The Colors of the Spirit

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." 
                                                              ~ R.W. Emerson

crabby little apples

Every season has its own beauty; and Autumn always awakens a little bit of romanticism in me. The vibrant colors in the last of the flowers, the beautiful leaves, harvest of garden vegetables... I feel like love takes a new form is the golden afternoon sunshine and the cool night air. The moon is brighter - sometimes golden and pink. 

There are a couple of crab apple trees outside of my home that the squirrels and I love. In the winter, the twisted and spindly branches are lined with snow and creek in the wind. In the spring these trees are full of fluffy, fragrant, fragile blossoms. They buzz with energy from the bees who find their life-source in the nectar. In the summer the tress provide lovely shade for those who pass under the branches. But these trees are my favorite in the fall. 

In the fall they are loaded with thousands of bright red crab apples. They drop their fruit all over the place, making a huge mess where people walk and squish the apples beneath their shoes. The smell of crab apples warming in the sun makes me think of cider, sunset, and contentment. And the food they provide for the neighborhood birds and squirrels is what reminds me that my God keeps His promises. Give us this day our daily bread. He always provides for the animals and He surely provides for me!

Finding Glory

This is what I know is true: "The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." Psalm 19:1
But is God's Glory only displayed in the sky? My God is not limited. So, this I also know to be true: He is evident in all creation. And this is what I seek to always discover.
My husband encouraged me that I see things in a unique way, and I have the ability to write about it. He suggested to me that I "start blogging again." (I kind of took a 14 month sabbatical from such writing.) I had been journaling for said amount of time, so the writing didn't cease; but a journal is quite private. Now I think it's time to step out, step up, and step into a new perspective.
So, the next question is, what do I write about? I think I see this as a blog that will continue to take shape as I explore its perimeters. I do know that entries will probably be short. I want to see if I can figure out how to post pictures and whatnot. Maybe I'll acquire a follower or two. But my main goal is to let this blog be an instrument that declares God's glory, goodness, and joy in my life and the world around me.

So, here I go! It's time to start blogging again...

On the road that takes me to work every day is a school bus stop. Since last fall I have been privy to observe a particular family and watch them change and grow. The part of the family that I "know" is made up of a beautiful mother and her two small twin girls. This mother is tall and looks as if she knows how to work hard and play harder. She has maintained her black-with-silver-strands shoulder-length hair style since last year. Her two little ones must be first graders at most. Every morning she stands with her girls at the bus stop and every afternoon she is there to welcome them back home. And she talks  to her girls. I can tell she genuinely takes in her every moment she has with them. Seeing that makes me happy. I like when Agape (unconditional love) is obvious. It reminds me that my Father has the same for me. It also deepens within me the desire to be a mommy. Yes, this family declares the Glory of God, whether they know it or not. He really does use everything (even my random observations) for His Glory and my good!