"...bright and beautiful..."

"Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul--not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory strength God gives. It is the strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us." Colossians 1:9-12 The Message

It is so interesting that for years I prayed this scripture from the NIV Bible for a friend and recently I came across it again in The Message translation and it spoke to me in a whole new way. I pray for the strength that this scripture describes...not the "grit your teeth" kind but the kind that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy!

picture taken this past weekend on our girls weekend while hiking at Ohiopyle State Park