God is...

Before me,
Even as behind,
God is,
And all is well...
~Whittier

What says "CALIFORNIA" better than a blue sky and a palm-tree-lined street?!

Here's to a California evening yesterday... (yes, that IS the hood of my car, and yes, I took this on my cell phone camera while driving!)

And this was the sun setting as I arrived at my Bible study group...
Lovely, don't you think?

Thank You, God, for yellows and blues...

and crazy Dr. Seuss-looking trees!

Thank You, God, for another day of life in You...

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

revelling in the setting sun, the close of an old year, the beginning of a new...

And, today, I give you the last of the Sunday beach adventure photos... these of the setting of the sun and ending of that day... to say 'goodbye' to the old year and to welcome with open arms and eager hearts the new year ahead...

(by the way, that's me in the photo below... or, at least, a shadow of me!)

I wish for each of you in the new year...

• wonder at God's amazing creation
• awe of God's incredible generosity, kindness, and love
• a deep and lasting sense of God's presence
• an awareness of His incomprehensible love for you
• delightful companionship along life's way
• joy in the journey
• laughter
• exciting adventures
• and, eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand all the wonderful ways God touches your every day life...

Happy New Year!!

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?!?

blocking the Son...

On Saturday, I posted the two photos below, which were two of the many I took of the smoke-enhanced sunset. The sunset that evening was so very beautiful--fiery reds, glowing pinks, and bright oranges... ...the exceptionally colorful sunset was all a result of the smoke from the several devastating fires that were burning that day...

Then yesterday I posted the photo below ...

One of my blogger friends left a comment saying, "I didn't realise that this picture is similar to the previous post entry. At first I thought this is a peaceful sunset and not a picture of forest fire or such. I guess I've been undermining the power of colour." (She was very observant, as it, too, was one of the photos I took the night of the fires.)

When I was shooting the photos, I realized I wasn't able to see the details of the sun itself because of the colors and the brilliant glow. I thought, perhaps, if I were to shoot it in black and white, I would be able to see the actual outlines of the sun. And it worked! As soon as I eliminated the parts of the sunset that were the most outstanding, the most visible--the color and the brilliance--I could actually see the sun itself in greater detail.

...Without the distraction of color, the sun was so much more clear to see and even elegant in its simplicity...

After reading JH's comment, it made me think about how this also applies to my spiritual life, to my faith in God. I think sometimes I can get distracted by the external trappings of walking with God--of church, of my expectations of Who He is, of the blessings He gives-- and I lose sight of the important details, such as Who He really is, His character, His love for me.

If, as JH said, I "underestimate the power of color," if I don't realize the effect of the external things--the distractions, no matter how beautiful they seem-- I can find myself blinded by them. I can find myself unable to see the simplicity of my relationship with God, the simplicity of faith in Him, the true details of His character, the awesome reality of His love for me. But, if I take away the "color" and view it all in black and white, I can see the Son Himself in greater detail-- the elegant beauty of Who He is and of His love for me.

...Without the distraction of "color," the Son is so much more clear to see and even elegant in His simplicity...