“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” ~ George Washington Carver
“The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” ~ John Muir
“Two golden hours somewhere between sunrise and sunset. Both are set with 60 diamond minutes.” ~ Horace Mann
“Someday you will find the one who will watch every sunrise with you until the sunset of your life … Just be patient.” ~ Unknown
“I like that time is marked by each sunrise and sunset whether or not you actually see it.” ~ Catherine Opie
“Every sunrise offers renewed hope to carry out the reflection after the sunset of yesterday. A time to let go of yesterday and embrace the new day.” ~ Alexandria Sage
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.” ~ Lamentations 3:22-23
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This week’s Photo Challenge theme is “The Golden Hour”, known as the hour of sunrise and sunset. No one can deny the colors and lighting are breathtaking. How many times has this Golden Hour stopped you dead in your tracks and caught your attention? It amazes me how God built into nature two times every single day to get our attention, to bless us with a glorious start and a reflective end. Simply captivating.
Nearly every camera captures them easily. However, it was so nice of WordPress to host the Photography 101 series to help us along. And this week we were given a lesson by one my favorite photographers, Wenjie Zhang of A Certain Slant of Light. I only have one tip to offer about the Golden Hour. Be prepared and don’t hesitate. Get that picture. If you wait even one minute it will be gone.
To end with, when I saw the challenge theme I immediately thought of a song I’ve recently heard and come to love, aptly titled Golden. It is filled with a bittersweet mixture of hope and reality that intertwines the journey of every person— the rhythms of life, the ups and downs, the fickle moments, the grand ones.
Life can become a tangled mess sometimes. But through it all, the resounding truth in the last quote above, from the Bible, offers a hope that holds us firm in the hand of God. Is it not He who chose to shout His love, mercy, and faithfulness through two glorious golden hours of each day? Though the sun sets and the day ends, His mercies never come to an end. And every morning once again He shouts His love to carry us through.
His faithfulness is constant, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.
Peace, Alexandria
Credits: Golden (youtube lyric video. song by Amy Grant).
Guest Author, Stephen Deal, for his sunrise photo.
SimplySage 
Patti Winker
/ July 19, 2013Majestic. Magnificent. Humbling. Those are my thoughts about your pictures. The grandeur of nature, especially during the Golden Hours, is awe inspiring. Thank you for sharing these pictures with us.
SimplySage
/ July 22, 2013Thank you, Patti, for your kind remarks. The grandeur of nature is breathtaking. So glad you enjoyed!
Amy
/ July 19, 2013I’m speechless…
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Amy, you couldn’t have paid a better compliment than with those two words. Thank you are two small words packed with gratitude from me.
Amy
/ July 24, 2013I feel privileged to be your follower. Great blog, Alexandria.
Rob
/ July 19, 2013My mouth literally dropped open at the majesty you captured through your lens! Every single photo is so amazingly beautiful. I am in awe. Just lovely!
It makes my poor attempts at capturing the sunrise from my yard look even sadder than I first thought.
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Rob, please be easy on yourself. Am I detecting some comparisons here? I’ve been taking pictures for 30+ years, which I’m sure you are nowhere near that age. No attempt is ever poor but rather a learning process. You keep it up and keep learning. You’ll never learn all. I certainly haven’t by any means.
micey
/ July 19, 2013Photo one and three are my favorites. 🙂
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Thank you. I’m glad you had some favorites. Blessings to you on your missionary work. I enjoy reading your blog.
micey
/ July 23, 2013Oh good. I’m glad. 😀
Rosa
/ July 19, 2013what a wonderful collection!
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Thank you so much, Rosa! Nice to see you here again. I’m glad you enjoyed!
Tina Schell
/ July 19, 2013Lovely Alexandria. Honestly, my favorite quote is yours – and that’s really saying something!
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Oh Tina, your comment completely humbles me. Thank you so much!
pattisj
/ July 20, 2013What lovely shots. So true, the sky changes rapidly.
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Thank you, Patti. I’m so glad you enjoyed. It’s hard sometimes to stop and enjoy those rapid changes but many times I do. Some moments are meant to be savored. But I’m glad I captured this one!
pattisj
/ July 23, 2013Me, too! I need to remember to savor moments, they get away all too quickly.
Zhang Wenjie
/ July 20, 2013Amy Grant! I love this album of hers. Clicked on the link and I’m promptly humming along again. Lovely photos and words as usual 🙂
SimplySage
/ July 22, 2013That’s great about the album! It’s sooo good. The songs and lyrics really grow on one. Amy Grant is possibly my favorite overall music artist. I love her songs about faith blended with real life. I’m so glad you liked this. Your words honor me greatly. Thanks again!
Zhang Wenjie
/ July 23, 2013Her songs are always so personal. That’s what I love about her albums. Your writing has a similar quality too 🙂
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013It’s interesting you took note of that. I would’ve never thought it. If my writing has a similar quality, then I can have no greater compliment, and I can only hope it resonates to help others. Thank you so much!
Abigail
/ July 20, 2013All of them are beautiful, but my favorite has to be the fourth one, with those gorgeous orange hues and the little bird in flight. What perfect timing!
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Thank you, Abigail. It truly was a remarkable sunset and moment. Glad for your visit and glad you enjoyed!
Apple Hill Cottage
/ July 21, 2013Oh just breathtaking. So beautiful. We just returned from the jersey shore and our golden hour photos don’t have the radiance of yours — but even though it wasn’t captured, the stillness and God-presence of those golden hours were so memorable. I love your words about them.
SimplySage
/ July 22, 2013Thank you so much. If you can’t get a good photo, it’s better to just enjoy the moment, as you did.
mithriluna
/ July 22, 2013Beautiful, breath-taking set of images! I love the quotes you used as well.
SimplySage
/ July 23, 2013Thank you. I’m so glad for your visit and glad you enjoyed. Have a great day!
frizztext
/ August 19, 2013I like your:
“Every sunrise offers renewed hope
to carry out the reflection after the sunset of yesterday.
A time to let go of yesterday
and embrace the new day.”
~ Alexandria Sage