Artist Inspiration

As a Christian, I believe that God is constantly at work in our lives.  Years ago, I was studying the work of the Holy Spirit and came across this Old Testament Scripture in Exodus 35:30-Exodus 36:1.

³⁰ Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— ³² to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³ to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. ³⁴ And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.  ¹ So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded.”


While I am not building a temple or a church, I believe that everything I do is to be done for the glory of God.  I see in scripture that Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that it manifests itself in different ways to each person.  And I have found that God often provides inspiration for my work in many ways.  


Today I had one of those moments.  I was on my front porch doing my "morning time" and continued to other tasks that I could do outside on my laptop on this beautiful day.  I was noticing how beautiful and wispy the white clouds were against the blue sky. The nearest camera was my cell phone so I grabbed it and took a photo.  The minute I looked at my image, I knew that it wasn't coincidence that led me to grab my photo at that exact moment.  There is a repeating pattern in one series of my images - faces that appear out of natural objects.  Today, I see a gigantic bird in the sky - two eyes, a long beak and even wings.  


Yes, I know it is only wispy, fanciful clouds.  But I marvel that I happened to take a photograph at just that moment when the clouds formed that imaginative shape.  

A Prayer for Travelers

At our hotel today, I read this poem that was on the desk in our room.   I thought it worth sharing - it was a great way to start my day!

To Our Guests

In ancient times there was a prayer for 

       "the Stranger within our gates"

Because this is a human institution to serve people and not solely a money making organization, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof.

        May our place be your "second" home.

May those you love be near you in thoughts and dreams.  Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be comfortable and happy as if you were in your own house.

May the business that brought you our way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy.  When you leave may your journey be safe.

We are all travelers. From "birth 'til death" we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet and a joy to those who know and love you best.

                             Author Anonymous

The Mockingbird vs the Red Tailed Hawk

I like to sit on my front porch when I first get up. I never know what I'll get to see, but often I get to see something interesting in the natural world.

This morning, I noticed a Red Tail Hawk landing on the utility pole at my neighbor's house across the street. As I was watching him through my binoculars, I noticed that a mockingbird was attacking him. At first I thought the mocking bird was just flying near him to harrass him. But, no, this mockingbird was in full attack mode, nosediving him such that I could see the hawk shudder when contact was made. This went on repeatedly, but the hawk just stayed calm, unreacting as the mockingbird continued the attack. The mocking bird tired and landed within a foot or so of the hawk on the wires. It wasn't long before it took up the attack again. Finally, the long suffering hawk flew down to the ground and stayed for awhile, later flying off low to the ground.

The mystery is why was the mockingbird so determined to fight the hawk. Yes, mockingbirds are very territorial, so perhaps it was just a territory squabble. But it is nesting time, perhaps there was a nearby nest that the mockingbird was defending.

I have to give the mockingbird credit, the hawk was much larger, bigger claws and beak. Whether it was courage or stupidity, the mockingbird was certainly attacking a much larger, more powerful creature. I have to give the hawk some credit to, I suspect it could have easily taken out that annoying, pesky mockingbird, but chose not to act.

This sure reminds me of some human behaviors as well. As humans, we have territory issues as well and we can be pretty "courageous or stupid" when we defend those human boundaries. Sometimes we are like the hawk, ignoring those people trying to peck at us - choosing not to retaliate in kind.

Yes, there are many life lessons I learn by watching the wildlife from my front porch!

A New Year - New Beginnings

I like the psychological boost that comes with a new year: The new year is new, fresh, unspoiled, filled with opportunities. While every day is a new beginning, the first of the year brings the hope that I can accomplish good things. The past year is over, the slate wiped clean. I can be the person I choose to be, hopefully the person that God wants me to be. I can set new goals, knowing I won't accomplish all of them, but knowing that even if I only accomplish some of them, I will be a better person for the effort.

New Year's Day is a great day to contemplate what you want your year to look like, a good day to establish new habits and new routines, a good day to rejoice in the blessings God has given, and a good day to look to the future with hope.

I've got my new planner set up. I'm going to start filling in the calendar. I'm going to set some goals for the year, the month, the week, and even for today. I am not going to let past failures, past defeats, past inadequacies, or past procrastination pull me down. Will I be "perfect" this year? No . . . but I can live in the present, I can do the best I can, and I know that God will help me make this a good year.

I wish for you, my readers, to take advantage of all the psychological boosts that the changing into a New Year can be. Try something new. Try to improve one of your skills. Reach out to someone around you. Set some goals for yourself. And, above all, choose a positive attitude. Believing that 2010 will be a great year is the first step into making it a reality!

Go for it!

The Fruits from a Spiritual Garden

I've always loved the passage about the fruits of the spirit Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Also from Matthew 5:16 Where Jesus was talking about false prophets: "By their fruit you will recognize them," and from
Matthew 7:17 "Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit."

When I was growing up, the lessons about spiritual fruit tended to be talking about whether or not we were bringing other people to Christ with baptism and new Christians being our "fruits." And there was the fear that if we weren't producing fruit we would be pruned - not a pleasant thought! I've learned over time that the fruit that God is looking for is manifested in our lives. Are we loving? Joyful? Patient? When people look at us and our lives, do they see Christ living in us? Do they see His love, His Patience, his kindness, his faithfulness, his gentle touch?

A fiction or fantasy book that I read many many years ago had the concept that people lived on by how long their products lasted. The spirit of a carpenter that built a house would live on as long as the house still stood. The spirit of a lady who made a quilt would linger as long as her quilt lasted, etc. In some ways that is true - humans are visual and tactile creatures. When we see and touch things it can bring back memories of the person who was responsible for its existence.

When I was at Cade's Cove in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the Primitive Baptist church still has handprints on the ceiling from the workmen:



The wood was still green and the sap created lasting handprints where the workmen used their hands to hold the wood in place to hammer the ceiling panels in place.



The produce from my garden will be consumed. The pickles, frozen squash, and jam will only last for a year or so. Hopefully we will eat it all and enjoy it throughout the winter. It is possible that some of my photographs will be a lasting legacy to provide enjoyment for people beyond my lifetime. I have vintage photographs of my ancestors some taken over 100 years ago - they are precious to me as part of my family history. But new technologies can easily render my photos obsolete as it becomes possible to take photos with higher technology equipment or even three dimensional images. And there are many things that can damage or destroy photographs - fire, flood, hard drive failures, etc.

But the fruit of my spiritual garden will be long lasting - the people whose lives I've touched (for good or bad), the children I've worked with, the women I've taught, people who read my blog or my books . . . I can only live my life each day and trust that God will produce long lasting fruits or even eternal fruits from my simple, earthly endeavors.

The Road

I have a friend that is inspiring me right now. She is facing a potentially difficult stretch of life due to illness. She is viewing this as an adventure and a road - a road less travelled.

Isaiah 57:14
And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."

As I thought about this passage, several thoughts have flitted through my head.

We are all on a journey through life. God is already in front of us, building up our road, preparing it for us to travel on to our various destinations. We each have our own, individual road. While our ultimate destination is heaven, our short term destinations will be unique from one person to another.

We all will deal with obstacles as we travel the road of life - disappointments, illness, people who let us down, dreams that seem to go unrealized, difficult people, physical limitations, even aging. We have some choices as to how we will react when we encounter our obstacles. Will we give up and quit - not reaching our destination? Will we find a way to go around the obstacle or destroy the obstacle? Will it be an obstacle that we must wait patiently in expectation for God to remove?

I found myself encouraged with this concept of God removing the obstacles out of the way of his people. It gives me confidence to keep patiently walking the pathway that God has set before me, knowing He will guide me to the destination he has planned specially for me.

The Cold Front

Texas weather is always interesting - if you don't like it, wait a little and it will change . . . Saturday morning was mild, shirt sleeve weather. I took advantage of the warmer weather to go back out to my front porch for some "morning time." It was cloudy, but the temperature was in the 70's - great for sitting outside. I heard a few raindrops falling. My morning scripture for December 27 in my One Year Bible was from Zechariah 10:1 "Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men and plants of the field to everyone." I thought it an appropriate scripture for many reasons. I was watching the clouds moving across the sky, when the weather began to change. The sky got darker, there was a sense of anticipation, and then, I could hear the mighty winds come through with an amazing powerful roar. Henry said later that when the front hit, the entire house shuddered.

As I saw the amazing clouds, I ran into the house and grabbed my camera.



I had to work fast, because the clouds were moving rapidly across the sky, changing patterns as I watched.



No rain yet, but it was not long before we had a nice solid shower - much needed - we are way behind in our rainfall totals over the last twelve months.



Within an hour or so, the blue sky followed behind the front. Amazing to watch God's handiwork in the weather.

Lessons from Assisted Living

We will be meeting new people for a few days as my mother-in-law gets settled in her new assisted living apartment.

Lesson 1. I am SO greatful for the cheerful staff. It is amazing how much a friendly, cheerful voice and a helping attitude mean when you are working with elderly people. Patience is a much needed virtue as well.

Lesson 2. One of the ladies we met had this to say: "This place may not be everything I want it to be or everything you want it to be, but it a pretty good place!" I thought that was a good attitude - recognizing that while everything is not "perfect" things are still pretty good.

Lesson 3. From my mother in law, in reflecting on her day - she got to go to church, a little different, but still very nice. She had friends from her church bring her communion. She actually felt like eating and seemed to enjoy it. She marvelled and was so pleased that she felt like eating. We sat out in the courtyard and listened to the birds and watched them. At the end of the day, she decided that she had had a pretty good day.

Lesson 4. When I was sitting out on the courtyard, she said something about other things I could be doing. I could truthfully say that there was nothing more important for me to do right then than sit in the courtyard with her. Priorities . . . spending time with her is top on the list right now.

Blessings

As I've been reading my daily psalms recently, I've found several that have beautiful blessings. I often use the psalms or other scriptures as a basis for prayer.

Here are two that I encouraged me recently:

Psalms 122:6-9
May those who love you be secure
May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels
For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be with you."
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.

Psalms 128
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
Blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
Your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.
Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,
and may you live to see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel.

When I think on these beautiful blessings, I find it useful to make them more meaningful in my prayers by substituting my family's names or my city or country.
For example:
May I see the prosperity of my country and prosperity for the world. . . Peace be upon the world!

May those who love me be secure: my mother-in-law, my children, my friends, etc.

I wish these beautiful blessings on all my readers today.

Memorable People

My mother-in-law has been in a skilled care facility for about a month now. This is our second run up to the panhandle to visit and hopefully give moral support to the family here. We have begun to meet some of the people that are in her unit. Most are elderly.

There is one lady there who seems close to my age. I generally see her with her husband pushing her wheel chair around. What impresses me is her attitude. When we greet people, we usually say, "Hi! How are you today?" She always answers you with a big smile and says, "I'm wonderful!"

I don't know her story. I can tell her husband is very attentive (which also impresses me). I don't know if she is in rehab because of a car accident, an illness, a fall, or whether she is living there as a long term resident. But that bright smile, that friendly look in what don't seem to me to be the best of circumstances for someone my age, tells me she sees the world differently than I do sometimes. She seems to be very happy.

Phillippians 4 tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always!"

From Habbakuk: 3:17-19
17Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.

This happy lady in the wheel chair is a blessing and an inspiration to me. I hope I can find that deep well of joy when it becomes my time to deal with physical problems.

Our thoughts matter!

As you know, I try to start my mornings outside with my binoculars, my bird book, my devotional books, and my Bible. Often the thoughts from the books work together to remind me of some important truths that relate to what is going on in my life right now.

My readings today:
Mary Engelbreit, Just Be Happy!

If you observe a really happy man, you will find . . that he is happy in the course of living life twenty four crowded hours of each day.


“We are what we think.
All that we are arises
With our thoughts.
With our thoughts,
We make our world.”
-- The Buddha

From Grace Notes by Alexandra Stoddard:

Inaction snaps the vigor of the mind . . .:
Leonardo da Vinci

Nothing makes one more tired than just sitting around purposelessly. That's quite different from sittig in solitude when we can daydream in peace and then spring into action. Our minds need to be occupied not to feel sluggish.

Often unrelated actions or thoughts trigger concentration. Something kicks in, like an electrical charger. The mind is an amazing electrical appliance. Plug it in and it goes.

From a few days ago in Nancy Rotenberg's Photography and the Creative Life:
"Television, artificial ingredients, polyester, and email to mention a few, can all narcotize creativity and immobilize any artist. Consider limiting these benumbing environments."

I have always believed that what we say to ourselves matters. If we tell ourselves that we can do something, we probably will be able to do it. If we tell ourselves that something is impossible, that we can't do it, that often becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Many years ago when I was a girl in Girl Scouts, my troop leader had a saying: "Can't can't do anything but fall in a bucket of paint." Needless to say, we were not allowed to say "I can't do it - it's too hard, " in Girl Scouts.

Now obviously, it won't work if I tell myself I can jump off a cliff and fly, but I think we often contribute to our failures by negative thinking. I also think that we have some measure of control over our attitudes.

Lately, I've found myself being pessimistic. I know I'm not getting everything done that "needs" to be done. I've also found myself doing the kinds of mind numbing things that Nancy talks about - checking my email too frequently, browsing websites repeatedly during the day, playing cute but repetitive internet games. Plus, there have been legitimate things to grieve over, things that are unlikely to get better. But I don't want to live my life as a pessimist. I want to cultivate positive attitudes. I want to be a "can do" person. Today's readings were certainly helpful to me.

Further research on the internet (for this blog) brought these gems:

“We become what we think about.”
-- Earl Nightingale

“Our lives are defined by our convictions of who we are.”
-- Anthony Robbins

“Man is what he believes.”
-- Anton Chekhov

"Dwell in thought upon the grandest,
And the grandest you shall see;
Fix your mind upon the highest,
And the highest you shall be.''
unknown

Christian minister, Norman Vincent Peale, wrote The Power of Positive Thinking, an entire book and built his ministry around the benefits of being positive and upbeat.

Going to the scriptures validated this line of thought:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he , , ,
Proverbs 23:7 (King James Version)

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ . . .
2 Corinthians 10:5


Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things . . .
Philippians 4:8,9


***********************

I want to be remembered as someone who is cheerful, fun to be around, and capable. I don't want to be remembered as a pessimist, a grouch, or a negative person. I believe I have a choice and I choose joy!

Appreciating Today

I think it is partly my age . . . several of my friends have cancer, one was hospitalized (and released, thank God) for possible heart issues. Some of my friends have died. The generation just ahead of me is making that transition from independent living to assisted living or have already passed on into their heavenly home. I've had my share of injuries, from a fall through the ceiling, to sledding accidents, falls on ice, etc that leave me with joints that are sometimes cranky with me.

The fall through the ceiling from the attic to the ground floor was the most serious. I injured my back and spent most of the summer sitting in a chair. But that fall could have been fatal . . . I will always believe that if I had been turned differently when I fell that I would have hit my head on the stone hearth. When I first landed, the thought went through my head that I could end up paralyzed. The next thought that went through my head was that whatever had occurred, God was with me and that it WOULD be OK. During the first week, each day I could do something that I was unable to do the day before. When I went in for the office visit a week later, I envied the people that could walk normally across the room. As I continued my recovery, life had a joy because I was able to do something, or be somewhere. By the end of the summer, I was able to travel. I had tears in my eyes when we were at the Wolf Creek Ski area. During the fall, I was so glad to be able to go to the football games and watch my son play his first season of football. I was grateful for so many things. Life itself was joyful . . . I was so glad to be alive and able to walk and able to do things with my family. It is hard to describe that special feeling when you've had something major, something life threatening happen and you have lived through it.

I have a photoshop student who has been fighting cancer for a number of years. When I first met him, he was weak and in need of a bone marrow transplant. Without the transplant, his days were numbered. I've been following his progress on Caring Bridge. The bone marrow transplant has been successful, his energy and vitality are returning. His posts have been very encouraging to me because they are reminders to treasure life each day. It is so easy to get stuck in a rut . . . going about our daily routines, maybe wishing we were doing something else. But, life is precious, life is fragile, and life is transient. We are human, we forget.

When I read Joel's posts, the memory of how precious life felt that summer after the fall rises to the surface. I want to rediscover that joy and wonder and appreciation of how good it really is to be alive and relatively healthy.

God's Provision - The African Fishing Village

One of the things that I noticed in Africa was how God provides for the people there. Most of the things that they need to live - shelter and food- are provided from the environment around them.

Elephant grass grows very tall and is plentiful near the villages we visited. It is used for everything from their house roofs, their fences, and even baskets.



Fences are very simple to build. Take long branches from trees or tree trunks, use smaller branches for the cross bracing, elephant grass to tie the support structure together, and then use the tall elephant grass stalks as your fabric. When you cut the seed tops off it becomes an attractive, serviceable fence.



The roof structure utilizes sturdier branches or trunks to provide the support for the elephant grass thatch. Notice how beautifully and carefully this thatched roof has been put together!



The thatch roof keeps both the rain out and provides shade from the sun. But the construction of the walls of this hut are even more amazing.



They take large wooden tree trunk and branches and use elephant grass tied together for the cross pieces. Then they mix water and elephant dung in just the right proportion and work this mixture into the spaces. This wall will be 3 or 4 inches thick. We were at the village at mid-day on a very warm day. The newly built house we entered was cool and comfortable. And even as freshly built as it was, I detected no tell-tale orders.



Chickens are also part of God's provision. Chickens are really amazing animals. They provide eggs to eat-a continuing food supply. They hatch out the eggs and the chicks are eating size in 6-8 weeks. Mother hens do a good job protecting and raising these chicks. While most chickens are fed from the maize that is grown in the area, chickens can also be fed "free-range" from the other native plants around.



And even the chicken coops are made from readily available materials.



This village is located on the Chobe River. The men fish from canoes they have carved from large trees. The fish from the river provides not only food for them to eat, but also something they can use to barter for other things they may need.

Life Lessons from the Harlequins

When I observe the wonders in God's creation, sometimes I see things that I think I can apply to humans. With the Harlequin ducks several ideas popped into my head. When I first looked for them, I looked in the smoother more tranquil waters. I've been watching a lot of water fowl over the last few years and I generally find them either in lakes or ponds or the smoother waters of the river. Of course, I've also observed the ocean birds swimming right where the waves crash along the rocks and wondered why they weren't pounded to death.

Discovering the Harlequins in some of the most turbulent white water in Yellowstone, I thought about people whose lives are marked by turbulence. Everyone goes through rough periods in their lives. A few people seem to go from one crisis to the next. But these Harlequin ducks not only choose the most turbulent water, they thrive there. They can swim in the rapids, their food source is found at the bottom of this fast flowing water, and the rocks provide a resting place for them. God has equipped them to live in this turbulent environment.

When we go through those turbulent, trying times in our lives, we forget that God has equipped us as well. We see the difficulties, we want to wring our hands, we may see our situation as impossible. Harlequin ducks are small, the water is powerful. How do they have enough strength to fight the force of the water to get their food? God has designed them to live in this environment. Psalms 139 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made-that God's work is wonderful. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, God has equipped us to handle it. Some of our turbulent times are part of a temptation. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we are told: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Watching the Harlequins as they swam in the strong current and flew upstream, so well equipped for their environment reminded me that God has equipped me for the challenges that I face in life. While most of us prefer to dwell in the calmer, more tranquil streams, there is beauty and power in the turbulent waters. When life is its most difficult, we realize how much we need God and His strength. We also learn the special strengths God has given us to enable us to thrive in our unique environment. And just as he provided large rocks where the harlequins rest, he will provide resting places for us when life tries to wear us down.

Prayer time

I try to spend time on a regular basis in prayer. I wish I could say that I spent quality time in prayer every day. Sometime it is so . . . . but I'm still working on consistency. And I have several prayer styles. Sometimes, it is a quick prayer right before I go to bed. I've learned that bedtime is NOT a good time for praying for things you are worried about. For me, it just puts my mind on them and part of my brain churns rather then letting them go. Evening prayer time is better for thanksgiving and praise.

My best prayer time is in the mornings out on my porch. I've begun to treasure that time. I generally take a cup of tea or coffee and something that looks like breakfast. I sit in my iron chair with the iron ottoman to prop my feet up. I listen and watch for birds. I read a passage from the One Year Bible. I generally have at least one other devotional or meditation book. And I have a journal. I've gone through quite a few. Each journal book clocks a different period of time. I just finished one that I started in March.

To match my personality, my journal entries are eclectic. Lately, I've been jotting down the birds I see along with the devotional thoughts that "spoke" to me. And, I write my prayers. I suspect I should tell my children and husband never to read my journals , because some of the prayer thoughts concerning other people are private, personal secrets. And then again, they are a written history of how God has answered my prayers over time. I pray for my family, I pray for my friends. I pray for my congregation, for world events. I pray for our daily needs, our financial security. I believe in praying specifically.

The Workbook on Intercessory Prayer by Maxie Dunnam stressed the importance of praying for each other with the thought that God can't answer what we don't ask. While it was a great study on prayer, I found myself becoming compulsive in my prayers. I felt a big burden on my shoulders. If I did not pray for it, if I did not pray hard enough about it, if I did not have enough faith . . . . was I letting someone down?

The first year my friend, Debbie, was fighting cancer, I prayed every day for her healing. I pleaded with God. I gave him what I thought were very good reasons why he should heal her. My nephew, Blake, was in Iraq as a Marine. I had a prayer litany that I said for each of them every night as I went to sleep. Blake is back from Iraq, safe in all the ways I prayed. There are even miracle stories - his vehicle hitting a land mine - and no one was hurt or killed. He could feel the prayer shields around him, protecting him in that far away place. Debbie is still fighting cancer. Somewhere along the way, God gave me a sense of peace about Debbie. I can't explain it. I still pray for her, regularly, intensely . . . but not every day.

A group of us pray regularly with Debbie. One of the ladies has commented that God will hear and answer these sweet prayers we are offering to him. We pray before each chemo session. Each of us brings a different perspective - the doctors, her physical comfort, her peace of mind, strength for her family, as well as for complete healing. While Debbie is still fighting cancer, she is still alive, still strong, and still vibrant. Two years ago, she came very close to death. I believe that the continuous prayers for her were answered, she is still alive and so much stronger than she was this time two years ago. She has lived life fully, travelling the world with her husband, enjoying her children these last two years. She will tell you of how God has been with her and given her strength and courage.

As I contemplate and meditate, I know that I do not have the same world view as God. I do not have His wisdom. I can not see what He sees. This time last year, we were worried about my father-in-law. I emailed our preacher, Roger, to get Gene on the church's prayer list. I will never forget his reply: "praying for God's perfect will." While last year, Gene seemed near death, this year he has stablized and is so much better than last year.

While my job is to pray, and to pray without ceasing, it is NOT my job to second guess whether my prayers are "good enough," whether I have enough faith, whether I am righteous enough, etc. God knows what we need before we ever ask. But our prayers of petition are an acknowledgement of who is in control of this world.

During these years I have told my friend that what is supposed to happen will happen. While it may sound fatalistic, this concept gives me a lot of peace. I am acting as a prayer warrier in a battle whose ultimate victory is already assured. God already knows the end of the story. I believe that it will in some way be a victory. While bad things can happen to good people, I also believe that God is still in control of this world and active in it. I don't know what God's perfect will is for my friend, for my family, or even for myself. But I know that God hears my prayers and answers them in a way far better than anything I could dream. How do I know this? Is it simply blind faith on my part? I don't think so. Over the last 35 years, I have seen God work out many seemingly impossible situations. Because God is working in the hearts of men, some prayers take longer to answer than others. But the end result is worth waiting for.

Winter Mornings

Since the major cold front came in a week or so ago, it has been cold to sit on the front porch. I've been fighting some allergy issues that felt like an infection was trying to set in, so I've looked wistfully at the porch and the birds. But I've been missing my bird friends.

So . . . this morning, I bundled up and took my breakfast outside. My spirit soaked in the chatter of the Carolina chickadees and the assorted whistles of the songbirds. The special treats were a juvenile Harris sparrow and a good sighting of a ruby crowned kinglet. Usually the kinglets flit so rapidly that you don't get a good view with your binoculars. But this one found a perch and I got a great view.

It was cold, so I did not linger as long as in warmer weather, but I realized how much I had missed my mornings with my feathered "friends."

Today . . . . .

Let me say upfront, I am not usually good with things that require daily disciplines - I am too easily distracted and usually have many things or projects going on in my life. But a practice that I try to keep going, however irregularly, is a "quiet" time with God. As part of that time, I have a journal. When I browse through the pages and realize how irratic it is . . . . I grimace inwardly.

The Bible I use with my daily time is a One Year Bible with scriptures set up to read an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage, a Psalms passage, and a verse or two from Proverbs. I started in January trying to read all of them in the hope that I would make it through the entire Bible this year. I found, however, that I was just reading it - without having time to contemplate on the meaning for me, today, at this point in my life. So, I've gone back to reading the Psalm passage for a given day. If a miss a few days, I go ahead and read the passage for today's date. I start with the Psalm - and if I find meaning for my life, I may highlight or underline the verses that resonated with me. Because I've been doing this several years - coming back to a marked passage usually reinforces what had special meaning for me.

On a few rare days, the Psalms passage does not have a verse or two that jumps out at me - so I search in the other passages for the day. Generally, I find something on which to focus my thoughts. Today was a day when nothing in the daily passages really leaped out at me, leaving me searching through other back-up resources. My book on Abundance is one that I added yesterday for further enrichment. But today I was still searching . . . . I thumbed back through my journal, happy that over the last several months, I have more entries and more pages, a hint of a little more consistancy. But then I found the thoughts that resonated . . . for today. I found them in prior pages in my journal from perhaps a couple of years ago. Sometimes I note where I found what I journaled - this time I don't know whether I was writing from a source material, or if these were my own thoughts. But they were encouraging to me, and I am posting them here, because I think they might be helpful to others:

Each day is a new beginning, an unwritten page, a clean slate, unspoiled.
Nothing that happened in the past can be changed.
In God's book, it is in the past, forgiven, forgotten.
The past should not be allowed to spoil a new day.
Each day brings new opportunities.
Each day should start with joy:
"I am ALIVE!"
"I have a chance to make today beautiful!"

While there may be times when I need to bring out something ugly from the past to examine it or to understand it, for today, I will keep it in a mental "box" - so that I can enjoy the present.

Today I will look for beauty.
Today I will spend time with God
Today I will be joyful.
Today I will be optimistic - not letting little things obscure the big picture.
Today I will be courageous, trusting God to meet my needs and protect me.