tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18209619193824944332024-02-18T20:40:05.830-08:00Whispers from GodEmma Jordanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14052516098743030482noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1820961919382494433.post-67353015083610161572012-05-20T18:31:00.002-07:002012-05-20T18:31:22.058-07:00New Jerusalem<style type="text/css">
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<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Revelation%2021.9-14" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Loma;">Revelation
21:9-14</span></a></u></span></span><span style="font-family: Loma;"> and </span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Revelation%2021.18-27" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Loma;">18-27</span></a></u></span></span><span style="font-family: Loma;">
T</span><span style="font-family: Loma;"><i>hen one of the seven angels who
had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to
me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain,
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
G-d. It has the glory of G-d and a radiance like a very rare
jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. It has a great, high wall
with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates
are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; on
the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three
gates and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city has
twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb. The wall is built of jasper, while the city is
pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the
city are adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second
sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the
sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth
topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth
amethyst. And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each of the
gates is a single pearl, and the street of the city is pure gold,
transparent as glass. I saw no temple in the city, for its
temple is the L-rd G-d the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city
has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of G-d is
its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by
its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Its gates will never shut by day”and there will be no night
there. People will bring into it the glory and honor of the
nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor will anyone who
practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in
the Lamb's book of life.</i></span><span style="font-family: Loma;"><br /><br />This is
a long passage, without a doubt, but I love</span><span style="font-family: Loma;">
the</span><span style="font-family: Loma;"> description. I love the beauty of
gems. </span><span style="font-family: Loma;">To try to see what is said in
this passage</span><span style="font-family: Loma;"> I looked up the jewels on
Google Images. </span><span style="font-family: Loma;">I understand the names
of the gems are given because it was an to attempt to show us
something that could not be described accurately. It is beyond the
words we have, beyond what we could imagine. With that in mind,
these are a few ideas given by the passages and the illustrations I
found.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Loma;">There are many kinds
and colors of jasper. As I looked through the many types, I found
jasper to be one of my favorites because of the incredible variety
and mix of colors. One I like</span><span style="font-family: Loma;"> is a
reddish-brown, opaque gem with darker, warm markings.</span>
<img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="108" name="graphics1" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/jasper.jpg" width="127" />
<span style="font-family: Loma;"> </span><span style="font-family: Loma;">W</span><span style="font-family: Loma;">hat
kind of jasper </span><span style="font-family: Loma;">could be as</span><span style="font-family: Loma;">
clear as crystal</span><span style="font-family: Loma;">?</span><span style="font-family: Loma;"> The
city is made of gold, but</span><span style="font-family: Loma;"> also</span><span style="font-family: Loma;">
clear as glass. Certainly, there will be things in the New
Jerusalem that are unknown to us now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Loma;">Sapphire is a
translucent, brilliant blue. Though a dark color, it reminds me
of light. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="102" name="graphics2" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/sapphire-1.jpg" width="129" />
</span>
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Agate comes in many
beautiful shades and designs. Each one is different from
another, with individual patterns, colors, and shadings. The agates
are art created by this living, moving planet. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="100" name="graphics3" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/agate.jpg" width="131" />
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Emerald is a clear,
bright green that glows. Remember the Emerald City in The Wizard of
Oz? <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="130" name="graphics4" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/emerald.jpg" width="92" />
</span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Onyx is most often
known as black stone, with a black so deep it seems you could fall
into it. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="111" name="graphics5" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/onyx.jpg" width="111" />
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><br />Carnelian is
described as a fiery red color that, to me, seems to burn bright.
<img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="103" name="graphics6" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/carnelian.jpg" width="137" />
</span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Loma;">Chrysolite is a
transparent light, delicate and pale green. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="129" name="graphics7" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/Chrysolite.jpg" width="129" />
</span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Beryl is a green
similar to the chrysolite, but with a little more depth to it. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="87" name="graphics8" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/beryl.jpg" width="130" />
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Topaz can be many
colors but the most well known color is a light amber. I do like the
pink topaz, perhaps even more than the amber. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="94" name="graphics9" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/topaz.jpg" width="124" />
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Chrysoprase is green,
rich shade and reminds me of jade. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="89" name="graphics10" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/Chrysoprase.jpg" width="141" />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Jacinth is a bright,
hot, transparent orange. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="129" name="graphics11" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/Jacinth.jpg" width="128" />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Amethyst, the most
beautiful of all, is a transparent and bright purple. <img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="106" name="graphics12" src="http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n224/lauriegb/amethyst.jpg" width="129" />
</span>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">Even looking at these
images of the jewels, I cannot imagine the beauty and splendor of the
foundation of the temple. Each of the gates is a single pearl.
That I can imagine! Not quite white, polished, with a
sheen to it, a pearl is so beautiful. The city's temple is the
Lord God the Almighty, the Lamb. He is the source of light in
the city, a city that will have no night. Of all the things in
this passage, the hardest to imagine is that there will be nothing
unclean, nor will anyone practice any evil thing. Living in
this world, where sin and ugliness is everywhere we turn, the purity
and holiness of God and His New Jerusalem I cannot fathom. Come,
Lord!</span></div>Emma Jordanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14052516098743030482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1820961919382494433.post-25855047814688394052012-05-20T17:16:00.001-07:002012-05-20T17:16:06.056-07:00As the Deer...<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: Loma;">Psalm 42:1<br />As the
deer pants for streams of water,<br />so my soul pants for you, O
God.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkPkwNnF2as2NhKJ3WZo0XxYSSjlyFdNWL-4tvpiXUaZqjGGjTda6hNGFb2TUqd_k3-L85ldh_7YBjy_dBta0q7Ac8qe5dpemFZv0ZRyvXp2-EFzWlyN3mxOW-iaNDMly42M6MpHVF34/s1600/emma+as+the+deer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkPkwNnF2as2NhKJ3WZo0XxYSSjlyFdNWL-4tvpiXUaZqjGGjTda6hNGFb2TUqd_k3-L85ldh_7YBjy_dBta0q7Ac8qe5dpemFZv0ZRyvXp2-EFzWlyN3mxOW-iaNDMly42M6MpHVF34/s1600/emma+as+the+deer.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Picture from Google Images)</span> </span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;">To know me fully, all anyone would need to know is this one verse. In this Psalm, the deer has been
running through the meadow. She has been running hard and fast. Was
she being chased? She is tired, but most of all, she is panting,
thirsting, yearning for that drink from the stream. That one drink
will renew her strength, bringing her comfort and relief. My soul
seeks that same long, quenching drink of God, and seeks it anew each
morning. Without His touch that weariness will never become rest, my
longing will never be stilled. I search for my God in His Word, in worship, in music. I look for Him, and He is always there, waiting to
be found. There, in that moment of finding Him again, I have my
comfort and my thirst is satisfied.<br /><br />Bless the Lord, O my soul!</span></div>Emma Jordanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14052516098743030482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1820961919382494433.post-58402602433774292502012-05-14T17:32:00.000-07:002012-05-14T17:32:27.142-07:00A New Psalm<div style="color: #741b47;">
With thanks to Laurie Kolp ( <a href="http://lkharris-kolp.blogspot.com/">http://lkharris-kolp.blogspot.com/</a> ) for introducing me to this idea: erasure poetry. </div>
<div style="color: #a64d79;">
<span style="color: #741b47;">For my first try I've chosen my favorite psalm, and gone through it, crossing every word that I have not chosen. From the words unmarked, I then create my psalm. </span></div>
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<h3 class="western">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Psalm 95</span></span></h3>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15457"></a><span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strike>1 Come,
let us</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>sing</b></span> <strike>for</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>joy</b></span>
<strike>to the Lord;</strike><br /> <strike>let us</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>shout</b></span>
<strike>aloud to the Rock</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>of</b></span> <strike>our</strike>
<span style="color: maroon;"><b>salvation</b></span>.<br /><strike>2 Let us come
before him with</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>thanksgiving</b></span>
<br /> <strike>and extol him with</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>music
and song</b></span>.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWimEDUyvaiNvIkb2S0JEFENIS5CSrDhpruHmgNiaIzWD5SDvQARH94n1V6gwikji5kK9XxGnPZvHZyj2qovDGAptApqv8F2pwn470hqxrkxwTRaf3xM_WSbbMJjWdbka6j_JF0TNYyso/s1600/100_0922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15458"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15459"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15460"></a>
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strike>3 </strike><strike>For</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>the
</b></span><span style="color: maroon;"><b>Lord</b></span><span style="color: maroon;"><b>
is</b></span> <strike>the great God, </strike><br /> <strike> the great</strike>
<span style="color: maroon;"><b>King</b></span> <strike>above all gods</strike>. <br /><strike>4 In
his hand are</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>the depths of the earth</b></span>,
<br /> and the <span style="color: maroon;"><b>mountain
peaks</b></span> <strike>belong to him.</strike><br /><strike>5 The</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>sea</b></span>
<strike>is his, for he made it,</strike><br /> <strike>and his hands
formed the</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>dry land</b></span>. </span></span>
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15461"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15462"></a><span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strike>6 Come,
let us bow down in</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>worship</b></span>,
<br /> <strike>let us kneel before</strike> <span style="color: maroon;"><b>the
</b></span><span style="color: maroon;"><b>Lord</b></span> <strike>our Maker;</strike> <br /><strike>7 for
he is our God</strike><br /> <strike>and we are the people of his
pasture, </strike><br /> <strike>the flock under his care.</strike></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15463"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15464"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15465"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1820961919382494433" name="en-NIV-15466"></a>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Loma;"><strike>Today, if only you would</strike> </span><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Loma;"><b>hear
his voice</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Loma;">,<strike><br />8 “Do not
harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,</strike><br /> <strike>as
you did that day at Massah</strike> </span><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Loma;"><b>in
the wilderness</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Loma;">, <br /><strike>9 where
your ancestors tested me;</strike><br /> <strike>they tried me,
though they had seen what I did.</strike><br /><strike>10 For forty years I was
angry with that generation;</strike><br /> <strike>I said, ‘They
are a people whose hearts go astray, </strike><br /> <strike> and
they have not</strike> </span><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Loma;"><b>know</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Loma;"><strike>n</strike>
</span><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="font-family: Loma;"><b>my ways</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Loma;">.’
<br /><strike>11 So I declared on oath in my anger,</strike><br /> <strike>‘They
shall never enter my rest.’” </strike></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWimEDUyvaiNvIkb2S0JEFENIS5CSrDhpruHmgNiaIzWD5SDvQARH94n1V6gwikji5kK9XxGnPZvHZyj2qovDGAptApqv8F2pwn470hqxrkxwTRaf3xM_WSbbMJjWdbka6j_JF0TNYyso/s1600/100_0922.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWimEDUyvaiNvIkb2S0JEFENIS5CSrDhpruHmgNiaIzWD5SDvQARH94n1V6gwikji5kK9XxGnPZvHZyj2qovDGAptApqv8F2pwn470hqxrkxwTRaf3xM_WSbbMJjWdbka6j_JF0TNYyso/s320/100_0922.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sing
joy!</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shout of
salvation</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDGPc_Z4-54eIf8-DM-3E_IaCKr54BfkXtDiX50jAs82e9GV4mVGL_WBLMe2F1-YyTd54Y5gORiFAdtFa5AH1H-w9lFQfId6fqZu-OnZgZh4Mjnu09NdG6XNEp4VfB1YoKWnN65g8slM/s1600/100_1161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDGPc_Z4-54eIf8-DM-3E_IaCKr54BfkXtDiX50jAs82e9GV4mVGL_WBLMe2F1-YyTd54Y5gORiFAdtFa5AH1H-w9lFQfId6fqZu-OnZgZh4Mjnu09NdG6XNEp4VfB1YoKWnN65g8slM/s320/100_1161.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">thanksgiving</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">music and
song:</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Lord
is King!</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mountain
peaks</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezRqYoNk7yFcozwNXBpH4gHvupRDRFJptn3-xun7zT83sY0qpdKJdKiE2GRwh4Esw7Yikx1PGavbfWLFA0fP4cNuS_hBo1Wg8rBde1cq_K2-lpq7t1M4xxXX3uR0QG4D58OMCUOkBRvI/s1600/DSCF0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezRqYoNk7yFcozwNXBpH4gHvupRDRFJptn3-xun7zT83sY0qpdKJdKiE2GRwh4Esw7Yikx1PGavbfWLFA0fP4cNuS_hBo1Wg8rBde1cq_K2-lpq7t1M4xxXX3uR0QG4D58OMCUOkBRvI/s320/DSCF0709.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">sea</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">dry land</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">worship
the Lord.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hear His
voice</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;">in the
wilderness:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Loma;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: maroon;"><span style="color: #741b47;">"Know My ways."</span> </span></span></span>Emma Jordanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14052516098743030482noreply@blogger.com0