#312

Beautiful morning...and the sun does this every day...

#310

One solitary, but bold, bird chirping confidently like an opera singer doing voice exercises and testing out his voice...

'St. Paul calls his readers to take a sober look at themselves (Rom 12.3) and respond to the call of God according to who they are. Some are leaders; some are not. Some are teachers; some are not. Humility means recognizing both our limitations and our potential, recognizing where we need others and where we can make a contribution to meeting the needs of others. Humility graciously accepts both dimensions - our limitations and need for others and our potential, our ability to contribute to the well-being of others. The former does not diminish us; the latter does not inflate us. With sober judgment we simply accept who we are. And this humility is essential for effective discernment. Therefore, part of becoming a discerning person is to grow in knowledge of one's self.... Self-knowledge includes self-acceptance - honestly owning who we are. If we do not accept who we are, and more, actually like who we are, we will probably not be able to meet God freely and respond to that encounter. We will always be attempting to be someone other than who we are; we will be living a lie.' (pp 90-91 'Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God's Will' Gordon Smith)

#308

The first blush of dawn reflected on the still, icy surface of the river...

'You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.' (John 15.3-11)

#307

Clear Spring morning after snow...

#304

Glorious sunrise (yesterday)...

#301

Sky full of drama on a beautifully windy morning

#299

...the sun bursts out in full flame. (Note: It is not a good idea to stare directly at the sun, especially through a camera lens; never ever through a zoom lens. It can destroy both your eyes and camera.)

#298

Even on a frigid morning such as this...

#297

Curious about the moon, took another photo around the same time as yesterday. Sure enough, a slightly slimmer sliver of a moon was in the sky (which the photo hasn't captured) left of center in the Eastern sky...

#295

Snowy daybreak on MLK day...

#294

Icy waters reflecting the silhouette of Manhattan at sunrise...

#293

Clouds like strange creatures of the night scattering out to sea at sunrise...

Do I believe in the 'good will' of the Father...?

#289

At dawn this morning...

#288

Burning sunrise (slightly more northerly -or straight east - view than usual)...

#286

'Love anything and your heart will be...broken. If you want to (protect your heart), you must give it to no one...avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin... But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the danges of love is Hell.' (CS Lewis, Four Loves)

#283

One piece of good news heard on the radio this morning... the day's getting longer.

#282

An icy, windy Monday sunrise...

#281

Live and let live...

Manhattan silhouetted against a beautifully wintry morning sky

#280

Sunday morning sunrise...

'Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.' (Matthew 1.17)

#277

'His line shall continue forever, and his throne endure before me like the sun. It shall be established forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the skies.' (Ps. 89 36-37)