T(r)oy's Marbles

photos | 2. simplicity saturday: time and light are relative

This is part of a series of pictures that were taken in late July 2008 when our family took a holiday in Salzburg. Each photo, in its own way, reminds me of the beauty of simplicity. I post one here every Saturday. To view in a larger format, click on the image. --Troy

Follow these links to...
Start the series at the beginning.

journal | beauty matters

My 8 year old son reminded me of something recently: Beauty matters.

While looking at a marble fountain, he wondered: "Dad, why do people make fountains?"

I thought for a second and said, "To make the world a beautiful place. It's important to make beautiful things because God made things beautiful."

He still does.

journal | grace cannot become excessive

God’s grace is the landfall after 134 solitary days at sea. It is the one thing for which you have long awaited and the only thing that can save you.

It is, in fact, easier to find than the speck on a world map, yet somehow eludes us like an uncharted island. As long as you keep rowing, you will always keep going in circles, forever destined to remain adrift and lost. Cease your striving and let the current take you. It will carry you where you need to go. Have but a little faith, or, if not, at least give up, for mercy’s sake.

God’s grace is the only thing that rescued me. Yet, somehow, I take up the oars again as if paradise is somehow lacking.

We have too little faith in the power of forgiveness. Our problem is that we place too little hope in grace, not too much, yet we often act as though grace could somehow become excessive. But all grace is a gift from an infinite God and is therefore always limitless. Grace could no more become excessive than worms could become omnipotent.

We do not trust the sufficiency of God’s goodness, truth be told. We’d rather bet on our tired, hungry, frailty. But without forgiveness we have no hope. Without infinite grace, we are lost. Without grace we are but worms trying to scale Everest. We do not realize that, far from reaching the heights, we have actually sunk below the depths, like worms, and we are longing, longing for landfall, now long in coming.

And when we reach that shore, we shall be changed. Grace is life. You can never have too much of it.

photos | 1. simplicity saturday: waiting

I took these pictures in late July 2008 when our family took a holiday in Salzburg. During that holiday, we visited an outdoor museum. Each photo, in its own way, reminds me of the beauty of simplicity. Each Saturday, I'll post one here. To see the photo in a larger format, click on the image. --Troy

Follow this link to...
View the next image in the series.

journal | a prayer of blessing

Yesterday, we had a special visit with Gretchen and Emma. I say that it was special in part because Gretchen and Emma leave for the States on Monday. They are moving there permanently, and we will miss them greatly.

I had meant to pray a short blessing over them before they left on Thursday, but something distracted me and before I knew it the time was up and they were gone. Well...better late than never, eh?

Gretchen and Emma, if you are reading this, this is my prayer for you. It comes from a group of Celtic Christians.

"I bless you, Gretchen and Emma,
in the name of the Holy Three,
the Father, the Son and the Sacred Spirit.
May you drink deeply
from God's cup of joy.
May the night bring you quiet.
And when you come
to the Father's palace
may His door be open
and the welcome warm."