THE NAVEL: opening for nourishment

Photos taken from my office window on February 17, 2011 of small opening in clouds

I am lucky that I have an window office with a good view. I am able to watch the skies, clouds, sunsets as I have been working long hours. It helps elevate, inspire and uplift in this dreary world in which we live.  I provides nourishment to the soul. I titled these photos as THE NAVEL.. since the small opening looked like a belly button to me. I will write more about the symbolism of the navel shortly.

Oquirrh Temple

Photo taken on February 13,2001 of the Oquirrh Temple

The name Oquirrh (pronounced O-Ker) was taken from the Goshute Indian word meaning "wooded mountain. In addition, the name "Oquirrh" is also a Ute Indian word translated as "The Shining Mountains" or "Glowing". Possibly due in part to the ranges appearance when struck by first light in the winter

Natural Beauty versus Man Made

Photograph taken on February 13, 2011 of Mount Timpanogos

I took this photo after the sun had already set. Everything at lower elevations was beginning to get dark with the exception of the snowpeaks of Mount Timpanogos. This mountain is the second highest mountain in the Wasatch Range. It is 11,749 feet above sea level. The word Timpanogos comes from the Timpanogots Ute tribe who lived in the surrounding valleys from AD 1400. The name translates as rock (tumpi-), and water mouth or canyon (panogos). Viewed from the southwest, Mount Timpanogos resembles the profile of a sleeping woman. Various legends are told of an Indian maiden who died of grief after her lover was killed.

I compare this natural beauty to the manmade "beauty" all around us. Man does his best to create beauty, much of what we see today is artificial. Driving into work today I saw billboard after billboard of advertisement on how to surgically reduce body fat, eliminate wrinkles, augment areas of the body, inject colored dye in the skin... All artificial, and man-made.

We would do well to enjoy the true natural beauty that surrounds us. God truly is the master of All things that are naturally beautiful.

Happy Valentine's Day

I woke up this morning to heart shaped pancakes that my wife had made. An ordinary and simple thing yet   made more special when it is shaped like a heart.

I LOVE YOU KAT!

Check back since I hope to expand on the significance of the heart shape.

Darkened Minds

photo taken on February 6, 2011 of storm passing over the Salt Lake Valley.

And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief,
and because you have treated lightly the things you have recieved."

Doctrine and Covenant 84:54

So is the man, who, led by the vain traditions and precepts of men is made to believe that the gifts of revelation, vision, the ministry of angels, and prophecy, and all the keys of knowledge which the ancients did enjoy, are not now needed, or to be enjoyed. Parley P Pratt: Parley Parker Pratt Jr., Writings of Parley Parker Pratt Jr., pp.22-24

Sunrise... Sunset

Photos take of the Sunrise and theSunset on February 9, 2011

A Solitary Flight

photo taken on February 4th, 2011 of a bird flying in the winter sky at sunset.

"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them;

and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose."

Isaiah 35:1

This is not necessarily the most beautiful photo, but it is very symbolic for me. Last Friday was a difficult day not to mention a long week at work. It was cloudy all day, but for a brief moment the sun before it set in the west appeared for a brief moment. After I took the picture, I noticed that a solitary bird was soaring high in the sky above the sun. In the photo the bird appears to be a small black dot.

In the post preceding this, I shared three scripture in Luke where the Lord went into the wilderness, the desert, the mountains to be alone to pray.

MIRRORED IMAGES: Our Reflection of Light

Photo taken on February 3, 2011 (Chinese New Year)

from my office balcony looking west down 500 South.

"And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place."

Luke 4: 42

"And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."

Luke 5: 16

" He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."

Luke 6: 12

I know that the above scriptures really don't go with the photo. But these are the scripture that I read this morning, and I wanted to put them down so that I would not forget them. These three verse are powerful and are found in the 3 consecutive chapters in Luke. Here we have the Creator and Savior of this World departing, withdrawing, to pray in solitude. It is described that he went to the desert, the wilderness, and the mountain.   If Christ felt the need to have solitude, to commune with His father... how much more need do we have to do the same.

The Metaphor of the Cut Flowers

Photo taken on Feb 1, 2011 of my wife' bouquet of flowers.

I don't normally buy my wife flowers. I probably should. However, I usually try to buy them at least on the 3 important days of the year: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and our Wedding Anniversary. When I bought her these flowers last week, the roses had special meaning.. and took all three of those day's symbolic meaning into account. 

I did have an interesting insight/metaphor that I wanted to share about "cut flowers". Once the flowers are purchased and before they are placed in a vase, one very important thing needs to happen for the flowers to last longer. They must be CUT.  The reason a cut is needed, is becasue the flower has built up a protective seal/film at the end which does not allow new water to enter the stem. In order to have the flower have fresh water, about an inch cut needs to be made allowing for a free flowing openings for water to enter.

Ironically, the word Covenant.. means to "CUT". We too need to be cut, or make covenants with the Lord to keep the free flowing light and truth to enter into our souls. Just like the flower, we will live longer and will blossom.