SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Author: J Brad Mitchell

  • Digging for Joy – Devotion 18

    I admit, sometimes I try too hard.  It isn’t intentional.  I am not trying to overthink it.  I want it to be natural and smooth.  But most of the time I make it more of a chore.  I just want to find the pure joy and so I seek it out.  I want to know where joy is found.  I look for it around every corner.  I try to identify it in activities or people or places.  And I miss it.

    This morning, I am sitting on my patio watching my dog play.  Anytime I can just sit and watch him is like the best show ever.  It is an absolutely beautiful and peaceful spring morning.  The birds are singing their songs, the sun is rising with slow yet powerful force, and the breeze is ever so slight.  It is a wonderful morning.  I watch Leo digging in the dirt.  Admittedly, I am not a fan of him digging up my back yard.  Most of the time, I try to redirect his attention to catch a ball or chase a lizard.  This morning, though, I watch.  I just stop to watch him dig without interrupting him.  He digs with his all, dirt flying everywhere, nose sniffing out any surprise that might pop up.  His paws are covered and his head goes lower and lower into the ground as he digs with such fury.  He looks so focused but when he pops his head up to look at me, I see the pure joy on his face.  His dirty tongue is hanging out and he exudes excitement.  He didn’t catch anything or find any new treasures.  He found joy in the digging, in the search, in the simple task of being in the dirt.

    I realized – that’s my goal.  Not to search for joy so much that it snatches the joy away from me, but to find joy in the search.  How might my life change if I found joy in simply doing the things I loved the most, not searching for any outcome?  How much joy would I discover is already there if I just enjoy the dig?  What if the dirt is enough?  If I could do that, would I pop my head up, tongue hanging out, and a smile on my face from the joyful bliss?  Lord, may it be so.

    Focus Scripture:

    James 1:2-4

    2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

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  • Growth – Devotion 17

    The most important growth in our lives can happen at the most unexpected times.  I find that when I am really trying to get it right, to learn what is next, to strive toward the place where I feel I should go that I don’t get very far.  Instead, it seems that at the times when I stumble the hardest, struggle the deepest, and fall over and over that I grow.  It is in my times of difficulty that I learn the most important lessons.  It is in those times of failure that I find the most success.  It doesn’t seem to make sense.

    That’s what I see when I watch flowers bloom so beautifully in the water.  I love flowers.  I enjoy planting and watching them grow and bloom.  My favorite is when they come back out the next year.  It is like an unexpected surprise when they sprout up and smile.  But these flowers in the water really do amaze me.  They grow and bloom and flourish in the middle of a pool of water.  They don’t get too much water, even though they live right in the middle of an environment that would drown other flowers.  They get the nutrients they need even though the soil is almost nonexistent.  They blossom in an otherwise harsh cruel world for flowers.

    Now, I do understand they are made this way.  They are made to survive and bloom there.  But how fascinating is it that God made flowers to bloom in an environment that is adverse to other flowers.  How awesome is it that they spring up the most beautiful colors in the middle of the unexpected.

    For me, that is a reminder that God can cause us to flourish in those difficult, otherwise harsh environments too.  We just might be made to bloom in the vast expanse where others would seem to waste away.  We just might find ourselves growing when we should be beat down.  May you grow, flourish and bloom wherever you may find yourself today.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 72 (Select Verses)

    12 For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.
    13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.
    14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
    and precious is their blood in his sight.

    16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
    and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field.
    17 May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
    May all nations be blessed in him;[c]
    may they pronounce him happy.

    18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
    19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
    Amen and Amen.

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  • Happy Lights – Devotion 16

    String up the happy lights!  Enjoy the sparkle of joy in the otherwise mundane!  Brighten up someone’s day – light them up!  Don’t you feel the excitement?

    For you, these may be simple Christmas lights.  Those are the lights you string on a tree or put around railing beginning in the November/December time frame.  But that’s not what I see.  I see happy lights.  These are the lights that signal celebration and joy.  These are the lights that bring color and life to an otherwise dull pallet. These can be key in lifting spirits and having fun.  These are happy lights!

    As silly as this may sound, think of the feeling you get when you see these lights appear.  Think of the memories you have of Christmas past when these signaled that something special was happening.  When the lights went up in our home, that meant Christmas was not too far away.  It meant there would be time for breaks and goodies and lots of fun.  These signaled more than just a colorful display.  This sparkled of joy to come!

    I think we could use a little more happy lights in our life.  I’m not saying we put up Christmas lights year round, unless you want.  I am not saying that we have to turn them on all the time, unless you need a little joy.  I am saying that we could use a little more joy in our lives more often.  We could use more celebration, more fun, more excitement.  That might mean lighting some happy lights.  It might mean holding a special meal just because.  It might mean singing just because singing lifts the soul.  It might mean buying balloons and flowers just because we need a little extra something in our homes.  Whatever it means for you, maybe we spread a little more joy this day.  Maybe we light some happy lights and just enjoy.

    Focus Scripture

    Psalm 100

    1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
    2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come into his presence with singing.

    3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he that made us, and we are his;[a]
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

    4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him, bless his name.

    5 For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

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  • My Refuge, My Strong Tower – Devotion 15

    Feeling powerless and hopeless in a situation can destroy us.  It can eat away at us slowly and tear us down.  Where do we turn?  What do we do?  How do we find our way out?  How can we fix this?  What self-help technique would be the best?

    There is no shortage of advice on how to fix ourselves.  There are programs and books, videos and seminars.  If we want to fix ourselves, there are a million different ways to do it.  We just haven’t tried the right one, right?  Surely we can pick ourselves up at some point, right?  And then, we realize the issue is that we are trying to fix us.  We begin to believe that the key is all about us.  And we beat ourselves up when we can’t get it right.  We feel distraught when we have tried so many different ideas and nothing is working.  We can even think that there is something wrong with us.  It is a horrible cycle we can get caught up trying to figure out.

    Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of wonderful ideas and programs that can help.  But sometimes, the answer is that we need help other than our own power.  We need assistance that goes beyond our abilities.  Sometimes, we need to rest and be sheltered by a protective cover.  Sometimes, we need to realize that the power we seek is in the One that created us.

    In Psalm 61, we walk with the Psalmist.  There is a crying out to be heard.  There is a desperation to continue.  And there is a plea for care.  The Psalmist reaches out to God, the refuge, strong tower and the provider of shelter.  God is the One the Psalmist seeks.  And maybe we join the Psalmist today.  Maybe we need the strong tower.  Maybe we need the refuge.  Maybe we need to rest under the shelter of God’s mighty wings.  Hear our cry, O God.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 61:1-4

    1 Hear my cry, O God;
    listen to my prayer.
    2 From the end of the earth I call to you,
    when my heart is faint.

    Lead me to the rock
    that is higher than I;
    3 for you are my refuge,
    a strong tower against the enemy.

    4 Let me abide in your tent forever,
    find refuge under the shelter of your wings.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

     

  • We Need a Shepherd

    Our world has many that claim to be shepherds, leaders, deals, bargains, attractions…we are asked to hear me, follow me, buy me, see me, believe me.  It can be overwhelming.  Some leaders appear to be taking us in one direction, but their lives reflect another.  Some claim to be on the right track and want others to follow, but you have to wonder why God only gave them the right track.  Others try to attract us with fancy shows, big promises, and even material wealth.  Just follow me, they say, and all will be well.  Everyone seems to be searching for a follower, a buyer, a student, seeker.  And so many feel as though they have the answer.  They call…be rich like me, be smart like me, be free like me, be judgmental like me…or whatever.  Whether it is religion, politics, sales, or the like, it all seems to scream, we are the right way!

    So what is the right way?   You are reading or worshiping this morning and so I am sure that you feel like you know the answer.  But there are many in spaces of worship trying to give us a way that is not true, is not valuable, is not right.  I am not going to tell you what to do…I am simply going to point out what I choose and why.

    John 10:1-18 (full scripture below)

    My sheep know my voice and they follow me.  This is the voice I want to follow.  I want Jesus to be my shepherd because Jesus is leading me to a life of love.  He is guiding me to a path of peace and grace and forgiveness.  He has a plan that is good and joyful and full of abundant life.  He offers life…real life, true life.  But in a world full of voices, how do we know the voice of Jesus?  How do we know if it is really Jesus?

    There are a few ways that I think we can detect the voice of Jesus.  And for me, it begins with more than just a feeling.  Sometimes we get caught up in what feels the best, what is the easiest, what seems to be the most attainable.  Unfortunately, nothing about the way that Jesus leads indicates this is the way.  While Jesus promises us peace and love, joy and grace, he doesn’t promise it will be easy.  Actually to love is one of the most difficult things he calls us to do – as he calls us to love everyone.  The way of peace will often make others upset because it isn’t what they wanted to believe.  Grace is such a gift some will not want to accept it – feeling completely unworthy.  It is beautiful but I don’t find it easy.  It also isn’t full of earthy belongings.  Following Jesus isn’t about getting the biggest house or the nicest car or holding in what you have so tight that you are financially secure.  It is about giving and sacrificing and letting go.  So if we are simply looking to our feelings, we might want to dig a little deeper.  Jesus will give us peace, but our abundant life may not feel like we would want it to feel.

    So how does it begin?  I think Jesus speaks to us when we use all of our senses.  He calls in the wind, the songs of birds, the laughter of children, the growth of vegetables, the smell of fresh flowers, the taste of fresh produce, the embrace of a loved one, the eyes of a stranger.  I think he speaks to us in those that do not speak our language and we do not understand except through love.  I think he speaks to us in those that have no food and those that need to know they are worthy.  He speaks to us through a home cooked meal and a fresh baked pie.  He speaks to us in the most unusual ways that we often miss.  But we don’t know it if we aren’t learning about what it means to follow.

    All too often, we have our ideas of what it means to follow.  We have defined how we think Jesus would call, how he would lead, what he would want us to have, what we think it means to love, and how we have the right to judge.  But if take the time to study how Jesus lived and how he led, we might find something completely different.  We just might find we are following others and not Jesus.  We might find we are following leaders rather than Jesus.  We might find we are worshiping people and not Jesus.  It is so easy to do…to slip in behind the magnetic personality…to be drawn in with the promises of wealth or goods…to be enamored with the glitz and glamour.  But that isn’t Jesus at all.  That isn’t how he led or what he taught or how he called at all.  But don’t take my word for it.  I want you to experience it for yourself.

    Maybe it is time that we took the opportunity to study God’s word…took the time to read the teachings of Jesus…see how he lived and what he actually did…find out how he lived.  Maybe we read it with open eyes and an open heart – without judgment or trying to decide how it fits in our lives.  Maybe we just read and learn from the shepherd.  I think when we do that, we begin to hear him, we begin to see him at work, we begin to understand who we might be following.  We need a shepherd…and Jesus is calling us to follow him.  He is, after all, the good shepherd.  We don’t need all those other things that seem so valuable, we simply need to follow.  Let’s follow Jesus together.

    John 10:1-18 (NRSV)

    10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

    7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

    11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

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  • Undiscovered – Devotion 14

    What do you think about when you crawl or spring out of bed in the morning?  One of my first thoughts is…coffee.  Coffee seems to be my answer to waking my mind and starting my day.  From there, the day begins.  Whether it is exercise or rushing to work or going through the events that the day holds, it is often full force.  There isn’t much more thought about this day.  My theory usually is…let’s just get this done.

    The day could start differently, though.  I could change my thoughts as I begin my day.  Please don’t misunderstand, there will still be coffee.  But coffee is a given.  So what if my thoughts of this day begin with an open mind, an open heart, and open eyes?  What if my day begins with discovery?  What if I am looking for the hidden as I approach each new day?

    I believe that God has given us each day as a gift.  In this day are joys and challenges, excitement and struggle.  But what if each day God is offering us a reprieve from it all?  What if he has provided in creation something small yet beautiful for us to discover?  What if God is teaching us to pay attention to where he is at work?  If we go with this mindset, we may find ourselves looking around for the present.  We may find ourselves attentive to the minor joys.  We just might find that there is a whole world waiting to be discovered.

    Lord, may you open my eyes, my ears, and my heart to the gifts you have placed before me.  May I discover YOU at work all around me.  May you surprise me with new joys each new day.  May I see YOU.

    Focus Scripture

    Psalm 104 (Select Verses)

    1 Bless the Lord, O my soul.
    O Lord my God, you are very great.
    You are clothed with honor and majesty,
    2     wrapped in light as with a garment.
    You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
    3     you set the beams of your[a] chambers on the waters,
    you make the clouds your[b] chariot,
    you ride on the wings of the wind,
    4 you make the winds your[c] messengers,
    fire and flame your[d] ministers.

    14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
    and plants for people to use,[f]
    to bring forth food from the earth,
    15     and wine to gladden the human heart,
    oil to make the face shine,
    and bread to strengthen the human heart.
    16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
    17 In them the birds build their nests;
    the stork has its home in the fir trees.
    18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
    the rocks are a refuge for the coneys.
    19 You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
    the sun knows its time for setting.
    20 You make darkness, and it is night,
    when all the animals of the forest come creeping out.
    21 The young lions roar for their prey,
    seeking their food from God.
    22 When the sun rises, they withdraw
    and lie down in their dens.
    23 People go out to their work
    and to their labor until the evening.

    24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom you have made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
    25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
    creeping things innumerable are there,
    living things both small and great.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • The Sweet Aroma of Life – Devotion 13

    Can you smell it?  Has its sweet fragrance reached you?  Has it grabbed hold and transported you?  Smells do that.  Sweet aromas reach our senses and we taste an experience.  We are taken back in time or place.  We arrive in a completely different destination with a smell of the past.

    Walking through the forest, around the garden, into the wilderness begins to open up possibilities, especially when we travel with our nose.  We pick up on the sweetness of the honeysuckle.  The water flowing down the stream smells of the freshness of life.  The trees penetrate the forest with the gift of sap.  We are alive through the smells of the earth.  I find this even more so when I dig in the dirt.  Some do not like the idea because the dirt can get under our fingernails or stain our hands.  To worry about that is to miss the smell, the fragrance of life.  Digging in dirt has the aroma of opportunity.  Life happens from this very ground.  Plants spring up.  New plants take root.  Transformation takes place deep in the soil before anyone even notices that this is a land of plenty.  So much is missed when we do not take a deep breath of the soil of the earth.

    The most amazing concept of the earth is that it has been springing forth life since the beginning.  In the very beginning, the earth produced and yielded.  It is still producing and yielding.  We take it all for granted.  But God saw something special in the dirt, in the soil, in the life of what was before him.  We are told that God took dirt, a part of the earth, and breathed life. That breath is what gives us life.  We are a part of the earth, a part of the soil, made from God’s breath of life.  So maybe what we smell is life and a bit of God’s very breath.  Breathe on me, Breath of God.

    Focus Scripture:

    Genesis 2:4-9

    4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

    In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,  and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • The Playground – Devotion 12

    Why does it seem we lose our excitement for the small joys in life as we get older?  I am reminded of my time on the playground.  The swings seem to offer the greatest amount of adventure of any object there.  You could pick a swing and go as fast or as high as you could propel yourself.  It went quicker if someone was pushing you but didn’t actually require anyone else to get it going.  You could go so high that the chains were loose as you flew higher and higher.  The ultimate was to jump out at the highest point.  I am not sure why we thought this was a good idea.  It just seemed like we were flying, being catapulted from a place that we had pushed and pulled.  We were free, that is until we hit the ground.  Then we were not so free.  I am thankful to have never actually gotten hurt.  But that wasn’t really a concern anyway.  It was the experience of just enjoying the freedom of flying.  It brought a bit of excitement and heart racing to an otherwise mundane day on the playground.

    We miss those simple joys as we get older.  We don’t get on the swings any longer, we know our potential and maybe it doesn’t seem as adventurous.  It is almost like we have been broken by the world and we are held down by reality.  We just don’t feel like flying anymore.  That really is a shame.  What a disappointment that we lose the ability to see beyond a simple swing set.  How exciting life might be if we could capture the moment of jumping out of the swing at the tip top point into the unknown!  Maybe jumping might not be such a bad idea.  We just might feel joy and exhilaration one more time.  May we fly with the childlike vision today.  And may we be set free.

    Focus Scripture

    Psalm 126:1-3

    1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
    2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
    then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
    3 The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we rejoiced.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • Light in the Darkness – Devotion 11

    The smallest glimmer of light can signal hope.  In our adventures of life, we may find ourselves lost among the trees of disappointment, fear, struggles, heartache, or disease.  These make it seem as the entire forest is filled with trouble and the promise of hope is so far away.  As we travel, we may find ourselves calling out to God for a glimmer of life, a moment of relief from it all.  We pray for mercy in our lives.  We seek a sliver of peace among a mound of despair.  And, if we are honest, it doesn’t always come when we would like.  The answers do not always flow freely as the waters of the ocean.  It can feel like a dry, barren desert where we thirst for a promise fulfilled.  We ache for God to show up and just let us know he is with us.  And yet, still nothing.  Nothing at all.  And we feel as though we will crumble into the dust of hopelessness.

    That is not the end.  This is not the end of the story.  God does not let us thirst or crumble.  He does remind us that he is with us, often in the most subtle of ways.  God does show up in our most vulnerable moments.  He does not let us suffer alone.  Our situation may not change, but our vision of our situation just might seem a bit different.  God could be shining a light in our darkness.  He could be lighting the way through the forest of despair.  He could be leading us to a place of rest, a place where we know we are welcomed and we belong.  God could be showing us there is more that we haven’t discovered.  The light is there, we just keep moving along with him.  It will change our lives, forever.

    May God lead us in our dark times, may he show up in our despair, may he hold us in our fears, and remind us that we are never alone.  May God shine a light so bright that our forest becomes a place of beauty and hope. Shine, God.  Shine brightly on us.

    Focus Scripture:

    Psalm 27 (Select Verses)

    1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
    The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

    4 One thing I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
    to live in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
    to behold the beauty of the Lord,
    and to inquire in his temple.

    5 For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
    he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will set me high on a rock.

    7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
    be gracious to me and answer me!
    8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, do I seek.
    9     Do not hide your face from me.

    Do not turn your servant away in anger,
    you who have been my help.
    Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
    O God of my salvation! 

    13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
    14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

  • What Do You Do With It? Devotion 10

    Do you throw them, hold them, build with them, hide behind them, or walk over them?  They come in all shapes and sizes.  They can be smooth and beautiful, almost refined.  They can be sharp and painful.  They can be as big as many homes, stopping everything that comes in contact with them or they can be as tiny as sand and go completely unnoticed.  They are used in everything from jewelry to weapons.  Beauty and fear are evoked at the sight of them.  It is difficult to believe all of these traits could be associated with something as simple as a rock.

    Rocks are important in our lives.  Rocks create borders that provide safety from danger.  Rocks hold up major forces from destroying.  They are used in the building of magnificent structures.  They are also used to throw at others with the intent to harm or destroy.

    There are many rocks we find in our lives.  There are endless opportunities of what we do with what we have been given.  What will we do with the rocks in our lives?  Will we trip over them and allow them to slow us down?  Will we pick them up to hurl at our enemies?  Will we begin to collect them to build a wall to keep others out?  Or will you come together as a community to use what we have been given to build something loving, welcoming, and beautiful – something useful and full of life – something that reminds others that we have come this far and God has been with us – something that tells others that God does not forsake us – something that is a reminder that we are loved by the Creator of those rocks?

    May we build each other rather than tear each other down…may we love rather than hate…may we come together rather than divide…may we gather rather than scatter…and may it begin with me.

    Focus Scripture

    Genesis 31:45-49

    45 So Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsfolk, “Gather stones,” and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha:[Aramaic for the heap of witness] but Jacob called it Galeed.[Hebrew for the heap of witness] 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he called it Galeed, 49 and the pillar Mizpah,[the watchpost] for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other.

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    Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery