Respite is also glory

I left the house early this morning so that I could procure the seeds of the elixir of life from Starbucks. To my delight, the store had moved to its new location, on the same side of the street as Creek Park. So this morning, after an hour of scanning sources for my literature review, I replenished my coffee beans and my soul. These two varieties of beauty were both enjoyed. This too is glory.

Cooperation in creation can go either way

Humans, being made in God's image, are able to cooperate in creation much more than other of God's creatures. We do this in many ways, but one way is in shaping plants to suite our purposes. I give the following examples. Sometimes the beauty we are able to create is amazing, as in the rose below (a result of hybridization I am sure). Other times we reshape plants externally to fit our needs (as in the heavily trimmed olive trees seen below). I freely admit that I am not a fan of doing such dastardly things to a beautiful olive tree.

Sometimes human cooperation with God's creation enhances beauty.

Other times it's downright strange.

...like a strong man...

"The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
...
In them he has set a tent for the sun, 
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, 
and, like a strong man,runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,  and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat."

Psalm 19:1,-4b-6 ESV

Music: Inside and Out

I am a musician (the mandolin and Les Paul in the picture are mine) and I love music inside and out. There is something glorious about it, by which I mean the notes in the air, the shared sound.

Consonance and dissonance play in orderly dance. When the players are skilled, the result can be amazing. Things can go off track, yet the players, listening to one another, capture the thread and the dance continues. In fact, those who are not players may never know, for the music carries on.

Are flowers just for reproduction?

If flowers were merely mechanisms for reproduction, I do not see the purpose of the beauty. In fact, it seems to be a waste of plant effort. The beauty speaks of something additional (note, not in place of, for reproduction is crucial and beautiful), something, dare I say, to be enjoyed by those who will understand the beauty. Flowers speak of something beyond what is visible, for appreciation is beyond what empirical science can see.

Glory-ology

How would you define it?