Foggy February Mountain Views

Here we are in the final days of February! Can you even believe how fast the calendar continues to move along! This has been a very mild winter for us here in North Idaho; many are not complaining.  As most of my readers know - I love the snow, and Winter here in North Idaho is "splendiferous" for me. I absolutely love the beauty of the snow, and while I'll admit the cold is not my favorite thing, I do love a frosty day at about 20 degrees with the sun brightly shining.  When the glitter and diamonds in the snow are shimmering - life is just glorious! We sadly haven't had many of those days this year.  But - we have had some beautiful scenes that the snow and fog have created.  Below is one of my favorites.  The mountains are misty, shrouded in secrecy while the pine trees stand majestically.  

I captured this shot of the moon while walking this week,
early in the morning, just as the sun was coming up. 

It was a frosty morning, with no snow on the ground,
but isn't the moon just beautiful in the western sky! 

A closer view of February's Moon, also known as the Snow Moon or Hunger Moon.  

The clouds always add drama to the skies, and I never tire of
seeing the unique formations of the clouds in our skies. 

Can you count how many Stellar Blue Jays are in this photo? If you see 7 of them, you are correct!   They are regular visitors to my bird feeders, and are so entertaining to watch! They have a very distinctive cry, and let me know when the feeders are empty (which means when they've emptied the feeders!!) 

Riley and I continue to enjoy our morning walks, now with no snow on the road - 
so unusual for February, but we are enjoying it.  

You may remember from my last post that I have been "puppy-sitting" my neighbor's new Aussie puppy while she works.  Miss Bejeweled is so precious! I found a treat that she really enjoys as a teething puppy - chewing on ice! 

I captured her puppy antics on video, and shared it on YouTube,

 just a short 60-second video, but 

I think it will make you smile! 

I wanted to share this inspirational poem found again in the beautiful Christian poetry book I picked up at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago. This little poem sums up my heart today - Thy Way - Not Mine. May I always walk in humbleness listening to the Lord in all I do, and let His will be the path I take, not my own.  I've learned His ways are always best! 

Thy Way, Not Mine

Thy way, not mine, O Lord,

However dark it be!

Lead me by thine own hand

Choose out the path for me. 

Smooth let it be or rough,

It will be still the best;

Winding or straight, it leads

Right onward to thy rest. 

I dare not choose my lot;

I would not, if I might,

Choose thou for me, My God;

So shall I walk aright. 

The kingdom that I seek

Is thine, so let the way

That leads to it be thine;

Else I must surely stray.

Take thou my cup and it

With joy or sorrow fill,

As best to thee may seem;

Choose thou my good and ill;

Choose thou for me my friends,

My sickness or my health;

Choose thou my cares for me,

My poverty or wealth.  

Not mine, not mine the choice,

In things great or small;

Be thou my guide, my strength

My wisdom and my all! 

Horatius Bonar 1808-1889

Isaiah 55:6-13

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, 

call ye upon him while he is near:

Let the wicked forsake his way, 

and the unrighteous man his thoughts: 

and let him return unto the LORD, 

and he will have mercy upon him; 

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways, 

and my thoughts than your thoughts.  

For as the rain cometh down, 

and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, 

but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, 

that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: 

it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish 

that which I please, and it shall prosper 

in the thing whereto I sent it.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: 

the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you 

into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, 

and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:

and it shall be to the LORD for a name, 

for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. 

Isaiah 55:6-13

 

This passage sums it all up well - God's ways are not our ways - but in the end, when His will is accomplished there will be joy, singing, and peace. That gives me hope! Today I may just see clouds over the mountains, with low-hanging fog and nothing seems clear.  

But tomorrow - tomorrow's hope is that sunshine will return, and those same mountains will sparkle and shine with the light of the sun upon them.  That is our hope! 

Here is another music video that I created this week, again it is perfect for background worship/prayer/devotional time music. It is instrumental, and there are some beautiful hymns that I love in this selection. I think your heart will be encouraged by the views of the beautiful mountains - today they may be shrouded in fog and snow, but summer will soon come, and we will see them clearly once again. 

Many blessings to each of you my dear readers, and I thank you so much for your faithful visits!