Sunday, January 3, 2010

Sunday Snow Hike

I was completely taken by surprise by what I saw as I stepped out the door early this morning to head to town to attend worship services. I was all dressed up in my high heels and"Sunday-go-to-meeting" clothes (that had been given to me as Christmas gifts, and begged to be bragged on) when I opened the door and saw everything was covered with a deep blanket of snow. It was clear I was not driving anywhere, and certainly not with high heels on! A check on the Internet showed a message from my small group leader that all FBC activities had been canceled for the day. Listening to the radio gave the news that most churches throughout the area were canceling services as well, and traffic officials were advising people to stay off the highway.

Fortunately, I have enough lettuce (my drug of choice) to last me a day or two, so I decided to give up any thoughts of trying to drive into town, and use the time instead, to do some "snow photography".
I started off down into the valley, and as I reached the creek, I was reminded once again of the devastating effects of the January 2009 Ice Storm. It seemed there were as many trees in the horizontal position, as the vertical position, due to the heavy load of ice last year that caused them to tumble to the ground. The great thing about the snow today is that we still have electricity! Let's pray it stays that way!
Posted by PicasaAt various photography seminars I have attended, the instructors emphasize to the students, the importance of looking for PATTERN when composing their photographs. This might be patterns in architecture, patterns in people groups, or, as in the photo collage above, patterns in nature. It is easier to distinguish patterns in nature when snow hides the background clutter, and makes the patterns easier to see. I Timothy 1:16 tells us that Jesus Christ has given us a pattern by which to live our lives. But sometimes, all the "background clutter" of real life interferes with the pattern that I want others to see in my own life. But thankfully, God is forgiving of our shortcomings, and points us back to the pattern given in His Word, so that we can keep pressing on and keep being transformed by his power. Miles of snowy smiles! Tricia