Sunset between the storms

Last week we had storms that brought in rain accompanied with thunder and lightning.  Great to have the rain but not so great for lightning.  It is a harsh reminder of the wildfires that were experienced in the John Day Valley in 2015.  Our beloved Canyon Mountain shows the effect of burned timber that scars the landscape.  Many homes were destroyed by fire forcing owners to either rebuild or relocate in the aftermath.  Lightning in its beauty and power can devastate by a random strike.  It still makes a community feel nervous as a reminder of what was and what can be if dry weather conditions exist in our forests and terrain towards fall.

For the time being, we are enjoying the advent of summer and all the pleasures that it brings after the winter freeze and commencement of spring.  People are busy with gardens, summer projects and vacations, enjoying the sun and outdoor activities.  Once in awhile, we are privileged to experience a delight in nature,  if we take time out from our busyness to stop and become aware of what is before us.  I don't know how anyone could have missed this piece of art from the hand of God...

A beautiful sunset graced our skies between the storms of the early evening hour.  I grabbed my camera to capture such a stunning view as it quickly changed color and cloud formation.  The golden hues changed to orange and pink as the sun dipped behind the hills.  In the third photo, if you look close enough, you can see the sun's fractured rays breaking through the clouds in resemblance of golden geese.

The thought came to me that as we experience personal storms in life, God gives us breakthroughs in His sunset colors of hope, encouragement, strength and perseverance to experience calm in the midst of storms.  Psalm 4:8 says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety".  


I hope you will join me at The Turn-Up Patch for another visit on Monday, July 3 ....  I leave you with a beautiful quote that is so true... "PEACE is seeing a sunset, and knowing who to thank."