A thing of beauty is a joy forever. 

Keats

Our boy's high school basketball coach has been recently taking and posting photos of some of the most glorious sunrises that you could ever hope to see. If you live in West Texas and had your eyes open at sunrise at any time during the past two weeks of December, then you know of the beauty that these pictures contained: Gold and silver lined clouds against a deep red morning sky. Beautiful! And they cost nothing more than the sparing of a few precious moments to appreciate the glory of God's creation.

I almost missed those sunrises, but one morning I noticed a red glow throughout the house. I assumed that the red glow was just the sun rising, and was about to continue through the house to my comfy chair to read a bit and then turn on the T.V. Instead, I ventured over to the window and was greeted by an absolutely stunning sunrise. At that point, I had to go outside and just stare... and to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the One who had shared such beauty with me that day.

Life is funny, sometimes. We spend so much of our time working and struggling and clawing to get ahead so that we can go out and buy some pretty little thing, when all the time God is creating fresh works of breath taking art each and every day... if only we will have the wisdom to pause long enough to stop and enjoy these things of beauty.

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 display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Psalm 19:1-3, NIV