Every time I celebrate a holiday I truly enjoy, such as the Fourth of July, with delicious barbecue and water melon and home-made ice-cream, and of course, the beautiful fireworks to celebrate our country’s best heritage (one nation under God) and to remind me to pray for our country’s best future (liberty and justice truly, for all); I am reminded of how God’s love is always astounding me in how particularly He reveals Himself and how how pointedly He corrects and shapes and molds me to more-and-more, reflect His absolute glory. For example, the butterfly above, and all of her sisters and cousins and mothers I have seen during my soon-to-be sixty-eight years; remind me that only in Christ will I ever fully be all He intends for me to be; that only in allowing Him to put away the old, the worldly Mike, to transform me through His amazing resurrection power can I become His joyful son, joining fully in the eternal hallelujah chorus—just as He has eternally desired for nor only me, but lovingly, for each of His children.

His is a glorious, a life engendering,
a love fulfilling, a hope realizing,
an anticipation quickening, a dream declaring,
a joy releasing, a faith strengthening
gift to me of His mercy and His grace
because His glory will always shine
and His nature will always bring me pleasure
and His desire is for my redemption
as He builds His Kingdom
as He fulfills His perfect Will,
as He accomplishes His good purpose—
all glory be to God on High.

M.S.
June 22, 2020

That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth
and every tongue acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2: 10-11