I love this photo. It looks like a painting, but it's real (true, I changed the contrast slightly on shutterfly, but it's still a photo). It's a picture I took out the window of a train in Italy. It's not a picture of any incredible must-see sight or amazing feat of architecture or human art. There will never be crowds gathered to stare at this exact location, but it is so beautiful. The buildings, houses and whatever else they are, are nestled among the hills which roll on, seemingly forever. It's nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it's beautiful because it is ordinary. This is what ordinary life looks like, small people dwelling together, nestled in God's loving creation. He made the rolling hills and flowers and birds and trees and everything else we take for granted to show us His love and proclaim Himself to us. Beauty is not some unattainable wonder we need to travel around the world to find. Beauty is the manifestation of God, living and present in all things and all people. He is everywhere, and the whole Earth is full of His beauty and love. So we go on living our small, ordinary lives, and God keeps on loving us and drawing us closer to Him. That's reality, and it's beautiful.

I'm praying for you!

:)