Captivated by Beauty Again

Daybreak. The Dawn. Sunrise. If I do the math, I have had the opportunity to see over 20,000 sunrises. So why does it still enchant me everyday as if something new is happening just for me? The sun rises over the entire world every single day. How many of us actually experience it? I took this picture this morning from by bathroom window. It is glorious! Exploding hues of red are attempting to break into the clouds who only wish to bring snow to our chilly landscape. An hour later the sun can still not be seen, but light is everywhere and the night vanquished. Another day. So how does something that has happened 20,000 times still thrill me? In fact it thrills me more now than when I was young. Endless variables + slowness of life = the chance for wonder I think that is the math I would like to do for the rest of my days. Math that assumes God is wooing me, he is crazy about me and he likes to show off a bit! (Perhaps a lot!) This explosion of red hues lasted less tha...

There are many things I love about my cabin in this small town, but my fireplace might be at the top of the list in the winter. (The windows are number one in the summer.) After the joy of chopping the wood comes the cozy gift of burning the wood. It simply offers a cornacopia of sensory ecstasy for me! It begins with the smoke that permeates the room and my clothes and hangs in the air for days to come. Each element added to the fire changes the texture of the fragrance slightly. I enjoy burning all the useless mail that finds its way into my mailbox. Perhaps it is worth something! But each piece of paper, or empty cereal box and new log invites another layer to an already full bouquet. Next, the flames start to dance. I honestly have no better description than dancing. It mesmerizies me. I am content to gaze upon them for hours as they consume the wood. The dance changes endlessly and I can hear music in movements to match the ferocity of the flame or the throbbing of the emb...

How many sparrows can you count in this picture? (answer at the bottom) Growing up my father waged an epic battle with the squirrels to keep them out of his bird feeders. To this day, the battle rages on and I am not sure who is winning the war. We have several videos of squirrels performing death defying acts to get to the bird feeders, only to fail, bounce on the ground and try again. If you are looking for a working definition of perseverance, it would be a video about squirrels and food. And it would amaze you! But I have chosen not to carry my father's torch and have attempted to make peace with the squirrels. I have an entire trough of corn and sunflower seeds set out for them. It has been very effective at keeping them out of my feeders. But like many good ideas it has come with unintended consequences. It has also attracted the sparrow hoards! (and an occassional raccoon family) Most people would be negative about the marauding gangs of sparrows taking over a...

I really love to chop wood. It's one of those activities that rises to the top of my to do list when the weather is just right. Not too cold, not to hot, but rather a sunny day with a light breeze. In the winter that means a sunny 45 degree day! Perfect! The joy of the hard labor resonates with my soul and the simplicity of the work makes me appreciate a simpler time when it was not a luxury to chop wood, but rather a matter of life and death. But then the sky came alive as the cry pierced me. The cry of a hawk is so powerful! When we talk about the voice of birds, we call it their song or sound, but a hawk sends out a piercing cry that demands our attention. The higher predator has arrived! I put down my ax and searched the skies. "There they are!" Both of them. A sunny day creates a radiating heat from the earth. These two marvelous creatures treated it like their playground as they circled high above my head. So directly above me that I almost fell over t...

The Moon has become a dear friend to me. When I look outside at night and the world is dimly lit due to a bright moon, I instantly smile. It feels welcoming, like an old friend stopping by to say, "Hello! Come and play for awhile!" It usually results in a little joyful dancing. Do you feel that? Is there something in beauty that calls to you so loudly you simply must stop what you are doing and respond? This is where children become wonderful teachers. They will stop in the middle of a street to watch an ant carry a leaf. So while mom is freaking out they are enchanted by the ordinary to the point of obliviousness of their current danger. I know growing up means we become more aware of the bigger picture so the child remains safe. But do we trade away a portion of our wonder to find safety? Is that simply the payment for wanting to raise a family? Or is God, as always, asking us to live in the tension of it all? Holding wonder and care in a marvelous ebb and...

When my kids were young, I was in a constant state of awe by their creativity. (I was also always cleaning up after their creativity so the awe ebbed and flowed.) Children just like creating things. It seems so natural to them; almost like breathing. My kids are now college age and above and they have thanked us for all the play focused learning they were able to enjoy as children. We homeschooled for most of their young years and they simply had time to endlessly create so that's what they did! I can still see it in them as they go forth into the world. I am deeply proud of them! Maya Angelou has a wonderful quote: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." I saw that in my kids, but for some reason it did not translate into my own life. I never saw myself as much of a creator although I could recognize it in other people quickly. In fact it may be one of the most consistent threads in my friendships. I simply am attracted to other c...

I have spent a considerable portion of my life watching birds at my bird feeders. There is something so delightful about the way we are constantly surrounded by a species that flys and sings. All you have to do is put out some food and they become visible. And just when it seems already too amazing to see their array of colors and shapes and sizes, God paints the earthly pallete white with a fresh snow fall! My heart exclaims, "Oh my, my Lord! That is next level stuff and so beautiful! Thank you!" At the suet feeder, the downy headed woodpecker gives way to the slightly larger bright red headed flicker who is then displaced by the practically prehistoric looking piliated woodpecker. (Those are just all fun words to say much less witness!) All of it playing out on a bright white canvas that is almost too pure for the eyes. So I close my eyes and just listen to the chorus. The sparrows are loud and in mass and then suddenly silence as if the song is over or perhaps it ...

When I was young, creation called to me. That captivated me and scared me if I am honest. Throughout my life I have found myself continually called back to the creation through beauty and that is how Jesus wooed me to himself. Beauty. The joy of my life now in my 50's is I can see it better; I have more time to play in it; and it is so satisfying to my soul. There is a book called the "Evidential Power of Beauty" Although I have not read it, the title is my experience. There is power in beauty to usher us into the presence of God at a moment's notice; if we are willing to participate. That is a bigger "if" than most people understand. It means we are listening, anticipating, hoping, creating space, watching, using our senses and believing that God is a good Father who longs to draw us near. That's what this blog is about. It is an endless testimony to God's unfailing desire to care for my soul and love me. You might like it ...