Centerpiece altar

Of course the one day when I really want to take some pictures would be the day my husband took our family camera to Brazil with him.

The kids and I went on a nature walk this morning. We took along a bucket to collect leaves and pine cones. They also tossed in some rocks and "bird berries". Isaac spent the first half of the walk complaining that his legs hurt and lying on the sidewalk asking me to carry him. After he got that out of his system, Abby spent the second half of the walk crying that "I don't feel well." Right. At least we found some pretty fall treasures.

After lunch we took our bucket of bounty out to the lush grass (really!) of our back yard and laid on our tummies as we filled a clear glass bowl with pine cones and colorful leaves. It's beautiful, if I do say so myself, but I don't have a camera to photograph it. The kids happily rolled down the grassy hill and pulled handfuls of grass to refill the bucket. The sky was bright blue, beautiful and perfect. I've always felt my soul is fed by being out of doors.

However, last year I pooh-poohed my way through a book that (among other things) detailed how to create beautiful centerpieces for your dining table. I like functional - why go to all the extra work of creating a centerpiece?

I think I get it now. That little bowl of fall beauty has a similar effect on my soul as being outdoors. God made those things - and each time I look at them with eyes to see it becomes a worship-moment.