The hashtag I have penned for this love of mine is #sunsetoclock and #sunriseoclock and #painthesky. I have been intentionally chasing sunsets for years. I have hundreds (probably thousands) of photos of that I have captured through the lens of various cameras. They fill me with joy. They fill me with peace. They fill me with hope. They simply just fill me.
They represent life and breath, new beginnings and great endings. They are a visible reminder to me of all that God has brought me to and through on the journey of my life. He has been faithfully showing up morning and night, every single day. They give me the promise of things bold, bright, and beautiful through the assurance of my yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. They represent art, and nature, and purity, and individuality, and God’s abundant love and blessings. They are these quiet, peaceful, awe inspiring, Jesus kissed opportunities offered directly into my hands from Heaven every single day, if I want them.
They are the bookends to each and every day that I have been blessed to receive, that the earth has been blessed to receive. God woke me up, He gave me the day to live, to worship, to celebrate, to proclaim His name, and He brought me through the hours of life for that day and quietly whispered “Rest well my child, rest well…”
The strokes are sometimes bright and bold and vibrant, splashing across the sky in rich and bold streaks, sun rays dancing off clouds and landing with golden kisses on the objects all around and behind it. They change and transform in hue and color as the sun rises or slips behind the horizon, always a slow and silent progression, mix, layering, and fusion of vivid awakening or release. There is never the same sunset or sunrise twice, each it’s own unique painting, it’s own individual story, just like all of us. Some mornings or nights the shows are more stunning than others, some days the rain or clouds hide it entirely, but even though we may not be witnessing it here on this side of earth, I am sure the full Heavenly-sided presentation every morning and evening is beyond imagination every single time. I cannot wait until that day when I can be on that side, when I will get to watch not just the sky changing color, but I will get to watch the Man himself eloquently creating His majestic masterpieces. Oh dear me, the thought of this almost brings me to tears.
These moments of witnessing natures artwork are something I have come to value and intentionally make time for whenever possible. They initially used to just happen by chance, if I happened to look up at the right time, if I happened to be at the right place at the right time. But I came to realize they are going to happen every day regardless if I take the time to stop and watch them or not. So quickly and easily the hours and moments of our days just slip by if we don’t consciously take the initiative to be aware of the time and location where we are in regards to the canvas God will be painting each days masterpieces on. It’s not always the most ideal time, and often I need to physically realign myself in a location for best viewing, but rarely, rarely am I disappointed in the show. I have never once regretted the time I gave up to slow, watch, reflect, praise, give thanks, and attempt to capture into the memory of my mind, and if possible onto the film of my camera. Although a camera can never fully capture all the magnitude of the moment, I do find a tremendous joy in the attempt.
For me, sunrises and sunsets really have become a time of worship, a time of coming in, coming together, centering and realigning myself, my thoughts, my attitudes, my view, my inner relationship with myself, others, and with God. It’s a time of quite, a time of stopping, a time of marked reflection of the simple and daily provision and gifts from our Creator. He created all of heaven, all of earth, all of creation ~ and He designed it all to dance beautifully together with incredible moments and potential each and every day.
They represent life and breath, new beginnings and great endings. They are a visible reminder to me of all that God has brought me to and through on the journey of my life. He has been faithfully showing up morning and night, every single day. They give me the promise of things bold, bright, and beautiful through the assurance of my yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. They represent art, and nature, and purity, and individuality, and God’s abundant love and blessings. They are these quiet, peaceful, awe inspiring, Jesus kissed opportunities offered directly into my hands from Heaven every single day, if I want them.
They are the bookends to each and every day that I have been blessed to receive, that the earth has been blessed to receive. God woke me up, He gave me the day to live, to worship, to celebrate, to proclaim His name, and He brought me through the hours of life for that day and quietly whispered “Rest well my child, rest well…”
The strokes are sometimes bright and bold and vibrant, splashing across the sky in rich and bold streaks, sun rays dancing off clouds and landing with golden kisses on the objects all around and behind it. They change and transform in hue and color as the sun rises or slips behind the horizon, always a slow and silent progression, mix, layering, and fusion of vivid awakening or release. There is never the same sunset or sunrise twice, each it’s own unique painting, it’s own individual story, just like all of us. Some mornings or nights the shows are more stunning than others, some days the rain or clouds hide it entirely, but even though we may not be witnessing it here on this side of earth, I am sure the full Heavenly-sided presentation every morning and evening is beyond imagination every single time. I cannot wait until that day when I can be on that side, when I will get to watch not just the sky changing color, but I will get to watch the Man himself eloquently creating His majestic masterpieces. Oh dear me, the thought of this almost brings me to tears.
These moments of witnessing natures artwork are something I have come to value and intentionally make time for whenever possible. They initially used to just happen by chance, if I happened to look up at the right time, if I happened to be at the right place at the right time. But I came to realize they are going to happen every day regardless if I take the time to stop and watch them or not. So quickly and easily the hours and moments of our days just slip by if we don’t consciously take the initiative to be aware of the time and location where we are in regards to the canvas God will be painting each days masterpieces on. It’s not always the most ideal time, and often I need to physically realign myself in a location for best viewing, but rarely, rarely am I disappointed in the show. I have never once regretted the time I gave up to slow, watch, reflect, praise, give thanks, and attempt to capture into the memory of my mind, and if possible onto the film of my camera. Although a camera can never fully capture all the magnitude of the moment, I do find a tremendous joy in the attempt.
For me, sunrises and sunsets really have become a time of worship, a time of coming in, coming together, centering and realigning myself, my thoughts, my attitudes, my view, my inner relationship with myself, others, and with God. It’s a time of quite, a time of stopping, a time of marked reflection of the simple and daily provision and gifts from our Creator. He created all of heaven, all of earth, all of creation ~ and He designed it all to dance beautifully together with incredible moments and potential each and every day.
It’s ours to miss, or it’s ours to intentionally seek and find - we are the only ones who make that choice.
It is my hope and prayer that everyone can find their #sunsetoclocks - those individual moments and places where you connect, where you find your passion, where you deliberately watch and carve out the time and space to be filled, to be centered, to be brought to and permeated with great joy and worship. May whatever it is that fills you not be missed and overlooked by the busy and the hustle and bustle of every day's lost living. May we all seek after the slow, the grand, the bold, the magnificent.
“Many times we have been guilty of viewing our future challenges as the sunset of life rather than the sunrise of a bright new opportunity.” -John Maxwell.
May we learn to stop viewing the things that are hard, the things that are challenging, the things that hurt as an ending point, as a hinderance or set back to things going forward… May we learn to view those hard things, those stumbling blocks, those difficulties, as moments and opportunities for change, embracing them as the gift of growth they are actually intended to really be. May we learn to see the full beauty and potential in every day and every situation.
May we remember to view the start and end of each day as the marked blessing that it is. May we be willing to consciously see every opportunity and challenge as part of our journey to greatness. May we all choose to live fully, to see clearly both the big picture, as well the tiniest of intricate details surrounding us.
May we try always align ourselves into the most opportune times and locations to witness and be fully present in all the details and moments of our life’s grand story. May we all fully celebrate and continually try capture the vibrance and beauty of all the hours of our days. May we take nothing for granted, may we leave nothing unseen or unfinished, as todays gift is not a promise we’re guaranteed to have again tomorrow.
We can choose to live a life where we possibly will catch a little glimpse of hope, of healing, of greatness every-now-and-again if we happen to be in the right place at the right time, or where we finally decide to slow down and try fill up only after we crash land and hit rock bottom. Or... we can choose to intentionally seek it, find it, wait for it, and diligently watch daily for its evolving beauty, majesty, and potential, and do all we can to reach out, allow it, capture it, and hang on tight for the greatest most beautiful ride of our life.
May we live an ever evolving, always changing, brilliantly colorful, unbelievably magical, heavenly kissed, vibrant life from sun up to sun down (and every moment in-between) each and every day. God is one mighty artist, and He has a great masterpiece planned for the canvas of each our lives.
If you aren’t already - follow me on social media where I share my #sunsetoclock and my #sunriseoclock and my #painthesky moments. :-)
It is my hope and prayer that everyone can find their #sunsetoclocks - those individual moments and places where you connect, where you find your passion, where you deliberately watch and carve out the time and space to be filled, to be centered, to be brought to and permeated with great joy and worship. May whatever it is that fills you not be missed and overlooked by the busy and the hustle and bustle of every day's lost living. May we all seek after the slow, the grand, the bold, the magnificent.
“Many times we have been guilty of viewing our future challenges as the sunset of life rather than the sunrise of a bright new opportunity.” -John Maxwell.
May we learn to stop viewing the things that are hard, the things that are challenging, the things that hurt as an ending point, as a hinderance or set back to things going forward… May we learn to view those hard things, those stumbling blocks, those difficulties, as moments and opportunities for change, embracing them as the gift of growth they are actually intended to really be. May we learn to see the full beauty and potential in every day and every situation.
May we remember to view the start and end of each day as the marked blessing that it is. May we be willing to consciously see every opportunity and challenge as part of our journey to greatness. May we all choose to live fully, to see clearly both the big picture, as well the tiniest of intricate details surrounding us.
May we try always align ourselves into the most opportune times and locations to witness and be fully present in all the details and moments of our life’s grand story. May we all fully celebrate and continually try capture the vibrance and beauty of all the hours of our days. May we take nothing for granted, may we leave nothing unseen or unfinished, as todays gift is not a promise we’re guaranteed to have again tomorrow.
We can choose to live a life where we possibly will catch a little glimpse of hope, of healing, of greatness every-now-and-again if we happen to be in the right place at the right time, or where we finally decide to slow down and try fill up only after we crash land and hit rock bottom. Or... we can choose to intentionally seek it, find it, wait for it, and diligently watch daily for its evolving beauty, majesty, and potential, and do all we can to reach out, allow it, capture it, and hang on tight for the greatest most beautiful ride of our life.
May we live an ever evolving, always changing, brilliantly colorful, unbelievably magical, heavenly kissed, vibrant life from sun up to sun down (and every moment in-between) each and every day. God is one mighty artist, and He has a great masterpiece planned for the canvas of each our lives.
If you aren’t already - follow me on social media where I share my #sunsetoclock and my #sunriseoclock and my #painthesky moments. :-)
Facebook: Sara Crane Cakes Instagram: saracrane13
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