Skywatch Friday: December Skies

 'Glory to God in the highest 
And on earth peace good will toward men' 

December skies here in SoCal have been glorious. We've experienced cooler temperatures lately with some rainfall. Christmas promises to be a lovely day! How is it where you are?

The palm trees always look so dramatic, while we wait with anticipation to see the sun come up. I just can't get over the cloud formation on the right and also in the above photo.

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6

This morning's cloud cover makes the air temperature a bit warmer. Our tangerine tree is loaded again this year, so the fruit will make nice stocking stuffers...

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, 
But I have promises to keep, 
And miles to go before I sleep, 
And miles to go before I sleep.

—from "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening"

One night late on my way home from college for Christmas, I was caught in a blizzard without the company of an intelligent guide (I was driving, instead of a horse, a '62 Buick Special). I had passed through the last small town and was halfway between nowhere and Dodge City, Kansas when the road vanished beneath snow and my little car foundered badly. Realizing that no one was going to be passing by until the next day, I got out and started walking. Nothing. Nobody, no thing anywhere. At last the distant light of a farmhouse appeared, the only one, I discovered later, within miles. And if it hadn't been for the family inside that farmhouse, I might simply have frozen to death. As I was walking toward it, I thought of this poem, and I knew that I would be able to keep my promises, and I felt ecstatically liberated. Never have I seen these last lines in "Stopping by Woods" read as liberating rather than duty-bound.

B.H. Fairchild

                                       

Once the cloud cover lifts, we'll all be outdoors experiencing the wonder and gift of a new day.

When clustered sparks 
Of many-colored fire
Appear at night 
In ordinary windows 

We hear and sing
The customary carols 

They bring us ragged miracles
And hay and candles 
And flowering weeds of poetry
That are loved all the more
Because they are so common 

—from "Noël"
by Anne Porter

Yep, clear skies ahead...
Photos for Skywatch Friday

Christmas Time is finally here,
It only comes but once a year.
And it's a time to spread good cheer,
To those we love and hold so dear.

Christmas Time is a time of glee,
A time when peace and love run free.
A time for those like you and me,
To sit beneath the Christmas Tree.

Christmas Time is a time of joy,
A time to sit back and enjoy.
The smile on each girl and boy,
As they play with a Christmas Toy.

Christmas Time is a time to share,
The passing of another year.
Birth of Jesus, a joyful prayer,
To show loved ones how much we care.

Christmas Time is a time for song,
A time for us to get along.
To make us feel Lord Jesus strong,
Forgive all those who did us wrong.

Christmas Time is a time to pray,
Put love and kindness on display.
Show compassion along the way,
Christmas Time should be everyday


Source: Christmas Time, Christmas Poem http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/christmas-time#ixzz2o1CXh4tQ 
Family Friend Poems 

Have a wonderful Christmas season!








“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis