Happy and cheerful
Brightens your day
Shines in warm sunshine
With good things to say
Brimming with such energy
Canaries singing or buzzing bees
Drawing attention inspiring hope
Finding the positive in what it sees
Cautions to proceed with care
Head uplifted to solve a problem
Yet creative optimistic inspiring
Not defeated or overcome by them
A touch of light to cheer you on
As a butterfly floating… is joyful yellow
From “On Colors”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
What’s this I see,
So large before me?!
Scurry hurry back-and-forth
Take a pause and draw a breath
In this small mite
Things seem so daunting
Mountain high or wall before me
Perhaps a chasm so deep and dark
And yet with wings
We rise and lift to the sky
With feet we stand and climb
Or cross over on bridges firm and true
Is not our Creator
Ever surrounding uplifting
Bringing us up over and through
Revealing beauty and shining promise?
In our smallness
We know God’s greatness.
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• Approach life with interest, flavor, and zest
• Treasure those memories of special moments frozen in time
• Cold hearts lead to a dreary life but warm hearts provide cheer to many
• True friendship is like a taste of creamy goodness
• Live honestly that your true colors reflect integrity
• Sharing compassionately arises from brokenness
• Do not allow frosty responses to dim your peace
• Be your positive and add color and flavor to life
• When coldness invades, allow warmth to savor goodness
• God can melt the most cold and stubborn heart
• Seek what refreshes and strengthens you and give thanks
• Missed opportunities can result from frozen indecision
• Let go of worries and enjoy good fruits of life
• Your center support is God’s strong presence
From “Reflections from the Everyday”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
Meadows and bees
Song and breeze
Mount and sky
Clouds against blue
Gurgling streams
Splashes and cool
Rustles and song
Rattles and tread
Bursting forth of life
Bud and bloom
Refreshing waters
Nourishment and newness
So, we bask in God’s creation
Soaking in His Wonder
Renewing and resting
His Light warming and filling
from “OF… Songs of Life”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
I was thinking about all the ways I use the word “good” … both positively and negatively!
That’s good.
You need anything? … I’m good. Thanks
Have a good day!
This is no good.
Good morning!
That tastes good.
Be good…
Good Lord!
And what does “good” really mean anyway? Many a debate or disagreement boils down to a different perception or opinion of what is good. We try to teach children to make good choices and to use good behavior and manners. What one person thinks is good may not be good at all to another person. I may decide that something is a good idea, only to change my mind about it later… Changing situations and differences in how we grew up or our current culture, among other things, leads to some differences.
Yet there are many common things for which “good” is very apparent. The Bible sets our standard for goodness using different examples and teachings. I love how it shows real people struggling through life, some failing dramatically and others accomplishing great or positive things for the good of many. Micah said it well!
He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 NASB
How do we decide what is good for a given situation or for life in general? What helps us to decide what is good. I find that taking time for self-reflection helps keep me on track. Just stopping, praying, reading God’s Word, listening, and considering recent actions or thoughts and perceptions is a great way to steer back in the right direction! I realize areas where I need to improve and to hopefully consider where I have grown and learned. Do I “do justice” … and what does that mean anyway? It is a high goal – to be founded on love, be honest, have integrity, be true, and be faithful. “To love kindness” is something that attracts, to care for others and to be cared about. When we walk humbly with God, we recognize His sovereignty or authority and our own imperfect nature and we follow Him, secure in His presence and knowing that He walks with us always.
What is good? That which lives out our love for God, our love for others, and His faithfulness and mercy.
Charlotte-Anne Allen 2/25/2023
Related: “Just Justice” (poem)
Caught within a glowing orb
Time remembers
Of life and movement
Growth and endings
Enfolded in days past
And brought forth revealed
Its beauty seen
Reflecting on things long gone,
Clarity of today, and future bright
… Miracles of creation
So, we too follow God’s Light
His presence with us always.
Charlotte-Anne Allen
Clean and inviting
Washed, fresh, and pure
It is what you see
Real, genuine, and sure
Peaceful and good
Full of beauty and grace
An uplifting spirit
And encouraging face
Forgiveness, acceptance
Yields hope and builds might
Shining like snow
To the darkness… brings light
Combining all colors
… from God is true white
From “On Colors”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
In rising wind and slashing rain
Storm breaking, pounding, roaring
Trees do dance… They break and tremble
Whipped by nature’s grasping breath
Do we yet cower… or stand in awe?
We in our weakness before God’s might
Surrendered to those cleansing waters
Breathing in His freshening wind
Look now… A Light is shining
Glowing, filling, warming…
Ever speaking of storm passing
Securely held in its wake
Charlotte-Anne Allen
Elijah! I love Elijah. Mighty prophet of God. Strong. Assured. Obedient to God’s commands. Through Elijah, God displayed His authority and great power to the people of Israel who had turned away! Fire from heaven burned up the soaking wet sacrifice… after futile attempts by the priests of Baal, god of fertility and nature, were unsuccessful. “Your god is no god!” … and 450 prophets of Baal perished.
Through Elijah, God withheld rain and a great drought resulted.
Through Elijah, God ended this drought with wind and abundant water… and Elijah miraculously ran before the chariot of King Ahab to a town fourteen miles away.
…Then a vengeful Queen Jezebel declared death to Elijah and he ran away in fear… and ran… and ran… until he ended up in a faraway cave in which to hide.
There God spoke to him, “What are you doing here Elijah?
And Elijah replied, I have given you my all God! Haven’t I obeyed you as best I can? I’ve been very busy doing all these things for You. Now look at these hard-headed, self-centered, angry people! They have rejected you and killed all your other prophets and now I’m the only one left! It’s useless. I might as well die too!”
I love Elijah! Doesn’t his story express the fear and discouragement we all feel at times?!
So, God passed by before that cave. There came a great wind, earthquake, and fire… but God was not in them. He who had spoken so forcefully and powerfully previously so that all would know His authority, did not speak through them this time… God had Elijah’s full attention! But where was God?!
Then there came a still small voice, a quiet calm. Elijah heard the voice of God asking the same question He had asked before, “What are you doing here Elijah?” …and, still focused on himself, Elijah gave the same answer!
But in the quiet of that moment, came assurance that God was with him. “Go back Elijah. I have a job for you. There will be others to help you, kings to anoint and a prophet to succeed you. Why, there are 7000 prophets who will rise up to serve me!”
I love Elijah! His story gives us all hope and assurance. “Go back. I’m with you. You are not alone,” God says. And so, He speaks in that still small voice, in quiet calm amidst our storms. God had not given up on them. He hadn’t given up on Elijah and He hasn’t given up on us! He is mighty. He is faithful.
May we find rest and courage in Him, giving thanks for His promise and faithful presence. Amen.
*Elijah’s story – 1 Kings Chapters 17-19 & 2 Kings Chapter 2
Charlotte-Anne Allen, 5/7/2017
Revised 1/28/2023
To speak and to listen
With heart and mind
Daily companionship
With a close friend
Oh, faithful hearer
When I doubt
My strong supporter
Strength and guide
Through every moment
God’s presence here
Prayer
From “My Words to Live By”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
The Still Small Voice 