burns there?
What does a muse muse about?

He picks up his flat-keyed ‘pen’ and begins to spark lightning-fires,
His muses prompting, chittering, talking excitedly all at once.

~~~
^^^^

Father, Son, Pinnacle

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Country Life

10 Apr 2013 2 Comments

DSCF0673

Oh, the poetic beauty of country life.
If I had slept ten thousand nights,
I could not have dreamed the like
Of birdsong sounds,
Of visual delights.
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Rejoice! Rejoice! With All Your Might, Rejoice!

30 Mar 2013 6 Comments

by Gloryteller in Bible, Christ, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, Christianity, Easter, Evangelism, Faith, God's Glory, God's Grace, God's Love, God's Promises, God's Provision, Good News, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Hope, Inspirational Writing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Metaphor, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Resurrection, Resurrection Sunday, Salvation, Thankfulness and Gratitude, Worship Tags: christianity, Crucifixion of Jesus, He Is Risen, Holy Spirit, Rejoice!, Resurrection Poem, Resurrection Sunday

Rejoice! Rejoice! With All Your Might, Rejoice!

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think, in some way, about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Today is no different.
But wait, it is different, for today is the church’s official celebration of that creation-changing, world-changing, life-changing Day.
Today, let there be loud singing and joyous dancing.
Let there be massive celebration over all the Earth, for our Jesus is alive!
Let there be all of that but, most importantly,
let Him be the Lord of your life.

Rejoice, My Soul – All People, Rejoice!

I celebrate this holiest
Of all the days of holiness,
For as the sun appears to rise in the East,
The Son of God did arise
On Easter – Resurrection Day,
The greatest Day the Lord Has Made.
I rejoice and I am exceedingly glad in it,
For my Savior lives!
Oh, Lord, He lives!
Now and forever, He lives!
And because He lives,
So can I!
For my heart, too, was sealed
With hardened stone,
And in that darkened tomb
Dwelt death.
With tender touch He moved
The hardened part away
To let in light and life
So death was put to death.
The Holy Spirit Jesus sent
Was sent to live in me.
As Christ began to breathe again
I felt my spirit leap.
It leapeth still in Heaven’s realm,
So graciously removed from hell
That I can only raise my hands and say,
“Rejoice, all people, rejoice!
Hallelujah, praise God, rejoice!”
For our Savior lives and breathes in us!
He arose!
He conquered bitter death and saved!
He does that still, today!

With love,
Your Gloryteller

Resurrection Sunday, 3-31-2013

The Expense of Safety

29 Mar 2013 1 Comment

A Good Friday Offering

The sole ferry to safety was ready to depart.
Special admission only.
One solitary ticket stand.
Last chance.
I had not the standing,
Nor the price of admission.
I stood forlorn in fear,
I would certainly be tortured and killed.
Then a Man stepped up.
Radiating such undisguised love,
Unveiled compassion.
He gave me His own precious ticket with a smile.
No hesitation.
He paid my price.
Dooming Himself.
Bewildered, I caught hold of it.
I stood astonished,
Forgetting even to thank Him in my haste,
As they cruelly beat Him down,
Dragged Him away,
To what fate I couldn’t know,
Didn’t want to guess.
My fate . . .
In horror, I watched
As I walked backward
And, not nearly grateful enough,
Stepped onto the boat.

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Image by Gloryteller

Meet Xian

07 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

Meet Xian
AKA, Chi – My Kind Of Guy

He has shown up twice in my latest posts.
Who is he?
Reader, meet Xian.

This is his story:

When I first started reading Christian-oriented material, “Our Daily Bread”, for example, I used symbols to mark and highlight passages that were important and inspiring. I used the five-pointed star: It is easy to draw without lifting the pen, but it has pagan connotations, so I went to the six-pointed star:

Two triangles, voila – a Star of David. But that takes a little too much time to draw, so I went to the asterisk:Three quick, simple lines that intersect. My ODB, and books, and Bible are full of them. However, for some reason, (who can explain ME) I recently began to take the X out of the aster, and just use that. I may well have been led to do it:So there it is. X .

You knew I would get around to this, didn’t you…..I began to think about how the X in Xmas stands for Christ. I found that the X is actually Chi, the first letter in the Greek word, Χριστος. I hope I got that right, because, hey, it’s Greek! Anyway, that Greek word means Christos – the Anointed One – which is a translation of the Hebrew “Messiah”. The X in Xmas is derived from the Chi (pronounced “Ki” which rhymes with “my”, or “guy”) in this word: Χριστος. X came to denote “Christ” sometime in the sixteenth century. Xmas is often misinterpreted as a modern secularization of “Christmas”, thinking that it is an attempt to remove religion from the holiday. If it is, it has backfired! “Xian” has been -used as an abbreviation for “Christian”, as well. These are merely abbreviations, not to be used in formal writing, and words are symbols, so maybe it is much ado about nothing, but the things words stand for, especially when they stand for people, and God, and Godly concepts, are important. But I diverge.

One morning, I looked at the X and saw a figure with hands raised. I don’t know what made me put a head on it, but that’s what I did. A trinity of lines.

It came to life! Xian (Christian) was born! (You can surely tell that art comes naturally for me).
Xian has since become just slightly more than a symbol to me, more than a stick man. He is naturally worshipful. You can see how he surrenders his all to the Almighty. His hands are raised in surrender and praise. He somehow expresses “giving glory to God in the highest”. Sometimes I call him “Chi – my kind of guy”. Three simple lines with a lot of heart.

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An Expanded Prayer To My Father In Heaven

06 Mar 2013 2 Comments

My Father

Oh, my Father-God and my Lord, Who walks the vast halls of Heaven,
Where You live, and breathe, and reign sovereign
Over everything finite and eternal.
From where You speak,
From where You write Your Word,
From where You see all, know all, and do all,
From where You give Your unfathomable grace,
Your mercy, and forgiveness,
From where You open Your hands and pour out goodness,
And from where You sent Your Love Incarnate, Immanuel.

Your name is Holy.
Let me kneel humbly, respectfully,
In reverence to Your glorious name.

May Your kingdom, Your realm, be established,
May Your kingship be proclaimed,
May everything You desire to happen
Be done here on Earth, just as it is in Heaven.

I ask that You continue to provide all I need
In the form of wholesome food and water to nourish my body,
As well as The Living Bread, and The Living Water,
And understanding of Your Word, with personal revelation,
To nourish my soul.

I ask that You help me remember how You paid my debts
On the horrible cross of torture.
How You took my sin upon Yourself, Jesus,
How You gave Yourself in propitiating atonement, and in conciliation,
And appeasement, for my trespasses against You, Father-God.
Help me Lord to continue to learn to forgive others their debts against me,
Their trespasses, wrongs, crimes, and sins against me,
Just as You have so mercifully and graciously forgiven mine through Christ.

I ask You, Lord, to lead me away from the temptations of this world.
Help me keep your Word, Your principles, in obedience.
Lead me through the minefields, the snares, and the pitfalls,
For they are many, and my enemy shows me only the bait,
But hides the trap well.
Protect and deliver me from that devil, from that evil one, in Jesus name!

And finally, Almighty Father, I want to proclaim Your Kingdom.
It is the Kingdom of kingdoms, and You are the King of kings!

I proclaim that Your power is absolute. It is the power that created
Beautiful Creation in its entire completeness.
It is the power to create human beings in Your image,
Human minds, souls, and hearts.
It is the awe-inspiring, miraculous power to change those hearts,
And save those souls.

And, I proclaim Your Glory, Lord.
How can I explain Your Glory?
It is too beautiful, too splendidly colorful, too exquisitely bright!
It blinds my eyes, baffles my mind, closes my mouth.
It is love unleashed, fervent, and intense.
It is Your inexplicable mercy, and grace, and kindness, and generosity.
It is as inexplicable as You, my God.
You’re glorious in Your Glory.
You ARE the Most High Lord, Holiness Itself, Ancient of Days, The Great I AM.

Yes, Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,
For all time, and through unfathomable eternity.
You are my ABBA, my Heavenly Father-God to Whom I pray this prayer.
In Jesus’ most holy name.
Amen, and Amen.

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A Writer’s Prayer

06 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

A Writer’s Prayer

“Lord, inspire me.”

Yes, that’s it.
Short prayers that speak volumes are best for me,
And He has never failed to answer in volumes.

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Beyond My Understanding

02 Mar 2013 5 Comments

Beyond My Understanding

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Way beyond my understanding.
All I know is
It was a miracle that remains
And the miracle was a gift
Delivered to crumbling doorstep
Outside my sagging door locked tight
Nailed shut,
Yet breached,
It sat inside on rotting floor
Shining to be opened.
To be believed past unbelief
By miracle, not my doing.

Gift

It is salvation wrapped in grace undeserved.
The gift of faith to see hope once unseen.
A new heart unchained
Full with compassion
And repentance like a changing wind.
Heart to feel abundant love long unfelt
And mirror eyes to see myself as I am seen
Then others too, the same.
And mercy, charity, a call to pray,
A heart to sing, a heart to praise,
Hands to raise, a Book to read
All unwrapped and taken out,

When gift, upon gift, inside gift, unveiled
Then took away all fears and doubts
Healed my aching soul complete
And full and whole, then more, and more
A heart to tell of gifts and Glory,
Of His Great Love,

Holding out poor offerings,
And gratitude, a heart of thanks,
I thank you JESUS, thank you LORD!
That You should care for me.
To rebuild my house,
To give me gifts,
To give me Yourself.

Oh, Miracles beyond my dull understanding,
Though nothing is beyond Yours,
I can but sit in rejoicing gratitude.
And no better gift
Nor more precious treasure
Could forever enter
Through my splintered door.

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Another Divine Paradox

08 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

Another Divine Paradox

And then I considered Job…….

“Oh, Divine paradox that trials may be desirable,
That attack indicates being on the right track,
That oppression can be a positive expression,
That the enemy’s wrath means I’m on the right path,
That God weaves the brambles of satan’s discouragement into a soft, glorious, robe of encouragement.

When I was newly born-again I was warned that I would be attacked because the devil considered me vulnerable (or possibly dangerous).
That happened several times, but I withstood because forewarned was forearmed! But, as I grew in faith, and with the passage of time, that warning wore off. Now, every time I drop my guard, the debbil is ready and very willing to punch me where it hurts, especially just when I feel I’m getting closer to God. It seems that he attacks when threatened. Doesn’t want to be forgotten by his old pal who has betrayed and forsaken him. He wants his revenge, no doubt. The ultimate stalker. The quintessential murderer. Should we take it as a sign that we are on the “right track” with the Lord when we are sore-oppressed by the enemy? I think so, yes. “Because God redeems even this….”
By this be encouraged, oh People. Be forewarned, and stand your ground.
Remember, the more worthy the adversary, the more cunning and vicious satan’s attack. Be a worthy adversary anyway!

(“Each time God sits a writer down to write, satan knows he’s lost another fight”)
Wink 😉
LS<

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My Biology Pants For Theology

31 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

My Biology Pants For Theology!
Yes! I’ve Got To Catch Him!

Oh, my heart,
Oh, my heart,
Oh, my heart!
Why do you race and beat so?
Oh, legs how you run,
You’re chasing the Son,
You’re climbing where you’d never go!

Oh, my chest,
Oh, my chest,
Oh, my chest!
Why do you heave and pant so?
Breaths coming fast,
How long can you last?
In pursuing the One you would know!

Oh, my soul,
Oh, my soul,
Oh, my soul!
Why do you leap and dance so?
Oh, arms how you raise,
Oh, voice singing praise,
Oh, mouth loud and bold are you now!

Oh, my Heart,
Oh, my Mind,
Oh, my Soul!
Why do you long for Him so?
You failed again and again,
Finally let Him come in,
Now there’s nowhere else you can go!

Oh, my Life,
Oh, my Joy,
Oh, my Faith!
Why do you so make frenzied haste?
There is rest here below,
Just be still and you’ll know,
He will wait, then again you can race!

(Can’t you just see Him turn and wink at you as you reach toward Him and He turns, laughs, and speeds playfully away, grinning in approval as you follow precisely in His steps? “Come on!” he shouts. “It’s impossible not to catch me!” )

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The Perfect Christmas Gift

11 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

“The Perfect Christmas Gift”,
written and performed by Sandy Howell.
Uploaded by Bob Marshall.
Many thanks to you both.
My friend, I give you the gift of a song; music with a video. It speaks for itself.

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Announcing Publication of “The Godsend”

26 Nov 2012 2 Comments

The Godsend
is now an E-Book !

Words such as “inspiring”, “down to earth”, “honest”, and “will melt your heart” have been used to describe this author’s “initial public offering” of this E-book.

Set in the Upper Mid-West, in the decade following World War II, this mini-novel will take you back not only to a hopeful, encouraging, prosperous time for America, but to a magical time in a young boy’s life. This is the heartwarming story of a specially-gifted boy who is faced with a heart-wrenching situation. Using his “sleuthing skills” he embarks on a journey “to find the truth” about himself, about Santa Claus, about the real meaning of Christmas, and about the existence of God Himself.

How will he find his answers? Will God reveal himself? Are there miracles in store for him? What is the real Godsend…….or who? Is it possible that we are all Godsent for each other?

The Godsend is rated Family Friendly. Somewhere, there is a special child who has some very special parents, who needs to have this story read to him or her. That is who this effort is for. May God bless you in the reading of this story and in the reading of the REAL story of Christmas.

The Godsend is available on Kindle or Kindle for PC here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Godsend-ebook/dp/B00A8TPVPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353944048&sr=8-1&keywords=lenn+snider

The Godsend is also available on Smashwords, for PC (in PFD format) Sony Reader, Nook, Apple I-Pad, Kobo, and most e-reading apps ( including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others) here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256725

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GRATITUDE

22 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by Gloryteller in Christian Music, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, God's Bounty, God's Gifts, God's Provision, Thankfulness and Gratitude, Worship Tags: Giving Thanks, Giving Thanks: The Gifts of Gratitude, Gratitude, Nichole Nordeman, Thanksgiving

Gratitude

Gratitude,
Let me have a heart of gratitude.
Thankfulness,
Let it be my soul’s beatitude.
For blessedness beyond words,
Let my thanks be unconditional toward
You

Here is one of my favorite songs about gratitude:
Thank you, Katherine Hardman, and thank you Nichole Nordeman.
Happy Thanksgiving 2012, everyone!

Gloryteller

That “Thin Place”

Previews, Glimpses, Sips, And Samples

He Returns On Fire In The Third Person

Country Life

Rejoice! Rejoice! With All Your Might, Rejoice!

The Expense of Safety

Meet Xian

Meet Xian
AKA, Chi – My Kind Of Guy

An Expanded Prayer To My Father In Heaven

A Writer’s Prayer

Beyond My Understanding

Another Divine Paradox

My Biology Pants For Theology

The Perfect Christmas Gift

Announcing Publication of “The Godsend”

GRATITUDE

Me, Myself, and I AM

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Me, Myself, and I AM

Follow Me On Facebook

Latest Musings

Pages: My Way of Glorytelling by Storytelling

Archives – My Saved Works

Please Scroll To The Bottom Of This Page To Find Links To Christmas Music, Book Reviews, A Map, And Other Delightful Info

About The Music Links Below

Christmas Music Videos

The Basic Christian Library

Compelling Christian Fiction Reads

Copyright Licensing

Write Me Here:

Email Subscription

My Signature Story

Great Sites and Sounds

For Your Reading Enjoyment, This Is Like A Park, Use It, Enjoy It, and Leave Everything Where You Found It.

Meet Xian
AKA, Chi – My Kind Of Guy