Joy List Monday - Looking Closer



I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The
sun was shining outside and through the crack at
the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From
where I stood that beam of light, with the specks
of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in
the place. Everything else was almost pitch-black.
I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it.





Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my
eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture
vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam.
Instead I saw, framed in the irregular cranny
at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the
branches of a tree outside and beyond that, 90 odd
million miles away, the sun. Looking along the
beam, and looking at the beam 
are very different
experiences.
C.S. Lewis - "Meditation In A Toolshed"
God In The Dock





The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them. 
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4


Are you looking closer at the beauty around you today?
What have you discovered?



Joy List Monday was prompted by Anne of My Giant Strawberry. I love her idea of "taking a few moments to jot down bits of beauty that I've noticed or any little details in my day that are bringing me joy." 


19 comments

  1. It's like a spring day here today - LOVING IT!!! xox

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  2. That mountain scene is just gorgeous, Nancy. Do you really live there? I've always thought that my view of the ocean each day was magnificent, but that landscape is breathtaking.

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  3. Nancy,
    Thank you for an inspirational post. Today we are hoping to be skirt the huge Northeast blizzard we will see. Eyes, fingers and toes crossed. Our snowfall looks pretty as it dances in the wind, inside it is warm and cozy and it is where we plan to be. Pretty photos in this post.
    xx,
    Vera

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  4. We have blizzard conditions here today. I'm looking out my window and savouring every snowflake!!!!!

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  5. Wow Nancy - your pictures today just grabbed my heart with their exquisite beauty! Incredible how the frost formed on the antenna of the car - such a neat photo. And the first photo was just ... so unusual! You have a great eye for beauty and recognizing the beauty in small things that may go unnoticed... and of course the picture of the mountain scene I adored! Even we have that kind of beauty around here, it still never ceases to amaze me when the fog, the water and the mountains come together to create such a spectacular scene. May you be blessed on this Joyful Monday :)

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    1. Thank you, dear friend. Your comments always lift me up and encourage me. Hugs.

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  6. Gorgeous Reflection Worthy photos . . .
    The Psalm was a perfect blend . . .

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  7. I have a two year old and she is great at showing me the little things. Enjoyed your post!

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  8. It's very early morning here, but I'll make a point in noticing beauty around me all day long!

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  9. Dearest Nancy! This is what I miss about Blogland: the collaborative ideas that can be shared with photos, words and with each other. But I am experiencing a joy in my writing that I had neglected, and there is so much beauty in that as well.

    C.S. Lewis's reflection is quite profound. It is such a reminder to take time to look at the source of light rather than the shadows it casts on what is around us...so metaphorical, so liberating to think that there IS ANOTHER WAY to see things, and that is to look into the face of truth and love. And, that scripture you shared; such a poem in itself. I must read the Psalms again as I do my poetry, to see after all these years of having read scripture, how I can now see them as poems....

    THANK YOU for this rich beauty this morning dear friend! Anita

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  10. Nancy, the first two photos were amazing. I am a day late getting to blog reading. But yesterday I did stand in the doorway and marvel at the crystal clear blue of the winter sky and thank God that I live in this beautiful place. I also took a deep breath to savor the crisp salty ocean air. Isn't it amazing how diverse God is in his creation?

    One of my favorite Psalms 98:8 reads: Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy. What visions it conjures up.
    Debbie

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  11. Beautiful!!
    My Christmas Cactus is starting to bloom. :-) I love watching the buds grow and then explode into that big flower. :-))

    Thank you for this post, I appreciate it.
    Carla

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  12. I love your photographs and the excerpts, Nancy. What is the white feathery brush? Is that snow? Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Su, that is frost on the antennae. Isn't that amazing? My husband called me outside to see it and I had to get a photograph. Thanks for your kind words. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too.

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  13. So lovely. The other day I was making the bed and stopped to look out at the sunrise. I stood there for a while, enjoying the beauty and then I noticed a sweet little squirrel in the tree. That stillness was perfection for those few moments. I need to remind myself to take more moments like that and pay attention, always.

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Your comments bring me joy! Thanks for stopping by.