drops

they fall from the sky relentlessly

and gather on the steps

before dropping down again.

feathered folk

They fly in from all directions

with a whirring of wings

and a flurry of feathers

nuthatches, chickadees, and cardinals,

house finches and gold finches,

junkos and woodpeckers.

Quietly

I stand and listen and watch

and am blessed

by these small feathered folk.

thank you again

Thank you for the sunshine of a new day,

for the frost that sparkles and the light that illuminates

for the sleepy boys that snuggle on my lap

for the strong and steady and hardworking man

for good friends that are forthright and godly

for health, for food, for comfort,

For grace to start each day afresh.

Sometimes we lose sight of the mountains of blessing in our lives.

There are times when the equilibrium is off.

Times when the d0-it-agains and the not-yet-dones loom large.

Moments when we just can't see the sunshine and we loiter in the shadows.

Yet each new day He reaches down and pours down grace

and douses us with every good thing.

elusive light

Before the day burns bright or the night wraps us in darkness

and the shadows are long and the light is slanted and warm

nature is at its loveliest and I wonder if it is then that the heart is most receptive,

and that thankfulness springs into our hearts.

Is that how it is with life? That the times that we are on the brink of black or on the upside of the dark that our souls are the most aware of the Light?

quizzical finch

Why, oh why is that woman always rushing outside

when I pause awhile in the tree

beside the porch

where she has hung our feeders ?

aaahh... she is always in pursuit of the elusive perfect photo!

cardinal

In the hustle and the bustle, the worry and the hurry

I step outside and shut the door behind me

and see this little fellow sitting near by

and it is like taking a deep breath of air.

Creator God is Good.

the breath of the LORD

"All men are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath of the LORD blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God stands forever."

Isaiah 40: 6-8

I have a friend from long ago

who has a daughter, slightly older than mine,

fighting for her life.

and I really don't know how a mother's heart can break

but I pray for them, and pray for them,

and am reminded that life is a cycle of growing and dying

Until He Comes.....

abandoned

150 years old and it stands strong and sturdy

abandoned and awaiting attention

or not

golden linings

When days are dark

God's light always reappears.

***

But what do I know of real darkness?

The clouds that move through my life

blow away easily.

consider the heavens

When life is but a breath,

and nations come and empires fade

and "nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky"

who am I to feel self important and self absorbed?

Breathe into us

eternal life

and make us heirs

of a new earth.

****

We have been studying the history of the kings of Israel and Judah in our bible lessons as well as beginning an overview of world history, in an elementary fashion, from creation to the end of the Roman Empire. Truly few earthly kingdoms lasts more than a handful of centuries and rulers fade from glory after scant decades. Man's life is only a breath.

This earth, this lovely planet, He created and upholds. These nations, full of sin, He loves and was willing to die for. This person, undeserving, He breathes His Spirit into.

Unbelievable.

Breathe deeply of "all things new".

american gold finch

purple finch

american gold finch

The hanging baskets are taken down from the porch and replaced with bird feeders.

Flowers traded for feathers in a great variety of yellows, browns, reds and mottled.

more

.

and when the sun is out again the world is glorious

jewels

when it rains

if you venture outdoors,

the garden is full of diamonds

that lay around in bunches

ready to be admired

high above the garden

High above the garden the 4:30 moon

is already halfway across the sky.

and more in the garden

The late afternoon sun shines golden through the dull and drab

and even dull and drab look beautiful.

more of the november garden

chosen

It wasn't any different than the rest-

as undeserving of a place in the garden,

but the light shone on it

and it stood out, glorious

among the colorless and the lifeless.

Grace Alone

frost on leaf

sometimes the most interesting things are right underfoot...

Sunday

Even if we neglect to do so-

creation cries out "Holy, holy, holy"!

Hallowed be Thy Name

All of creation tells of the greatness of His Name

but do I?

Do I hallow His Name

when I go about my daily tasks,

when I relate to my neighbours and my family?

november

If all the skies were sunshine,

Our faces would be fain

To feel once more upon them

The cooling splash of rain.

Henry Van Dyke

The days are shorter and colder and wetter and much more time is spent indoors. It is a time of adjustment to the new and duller palette of late autumn. Yet, even so, there is beauty in these tones and the countryside stripped of much of its foliage tells a more truthful tale. There is an honesty in the landscape as it lies bare and empty and exposed. A time for introspection.

orange

Temperatures are dropping steadily and the ground is frosty white in the morning.

Yesterday we emptied the garden boxes, cut the herbs and hung them to dry. The kale is the lone survivor of subzero nights.

But the calendulas still bloom merrily. We've saved some of the seeds and we cut a huge bunch of them to brighten up the table inside.

It has become the season of being mostly indoors and the bright orange is cheering.

sliver moon

The stars were spectacular this morning,

and the sliver of a moon amazingly bright against the black sky.

It was one of those wonderful crisp nights when the darkened portion of the moon is visible.