No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put in on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. ~Luke 11:33
Light that shines in darkness, Hope that never dies. Love that conquers all things, Eternal Spirit Rise. ~Cloudia Charters at Comfort Spiral
Our home is surrounded by a forest. Most of the year, the trees shade us from direct sunlight and our house stays dim inside even on the sunniest of days. But the incremental transition from the dead of winter to the arrival of the Spring Equinox becomes a showcase for the sun as it runs its course freely shining through the leafless branches.
The front of our house faces east, so those rooms are the first to be illuminated.
The light from our middle room pierces the gloom so fiercely, it casts a sizeable wedge of brightness into our bedroom across the hall.
I'm struck by how the crucifix on the wall becomes its focus, a touching reminder of the One who is the Light of the World.
As the day progresses and the sun travels its course toward the west, how the light gets in changes dramatically. I'm mesmerized by the designs made on our corner chair and the wall as the light encounters our window blinds.
If I choose to read sitting in that chair at this time of the day, natural light is all I need to see perfectly. Cozy and inviting, indeed!
The late afternoon, however, tells a different story. Currently, between four and five, the light coming in through our diamond-shaped window is so extraordinarily bright, I have to cover our printer with a placemat just to keep the glare from hurting my eyes!
There are times when I'll walk down our hallway toward our living area and literally have to shield my eyes with my hand so that I can turn the corner into the kitchen and not get blinded.
Observing this yearly phenomenon gives me pause in so many ways. I become more attuned to the passing of time, and find myself slowing down to take in each moment gracefully and gratefully. Seeing so much sunlight, even when the outdoors is about as inviting as an icebox, assures me that warmth will return to the earth once more.
Most importantly, though, I'm reminded of the light of Jesus, the everlasting light He gives us through His Holy Spirit. We are not to receive that light only to hide it away, but to shine in onto everyone as we reflect the miracle of this great gift we have been given through Him.
And on the cloudy days, when the sun goes into hiding, we can maintain faith that the Sonshine is continually upon us, and we can reflect His light with the strength, confidence and joy we experience in His presence.
Amen!
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AMEN and AMEN
ReplyDeleteHugs and Blessings
Thanks for your words of affirmation, Jim.
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Thanks for the tour Martha! But most of all, thanks for that last paragraph. It says it all.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill, for your kind words here. Yes, I hoped the last paragraph would sum up the point of the entire post, and it seemed to have done just that.
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Even the old musical "Hair" had a song - Let the Sunshine In. But they misspelled it; it should have been Let the Sonshine In.
ReplyDeleteYes, Glynn, they did misspell it, didn't they? Let's all let the Son shine in.
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Wow. How the sun spotlights the cross on your wall gives me goosebumps. What a gift you have for seeing ... then seeing again through the lens of time. You make me want to look anew!
ReplyDeleteSeeing the cross in the morning light gave me goosebumps, too, Myra. I simply had to capture that one. May we all look anew each and every day we are given.
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Martha thank you so much for sharing your light-filled home and your heart as well. Certainly Jesus is the Light of the World and we now with unveiled faces reflect His glory. Your word Light for the year is certainly a perfect one. Thank you for your lovely post. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Debbie, for your kind and thoughtful comment here. Yes, let our faces and our words reflect the glorious light of Jesus.
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Always, Christine.
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The light in your home is beautiful - isn't God amazing with sunlight! I often think "What will heaven be like with no sun and no night or day?" Our finite minds are so wrapped around time now that it's hard to imagine. But then Christ will be our Light. Love this post and your pictures!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words here, Vickie. We can only imagine what heaven will be like because, as you said, our minds are finite and God is infinite. We won't know until He calls us home.
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Oh I loved this, Martha. I too, notice the sunlight in my home. I loved how you documented it, with photos. Very creative. May we all notice the light of Jesus as we go through our days.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know I'm not the only one who is fascinated by the light at different times of the day, Debby. Thanks for your kind comments about the photos, too. I have to thank Danny for his editing/improving the look of them. Yes, let's all notice the light of Jesus in our lives each and every day.
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I really read this slowly with a lot of thought about what you were writing. I like the way you said it slowed you down to give pause to think. You are right - even when the clouds are out - the sun/son is still there - it's just behind the clouds. Thank you Martha.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you identified with the importance of slowing down during the day and pondering what is right there in front of us, Sandie - the miraculous in the mundane, for sure! The Son is always with us, and I take such comfort in that.
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I'm with you, Martha--in love with the light as it streams in our windows! A small strip of woods separates our block of houses from the block behind us. In the summer we enjoy a leafy, treehouse view out the long bank of windows across the living area/kitchen. 'Can't even see the other houses. But this time of year the bare trees allow the sun to pour in, brightening my spirit with its warmth and glow. So no matter the time of year, we're either reminded that God is our shade at our right hand (Psalm 121:5) or that he is our light and our salvation (Psalm 27:1)!
ReplyDeleteYour neighborhood sounds so much like ours! We have an apartment complex behind our back yard (thankfully, the residents stay quiet); we can hardly see it in the summer, but in winter, it's as stark as can be. I love that you included these scripture verses, too. Such a timely observation!
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This is such a good reminder! I didn't even realize that I needed to read this today. It gave me so much inspiration and feelings of peace. I need to remember to let the light in and remember that it will come back even with clouds covering it. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm so humbled, Alex, that this post gave you such inspiration and feelings of peace. When we don't know what we need, I've found that God provides the solution, often in unique and unexpected ways when we pause to listen to His whisper. He is Light, and the Light will always return.
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A definite amen, dear Martha! I love all your photos, dear friend. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed this post, Linda. Yes, I took the photos, but had my husband, Danny, fine-tune them as he truly is gifted with photography. I definitely married up when I married him.
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You have so many light paths! Especially the light on the cross. Reminds me of the way they built Stonehenge to coordinate with the sunrise. The window blind light show is stunning!
ReplyDeleteI loved your reference here to Stonehenge, Ginny. I didn't even think about that, but I certainly should have as I had the privilege to visit there with a college group studying English literature many moons ago. And I thought the window blind light show was magnificent, too. Only happens in this season of the year.
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We moved to Seattle in the autumn of 1978. Living so far north, my husband drove to work in the dark and came home in the dark, seeing the light of day only on his lunch breaks and on the weekends.
ReplyDeleteAnd at that, even in the daylight, much of the time it was overcast and raining. To say it was an adjustment from living in very sunny Colorado would be an adjustment.
We had been in our house there for several weeks before the sun finally came out, filtered through the forest trees behind our house, and casting beautiful rays on our dining room wall. I cried. I really did. It was so beautiful.
I learned during our 2 1/2 years of living there that I am one who needs daylight for sanity. More than that, we all need the Light of the World for our salvation.
Thank you, Barbara, for sharing this very touching and personal story with me and all the readers here. I cannot imagine living where it is cloudy/dark so many days out of the year, and your description of the sun finally breaking through, casting rays on your dining room wall, says it all. Like you, I need the sanity that sunshine brings. And as you so aptly said, each and every one of us needs the Light of the World for our salvation.
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"Slowing down to take in each moment gracefully and gratefully..." We truly need that to focus more on the LIGHT of this world, don't we, Martha? Love and blessings of His light and peace!
ReplyDeleteAging has a way of slowing us down, Trudy. But if we do pause to take in those moments, noticing the nuances of light and the changes they bring, can make us so much more thankful and appreciative. That's when age becomes something to celebrate!
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What a beautiful home full of spirit and light. Love it! Aloha my friend!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoy my quote. Thank you dear
DeleteThank you, Cloudia, for your sweet words and for allowing me to use your beautiful quote. I do love the way you always encourage and inspire others with your words and photos each and every day. How do you manage to do it?
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What a lovely post, Martha. Thank you. And that photo of the guitar is so wonderful; as well as the one of the Cross on the wall. Indeed, Jesus is the Light of the world; but many did not receive the Light.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant post. Thank you and God bless.
You're so right, Victor. The Light is available to everyone, but some choose not to see Him. And the beam that hit that cross? One of my favorites, too! How fitting and inspiring that the sun chooses to light up the Son.
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You've an unusual home Martha. Im grateful for my home that my dad designed, if suns out we've light, in winter warning the home due to mathematical calculations on eave width but not in heat of summer. Now im very grateful for Gods grace in that design.
ReplyDeleteYes we need to "walk in the light as He is the light, that we have fellowship one with another...". I John 1:7a.
Praying on Shaz in Oz.x
I'm not sure how unusual a home it is, but I love the rustic feel of it, Shaz. It sounds like your dad designed a perfect home for the climate in Australia, and what a treasure it must be for you to live there with so many sweet memories. My husband, Danny, has done many improvements over the years to improve insulation, reduce energy usage and other practical things that make our home so comfortable. I'm grateful for that! And may we all walk in the true Light that Jesus shines through us.
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I am careful with my blinds, not because of the sun coming in, but because our homes here are close together. There are a few blinds I leave up for most of the day because the cats are always seeking the sun. God is my light and I seek him as the cats seek the sunbeams!! Blessings, dear friend! xo
ReplyDelete"God is my light and I seek him as the cats seek the sunbeams." Oh, I absolutely love this observation of yours, Terri! Yes, I can see why you would need blinds living so close to neighbors, and it makes perfect sense. There are times when we want/need to leave ours closed, but most of the time, they are open in their slatted fashion.
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Absolutely beautiful, Martha. I love how you’ve captured both the physical light in your home and the spiritual light of Jesus. It’s such a vivid reminder that even on cloudy days, His Sonshine continues to reach us--and that we are called to reflect it outward. Thank you for sharing this inspiring reflection.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Veronica, for your sweet and thoughtful words here today. We do need to remember, that even when the sunshine doesn't get through to us on cloudy days, the Sonshine will always be with us. May we ever reflect the eternal light of Jesus.
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I'm very "light" conscious these days, as the winter has shortened our days and now, we are under threat of blackouts from this coming weekend's ice storm. The prospect of being in the dark AND cold for days on end disrupts my peace and sleep.
ReplyDeletePray that God will intervene and prevent an extended blackout. Lord have mercy.
Oh, Debra, I'll most certainly keep you in prayer that you won't lose your electricity with this storm approaching! I would find that most disturbing for so many reasons as I've lived through ice storms too many times in the past. Stay safe!
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Wow, Martha. Excellent post. I love the photos and your description of the illuminating light from different places within the house. So interesting to read. And Amen to this, "We are not to receive that light only to hide it away, but to shine in onto everyone as we reflect the miracle of this great gift we have been given through Him." Yes! God bless, dear.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased, Karen, that this post spoke to your heart in such a beautiful way, especially since I know that all in your life isn't sweetness and light at the moment. But you and I both know that God is faithful and He never fails to keep His promises. He allows us to see the Light even in the darkest of times. Prayers always for Mike and you!
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I love how the light illuminates through your house. Thanks for sharing the beauty of light, it allows others to see too. That is one way to light up the world by showing how it appears in our tiny spot on this planet.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words, Bill! As a photographer, I know how crucial light is to your craft. You always shine that light for us in Ireland, my friend.
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You're definitely shining a bright light on many things in this one, Martha. I love seeing the way the sunlight comes into your house, and Diane and I can relate re. how it's almost blinding at times. We have an arched window over our front door that manages to direct a beam of blinding light into our family room at certain hours in the morning. It's too high to cover and we're left with no option but to move out of our favorite place to sit for a while.
ReplyDeleteBut the thing I most appreciate about your post was the connection it made in my mind about the relationship between light and God's Truth. Unfortunately, we're surrounded by forces in this country that want to obscure or totally eliminate the truths that enlighten and reveal all there is to see about everything it touches. And sometimes truth can be affect us like those bright beams of light that make us uncomfortable, This much is true, my friend, we cannot live effectively or maintain a functioning relationship with Jesus Christ without the Light and Truth He brought with Him. So, thank you for the inspiring bright spot today and may the living God continue to illuminate Himself through you.
How interesting, Ron, that you, too, have one of those uncomfortably bright spots in your family room at certain times in the morning. And you're so right about God's truth - His light can be so bright that it can intimidate those who prefer to live in darkness; sadly, there are many of the devil's minions lurking in the dank, oppressive, shadowy lies they prefer to the brilliant and compelling Light of the World. May we all shine His truth with brightness and boldness.
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Nice post I loved it, wish you happy week-end ❤
ReplyDeleteThanks, Snobe. We are looking at a possible ice storm here this weekend, so it will be a bit stressful for us. Still, I know, God has this!
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Bom dia, Martha
ReplyDeleteA sua casa é linda, belas fotos. Jesus é a Luz do mundo que clareia o nosso interior. Um forte abraço.
Amen, Lucinalva! Jesus is the Light of the World and He shines no matter what.
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I like how you connect the changing sunlight in your home to a deeper reflection on faith and presence. The way you notice the light moving through the rooms makes it feel alive, almost like a daily reminder of hope and warmth.
ReplyDeleteIt has become just that for me, Melody - my daily reminder of hope and warmth. I'm glad the images spoke to you this way, too!
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Amen. Preach it, girl. Shine, Jesus, shine. We need You more than ever.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Linda, we need Jesus more than ever! May His light shine through all of His beloved children.
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How beautiful to truly pause and notice the movement of the light. It's a calm unrushed thing. I believe the LORD is pleased when we notice the beauty of the little things he does.
ReplyDeleteI certainly believe this very same thing, Laura. May we all take precious moments to pause and reflect upon what God is trying to show us. We may discover a nuance we never thought was possible.
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