We have had some cold, rainy days recently, but today the sun was shining brightly. I almost sat down in the living room with my computer but decided to check the outside temperature first. It was just under 60° F, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. It may be winter, but it was definitely a spring-like day. I thought to myself, I must go outside.
A Winter Afternoon
Making sure the rocking chair on the porch was in the sun, I sat down with my journal. The breeze made the air a bit chilly, so I went back inside to get an afghan for added warmth. My mom crocheted it, which provided a special touch. It was wonderful to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. I never cease to be amazed at the beauty created by our God.
Psalm 104:1-4 (CSB)
My soul, bless the Lord!
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe,
spreading out the sky like a canopy,
laying the beams of his palace
on the waters above,
making the clouds his chariot,
walking on the wings of the wind,
and making the winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
[bctt tweet=”As is often the case, being out in nature inspired me to write a poem.” username=”GaylWright”]
A Winter Afternoon
On this lovely day
The front porch called my name and
Beckoned me to come
In the azure sky
Bright and dazzling came the sun
Unfazed by the trees
Shifting my gaze I
Unexpectedly saw a
Waxing Gibbous moon
Then to my surprise
Soaring high up in the air
Two hawks circled round
What I would have missed
On this cool, crisp afternoon
Had I stayed inside
Psalm 74:16-17 (NIV)
The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
Genesis 8:22 (CSB)
As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, and day and night
will not cease.
I’m linking up with: #Let’sHaveCoffee, #porchstories, #TellHisStory, #LMMLinkup, #HeartEncouragement, #TuneInThursday #Grace&Truth
What a beautiful day – and your poem is a sweet reminder of it! A sunny 60 degrees sounds delightful – but where we are in TN – you can be 60 one day – and then it drops to 30 – and oh how the sinuses suffer as a result!
Thank you so much! I know what you mean about temperature changing suddenly. It does the same thing here in upstate SC. LOL Blessings to you! Thanks for visiting.
Dear Gayl,
Those verses from Psalm 74, “The day is yours, and yours also the night,” are so comforting! And then to pair it with your beautiful images–just amazing. Thank you so much for this and for your poetry also! I felt like I was right there with you as you created those words welling up from God’s beauty around you. It was much colder here today, but I am so thankful that the sun was shining for a while here too. He gives us these moments to praise Him! Blessings, love, and hugs to you Dear Poet/Sister/Friend!
Dear Bettie,
Yes, I agree those words are comforting from Psalm 74. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, too. I wish you could have been here with me. 🙂 Maybe one day! Glad you had some sunshine even if the air was cold. I love the sunshine! Blessings, love and hugs right back to you, dear sister/poet/friend! xoxo
Gayle, this is beautiful! I wonder what I’ve missed on the days I’ve stayed inside. Yes, indoors, but also inside my own head and in my own situations. Inside of myself and not looking up to see what beauty and blessings God has placed before me. Thank you for prompting me to “go outside.” May this winter be filled with many more springlike days for you! Following you at #TellHisStory this week!
Thank you so much, Julie! Sometimes I don’t choose to go outside, but I hope more and more I will take time outdoors to sit and rest and be still. Blessings to you! May you find much time to be outdoors in God’s beautiful creation.
I love this! Your photos drew me right into your beautiful descriptions.
We have a winter storm headed this way–actually 2 storms. The one on Sunday is promising 18 inches of snow, but I’m working at being grateful for a quiet weekend. And maybe we’ll keep our electricity??
Thank you, Michele. Wow, sure hope you don’t lose electricity. It makes things pretty hard, doesn’t it? But yes, you can be grateful for a quiet weekend. That’s a great way to look at it. Blessings to you, dear friend! xo
This is a good reminder that even in the cold, dark moments of our lives, God gives us glimpses of what is to come.
Yes, He is so good to us, isn’t he? Blessings to you, Ashley! Thanks for visiting.
Stopping in again today this time from #HeartEncouragement. I’m your neighbor in a few places today.
Thanks for stopping by again, Calleen. Many blessings to you!
Loved your reflections on God’s creativity – 60 is cold for me but then I’m a pansy! Thanks for linking up, too.
Thank you, Sue. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 60 is a bit cool, but with a sweater and afghan I was find for a little while. 🙂 Blessings to you!
Lovely poem and photos, Gayl! Oh, the wonders abound…
Thank you so much, dear Bette. Yes, wonders do abound. We just need to keep our eyes and ears open. Blessings to you! xo
Lovely!! Winter has arrived in Ohio after kidding us into thinking the usual cold and snow will skip us this year. Temps have dropped, heavy snow in the forecast and colder temps on top of that. The heavy snow will bless us with quieting the landscape and streetscape and a possible bonus will be time to linger in front of a fire and not go anywhere for several days. (8-13 inches predicted here on Saturday with wind on top to create drifting). Each season has a blessing in it if we pay attention.
When we lived in NJ, it was nice when the snow made a blanket of white outside and we could stay toasty warm with our wood stove. But after a while it was hard to just keep staying inside. Sounds like you are about to get hit with it. But you are right, there is a blessing in every season. We just have to be aware. Blessings to you, Pam!
Beautiful message. Love the photos and video. God truly gives us many blessings to enjoy.
Thanks so much, Melissa. Yes, God does give us so many blessings and sometimes we’re too busy to notice. I want to make it a practice to slow down more. Blessings to you! xo
So gorgeous! And wow–I love how you incorporate the photos. You’re making it really hard to live in Buffalo right now though . . . I want your weather, and we’re gearing up for a blizzard!
Thank you so much, Amanda! It was fun to put together. Yes, I can imagine it must be very cold there. Stay warm during the blizzard! I remember cold winter days in NH and NJ. Blessings to you! Thanks for visiting.
WOW – the sky is so blue it seems it should be warmer than 60. I love that God’s creation inspired you to write a poem – beautiful and oh to sit on the front porch in a rocking chair with the sun beaming down! That would be pure Joy – but I will have to wait until June for it to at least be sunny and 60 plus to sit out on our front porch in the rocking chairs. Thanks for Linking up with #TuneInTHursday and we are neighbors today at #BVN too I am tweeting about your blog post 🙂
Yes, the sky was really blue that day! 🙂 It was such a nice day I just couldn’t pass up that time on the porch and I’m so glad I took the time. 🙂 It was great. Blessings to you! Thanks for visiting, Debbie! xo
Your poem brightened my day. I loved the hawks. I love bird watching. We need to get together soon. I am joining a writing club that meets in the PIedmont next Saturday.
Oh, I’m so glad to help brighten your day, dear Mary. Yes, we do need to get together soon. The writing club sounds nice. I’m sure you will enjoy it! I hope you have a wonderful Sunday tomorrow and a good week. Blessings to you! xo
That’s such a beautiful poem Gayl! I love that you went outside in winter and just spent time in reflection. Where I am, it’s a high of 12 degrees right now if we are lucky. So spending time outside isn’t really an option. But now I’m jealous and wish it was. 🙂
Thank you so much, Nicki! Yes, 12 deg. is pretty cold. Brrr!!! I was so glad we had such a nice day that day. I remember what 12 deg. is like from living in NH, SD and NJ. 🙂 Blessings to you! Thanks for visiting.
This feels like home Gayl.
The pictures and beautiful poem.
Lovely reading.
God bless sister
Aw, thank you so much Ifeoma! Blessings and love to you! xo