Okay folks... I was watching this special about the seven wonders of the ancient world. Well... I got to thinking. Got to reading. And came up with my own batch of seven wonders... right along with the ancient stuff! Symbolic like a mugg... LOL.

1. The Pyramids of Giza is the oldest wonder. It is admired for its many secret chambers and passageways; for its height and size; for its accuracy. Its construction is impressive but the mystery behind it even more fantastic!

So what could I possibly have in common with this? What can equate to the first wonder of the world? On my own scale, my family is MY pyramid! The construction of our family is near PERFECT. Each member of my family, immediate and extended, represent the many secret chambers and passageways... all beneath the surface... yet all a part of this fantastic construction. Each block OR each family member, including my husband, contributes to this beautiful pyramid.

2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon... imagine a huge man-made mountain, constructed of many terraces of green foliage and flowers, surrounded by water in the middle of the desert. Near what is currently Baghdad, Iraq once stood the hanging gardens of Babylon. It is said that King Nebuchadnezzar built the huge monument to cheer up his wife, Amyitis. She was from a lush, tropical mecca and he resided in the desert. So he built this huge mountain of greenery to help her get through her homesickness.

For me, the significance of this wonder of the world is the "gesture" of love made by Nebuchadnezzar. I have not limited myself to experiencing JUST ONE great love in my life. I have had MANY great loves... and of those loves... the greatest "gesture" happened in a hotel room... as I lay crying in horror at the fact that the man who raped me had been acquitted. The monument of strength rendered by one of the GREAT LOVES of my life still amazes me today. At my weakest moment, he comforted me. He held me up and didn't let me drown in self pity. He pushed me forward and allowed me to dream beyond my capacity at that moment. His "gesture" of stalwart strength, of supreme understanding, of genuine affection will NEVER be forgotten.

3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia found fame because of its splendor. He was 12 meters tall and carved out of ivory. He was seated on a cedarwood throne, inlaid with gold and ivory and ebony and precious stones. Bottom line with this ancient wonder is that its beauty, majesty and splendor captured the admiration of the ancient world.

So this should be easy, right? I mean, how hard is it to find something that is physically beautiful? MY third wonder, based on BEAUTY alone is my home state of Hawai'i. The mountains, the ocean, the greenery EVERYWHERE, the people... it is TRULY a wonderful combination. It is BEAUTIFUL here! Though I can see myself leaving here in a few years and moving to the south pacific somewhere... the majesty and splendor of Hawai'i will always be MY THIRD WONDER!

4. The Temple of Artemis would have truly been a site to behold. Imagine a structure slightly larger than a football field, sixty feet high, surrounded by steps, a large courtyard... COMPLETELY made of marble. Nothing similar to it for miles and miles. Why was it so important in the old world? Aside from its beauty, some say the number of times it was destroyed and rebuilt makes it amazing. Some say its importance is due to the refuge it provided for the troubled. Others saw it as a wonderful way to pay homage to the goddess, Artemis.

Whatever the reasons may be. The value in this WONDER is in how many times it was destroyed then rebuilt. MY fourth wonder is my own ability to RISE ABOVE disappointments. Folks have torn me down but the Lord has truly given me the quality, the strength to be able to build myself back up. Whether my heart was broken, or I was violated through rape, or I was betrayed... whatever it may have been... I was blessed with the ability to rise above it all.

5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus entombed King Mausolus. His queen spared no expense when building the tomb. Queen Artemisia was also his sister. The term "mausoleum" is used in reference to any tomb GRAND in nature... King "Mausolus"... because of this display that was built on the kings behalf.

MY FIFTH wonder... thanks to this mausoleum... is to honor the dead! I honor both of my grandmothers. They were both widowed at a young age. My mothers mom had 17 children at the time of my grandfathers death. And then managed to have a couple more. She had to raise all of those children without the help of her husband. I admire that and I honor her! My fathers mother had 7 at the time of her husbands death. So... to these strong women that have come before me... I construct my own mausoleum for you... with my WORDS!

6. The Colossus of Rhodes was 110 feet tall... roughly the same height as the Statue of Liberty. The Rhodians built the statue to pay tribute to their patron God, Helios.

I wondered what all the "ado" was about with the Colossus. It came to me - in its day and age, the Colossus was ahead of its time. That's right folks. The man power and strength and engineering of the entire process HAD to be difficult without all the modern technology we enjoy today. And THAT is MY SIXTH wonder. Technology! If you're reading this here blog... more than likely, you love the internet as much as I do. I love computers, digital cameras, digital cell phones. Everything! Thanks to technology, the world is getting smaller. We are able to communicate and go places QUICKER than ever before!

7. The Pharos of Alexandria was a lighthouse. Legend has it that the mirror used in this lighthouse could reflect light that could be seen over hundreds of meters out. It was a marble structure over 40 stories high!
It's significance for me... can be found in the hymn, Brightly Beams Our Fathers Mercy OR The Lower Lights. Check out the background story HERE. But basically... what it comes down to is that MY CREATOR is the lighthouse. He is the guide back into the safety of the harbor, figuratively speaking. And we should all be the "lower lights" that burn to illuminate the shoreline and ultimately guide the ships to safety. God plays a major role in my life. For the foundation my parents set up for me... I am eternally grateful!

And... that's a wrap FOLKS! What are your SEVEN WONDERS?