If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.”
—Ecclesiastes 11:3
Why…do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; he will be out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they will yield plentiful showers.
How can we have rain without clouds?
Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the dark chariots of bright grace.
These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be gladder for the shower. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will refresh us with mercy… His wagons rumble, but they are laden with benefits. His rod blossoms with sweet flowers and nourishing fruits.
Let us not worry about the clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers.
O Lord, the clouds are the dust of Thy feet. How near Thou art in the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds Thee, and is glad. Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on every side.”
—Charles H. Spurgeon,
quoted in Streams in the Desert
Florilegium comes from two Latin words, meaning flower (flor) and gather (legere). Legere is closely related to the Latin word for reading (lectio). So a florilegium is literally a gathering of the flowers of reading: a collation of the best words, the best books.
I hope you’ll come by every Friday to gaze on some beautiful heart-mind-and-soul flowers. (And stop in at Susan’s, too, for another bouquet).
Love your photos, Kimberlee! What camera/setting do you use?
Hi Kristin,
I’m so glad you like my photos. I’m a (very) amateur photographer and most of the time feel like a complete and total poser when it comes to my blog pics 🙂
My camera is a Nikon D80. Those photos were taken with my 60mm macro lens (which allows me to take super close-up photos). I generally set the dial to A (aperture) and fiddle with the ISO, white balance, and F-stops to achieve the photo quality I want. Those are the only tricks I know, so if they don’t work (and they often don’t), I just don’t get the photo I want.
The first photo is my attempt at contre-jour, in which you put your subject between your lens and the light source, focus on the subject (in this case, the fig leaf), and then move the lens slightly to allow light to filter into it, which creates a sort of light-washed look.
If you’re looking for truly gorgeous photos, you should check out Kelly Sauer’s blog, or Susan Forshey’s. (Susan taught me everything I know about taking photos 🙂
Warmly,
Kimberlee
Thank you, Kimberlee.. This is really helpful for someone like me who knows NOTHING about ISO or F-stops! Be confident in your ability!
Oh, so beautiful! I love Charles Spurgeon. lovely figs!
Thanks, Jody. This passage from Spurgeon just grabbed me, especially that line about troubles being “dark chariots of bright grace.”