Quiet Encounters

“To grant to those who mourn in Zion – to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3 As I cherish these days with my precious daddy, my thoughts often lead me to his legacy and imagining mighty oak trees.  What a beautiful picture of a strong mighty outstretched tree with roots so deep that it doesn’t fear the wind and storms.  A creation that is so content with being planted where the Lord has placed him, that he is humbled to realize that his steady arms have provided a place of rest and protection to those of us that are blessed to be the fruit of his faithfulness.  My daddy is a man that has carried such a quiet strength.  He has lived rooted in peace, patience and such a spirit of steadiness.  My daddy was a glorious oak of righteousness.  Legacy is such a strong

        What a gorgeous Easter Sunday.   This day has been so precious and beautiful.   I have soaked up every minute with my precious family. I have felt the sunshine on my face and listened to birds sing their song of Spring.   I have loved the laughter and the hugs and the tears.   We sang a song at church this morning reciting “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.”   I have pondered those words all day.   I can sing praises all morning, I can have thanks on my lips each day….but hallelujah…those words made me teary this morning.   I came home this evening and began digging into that word that has nudged me all day.   The research stated that hallelujah was in Psalms 24 times.   I pulled out my bibles and could not find it…. I checked the NIV and the ESV and ended up on Bible Gateway trying to find this word that I so desperately needed to understand.   In most versions of the Bible it has been replaced for words like praises and thanks in the book of Psalm.   T