Sun Kissed Birch January 8, 2010

Sun Kissed Birch January 8, 2010, originally uploaded by picturethepromises.

I love the white of the birch tree. Especially against the blue of the winter sky. We had a glorious sunset tonight but I live in the city limits and there are houses that obstruct my view and it was toooo cold to go hiking to the edge of town. I started looking around to see where the light was landing. Not much right by the house, too many houses and trees across the street. I looked up at my mother in laws birch tree and those beautiful white trunks were sunset kissed. They seem to be reaching toward the sun, soaking up and savoring the suns rays.

Even tho I was unable to enjoy the entire sunset due to the clutter between me and the sun, I still got a glimpse of it. This image, the trees touched by the light of the sun had a lesson for me today.

I can't see all of heaven, there is too much clutter between me and my heavenly home. There are the distractions of life, of living, of making a living and the constant pull of the world for my time and attention. But every now and then I get a glimpse of heaven, a reminder of all that is waiting for me. It may be in the smile of a friend, the helping had of a neighbor or the kind words of a loved one. The words of a song lift my heart to heaven or a passage of scripture take me to the heart of my Heavenly Father. All around there are glimpses of heaven, reminders that I am undeniably, indescribably, unconditionally loved. One day I will not only see; I will experience heaven. For today a glimpse is enough.

Blessings~

sun on the snow January 7, 2010

sun on the snow, originally uploaded by picturethepromises.

Yesterday we had snow, snow, snow, falling, falling, falling. Today the wind was still blowing but the sky was clear of clouds and it was the temps that were falling, falling, falling. We are well below zero here, add some wind and you have "quick freeze your skin" conditions! The older I get the more I dislike the cold and the more I feel it in my bones.

So on this very cold day, what do I do? I head outdoors with my camera! And not just once but three times I went chasing sun dogs! That's what a good cold clear day is good for. The last walk took me to the edge of town where across the field I could view the sun dogs and the sunset. The wind still blew snow across the drifts and the setting sun kissed the snow with pinks and orange. Such a beautiful goodbye to the day! I'm glad I didn't sit indoors bemoaning the cold and wishing for warm temps. Instead I opened my eyes and found surprises!

You can see more sun dog and winter pics on my flickr acct. Just click the link!
Blessings

Sticks December 27, 2009

Sticks, originally uploaded by picturethepromises.

After several gloomy days, snow, wind, blizzard conditions, no travel, drifts, ice and on and on, we finally got a glimpse of the sun this evening! I first noticed a glow on some buildings across the street. I threw on my coat, boots, cap and gloves and headed outdoors with my camera. At first I was just going to shoot the buildings across the street but the colors at the edge of town so enticed me I decided to take a little walk. The winter sky kept changing, just when I thought I had missed the sunset, the colors would change again. I chose this one for the One a Day set because I liked the colors. Sometimes these trees bug me because they block my view of the sunset. Sometimes I love the way they stand guard, tall, mostly straight , working together, sticking together. They add texture, color and interest to my photo. I hope you have some "sticks" like that in your life, some who will stand with you, stand tall, stand guard, working with you, sticking by you. Some who add texture, color and interest to your life.
Blessings~