Beauty and Wonder

Sierra and I went out on the boat this morning to watch the sun rise. The water, thick and satiny, flowed beneath us all the way deep past 200 feet in places. I won't lie. All of the pictures have been adjusted for color and balance. My camera couldn't handle the volume of light. I shoot on automatic, so the aperture and shutter adjusted, making the photos darker automatically.

I see metaphor all around me. The sun rose on the horizon, not in a blaze, not with a saturated sky of rose, and purple. But rather with gilt-edges on distant clouds, like unwrapping a precious gift. 

How often do we adjust automatically to situations that are too intense to handle? Do we shut down the bright, or amp up the darkness? Are we disappointed by gradual light, rather than blazes of glory? Do we stay long enough for the light to work it's magic on the world around us?

My daughter, again, pointed to the sun rising from the calmness of the water, and told me that Jesus was here.

I am sharing my bible reading with these photos from this morning. Coincidence that there was so much mention of the heavens and light? I don't believe in coincidence. 

Praise and worship. 

God is good. 

I hope your morning is full of beauty and wonder. 

to him who alone does great wonders

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to him who by understanding made the heavens, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to him who spread out the earth above the waters, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

to him who made the great lights, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

the sun to rule over the day, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

the moon and stars to rule over the night, 

for his steadfast love endures forever;

Psalm 136:4-9 (ESV)

For I know that the LORD is great, 

and that our Lord is above all gods. 

Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, 

in heaven and on earth, 

in the seas and all deeps. 

He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, 

who makes lightnings for the rain 

and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Psalm 135:5-7 (ESV)

Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,

who stand by night in the house of the LORD! 

Lift up your hands to the holy place 

and bless the LORD! 

May the LORD bless you from Zion,

he who made heaven and earth!

Psalm 134 (ESV)

I will not give sleep to my eyes 

or slumber to my eyelids, 

until I find a place for the LORD, 

a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.

Psalm 132:4-5 (ESV) 

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

Besides this you know the time, 
that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. 

For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

Romans 13:11 (ESV)

The captain came and said to him, 

“What do you mean, you sleeper? 

Arise, call out to your god! 

Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, 

that we may not perish.”

Jonah 1:6 (ESV)

For, 

Yet a little while, 

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

Hebrews 10:37 (ESV)

Linking with Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays