While here in South Carolina, we have toured 2 of the old Rice Plantations along the historic Ashley and Cooper Rivers outside of what they call the ‘Holy City’, Charleston.  Azaleas have been in full bloom and just breath-taking!  Hit it just right!   One of the flowering trees , new to us, that we have so enjoyed has large clusters of very fragrant white flowers that just fill the landscape with beauty and sweet  fragrance.  Asking one of our tour guides for the tree’s name, she said it was a Fringetree.  Like that ‘surrey with the fringe on top’, a frilly  cream-white flower, showy, bell-shaped and fringelike with groups of 3 together on 4 to 8 inch stalks (aren’t you glad we bought that tree book!). Now that I’m  so old, I noticed with a laugh that this tree is also called ‘Old Man’s Beard’–which reminds me that I do need to shave soon!   Today I want to thank the Lord for all His creative power and majesty and artistic wonder.  Just look around you, where you are,  and marvel at all His hand has made.  The stars…the oceans and rivers…clouds and rain, sun and moon…the birds (we have enjoyed the Painted Bunters and the Pileated Woodpeckers and of course my favorite Cardinals).  Why not turn in your Bible to the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 26. And read it.   His opening 4 verses are dripping sarcasm aimed at his friends who have proved to be less than true ones  to him. But from verses 5 onward Job gives great praise to God the Creator of this world and universe.  Please do read these verses…they are magnificent.  Take note today of His work shared with us…in creation.  Forget Mother Nature…this is Father God the Creator, and Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Now look at verse 14–for here is a word of hope that we ‘ain’t seen nothin’ yet’!  “And these are but the outer fringes of His works…” (Job 26:14). Read that again.   There’s so much more to see when we get to Heaven– the horizons are endless; the vistas, eternal; the beauty,unsurpassed; the learning, never-ending; the true stories entertain like nothing on this earth ever has or will.  Heaven is just that…heaven and paradise.  And the best is yet to come!  As Job said, ‘these are but the outer fringes of His works.”  Can’t wait for the surrey to pick us up and drop us off at the most marvelous New Jerusalem ever coming down from God Himself!  Are you ready?