Receiving a Gorgeous Fall Photo

I recently finished the book, "Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice" by Christine Valters Paintner, which I really enjoyed and would highly recommend. She has a *great* section on shadow, talking about how, both in photos and in ourselves, shadows give them/us interest and depth. And!! Not all shadows are "negative." Our "unclaimed *beauty*" is tucked away in our shadows, too, just waiting to be discovered. Love that *so* much! ♥

Fun fact? A warm smile spread when I saw that Liz Lamoreux's book, "Inner Excavation," is listed in the back as an additional resource!

Another of Christine's ideas that I was especially drawn to was an invitation to practice "receiving" a photo rather than "taking" one, meaning don't try to compose it or set one up, just look around and receive what's there. She explains that this practice helps encourage us to receive whatever we find when we look at ourselves, too.

When I came home from work today, it was a gorgeous, warm, early Fall afternoon - sparkling sunlight dappling thru the trees, just the right temperature with a slight breeze - so I sat outside in our back yard for about an hour. After enjoying a bowl of chilled applesauce with a sprinkling of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey, I meditated ... just watching the trees and breathing.

When I finished, I saw this sweet little red leaf not too far away from me (it's still mostly green here), put my phone low to the ground not far from her and I received this beautiful photo. 

First picture, no filters.

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