Fading Fast

The tree in our front yard which only a couple of days ago

was vibrant in its fall splendor,

faded quickly as rain and winds took their toll on its beauty.

***

I thought of it as I bantered with a friend who'd joined us

for Sunday dinner at a local restaurant.

"Tell me I don't look any older than when we met ten years ago,"

I begged.

He was a good sport.

He knew and I knew that years take their toll on our outward appearance.

No wonder, the Bible has frequent reminders about beauty.

My ESV Bible says, "let your adorning be the hidden person

of the heart with the imperishable  (unfading) beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, 

which in God's sight is very precious".

 And Proverbs 31:30,
"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting..."
***
Particularly, in this season of my life, I'm thankful for the truth of the Word of God
and godly examples of unfading beauty,
Though outwardly I am fading fast,
inwardly I am being renewed day by day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16

 

Taking Stock

Here it is!  Mid-March already...

I heard birds singing as I washed my face and brushed my teeth 

at my upstair's bathroom sink this morning.

Winter is passing. Quicker this year than last, it seems to me.

Why my thoughts wandered to June and our upcoming retreat

 to The Abbey of Gethsemani, I don't know.

But they did. 

Wistfully, I opened its web page and caught up with a few of the monthly happenings

there since the first of the year.

January found the monks themselves retreating.

Somehow, this brought me comfort 

and heightened my expectations and yearnings for my own retreat!

Marked by silence and simplicity, this was a summary of the retreat:
On the individual level, monks were encourage to discern
what they needed from this time of extra quiet and solitude.
For some, that may indeed have meant some rest.  
For others, it was a chance to simplify.
"For all, it is a time of taking stock," Dom Elias said.
...Sigh...
Today, in a smaller way, I too will seek to be silent.
To be simple and
to take stock.

♪ It's Beginning.....♪

 Twenty-five trees were decorated

 and distributed throughout Das Essenhaus campus, Middlebury, Indiana.

 It's probably a GOOD thing I had placed it on my calendar

for today instead of tomorrow when the official Tour of Trees actually begins!

 

Crowds were slim.

 It was just right for comfortable viewing!

 The company was great and very appreciative...

 and the buffet we enjoyed before returning home was scrumptous!

It really IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Ode to Spring

Well past sundown
and the birds sing on
as though determined
to make up for the time
they were silenced by rainfall
this first day of Spring.
Reluctantly I retire,
climbing  stairs
with a wordless melody
playing itself in my heart ---
my praise for the
Creator of this day,
Lord of its night
and Waker of tomorrow's dawn.
rlg/eve of 3/20/2017

Repent, Remember, Rejoice

Neither the church of my childhood nor current affiliation formally observe Lent.

That doesn't preclude me from appreciating the symbolism OR reality of its message, however.

"Repent, and believe in the Gospel" 

and

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return".

Beginning today, Ash Wednesday, I embrace the message.

I rejoice in the reminders of this season.

I'm thankful for Jesus Christ,

the cross,

and the empty tomb.

A Remarkable Season

Too beautiful to waste the unexpected sunshine of these February days.

So we walk.

The three of us.

Thankful for nature's supply of Vitamin D.

Sometimes we sit.

To catch our breath.

To take in the view of quiet, Amish countryside.

This is a remarkable season.

I am so thankful for it.

The Agony and Ecstasy

The ecstasy of Spring comes in the form of

forsythia's colors and birds' songs before dawn.

The agony of Spring is more personal, 

coming in the form of vigil at the bedside of our mother.

We accept both its agony and ecstasy.

We claim the promise of Psalm 32:8:

 

Psalm 32:8 - my personal compilation of several translations:  “I will instruct you (I will give thee understanding, I cause thee to act wisely), and teach you (I shall make known to you) in the way you should go (about how you should live, concerning the path you should walk, and show you the way to go, and direct thee in the way that thou goest), will guide you along the best pathway for your life); I will (give) counsel (advise, direct) you with my loving eye on you (as I look you in the eye,  I will fix mine eyes upon thee, Mine eye being upon thee, as my eyes watch over you, and watch over you, I cause mine eye to take counsel concerning thee).”

Simple Pleasures are the Best

On the way to my car after my physical therapy session,

I noticed the hospital's groundskeeper cutting back the hydrangeas.

The back of his pickup truck was loaded with them,

and he was still cutting.

 I asked if someone had already asked for them.

He seemed a little stunned by my question and told me to take all I wanted.

I wish I'd taken more than an armful.

Simple pleasures really ARE the best.

the Wonder of Autumn

 Though the sky was grey and rain fell intermittently,

 nothing could interfere with my awe of and appreciation for

the beauty of nature....the enjoyment of God's creation!

I wish for a larger heart in which to store the memory of this day.

I am thankful my husband was with me.

Somehow, being able to share the wonder WITH someone increases the pleasure....

I Can Only Imagine

 I leaned over the neighbor's fence, desperate for an un-obliterated shot at the

 amazing sunrise this morning. The incredible red/orange brilliance had already begun to fade by the time I returned with my phone to take the picture. And I really have NO angle from which to  photograph a great sunrise in our backyard.....
I can only imagine!

As surely as wires and fences, poles and generators obscured the beauty...

as inadequate my no-frills phone camera...

so is my capacity to grasp the glory of God obscured and inadequate.

Still there are HINTS of it

everywhere I turn.

One day, the barriers will be removed

and I will see Him, face to face!

Glory!

♪ When by his grace I shall look on His face...

That will be glory!  Be glory for me. ♪

I can only imagine.

Grass Withers. Flowers Fade

Grass dries up,   

 and flowers wither,
        but the word of our God will last forever.

Isaiah 40:8

 Alas!  The grass and flowers in our yard and flower beds

ARE drying up and withering.

We've had a dry stretch here, and the seasons are a'changing....

But the Word of God remains...

"alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, 
cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. 
It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."

Hebrews 4:12

Great peace have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.
Psalm 119:165

I Love Springtime

 Until autumn at least, spring is my favorite season.

Throughout our yard and flower beds,

 I found much to fascinate me

as I strolled about this evening....

I found myself humming this song and when I returned to the house,
I looked up the lyrics to fill in what I couldn't remember.... 
♪ ♫ ♪
When in the spring, the flowers are blooming bright and fair,
After the grey of winter's gone.
Once again the lark begins his tuning,
Back in the meadows of my heart.

Lord, make me like that stream that flows so cool and clear
Down from the mountains high above;
I will tell the world the wondrous story
Of the precious stream filled with your Love.

  

Chorus
Lord, to my heart bring back the springtime.
Take away the cold and dark of sin.
  Oh refill me now, sweet Holy Spirit:
May I warm and tender be again.

(Bring Back the Springtime, lyrics) 

 I wonder if you might want to use Jennifer's free tutorial
to create beautiful spring chalkboard art?
You can find out about it HERE. 

Weekend Pleasure

 LAST week, the Segway Adventure...

YESTERDAY our transportation was THIS contraption!

Well, at least for one leg of our otherwise walking tour 

of a beautiful, old neighborhood in nearby Fort Wayne.

 Many of the interiors were lovely.

 Some were in various stages of renovation.

 It was the EXTERIORS that caught my camera's (well, cellphone camera, anyway) eye.

 Possibly this was because of the sheer BEAUTY of the day.

 Near perfect, cool weather with more than a hint

of autumn in the air...

It was such a pleasure to spend the hours

in one of my favorite recreational activities

in the company of my husband.

Just another reason to Bless the Lord, O My Soul!