Give Thanks!

Do you know anyone who has not dealt with suffering and sadness and loss this year? I don't. Although we can't help mourning all that we've lost, I hope we will also notice the abundance of good that remains and thank God for it. 

For example, my spirits lifted (despite experiencing ongoing heartaches and worries and physical challenges) as I spent a few minutes in my yard a couple of days ago. I thanked God that I was physically able to walk around my yard for the first time since my surgery a couple of months ago. As I limped along (using my cane), I smiled as I saw a few signs of spring--in mid-November! I thanked God not only for the beauty (and the promise of more) but also for the ability to see the pink blooms on an azalea bush and the green paperwhite shoots that had struggled to push through the soil and were standing tall. I enjoyed listening to the birds and thanked God for them--and for the ability to hear them. 

Those experiences in the yard didn't change any of the heartbreaking situations or recover any of the great losses, but giving thanks changed me! 

May we realize daily this truth expressed by the psalmist centuries ago: "It is good to give thanks to the LORD..." (Psalm 92:1, NKJV).

God's Beautiful World

He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11, NKJV

Especially in springtime, I readily acknowledge the truth of those words that are in the Bible. 

As I look around at the beautiful world God created, I also think about how He continues to keep everything running on schedule—the seasons, the tides, the sun, the moon….

I conclude that God likes orderliness and harmony—not only in the natural world He created but in every situation.  

Therefore, I say to Him, “O Father, help me to love beauty and orderliness and harmony—like You do. Help me to do all I can to create them wherever I am."

Beauty is God's Handwriting

Behold! Believe!

The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

~Psalm 19:1, NIV

When my husband and I take a walk in the neighborhood, I'm awed by the beauty of the skies. On the evenings we stay home, we miss seeing grandeur like that in this photo. Yet, God faithfully creates awesome skies whether or not anyone notices them. But, oh, what a blessing it is to behold them and to worship the One who created them.

Little Glories

...transform me, Father,

by the

little glories

of this day.

~David Hazard, p.139 in

I Come Quietly to Meet You 

A Song of Praise

I made this collage while learning how to use new (FREE!) software I downloaded. As I worked, I thought about the words in Folliott S. Pierpoint's song For the Beauty of the Earth, which was published in 1864. 

For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth, 

Over and around us lies:

Christ our God to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Amen.

Since those ancient words express the thoughts of MY heart whenever I see beauty all around me, I often personalize them in this way and use them as a prayer:

For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from my birth, 

Over and around me lies:

Christ my God to thee I raise

This my hymn of grateful praise. 

Amen.

Lessons from a Vine

Because I’m intrigued by a vine that grows prolifically at the beach, I wanted to know more about it. I learned that it’s called the “Railroad Vine” because its vines spread out hither and yon along the ground, much like train tracks meander around anything in their paths. Amazingly, the vine can grow up to 12 inches a day, and its runners may extend horizontally for more than 30 feet. Its taproots can penetrate downward more than three feet into the sand, stabilizing the ever-shifting dunes. In addition, the “Railroad Vine” often produces beautiful pink blooms that open in the morning and close by mid-afternoon, giving it another nickname: “Beach Morning Glory.”

As I look at the vine, I think about how the “paths” of my life often seem random. Yet, even if I go first one way and then another, my life, like the vine, still has purpose and beauty. Yesterday, for example, I didn't think I was doing much that was meaningful. However, when I journaled this morning about what I’d done, I realized I’d done several kind things for others, which, I believe, delighted my Father--even though I hadn't checked off many items on my to-do list.

He has shown you...what is good. 

And what does the LORD require of you? 

To act justly 

and to love mercy 

and to walk humbly with your God.

~Micah 6:8, NIV

Fully Formed

Buds intrigue me—for several reasons. 

They provide few clues as to their future beauty. In fact, some buds are “a little on the ugly side,” aren’t they?

I’m amazed at how a showy bloom can be encased in such a small bud. For example, everything that makes a rose a rose is encased in a tiny bud--just like those in this photo. One day, they'll open and be as large and as lovely as the pink rose that’s flourishing alongside them.

I’m amazed at how the maturation process remains shrouded in mystery. Knowing that imperceptible changes are occurring constantly inside the bud, I wait eagerly for it to open and reveal its beauty.

Buds remind me that their Creator is my Creator, too, and that He continues to mature me day by day. He knows my potential. In fact, He placed it within me. I don’t see much of it. Neither do other people see it. But...it IS there, just as yours is within you. 

In light of that, may these words I found in a book written by Vinita Hampton Wright greatly encourage us in our struggle to do our best work for God. 

[Even if] you are weary of yourself and loathe your attempts at giftedness, God sees you already fully formed and your work accomplished in all its beauty and glory (p. 158, The Art of Spiritual Writing: How to Craft Prose That Engages and Inspires Your Readers).

With or Without Wrinkles!

I was dumbfounded when I read about a woman who—for 40 years—refused to laugh—or even smile! I was even more flabbergasted when I read why. (Brace yourself, Dear Reader.) She wanted to avoid getting wrinkles around her eyes and lips!

Oh, I thought, the lengths some people go to in order to hide the effects of aging! But aging is inevitable. Take a look at the rich and famous—who have access to all sorts of anti-aging potions and procedures. Even so, “old age” impacts them, too. Their skin wrinkles, their voices quaver, their spines curve, their muscles atrophy….as ours do.

We certainly should take proper care of our bodies and try to look our best. But if we hyperfocus on the externals, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the things that are eternal and, therefore, fail to pay much, if any, attention to them.

Dear Reader, may you and I make choices based on God’s Word, which repeatedly reminds us that what’s going on on the inside of us is far more important than what’s going on on the outside. 

For example: 1 Peter 3:2, NLT, says, “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

A person with such a spirit is beautiful--with or without wrinkles--and a joy to be around! 

Stages

When I photographed these tiny azalea blooms in my yard, I thought, Each stage has its own beauty. Such is true of the stages of human life.

May we learn to look for and to appreciate the beauty that's there!

May we praise the Creator who put it there.

Spring!

Spring shows what God can do 
with a drab and dirty world.

~Rev. Virgil A. Kraft (1910-1988)

Look for the Beauty and the Blessings

With camera in hand, I walked through the gate to my neighbor's garden. "I doubt you’ll find anything to photograph here,” she said apologetically. 

I smiled, having already spotted several things that I wanted to photograph.

She enjoys her garden most when it’s at its peak--when it’s filled with soft pastels on her hydrangeas and vibrant colors on her geraniums and roses. Indeed, it is a delight at that time; but…I also love her garden in the fall when the blooms and leaves are aging and turning beautiful shades of brown before drifting down to the ground.

Just as I can find unique beauty in the garden every season, I also find beauty in whatever season of life I’m in. Even in late fall and mid-winter, there’s beauty to be found in the garden and in life.  Although I sometimes have to look more closely to find it, it’s there!

Dear Reader, will you take a close look at your life in order to see the beauty that surrounds you? If you don’t see much that delights you in your current season or situation, will you ask God to open your eyes so you can see the blessings that surround you? The beauty and the blessings are there! Look for them! Thank Him for every one you find.

Out of Great Darkness

Carry On!

After I’d e-mailed some friends a link to the site where I’d posted the photos I’d taken recently at Callaway Gardens, one who had also photographed there that day, replied, saying, “Very nice pictures. I was disappointed that some of my butterflies had ragged wings. I see that happened to you, too.”

Although I’m awed by perfection, I was not disappointed at the sight of the ragged wings. Rather, I was inspired by the butterflies that were living life as fully as possible despite whatever trauma(s) they had endured; and I saw such incredible beauty in the parts that remained. Thus, I am delighted to display the photos I took of such courageous winged creatures and will continue to be grateful for the reminder to “carry on,” no matter what.

Stripped Bare

I love the sight of a tree standing apart from others.  And when I can photograph not only that tree but also its reflection, that's even "more better," to borrow a phrase young children often use.

When I saw the tree* in this photo growing in the wetland at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge in mid-February, I just had to make a photo of it. Perhaps other passersby didn't give that tree a second glance, but I did.

*There may be another tree in that cluster of trunks. I can't really tell for sure.

I think it's beautiful, even though the winter season has stripped away its greenery, exposing its basic structure and texture. My eyes delight in the many v-shapes formed as the tree grew and extended itself. And the reflection doubles my delight.

As I look at the photo I took of that tree, I think about how life often strips us down to "bare bones." When that happens, we may not feel beautiful any more, but if we allow suffering to make us rather than break us, we will exhibit a beautiful spirit.

That's the kind of beauty 1 Peter 3:3-4, NASB, prescribes for women:

And let not your adornment be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

Beauty, whether seen in trees or in people, is said to be in the eyes of the beholder. Thus, we do well to remember that God sees us very differently than we and/or others see us. For example, when God sent Samuel to anoint a king for Israel, Samuel thought he had found the right man when he saw Eliab, one of the sons of Jesse. But the LORD said to Samuel:

Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7, NASB).

God sees us, stripped bare of outer trappings. He sees us as we truly are. Oh, may He delight in what He sees, and may our essence reflect Him who dwells within us.

Just Bloom!

I like this photo of a flowering cabbage that was growing in a big pot outside a museum in Beaufort, South Carolina, in February. As I looked more closely at it as I was editing it, I took time to read about it. I learned that it grows best during the "Cool Season" of the year: Fall through early Winter. Unlike other plants that require warmer temperatures, the flowering cabbage begins to flourish when temperatures are below 50 degrees. Since many gardens look desolate and dead during the "Cool Season," the cabbage provides beauty that is appreciated by all who pass by.

As I reflected on that, I realized that beauty in an unexpected place and/or at an unexpected time appears more striking because of the contrast between it and its drab surroundings. Might that be true of our lives? When we are in difficult situations yet are flourishing in spirit, aren't we shining examples of the power of God to sustain us--no matter what's going on? 

Might it be that our Creator knows exactly where to place (plant) us so that we can thrive, even when conditions, seemingly, are less than favorable?

Might we do well to just bloom, without any complaining about the environment He chooses for us?

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To everything there is a season... (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Changes

Changes

Wonder Everywhere! (Haiku)

One day, I decided I'd try my hand at writing Haiku (pronounced high-koo). I went online to learn more about that kind of poetry and to read some examples. I learned that Haiku (short poem) can be written on any theme, BUT must adhere to a strict format of 3 lines and only three lines, each with a specific number of syllables, totaling exactly 17 for the entire poem.

• Line 1 has 5 syllables (no more, no less)
• Line 2 has 7 syllables
• Line 3 has 5 syllables

Haiku poetry originated in Japan, but has been adopted and adapted by poets in many other nations. The poets use sensory language to "paint a word picture" about a poignant experience, a thing of beauty, or an element in nature, etc. Thus, writing Haiku requires poets (and "wanna be" poets like me) to be observant and appreciative of nature and beauty. 

Here are some of my first attempts—and the photos that inspired them. I won’t win any awards with these little poems, but I had fun writing them. I pray the lessons they contain will “speak” to your heart, Dear Reader, as they have to mine.

Wonder everywhere!

Open my eyes, Lord,

that I may see it.

Beautiful stages!

First the bud and then the bloom—

beauty unfolding.

One of many, yes!

Yet, standing out tall and proud

From among the crowd.

Wabi-Sabi

At the conclusion of a Toastmasters meeting, the leader said, “The theme for our next meeting will be wabi-sabi.”

Well…that theme was quite different from recent ones, such as enthusiasm, being prepared, rise and shine, etc., all of which were easily understood. But wabi-sabi????

Naturally, I made a bee-line for her after the meeting and smiled as I asked, “Just what is wabi-sabi?”

“It’s a Japanese word that means a way of seeing beauty in things that are imperfect, like a cracked vase. People who understand wabi-sabi intentionally place the vase so that the imperfection can be seen rather than hidden.”

After the meeting, I logged on to the internet to find out more about wabi-sabi. I learned that ancients Greeks once prized beauty; westerners desire perfection; but those who practice wabi-sabi value authenticity. They see beauty in things that are imperfect, impermanent, and/or incomplete. For example, they find beauty in things that are rough, irregular, natural, rustic…things with “character,” such as a table with a few dings and dongs, a chipped cup, wrinkled faces, etc. 

      My goodness! I thought. I’ve been practicing wabi-sabi for years and didn’t even know it! To prove it, I looked through my collection of digital photos and found many images I’d made of what I considered beautiful “finds.” I’d found them in unexpected places. For example: an outhouse made of rough wood standing beside acres of sunflowers in full bloom, outgrown children’s shoes being used as small planters, an old worn-out shoe providing a home to a plant in need of care, textured walls in an abandoned building, dried blooms silhouetted again a November sky…

 One of my all-time favorite wabi-sabi photos is one of my mother’s hands, taken when she was 86 years old. I liked it so much I even wrote a poem about her hands and placed those words onto the photo itself.

The more we accept the imperfect elements in our environment and consider them interesting and beautiful, the more willing we’ll be to let go of our relentless quest for perfection—not only in things but also in people—including ourselves!