Sparking Wonder

An Adventure in Awe & Delight

All of creation pulses with God’s creativity!

Savor God’s holy fingerprint in every atom of creation. Engage your senses, cultivate curiosity, listen for the Spirit’s still, small voice, and delight in God’s extraordinary creativity.

WONDER NOURISHES THE SOUL

“We human beings are created with a huge capacity for awe and wonder, to see and know the presence of God everywhere and to delight in it … That sense of delight cascading over the brim of the present moment is at the very center of wonder.” (Fr. Chris Thomas)

Wonder nourishes our souls, inviting us to feast on the inexplicable mystery of the Holy, witnessing God’s fingerprint in every atom of creation.

God’s splendor is … written in the stars. Space itself speaks his story through the marvels of the heavens. His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship. Each day gushes out its message to the next, night by night whispering its knowledge to all— without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard, yet all the world can hear its echo. (Psalm 19:1-6, paraphrase)

PRAYER IS THE TRAILHEAD TO WONDER

The trailhead to wonder is an invitation to prayer – slowing down and setting aside our to-do lists, letting the distractions of life slide away, and stepping quietly into the Presence of God.

Lord, open my eyes to the wonder of Your creation. Free my mind from worries and to-dos, from problems that insist on immediate solutions.

I am exhausted and overwhelmed, in pain, trapped in an unpredictable body. I feel unworthy and unseen, displaced.

I look without seeing and move through this world, unaware of Your extraordinary creativity.

Help me to relinquish the illusion of control. Stay my hands and my heart when I strive to do enough, to be enough.

O, God of the wind and the swallow, of the platypus and sea, Spirit Who breathed life into Adam and spoke life into me. 

How I long to rediscover wonder pulsing through every fiber of creation … through every atom of me. Teach me to be captivated and astonished, to laugh in surprise, to delight in Your creation as I stand in holy awe of You. In Your Son’s precious name, Amen.

TOOLS FOR SPARKING WONDER • LISTS, QUESTIONS, & PROMPTS

LISTS

Lists are handy, trail-ready resources for organizing thoughts, tracking details, and identifying what we want to learn a little more about. By including a brief description of the object (along with the time of day, date, or season of the year) and a quick geographical location, we develop keen observation skills and learn more about the species, rocks, or land formations that make up our little corner of the world. Trail-ready lists can include the following:

• birds
• bodies of water
• fish
• flowers
• fungi
• grasses
• habitats
• insects
• large animals
• land formations
• reptiles
• rocks
• rodents
• sea creatures
• small animals
• trees

QUESTIONS

Questions engage our curiosity and invite us to learn more about God’s astonishing creation. On the trail, consider pausing occasionally to journal your observations.

1. Which animals, birds, or insects can you identify by name? Which migrate? Which hibernate?
2. How many flowers can you name? Which ones bloom in spring? Which ones bloom all summer? Which ones attract insects, small animals or large animals? Which ones are drought-resistant?
3. How many trees can you identify? Which trees flower? Which bear fruit? Can you identify trees by their leaves or by their seed pods?
4. Which birds do you recognize by song or call? Which can you identify by sight? Do you know what each bird eats? Can you match a bird to its nest or eggs?
5. Which stars can you name? Which constellations?
6. Can you identify the phases of the moon? Can you identify a blue moon, blood moon, harvest moon, or supermoon?
7. How many kinds of rocks can you identify by sight?
8. How many habitats can you name? Which ones are native to your area?
9. How many cloud types do you know? How many storm systems?
10. Do you know how many colors the human eye can see or the extensive audible range the human ear can hear?
11. Do you know which crops grow best in your state or province?

WONDER PROMPTS

• DAILY DOSE OF DELIGHT: Look for the color yellow everywhere.
• WONDER OF WANDERING: Walk the same route all year and note the changes at different times of day and in different seasons.
• GOD’S POIEMA: God’s image is woven into the DNA of every single soul. Look for Him in everyone you encounter.
• TAKE HEART: Look for heart-shaped leaves, stones, puddles, shadows, pools of light – and those drawn in the sand or sidewalk chalk.
• AWAKEN AWE:  Look for unique, unusual, or interesting shadows and patterns today.
• BEHOLD THE GOLD: Take a walk during Golden Hour – the hour just after sunrise and just before sunset when the sun is closest to the horizon. Notice the quality of the light and what you see in a brand-new way.

TRAIL SIGNS FOR THE JOURNEY

Trail signs identify routes, provide important terrain details, and include helpful information such as trail difficulty and distance. Biblical trail signs guide our journey through life, provide important details about how we should live, and include helpful tips about mountain-top experiences and long, dark valleys.

BIBLICAL TRAIL SIGNS TO READ WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER:

• • ANTS: Proverbs 6:6-8, Proverbs 30:24-26
  • BEES/BEEHIVES/HONEY: Psalm 119:103, Psalm 19:10, Proverbs 24:13-14, Numbers 14:8
  • BIRDS: Psalm 104, Job 38:41, Matthew 6:26
  • CLOUDS: Revelation 1:7, Psalm 97:2, Psalm 104:3, Psalm 147:8, Proverbs 16:15, Nahum 1:3, Matthew 26:64, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Hebrews 12:1
  • DUST: Genesis 2:7, Psalm 103:13-14, 1 Samuel 2:8, Nahum 1:3
  • EAGLES: Deuteronomy 32:11, Jeremiah 48:40
  • FLOWERS: Luke 12:27-28, Isaiah 35:1-2, Song of Songs 2:12
  • FOUNTAINS/FLOWING WATER: Psalm 36:8-9, Joel 3:18, Revelation 7:17, Isaiah 43:2, John 4:14
  • GARDENS: Genesis 1:11-12, Isaiah 58:11
  • GRASSHOPPERS/LOCUSTS: Joel 2:25, Isaiah 40:22
  • ICE/HAIL/SNOW: Job 37:10
  • LAMBS: Genesis 22:7, John 1:36, Isaiah 65:25
  • LIGHTNING: Zechariah 9:14, Psalm 77:18, Jeremiah 51:16
  • LIONS: Numbers 23:24, 1 Samuel 17:37, 2 Samuel 17:10, Job 4:10, Psalm 22:21, 2 Timothy 4:17
  • MEADOWS: Psalm 23:1-4, Psalm 72
  • THE MOON: Genesis 1:16, Psalm 8:3, Psalm 72, Psalm 104:19, Psalm 136:4-9, Psalm 148:3, Isaiah 66:23, Jeremiah 31:35, 1 Corinthians 15:41
  • MOUNTAINS: Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 54:10, Isaiah 55:12, Micah 1:4, Nahum 1:5, Matthew 17:20
  • THE OCEAN/SEAS: Genesis 1:21, Psalm 89:9, Psalm 104:25, Jeremiah 31:35
  • RAIN: Zechariah 10:1, Leviticus 26:4, Psalm 72, Matthew 7:24-25
  • ROCKS: Job 28:10, 1 Samuel 2:2, 2 Samuel 22:1-4, Isaiah 26:4, Isaiah 32:2, Psalm 18:31-33, Psalm 19:14, Psalm 62:1-2, Psalm 71:2-3, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 7:24-25
  • SAND: Genesis 22:16-17, Genesis 41:49, Job 6:2-3, Psalm 139: 17-18, Jeremiah 5:22
  • THE SKY: Genesis 1:14, Psalm 19:1, Psalm 57:10
  • STARS: Genesis 1:14, Psalm 8:3, Psalm 136:4-9, Psalm 147:4, Psalm 148:3, Jeremiah 31:35, 1 Corinthians 15:41
  • STORMS: Zechariah 9:14, Zechariah 10:1, Isaiah 32:2, Psalm 107:25, Nahum 1:3, Jonah 1:4, Luke 8:23-25, Mark 4:39
  • THE SUN: Genesis 1:16, Psalm 72, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 104:19, Psalm 113:3, Psalm 136:4-9, Psalm 148:3, Ecclesiastes 1:5, Ecclesiastes 1:9, Job 9:7, Jeremiah 31:35, Matthew 17:2, 1 Corinthians 15:41
  • THUNDER: Psalm 18:13, Psalm 77:18, Jeremiah 51:16
  • TREES: Genesis 1:11, Ezekiel 17:5, Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 52:8, Isaiah 60:13, Isaiah 41:19-20,
  • VALLEYS: Psalm 23:1-4, Psalm 65:13,
  • WATER: Isaiah 41:18, Isaiah 44:3, Isaiah 66:12, Psalm 23:1-4, Psalm 46:4, Psalm 65:9, Psalm 72, Psalm 136:4-9, Matthew 13:1, Mark 2:13, Mark 4:1, John 7:38,
  • THE WIND: Isaiah 32:2, Jeremiah 51:16, Jonah 1:4, Matthew 7:24-25, Mark 4:39, John 6:18

  Pause where you are and ponder the wonders of God. (Job 37:14)

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