What are the hands of God like? Are they the smooth, coddled hands of the privileged? Are they untouched? Are they working hands? The hands of Jesus grasped, with pleasure, the tools of a carpenter. They were intimately familiar with lumber that needed planing and shaping. He touched the leper – when no one else would… healing years of despair and hopelessness. His hands washed the dirty feet of disciples and lifted the little children into his lap. He was…
Just like the unseen beauty and unseen details of the desert or ocean are to the casual observer, God’s work in our lives and in the details of our world are often unnoticed or unappreciated. Observing, from an encumbered point of view, across the rolling desert, it is easy to miss the washes, canyons and vegetation that are normally hidden within them. Walking among the trees and cacti, usually hidden below the horizon, one can appreciate their beauty and just how…
My ascent of the Turtle Head Peak yesterday in Red Rock Canyon gave me the opportunity to see and consider some amazing old trees that thrive on the windy slopes. In specific areas, where the winds seemed to be funneled and intensified, the trees appeared to thrive the most. These are the areas in which I had to bow down as I climbed the trail to the summit. I would guess the gusts were upwards of 40 to 50 mph…
Life has its dormant seasons – periods devoid of either storms or pleasant breezes. These “doldrums” tempt us to imagine we are adrift and outside of God’s gaze. Physical stillness, however, is an illusion. Cells are multiplying, gases are expanding, photosynthesis is filling our lungs. Reality should provide us with an overwhelming sense of motion and activity. Our planet spins and orbits with unimaginable force (rotating at 1,040 mph at the equator while orbiting the sun at close to 67,000…
As I look out of my window at the Tulip tree, one week before Spring, I am both thankful and, a little regretful that the blooms are already covering the lawn with a beautiful carpet of white and pink. It seems as though they began to bloom, in full, a day ago. Our thrill of their heart-pleasing beauty comes less than once a year (some years a late frost prematurely wipes out the blooms). In God’s world – the one…
There is no “typical” design process with our clients. Sometimes they know exactly what they want down to the finishes. Sometimes they have no idea, other than knowing that they want us to help them get there. Sometimes they like the “feel” of something they saw on a blog, in a magazine, or on Pinterest, but can’t put their finger on it. Using a recent project, we’re going to give a peek into a not-unusual dialogue. A church in Fredericksburg…
Home automation. A quiet HVAC system. Consistent temperatures. Not the most exciting subject matter at first listen, right? That’s what our client wanted to get people interested in. Add to the mix the fact that the permanent home of the display would be in a high-end kitchen and bath gallery. Could we 1) draw people in, 2) educate on the subject matter, and 3) avoid looking out of place in a sleek showroom? We decided to snag interest through the…