Joy to the world! The Lord has come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing!
Joy to you this Christmas!
Nature sang in 2015 as God blessed us with many memorable outdoor adventures like snowshoeing,
snow skiing,
ice skating,
boating,
swimming,
and hiking.
We delighted in God’s amazing creation while watching Trumpeter swans on the Mississippi River,
spotting dolphins in the wild in the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston,
feeding wood ducks in the backyard,
gazing at the gorgeous lilacs
and the dazzling dahlias at the Arboretum,
being wowed by a pair of red foxes up on the Gunflint Trail near the Boundary Waters,
and admiring some of the 18 baby snapping turtles that hatched in our front yard flower bed.
We tried to subdue some of God’s creatures during our too-close-for-comfort encounters with a snoozing nighthawk,
bandit raccoons,
a sleepy bat, an angry squirrel, a peeping goldfinch,
a topsy-turvey mama snapping turtle, a strong-minded chipmunk and a brave back-to-school mouse that trapped itself inside our basement wall! Eeeek!
We also marveled at God’s wondrous creativity while gazing at the brilliant autumn colors,
picking juicy apples,
and plump pumpkins,
and most recently, while picking a lovely-smelling balsam fir tree to decorate for Christmas.
Romans 1:20 says,“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Nature clearly points to its wise and powerful Creator. And that lighted Christmas tree in my living room, it points heavenward, toward the Light of the World.
It points to Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
May we all join heaven and nature in singing our praises to Him this Christmas and throughout 2016!
Merry Christmas!
Starlight Writer 