I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

And the bells are ringing (peace on Earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (peace on Earth)
In my heart I hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

I heard about the bells on Christmas Day… thanks to Philip and Myrna. I’d never heard of ice bells before. But apparently they form when the water levels of the creek are high and dropping and the temperatures are cold.

Amazing

Em and I trudged up and down the banks of Muddy Creek attempting to capture the intricate beauty.

“This is what I love about winter.” I commented “so much of it, I hate. But then there’s these super unique things like this that show up. This is incredible!”

“I have to make myself go outside. Then it’s incredible… but if I just stay inside- I drive myself crazy” Em added.

And then suddenly the bells ceased. Ice still lined the shore, but no bells.

“What makes the difference?” I pondered out loud “Oh wait I get it- the more turbulent the water, the more elaborate and beautiful the bells!!”

“I can hear a blog post coming on” said Em

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty, instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

The same Hands that decorated the creek side with this elaborate beauty can take whatever the rough waters are you’re traveling through and exchange it for something beautiful. “A crown of beauty instead of ashes”

Honestly it’s a little hard for me to fathom that God is so powerful that even the hardest things in our lives He can use for good if we surrender it to Him.

So if you find yourself in the rough waters- take courage! Through our difficult experiences, God often equips us for a very specific ministry, if we allow Him to work in us. “Better not Bitter” can be easier said than done. But it’s a blessing to witness this lived out.

And can I just say, to the Ice Bells who’ve impacted my life: Bless you for being vulnerable and allowing your rough waters to become a thing of beauty enough to inspire those around you!

Beauty for Ashes/ Ice bells for Bitter cold… Thank you Jesus!

Kendra

Bonus Pics:

The birthday train arrived yesterday for these eager 3 year olds 😂 The cake has been a hot topic for weeks. There’s so many possibilities for cakes and so few of birthdays 😂

The delight of a child is so precious. Somehow they were able to keep up their excitement over all of the Christmas AND birthday gifts 😂💪🏼