Preppy Favorites...

*Warning* At the end of this post you are probably going to be thinking... gads Elle is such a preppy nerd...

I think that diversity within humanity is one of the most wonderful things about God's creation. I'm not talking about diversity like skin color or culture (although I do think those are beautiful reflections of God as well), but in particular today I am talking about the diversity of our preferences.

We each of endless lists of our favorite things. We have favorite animals, favorite types of dogs or cats, favorite colors, favorite clothing labels, favorite flowers, favorite foods, favorite drinks, favorite books, favorite sports, favorite songs, favorite tv shows, favorite countries... and the list just goes on and on.

Of my own endless lists of favorite things one of those that I particularly enjoy, and particularly enjoy talking about is my favorite type of cloud... That's right I'm an earth science nerd and I have a favorite type of  cloud.

I love cumulous clouds, they are formed when segments of hot air are pushed up quickly. And they are the big puffy cotton ball clouds that dot across a summer sky. They're the clouds that leave huge shadows that move across the landscape like a giant game of heavenly shadow puppets where all the world is the back drop. They're often a little darker at the bottom and nice and white and puffy at the top.

Cumulous clouds are the ones that call you to lay on your back in a field of grass and to pick out what shapes you see dotted across the blue, blue sky. 

At the end of a long summers day they catch the light just right and look like they have a silver lining. Thus, the saying every cloud has a silver lining.

And perhaps my favorite quality of cumulous clouds, is when there is enough hot air and it is pushing up high enough and fast enough, they can grow to incredibly tall. And these big tall Cumulonimbus clouds are the thunderheads that roll in and create gorgeous lighting storms.

Most afternoons this week Austin's skyline has been dotted with bright white puffy cumulous clouds on a stark blue background. And all I have to do is turn around and look out my wall of windows from the 27th floor, to be reminded of the beauty and glory in all of God's creation. After all God could have made clouds ugly, or given us only one kind, but he blessed us with three types of clouds all with different shapes and functions. And I know that every time I pause to find shapes in the clouds, and giggle when my cloud snoopy becomes a cloud dragon, that I am in that moment enjoying God and His creation. And as John Piper says, we are called to love God BY enjoying Him forever. Today I enjoy God by appreciating the diversity of our favorite things and by smiling about His big puffy cumulous clouds.