Hot Pink Hopes

This is the first spring I have peony blooms even though I planted, guaranteed to boom, roots 4 years ago. Each spring and summer I got a short stumpy plant with no blooms or buds. I wasn’t even sure if the scrubby little plant that came up each spring was a peony or a weed. I had given up hope on ever seeing the deep pink flowers I had hoped for. I stopped paying any attention to the little corner where I had planted them and didn’t notice when someone had dug up the root and planted it in the center of the yard where it gets sunlight from dawn to dusk. When they told me they moved the plant I just forgot all about it.
Earlier this spring I was very surprised to see tight, bright balls of buds at the tip of a thriving peony plant in the yard. I was thrilled to see several large, luminous blooms this past weekend! I wasn’t expecting any flowers this year. In fact, I had decided not to plant anything that wasn’t for food. But God has blessed the yard with an abundance of violets, dandelions (I’ll have a post all about dandelions and perspective soon), buttercups and something I call “thistleish”. My English roses have many buds and several lush blooms already, more than last year. Even though I’ve totally neglected them other than throwing a bit of mulch at them in early spring they are doing better now than the past two years when I tried harder.
I take this as a reminder that it is God who blesses and flourishes the garden. Sometimes he uses us. Sometimes he does it all by Himself. I love how he surprises us with blessings, often, just when we think a situation is hopeless. “…it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Romans 9:16 I’m glad this is true of God, my garden and my life. I’m glad it is not my works, skills and righteousness that matter, but Christ’s and God’s blessing! Thank you Lord!

THINK

How fierce the mighty lions roar

How tall and strong the trees

Immense the twinkling, shining stars

And numerous the galaxies

 

How mysterious the bumble bee’s flight

As it goes from bloom to bloom

How rhythmic the night, day, night

As we go from moon, sun, moon

 

How vast and blue the oceans deep

How bright the flowers round

How fast and high the young buck’s leap

And the rustling breeze- my favorite sound

 

God created all we see

And even things we do not

Like time and rhyme and hopes and dreams

And a little frog’s hiding spot

 

Thankfully with all of this

God still wasn’t finished

He sent us His perfect Lamb

Without spot or blemish

 

This special Lamb is Shepherd too

And King, and Priest and Friend

He lived and died for me and you

Though His kingdom has no end

 

His promises stand forevermore

His love is never-ceasing

He stands and knocks at your door

And saves all who receive Him

May Apples in Perspective

I love that these little white flowers look so exotic, like they grow on a tropical island and smell of gardenia and vanilla. (Actually, I never smelled them so they just might!) But I didn’t have to travel to take this picture. I’ve been stepping over May Apple plants in the woods behind the house here for ages and barely even realized they had flowers until a recent morning walk when I took these pictures.
Each May Apple plant had just one flower, like it pooled all of its energy into creating one perfect bloom.
May Apples provide the perfect example of the importance of perspective and the difference it makes. From the top they look so plain and almost boring. They cluster together, with their big umbrella like leaves hiding the flower from view. A quick peek underneath reveals a single, beautiful, white flower.
I could have been enjoying them for years but I never looked close enough.
It’s easy to make a quick judgment that someone or something isn’t worth our time. It’s like judging a book by its cover and missing out on a wonderful story or writing off someone as annoying and missing out in a friendship. It’s also easy to undervalue things and people we’ve had in our lives for years and not notice what a beautiful gift we’ve been given.
I saw the flowers because I wasn’t in the woods to exercise or look for branches to chop to add to my little woodpile. I was there to be still, observe and absorb the peace. As a result I noticed many little beautiful surprises.
I’m wondering what else I’ll notice if I take the time to observe and absorb all that the Lord has provided me? I need to spend less time with the “someday I’ll have…..” and delight in gifts and stories God has for me now. I can stop and smell the roses next month, but instead of sitting around waiting for roses, it’s time to stop and peek under the May Apples!

Morning Glory

I know, its not a morning glory. Its a strawberry plant. But, it is a glorious morning! God’s mercies are fresh and new all over today and every day. I love that! To God be the glory!

Look Up

Leaves rustling in a breeze is one of my favorite sounds. I hear that sound just looking at this picture and seeing the sunlight gilding the tree tops. I love looking up into the dizzying heights of the trees swaying in the breeze, but I don’t always remember to look up.
As much as I love woods, sometimes they can feel a bit dark and constraining until I look up into the soaring heights and get a fresh perspective. It always takes my breath away.
Its the same in everyday life. If my attention is too horizontal I get bogged down with every-day demands and obstacles and feel too limited and spread thin. Then I remember to look up-to rely on our creator, remind myself of His promises and to praise Him! Putting things in a vertical perspective changes everything!

Why Pearls?

Why Pearls?

‘Pearls of wisdom’ drop into our lives.  They come through the older, the wiser, friends with a different perspective, out of the mouth of babes and directly from God himself!  One of my favorite promises from God reminds us of this; “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

As a child I remember my mom reading to us when I came home from kindergarten.  She would often read from a children’s devotional book that had beautiful pictures.  One day she read about Solomon’s opportunity to ask God for something. When Solomon asked for wisdom, God was so pleased he also gave him greatness and riches. When Mom said God gives wisdom to whoever asks for it a light went off in my little brain and that is when I started praying for wisdom.  I had no idea what it was…but if it came with riches, well, I liked the sound of that!

It’s been very recent that I’ve had a true appreciation for what it is to have wisdom.  Not that I have personally arrived in a place of wisdom; but I see the lives and loves of those who walk with the Lord.  I see the fruit that comes from making decisions in light of His word. This is what I want.

Fungi and a Fox

I took walk this morning in the woods and took the camera.  There is no path. I was trying to tromp tenderly without smashing too many of the May Apple plants that are carpeting large swaths of the forest floor.

I didn’t go very far, I was focusing on the scenes around me, thinking about the power of perspective, the beauty of spring and the artistry of God. I was snapping photos of the ground, the sky, the trees, and the leaves and everything in between when I was distracted by a familiar buzzing.   There was a fat bumble bee exploring the woods and occasionally landing on a May Apple flower.  I love bumble bees and I love the woods.  I was immediately determined to get a picture of the bee in action.

There was a beautiful moment when he was hovering over ferns at the base of a tree. The ferns were dangling over the edge of the stream and there he was in all of his buzzing glory. I was like, wow, thanks God for setting me up for this beautiful picture.  Only thing, I could not get the camera to focus on that bee!  Bees are so busy; I knew he wouldn’t stay there long.  I was like, “Come on God! Isn’t this the shot you’re giving me today?!” I was no longer enjoying the beauty the weather or anything else. I wanted a shot of that bee.  Suddenly I looked up and there was a fox running right at me.  I don’t think he saw me at first and when he did, he stopped and looked at me like quizzically or accusingly.  Or both.  I couldn’t remember any instances of humans being eaten alive by a fox- so I just stood there staring back. Then the Lord reminded me to take a picture.

The fox took a few steps, hesitated, stopped to look at me again (thankfully because it took a few shots to focus on him) and then trotted up a hill to the left. The Lord reminded me (again, I’m so glad He’s merciful) how easy it is for me is to focus on one thing that I really want, get all frustrated about not having, and lose my joy.  When I shift my perspective, open myself up to other possibilities, I always see something amazing He provides.

Still, it didn’t take me long after the fox to get focused on the bee again. I never did get a shot of it, but while trying to focus on the bee I shifted two inches to the right and got an amazing shot of fungi. I wanted a bee.  God gave me a fox and fungi, and they are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined!

“Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

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SHIFT

out from

under

I am coming

up

from a blue funk

the mean reds

the abstract elusive

soul shift

that sits so sure and solid

I am coming

up

(SHIFT, written March 26, 2002)

This poem was written during a time of shifting from a place of deep depression and battling into a place of hope.  I felt like I was seeing light at the end of a tunnel.  Its coming to a realization that there  could actually be an end to it.  You’re headed toward it.  But you’re not there yet.  You’re closer then you were, but the struggle still “sits so sure and solid.” There’s a verse for that.  (They’re like aps, only infinitely better!) “Why are you cast down, O my soul?  and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)

I always appreciated how this verse leaves room for the hopeless.  The writer is not necessarily saying that he is hopeful.  I doubt, in that moment, he felt the hope.  He is telling himself to hope in God. He is reminding himself that because of God, he has hope. In that moment, there may not have been an attitude of praise*.  But there was an attitude of recognizing that God is there and God is worthy of our praise. That’s when we look to Him, lean on Him, and that’s when our hope returns and we SHIFT.

 

*P.S. I’d had praise-less periods and this breaks my heart.  I now try not to let my praise be contingent to my circumstances.  I believe praise can lead to improved circumstances and that it is guaranteed to, at the very least, change our perspective!  Alleluia!

 

 

Song that Saved My Life: I Have a Dream (It Feels Like Home)

This is the song that is saving my life right now.

Not that I’m in crisis or desperate right now (by the grace of God).  But, no place feels like home. I’m prone to feeling sorry for myself and when anything goes wrong or gets on my nerves my thoughts always go to…”If only I had my own little home!” It keeps building and building and then little things feel big- Someone moved the book I was reading from the coffee table and we can’t find it.  Someone is listening to music too loud and I don’t want to hear it.  Someone is taking “forever’ in the shower and I want a turn.  Its easy for my thoughts to repeatedly fixate on all the things in my life that I wouldn’t have to deal with if I lived alone.  I even have the perfect imaginary cottage all ready for me to move in.  It has a fire place and rooms lined with built in shelves full of books.  There’s a window seat with lovely pillows and its full of great things from Home Goods and the flea market! I’ve wasted a lot of time with the whole “somewhere over the rainbow will be a beautiful cottage for me and everything will be perfect.”

God reminds me that the last time I lived alone I still caught myself thinking “I want to go home” when I already was home!  And, it was so lonely! A cottage won’t solve all my problems.  Bricks and mortar will never be enough. (Even if looks like a page from Romantic Cottage Chic.) Thankfully I don’t have to move into an isolated farmhouse to realize this!  (The Lord is an excellent teacher.) He reminds me that I will never gain a full sense of “home” by surrounding myself with places and things.  He is my home.  He is my Rock and my Fortress, my Deliverer! (Psalms 18:2)  In Him I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:28). He prepares a table for me. Even if it in the presence of my enemies, I won’t be afraid. (Psalms 23:5) He makes my sleep sweet (Proverbs 3:24). Shelter, life, food, peace, sweet sleep.  These are the things we want in a home.  This is who He is.

But, I don’t always remember this, which is why this song comes in handy! Like, everyday…..  I Have a Dream (It Feels Like Home) by The City Harmonic.  This is the song that is saving my life right now.

Songs that Saved My Life

Do you have those days where you absolutely are convinced you can’t go on?  You don’t even have the desire to do any of the things that could possibly make you feel or be any better- except listen to a song.  I love how songs can meet us where we are and lift us closer to where we want to be and all we have to do is push a button and listen.

God not only wants us to sing to ourselves, each other, and Himself- “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”- He also sings over us! (Zephaniah:17)   I love that He has given us music and lyric, audible medicine for the heart mind and soul. Here’s to the songs (and bands) the Lord used to minister to me.