Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 27 Gentle Rain

Beauty is…

the sound of dripping rain

gently mixed with pre-dawn

dreaming

chasing after a night of mellow sleep

no hurry

no need to rush out of bed

today

is for the sound of rain

 

 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 27 Gentle Rain

 

 

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Christina Wilson

 

After a full year of hearing friends

pray for gentle rains to end this

drought

I exploded

there’s no such thing as gentle rains

in Southern California!

We need rain period

Maybe we can all pitch in

to help pay

for damage caused

The voice of the Lord within my heart

“Do you think a meaningful season

of gentle rain

is beyond my ability

to perform?”

A new season–the fifth gentle rain

we’re past four inches now

nearly normal for this time of year

Still my mind protests

It’s geology–structure

Not a matter of rain

Saturated clay on clay will collapse

whether doused all at once or twice

Or dripped over time

A rain of blessings normal to one

may cause another to collapse

Whether the blessings come fast

Or stored up over time

Some are rugged some are smooth

some rise deeply into the air with

sharp jabbing cliffs some have

been rounded by years of endless rain

They both belong

Martha the worker

Mary the silent spiritual one

Lazarus the head of the house

who now is dead

They all live and grow and abide

together

One household

One face

One body

With different roles for each

Southern California as terrain is

rugged not smooth

deserts

are dry not lush and green

I always used to think

that the problem was the rain

Not realizing that Ohio gets more

rain than four years of Southern Cal

combined

Yet the mountain steeps in Ohio

don’t

Slide down to crush those living

in houses huddled below

(there are no mountains in Ohio

there are no cliffs of sand or clay)

Let the rain come then

It’s seen as blessing

though there may be some collapses

Some are built for blessing

Some are built for trial

Each are beautiful in their own way

When both give glory to the Lord

He is God creator

With room in his heart for all

Still

in this new season

the gentle rain is sweet…

perhaps my day has come

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 26 The Friend Who Repairs

Beauty is the friend

who invests himself

to crawl down under

on the kitchen floor

and the bathroom floor

in awkward positions

to find the leak

my water meter says

is happening fast

such a friend

who comes right over

at the first call

emerges

just once or twice

in life

 

 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 25 News from Far Away

a young woman begins ministry

serving children

of different faith and ethnicity

an after school program

of homework help

language acquisition

(two way!)

crafts, lunch, and play

writes her first prayer letter

seeking God’s help and wisdom

yes through the prayers

of her many friends

thousands of miles away

 

 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 24 Cancellation

 

Beauty is when…

the social engagement

is cancelled

and what I really need most

is rest

 

 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 23 Creation

God our Father on Christmas Day

God our Creator the day after

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 22 Say “Cheese!”

The formal Christmas photo

tripod, lighting, color, spacing

1, 2, 3 say “Ch…!”

Her new dog bolts

into the officially designated wide “Open Spaces”

Charles bolts and is gone

He needs to catch that dog

The dog gets found

we look at our Christmas pic

and the virtual strangers

from six different households

laugh for 5 minutes straight–

a lost dog and man

excluded from the official Christmas photo

become the best ice breaker

in the world

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 21 Christmas Eve Candle 

“I am the light

of the world.

Whoever follows me

will not walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 20 Family in the House

A special run

to the corner bagel shop

to buy a baker’s dozen

for these

who get the coffee ready at home

(5 kinds of cream cheese)

they know they are loved

 

 

 

 

 

Find one beautiful thing every day and take a photo of it.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

Day 19 Beauty In Beauty Out

 We love because he first loved us–1 John 4:19

Early today

the chain of events

touched me–

–intimately

in my weakest places

 

to show me

that God sees me

        he is with me

                             and he is for me

Rekindled hope

reversed the flow

from wanting

to pull gifts toward me

to rejoicing

in sending them out

as blessings of beauty

to others

Thank-you, my Lord.

 

 

 

 

And so the season has overtaken me!…Have a great holiday’s celebration if I don’t see you for awhile!!

Oh, and Merry Christmas from me to all of you!