Hillam Happenings by David on January 27, 2023
David makes his debut with a poem, a picture, a scripture, and more. His theme: sunset/sunrise.
Hello everyone,
This is David with my first Hillam Happenings Newsletter, and I’m here to add my flavor to the mix.
I’m going to share the following with you this morning that reflects (pun intended) the theme of sunset and sunrise:
a poem I wrote
a picture I drew with colored pencils
a short essay via AI (Artificial Intelligence)
a joke
a quote
a scripture
a future blog post
My Poem: Sunset/Sunrise
I have only ever watched the sun going down once in all my life, and it was quite an awesome experience. That’s where I got the idea for this poem.
I was with a friend, sitting on a jetty near a river where we lived. As we watched the sun go down, the sun turned an orange-yellow and began to wobble, just like a wobbly jelly at a kid’s birthday party. Later, I learned that this happens when the sun shines through the pollution in the air as it comes closer to the earth’s landscape, creating the allusion.
My Picture Using Colored Pencils
Recently, I’ve become interested in doing things with colored pencils. This is my first attempt, which is quite appropriate for this newsletter. Stay tuned for more to come (and better, I hope, as I continue to work on my new hobby.)
A Short Essay Using AI
We use Canva, which is a fantastic tool for creating graphic designs. (It’s what Sharon used to create our Hillam Happenings logo and other featured images for her blog posts.) I learned today that it has AI. So I decided to try it by asking it to write a short story on sunset, nighttime, and sunrise.
This is what it came up with:
The sun set on a beautiful day, the sky painted with a vibrant array of oranges, pinks and purples as the light faded and the stars began to twinkle in the night sky. The darkness crept in, and the night was alive with the sound of crickets, frogs, and other critters.
The moon was full and it shone brightly, casting an ethereal glow over the landscape. Animals of all kinds emerged from their homes and the night was filled with the sound of life. Owls hooted, bats flew, and a variety of birds sang their songs.
The night seemed to last forever and the stars twinkled brightly, but eventually the moon began to wane and the night slowly gave way to the sunrise. Rays of light pierced through the atmosphere and the sky slowly changed from a deep navy to a warm pink.
As the light grew stronger, the birds began to sing, the animals returned to their homes, and the sun rose high into the sky, casting a warm glow over the land. With a new day, a new journey began and the beauty of the sunrise had once again brought new hope to the land.
I was impressed! So I read it to Sharon. (I didn’t tell her AI created it.) She kept saying, “Wow! That’s great, Honey!” Then, I told her how I got it and her reaction was, “You cheated!” We were both laughing.
I’m now looking into ChatGPT and even bought a Udemy course on it today. See, I get to explore all kinds of things for being the curious one in the family.
A Joke and a Quote
Joke: Why did the sun go to bed early? Because it was tired from a long day of rising! (A bit corny, I know. 😂)
"Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
A Future Blog Post
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Gen 1:5 ESV
Sunset and sunrise are the bookends of nighttime. Sunrise signals the activities for the day are ahead of us, and most of those activities are before sunset. I also find it interesting that in Old Testament times, sunset marks the beginning of the day, not the end.
As I was thinking about sharing my poem in this newsletter, I had lots of thoughts buzzing around in my mind about the sun setting and the sun rising. But the dominant thought was about the nighttime — the middle part between sunset and sunrise — and the subject of sleep. I have never had much problem with sleeping; I’ve probably had more of a problem with waking up in the morning. 😀
Sharon, on the other hand, has suffered from insomnia for several years, and it’s been quite a burden for her. Recently, though, she’s much improved — partly because of things she learned about her diet that help her to get a better night’s sleep.
I know that many people suffer from sleep problems. I also know many in our culture sleep much less than they ought because they choose to.
So after writing this short newsletter, I’ve decided to write a future blog post about sleep. I’m already reading books on the subject. Plus, I’m sure Sharon will be happy to add her bit in, as well.
Thanks for reading! — Cheers, everyone!
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