Of summer tastes
We can delight
In crispy apples
Or juicy melons
A teaspoon of honey
In season or out
Refreshes one’s spirit
In so many ways
Flavorful berries
Freshly picked
Oh, how wonderful
To eat by the gallons
Sweeter than these
Are kind words spoken
To encourage and brighten
Through nights and days
Charlotte-Anne Allen
• A true home is where you can be yourself
• We draw nourishment from positive words and actions
• Create surroundings that protect you and don’t tear you down
• Tough exteriors often conceal soft hearts
• Beauty comes in many forms and colors
• Good can be found in the midst of movement and storm
• When mired in trouble seek the light
• Care from others helps heal cracked hearts and lives
• Make your home a place where others can find shelter
• Do not let life’s true treasures rush by unnoticed
• There is much to discover at a slower pace
• God’s power moves us, forms us, and protects us
From “Reflections from the Everyday”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
God of wonder,
God of awe.
Master. Creator
Of us all
See majestic mountains,
Ocean’s span,
Universe’s sparkle,
And ripples of sand.
God, full of mystery,
Speaks our name.
Awesome. Mighty.
Always the same.
Here among us
You delight.
Healer Father
In our sight.
God of wonder!
– Charlotte-Anne Allen
Reposted
Blue’s fine shades draw us near
Welcoming us in many ways
Lightly peaceful, relax and breathe
Waters soothing and sky’s clear days
Touching softly its companions
Settle back in calm serene
Brightens, lifts, and cools our head
To think, create… So fresh and clean
Then bold and dark, stable commitment
Speaks of strength and lends its dignity
Standing now for trust, honesty
Respect for others and authority
Be watchful, when into melancholy you sink
Then bring alongside… those shades of bright blue
From “On Colors”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
“1-2-3… 18-19-20… Ready or not, here I come!!”
Many of us have fond memories of the childhood game “Hide and Seek”. What is it about this game that we love? Maybe it’s finding a good place to be “hidden” … or it could be the excitement of being the “seeker”. Then again, we simply had fun running around with our friends in the yard, especially in the early evenings as it grew dark. Occasionally one of us would grow tired or would feel the call of nature and slip back inside for a few minutes… which tended to frustrate the one searching!
This reminds me of the biblical comparisons of the shepherd searching for sheep, an image that the people of that day would have understood very well. Their sheep were a main source of livelihood, so a lost sheep would have been a great concern. Unlike us as children, easily slipping away for our Hide and Seek and then returning, the sheep became confused and anxious when they wandered away and were often unable to find their way back. Matthew and Luke told similar stories about searching for lost sheep. In them, the owner of a hundred sheep left ninety-nine safely together in the pasture and went searching diligently until he found the lost sheep and brought it back.
I love the way God connects with us by using things we can relate to. He spoke to Ezekiel, saying, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” How comforting to recognize God as our great Shepherd who carries His rod and staff to defend us and guide us. Don’t we all need and appreciate reminders and encouragement that we’re not left stuck and alone?! No matter what our situation may be, He comes to us and brings us back into fellowship within His safe fold.
Whether we are hiding, lost, or have strayed away, we can be thankful that God watches over us and seeks us! My prayer is that we live each day secure in that promise. May we hear His gentle reminders that even when we cannot find Him, He stretches out His staff to bring us home to Him.
– Charlotte-Anne Allen
Ezekiel 24, Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4
“Oncet” there was a Beginning
And from that shone a great light
Illuminating a realm so vast
So glorious to one’s sight
Infant call upon that plain
In wonder and great delight
To run, to swim, to fly so free
On limbs uncertain and new
Now we in our own garden
Living laughing where they grew
Making a difference as we follow
What will we bring and do?
… What words spoken of our “oncet”?
Charlotte-Anne Allen 6/2/2023
** “oncet” (wŭnst) adv. “once”
Southern & South Midland US
To go beyond
And give your all
Without complaint
A challenging call
To show up lift up
In rain or shine
To set aside self
And what we call “mine”
Extra extra
Is what it’s all about
Beyond the ordinary
That’s without a doubt
Though life may weigh down
Then persist and be true
Gain strength from above
To be faithful to do
Extra extra
Let His light shine
• Soft and light touches lift our spirits
• A child’s love is downy soft
• What you choose to be, to do, to think is a daily diet
• Your daily diet displays as a rainbow of colors for all to see.
• Exercise your spiritual muscles to warm others and withstand enemies
• There are times when we all just want to fly away
• Shedding the old opens room for the new
• Holding things together is often a challenge
• Changing our wayward directions is like refracted light upon shiny feathers
• A strong center stands against much bending and whipping in storms
• We cover and insulate ourselves from outside pressures
• Extend a hand to lighten each other’s load
• We are covered by our Maker’s wings
From “Reflections from the Everyday”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
To be to happen or to do
Hope for good upon each day
Achievable desirable
Possibilities before us
Shall we believe
That in all God is able?
Though sometimes things
Seem undone… impossible
Be still and know in quietness
Helping, loving, and persisting
Positivity makes a difference
Strength for better
Possible
From “My Words to Live By”
Charlotte-Anne Allen
In my childhood home, there was a gate that connected to the backyard of our neighbor’s, on the other side of our block. Just to the right was the small-town library which I visited often. That gate connected me to a world of books, and many pleasant days. It was a quiet place to gather, and upon occasion to help out the librarian.
Sometimes we just need to get together with others… for enjoyment, to fill needs, complete work, or share information. Have you thought about how often you are part of gatherings? Work projects, family reunions, classes, sports, church, friendships, and our internet culture all involve gathering as we come together for a common purpose or goal. I think of some common familiar phrases that reflect this:
o “Want to get together tomorrow?”
o “We need to make plans.”
o “What time is the game?”
o “Here you go, enjoy your meal!”
o “Where can we meet?” …
Thinking about some of my favorite spaces and places for coming together with others, I was reminded of a special meeting place described in the Bible, at the gates of cities or towns. I always thought of gates as, you know, just doors in some kind of fence or at an entrance but the biblical gates to the cities and towns were much more than doors set in the city walls.
Of course, these gates served as points of protection for walled cities. Gatekeepers and watchmen guarded entrance into the cities and warned of any impending trouble from enemies. We’re told that King David sat between the inner and outer gates and the watchman went up to the roof (2 Samuel 18:24). They were also important places for people to gather. Kings were known to address their subjects from the city gates and the elders of the city sat “within” the gates to hear petitions. The elders also acted as witnesses, along with others present, when needed. It was here that the might and authority of the ruler and government was seen and felt! No wonder rebuilding the gates was such a big issue when the Hebrews returned from captivity.
Feeling safe and part of a supportive community… That’s something we can all appreciate, isn’t it? I imagine the kinds of people who came through those gates in addition to the nobler class. Here too were drawn the unsavory, the poor, and the beggars. See too the nearby waste dump, where garbage and even bodies of dead animals and lower-class people or criminals were thrown and burned. Imagine the stench and the noise! Here too, Jesus was taken to be crucified.
My prayer for us is that we will be as gateways. As we live and work in our communities, may we accept the challenge to make spaces where others can be heard and cared for. While we respect authority, let us also hold others accountable and encourage each other to live with integrity. In so doing, we discover faith and welcome the greatest of gifts Jesus gave outside those city gates for us all .
Charlotte-Anne Allen 5/1/2023
The Still Small Voice 