Let there be...

When I look in the paper or turn to the news these days, I’m reminded of something my mom used to tell me as I was growing up. She would say, “Mark, if you look only for the negative, that’s all you’ll ever see.” I think CNN, FOX, and all the other media outlets should have been raised by my mom. She would have been 68 today.

It’s no surprise after two thousand years that Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians remains true. As more evidence of God’s divinity, Paul wrote, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Phil 4:8, NIV)

I just returned from an amazing, once in a lifetime trip to Alaska. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. There are no words to describe the majesty of the mountains as they towered over us, rising straight out of the bay. The water was at times a frosty light blue and at others a deep dark almost black. Even the towns, old and small, were testaments to the beauty and grace of God’s creation.

So this blog entry is just a short reminder that, if all you listen to today is negative comments from comedians or pundits masquerading as newscasters, all you’ll hear is less than God desires. Look at the world around you, listen to the birds and the storms and the wind – and remember who made them. Praise the Creator, witnessed for by the creation, and worthy of more than we can give.