Heaven Around Us

Clothed in Splendor

I have few words to share today, but wanted to share this image.

I am always in awe of the quiet beauty that God places all around us…

Beauty, that drips from the heavens, and springs up from the earth, a continual telling of the glory of God in a language not heard, but felt by the heart. 

Beauty, beheld with the eyes that softly reaches in, 

to touch the very soul.

These crystalline beads of ice strung on thin threads of grass speak that language to me. A love language from God Himself, reminding that if He places sparkling jewels on dried up grass in the field, how much more does He care for me? For you? 

How much more beauty does He have waiting for me, if I will be surrendered to Him like the flowers, and trees, and each tiny blade of grass?

I can scarcely imagine…

But, oh…    

how I want to find out!

Linking up again at the beautiful place called Unforced Rhythms.

Please click on over and be blessed!

Singing His Praise

I love to take walks on a sunshiny day, camera in hand, and prayers on my heart.

Just to walk alone in nature and lift up my prayers and my praise is such a special time, and when I stop to take a closer look, and snap a picture or two, (or four hundred as I’ve been known to do in one outing – ha!), I’m always amazed at the discovery of tiny, intricate details, that God has lovingly placed in His creation.

Does it ever make you wonder, why He took great care to place such incredible beauty in hidden places where most eyes will never see it?

I mean for thousands of years, before there were microscopes and macro lenses, there were undiscovered worlds of wonders inside the most delicate flowers, and even still, there are places all over this planet that have never had human eyes look upon them. Just imagine what untold artistry is on display that we will never see in our lifetimes.

Though our eyes will never gaze upon some things, God sees it all.

He sees everything. He MADE everything!

But if not just for us, and our enjoyment, then what did He make everything for?

I love how this verse reads in the Names of God bible translation:

“The whole earth will worship You.
    It will make music to praise You.
        It will make music to praise Your Name.” 

- Psalm 66:4

The whole earth   ~   worshiping! 

Just dwell on that thought for a moment . . .   

All of the time, all of His creation, making music and singing praise to God!

And if that is so, don’t you wish you could hear all the songs the earth is singing?!

What kinds of voices do the flowers have? Does it make a difference what color they are? Do the rocks and stones sing in deep baritone? Are the trees singing tenor and the wispy clouds in falsetto? What kind of harmonies float up to heaven on a sun-soaked day or in the darkest of nights?

Oh, what a wonderful world He has made! All for His glory and praise!

How much do we miss every day, in our busy little lives? How much beauty do we just pass by?

I don’t want to take it for granted. I want to marvel at every bit of beauty in this world and tune my heart to sing right along. I want to join with all of creation making music to praise His Name!

Let’s all join the glorious chorus when we step out into this great-big-beautiful world.

Each of us using the unique voice He has given us ~

making beautiful music to His Name.

Linking up once again with Kelli and the beautiful community that gathers at 

Unforced Rhythms.

Please click the link above visit there too!

The Wonder of Fall

I have mixed feelings about fall. 

On one hand it’s a season of wonder with fields full of dried flowers and sleepy little bees doing their last wriggling dances inside the tired blooms, scooping out every tiny bit of golden treasure that remains.

And then there’s the transformation, almost like magic, when the trees that sang a soft and simple song of green, all summer long, magnificently burst into a flaming chorus of colors. It’s a glorious show that continues on as each leafy note is eventually carried off by the wind and laid down like a patchwork quilt of sunset-colored pieces, still composing music on the ground.

There’s no denying, it is ~ pure loveliness ~.

But on the other hand -

The cooler air that gradually tears the last dangling leaves from their branches and sends us inside to grab for hot soup and warm sweaters, is an undeniable promise that winter will soon be here, and that sort of makes me sad, even borderline depressed at times.

It’s a love-hate thing that I’m sure many of you can relate to.

Though there’s incredible beauty to behold, at the same time, it’s an ending of the warmth and the full-blooming-fabulousness that is summer. It’s the witnessing of things slowly dying, drying up, and blowing away. It’s nature quieting before a silent slumber takes place under softly fallen blankets of white, when the nights will be oh-so-long and shivering-cold.

In one word – it’s change.

And that can be hard.

Yes, change can be hard, and I’ll admit that often times I don’t welcome its coming, but change can also be good, and sometimes, even downright necessary.

There’s been quite a stretch of silence in this place from me, and I really can’t give a good answer as to why.

For many various reasons, I took a break and have been concentrating my efforts elsewhere, but off in the distant recesses of my mind, the blog quietly sits like a favorite book on the shelf, calling me to open it again and discover anew the soul-stirring story within.

I’ve always loved writing, stringing words in different ways to make an artful piece of poetry, or inking my thoughts onto paper, turning them this way, and that, until they can adequately express what my heart had been longing to say. It’s a wonderful creative outlet that I am very thankful for.

When I decided to create a place called, Captured Bits of Beauty, and hit submit on my very first post, it was definitely during a season of change. 

Being unexpectedly unemployed, I suddenly had lots of free time to think, and refocus, and a desire soon welled up in me to do something worthwhile in the midst of feeling slightly worthless. It certainly filled a need in me at the time and it also gave me a chance to perhaps encourage or inspire others, and that’s such a heart-warming thought!

I’m so grateful to my faithful friends who come to visit me here! It’s hard to believe it’s been just about a year since I set a piece of my heart out on the internet for all the world to see, (well, at least my little corner of it), but I have to say, I’m so glad I did! 

I’m glad that I pushed through the doubts and fear and prayed for God to help me write words that He can use to touch the heart of another. Oh, how I hope and pray that something spoken here may have brightened someone’s day, but even more so, may have touched a heart with the light and love that only God can give.

He is my reason for living and He has carried me through every bit of change that has entered into my life. Changes that were good, bad, and certainly at times, very ugly, and I know in His perfect love and faithfulness, He will continue to do so until one glorious day - 

when He carries me right home.

I’ve been feeling lately, that more change is in the air. There’s a breeze that comes carrying His whisper, but it’s still a bit too faint for me to clearly hear. I’m not sure what it will mean, but I’m certain that He is right now working it all out for my good and for His glory.

And with that thought, I’m asking something of my friends here, I have not asked before. 

Will you please pray for me? 

Pray that I will be open to whatever change God has for me, and that trusting obedience will be my response?

I’ll be forever grateful if you will, and please let me know if I can pray for you as well! 

It’s amazing grace how prayers weaved in and through each other’s lives tie us all together and lift us straight to the Grand Weaver Himself, who is making a magnificent masterpiece with every single thread, in every single season of life.

Which brings me back to fall. . .

I’m watching leaves swirling around outside right now, dancing and whispering, reminding again of all that change can bring.

Hmmm. . .   I think I’ll string a pretty one up inside my window. . . 

and reflect upon the wonder of it all.

Linking up with Kelli and many other beautiful hearts today over at 

Unforced Rhythms.

Please come join us! Just click on the link.

My Rock