Monday, January 21, 2013

Through the fog...




The morning light brings a subtle beauty to the river, seen through the freezing fog along the river.


Everything is softened...


the colors seem muted and gentle.


The most ordinary scenes are almost poetic


and everything we see looks like an oil painting come to life.

Foggy winter mornings are my favorite for taking photos, 
something to be savored in silence.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Simple truth

Just a little reminder from my heart to yours...


Do you recognize each moment as a precious treasure?

Every step I take reminds me how blessed I am to walk.

A tongue to taste and food to eat- what a gift! Dogs at my feet, music in the air!

Electricity, the miracle that heats my home and brings light in the evenings.

I sniff the air and enjoy perfume. My heart beats well without my even thinking of it...


I can go on and on and on.

Truly, I am surrounded by miracles. 


Please note- artwork © Sharyn Sowell, all rights reserved.
Please do not re-post without permission.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Seeds of hope in winter


 Do you ever find yourself feeling frozen inside?
Resembling a forgotten watering can left outside, forgotten in the corner of summer's lush garden gone barren and brown?


Like winter has invaded, freezing out hope and leaving behind a world steeped in chill gray?


I haven't spoken normally for six long months.

These months of forced silence have been drab in some ways, cold and isolated.



But when you look closer at a garden or a life, the frozen times are full of life laying dormant...

the seeds of beautiful things to come. 


 If we look closer, even in the frost, the seeds are waiting.

For a plant to grow, the seeds have to fall into the ground and wait in the dark.


For a life to grow, sometimes the seeds of faith are watered with tears, laying dormant for a season.
What looks hopelessly dead today will spring to life.

So it is with hope.


 It's normal to want to skip over the hardships...


 to wish life were always summer, always easy...


 but the frost has a beauty all its own


and hearts that persevere through the wintery chill of difficulty have their roots sunk deep into faith and gratitude and compassion.


Even while the frost is thick
and life feels so frozen,

there is the knowledge...


the rock solid, absolute faith,
the confidence of good things preparing to burst forth.




But meanwhile,
there is beauty in winter, too.

In waiting.
In sure and quiet hope.