Chasing Sunsets

...so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting,
 people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.  
Isaiah 45:6

Have you ever chased a sunset? If you are anything like me and a little crazy about getting a great picture of the sun setting, you have probably done this. I moved to North Carolina from the foothills of Kentucky and had never seen so many tall pine and oak trees in my life. Now, don't get me wrong—I love a good tree as much as the next person—but when you are trying to get a good glimpse of the setting sun, those trees can really get in the way! But there was that one time when I was fortunate enough to find just the perfect frame...

On yet another excursion, I went out for a ride—in the direction of the setting sun—with about an hour before it would actually be setting. I drove...and I drove...and I drove. Each time I saw the potential for a good photo-op there was an obstacle in my way OR traffic OR there was a dip in the road and it went down below the horizon. I was getting frustrated and wasting gas so I headed for home, taking the same route back. I got almost all the way home and then I saw it—a reflection that was nearly blinding me in my rear-view mirror. It was what I had been driving all over the countryside for. A beautiful open area in the landscape with a perfect view of the sunset, basically right in my back yard, about 2 miles from my house. If only I had waited an hour, I would have seen it on my way out of town! :(

I pulled off into a parking lot...

...and watched as God finish His painting for me.

And then there are the those times when we don't even have to go looking for them. They are just there—right in front of us—given as a special surprise gift from the Father and beaming with His glory. The picture below is an example of just that. We were at our cabin in Fancy Gap, VA a few winters ago when I walked out on the deck...and there it was. I have never seen another one quite so exquisite since.

I was a little upset when I couldn't find the original file for this pic (although I'm still looking) so please excuse the quality of it as I pulled it from my Facebook page...I think you still get the idea, though :)

Then there was this simple little beauty that I just happened to capture from the golf cart as we were taking in evening cruise down the gravel road near the cabin one warm summer evening.

So, until next time, you might find me chasing sunsets. Then again, I just may wait for one to chase me! 

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3


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Beautiful Weeds

"I learn more about God
from weeds than from roses;
Resilience springing
Through the smallest chink of hope
In the absolute of concrete."
~Phillip Pulfrey

******************

This earth which God created is filled with many things of beauty.
Some of my favorite things are weeds. 

Weeds. What word comes to mind when you think of weeds?
Aggravating? Surely they can be.
Stubborn? Yes, they are that as well.
Unsightly or maybe even ugly?
Well now, that depends on how you look at them.
Take the dandelion for instance.
If you love the look of a well manicured lawn as most of us do,
then you may not prefer to have them in your yard.
But just look how beautiful they actually are!

Look at all those little curly-cue thingys in the center...aren't they adorable?

And just look...even after the lovely yellow bloom is gone...what a feast for the eyes!

Their beauty is a sight to behold! You say WHAT???

 I came across this quote (I don't know the author) but it pretty much sums it all up for me:

"When you look at a field of dandelions, 
you can either see a hundred weeds or a hundred wishes."

source

What do YOU see?

And then there's the ever glorious Queen Anne's Lace...

...she sometimes takes my breath away...not because of being allergic,
but because of her beauty.

Look at the intricate design ... just like a delicate hand-crocheted vintage lace doily.

Even before she fills out completely, she is still beautiful.



and here she is in all of her glory!

Now, on to another beauty...

Thistles come in so many different varieties and most of them seem to be in the purple family...

...and although these are the same type,
look how unique they appear in different stages of their growth. 

Such beauty!

This little cutie pie is called flea bane.
I do not know this because I am a horticultural genius...
I know this because I just googled "weed that looks like tiny daisy" :)
I'm smart like that!
These grow all around where I live in North Carolina
and I'm pretty sure they must grow in many other places.

Such delicate little things...

...they look like tiny straw hats :)

Ah, yes...then there's the lovely and sweet smelling clover.
When I was a little girl, I remember pulling out the petals and sucking the sweet nectar from them. Good thing I was not allergic as so many are.
When my youngest son was just a little guy, he was just acting silly
and started rolling around in a field of nothing but this stuff.
He almost immediately started breaking out and gasping for breath...SCARY! :o
To this day, this beautiful little purple flower makes him dread going outside in the springtime.
Thank goodness for Zyrtec :)

Only God, in all of His wonder knows why something so pleasing to the eye can make one so sick! Maybe when I get to heaven I will ask Him that question. I doubt it :)

And now, for this last little beauty... 

 



I have no clue what this is.
I even googled "weed with tiny blue and purple blooms" and got nothing that looked like this.
What a breathtakingly gorgeous little gem this is!
If anyone reads this and knows the answer, comment please...
not that I really care about the name at all.
I am just in awe of  the splendor that our Creator has bestowed upon us, aren't you?

I hope you have enjoyed my collection of beautiful weeds!
There will be more to come...please stop by again soon!

Blessings,

Debby 

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