Noonday Sample Sale - Shop with a Purpose

Welcome to my first Noonday Collection Sample Sale!

I have several samples that are now SOLD OUT on the Website or are in the process of being retired from the Collection.  I am making these specials available to you at a discount which allows me to replenish my samples with NEW items that will be available in the Spring/Summer Collection.

Check out the pictures below and leave a comment.  Make sure to include your email and which item you want, then I will email you to secure payment and shipping information.

There are NO TAX or SHIPPING charges (unless I have to ship it to you!).  I can take Cash or Check.

Enjoy Shopping!
Audra


Variated Diamonds Belt

Original Price: $72  Sale Price: $50

Hand woven embroidered belts cinch with neutral palette in modern angular designs.

Each belt is embroidered using ancient, heirloom quality techniques. The artisans are women in poverty stricken rural areas with very few employment opportunities. They usually work at home with their children playing nearby.

Composed of hand embroidered wool with a metal buckle. These belts use a variety of handmade embroidery and should be handled with care to prevent fraying. Please put them through belt loops gently to prolong use.

1.75" wide; Small 36.5"; Medium 40"; Large 44"

Banded Triangular Belt (Medium)

Original Price: $72  Sale Price: $50

Hand woven embroidered belts cinch in a snap of color with a modern angular design.

Each belt is embroidered using ancient, heirloom quality techniques. The artisans are women in poverty stricken rural areas with very few employment opportunities. They usually work at home with their children playing nearby.

Composed of hand embroidered wool with a metal buckle. These belts use a variety of handmade embroidery and should be handled with care to prevent fraying. Please put them through belt loops gently to prolong use.

1.75" wide; Small 36.5"; Medium 40"; Large 44" 

Cozy Knitted Bangle

Original Price: $30  Sale Price: $20

A design of knitted alpaca wraps itself around a gourd bangle.

These women who work with us are able to integrate knitting into their daily lives, and thus supplement their incomes. Every product is fully traceable including where we source, what are in the products, and who actually hand knits the items. All our designs are created as a collaborative effort.

 3" diameter. Composed of hand knitted alpaca and gourd. Handle with care.

Exploration Bracelet (Matching Necklace in the Necklace section)

Original Price: $30  Sale Price: $20

A stand alone bracelet or be matchy with the Exploration Necklace. The greens and wooden beads are the perfect accent to fall's colors.

 Handmade by African Style, a group that Noonday Collection helped launch in Uganda.

 8 1/2" W with stretch and just over 2" L. Composed of paperbeads and wooden beads. Handle with care. 

Guapa Wrap Bracelet

Original Price: $26  Sale Price: $18

The perfect combination of natural hues, this leather wrap bracelet is accented with a hand honed tagua seed. This versatile accessory measures 25'' in length and can be worn as a headband or wrapped once or three times around the wrist. This piece is handcrafted of sustainable seeds by artisans in Ecuador. It takes 3 months for the seed to become a bead. The artisans have been able to rise out of poverty and now employ other community members with the same vision for them! 

Gypsy Stack Bracelet (red)

Original Price: $20  Sale Price: $14

Unique and attention-getting, these twists of colored thread and golden beads stripe the wrist to brighten any day.

 Handmade by a fair trade artisan group in India that creates avenues of employment for the economically disadvantaged.

 25" wide Stackable, adjustable. Composed of thread and brass. Brass will oxidize over time and tarnish with wear. Handle with care. 

Gypsy Stack Bracelet (purple)

Original Price: $20  Sale Price: $14

Unique and attention-getting, these twists of colored thread and golden beads stripe the wrist to brighten any day.

Handmade by a fair trade artisan group in India that creates avenues of employment for the economically disadvantaged.

.25" wide Stackable, adjustable. Composed of thread and brass. Brass will oxidize over time and tarnish with wear. Handle with care. 

Pelotas Bracelet, Rose

Original Price: $15  Sale Price: $10

This piece is handcrafted of sustainable seeds by artisans in Ecuador. It takes 3 months for the seed to become a bead.  Mix them, match them, these colors are made to accent any of our Noonday bracelets! 

Ripple Bangles (gold)

Original Price: $25  Sale Price: $17.50

Bangles of gold-colored brass are sassy and layer perfectly with what you have for that boho inspired look. Measure 3'' wide. The Ana Art Group is a family owned artisan business that receives a living wage for their work and is certified Fair Trade. "I had been working in this art for 10 years before I learned about fair trade. I now work only with fair trade buyers, I charge more for my products, and I finally can enjoy my work" says Naseem, on the artisans based in Delhi. 

Sterling Woven Treasure Bracelet, Black

Original Price: $34  Sale Price: $24

An intricately woven blue, turquoise and green diamond pattern over sterling silver posts.(.375"wide adjustable). Composed of hand-woven cotton. and sterling silver. Handle with care. 

Threaded Bangle

Original Price: $24  Sale Price: $17

From India

Woven Treasure Bracelet (Blue)

Original Price: $16  Sale Price: $11

Intricate and elaborate hand woven bracelets that mix and match to create a Noonday arm party like none other! 

Woven Treasure Bracelet (Red)

Original Price: $16  Sale Price: $11

Intricate and elaborate hand woven bracelets that mix and match to create a Noonday arm party like none other! 

Draped Chain

Original Price: $34  Sale Price: $24

Urban causal or sophisticated chic, add these delicately embellished chevron earrings dripping with golden chain loops.  Handmade by a fair trade artisan group in India that creates avenues of employment for the economically disadvantaged.  3" long. Composed of brass. Brass will oxidize over time and tarnish with wear. Handle with care. 

Mediterranean Sea (Matching Necklace in the Necklace section)

Original Price: $32  Sale Price: $22

Mediterranean Sea-colored beads nestle inside a gold-threaded loop. Approximately 1-3/4" in diameter. Handmade by a fair trade artisan group in India that creates avenues of employment for the economically disadvantaged. 

Urban Knot Necklace

Original Price: $36 Sale Price: $24

Multi-colored brass chains come together in a knot. Brass will oxidize over time. Approximately 22" long. Handmade by a fair trade artisan group in India that creates avenues of employment for the economically disadvantaged

Pearl Drop

Original Price: $20  Sale Price: $14

Simple and elegantly handcrafted paperbeads hang from sterling silver wire. This piece is handmade by African Style, a group that Noonday Collection helped launch in Uganda. 

Onion Tea Towel

Original Price: $18  Sale Price: $13.50

The fabric is 100% organic fair trade cotton and each towel is 19-1/2" x 27-1/2". Hemmed on four sides with a loop for hanging. The cotton grown to create the towel is certified fair trade and the weavers also receive a living wage for their work. Hand printed in India.

Organic Soap

Original Price: $28  Sale Price: $21

Soak in the exotic beauty of India that is represented in this travel-size soap gift set. Made with four fragrant scents including: lavender, honey oatmeal, chai and mint. Handmade in Northern India using all organic and natural ingredients including fresh spring water, and locally grown herbs and spices. Each set includes a beautifully, handmade soap box. Each travel soap is 1.25 oz.

Handcrafted by a group of marginalized women in India. Proceeds from this collection go to fund literacy programs for the women artisans and children in the community. 

Bone Carved Polygon

Original Price: $45  Sale Price: $31.50

Hand carved cowhorn creates geometric statement while tiny brass beads breathe elegance into the piece.

 Handmade by a fair trade artisan group in India that creates avenues of employment for the economically disadvantaged.

 12-13". Composed of bone and brass. Brass will oxidize over time and tarnish with wear. Handle with care. 

Danica

Original Price: $138  Sale Price: $96

A bold statement that will sure to have you wearing and sharing our story.

This piece is handmade in Ethiopia using recycled nickel, copper, and bronze melted down from previous war weapons. Most of the artisans who created the pieces are HIV positive and receive healthcare and literacy training in addition to job training.

29.5" long. Composed of upcycled metal and artillery. Metal will antique with wear and time. Handle with care. 

Exploration (Matching Bracelet in the Bracelet section)

Original Price: $48  Sale Price: $33

Earth tones sparkle with glints of bronze. Gem-toned turquoise and cream colored paper beads mix with bronze glass and dark wooden beads for a statement of unique sophistication.

Handmade by African Style, a group that Noonday Collection helped launch in Uganda.

27". Composed of handcrafted paper beads and seed beads. Handle with care. 

Inca Steps (bone)

Original Price: $72  Sale Price: $50

The Inca steps necklace is handcrafted by Ecuadorian artisans of nuts from the tagua palm. It is Eco-friendly, and needs nothing more than a white tee shirt! This piece is handcrafted of sustainable seeds by artisans in Ecuador. It takes 3 months for the seed to become a bead. The artisans have been able to rise out of poverty and now employ other community members with the same vision for them! 

This piece is handcrafted of sustainable seeds by artisans in Ecuador who provide employment opportunities for their community. The artisans are also shareholders in the company. "Our life has been difficult, but our children will have a better future”

Mediterranean Sea (Matching earrings in the Earrings section)

Original Price: $38  Sale Price: $26

Mediterranean Sea-colored beads nestle inside several gold-threaded loops. Handmade by a fair trade artisan group in India that creates avenues of employment for the economically disadvantaged. 

The Zoe Necklace (turquoise)

Original Price: $48  Sale Price: $33

We collaborated with our artisans in Uganda to create a lightweight, eye-catching necklace. Each bead is handmade from paper and then strung delicately with gold colored glass beads. Measures 15'' to 18'' in length with an adjustable loop closure. Handmade by African Style, a group that Noonday Collection helped launch in Uganda. 

Eyelet Arm Warmers

Original Price: $38  Sale Price: $26

Bold, flirty eyelet knit adorns and warms on any brisk day.

These women who work with us are able to integrate knitting into their daily lives, and thus supplement their incomes. Every product is fully traceable including where we source, what are in the products, and who actually hand knits the items. All our designs are created as a collaborative effort.

10.5" long stretch. Composed of hand knitted alpaca. Handle with care. 

Fireside Scarf

Original Price: $86  Sale Price: $60

Create a perfect glow for many occasions with a bright and ultra cozy winter item. A radiant fashion voice in chunky chained-cable knit alpaca with wooden button closure detail.

These women who work with us are able to integrate knitting into their daily lives, and thus supplement their incomes. Every product is fully traceable including where we source, what are in the products, and who actually hand knits the items. All our designs are created as a collaborative effort.

52” x 11” . Composed of hand knitted alpaca. Handle with care. 

Kenyan Kikoy

Original Price: $58  Sale Price: $40

Kikoys are exclusive to the East African coast, in particular Kenya, where they are made with the finest cotton grown in the region. A Kikoy is a work of art inspired by the vibrant colors of the coastline in this area. Wrap it, put a picnic on it, tie it, cuddle it. This is a must have for travel and all things sunny. Each of these is hand finished by a group of women in Kenya who receive a fair wage for their work. 

Kikoy is 64" x 40"

Whimsical Scarf

Original Price: $58  Sale Price: $40
Clusters of freshly sprouted bundles of hand dyed cotton gather for artistic measure. Handwoven and then dyed from natural plants that grow near the magical region of Lago de Atitlan. Our Noonday team had the pleasure of working with the women in San Juan de Atitlan, learning the natural dying process of this scarf. The scarf is made by a cooperative of women who share a passion to continue the heirloom weavings of the Mayan people.

Winter Sunset (infinity Scarf)
Original: $58  Sale: $40

This scarf is a perfect year-round accessory as it is wonderfully lightweight and comes in a wide array of colors to complement each season. It is made out of acrylic and hand-woven on looms. The scarf wraps two to three times around the neck. One size fits all.

Handcrafted in Ecuador by a group of artisans who are also shareholders in the company. They have been able to rise out of poverty and now employ other community members with the same vision for them! 

Honors and humility

This past Tuesday, I had the honor of being a "guest blogger" on the blog of a fellow Noonday Collection World Changer, McCall Aldridge.  She has been doing a series titled "I am THAT Mom" and I had the opportunity to contribute.  So, You can zip over to her blog and check out the fabulous posts by a variety of great women!  It was such an honor, not only to be asked to add my two cents, but mostly because of the caliber of women I got to mingle with in blog-world!  They humble me - in a good way!

Maximum Impact

My Mom used to say, “ You should be able to throw away the first child and start over.” She didn’t mean it LITERALLY! She was referring to the fact that with your first child you are learning as you go and when the next child(ren) comes along, you are more prepared. Rest assured, our oldest child is alive and well and on his way to adulthood. However, we have found that we have learned a lot over the last (almost) seventeen years of parenting.

I am a mother of five children (three homegrown, two born of my heart). Bob and I got married young-ish (barely into our 20^th year of life!) and wanted to have children fairly fast. We waited three years, but felt strongly that we wanted our children to be born soon enough to really KNOW our parents and to have a strong relationship with them. So, child number one, our oldest son, was born and we started this thing called parenting. He ruled the roost. Not literally, we had boundaries, but I wish we had been more intentional about the teaching part, the training. The only REAL training we did was potty training! We were not necessarily permissive, just very flexible.

Fast forward to five kids. Over time we have come to see our role as parents as our divine calling. For this season in our lives, our highest priority is to raise our children. What’s on the list of lessons?? We have determined that our children will leave our home (rumor is that this happens eventually) with some specific character traits and abilities. They will have a knowledge of God and hopefully a relationship with Him. They will be people of integrity, able to live independently and be employable. They will know how to: plan, shop for, and prepare a balanced meal, make a bed, do their own laundry, clean a bathroom and run a vacuum, compromise when necessary, make an apology, serve others, show compassion, be thankful, be content, and stand up for what is right.

How in the world, in the busy-ness of life, do we get this done? It is a daily effort. We don’t sit down and have lectures or lessons, but it is acted out in our every breath. We demonstrate through real-life opportunities. Every Saturday, the kids clean the house. They have come to the point that they divide it up cooperatively (believe me it didn’t start so congenially!) and get the job done. They each have a day of the week (convenient with five kids) that is THEIR day. On their day, they do their laundry, set the dinner table and say the prayer at dinner. After dinner, the rest of the kids clear the table. With five kids, you can imagine that some topics get more attention than others… like apologizing! One situation that can be difficult to teach/demonstrate is saying sorry for something you don’t think you did wrong. For example, Kid #1 makes a playful remark that Kid #2 isn’t in the mood to receive and therefore is offended… Kid #1 didn’t intend for the comment to be mean! Kid#2 shouldn’t be so sensitive. Perceptions. Teaching Kid#1 to say “sorry you were offended by my comment, I didn’t mean it to sound like that” is TOUGH! However, this is a valuable skill. This skill alone will mend broken relationships throughout his/her life!

I suppose the TAKE AWAY from this is that as parents, we have a great BIG job! We have to make MAXIMUM impact in a relatively SHORT amount of time. My suggestion… if you are asking… 

                            S L O W   D O W N .... 

 Be LESS busy. Pull out of some activities (your and the kids’) that are complicating your schedule so that you have the availability to take advantage of opportunities. 

 The moments are there to have that MAXIMUM impact, don’t let them pass you by.

God Bless,

Audra

**Thanks to McCall for the opportunity to be linked up!  She is a fellow World Changer and I just love her!**

It's because of the people

Why Noonday Collection?  Why Fair Trade?  It's because of the people.  Three years ago, we welcomed two beautiful girls into our family.  We love our girls and would never trade having them in our lives.  Our family is more with them!  More complete, more fun, more... Loud!  Our family is wonderful!  But the circumstances that brought them to us were not wonderful.  

{common street scene}

 {typical living condition in the capital city}

They were born into a family in Ethiopia.  Somewhere along the line, their father passed away.  Their mother was making it as a single mom, which is saying something in Ethiopia!  Our older daughter's recollection is that their mother had a job and at one point they had a "house".  But somehow, at some time, their mother got sick.  This started a difficult spiral downward.  They knew she loved them, but her illness and the lack of access to sufficient medical care rendered her unable to work and therefore, she lost her job.  Ultimately, she had to make the very difficult decision to relinquish the girls to an orphanage.  This is where we came in...

 {My very American Hubby at the orphanage ~ Children without families}

We were approved and eventually brought the girls home to our family.  

So how does this story connect with Noonday Collection and fair trade?  There are mothers all over the world who desperately need access to medical care and want to provide for their children.  Many of them are taken advantage of, working in settings that are not safe, where they are not paid enough to support their families and they are mistreated.  Noonday Collection, and other Fair Trade/Fair Labor companies, strive to ensure that workers are treated fairly, paid a living wage, and treated with dignity!  I represent and support Noonday Collection because by doing so, I can affect change!  My purchases make it possible for artisans to have access to medical care and to keep their families together!

You can make a difference too!  Today, you can be a part of a Giveaway!  By doing so, you receive!  By purchasing Noonday Collection, you can be a part of their story!  

{In this giveaway, you can win this amazing "Scarf" a.k.a. Cowl}

Head over to Ambassador Tara Eichstedt's blog tomorrow for more Noonday Goodness ~ www.blessingsbytlcwithtlc.blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Www.audrakoning.noondaycollection.com

Seeing

Moving means changes… lots of them!  We moved to a different state which meant finding new doctors, dentists, and vision specialists.  One kid getting glasses, four more getting check-ups!  We knew Alex needed an updated vision check and possibly a new prescription.  A few months back, his glasses had been “tweaked” and therefore didn’t fit “right”, which meant he just didn’t wear them.  At his vision exam, the truth came out… along with the natural consequences.  His vision had gotten worse in one eye due to the lack of correction.  In other words, the glasses which were made to correct his vision had not been utilized and his ability to see had deteriorated.  He ended up with a drastically different new prescription.

My vision is like that.  Not in a physical sense, but definitely in a spiritual sense.  When my spiritual vision gets “tweaked”, my vision deteriorates.  What in the world are you talking about, Audra?!  What is this spiritual vision?? 

~ Seeing beyond the physical.  Seeing the hurt in the eyes when someone says that they are “fine”. 

~ Seeing the wanting for affection in the overly rambunctious child. 

~ Looking into the eyes of a loved one and seeing the little flecks of color that went unnoticed for days….weeks….years!  Unnoticed because I haven’t taken the time to stop and LOOK! 

~ Finding a broken item, shattered on the floor and seeing the “broken” child who longs to reverse time and make it all better…but lashes out instead, with hurtful words and accusations. 

Sometimes I see with my head and not my heart.  The result?  Deterioration!  You know what I’m talking about.  That downward spiral into frustration and anger.  The stream of words flowing out of the mouth and into ears and hearts not equipped to handle such an onslaught.  Seeing only the physical, Only what is right in front of me, is evidence of vision that desperately needs correction!

Spiritual correction??? She’s off her rocker!  It’s not as hard, or weird, as it sounds.  God didn’t intend for us to go through life with blurry vision.  Running ragged, so hurried that we don’t see those around us …. frustration and anger…. you get the idea.  How do I achieve spiritual correction?? 

S L O W  D O W N….

look….

see….

(And the real clincher….)

Thankfulness.

The Greek word, eucharisteo, means Giving Thanks.  The root, charis, means grace.  But, it also holds the derivitave of charis, the Greek, chara, which means JOY!  Giving Thanks results in JOY!  Not happiness.  Happiness is fleeting, based on circumstance.  JOY represents a condition of the heart.  JOY is that glow that happens in the midst of ANY circumstance.  That ability to go on with a heart that has been reinforced with HIS strength. 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks IN all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“WHOA!” you say.  What about the yucky stuff?  What about the hard times!  Death, pain, illness, hurt!  I recently went through a VERY long night with one of my children who was hurting and there was NOTHING I could do about it.  That night, I was struggling with this very verse.  I have been trying to be “thankful in all circumstances” and was really wrestling with the concept of being thankful for my child’s pain….  Then it hit me.  IN all circumstances!  …not FOR all circumstances.  I have heard and said this verse many times, but this lightbulb could have lit up the whole town!   Being a word-smith, I began to make my own expanded version….

Rejoice (in the LORD, recalling the blessings ALREADY given), PRAY, and

give thanks:

IN,

DURING,

IN THE MIDST OF,

ALTHOUGH,

DESPITE,

EVEN THOUGH,

IN SPITE OF

the circumstances!  THIS is God’s plan for you (He made it possible through Jesus)!

(The Audra Version! )

THAT I can do!  Let the thanking begin!  I have started my own list of thanks… (Thank you Ann VosKamp for sharing your journey in the book, One Thousand Gifts).  Need a challenge that will bring JOY and perspective?  Start your own list.  READ the book! 

Sometimes we need adjustments to help our human, fleshy eyes “see”.  It doesn’t come naturally and just as remembering to put on your physical glasses to physically see, we have to choose to put on our glasses of thankfulness and “see” with His eyes.

Jacket Makeover

The Jacket.  Bought on a sale.  Really liked it.  Washed it.  Wore it.  Washed it.  The arms kept getting shorter.  I’m short as it is, but this was getting annoying.  So, I put it in the GoodWill pile.  Then a while later, as the weather was fluctuating, I was pining for a vest…. Enter the Makeover thoughts….

I don’t mind giving away items so that someone else, with short arms, can make use of an item… but, I saw the potential in the jacket to become a vest!  It was really easy.  Really!  So, here goes!

Here’s the jacket:

Cut off the arms, on the arm side of the seam.  Give yourself enough of a space to be able to turn it under for a hem.  I left about an inch.

Find a thread that mostly matches the fabric.  The better the match, the less you (or anyone else) will be able to see your flaws.  J  Turn the hem in toward the inside of the jacket…um, vest.  Fold it so that the original seam is on the fold of the opening.  I folded mine twice because the fabric had a funky puffy filler that I didn’t want showing or “falling” out. 

Start at the arm-pit and sew around the arm hole.  Here’s a close up of one arm, finished.

Now here’s the finished vest.  I liked it so much that I also did this makeover to a blue jacket that I had bought at the same sale. 

Happy me!  Two vests to get me through this weird Colorado weather!  I can layer it with a long-sleeved shirt, add a scarf and I am good to go!

CrockPot Goodness!

I LOVE my CrockPot!  Why?  Lots of reasons, mostly, I love how the CrockPot frees me up to be with my family when they hit the door at the end of the day.  The food can be “almost ready” and I can be conversing with my family about their day and helping with homework and hugging my littles.  J 

So, what’s in the CrockPot today?  Campfired Sloppy Joes!  I can hardly stand the yummy smells!  Last year I picked up a CrockPot Brand cookbook at Kohl’s for a $5 Steal!  The book is titled, “Busy Family Recipes” and although we are (on purpose) NOT a busy family, I do like the fact the recipes are quick and yummy!   This is one of my favorites from that book. 

I take the time the day before to prepare the ingredients so that I can just dump and run.  However, if you have the time on the day of the meal, you can easily prepare this the same day you intend to eat it.  It only cooks on high for three hours.  OK, so here’s the recipe.  All Credit goes to CrockPot!  I have added my changes at the end.

Campfired Sloppy Joes

Brown Together:

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

½ cup chopped sweet onion

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 large garlic clove

Mix in a small bowl:

½ cup ketchup

½ barbeque sauce

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

ADD:

1 can (8ounces) baked beans

BROWN the meat mixture.  Mix the sauce.  Toss in the baked beans.  Mix them together.  Put it in the CrockPot and cook on HIGH for 3 hours.  Serve on buns!

*** My alternations:  I use a mixture of lean ground beef and ground turkey and because it is convenient, I just use 2 pounds total.  I also roast my red bell peppers and then add them to the mixture before I put it in the CrockPot.  I LOVE roasted red pepper!  It is sooo easy and delicious!  How it took me this long to find this out, I will never know!  I add some green bell pepper, just because I like them and I typically double the garlic.  So, as you can see, it is pretty much a free-for-all!  You can make this recipe uniquely yours!

CAUTION:  If you add a significant amount of additional “chunks” to your mix, you will want to add some moisture also!  Just dump a little extra ketchup and bbq sauce to the mix.  

The Unseen

Unseen?  Sounds a bit like a new movie or book.  But books and movies aren't real.  Even if they are based on real events, they could never capture the Realness in its entirety.  They are reenactments, at best, of an event that occurred in another place or time.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 states,

"no eye has seen, nor ear heard, 

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him.  

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit."

This past Monday night was New Year's Eve.  The kids were in bed before midnight, but my honey and I stayed up late... way too late...  We had heard that there is a crew that braves the wind, snow, and bitter cold to get to the top of Pikes Peak.  Their mission:  to set off fireworks from the Summit of Pikes Peak at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.  We have a great view of the Peak from our back door and thought it would be pretty special to witness that event.  So, as our clock neared the fabled hour, we stood at the back door, wrapped in a blanket, watching, waiting, anticipating the display of splendor.
We could not see the adventurists that made that climb.  We did not witness the stacks of artistic explosives. We had no assurance of their arrival at the summit.  We had no guarantee that they would indeed fulfill their intent to entertain us.  In fact, we didn't even see any fireworks.  The cloud cover inhibited our view and as far as we know, they did indeed complete their quest... we think.
I was disappointed.  And tired!  So we went to bed.

God's a bit like that, but in a much better way.  1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says we cannot even IMAGINE what God has in store for us!  That's exciting!  I can't see Him working behind the curtain... or clouds... I don't see Him preparing the GREAT things that He has planned for me.  Life provides a LOT of clouds.  Busy-ness, schedules, family, work, drama, good, bad, money, lack of money, frustration, strife, health... clouds.  Faith is trusting even though you can't see!  Why?  Because what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).  God warned Noah about things not yet seen, and Noah acted on Faith, building a boat... in a desert! (Hebrews 11:7).  We are assured that our Faith, believing in the unseen, will result in being filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy! (1 Peter 1:8).

So, although there often are clouds that blocking my view, I have Faith that God is working on the greatest display of all and that when He reveals his splendor, it will be more than I could ever ask or imagine.  Abundant, inexpressible and glorious joy will fill my heart!
In the meantime, I am thankful for the breaks in the clouds when I can see just a glimpse of his Glory.