Spring is officially here—at least by the date. Around here we can see more and more of the evidence of warmer weather as the trees and flowers are putting on their spring growth. Their absence in the winter seems to make the colors appear so bright this time of year.

As I drove by a park area in town, I was captivated by all the different colors—green, pink, yellow, purple, and white. So, I had to go back there and take some pictures to share with you, my readers!

We usually think of the beautiful colors of orange and red in the fall leaves or the holly berries in winter, but this spring I have noticed that the new growth on many trees begins as a shade of red or orange, before the leaves turn green. Then there are so many shades of green that we call “green”. That makes me think of all the different shades (or what we sometimes call colors) of skin tones. Some want to judge others by their skin and use this to say there are different races, but there is only one race—the human race. God created Adam and Eve and we are all descended from them.

Back to the colors of nature! Spring is my favorite time of year, partly because of all the colors and the flowers. I only wish this season would last longer, but I do enjoy it, along with the warmer days and more sunlight. I am thankful there are flowers of different kinds that bloom throughout the year. Having pictures of beautiful blossoms also allows me to enjoy them at any time.

[I began writing this in March, and did not come back to this until today.]

As I was looking back at some of the photos, there were several things I noticed. The pictures were from different locations. The work of other people brought me joy, even though they never knew it. How often are we blessed by others, and how often do we bless others without knowing it. Some of the plants were in more formal settings, while others were wildflowers, or even what some call weeds. We can find beauty in all levels of society and socio-economic status. Some blooms were in bunches, while others were single blossoms. Some people thrive in a crowd or among people, while others feel more at peace when they are alone. Many plants have only a single hue or color, while other blooms combine colors. We may think or see people in just one way, but if we take the time to “look”, we may find many more gifts they have to offer.

When the spring flowers fade away, enjoy the never-ending colors of each season. As you go through your daily life, look for all the blossoms around you. Some of the beauty will be obvious. For others you may have to look a little closer! Let your colors show through to those who see you.

Mathew 5:16

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. (MSG)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV)

Yesterday was a beautiful warm sunny day. It seems unusual to say that about a day in early February. This is the middle of winter! We had an exceptionally cold month of January, so this week has been a welcome change.

As I walked around outside, I could see that there were some shades of green showing up. I guess I think of green as the color of spring, when the leaves come out on the trees. However, most of the new growth I was seeing was on or near the ground.

I started to notice other colors, and then I began to seek for them as I took pictures. Some were more outstanding, as the yellow of the dandelion and the crocus. But I also saw touches of yellow on the branch with the lichen growth. There were tiny white flowers among the greenery, and red on the new buds of the snowball bush. The lichen was silver with shades of blue.

When I looked back at the pictures, I also saw the different shades of brown. The brown came from the leaves—not new fresh leaves but dead fallen ones. The one picture of the lichen on the rocks spoke of death. Even though the rocks have some pretty colors, there is no life in them.

What this spoke to me is that life and death exist together—at the same time, in the same place. We experience death in many ways other than the changing of the seasons. The most difficult is the passing of a close loved one. The loss of a relative, friend, acquaintance, or someone we admire can also be painful. The death of a pet touches our hearts as well. Other forms of loss could be that from hurricanes and fires as we have seen lately. These can lead to loss of hope or even the death of a dream.

Death is a part of life, but we don’t have to dwell on the images or hurts that we experience. The beauty of the colors of yellow and green is heightened against the brown of the leaves. So is the silver of the lichen (which is alive). In the picture of what appears to be a dead tree, we see the reds of the nandina and the holly berries. But there is life in that tree that will show itself in a few weeks.

In the same way we may see pictures of Jesus on the cross. We know He died and was buried. But the good news is that He rose again and is alive forevermore. So in spite of the death we see day to day, we can also have the hope of life now and for eternity through faith in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV)

³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Snow! Yesterday (last week) we had snow for the first time in three years. We sat in the sunroom and watched the beauty of the snow falling quietly and covering the ground. Our backyard was turned into a winter wonderland. The snow covered up the grass and the dirt, making the yard look as smooth as an ice-skating rink. The Bible talks about how our sins can be covered and we can be “white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 51:7).

This morning the ground was still white when we got up, but as the temperature started to rise, the snow and ice began to melt. However, this brought a new kind of beauty: the snow glistening and the water drops reflecting the sunlight. Plain trees and bushes were now sparkling like jewels of all colors. Bling!

Some people love bling that can be found in jewelry, on clothing, or in decorations for their homes. There is one professional bicyclist whose nickname is “Bling” because of his love for jewelry, fancy clothes, and flashy cars. Showing off their bling for some is a way of bringing attention to themselves. For others it is just a personal choice of things they like.

There is a different kind of bling that I like—the kind that is found in nature. It can come from the glistening snow, from reflections in water, sunlight or moonlight. You get the idea! Ordinary things that we see every day can be changed into extraordinary sights. We just have to take the time to look around and see special beauty in God’s creation.

The type of bling we should be showing is the light of the world Jesus Christ (John 8:12). He tells us to

 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NKJV)

Wait a minute! Isn’t it supposed to be the star of Bethlehem at Christmas! Well, yes, but . . .

We don’t see that star in the same way that the wise men did all those years ago. However, we can enjoy the stars that we do see when we look into the night sky. They were created for the glory of God (Psalm 19:1).

Back to the blueberries. Most mornings we eat cereal with fruit of different kinds–bananas, strawberries, peaches, and blueberries. I began to notice that the opening on one side of the blueberry was in the shape of a star. Just as with the stars in the sky, each one is different. Adding the milk brought out more definition to the shapes.

After continuing to watch the blueberries, one day I noticed one that looked more like a cross than a star. That got me to pondering. Since it’s close to Christmas, we think about the star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to Jesus. Jesus came as a human baby, but He knew that the purpose of His coming to earth was to die on the cross so that we could be forgiven of our sins.

EVEN BLUEBERERIES AND MILK CAN PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS!

When it comes to snakes, I definitely do not want to be surprised by one, no matter what color or size it is. We found this snakeskin in the yard a few months ago. Judging by the size of it, I’m glad we didn’t see the live snake! Although the one that was on our front porch light could have been the same one. The brown snake in the woods was dead when the picture was taken.

In the last couple of years we have had an increase in the number of spiders, especially the one they call the Joro spider. Around our house, we have seen many of these spiders and their webs. It is amazing the designs that are made when you look closely at the webs. They are beautiful! Even the spiders themselves have colors not common to spiders.

The picture of the butterfly shows that it is caught in the spider’s web. Sir Walter Scott was the author of the famous quote “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive”. In our world today there are so many things that leave a question as to what is real and what is not. Not only can we be deceived by things we see, but also by words that we hear. There has to be a standard by which to judge the truth in our world. That standard is the Bible, the Word of God.

Even though the Joro spiders are new to this country, they are not supposed to be harmful. Most of us are used to grandaddy long leg spiders. At times I have picked one of these up by a leg to get it out of the house. Unfortunately there are some spiders that can hurt us. I am not sure about this black one. It is possibly a black widow spider, which is dangerous, especially to its mate!

Reading and studying the Bible for ourselves can help us to avoid deception and know truth when we hear or see it. Knowing the Word can also protect us from deceiving ourselves.

Many of us have had the unexpected and unpleasant experience of walking into a spider web, sometimes face first!  The next time you see a spider web, take a closer look at the beauty of its creation. But be careful not to get tangled in the web or meet the spider up close!!

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (I John 1:8 NKJV)

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. (I John 3:7)

One evening we went out to eat with some friends. As we came out of the building and were walking to the car, we looked up at the sky. The sun was shining from behind a large cloud. The cloud was dark but there was a brightness around the edges. Beams of light were streaming from the sun behind the cloud. I like to call this phenomenon “glory streams”. Psalm 19:1(KJV) says “The heavens declare the glory of God.”

While taking the picture I was wishing that the power lines were not there. But then it came to me that there were two kinds of power in this image. The poles and lines carry electricity to power our daily lives. We cannot see this power, but if we lose electricity, we can certainly feel the loss. It doesn’t matter what time of day or year, we long for the comforting effects the power brings when it is restored.

You may think the second power is solar or sun power. I like to think that the heavens are declaring Son power. This power is unlimited and omnipotent. Jesus told His disciples “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Mt. 28:18 KJV) Many translations use the word authority instead of power. Acts 1:8 (KJV) tells us that we can receive this power.

These next images were taken from a different location (looking at the same cloud formation). The second and third ones are zoomed with the camera.

We cannot make the power of God any greater than it is, but we can magnify Him by acknowledging His greatness and power with our praise.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. (Psalm 34:3 KJV)

One of the many flowers in my sunroom is a snake plant, with the proper name of Sansevieria. This one is part of a dish garden that I have had for many years. I usually try to water my indoor plants at least once a week, but sometimes I get off my schedule and forget them until I see some of them starting to droop.

The snake plant is not what most people would consider a pretty plant. Another name for it is mother-in-law’s tongue. That can bring up lots of images in some people’s minds, but we won’t go there now! For me personally, I was blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law.

Since I have other plants that bloom, most of the time I didn’t take notice of the snake plant until one day I saw something different about it. There was something new growing in the dish. It looked like a couple of little green stalks. Upon closer observation, I realized that they were growing out of the snake plant.

So . . . I went to the internet to check this out. I discovered that snake plants actually do bloom. However, the blooms are rare, and most people (including me) don’t know of their existence. Once again I am reminded of all the things that I do not know, and how I need to remember the true source of all knowledge and wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)

For a snake plant to bloom, two things usually are factors. One is the age of the plant. Older plants are more likely to bloom. In this day and age, people see the elderly as a problem or a burden (on family or society). But if you take the time to spend with them, you can find true beauty in their words, their attitudes, and even their faces.

The second factor for a snake plant to produce a bloom is neglect. Who would have thought that neglect would result in beauty! Again, many people are neglected in this world, but if we just take a little time to see them, smile, listen, or help, we can find beauty in unexpected people and places.

Through my neglect, I was blessed with beautiful blooms! The look and fragrance of the blooms is reminiscent of the honeysuckle vine. In fact, I was doubly blessed because my plant had two stalks. The rare but elusive flowers usually only have one stalk.

My thought is—how may blessings have I missed because I haven’t taken the time to notice the elderly or the neglected?

What about you? Are you missing out on beauty and blessings?

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ Matthew 25:40 NASB

While writing one day I noticed two circles of light on the ceiling. They had patterns that kept changing as I watched. I was curious about what was causing these reflections, so I got up and looked for the source. When I looked outside, there were these two dishes with water in them on the stoop. The water and sunlight were causing the dancing lights. Then I took pictures and video.

When I sat back down to write, I realized that these circles had been a distraction that caused me to stop the task I was working on. Then I noticed the orchid blooms. Oh, yeah, I need to take a picture of those. Then the phone rang—twice—with spam calls! Then a text came in with a boil water alert for a nearby area. Then my watch told me I needed to move or at least stretch. So I did my five upward stretches. Oh, and sometimes in all of this, there was a little bird sitting outside singing its song. And the circles of light were still dancing on the ceiling.

DISTRACTIONS!

How often we face distractions in our daily life. They can keep us from our work or cause us to lose our focus. When talking with our spouse or children, we can get distracted and miss something important they are trying to say to us. We can look around (as I just did) and see all the things we need to be doing.

Setting aside a time to spend in God’s Word, prayer, and meditation is when the enemy seems to create all kinds of distractions. Sometimes it is simply that our mind wanders to other thoughts. Other times the source comes from family matters that need attention. Our own bodily needs/functions can distract us. As I mentioned before, phone calls and texts can come to us. It’s always something!

Don’t let all of these distractions keep you from allowing God to speak to you. Just continually throughout all of the day, turn your thoughts back to Him and receive your own “jottings from J”!

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. (I Corinthians 7:35 NLT)

And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. ²³ And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.” (Matthew 13:22-23 AMP)

Recently we went for a hike on a trail around a lake. It was a 1.8-mile walk. The trail was small and tree-covered, so you had to look down and watch your step if you didn’t want to trip over the roots, rocks, and fallen trees. There was a lot of damage from the rain and wind of a recent storm. In some places you had to duck under tree limbs or carefully pass between bushes of mountain laurel or rhododendrons. Sometimes there was poison ivy close by and, of course, we tried not to let it touch us!

The trail had some ups and downs, but it was never very steep. About half-way around there was a small swinging bridge across the lake, which at that point was more like a creek. Thankfully there were ropes on the sides that you could hold onto to help you keep your balance as you walked. Ater crossing, you had to go up a set of steps to get to the trail on the other side. Along the way, there were options for taking a longer or a shorter route. (we chose the shorter one!) Occasionally colored patches painted on the trees marked the way and reassured us that we were still on the right path.

It was a warm day, and on the way back we were blessed with a little breeze. We were tired, but one young man passed us twice as he ran along the loop trail! We were just glad to see the bridge that led us back across the lake to our car (and the air conditioning).

As I look back and reflect on this day, I can think of many lessons from this little adventure. The trail was a narrow path (Mt. 7:13-14). We had to watch our steps (Ps. 37:23-24) because of obstacles from below, above, and around us (Ps. 91:11-12). A bridge provided a way for us to cross the lake (John 14:6). There were ropes to steady us as we walked on the bridge (Is. 41:13). We could choose which path to take (Joshua 24:15). Markers on the trees showed us the way (Ps. 119:105).

Each day, as we go along our individual journeys, God’s word promises that He will be right there with us (Ps. 121:7-8). Look up these verses, and let them and others of your favorites, be an encouragement to you on a daily basis. The Bible is relevant to whatever you may face.