Sunshine on Snow Sparkles like Diamonds

I believe all the riches we will ever need go mostly unnoticed. I wrote a poem decades ago where I lamented that most people probably don’t even pause to see a beautiful sunset. I wonder how many people took a moment out of their busy morning to notice the diamonds strewn across the fresh snow blown smooth by yesterday's winds.

As I gaze outside my window, the long shadows from a low-lying winter sun cast patterns in blue across the smooth surface of the snow. Where the sun touches white, tiny sparkles appear as the light is reflected off of even tinier surfaces on thousands of fallen snowflakes. Am I the only one who finds delight in this?

The other evening another sun pillar formed as the sun set. I’ve seen them even more rarely in the sunrise. A perfectly formed column of light shooting straight up from the orb as its light reflects off ice crystals. I watched in awe and delight.

Ice formed an enormous ring around the full moon the other night. It was Cosmo’s moon (from Moonstruck), glowing huge and bright and drawing me outdoors into the cold night. I was awestruck by the gigantic ring of light reflecting off ice crystals some distance from the moon. It seemed to fill the entire night sky. If I hadn’t ventured out, I would have missed seeing the spectacle.

One morning several summers ago, as I walked up the hill to our house, I stopped in my tracks. Sunlight was caught on the dewdrop at the tip of each blade of grass. I’ve never seen that before or since. The light was just right, and I happened to be at just the perfect angle to see the sparkling grass dewdrops, jewels strewn across my lawn.

How many of these precious moments of beauty slip past us as we hurry through our busy lives? How can we slow down to appreciate the moments of our lives before they become the past?

 We live in a forward-thinking society. New developments and inventions bring technological and functional advancements in living; ever faster, always more. While all of this is good, it seems we are always looking to the future rather than appreciating the time we have now.

Busy calendars keep us looking to the next task at hand. Appointments to be made and kept, birthdays and outings to look forward to; each day has a multitude of minutiae vying for our attention.  But can we pause long enough to pray, to seek connection with the Lord of our universe?

I believe we were meant for more than the hurried lives we lead. And the only way to slow things down is to purposefully do so. Pause. Look at the clouds today. What color is the sky? I fear people living and working in large cities never look up and see the expanse of glorious blue and the great variety of clouds that pass by.

Maybe I have more time to observe the natural world, but it is because I make it a priority in my life. That connection, for me, is what sustains me. And it is not just for its beauty alone, bur for the connection to my Creator. The One who made me also made the world I live and breathe in. The flowers and the trees and blue skies and mountains and rolling fields of wheat are gifts for us to enjoy. The vastness of the night sky and the oceans’ depths are made for us to ponder our smallness in the grand scheme of things.

Our self-importance leads us to believe that we must complete each and every task to feel worthy and accepted, when what we really need to do is stop and realize that this day will never come again; this moment in life is so brief, and should be savored. Bask in the sunshine, feel the breeze across your face. Watch the antics of a squirrel as he goes about his busy day of living.

We are all connected, all of life. Pause to feel that connection. Breathe. This is sustenance as much as food, water and sleep. Life won’t wait. Take the time today to believe in the importance of just being still for a moment. Be thankful for all you have been given. And give yourself the gift of peace.

Living in the Light

Welcome back after a Christmas break! The celebration of Christmas with family and friends is a joy we can hold in our hearts long after the day has come and gone. Indeed, it is my wish that we could carry the love and peace of Christmas in our hearts all throughout the year.  



This gift is for all when we remember the true reason for the season. God sent us His Son to show His great love for us, and to give us hope for today and all of our tomorrows. When we focus on this truth, God will live in our hearts and His peace will carry us throughout our days ahead.

My friend Mary DeMuth @ Living Uncaged.com has a wonderful idea for going into the new year. She asked us to pray for God to give us a word or a picture to guide us through the coming year. This year God has given her a picture from which her hope for the upcoming year is springing. You can read about this here.

Our personal challenge is to pray that God will give us direction through a word or picture for our new year, and for me, I already see the light. And it is His Light.

Light is my word for this year! It is my image and my guiding force. It became clear to me through repeated acknowledgements. First through an article I read about how light is so much a part of the celebrations of many faiths, and then through song after song on the radio as I pondered about light as the guiding force of my destiny.

You see, God’s light shines in us, and we are to shine for Him so that others will see our light and know Him. I finally realize that this is the work He has been doing through me. I sing for Him, and I let my light shine for others to feel the joy I share. I write so others will know of His love and the hope He brings, and in this way God's light shines through me to offer hope to those who are searching.

We are beings of light. This is who we are. We are energy and thought. Yes, we are flesh and bone, but it is the spirit within us that guides us on our way through this life, and our spirit is light. It is through our spirit that we connect with people and to the world around us. And through our spirit, we feel God inside of us as He lives in us, helping us find our way through this life.

Sunlight is powerful! Without this light, our species would not exist. In fact, all life on earth would cease without sunlight. The sun helps to grow our food and fodder for the animals that graze. The sun grows life under the oceans and on the land creating oxygen for us to breathe. Light is essential to life on earth. This fact we know to be certain.

For me, personally, I look to God’s Light for my inner strength. By knowing Him through relationship and His influence on my thoughts, words and actions, I feel the strength of His guiding force in my life. I am open to it. Through faith and perspective and belief I have come to know my maker as my companion as I travel the bumpy roads of existence here on earth. He lifts me up, He shows me the way I should go. And when I err, He patiently waits for me to find my way back to the pathway I should be walking.

So my focus this year will center on light; God’s Light, my light, the light of life and the light of hope. This will be my beacon, my guiding force for the year ahead and indeed for my life. God is Light, God is good, and His constant presence in my life reassures me of His love for me. 

Let God be the Light of your life. Let Him lead you to find what your guiding word or image will be for your year ahead. I pray you will know His love in your heart and in your life, and through relationship with Him you will be blessed with knowing His peace.