Snow Fall and Rembrandt
We awakened to snow this morning! At first glance it looked like rain. But on closer inspection, it was falling more slowly. Within a half hour, the little snow flakes were replaced by large wet snowflakes wafting lightly to the ground where they immediately melted. It was magical.
It had stopped by 9:30, which is when we left to walk to a treasure of a little museum not far from here to see "Young Rembrandt" - a special exhibit covering the first ten years of his career. It was spectacular. Rembrandt is one of my favorites. He had a gift for not only capturing the appearance of an individual, but their inner person as well. He was fascinated with elderly people and portrayed them with great empathy.
His use of light throughout his career is legendary and I loved to see how that developed from the time he first started painting, and throughout his lengthy career. There were a lot of self-portraits in the exhibit, and in those early years he was young and confident. As his reputation grew, his self-portraits took on the look of wealth and self-assurance.
The exhibit only covered those first 10 years, but self-portraits in later years show self-doubt and questioning creep into his aging face. It is fascinating to watch the changes take place over time. It makes me wonder what my own self-portraits would depict about me.
We did a little shopping on the way home (in the sunshine) so that I can make a dessert and the main dish for Sunday dinner with the YSAs. It will be a break-the-fast dinner (Fast Sunday) and we will eat right after our meetings so that we can go to our stake center in the early evening to participate in a "Why I Believe" fireside. Dave will be there presiding. Newer members of the church will speak, including Veer and Leticia.
They both came over this evening to practice their talks on us. Each talk is superb, telling what brought them to accept the gospel and how it has changed their lives. They are both exceptional young women. They will do a fantastic job. But they are understandably nervous. Veer comes from a Sikh background, and Leticia from a Catholic one. Each had very powerful experiences with scriptures from The Book of Mormon and with the Spirit.
It is a blessing to be a part of someone's life who has recently embraced the gospel. It reminds me of a quote from a teacher about why he teaches:
"Teaching offers something; it offers love. Not only the love of learning and of books and ideas, but also the love that a teacher feels for that rare student who walks into a teacher's life and begins to breathe.
I teach because being around people who are beginning to breathe, I occasionally find myself catching my breath with them." Peter G. Beidler
It is a beautiful thing to see people begin to breathe spiritually - I find myself catching my breath with them.
It had stopped by 9:30, which is when we left to walk to a treasure of a little museum not far from here to see "Young Rembrandt" - a special exhibit covering the first ten years of his career. It was spectacular. Rembrandt is one of my favorites. He had a gift for not only capturing the appearance of an individual, but their inner person as well. He was fascinated with elderly people and portrayed them with great empathy.
His use of light throughout his career is legendary and I loved to see how that developed from the time he first started painting, and throughout his lengthy career. There were a lot of self-portraits in the exhibit, and in those early years he was young and confident. As his reputation grew, his self-portraits took on the look of wealth and self-assurance.
The exhibit only covered those first 10 years, but self-portraits in later years show self-doubt and questioning creep into his aging face. It is fascinating to watch the changes take place over time. It makes me wonder what my own self-portraits would depict about me.
We did a little shopping on the way home (in the sunshine) so that I can make a dessert and the main dish for Sunday dinner with the YSAs. It will be a break-the-fast dinner (Fast Sunday) and we will eat right after our meetings so that we can go to our stake center in the early evening to participate in a "Why I Believe" fireside. Dave will be there presiding. Newer members of the church will speak, including Veer and Leticia.
They both came over this evening to practice their talks on us. Each talk is superb, telling what brought them to accept the gospel and how it has changed their lives. They are both exceptional young women. They will do a fantastic job. But they are understandably nervous. Veer comes from a Sikh background, and Leticia from a Catholic one. Each had very powerful experiences with scriptures from The Book of Mormon and with the Spirit.
It is a blessing to be a part of someone's life who has recently embraced the gospel. It reminds me of a quote from a teacher about why he teaches:
"Teaching offers something; it offers love. Not only the love of learning and of books and ideas, but also the love that a teacher feels for that rare student who walks into a teacher's life and begins to breathe.
I teach because being around people who are beginning to breathe, I occasionally find myself catching my breath with them." Peter G. Beidler
It is a beautiful thing to see people begin to breathe spiritually - I find myself catching my breath with them.
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