September 23, 2011

It's a beautiful world!

What is beautiful around you? Are you so focused on your daily life that you forget to notice the beautiful things that surround you?

When I used to live in a small town in the south I remember being in awe of the big mountains that surrounded me. They were beautiful, majestic. We lived close to the desert and that had an incredible beauty on its own with miles and miles of sand dunes to play on. Sometimes we would travel up to the mountain tops and enjoy the nature there. I loved the mighty trees, little brooks, and a lake where on occasion we saw eagles or bears. The air felt cleaner and fresh. It was wonderful.

We also lived in the plains of the southwest and the land is so flat we could see for miles. In fact we could see a storm coming hours before it got to us! We didn’t get much rain so it was very dry, but at the same time the land had this unusual and unexpected beauty. There were lots of canyons and I loved seeing the layers of different kinds of dirt and rocks that formed those canyons. The thunderstorms were incredible! And I haven’t seen sunrises like there. They were breathtaking!

Living now in Alaska we are surrounded by amazing nature everywhere. The snow capped mountains are beautiful. There are lakes, rivers, waterfalls and little brooks everywhere. There is so much wildlife that the moose and bear sometimes pay a visit to their neighbors inside town. It’s a tense encounter for some of the neighbors... at least it is for me! During the summer the cities are decorated with incredible flower arrangements that draw our eyes to their amazing colors and beauty. Winters are calm, serene, the land becomes a winter wonderland and many nights the Northern Lights dance in the sky.

This year the Fall colors are incredible! I can’t get enough of all the different colors around me. Some of the trees now have yellow and orange leaves that contrast with the big evergreens. The undergrowth turns orange and red and the mature berries just add to the festival of colors. It’s amazing! We are surrounded by an incredible tapestry of colors.

As I sit by the kitchen window I can see the birch trees with their leaves mostly yellow. The contrast with the evergreens right beside them is amazing. We had a pretty big rainfall last night, so the ground is speckled with little birds feasting on worms and seeds. A little squirrel is trying to muster some courage to get close to the bird feeder to gather some of the sunflower seeds that fall to the ground. Little birds are busy flying back and forth and they fill the air with their songs.  Many of the leaves from the trees have fallen to the ground and now the lawn is covered with a carpet of yellow birch leaves. Once in a while a breeze blows and more leaves come down as if golden glitter was falling everywhere making the scene even more magical. In the distance I can see  fog resting gently on top of a hill.The air is so fresh and wet and the temperatures haven’t gone up past 45F. It’s a perfect Fall day!

Surrounded by this incredible beauty my heart is drawn to the Creator of it all. It’s impossible not to be in awe of Him. If I think this is so beautiful, what will Heaven be like? And how did the world look like freshly made from the hands of my powerful and loving God? It must have been incredible!! And to think that He did it all for me. God didn’t create Adam and Even in the beginning. First God personally crafted a beautiful place, a beautiful home for the very first 2 human beings. And on the seventh day He rested from the work of creation and simply enjoyed the day with Adam and Eve. Together they enjoyed all that God had made and given to them, 2 people whom He loved so much.

Take a moment and think of the beautiful things in nature that surround you. There’s beauty everywhere! It may even be the beautiful plants that adorn your home or the sky above. Focus on that more often. Focusing more on the beautiful nature God has given us gets our mind and heart away from ourselves and turn them towards our Heavenly Father.

Have a beautiful day!








"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...and God saw that it was good" 
Genesis 1:1, 25




"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." 
Genesis 2:1-3



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