Those of you who read my other blog, Christians in the Arts, know how much I love quotations. I collect them on the computer and in a Moleskine journal with a purple silk cover. I pull them out when I want to be inspired. I like to share them with others too. Here are a few quotations on beauty that I hope will inspire you today:
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness; but still will keep a bower quiet for us, and a sleepfull of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing." -- John Keats
"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting--a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, and creeds follow one another like the withered leaves of Autumn; but what is beautiful is a joy for all seasons and a possession for all eternity." -- Oscar Wilde
"Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old." -- Franz Kafka
May we always keep the ability to appreciate beauty.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
What Wondrous Love is This?
On my wedding day, two dear friends, Genny and Jason, sang the old hymn, What Wondrous Love is This? My groom and I used many types of music in our wedding but we chose this song because we wanted to proclaim the love that brought us together. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
An American folk hymn from the mid-1800s, What Wondrous Love is This?, with its beautiful, haunting melody, proclaims a profound and timeless truth. As my friends’ voices mingled and rose, my heart did too.
Old songs, dearly loved, like old friends, bring beauty to our lives.
What Wondrous Love is This?
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.
An American folk hymn from the mid-1800s, What Wondrous Love is This?, with its beautiful, haunting melody, proclaims a profound and timeless truth. As my friends’ voices mingled and rose, my heart did too.
Old songs, dearly loved, like old friends, bring beauty to our lives.
What Wondrous Love is This?
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Beauty Appreciation, Part 2
Last week I wrote about taking beauty breaks—giving yourself time to notice and enjoy the beauty around you. Have you been thinking about the types of beauty that move you most? Here are a few:
• Visual: creation, art, design
• Auditory: music, birdsong, laughter
• Written: poetry, literature, essays, scripture
How can you remind yourself to notice and look for the beauty around you? Think through your day. Where will you be? What will you be doing? Where and when might you see beauty? Be intentional. Consider keeping a beauty journal so you can record, remember, and continue to appreciate your experiences.
How can you bring more beauty into your life? Here are some ideas to get you started:
• Get up early enough to watch the sunrise. If you’re in the car when the show starts, turn off the radio and spend a few minutes watching and savoring.
• Take a walk and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of creation.
• Buy an inexpensive, fragrant bouquet of flowers for your desk or kitchen.
• Put special art books, postcards, calendars, or even works of art on your desk, your kitchen table, or your walls. They just might inspire you.
• Visit an art museum or gallery. Spend some time examining the works that draw you. What do you like about them? If you want to, jot down the titles of the works and the names of the artists so you can research them later.
• Listen to music. Treat yourself to something new—maybe a classical CD—and see how it changes your day.
• Read from a book of poetry, a classic novel, or scripture passages on your lunch break or whenever you find yourself waiting.
• If you’re a parent, teach your kids to look for beauty. Make a game of it, watch what happens, and share the joy of beauty with them.
What are your ideas? I’d love to hear them.
• Visual: creation, art, design
• Auditory: music, birdsong, laughter
• Written: poetry, literature, essays, scripture
How can you remind yourself to notice and look for the beauty around you? Think through your day. Where will you be? What will you be doing? Where and when might you see beauty? Be intentional. Consider keeping a beauty journal so you can record, remember, and continue to appreciate your experiences.
How can you bring more beauty into your life? Here are some ideas to get you started:
• Get up early enough to watch the sunrise. If you’re in the car when the show starts, turn off the radio and spend a few minutes watching and savoring.
• Take a walk and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of creation.
• Buy an inexpensive, fragrant bouquet of flowers for your desk or kitchen.
• Put special art books, postcards, calendars, or even works of art on your desk, your kitchen table, or your walls. They just might inspire you.
• Visit an art museum or gallery. Spend some time examining the works that draw you. What do you like about them? If you want to, jot down the titles of the works and the names of the artists so you can research them later.
• Listen to music. Treat yourself to something new—maybe a classical CD—and see how it changes your day.
• Read from a book of poetry, a classic novel, or scripture passages on your lunch break or whenever you find yourself waiting.
• If you’re a parent, teach your kids to look for beauty. Make a game of it, watch what happens, and share the joy of beauty with them.
What are your ideas? I’d love to hear them.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Beauty Appreciation
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“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration!” Pope John Paul II, “Letter to Artists,” Easter Sunday, 1999.
I’m a beauty advocate. A beauty appreciator. Beauty brings joy to my heart and I know I’m not alone. The sad thing is, even though we are surrounded by beauty, we’re so busy talking on our cell phones or hurrying to the next appointment that we rush right by it. Beauty requires us to stop and look—or listen. When we do, we are refreshed, energized, maybe even encouraged to talk a little less and slow down a little more.
Where is the beauty in your life? Look around you—at home, at work, on your commute—and take note of beauty in your environment.
What type of beauty moves you the most? Here are a few:
• Visual: creation, art, design
• Auditory: music, birdsong, laughter
• Written: poetry, literature, essays, scripture
What are some ways you can remind yourself to take note of the beauty around you?
How can you bring more of this type of beauty into your life?
This week, give yourself beauty breaks, even if only for a few minutes. Think through these questions. I know you’ll come up with some ideas. Leave a comment and let me know. Next week, I’ll give you a few more ways to appreciate the beauty in your life.
___________
“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration!” Pope John Paul II, “Letter to Artists,” Easter Sunday, 1999.
I’m a beauty advocate. A beauty appreciator. Beauty brings joy to my heart and I know I’m not alone. The sad thing is, even though we are surrounded by beauty, we’re so busy talking on our cell phones or hurrying to the next appointment that we rush right by it. Beauty requires us to stop and look—or listen. When we do, we are refreshed, energized, maybe even encouraged to talk a little less and slow down a little more.
Where is the beauty in your life? Look around you—at home, at work, on your commute—and take note of beauty in your environment.
What type of beauty moves you the most? Here are a few:
• Visual: creation, art, design
• Auditory: music, birdsong, laughter
• Written: poetry, literature, essays, scripture
What are some ways you can remind yourself to take note of the beauty around you?
How can you bring more of this type of beauty into your life?
This week, give yourself beauty breaks, even if only for a few minutes. Think through these questions. I know you’ll come up with some ideas. Leave a comment and let me know. Next week, I’ll give you a few more ways to appreciate the beauty in your life.
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