Have you noticed that everywhere you look you can find beauty? Have you noticed that every time you stop to really listen, you can hear sounds that make you smile? God’s creation astounds me daily! From the shapes, the colors, the textures to the sounds, the melodies and the rhythms of life, I never cease to be amazed! Gabriella Mistral once said that “Beauty….is the shadow of God over the universe.” How true is that! To hear a bird sing, or see a beautiful piece of art, or hear a fantastic melody, reminds us of our beautiful Lord. He shadows his beauty over all of nature, and speaks beauty into our lives through the power of His Word. When we begin to integrate and enjoy the beauty of the Lord around us through what we see and hear, we begin living and bearing His very own likeness and image. How does this happen? It happens as we become aware of His handiwork and live life full of wonder. God is wonderful. Where ever we look, we see His wonderful works. We take time to really look, to really drink it in, and then we will see wonder, beauty and creativity all around us. To be fully aware of the beauty where we are, our eyes need to be open, and our heart needs to be sensitive so we can drink in all the beauty God has for us. We can live life imprinted with the beauty of the Lord! He created beauty so we can live a beautiful life. That sounds encouraging to me!