Walking on a Thursday

The days seem full. Walking toward Easter. Imagining the road He walked the days before and the vast range of emotion that must have accompanied Him slows my racing mind. Those walking with Him didn't understand, though I'm sure they tried. They loved Him. I love Him.

I'm walking a road I wouldn't have chosen for myself. It's a road where I just can't seem to see the path, the direction. My feet feel the rocky bits. I stumble. I look ahead. Walk a rough road. But it's good. Why don't I associate the hard also with the good? Walking even when the plans that are carefully carved out vanish can be so heavy. And yet, I must walk.



Revelation 21:5
And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."



Spring is hinting she may stay. I am caught up in the light of this season. The long shadows becoming a bit brighter, shorter. The summer is closer than expected. The air gives her secret away. Newness of life is bursting out daily. I watch. Trees in a neighbor's yard bud. Sticks begin to clothe themselves in a green dress and dance in the March winds howling into April.



Busy bee doing what it does. Work. There's more pollen than it could ever carry. Does it ever feel overwhelmed by the work to be done? Does it ever enjoy the flower it visits? The tasks of life for the bee.....fly, gather pollen, make honey.....yet there is so much more. It glorifies The Almighty. The Creator. Ancient of Days. Bees have been glorifying Him daily throughout the centuries, by just being bees.



The flowering tree. I look long, admire. Flowers first, then leaves. Showy, delicate flowers lasting but a breath, then leaves growing large. Not as lovely. I don't look as long. Leaves almost invade. Contrast in texture and color. I miss the flowers. I want to smell the delightful fragrance and enjoy the intriquite petals, pieces.

Then I realize, although they are lovely, beautiful and inspiring, flowers are temporary for reasons The Creator fully knows. Flowers can't shade on a hot summer day when rest is needed, a pause while walking a rough road. I need rest under a shade tree from the long journey. It's not that the flowers aren't needed, they are a little delight from our Maker. A gift. A temoprary gift to enjoy. How wonderful these happy faces of all kinds of flowers changing throughout the year bursting forth loveliness in cresendo! The symphony of spring heard in the breeze, felt in the air.




New life! Abundant! The apparent death of the earth, waiting in cold days of winter, wandering in grayness, hoping for spring. New life. Where are you? Then, unexpectedly, it happens. Little buds of new life emerge. The waiting is over.



Three days must have felt like months to those reeling from the crucifixion of their Beloved. Going to the tomb and it's emptiness misunderstood. There was LIFE! Life emerged! Emptiness of the tomb meant new life? A heart can't always comprehend the truth of the moment. Hurts fight to hold their ground while new life has emerged. Resurrection from the dead, the truth of new life. And He, the Saviour of the world, walked the bitter road, rested under the leafy tree, admired the loveliness of His Father, gave thanks, continual thanks, and gave all the more......Himself. But He didn't stop there.....He brought new life, abundant, full, overflowing. He is here with us, Emmanuel, to walk this road ahead that we might follow, rest under the shade from The Tree Of Life, refreshed. Never alone. Alive.....wow.......

Whiter than snow

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7



"Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD,
"Though your sins are as scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;" Isaiah 1:18



And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. Matt 28:3

Pondering color and learning about light, as of late. Snow falls white from a gray sky landing and brightening up the world. A blanket of quiet. Snow's quiet, a needed pause to rest. Bustling lives zoom down roads headed to the next appointment or task....except when the snow beckons them to rest. The hurried grumble and my soul finds an excuse to stop, settle, stay.....see.

Storm has passed and light of the next day dances on the white six inch layer. "Wow, that snow is so bright, shining, sparkling...." I hear that quiet still voice, sweet......

"Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be........as white as snow....." My sins? Like that? The ugliness of this heart big with unforgiveness, hurt, sorrow? Held tight reasons to justify my holding these hurts, dealing with them, myself.

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Purified.....delicate snow.....falling pure from heaven. Each flake handcrafted by My Master. White. I shall be clean. I have been washed in the scarlet blood of the Giver of life. Abundant life. Whiter than snow........

From the depths of my soul, I thank you, LORD.......

More February Snow

Inside, I care for my Valentine's Day azalea watching the snowy light dance on it's tender petals.



Outside, flakes of white drift silently down to our part of the world.



Boys play in snow and a group of kids meet at the city park for a massive snowball fight. Oh the delights of youth! I am taking pictures, participating by observing, but my kid-like heart wants to get in the mix. The snow is perfect powder. Ripe for snowballs. A contest begins. Who can make the largest snowball? I see so much more happening......youthful minds begin to create, experience, grow.....work together. Before long, four large frozen masses emerge and laughing young adults struggle to push and roll. More join in. Heaving. Working. Play becomes work and no one seemed to mind. They just jumped in and helped. Coming together. In fun. In work. In life. In joy.



Faithful dog, who guards our home. Seems happy to run in snow. Resting in the trail he walks on daily security checks.

The pattern of the days delightfully altered by a white blanket.

February's Walk

Winter's beauty.....



Frozen fog clinging to trees....



The setting sun of a full day, glowing bright in love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No fresh inspiration for the day.
No earth shattering insight to ponder.
No great "next thing" to grasp, understand.
No breakthrough I've been anticipating.
No new delicious morsels to nurish the soul.

Just the filling words of life I love. Read again and again. Dear friends of old. Comforting. Healing. Loving. Seeming new as I read them with anticipation, knowing what the next words are. Familiar becoming fresh. Reminders of who He is, of His love. Gratitude. Always gratitude in the remembering.

After the Storm Thursday

After the tornadic storm Thursday (no damage to us), so many birds came to the feeder! At one time, there were 3 cardinals at the feeder. (You can see three in this picture.) I've never seen that before. They normally chase each other away. Along with the male cardinals, a female cardinal, red breasted house finches, sparrows and gold finches were in mass. We stood at the window and watched until the next round of storms come raging through. Our weather radio was the background music for most of the day. =)

Through the glass

You shine through the colored pieces of life.......



Lighting life with warm, comforting strength.

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. John 1:4

The colors of light, bringing life, coloring life.....being life.

It's just that.........

I've been here. Home. In my man's arms.....in his heart....and staying close. Reflecting on the beauty of a marriage I could never have imagined. I'm in awe of His goodness. That divine love that brought us together and created a family fills my heart with overwhelming thankfulness. We walk together. Following Him.....together.



I've been here. Seeing. Weeds that grow close to a dumpster dance in the evening sun. Feathery. Fine. Fragile. Fascinating.



I've been here. Resting. Walking in the reminder that nothing I am going through is too big for Him or too insignificant. The place I run to....the cross. The life given because of it and in light of it. The beauty of sacrifice for a greater good. The purity of purpose. The deep love it embodies. Hope out of crushing. Power from weakness.

And so, I haven't been here.........

Where have you been finding yourself lately?..............