Picture Meditations

Similar to yesterday's prayer phrase form of meditation is the use of photos to help you focus and center yourself and be in God's presence. In fact the photo in yesterday's blog might be a good one to use.
To meditate using pictures, you need to find some photos, your own or online, that speak to you of God's presence and love. There are so many to chose from that it may be hard to pick one. If you are on Facebook, your friends no doubt post many pictures that are inspiring and some even have verses already written on them to help you start a meditation.
After you have a photo chosen, print it out large enough so you don't have to squint or blow it up on your computer or tablet screen. Then

Sit quietly with the picture

Enter into the scene

Look at where God is present 

Breathe slowly and allow yourself to just be still and quiet with the picture

If there is a verse or saying on the picture, reading that may give you another depth of meaning for the picture. 

The picture doesn't have to be of something 'religious'. This groundhog speaks to me of God's love. When I look at the peaceful fellow in the midst of the grassy field, I am drawn to consider how God blesses all creation with bounty. I find my frenetic mind slowing down as I look at him sitting calmly there, surveying his world. Breathing quietly I can imagine that I am sitting with him in the grass and there is nothing for miles around that can bother me or that I need to worry about. God is very present for me in this picture and reminds me, through the groundhog that God loves me more "than the grass which is here today and tomorrow thrown into the oven." 
Try finding a picture yourself and sit with the image to see what God is saying to you.