Spring's Snow

A window opened

In my soul today;

Letting all tightness

Go.

A blessing, some

Clarity-even

Receiving Spring’s

Snow. 

No age, No

Limit on God’s

Journey

No matter how

Slow.

I’m coming

To grip with

Reality- I’m

Letting Life

sessions flow.

Morning Glory

The Day awakens

To Morning Glory.

Sleepy sidewalks

Dance with light.

A new day

Of possibility-

A new promise,

 A new Insight.

Day has dawned

Upon creepy

Shadows.

Light has spoken,

Time will tell,

Of your Favor,

Of your Mercy,

Of your Hope

In which you dwell.

Strength in Weakness

What we perceive as weakness is precisely the place where God wants to Love us the most.

How often we want to hide our weaknesses and flaunt our strong muscles, but God values our 

weaknesses because it enables us to reach out to him and others for help and He promises to supply our needs.(Philippians 4:19) 

We need prayer here, because it can be easy to turn against ourselves when we are weak, but our weakness can turn into God’s strength.  

Consider butterflies when delicate and fragile, shedding their cocoon and then in fullness spreading their wings to fly.  If it weren't for God entering into the weak and delicate places of our lives there would be no fullness, there would be no freedom, there would be no flight.

It is the Spirit of God who loves us in our weakness and then enables us to rise on wings like Eagle’s and run and not grow weary and walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

A gentle whisper

A gentle whisper,

A Soft petal

Caressing my face.

The warmth of

The sun, or

A child’s embrace.

A moment of

Gratitude, a

Reminder of

Grace.

These are

The moments

In which to

Embrace.

It’s not in

The earthquake,

Wind or fire,

But a gentle

humming that

Takes me higher.

A Thousand Sonnets

A thousand gifts
you birthed in silence.

Your Word, Your creation,
Your children,
Your Majesty, Your
breath- taking beauty.

The silence of a
Living Stream; a quiet
melody, A long
forgotten dream.

Butterflies, birds
and honey bees
quietly waiting
for Spring.

A thousand sonnets
birthing harmony
for all creation to
Sing.

Cradled

A little bird

Flew to Jesus

And picked the

Thorns from his

Brow.

Simon lifted Jesus

And carried His

Cross-a solemn vow.

Veronica wiped the

Face of Jesus

And spoke tenderly

In his ear.

Jesus meets the women

Of Jerusalem and wipes

Away their every tear.

Tenderness meeting

Suffering at the Cross

We huddle close.

Cradled in the hand

of love by the One

who loves us most.

On Solid Rock!

What is failure?  Maybe it is setting the bar and expectation too high for us?  I think failure helps us get to know ourselves; our weaknesses, and our limitations. 

Usually failure makes us plunge into despair and depression thinking, “What is wrong with me?" 

Why couldn’t I do this or that?  Then the feelings of less than and comparing yourself to what others can do.

But what can failure teach us about ourselves and about God?  Where can failure lead us? 

Because of fear Peter denied Jesus, and after deep repentance he became the rock in which the church was built. Jesus already knew he would fail at the hour of testing, but ultimately Peter’s life would bear witness to the solid rock in which we stand!

The Samaritan woman at the well who experienced moral failure, at her hour of need Jesus offers her Living Water and in a sense calls her to be a True Worshiper of God.

Failure brings us to the end of ourselves, and there we meet Jesus who restores, heals, and sets us free to be who he created us to be!

The Fabric of our lives

How often we desire to be held, held by arms of love, safety, security-offering strength and dignity to face life’s challenges.  But sometimes arms are just too short.  We need community to hold us up.  We need compassion offered by community to show us the face of Christ in the midst of our many losses.

The arms of community hold us up.  The arms of community liberate us to not suffer alone, but together knowing that we will all be liberated from decay one day and brought into the freedom and glory as the children of God. (Romans 8:21)

Community is the fabric of our lives.  Community holds it all together in our homes, at our jobs, in our churches and families across this nation. 

If we have good community how much we can accomplish together, if we learn to trust each other and acknowledge the good gift in one another and offer ourselves with no strings attached. 

Forming community should be our priority wherever we are and wherever we go.  Life is too short.  

We need each other to get to where we are going. Let’s fasten the web of community in our lives.

 Let's link arms.  Let’s hold each other up in Christ, who holds all things together.  (Colossians 1:17)

Offering the gift

Being with,

Offering yourself;

You are the gift.

How easy it

Is to lose sight

Of who you

Are, of what

You give-

The essence,

The presence

In a world

Screaming,

“Never enough!”

You are enough!

Look into the

Gentle and loving

eyes of Jesus, our Savior

and remember Who

you are, Beautiful

and Beloved.

Magenta Tree

Crowned Magenta Tree;
Your mystery enthrones thee.

Showered by the darkest rain;
At first, at last thy purple train.
And I?

Before, Behind, Beneath
Do Stand; A risen friend of thine,
I AM.

Do beckon me to play within
Thy strands: I swing, I jump,
I leap, I dance! I dance!

Hosanna!

"And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."  Revelation 22:2


Painted Red Bird
sits high in Tree.
Hosanna Song bird
Just might be me!

Lengthen wingspan
soar branch to branch
soaked by healing
circumstance.

Breath of God,
do blow this tree.
Free your leaves
to cover me.

For I am seeking
to be free;
anointed red bird
fall fresh on me.

Seeds of Faith

It starts off as a seed,

Small and unassuming-

Then planted

Deep within

The soil,

It receives nutrients,

The earth’s oil.

Then the miracle

Happens, a sprout

Of growth appears-

Now Above the Mantle,

A rooted tree peers.

Through Earth, Wind, and Fire-

A Mustard Seed of Faith

Reached higher;

Above the narrow gate.

At home

Where’s home?

City, country,

Downtown, uptown?

But where’s home?

A traveler can’t find it,

So I won’t travel there-

I’ll rest.

At home in my garden,

Separating red beans

And drinking tea.

That’s it!

Just settled.

Trapeze Artist

A flyer must fly.

A catcher must catch.

Trusting in the arms

That hold- is the

Art of this dance.

A leap in the air,

The strength of a

Grasp,

I lost my breath,

He held me back.

Courage it takes-

A risk, a step,

A leap of faith,

From height

And depth.

The unknown

Awaits, but

A catch

so great!

This flyer must fly.

This catcher must catch.

Trusting in the arms

That hold- is the

Art of this dance.

(Inspired by Henri Nouwen's-"The Flying Rodleighs")

The Bud that Flourishes

            (Isaiah 61:11)


For as the earth bringeth forth her bud,    
And flowers dare to bloom.

What has been sown will spring to life
As morning turns to noon.

Righteousness as the way of life,
The earth brings forth her fruit.

The Nations will praise by God's own light,
Jesus, the bearer of Truth!

Rose Early

Your love was enough
on the shores of Malta.

Your love was enough

when we met at the altar.

Your love was enough
when we prayed in the
upper room.

Your love was enough
when Mary wept at
the empty tomb!

The Song of the Hopeful

When Joy found me,

I ran to greet her.

When Sarah sang for me;

I danced for Liberty.

The sound of

Children’s voices-

Arise to heal our land.

For every empty promise,

The bell of freedom rang.

In towns and inner city,

The crowds of hopeful

Come.

Not in the pretty or

The witty,

But the Cross of God’s

Own Son.

Says the Poet....

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring. Acts 17:24-28

Nearer than a heartbeat,

Sovereign as a breath,

Closer than a newborn

Is the eaglet in her nest.

Higher than a mountain.

Stronger than a surge

Faithful is the courage

of the pinion of this bird!

Soar with wings like Eagles,

Seek until you rest.

Live and Move from Being,

Says the Poet to the blessed.

Yellow Rose

Bright,

Beautiful,

Fragrant,

Yellow

Rose.

Softly I

Reach Out

 to you,

As to

not prick

Myself

to bleed.

Thorns

cover

Your thick

 stem.

I suppose to

Protect

yourself

From me.

 I suppose

To isolate

 yourself

in beauty.

I, longing

To come closer

And hold you

In the palm of

my hand.

And you,

Longing to

Be-free-

Just as
I am.

Bright,

Beautiful,

Fragrant,

Yellow rose.

In Joy-

I turn my

Head.

The

Fragrance

Of a

Simple

Breath.

The thorns

In which

We bled.

The Little Children

 He called a little child, whom he placed among them. And He said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2

I am not a parent, but I have the privilege, honor, and challenge of being a preschool teacher to little children.  I call my job, the furnace of transformation.  Children are like a mirror, revealing parts of yourself you would rather not see.  Children are uncensored.  They will say and do whatever comes to mind.  Children are in touch with their emotions no matter how strong. 

The best parts of children are that they are carefree, they are open, they are responsive, they are receptive, and for the most part they are engaging and happy. I call children little “Spirit-beings”. At times, you can get a sense of direction if you listen to children because children are present and live in the moment.

As Adults, we have a lot to learn from children in our spiritual lives.  God values innocence, vulnerability and pure-heartedness.  Since, He is our Heavenly father; He wants us to be open, responsive and receptive to His presence and His Word.

He wants us to be present to others and experience divine moments as they come to us.

He wants us to engage in our surroundings, and to be in touch with our emotions.

There are some qualities that children have, I believe we should never outgrow.

Maturity grows us up in Love and makes us see beyond ourselves to others needs, but let us not
loose childlike wonder and trust in a God who fearfully and wonderfully made us.

Be My Light

Be my light

When darkness

Closes in.

Shine it bright,

Let rays

Softly in.

In the night,

When weakness

Folds me in.

Be My light

To shoulder

Burdens.

Be my song

To lift me

Up when

Light grows

Dim.

Hope along,

The cry

For souls

To win.

Message in a Bottle!

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you; 

He will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17

God is like a Father, who delights in His children.  How much we need to know the delight of a Heavenly Father. 

I was praying tonight with my husband, and God brought to mind a summer when I was longing for adventure and I decided I was going to send out a few messages in a bottle. 

So, I got some bottles with corks and I filled them with God’s Word.  I believe one of the verses was 

from John 3:16-"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life!" 

With my messages in a bottle in hand,  I went out to an Island and tried to secretly cast them into the water.

I was on a mission, and I did it!  Can’t remember if it felt adventurous or not, but tonight I was reminded that God delighted in me!

He delights in the small and funny things that we do, because we are His children.  I like to envision God with a smile on his face, and laughing.  We think no one is watching, but we have His full attention, even in our secret missions!

The Joy of the Lord is My strength!

“The Joy of the Lord is my strength!”

(Nehemiah 8:10)

We need Joy!  The Joy of the Lord is our strength.  I had a dream last night that I was praying for Joy.  Joy is a taste of heaven coming to earth.  There is strength in Joy.   Joy is an overcoming quality of the heart.  When we are in Joy we feel strong and the wind of our sails reach harbor. 

Say, “The Joy of the Lord is my strength” out loud to yourself, your coworkers, and your family members.  Let the power of God’s spoken Word take effect in your life. 

Don’t let joyless living be your mantra.  Activate Joy in your life.  Pursue it.  It’s not always easy to experience Joy.  It can be elusive.  Take lessons from children.  The older we get the harder we have to fight for Joy to be predominant in our life. 

Joy is strength- Joy is love - Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. She gives most who gives with Joy.  Mother Teresa

Pray for Joy.  Pray for the Fruits of the Spirit to be active in your life.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Galatians 5:22-23

Amen.