A sleepy child
Now snug in bed
For things we value
A place to repose
Cloak, belt, or hair
Prepared, ready to go
Love and belonging
Within caring arms
A small, fragile hand
Gently held by another
We can comfort one another
… With a simple tuck
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• We crave stability in life
• Being out of balance is unsettling
• A caring community supports each other
• A strong foundation is vital for moving forward
• Going it alone is not always the best option
• Sometimes we need a loving push to step out
• A lift is appreciated when you find yourself on the ground
• Rising up helps attain goals thought to be unreachable
• Being flexible reduces stress and encourages mobility
• Keep protection in place for safety and comfort
• Value should not be based on size or form
• Our Creator God is our strength along the way
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• Holes can be both helpful and hurtful
• Be mindful of what surrounds the holes in life
• Rich earth yields healthy harvest
• Being accepted and cared for helps fill us
• Emptiness grows with suffering or lack of hope
• Sometimes we feel torn open and lost
• As time goes by, worn out clothing reveals use and life
• Repairs may come slowly and in part
• As a key turns in a keyhole so positive actions can bring much good
• A nurturing home is a refuge and a sheltering burrow
• Small accomplishments are encouraging and fulfilling
• Take notes of the diligent woodpecker seeking food and shelter
• The planting of new things and ideas first requires digging
• A small seed planted yields much through struggles and trials
• When digging and growing, contemplation and prayer are of great importance
• God fills our holes with goodness, purpose, and compassion
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• Things that are hard can both protect and crack
• Our lives are like icebergs, holding much beneath the surface
• Change, whether slow or rapid, requires many adjustments
• The support of others covers many difficulties
• Use caution when navigating slippery situations
• Calmness can be cool and refreshing when things get hot
• A heated temper needs space and time to cool down
• A cold heart is an unhappy heart
• We can become numbed through adverse conditions
• Preservation of positive character helps bring and maintain lasting relationships
• Like people, frozen water comes in many forms and varieties
• Homes are formed in our very diversity… we penguins, polar bears, and seals
• Refractions through these prisms bring forth amazing results
• The shining Light of God displays beauty within
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• There are times to be still and times to move
• Movement can be independent or dependent but affects all
• Fix your decisions on a strong frame
• Actions revolve around character and personality
• Direction seems elusive at times
• We turn in search of our best options
• Good physical activity and diet help keep things running well
• Moving goes more smoothly when well-planned
• The words around us affect what we do
• There must be power to enable movement of any kind
• Many things steer our course
• Making progress can be a circular process
• Changing positions should come after much thought and prayer
• God guides and moves us through each day
Charlotte-Anne Allen
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• Inquisitive curiosity feeds discovery
• Play is the basis of learning
• A place of security brings rest to our soul
• Nurture tender life and watch it grow
• Learning and growing is greatest when navigating challenges
• When seen through the heart, each day is a wondrous exploration
• Newness and change need time for adjustment
• Fresh eyes can bring great enlightenment
• May our words and actions encourage and uplift
• Imagination opens possibilities and delves into solutions
• Small things can loom as great mountains
• Speak encouragement and express value for others whenever possible
• Joy speaks through skips, song, and bright faces
• God loves us, His children, beyond our greatest imagination
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• From our first sprouting to our final gathering there is much change
• As maturity comes, so develops strength and shape
• The smoothing and rubbing of life’s challenges brings out our character
• We all have the potential for many forms and purposes
• Like mighty trees, so protect and provide cover for the fragile and needy
• Those who nurture others are recognized for compassion
• Building and creating brings satisfaction for work well done
• Inward beauty shines forth with love and care
• Spreading warmth brings comfort and contentment
• Storms often bring loss and uproot or unsettle us
• Hope sprouts slowly sometimes, so tend with care
• Planting, watering, tending, shaping, serving… is purpose
• Draw from the land and bear good fruit with seeds
• God nourishes and makes things grow
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• Tend and care for that which is of value
• Work for nourishing results
• Warmth and caring are like the sun’s bright rays
• Positive influences bring out the best in us
• Aim for results that are helpful and usable
• Becoming better at something takes time
• Change comes through life’s experiences
• There are many responses to changes and challenges
• Patience during the process of growth and life is hard
• Sometimes we feel dried up and empty
• Pruning unhealthy thoughts and actions opens doors for grace
• Celebrate often, noticing the big and small fruits
• Stay connected to the Vine for health and strength
• God is our source, bringing forth the best in us
Charlotte-Anne Allen
Ripples… Ripples spreading across the surface of the water. We kids laugh as we challenge each other to see how far we can skip our rocks, chosen with the greatest care for shape, size, and weight.
… Dad and mom smile as we enjoy our afternoon at the local lake. We race along the shoreline and then gather at the table for our impromptu picnic of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, perhaps with some chips or apples, maybe some pickles, and something for thirsty throats. Thinking of those happy days makes me smile.
My mind travels ahead through our growing years and into adulthood. I think of all the ripples that have been set in motion by each of our lives. All that we have said, done, and thought echo through the waters of time. Through joy and pain, peace and tumult, life and death… new birth grows around us and through us.
And do we live in contentment? May it be so! For there is One greater than us all, who travels with us and looks after us. They are daily reminders of wonder and awe, if we but see it and hear it, listening fully and resting in God’s awesome presence.
I am reminded of Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “…if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things… I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” [Philippians 4:8b, 12b-13]
When discontent churns in me, I have discovered that finding that calm place is a great challenge and sometimes a long road. I cling to God like a young child. His patient love fills me. The psalmist must have had a sense of this as well when he said, “But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” [Psalm 131:2]
So, from this racing world and anxious hearts… for good or harm, the ripples of our being spread. May we turn to God for quiet, compassionate hearts and lips.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
Ripples… Ripples spreading across the surface of the water. May God’s light shine.
Be encouraged.
Charlotte-Anne Allen
