Bridged

 Traveling home from Alabama,

I took photos from a moving car

 of two parallel bridges

while crossing a third!

I've never been comfortable

crossing bridges, and this time 

was no exception.

It DID bring back memories

of the early 70's song,

Bridge Over Troubled Water...

My husband won my heart

when we were dating and I was going through what at that time

seemed like "troubled waters".

He hand delivered the album to me

without any words, as I recall now.

When you're weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes, I'll dry them all (all)
I'm on your side, oh, when times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
♥️

Before any fence is removed....

 These beautiful walls and fences

I see around me this week

at the Abbey of Gethsemani

 came to mind as I was reading

Ravi Zacharias' book this afternoon.

 I interrupted my reading

to take a walk...

 God HAS provided fences,

boundaries and walls for

our well-being!

Overcoming Negativity

 This meme was well-timed.  

Not only was I spending some time with a negative person or two,

I found myself becoming increasingly one myself.

(It IS my tendency.)

And so, while in conversation with a friend about this,

I had the idea to wear a rubber band around my wrist

and snap myself each time I caught myself

thinking a negative thought--

or having spoken one.

(You can see that I selected a pony-tail band...)

Already, it has helped!

I recommend it!

Finding Beauty

Throw Aways

Sadly, missing 4 pieces.

Imperfect, but beautiful.

(Not unlike our country...Not unlike ME!)

I'm reluctant to throw it away.

***

I enjoy finding unique jigsaw puzzles like this one at thrift stores.

For a quarter of a dollar or so, I've purchased many hours of relaxation.

To be honest, my husband puts in the most hours,

but there is something soothing to me about having a puzzle in process.

***

When we finish them, we pass them along to friends who pass along theirs to us

or return them to the thrift store.

If pieces are missing, we sometimes discard them.

This one is very hard for me to throw away...

Fragrance

How like me...

even at this late age

not fully open

releasing only a fraction

of the fragrance

I hold.

Don't mistake the fraction

for the whole.

Just wait with me;

the best is yet to be.

Living Woke

Living Woke

At the age

of seventy years

and four months,

I woke--

not in the vernacular

but the traditional sense.

Awaken.

Bestir oneself.

Get going.

Come alive.

Rouse.

With less time

to live woken

than yesterday,

I put sleep behind me

and rise from the dead

in Ephesians 5:14 style.

Woken.

Again.

Easter 2019

 Morning dawned, dense with fog.

We braved it to attend the first service-described as "traditional".

Reflecting now (late afternoon), I realize one highlight 

of the morning was conversation with one whose name I'd heard,

but whose face I did not know.

I followed her on the way to the parking lot, 

watching her lone, bent frame 

and silently praying she would make it safely 

to her car.

I remarked on the sunshine that had replaced the fog 

as we had worshiped, and the conversation unfolded.

I learned that she, like me, was somewhat of an introvert.

She didn't need or seek out a lot of activity for activity sake.

"I've heard about you!" I said.

"And I about you," she returned.

And then we discovered our mutual lack of interest in

social activity and mindless chitchat.

***

Since our children live far away, my sister and brother-in-law were headed

to be with his side of the family, and I had failed to 

invite guests to Easter dinner,

we ate at the local cafe--thankful for the servers and cooks

who created and served our meal.

After naps, we roused ourselves for a beautiful walk

on a paved trail in the town next to ours.

Besides the sunshine, bird songs, croaking of frogs and budding out of trees,

a small patch of the two wild flowers shown here 

were the primary evidences of spring that I noticed.

I thought about my new acquaintance and wondered if she and I

were as rare among the crowd surrounding me this morning

as the two small patches of wildflowers  

among the dying excesses of winter....
Sometimes I feel that way.

Hmmmmmm. 

Myrna's Treasure

It was Wednesday evening.  We were gathered around tables at our weekly prayer service.

She sat across the table from me, heart-heavy with the recent loss

of her best friend/sister-in-law.

After prayer, my husband led us in a discussion study of John 12

and the story of Mary anointing Jesus' feet 

with the precious ointment.

The discussion ended, folks got up to leave,

 and my friend across the table timidly motioned for me.

She handed me this treasure, wrapped loosely in Christmas paper.

She said she'd lost something precious this week and felt God directing her

to share something precious with me.

Only after unwrapping the "treasure" did the full impact (and parellel) of this friend's

timid and generous gift strike me.

Indeed, as did Mary's ointment THAT day,

THIS lotion's fragrance filled and CONTINUES to fill the room of my heart.
***

Dear Myrna.  I receive and return the treasure of love.

The Eye of the Coach

 We had a rare and wonderful opportunity

to watch one of our grandsons compete

         in the regional gymnastics meet near our home.

 

 I took a lot of photos--

many blurred because of the motion.

 When I got home and took a closer look at them,

I was struck by a common thread--

the eyes of the coach were constantly on our grandson!

The thought came to me almost immediately--

the eye of my Heavenly Coach

IS constantly on me.  

"His eye is on the sparrow..."

I draw great comfort and confidence from that realization.

The realization of my Father's watchful eye will remain

long after the photos fade.

About Prayer

My phone broke this morning and I can't get it to a repair shop until Monday so I will be out of communication for at least the next couple of days. Pray that it is fixable; I really don't want to have to buy a new one!

So came the Facebook message from a missionary friend in Indonesia.  I shuttered realizing how out of touch and discombobbled I'd feel if it happenened to me here in my comfortable, familiar environment.

I started to respond with something "spiritual", like "Aren't you glad communication with God is never broken?"

I deleted that when I remembered Psalm 66:18.  Instead I sent a sad-faced emoji alongside praying hands.  Then I did a heart-check and prayed for her.

It's a concept about prayer that I sometimes forget.  I'm so thankful the Heavenly Father forgives my acknowledged and confessed sin.  I'm thankful I don't have to wait until Mondays to experience restored communication!

Who Lists

Jack Graham@jackngraham recently tweeted: "We all have do lists. Things we do and want to accomplish. But let’s not forget our Who list. The people in our lives who need  love and support. And those who need Jesus. Who is on your list?"

The concept of a Who List intrigued me.  And as I reflected on it, I realized that as I've aged, my To Do List had progressively morphed into a Who List! So much so that I think I might need to give some attention to my To Do List!

It's all about balance, isn't it?  And discernment to recognize the what, the when and the who...

Ambiguity: My Thoughts

My thoughts about ambiguity this afternoon...

It tends to confuse, weaken, muddle, disappoint, excuse, overlook, mislead, whitewash, ignore, blink and wink.

I'm not a fan (as you might have perceived).  

As the Moon Sets

The lesser light

It shines so bright.

No light its own;

Nor does it know.

"He must increase; I must decrease." (John the Baptist)

One Old Lady's Perspective on Technology

One more podcast

One more link

"Cut time online"

"Don't miss a beat"

It's quite contradictory, don't you think?

"Follow me, text me"

Until I'm perplexed

Whatever are they going to

Think of posting next?

In my aging viewpoint

It's getting out of hand

In the country, in the town,

In the church, and all across our land. 

Only so many hours

In a person's day.

How did we survive

Before technology came to play?

Paraphernalia

In addition to a good marking pen, 

my reading paraphernalia

includes a scrap piece of paper

On which I jot down page numbers

(in the case of borrowed books)

of sentences or thoughts

I want to return to/copy.

Often that piece of paper serves

as bookmark.

But when it doesn't, I have alternatives

from which to choose!

What paraphernalia do YOU

have at hand as YOU read?

Spa Day today.  Not in the usual sense of pampering, but satisfaction of time well spent, invested, productive, varied, and intentional.

My men are away for a couple of days freeing me to use my time differently than normal.

The balance of time spent with friends, a bit of music therapy (as I called it), tackling a large typing project, finishing a book I'd started, and eating healthy meals makes me smile as I reflect on the full day I've enjoyed.

Thanks be to God.

First Wave

After a quiet Christmas Day,

our days began to fill up

with the arrival of the "first wave".

Our house occupancy 

more than tripled

and though the visit was short,

Turning Seventy

 A fast photo to document...

and a strong verse to experience in the coming year...

Celebrating my Savior's birthday

and my own.

Not a Season...a Savior

We (well mostly my husband)

finished this puzzle this afternoon.

Admiring its beauty,

a phrase keeps crossing

my mind--

A Savior.  Not a Season.

So insistent is this phrase,

I'm working on a poem

featuring this line.

Seasons come and go.

Not the Savior!