Purple coneflower & bee photograph by EllieLee
By Phyllis Ducey of pfdoriginalartworksBeing in the field of Human Resources I am constantly reading to keep updated with all the trends in hiring, employee issues and training. The other day I read an article that just made me chuckle. I think it was suppose to be cutting edge on changing employee’s behavior but it is taking a practice that was implemented thousand of years ago by our Creator and declaring it as a “new trend” in training. The concept is based on the study by scientists in the 1950’s that states people absorb only about 5% of what they learn in a lecture but if given a story or word picture they will retain much more. People identify with a story helping them to understand and retain it better. The scientists said that this was a better method to get people to learn and the writer of the article shared that this is how we should be training our employees. Once again scientists are barely catching up to what God has presented to us since the beginning of time.
When I started writing this I thought I would pick out one of my favorite word pictures from God’s Word to share with you… but how can anyone choose one? I suppose it depends on the day, my trials, or joys and what He has laid on my heart. Today I am on vacation relaxing in a condo overlooking the ocean, feeling privileged to be able take such a trip. Here is the verse that speaks to me as I take some time to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful creation He has chosen for us.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.”
Psalm 19:1-6
I am going to share some wonderful Etsians shops that I feel relate well with this psalm but first I have three suggestions that I hope you will consider.
#1. I would like to challenge you to take time to see God’s glory in His creation whether you have an overwhelmingly awesome ocean to view, a unique unmatched snowflake or an incredibly intricate dandelion to pick. It does not make any difference, take time examine it closely and know it has something to declare to you.
# 2. I would ask you to pray for those who have chosen not to see or hear God speak to them that they would be able to hear and see.
#3. And lastly I ask if you could share with me your favorite word pictures from the Bible. I would like to write about them some time and if you choose to write why they are your favorite, I can include your remarks, maybe it will be your post that week instead of mine! You may add them to the comments here, convo me at my shop pfdoriginalartworks and/or you may email me at phyllis@pfdoriginalartworks.com.
By Phyllis Ducey of pfdoriginalartworks
Comments (8)
Beautifully written Phyllis.
We really do need to stop and appreciate the work of the Masters hand...daily!
All of the work you have featured is beautiful, and has been executed by such God-gifted artists!
I'm so happy to be a member of the CASTTEAM, and a child of the King!
xoxo, Daff
This is a very thoughtful post, I need to think about what my favorite word picture is and get back to you.
One of the things I strive for in my work is to bring the beauty of nature to those who may not see it, and hopefully make them think of the Creator when they do.
Thank you, Phyllis, for including my gourd vase with all the beautiful,wonderful items.
This is one of my favorite Psalms, and one of my goals is to incorporate the meaning behind it into my work. Creation is definitely pointing to Him if people have the eyes to see it... Thank you for including my work in this post - I'm honored!
What a lovely and thought provoking post! I have many scriptures that come to mind but it was to pick a favorite. Psalm 91 would definitely be a favorite from a word picture standpoint, especially verses 9 through 13. I often pray for the young soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and missionaries in dangerous places and I ask that the Lord surround them with his angels and I envision these enormous angels surrounding them and God's shadow covering them so that the enemy cannot touch them. I also envision these angels and God's magnificent shadow protecting me and my loved ones during storms, travel and other difficult situations.
Thanks so much for using my purple cone flower in your post!
Oops...should have proofread before I posted..."I have many scriptures that come to mind AND it was HARD to pick a favorite. :}
A wonderful post with beautiful pictures!
Thanks!
http://christiecottage.blogspot.com
This is so beautiful and really touched my heart. Thank you for using one of my paintings to illustrate Psalm 19, what an honour! And thank you for drawing attention to these things, I needed to hear them. Niki xxx
Finding ways to honor God in all areas of my life was one of the ways I pulled through a dark period in my life. Thank you for your article...it challenged me to look at everything around me with a fresh perspective. Sometimes we can get so overwhelmed with all the "stuff" in our lives that we forget to look beyond the "here-and-now" to the "forever-and-ever."