Thoughts and reflections on us as people with much in common.
Bright and cheerful
Head uplifted
Wide open face
wreathed with joy
Follows light’s source
As it crosses the sky
Warmth and sun
Infuse with health
To sooth and nourish
Ease pain and bring calm
Now smile and partake
Of nature’s rich bounty
May we too be as
The noble sunflower
I lifted my nose appreciatively as the scent of apples wafted through the house, creating images of years gone by. It was the season for apples, one I always looked forward to. In the town where I grew up, we had one large old apple tree and several smaller ones in our backyard. They were the best red apples anywhere! I still remember their sweet crisp taste, although the trees are now long gone.
Gathering and preparing those apples was a family affair. We separated the older apples that the bees, birds, and other insects were enjoying and brought the others in to wash and pare, setting some aside for eating as they were. A lot of preparation went into canning the applesauce, sliced apples, apple butter, and apple jelly, not to mention apple pie, cake, or other goodies. Preparing ahead of time made the work go easier and the results were appreciated during the months ahead.
Preparation is a part of life. Sometimes we are called to prepare things in advance of events, like setting the table for a meal or arranging items for a program. I remember the story of John the Baptist, as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way.” * John’s words got the people who heard them ready to receive the words of Jesus.
While I have learned to “go with the flow” when needed and have enjoyed occasional spontaneous activities, preparation is important for daily routines as well as long-term future needs, goals, or hopes. It reminds me of the movie trailers released as previews to upcoming shows. Haven’t we all at some time, upon seeing a preview or hearing of the anticipated release date, said, “Oh, I’d like to see that!” The movie previews put the word out that something good is coming that we just don’t want to miss!
How can we prepare ourselves to receive the words God has for us? It has been easy in times past to let my good intentions slide away or my quiet time with God to be relegated to a quick, sometimes desperate, “Oh God, please help me today” as I rush out the door. I don’t want to miss the good things coming or the encouragement offered in a mad rush to the next thing.
Like those apple gathering seasons, to receive the full benefit and goodness God has in store for me I have to prepare to receive Him. Times for quiet, for worship, for study, for listening, for fellowship, for obedience, or for action must be intentional. Discovering what these are for us and making them a priority is part of the preparation.
I hope that we can pause to ask ourselves regularly, “How am I preparing to receive God and the blessings, love, guidance, and support He has for me each day?”
*Mark 1:2
• Transitions may cause both anticipation and anxiety
• Be watchful and allow time for outcomes to develop
• Value the past for it prepares us for the todays and tomorrows
• We grow accustomed to the familiar and the constant
• The cries and words of the forgotten are paid no heed
• Loss is felt the greatest when we first realize absence
• The roar of circumstances can drown out all else
• The effects of our experiences crawl into all areas of our life
• Our soul is carried in the swell and fall of majestic music
• Join your voices for the cause of good and wholeness
• A joyful chorus gains strength as others join in
• Lift your voice and your hands when the season is right
• Hear the words of the One who calls us to Him
• Gather nourishment for each day from God our source
from “Reflections from the Everyday”
Schools of learning
Great and small
Places of business
In buildings tall
Scrambling madly
Push and shove
Grant me now simplicity
Detailed instructions
Now what was that?
No time to ponder
Pushed away like a gnat
Pontificating loudly …
My brain needs a rest!
I do so yearn for simplicity
Learning is good
Don’t misunderstand
Standing straight and excited
Accomplishment in hand
Savor life slowly
Delight in “ah-hah’s”
That is the gift of simplicity
When life gives you giggles
Pour it out
When filled up with wonder
Pour it out
When joy swells in darkness
Pour it out
When peace settles o’er you
Pour it out
When hope rises in trouble
Pour it out
When your heart grows in love
When breath is a gift
Your cup overflows
Share a drink
Offer life
Pour it out!
• Communication is a circle not a one-way line
• The gift of language is a foundation upon which all is built
• Fruitful communication requires more than one sender
• Take care not to spend all your time in self-absorption
• Touch another life in positive support and compassion
• Affirm worth and heed subtle calls for help
• Words once spewed from our mouth cannot be recovered
• Flashy ads and gadgets can distract us from what matters
• Seek knowledge with careful thought
• Value learning for a fuller and richer life
• When dark clouds gather we need each other
• Giving someone your full attention is priceless
• The sound of a caring voice can bring sunshine to a life
• Listen to God who hears our calls
from “Reflections from the Everyday” by caallen
Right ways and true
Equitable even-handed
Accurate incorruptible
Faithfulness goes before
Founded on love
What will guide you
Truth and clear vision
Words spoken without deceit
Ears hearing
Eyes seeing
Hearts receptive
Principle and integrity
Must be included
Doing no wrong
Upright and honest
Exactly …That’s it!
Just justice!
Shining splendor for all to see
Rainbow’s gems sparkle brightly
Breath of wonder and delight
Glorious proclamation upon the sky
Radiance gleaming now
Stretches over the earth
Jaspers rubies emeralds
Precious awe-inspiring sight
Sun rays amidst the clouds
Refracted upon life’s droplets
Drawn from storms passing
Breaking forth to speak of light
A gleam a thought
Watch as ideas awaken
Designers and dreamers
Envision wholeness
Each thread each vine
Every reed and fiber
Interlacing forming linking
Drawn by a master’s hand
The weaver’s fingers
Move with purpose
Crossing wrapping
Pulling together
Patterns and designs
Take shape and reveal
That which was weak
Coming together
Story of redemption
Woven treasure
From brokenness
beauty emerges
The hum of the big exhaust fan in the window of our upstairs hallway signaled the beginning of another summer evening. As night drew closer, the familiar voices and sounds of my family about the house or in the yard were comforting and familiar. In those days of yesteryear, I see myself stretched out on my bed or curled up on my window seat reading a good book or just watching life from my bedroom window. To this day these same things in my own home bring contentment and peace.
We always closed the windows and retreated to the cooler lower floor during the day as summer’s heat began to build around mid-morning. Then, as evening’s cool touch came, the windows were opened, and the fans began to draw out the warm air that had built up in our upstairs rooms through the day. I remember breathing deeply of the cool night’s air as it was drawn in and listening to the sounds of life… the voices of insects, tree frogs, and owls and the rhythm of our small-town. The refreshing coolness brought a sense of peace and renewal, especially if the day had been long or difficult.
The windows of our hearts can be like those rooms on hot summer days. Sometimes we close them – perhaps due to doubt, anger, or fear – as we seek to guard ourselves or to declare our own will. I know that when I am hurt, let down, angry, or disappointed I too tend to withdraw and shut off as much as possible from its source. This may bring some relief for a time, until there is room for healing and the opening of those windows.
As we beat against the ills we see, so that our ears are deafened to all else, God’s cool healing breath washes over our world. May we not fail to see and feel it! There is injustice in this world, but there is also the breath of God. Like those fans, as we open our hearts to God, His breath fills us and draws from us that which is stale and stifling… that which has caused hurt.
Have you considered the breath of God? As in the beginning of time, “then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” *
We are living beings, whom God loves, and He said it was very good. *
My prayer for our world is that we will know God’s refreshing and renewing breath. I pray that He will draw from us that which is stale and stifling, driven by hurt, and fill us with the hope of His Spirit.
* Genesis 1:31, 2:7
The Still Small Voice 