Divine Creativity

It has been a while since I've taken a few hours just to take pictures. I love being out in nature and I wanted to do some planning for my business so I decided to stop at Pearce Estate Park on my way home today.  I didn't do a lot of planning, but I did get some exercise in, wheeling along the paved paths and taking lots of pictures - more than 200! Taking pictures, for me, is a way I connect spiritually.  I notice the little details and appreciate what my Creator has made - the intricate details, the spectacular creativity, the beauty.  And I just 'am', taking it all in. Lately, I've been reading the book Making Your Dreams Your Destiny by Judy Rushfeldt that resonate with me that also link to the idea of creativity.  Here are a few quotes about creativity from the book:

"God is utterly, undeniably extravagant. Creativity is God's essence; he can't help being extravagant with it. He is creativity. And so are you - for divine creativity is woven into the fabric of your soul." p. 60

"Every great invention, every painting or musical composition, every child's finger painting splattered on the wall, every flair for artistic flower arrangements or love of beauty or romance, every warrior instinct to protect and defend loved ones, every entrepreneurial drive to start new business ventures, every creative act, from a toddler building a sandcastle to an architect designing the world's tallest skyscraper -- all these emanate from the divine creativity that is irrevocably stamped on our souls" (p. 31).

"The same God who designed the splendours of the universe personally planned every little detail about you, including your physical characteristics, personality, talents, and -- most important -- your life purpose. He never planned for you to live in misery and failure; he planned for you to live with joy and purpose" (p. 37).

The author goes on to encourage readers to 'cultivate and express' (p. 60) creativity as this will nourish our hearts.

And a quote about change that's connected to nature, also from the same book:

"Though winter is indeed harsh and cold, it is also the time when the dead leaves are absorbed into the frozen soil, decaying and breaking down into minerals and other nutrients necessary to nourish new life in spring" (p. 83).

I haven't finished the book, but I am hoping to write more of a review at some point as there are other concepts and points that really jumped out at me.  When I first started reading the book, I thought it was pretty hokey.  The title alone made me think this would be some sort of cheesy "motivating" style of book. I picked it up again recently and thought it might actually be helpful since I'm trying to figure out where to go next in life. It's been quite helpful, actually, as there are some exercises to do and some reflection questions to consider. It's helped me realize what kinds of things make me happy which may help in figuring out what I will focus on in the next while.

And, now for the pictures I promised...

Using super macro mode, this is the fluff of the above dandelion. Look at the amazing creativity and detail that went into the creation of this flower that so many of us think of as a weed.

There was white cotton like fluff everywhere in the park. 

My version of 'Scream':

 
I found this little metal ball on a picnic table and thought it was kind of neat. Picture worthy, anyway! :)

And some rainbow pics taken after a thunder storm last week:

Below: With a wee bit of colour tweaking, I darkened the image and increased the saturation. Up close, you can actually see the raindrops too (you can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them).