Today, I'm grateful for beauty...

Love is the only way

Love is the only way

Love is the only way

Love is the only way

Love is the only way

Love is the only way

Love is the only way

Today I am grateful for the beauty of a summer day at the pool the sonds of children laughter water splashing the sun warming and the cool breeze cooling I found this photo in flicker and it made me silently say the word grtitude for the beauty of Gods Grace Hope the link worksGod's Grace
Namaste
Barbara

God I gratefully await and accept your miracles for me that I may be a witness to your wonder

 
 
They are all so beautiful, Jude!
Hard to pick just one!
Lovin' the beauty....
Thank You!
 
Barbara,
God's Grace was beautiful...Thank YOU!
 
Just in from walking at the beautiful ocean...water was lovely and warm.
My son surfed for about 3 hours and had fun!
 
Love to All...
Peace, Love and Joy,
Diane
 

Grateful to be here!
What a gift and connection builder!
Love and Gratitude,
Love who You Are

Jude I agree with Diane, hard to chose which photo I like best.  However, My body prefers the one with the swan.  Oh how beautiful that photo feels to me !!!
 
Barbara, thank you for the link to the amazing photo.  So very beautiful. 
 
Sending love and gratefulness for all the beautiful photos everyone posts.  love, liliwings
 
 

No need to spend endless hours, days, weeks searching for the rainbow.  Open your heart and your eyes to see and know you are the rainbow you seek.  Rejoyce in the beauty of the co-creation of you.

Line (Green Woman)
has got me started to think,
as her name means 'brook' . . .
'Being' an Aquarius
these water pictures speak to me . . .
all of them . . .
each one in its unique way . . .
which makes me think
of the infinite powers of water~
to nourish,
to destroy,
to soothe and heal,
to refresh and inspire . . .
cradle,
and thrust us forward,
downward,
over and under.
If we do not fight the currents,
but flow with them
our Source will take us where we need to go.
 
. . . which brings to mind
a little something from 'Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah'
by Richard Bach . . .
 

"...once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The current of the river swept silently over them all--young and old, rich and poor, good and evil, the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.
 
Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth.
 
But one creature said at last, 'I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom.'
 
The other creatures laughed and said, 'Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you will die quicker than boredom!'
 
But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks. Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more.
 
And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, 'See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the Messiah, come to save us all!'
 
And the one carried in the current said, 'I am no more Messiah then you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure.'
 
But they cried the more, 'Savior!' all the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a Saviour."
 

   ♥

everything counts... ♥

Today I am grateful for this beautiful message and encouraged by the meaning as I am in the process of allowing the universe to carry me along! Im so moved by the photo of the beach and wow Diane to be able to walk by the ocean and watch surfing too Im so attracted to water all my life it has been my meditation focus and destressor Im grtaeful for the beauty of all here and your ability to find beauty in all places
Namaste
Barbara

God I gratefully await and accept your miracles for me that I may be a witness to your wonder

Sparrow, dear, thank you for a wonderful story.  It reminds me of a quote that I keep posted to my desktop.  "True spirituality consists in that we STOP SWIMMING  and learn how to float and allow the water to take us where it wills.  Below are two pictures I received in my email this morning.

Sorry I have to run to Dr's appointment.  Back later.

Shalom(May you be at peace in Body, Mind,& Spirit.)
I'menuff"
Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow may never come.Live Fully each moment today. Look for the Good Things That Happen to You Each & Every Day."

A few offerings
between the thunder storms . . .
 
filipendula (Queen of the Prarie) pink
with the bee balm in the back . . .
 

 
filipendula up close . . .
one of my favorites.
I love the star shaped leaves and the fluffy blooms . . .
 

 
(I don't know why it came out so large)
. . . a view looking down from the north side
 

 
 
some purple bee balm
in front of the red . . .
not good focus,
but I love the colour . . .
 

 
looking across the front of the upper garden . . .
 

 
and the next ones are all from another year . . .
the echinacaea
comes every year,
but the deer got to them this year . . .
 

 
These were some spring specialty bulbs
I splurged on,
but they only came up once . . .
 

 
yellow canna up front,
but I never planted them again
as they attracted Japanese beetles . . .
 

 
and a lovely supposedly shade loving Veronica
that just simply petered out . . .
but beautiful while they lasted
 

 
Now take your vitamins . . . ♥
 
[size=3 font="times new roman"] 

everything counts... ♥

Our posts must have crossed . . .
Beautiful skies,
Betty!
   ♥

everything counts... ♥

Sparrow, I like the natural sculture here.
 
It's a lovely garden.
 
Jude

Love is the only way

Thank you ladies for so much beauty in this thread!
Sparrow, it is not only that you have magical window, it seems you live in magic forest!
Here are some from my little phone-camera :
plane and the bird (left dawn)on the sky

 Plane traces on the blue sky

 

Dry flowers in a vase:

 

Thank you all for this bounty of beautiful pictures! I can't pick a favorite as usual. I am simply enjoying them, when my computer treats me to their full size!
 
Love,
Edda

Peace and joy!

Oh dear Buba . . .
I might have a magical forest,
but you have absolutely
 magical skies!
 
   ♥

everything counts... ♥

alll the magical photos here.  And the words of the deepest wisdom I know of. 
 
Jude the photos you put up are amazing.  I like the first one the best.  With the reflection in the water
 
Sparrow, first, I too have never forgotten the words in Illusions.  I read it decades ago and those words stuck with me since.  Thank you for putting them there exactly as they are.  Gives a deeper meaning to the song row row ...your boat...  life is but a dream.  
 
The photos you put up are so beautiful.  Your north garden, upper garden, well everything.  Did you know that there is a very easy way to keep japanese beetles away from plants you just do not want eaten?  you can blend in a blender cloves of garlic with water.  Strain and put in spray bottle.  spray the plant.  they will not bother that plant again for the remainder of the season.  I did it for basil. How perfect,  basil and garlic !!  I do not do it for my roses which I crystallize in sugar.  Best not to confuse people when they are eating my roses.  I share my roses with the beetles.  they get some roses, I get some.
 
Again Sparrow, thank you for that passage from Illusions.
 
Buba, you surely do take magical photos of the sky.  I like the clouds with varying degrees of sunlight.  The jet trails picture is awesome.  And then your dried floral arrangement.  I cant imagine you could do any better with more pixels.  Your photos are absolutely clear and taken with artistic eye !!
 
Betty...... wowwwwwwwww, those photos are awesome.  Is the first one of a lake??   "True spirituality consists in that we STOP SWIMMING  and learn how to float and allow the water to take us where it wills. 
ahhhhhh so easy to do Thats a very good line to put where I can read it many times each day. Thank you
 
Diane, oh to be able to go to the ocean whenever the mood strikes.  ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh  it must be amazing.
 
Barbara, I am grateful to see you here on the beauty thread. 
 
 
 

No need to spend endless hours, days, weeks searching for the rainbow.  Open your heart and your eyes to see and know you are the rainbow you seek.  Rejoyce in the beauty of the co-creation of you.