Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 22:52

Lord, I need the clear shinings of

Your love, the beams of Your grace,

the light of Your countenance - these

are as summer suns to me.

C.H. Spurgeon

Mournful Duskywing

I love you, June but you came too soon!

Winter dug in its heels, then Summer rudely pushed its sister, Spring to the side; taking center stage with sunny face, steaming breath and orb of light.

The corn is popping in the deer feeders and the fields are quickly turning to shades of brown. Still, I'm a child of summer. Unashamed, and unafraid.

This year, I'm choosing to focus on the Light.

Cotton Candy Lantana and daddy long-leg spider

The sun is in command, forcing me to squint even behind my sunglasses. Rising in the east, her thick rays cloak the earth, painting each blade of grass with a yellow stroke. 

Our limestone rich roads reflect the light back as an offering and we are caught from above and below in a web of white.

Cotton Candy Lantana and bee

Summer is the season of light, so it seems fitting that it was likely this time of year that the true Light came to dwell among us.

Pow-pow coneflower

The true Light Who enlightens all humankind. By His creating power, He enlightens every person with the light of reason; that life which is the light of men is from Him; all the discoveries and directions of reason, all the comfort it gives us, and all the beauty it puts upon us, are from Christ.

Mournful Duskywing on pow-pow coneflower

My garden is one of those beauties that is constantly enlightening me to His presence. Everything from the smallest aphid to the fox squirrel that comes to drink from the fountain speaks of His intelligent design.

The light of His presence, the warmth of His grace, these are as summer suns to me. [click to tweet]

What beauty are you seeing through your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled week, friends!

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday
#TellHisStory

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 9:52

Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars! (Psa 148:3)

The waxing gibbous moon is doing a good job of drawing attention to my favorite constellation this month; Orion and its Nebula where stars are born. Shift your gaze slightly northwest and you'll have no trouble seeing the Pleiades Star Cluster. Even through binoculars, it is a wondrous thing to behold!

February is the only month this year that doesn't host a full moon. Instead, March will host two full moons, the second of which will be the second (and last) blue moon of 2018!

When enveloped by the heavy scent of this year's pear blossoms it is hard to believe that we are but a mere speck in the universe.

Even if we could count all the bees in the world and all the sand on the seashore we still wouldn't reach the number of stars in the sky. 

Looking up into the night sky can make us feel very small and insignificant indeed. The truth is, we may be small but we are far from insignificant.

We can delight in our surroundings because the earth and everything in it is proof of God's love for us. We are significant because we matter to Him.

10,000 species of birds? 20,000 species of butterflies? Surely, five or six hundred would have been enough. Our Creator God delights in His creation and we are the apple of His eye! 

American Lady Butterfly

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings, (Psa 17:8)

Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies

If we listen and observe, God will use nature to reveal things about Himself.

For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.  (Rom 1:20)

Eastern Bluebird

As our hearts awaken to the truth of God's presence we gradually become aware of the great chasm of sin that separates us from Him.

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Rom 3:22-23)

God in His great love, before time began, had already prepared a way for us to return to Him. 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  (Joh 3:16)

Jesus Christ died to pay our debt and His blood washes us clean from the stain of sin.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

Carolina Wren

The gift of life, freely given to His beloved children. Given to you.

It doesn't matter what you've done, what you've said or how many times you've rejected God. The past is behind. Today, if you come to Him, He will receive you.

Today. Now. Is all that matters.

Will you open your heart to Him? Admit your sins. Turn away from them, turn to Jesus and confess Him as Lord?

"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."  (Heb 4:7)

Blessings, 

How to Know Jesus

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 33:52

I fall a little more in love with Colorado every time we visit.

Sunrise view from our cabin in South Fork

Hot Air Balloon seen from the car while driving through Pagosa Springs

This trip was more of a restful one. We really didn't do too much, which was just what we wanted to do.  

We stopped at Chimney Rock National Monument. The price to hike in is a little high, so we saved it for next time, and a hope for better weather.

Chimney Rock

Durango is always fun. Even if you just sit in the courtyard with a coffee and watch people . . . or house sparrows.

Our favorite antique shop is across from the Strater Hotel.

We found this fun, whimsical sculpture down by the train depot.

We did a few other things in Durango, which I'll share with you next week.

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

Have a wonder-filled week, friends!

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Bird D’pot,
Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens,
Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 08:52

We had a severe thunderstorm last night. The kind that has you lying in bed thinking about where the lightning might strike and roof tiles hurtling through the air. It was impossible to sleep, the rain was lashing the west side of the house hard enough to peel paint. I imagined awakening to trees stripped of their leaves and most of their limbs, standing like naked sentinels. But they are made of sterner stuff than my imagination. We had no visible damage and, best of all, there were raindrops to photograph.

I don't have a macro lens, so it's a bit tricky. But I did get one or two worthy shots.

As promised in last week's post, the pear tree is in its dress whites this week. I wish I could share the scent with you {sigh}.

If I wasn't such a ninny I would string up a hammock and sleep under its boughs. I would dream of Narnia in the springtime and the bees and butterflies would bring me nectar for food.

Trees are so much wiser than we humans. They are older and remember things we never knew. They know things about the earth that we should have kept sacred but instead, have chosen to forget.

The great, bending oaks and still-naked hackberry don't judge the pear for flaunting its spring finery. They know God made each according to its kind.

They are wise enough to see that the individual, unique and special, is still part of the whole.

Since the pear tree and the butterflies, and the south Texas weather are determined to be more like spring than winter, the #shadesofwinter challenge is becoming more challenging by the week.

This week's prompt is #winterathome and Lisa, Kristy and the other participants have posted some lovely, snowy examples!

As I pondered this prompt and what winter at home looks like for me I kept coming back to the one thing that is constant in my home during the winter. The poinsettia.

I buy one as soon as they're in the stores and their red and dark green leaves brighten my home well into spring. Despite the fact that poinsettias are a tropical plant, they symbolize winter at home to me.

What symbolizes winter at home to you?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens,
Life thru the Lens, Our World Tuesday,
Community Global, Photo Friday, Little Things Thursday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 24:52

My lens is a bit clouded this week in light of the horrific events in Orlando. There is a lot that can be said, and some things that should be said in light of these events. But the bottom line for me is my belief that God is good and just and right. He hates evil.

He weeps with those who mourn.

He understands loss, and pain.

He redeems.

Maybe some of you, like me this week, need to be reminded of His goodness. His magnificent and costly love for us.

Maybe these images will help us to remember.

Shalom,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Little Things Thursdays,
Bird D’pot, Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens, Wild Bird Wednesday,
Our World Tuesday, Community Global, Photo Friday

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 23:52

Last week's post was dubbed the front porch edition so I'll have to call this one "the bees and the birds."

These first two are for you, Floyd.

We have a red-tailed hawk, or two, in the area. I see them just about every day. More often that not, they're being chased by another bird. Usually the flycatchers, but sometimes the mocking birds. I've shared about these attacks before. It amazes me that the hawks don't just turn and chomp the much smaller birds. Maybe they just don't know they can. Whatever the reason, I'm thankful.

 

On this particular day, the flycatcher chased the hawk to the cell tower just to the south of us. I had to laugh as the little bird sat on one of the wires holding the tower in place and "guarded" the hawk for nearly half an hour!

We have more flycatchers than ever this year! I've counted five different kinds. The Phoebe, Vermilion and Scissor-tails are easy to identify, but these guys are giving me trouble.

At first I thought they were the Great-crested flycatchers, but now I'm leaning more toward the Ash-throated Flycatcher. Honestly, it's a problem I don't mind having.

I was thrilled to get a picture of the Mr. & Mrs. Golden-fronted Woodpeckers together. They almost always feed separately. This is the first year I've seen the female. 

The hummingbirds, however, were less than thrilled about sharing their nectar, and let the woodpeckers know it! This ritual now goes on every day.

Earlier this week I made a list of all the things that I love about summer. It's a very long list. Hummingbirds easily made the top three.

What are you seeing

through your lens this week?

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:
Nature Notes, Through My Lens, Little Things Thursdays,
Bird D’pot, Saturday’s Critters, Life thru the Lens, Wild Bird Wednesday,
Our World Tuesday, Community Global, Photo Friday