God sky...

Whenever anyone mentions the words "God sky," most of us know exactly what they're talking about... that wonderful kind of sky where there are rays of light filtering through the clouds and descending to the ground... the kind of rays on which the angels slide from heaven to earth... the kind of rays that remind us that God is looking down on this ol' world...

That's "God sky."

As I was driving to Phoenix to visit my friends, I had a real treat. I was driving east, but when I looked in my rear view mirror at the setting sun, THERE IT WAS!! GOD SKY!! and what an awesome one it was, too!

I pulled to the side of the road, leaped out of the car with my camera in hand (in just my socks...who has time to put shoes back on when 'God sky' is waiting to be seen?!), and stood in awe. It was beautiful...

...and what better to add to "God sky" than .... crosses! Look at that!!
Yes, I do realize they're telephone poles, but with the rays of sunshine pouring down upon them, they looked like crosses to me...

...a beautiful reminder of the sacrifice of our amazing Lord...

in the amazing setting of a "God sky" sunset...

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

~Psalm 19:1-3

clouds out the window...

I have discovered that there is one distinct disadvantage of taking a roadtrip by oneself when one is constantly seeing things outside the car that simply shout to be photographed... well, one cannot take the photographs! or, can one??

Please, please do not tell the California Highway Patrol, but I could not resist!! After driving nearly three hours in driving rain (ha!), I drove out of the rain...and into such a beautiful blue sky filled with the most lovely clouds that I could not contain myself!


And so, I learned to take one-handed-out-the-right-hand-passenger-window-over-the-shoulder photos...
...here are a few of the cloud shots I was able to capture, shall we say "sight unseen?"

It was actually a great adventure in photography, as I had no real idea what I may or may not be capturing. I had fun later that night looking to see what, if anything, I had actually photographed. I got several good shots and even a couple of surprises... but those are for another day! : )

Edited 2/21 - please note, as I have received comments of folks concerned for my safety (and probably the safety of others) my eyes were on the road in front of me--only my right hand was playing while i was driving! That was why I had no real idea WHAT I was photographing! : ) (as could be verified by the majority of photos being of the door of my car or of completely uninteresting sky!) These were just some which actually turned out ot be cool! Fear not! I was being safe ... probably FAR more than most folks talking on the phone while driving!!

you gotta have the rain...

We here in Southern California were treated to rain and gloom off and on for the past four days. It hasn't been the usual sunny and warm weather people are used to, and you should hear the grumbling and complaining that starts after about one full day of rain. One would think we were living in the continual rain of Seattle or in the ice-covered states back east!

Southern Californians will put up with about 24 hours of rain--after all, we have been in a bit of a drought cycle for the past few years, the reservoirs and lakes are dreadfully low, and the brown hills of winter show our lack of precipitation. So, OK, we will take a little bit of it. But, after 24 hours, oh my! The complaining begins.

As for me, well, I love the rain! I love the black clouds! And if I were to hear a peal of thunder or the crisp crackle of lightening, I would do a little dance of joy! I just love "weather." (and, yes, I really like wind and storms...not sure what that says about my personality! I think it's the intensity I love.)

Over the past couple of days, I've pondered the rain and how it is like the times of gloom or stormy weather in our lives--those rough patches, trials, times when the sun is not shining in our personal worlds. It's very similar. Give me a few days of difficulty, and I can "hang with it." Give me a few weeks of it, and I'm grumbling. Give me a longer trial, and I'm questioning, throwing out the "why?"s, and finding it hard not to ask God what He could possibly be thinking!

And yet, what did we see and experience today AFTER the gloom and as a result of the rain?

• the beauty of the snow on the distant mountains--through the removal of the smog cluttering up the airspace, previously blocking our vision of the beauty before us
• clean, sparkling trees and buildings--through the washing away of the accumulated dirt and silt
• water!! so very necessary for life and so hard to come by sometimes!
• and, in the very near future, green grass growing where the winter brown is currently reigning.

Similarly, what do we see and experience in our lives AFTER the gloom and as a result of the stormy times?

• clarity of vision--an ability to see things, issues, people, beauty more clearly and with fresh renewed eyes
• cleansing--a washing away of sinful behaviors, a sloughing off of the things that don't really matter
• water--refreshment, nourishment, a renewed sense of the presence of God in a way that satisfies our thirst
• growth--of character and depth in our relationship with the Lord
• and a deepened sense of appreciation and gratitude for what God has given and how He has been faithful.

Though it may take hard work and perseverance and a real check on our attitudes, we need to learn to accept, and even welcome, the rain in our lives--to be steadfast through the stormy weather, to be grateful for the gloom despite our feelings, and to seek the Son shine when the sun is not shining. For, without the rain, there is much we will miss in our lives.... (and, it is only IN the midst of the rain, with the sun [Son?!] shining through, that we get to see the reminder of God's promises and His faithfulness... the glorious beauty of the rainbow!... you gotta have the rain!)

a moody monday...

These photos are a documentary of what it was like in my little area of the country today... moody. This is the view out my window at work...and a little glimpse of the progression of the weather today.

It briefly began like this...

quickly went to this...
to even darker, more menacing clouds... and back to this...
Now, go back to the top and start over.

Do this about 12 times, and you'll see just what the crazy weather was like today here in Southern California!

And then, the day ended as in the photo below...

followed by a pinkish orange sunset and the most delightfully fluffy pink cotton candy clouds in the south and east. (Unfortunately, I was driving, and when I pulled over to take photos of the clouds, they had lost their pinkness. I have been known to take photos while driving, but I thought I would play it safe and pull over...and missed the shots. You'll have to use your imagination...)

(I think there are some days when my mood changes just as quickly and often as the weather did today!)

beauty of the season...

I know it may not seem like the "traditional" beauty of the season... no snow or Christmas trees or any of the other kinds of sights we're used to seeing in the middle of December... unless, of course, you live in southern California. So, I thought I would treat the rest of you --you who may be shivering in the cold winter weather and enjoying the sparkling beauty of fresh-fallen snow -- to a little glimpse into a lovely California December sunset.

I hope you enjoy the show...

God sure does know how to paint it up right, doesn't He?!?

no black friday here...just gratitude...

Today in my home, there is no "black" on this Friday... just a day of relaxing and celebrating God's goodness! (these sun/cloud shots were taken yesterday while driving to our Thanksgiving destination... wonderful!!)

• a country founded and built upon the desire for freedom to worship God! (148)
• friends with whom to spend the holiday (147)
• a table full of food (146)
• five kernels of corn beside my plate (lest I forget) (145)
• family, though they live far away (144)
• a night of glorious rain (143)
• the delighted smile on the face of my neighbor's son (142)
• a beautiful swarm of tiny "butterflies" in the morning light (141)(though they were actually termites on the move!!)
• a great night's sleep (140)
• a comfortable bed in which to sleep (139)
  

• good books to read (138)
• the ability to read!! (137)
• laughter (136)
• playing with little kids (135)
• a long drive with good friends (134)
• Thanksgiving leftovers (133)
• NOT going shopping on "Black Friday" (132)
• enjoying a day of relaxing (131)
• Christmas music! (130)
• more beautiful and amazing clouds! (129)

another of my favorite things...

Awesome clouds. I love clouds. I find them beautiful and amazing...and, living in Southern California, we don't get so many as in other places. Many, many days of the year we experience what my mom calls a "California sky"-- that is, a vast expanse of pretty blue sky with absolutely no clouds to be seen.

But, every now and then, I am treated to some wonderful cloud sights! I usually respond by grabbing my camera and trying, oh so hard!, to get some cool photos. A few weeks ago, when we actually had a bit of rain (yes, occasionally it does rain here!), there were some very interesting and photo-worthy clouds outside my door. I call this type "cloud ledges," and I find them most intriguing, indeed!

They look so heavy and full and menacing... but look at that blue sky at the top! It's all a big tease!

Now, that's more LIKE it!

I love it when they're dark and menacing...
and yet, they look amazingly fluffy as well.


...what beautiful flowing lines...

...and incredible texture!

Then, when I stopped at the post office near my office,

there were more cloud ledges!

I find the contrast of colors so very striking! Aren't they simply wonderful??

Ah, I do so love clouds...and these were sure interesting ones! Let's hear it for the diversity of God's creation, and let's hear it for the beauty of cloud ledges!!

fires in Southern California...

Today has been a difficult day for many southern Californians, as the southland has once again been ablaze with fires... this time in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties. One of the fires started yesterday and the other ones late last night. Fortunately, I am not in the immediate area of any of the fires, but they are all close enough for us to experience some of the side effects. This morning our air was full of smoke and the sky a strange orangish-brown which colored the noon-day light with sunset-golden highlights and shadows. Tiny bits of ash floated in the air like miniature snowflakes.

Please forgive me for this very long post full of photos, but fire and smoke make for some interesting photo opportunities...and beautiful red sunsets. I can't give you a whiff of the smokey air, but I can give you a little peek into the day from my vantage point...

this is a great thick cloud of smoke covering much of our sky today...

(note the floating Christmas trees already being set up in the bay to be lit after Thanksgiving)

the early afternoon sun shining through the smoke...

This was a most incredible sight--my friend pulled the car over so I could take a couple of photos. Look at the beautiful light reflections on the water... the red color absolutely amazed me!! I had never seen anything like that in the middle of the day!

...and then began the sunset in brilliant reds and pinks and orange...

...and then the sun finally sets...

(no, it's not snow...it's a bit of ash on my car!)

And though I've been able to share with you some photos of the beautiful side of the fires, for those who have lost homes, the fires are not so lovely. Please pray for all those affected by the fires--for the safety of the firefighters, for those who have lost homes and belongings, for everyone who is helping in any way, and for the fires to be put out completely and quickly.