Soul Winters

I think that there might be seasons of the soul. Spring in the soul is when everything is new and fresh and filled with the promise of growth.

Summer is the warm, growing, luscious time of the soul. It is filled with joy and expectation. Rapid growth can be observed, like in a garden.

Autumn is that time of the soul for reflection, to enjoy the still warm and colorful days of this time of year and life.

Winter can be a time of cold and alienation. It has days that are dark and dreary, interspersed with bright, white days of beauty. It can be a prolonged period of reflection and growth, though unseen. Or it can be a time of bleakness in which the unseen is unknown and forgotten.

Living in a place with four distinct seasons is a blessing. I don't like winter so maybe that is why I portray it as bleak. I love the bright, hot, windy days of summer. The time when all is growing and you can see it! Oh, I know the analogy breaks down horribly, but I DO sometimes feel like I am in a soul winter.

Praise God that the seasons come and go and so will a winter of the soul.

Study in lines: sky, horizon, cottonwood

On a lovely summer's day I took this photo from where our house used to be before Devils Lake grew by thousands of acres.

Growing up near the shores of the lake provided me with many lovely memories.

The smell of water, the sound of waves on the shore, the rustling of cottonwood leaves and the stunning brightness of the sun reflecting off the water...these memories will never leave me.

Love and Fear

If perfect love casts out fear...and it does
And if God loves us with a perfect love...and He does
THEN we need have no fear of our Heavenly Father. Reverence, awe, respect...yes, but fear, no.

He has chosen us to be His own with a love that is perfect. We can depend on Him to remain faithful in His love toward His children.

With that perfect love we can walk confidently through any valley and climb any mountain, float through any sea of doldrums, march with victory through every battle, shuffle through any tedious task, overcome any challenge, live through our darkest days and still come out into the light, and enter boldly the throne room of grace.

We needn't be afraid anymore!