The Painter's heart in a Florida twilight sky

On the way to dinner Sunday night, I saw the sky painted in pink and pastel reds -- glorious. Another evening of artistry for our Creator; His palette is mind and His canvas is the sky, yea, even to the vast inner-sky of the human heart. And beauty flows from joining Him, in his loving intent. From His palette to our canvas, reflected well for all to see, heart dance, life-song, joy and beauty and purpose: A city on a hill, a light not under a bushel basket. Alleluia!

A roost at twilight

A great picture from last night, under the beautiful canopy of Florida winter sky: a flock of birds roosting, in high-vaulted cathedral -- painted with prime colors from God's palette! Enjoy!

Twilight palm and painted sky colors

Here's a shot from earlier tonight! Enjoy!

Daisies among seagrass

I was surprised to find a stretch of beach where beautiful yellow daisies are mingled among the seagrass. Here the amber rays of the late sun highlight the yellow daisies and winter stalks, against the deep blue of the sea and gradient blue of the sky... 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!

A palette of God on the Kissimmee River

God's artistry is the best; the pinnacle of human abstract or realistic art, and everything in between, is only a pale imitation of what is, and the transcendent best that it evokes. Enjoy a scene from this week, the palette of God and the Kissimmee River, blues and pinks and divine hues. Shalom!

A hint of promise over a Florida pasture

Nice sky, amber light effects on trees and grass, highlighting the ruddy cows... greys and blues and misty whites hanging tapestry in the sky, centering colors of the covenant promise. Enjoy!

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!

Fairy tale Florida: dragonfly and painted sky

A lot going on in this photo: dragonfly paused on branch of cold-stunted tree, sunlight on tree and pastels of water and grass and sky stretching out into the distance of Lake Okeechobee. Idyllic. Beautiful. Florida! Enjoy. :-)

A sunset framed by storm

Here's tonight's setting sun -- shining through so nicely, yet framed by oncoming storm clouds. Enjoy!

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 pink sky over an orange grove

The sky shows this time of year are simply phenomenal. Here's a glimpse of the early evening sky tonight -- it turned from blue to yellow to pink, in beautiful order. And here: pastel pink in the last exquisite moments of light! I love how the trees lead off into the distance, augmented by the pathways in the sky -- a moment in time, full life. Enjoy!

The ancient boundaries

Here is a nice shot of an old boundary marker: a treeline stretching up, over the hill and in the distance. Very evocative photo... it brought to mind the divine prohibition about moving boundaries.

• You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess. Deuteronomy 19:14
• 'Cursed is he who moves his neighbor's boundary mark.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' Deuteronomy 27:17
• "Some remove the landmarks; They seize and devour flocks. Job 24:2
• Do not move the ancient boundary Which your fathers have set. Proverbs 22:28

There is something sacred in the land granted by God; one moves the boundaries only at great detriment to himself. The lesson is enduring and graphic, in its physical intent: a protection of property and heritage, an honoring of the poor, the widows and orphans. In a spiritual sense, this applies in spades to postmoderns: we've ripped away the ancient boundaries, defining all sense and sin in relation to ourselves. The ancient Reformation understanding of the true self as defined outside one's natural self is jettisoned -- and despised. Layers of lessons! Not the least of which is the fact that this picture is posted in a time when Israel's boundaries are transgressed almost daily by terror. Selah.

Pennsylvania winter field: muted beauty

There's a lot going on in this picture -- it is very subtle in its beauty: the texture of the corn stubble contrasting the texture of the fallow and plowed fields beyond, the gentle shades of slanting foreground shadows augmenting the contour of the further fields, the texture and color of the winter hardwood trees leading the eyes to the distant evergreens, hills and colors leading to the pines, which then only lift to vaulted skies: blue, and lilting clouds of white. The beauty is intense once it is grasped for what it is... and yet, this scene is so easily passed by! A wonder, and lesson... enjoy! :-)

Thanksgiving vista: Thy noblest wonders here we view

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord

Words: Isaac Watts, 1719
Music: Alfreton

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord,
in every star thy wisdom shines
but when our eyes behold thy Word,
we read thy Name in fairer lines.

Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise
round the whole earth, and never stand:
so when thy truth begun its race,
it touched and glanced on every land.

Nor shall thy spreading Gospel rest
till through the world thy truth has run,
till Christ has all the nations blest
that see the light or feel the sun.

Great Sun of Righteousness, arise,
bless the dark world with heavenly light;
thy Gospel makes the simple wise,
thy laws are pure, thy judgments right.

Thy noblest wonders here we view
in souls renewed and sins forgiven;
Lord, cleanse my sins, my soul renew,
and make thy word my guide to heaven.

Selah.

Thanksgiving vista: Vision and first fruits

Be thou my vision

Words: Ancient Irish hymn; trans. Mary Byrne, 1905, and versified by Eleanor Hull, 1912
Music: Slane (Irish)

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright sun,
O grant me its joys after victory is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

Selah.

Giving thanks for first fruits of salvation

2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Selah.

Thanksgiving vista: majesty and sovereignty

Here's a pic from last year's Thanksgiving -- high on a hill overlooking a Pennsylvania town: the clouds are high, the blue varied and layered, the misty landscape floating into the distance like an ocean, melting into the distant sky: painted majesty! It's actually a nice meditation point for Christ the King verses, so here you go! Look at the pic and then let these verses flow over your spirit!

He is above principality and power

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

All things created in Him; He is above all: Walk worthy

Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Alleluia!

Selah.

A deepening sky and an evening star

On my way to a wedding Saturday, I had to stop and admire the sky. The blue was deepening high, with the evening stars... and away on the horizon a pink glow held the blue at bay, creating stunning visuals and relief of natural Florida landscape. There is so much here: the texture and grandeur of the sky, deep blue flowing to lighter blue, then pink, sky studded with early stars yet still glowing with power of sun... palms, scrubs, oak and Spanish Moss. Nice, no? Enjoy!

October painting: trees, field & sky

Here is a picture taken in October of last year -- the sunlight on the autumn trees, the phenomenal clouds with their rare blue-scale coloration and painted texture, and shadowed field of grey and dusky purple... it was an amazing moment: autumn glory! Enjoy!