~ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

 

It being the first day of fall, the start of a new season, I happened to think of one of my favorite hymns.  It's one of the sweetest you'll ever hear and is entitled, "All Things Bright and Beautiful."  The lyrics were written in 1848 by an Irishwoman named Cecil F. Alexander (1818-1895).  She may have been inspired by a verse from the poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," by an Englishman named Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834).  This verse can be seen in the painting above, which is by an English illustrator named Margaret Tarrant (1888-1959).

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ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colors,

He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle,

The poor man at his gate,

He made them, high or lowly,

And ordered their estate.

The purple headed mountains,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning,

That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,

The ripe fruits in the garden,

He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,

The meadows where we play,

The rushes by the water,

To gather every day.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell,

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.

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In high school chorus we sang the John Rutter arrangement, which you can listen to here:

 

I have been looking through some of my family photos over the past couple of days, and a specific theme has emerged. My nephew, Taric, and I have always liked taking walks outdoors, during which we find all sorts of bright and beautiful curiosities. Here are some photos of him when he was 4-5 years old.  He's now 9, and we still like to go for a wee romp in nature every now and again.  These days, he tends to peel off down the street on his Big Wheel, leaving me in the dust; notwithstanding, he will brake for natural phenomena.

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Taric and I are like peas in a pod...or berries in a leaf ☺

 

 

Who can resist the call of the dandelion?

 

As you'll soon be able to tell, Taric and I love mushrooms...

 

We came across a tree which was teeming with caterpillars--or as Taric used to say back when this photo was taken, "cate-ur-peelers."

 

 

Gardenias and goose feathers...

who could ask for anything more? ♥

 

 

Find out how the ladybug got its name here, here, and here--you might be surprised to find out the Virgin Mary had something to do with it ☺

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Upon reflection, I would like to thank my sister very much for sharing her precious little boy with me. 

Now that is a beautiful thing ♥

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