Ghia - It's hot, but thank heavens there are clouds to cover us, shade us, and protect us. And it only takes a moment to admire them.

Zach’s Cloud music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDC97j6lfyc

Hooray.

2

Ghia here.

3

I'm this week's host of the

creative, spiritual journey podcast.

4

Where I talk about connecting with

nature, connecting with Jesus Christ and

5

our heavenly parents seasonal living.

6

And anything else I've been learning about

on this remarkable journey we call life.

7

My question today is have you ever

spent time contemplating the clouds?

8

And by quest to connect with God

through the natural world, they

9

have been on my mind a lot lately.

10

Here's why.

11

It's summer and where I live, it's hot.

12

And I spend a lot of time

outside, which makes me hot.

13

And when I think I can't possibly

get any hotter, I have a hot flash

14

and absolutely blow the stacks.

15

To top that in the winter.

16

My husband who is bald,

wears a beanie to bed.

17

And I don't, you know, why.

18

Because I have a lot of

hair, which keeps me warm.

19

Which means in my mind that

in the summer I'm wearing the

20

equivalent of a beanie all the time.

21

It's hot.

22

I have a hot flash.

23

And I'm wearing a beanie.

24

Oh, heaven.

25

Help me.

26

And, you know, what.

27

On occasion heaven does.

28

Help me that is.

29

In the form of clouds.

30

The relief when clouds drift in

front of the sun is brilliant.

31

Perfect.

32

Heavenly.

33

I really think you have to live in

the desert to fully appreciate clouds.

34

When God led the Israelites through the

wilderness, it says in Psalms 1 0 5.

35

He spread a cloud for a

covering during the day.

36

And fire to give light at night.

37

I like this first because the clouds

didn't just lead them as we hear

38

in other verses it covered them.

39

To me, that's exactly what they needed

while they were wandering in the desert.

40

It reminds me of second knee, FY

eight, where it says I have covered

41

the, and the shadow of mine hand.

42

Hmm.

43

Does that make you think of

clouds as the hands of God?

44

It does me.

45

I've mentioned another podcast that

when possible, I love to sleep outside.

46

Now, during the heat of July

and August, it's just too hot.

47

But I can manage it during

the spring and early summer.

48

The only problem is that as soon as

the sun rises above the Mesa, It's

49

like a hot laser beam in the face.

50

And that is the end of my sleep.

51

Which is great if I need motivation

to get out of bed, but if I

52

like to sleep in it's miserable.

53

Unless there are a few clouds

on the Eastern horizon.

54

I have wondered if that's what

Hosea five means, where it says

55

your goodness is as a morning cloud.

56

Uh, morning cloud.

57

Oh, I love morning clouds.

58

I honestly, can't say for sure what Hosea

had in mind when he wrote those words.

59

But to me it sounds like an

extra 20 minutes of sleep.

60

Oh, clouds, how I love them.

61

I bet any teenager would roll

their eyes at me for those words.

62

But I think they are an acquired taste.

63

Something you appreciate more as

you learn not to take the world for

64

granted, but see it as a gift or

temple or a reminder of our God.

65

Some say revelations as well as

divinity are found in the clouds.

66

The Nebraska and Pani believe clouds

are the clothing of the gods and

67

that as a God spreads out its arms.

68

Uh, cloud span the sky.

69

Psalms declares clouds are gods chariot.

70

Proverbs says his favor is like

a cloud with the spring rain.

71

Winnie the Pooh proclaims, how sweet it

is to be a cloud floating in the blue.

72

Did you know, there is a

cloud appreciation society.

73

Yep.

74

It's true.

75

They teach about clouds,

write poems about clouds.

76

They post pictures of clouds.

77

They collect clouds by seeing if they

can witness every category or type.

78

It's a thing.

79

This cloud watching.

80

While I haven't officially

joined the society.

81

I have begun to turn a keen

eye towards the heavens.

82

What are the clouds doing today?

83

I ask myself.

84

When I walk outside, I

pause to take a look.

85

When in the past I would have

hardly given them a second thought.

86

It only takes a moment, just

a snippet of time to notice,

87

appreciate and admire clouds.

88

I might even talk to the clouds now.

89

And again.

90

Hmm, you're high and wispy today.

91

Oh, Cumulus, Nimbus your, my favorite.

92

Does it give you a headache to

bounce against that mountain?

93

You're looking mighty grade today.

94

Are you thinking about rain?

95

Oh Vega.

96

Your rain's not quite making

it to the ground again.

97

Or Hm.

98

Not a single cloud insight.

99

Guess I'll check later.

100

One thing that's glorious about

cloud watching is that it's

101

available to everyone anywhere.

102

You can live in suburbia or

the heart of a metropolis.

103

And this little slice of the

natural world is available to you.

104

Clouds are defined as a visible mass of

condensed vapor, such as water or ice.

105

Floating in the troposphere.

106

The troposphere is the lowest layer of

the atmosphere and extends from the earth.

107

Two to seven miles into the sky and

is where most of the weather occurs.

108

All water droplets within clouds

have tiny particles of dust,

109

dirt, or salt in the center, which

the water particles form around.

110

And while we might think

of clouds as being light.

111

As in lightweight.

112

The notion couldn't be

further from the truth.

113

One reference that I found said that

the average Cumulus Nimbus cloud.

114

Which are the big fluffy

ones way over 400 tons.

115

And as a reference, an African

elephant weighs somewhere

116

between two and seven tons.

117

Wow.

118

I had no idea they were that heavy.

119

Although I probably should have, because

I recently had one fall on my head.

120

Uh, causing a lot of flooding

and damage in my little valley.

121

Why clouds don't fall out

of the sky all the time.

122

Is something we could talk about,

But I think I'll let you look

123

that up for yourself because

I want to talk about light.

124

I would have said that light

from the sun is yellow.

125

Turns out sunlight or what we

call visible light is white.

126

And when this light hits

particles in the atmosphere.

127

The LightWave scatter.

128

Blue being the shortest LightWave

is scattered the most, which

129

is why the sky appears blue.

130

When the visible light hits the cloud.

131

The larger water droplets deflect,

all color light waves equally.

132

Making a cloud appear white.

133

Isn't that cool.

134

This world is so amazing.

135

Of course clouds.

136

Aren't always white when dense

and heavy, they appear gray.

137

And during the sunrise or sunset, they

are often a fabulous pink or orange.

138

We get colors in sundogs and rainbows.

139

Hayes and the atmosphere can cause

them to be yellow, red, or orange.

140

Clouds add texture and shape to the sky.

141

They enliven our senses.

142

I find them to be incredibly moody.

143

They can be happy, bouncy, bright.

144

Or dark heavy, cold and

everything in between.

145

But isn't that the way of it?

146

The world, this life is

rife with contradiction.

147

How can clouds reflect sunlight

back into space, providing shade?

148

Yet trap the heat to keep us warm.

149

Or religion.

150

Why were Eve and Adam forbidden to eat

the fruit that they were required to eat.

151

In order to progress.

152

Contradictions abound.

153

The sooner we accept them.

154

Even learn to expect and love them.

155

The sooner we will be happy.

156

Cloud's can help us learn this lesson.

157

I recently discovered

a movie called clouds.

158

It's based on the true story of a teenage

boy diagnosed with terminal cancer.

159

Instead of writing goodbye

letters to his friends and family,

160

he began writing them songs.

161

His heartfelt catchy song.

162

Clouds went viral on YouTube giving

this young boy the thrill of a lifetime.

163

I love that.

164

Going up, up, up into the clouds is

how he chose to share his emotions.

165

I will include a link to his

recording in the show notes.

166

The saying goes that the world

is full of magical things.

167

Patiently waiting for our

census to grow sharper.

168

I believe clouds are one

of those magical things.

169

I believe we can sharpen our

senses by connecting with the

170

natural world through clouds.

171

The wonderful God given clouds.

172

It's my desire to deliberately associate

with these celestial creations.

173

To learn about them, to watch

them, to admire them and even

174

on occasion to talk to them.

175

Martin Luther king said, God writes

the gospel, not in the Bible alone.

176

But also in the trees and in the flowers.

177

And did the clouds.

178

Oh, thank heavens for clouds.

179

They are becoming my

friends and I love them.

180

And as I love them, I learned

to love my God all the more.

181

Thank you for spending your

valuable time with me today.

182

And if you enjoy this podcast, thank

you for sharing it with a friend.

183

Duty, and I truly appreciate your

help inviting others to join us.

184

And remember if you are

looking to connect with God.

185

The heavens declare his glory and the

sky above proclaims, his handiwork.

186

Nama stay.