Twilight palm and painted sky colors

Here's a shot from earlier tonight! Enjoy!

A Florida evening light show

Here, on the Florida prairie, the rays of the setting sun split into pink and blue, an infinite candlepower lightshow of exquisite beauty... a moment in time, a moment of worship and Creator love! Enjoy!

The nature of true love

Love at the Source

"For true love is inexhaustible;

the more you give,

the more you have.

And if you go to draw

at the true fountainhead,

the more water you draw,

the more abundant is its flow.”

Selah.

Antoine De Saint Exupéry

Florida sky after a storm

Here's a shot of the sky after a storm, near where I live... Okeechobee usually gets a thunderstorm a day in the summer, in the afternoon, often clearing before sunset, setting up dramatic scenes in late afternoon, early evening! Enjoy!

Painted sky, shaded grass

Here's a classic Old Florida scene. A lot going on in this pic, shapes of clouds and grass, panorama of bright blue-white sky and shadowed grass, highlighted individual strands of grass, distant dark green palms... layered color! Enjoy!

Blackout: A metaphor of spiritual darkness

A parable for Lent

A prophetic word by Emil Brunner

During wartime blackout practices we noticed what life would be like without light, how weird everything was, how one took uncertain steps, how quickly one lost his way, how easily one collided. The blackout is said to have cost more lives in England than the war.

That may be a parable for us of what darkness in the spiritual sense means in the individual life of man and in the life of nations. You know, indeed, how it is when it is simply dark in us and around us, when we do not know in and out, when it is like a devilish darkening over our mind, and we ourselves think, feel, and do what the light shuns. That the Bible calls 'wandering in darkness.' But it can happen that one becomes accustomed to this darkness so that he does not notice how terrible, how inhuman, how contrary to sense all life then becomes. And as in individuals, so in the life of nations. Now is a blackout time in the whole world of nations, as perhaps never at all before.

For earlier one still knew that there is a God, that there is a righteousness, that finally a retribution comes, that there are holy laws and orders. But today there are millions and millions of Europeans – about the others I do not wish to speak – now who no longer know all that, who have radically struck God from their hearts and lives and who therefore live entirely in darkness and who do the works of darkness.

We see today and thank God; many who did not see it are now finally beginning to see it that one cannot live without God. But perhaps it is already too late; perhaps the darkness of godlessness must first give vent to its fury before better times can come. The power of darkness seems today to have received a free night from God that it may crush to pieces what it wills so that the nations realize to what place one comes when he abolishes God.

Selah.

Emil Brunner, I Believe in the Living God, 43-44.

Winter hardwoods, hills, sunset and sky

I love how the pink, crystal light hangs off in the distance, stretched out as under a blue canopy, shining forth in muted beauty, lingering light, pastel shining. Here it frames the hardwoods, valley and hills, snowy river flowing from the distant light. Translucent bluescale sky over all! Enjoy!

A late autumn advent scene

Florida has seasons -- not as pronounced as further north, but enjoyable just the same. Some trees lose their leaves, turning rusty shades of brown and red... and the light -- ah, the light! The light is that advent light of long rays and textured colors: there is no light like advent light! Here, a beautiful scene that captures the late autumn advent sense: trees and light and color and texture. Plus, the imagery of the walkway to the sky, truly an advent sense of the journey to God! Welcome, Abba, welcome Jesus! Selah. Enjoy!

Blessed are the eyes that see this heavenly light

How beauteous are their feet

Words: Isaac Watts, 1707
Music: Camberwell (Cambridge)

How beauteous are their feet
who stand on Zion's hill
who bring salvation on their tongues
and words of peace reveal!

How charming is their voice!
How sweet the tidings are!
Zion, behold, thy Savior King
he reigns and triumphs here.

How happy are our ears
that hear this joyful sound
which kings and prophets waited for
and sought, but never found.

How blessed are our eyes
that see this heavenly light
Prophets and kings desired it long
but died without the sight.

The watchmen join their voice
and tuneful notes employ
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs
and deserts learn the joy.

The Lord makes bare his arm
through all the earth abroad
let every nation now behold
their Savior and their God.

Alleluia!

Selah.

Bethlehem: The inbreaking of light

Where love breaks in

Eberhard Arnold

This is what happens when God’s power breaks in: darkness is cast out. The power of evil spirits is broken and driven away. The Holy Spirit creates a pure atmosphere, one of unity and of peace.

The little stable in Bethlehem was a place where God’s love broke in. While on earth, Jesus expected God’s kingdom to break in. His expectation was that light must break in upon this darkened earth. He saw that death had heaped up a barrier so that light could not come into life on earth. Therefore he sacrificed his life so that in the area of death an opening might be made; so that there might be a rift in the layer of gloomy fog around the earth – an opening through which the light of God could come in. If a house has even only one window where the sun shines in, it can no longer be dark inside the house.

If Jesus opens a breach in death then God’s kingdom comes down to this earth. This was the faith that the early Christian church had when they waited for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They were determined to wait until the flame of the Spirit, like the star over Bethlehem, should come down at this one place. And this did happen; it came.

From the place where a stream enters, it pours out into the entire world. Where love breaks in, all other forces yield. Jesus was victorious on the cross, not by a greater force, but by a greater power – the power of love – in comparison with which all force is nothing. No human force is able to achieve anything in comparison to the power of love.

The birth of Jesus is the in-breaking of the power of love.

Selah.

Florida autumn and Advent light

The seasons do change here in Florida. The light changes, the temperature, and even some leaves... some trees lose their leaves, turning in color, and some critters change their habits. Here's one of many recent pictures of Florida beauty in late autumn. Advent light! Enjoy!

Lead us, O Father, in the paths of peace

Lead us, O Father, in the paths of peace

Words: William Henry Burleigh, 1868
Music: Song 22

Lead us, O Father, in the paths of peace;
without thy guiding hand we go astray,
and doubts appall, and sorrows still increase;
lead us through Christ, the true and living Way.

Lead us, O Father, in the paths of truth;
unhelped by thee, in error's maze we grope,
while passion strains, and folly dims our youth,
and age comes on, uncheered by faith and hope.

Lead us, O Father, in the paths of right;
blindly we stumble when we walk alone,
involved in shadows of a darksome night;
only with thee we journey safely on.

Lead us, O Father, to thy heavenly rest,
however rough and steep the pathway be;
through joy or sorrow, as thou deemest best,
until our lives are perfected in thee.

Selah.

When the storms are o'er us

Lord, thy Word abideth

Words: Henry Williams Baker, 1861
Tune: Ravenshaw

Lord, thy Word abideth,
and our footsteps guideth;
who its truth believeth
light and joy receiveth.

When our foes are near us,
then thy Word doth cheer us,
Word of consolation,
message of salvation.

When the storms are o'er us,
and dark clouds before us,
then its light directeth,
and our way protecteth.

Who can tell the pleasure,
who recount the treasure,
by thy Word imparted
to the simple-hearted?

Word of mercy, giving
succor to the living;
word of life, supplying
comfort to the dying!

O that we, discerning,
its most holy learning,
Lord, may love and fear thee,
evermore be near thee!

Selah.

A rainbow of fire and promise

After an early evening thunderstorm, a beautiful covered the lake. Here is just a fraction of the beautiful show, nature's best reflection of divine glory. :-)

In taking the photo and worshiping under the grand, vaulted canopy, storm in distance and sun in the West... clouds and rainbow fire over the lake... I was reminded of these words of God from Genesis chapter nine:

And God said,

"This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

So God said... "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

The time of destructive flood is past. Life will begin again. See the sign, and live, Live, my friend! Even now the waters recede, and you are called to your true part... sing, dance, trust!

Alleluia.

Selah.

Purple mountain majesties II

Here's another shot of Rainier, just in time for the fourth of July! enjoy!

Early evening thunderstorm over Lake Okeechobee

Enjoy!

Palms at stormy sunset

Here are palms against a blue-scale sky, at sunset, under an approaching lightning storm. Streaks of lightning were hitting in the west while I snapped this shot toward the east, catching the ambient lighting of the reflected sun and stormy cover. Enjoy!

Palm trees in stormy frame

Palm trees in stormy relief: contrast, light and shadow and cloud-texture. Enjoy!

A rainstorm over Lake Okeechobee

Rain pours in blue out on the lake, clouds in varying hue. Enjoy!

A painting of evening clouds over Lake Okeechobee

The Master Artist at work, blending light and dark, closer darkened clouds and far away light! Enjoy!