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The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. -Psalm 65: 8-13
I hope that you are enjoying the mild October weather and all of God's beauty during the Fall season. October is my favorite month of the year and I find that my "inner psalmist" is constantly saying "thank you prayers" to our Creator. The verses from Psalm 65 speak of songs of joy, God's provisions, abundance, and gladness. As we have been exploring the joy of giving I hope that your souls burst forth with praise and thanksgiving for the wonderful gifts of creation!
The picture I am sharing has been a consistent source of joy for me. When I visited our pumpkin patch, I was expecting to see a wide array of different sized pumpkins and I did. What immediately caught my attention was a green shaped gourd that resembled a swan. My heart leapt with joy and giddiness.
God's creation is so splendid that we have swan shaped gourds! This small display in the waiting room of my office features the swan gourd, two gizmo gourds, and a traditional pumpkin; a pee-wee for sure.
Accompanying my joy is a sense of mission and purpose. This joy isn't just for me! The pumpkin patch is raising funds so that our youth and accompanying adults will travel on a mission trip to help people in need. The lesson here is to experience joy, thank God, and lend a hand to others. Now that's true abundance!
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